Page 4

The next morning, I woke early, head throbbing from too many shots. And forced down a few cups of motel coffee. Nova was sprawled across her bed, moaning about the sunlight creeping through the thin curtains.

“You alive, Slutty?” I asked with a yawn.

“Barely,” she groaned. “I’m never drinking tequila again.”

I took a swig of coffee, steeling myself. “I should go check on my mom. Make sure she’s okay…maybe get more info on this threat.”

“Fine,” Nova said, yawning. “I’ll shower and meet you there, okay? You go ahead.”

That worked for me. I wanted to talk to Mom alone, anyway. So I dressed in simpler clothes, a pair of jeans and a book T-shirt, since that was what I packed for Frisco. It read, ‘Men are Better in Books’. But I was still wearing my knee-high boots. I drove back to the rally grounds.

I parked closer this time. The atmosphere was quieter in the morning, many people probably sleeping off hangovers as I approached the tents, scanning for my mother’s pink ribbons.

I found it soon enough, noticing the flap was hanging open. “Mom? Mom, are you awake, yet?”

The words died in my throat as I saw her lying on her back inside the tent, eyes like mine staring blankly at the canvas ceiling. Her chest didn’t rise or fall. A dark bruise marred her neck, and her lips were blue-tinged.

“Oh, my God.” My voice wavered. I crawled inside, shaking her shoulder. The stiffness of her body made me recoil.

She was…dead.

No, no, no.

Tears burned my eyes. “Mom,” I whispered brokenly, checking her pulse even though I knew it was pointless. Her skin was cold. Bile rose in my throat. This couldn’t be happening.

I stumbled out of the tent, shaky and gasping. I had to get help. Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I dialed 911, rattling off the location as best I could. My thoughts were a jumbled mess. My mother, drunken, irresponsible, vexing, was…gone.

My heart ached, but my head kicked into high gear. Had someone hurt her? That bruise on her neck looked suspicious as hell. Why would anyone kill my mom? Because she knew secrets. The threat. My pulse hammered.

I staggered away from the tent, scanning the area. Where was Maverick?

He was with her last night.

I spotted a few men with Road Monsters' patches milling about, but not him.

Finally, a woman giggled from behind another tent, the flap partially open. I heard a man’s low voice, too familiar. Fury ignited in my chest. I marched over, fueled by shock and grief, and yanked the tent flap aside.

Inside, Maverick was indeed in the midst of hooking up with some scantily clad woman. His bare ass was out, and her top was off, and I couldn’t see the rest of her. They both jerked in surprise at my intrusion.

“What the hell?” Maverick growled, eyes narrowing.

“You!” My voice broke. I pointed a shaking finger at him. “My mother is dead, and you’re in here screwing some random chick?”

The woman gasped, covering herself, glaring at me like I was the intruder. Maverick’s face darkened, and he shoved off her, standing up. “Wait, dead ? Dirty D?”

“Yes, Diana ,” I spat, tears threatening to choke me. But as much as I cried, I noticed Maverick didn’t cover up. His erect dick, complete with slimy condom, was on full display. I tried not to let it distract me. “She’s in her tent, cold as ice, and there’s a bruise on her neck. You were the last person seen with her.”

His expression flickered with something, shock, or even grief. But then it morphed into anger. “Calm down, princess. I had nothing to do with that.”

“You expect me to believe that?” I shouted, ignoring the woman who was scrambling for her clothes. “You left her. She was threatened. She’s dead. And you’re here, going to town on another woman.”

He stepped forward, pulling up his pants. “I didn’t kill her, all right? Don’t come in here accusing me.”

My eyes burned with tears, heartbreak twisting inside me. “She’s dead,” I choked, my voice cracking. “My mother is dead . Someone strangled her.”

Maverick froze, fists clenching. His jaw tightened. “Who else knows?”

“You should worry less about that,” I snapped. “And more about explaining where you were last night. Because I called the cops.”

He grabbed my arm. “No cops!”

I wrenched free. “Stay away from me.”

Everything was chaos then, the sound of sirens in the distance, the woman pulling on her shirt and cursing at Maverick, me stumbling back, half-blinded by tears and rage. If he didn’t kill my mother, he sure as hell didn’t seem innocent. And the fact that he was having sex with someone while my mother’s body lay in a tent just yards away made me sick.

Police cars began to pull up at the edge of the rally, creating a buzz of alarm among the bikers. Everyone scurried to hide their drugs or vanish before the cops could question them. I spun on my heel, dashing back to my mother’s tent, wanting to be near her, wanting to protect her even though it was too late.

One of the officers, a gray-haired man with a somber look, took in the scene, noticing the tears on my face and the lifeless form of my mother. He immediately radioed for more assistance. The crowd pressed in, curious onlookers, but parted for the cops.

I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder. Nova, newly arrived, face pale as a sheet. “Lexi, oh my God, I got your text. I came as fast as I could. Is she…?”

I nodded, tears slipping free. “Yeah. She’s gone.”

“Jesus,” Nova whispered, eyes brimming with sympathy. She hauled me into a hug, and I buried my face in her shoulder, trembling.

Over her shoulder, I saw Maverick standing a few yards away, arms folded, watching me with a troubled look. Our eyes met, and I glared at him, rage pulsing under my skin. My mind screamed that he was involved, that he was no good, that he was trying to protect whoever really did it, or it was him.

But for now, I had no answers. Just a dead mother, a bruised heart, and a sickening, ugly suspicion that Maverick knew far more than he was saying.

And as the cops swarmed around to secure the scene, I realized my life had just taken a sharp turn into the darkest parts of the biker world, a place I had never wanted to go. The ache in my chest told me there was no going back to normal.