Page 44

Maverick

I’d never imagined returning to California would feel so damn hollow. The roar of bikes, the swirl of smoke in the air, the pounding of heavy rock from huge speakers around the rally grounds. It should’ve been invigorating, reminding me of better times. But I felt only a dull ache in my chest as I navigated my Harley through the throng of tents and scattered bonfires.

I was supposed to meet up with Chigger near the mud wrestling pit. He’d texted me a couple hours ago, telling me they were already getting wasted, that Nova was with him. Nova. I hadn’t heard that name in a while, and it stirred up too many memories. Memories of someone else, a woman with green eyes who once tore me apart in the best and worst ways. Lexi. I tried not to dwell on it. Because it’d been a year, maybe more. She’s probably living her life with that stiff from her office. Maybe I hadn’t truly let go, but I’d forced myself not to care.

The Kings of Anarchy MC rally sprawled across a dusty field in Anarchy, California, a place that attracted every outlaw within a thousand miles. Tents in vibrant colors lined the perimeter, bikes parked in a chaotic row, each with custom paint or gleaming chrome. Bikers roamed with plastic cups of beer, some spectators perched on makeshift bleachers watching the mud-wrestling matches. The mud pit itself was a sloppy, churned-up mess, cheering onlookers shouting as half-naked volunteers flung each other around.

Typical MC event. Part of me used to love this shit, the lawlessness, the raw sense of freedom. Now it felt more like going through the motions. The only reason I came was because the Road Monsters’ leadership told me to. I’d ridden here with the Kings of Anarchy Maine chapter, presided over by Solo, friend I’d made while doing dirty work up in New England.

Maine. I went there following another Road Monster, named Monster and his young family. My lips curled in a half-smile remembering that place, endless pine forests, rocky coasts, the smell of salt in the air. The KOAMC in Maine had offered me something akin to camaraderie after I left everything behind. I’d done jobs for them, jobs I wouldn’t talk about in polite company, but it put money in my pocket and gave me a reason not to think about Lexi for a while. Now, here we were, across the country, meeting with the West Coast Kings. And I was still a damn nomad for the Road Monsters, taking orders from shadowy Aces who never showed their faces.

I spotted Ophelia just ahead, walking with a swaying confidence that turned too many heads. She was gorgeous, with waist-length black hair and a fierce gaze, the kind of woman who’d stir a crowd. But she never batted an eyelash at my attempts to flirt, which, ironically, made me keep noticing her. Her standoffish nature reminded me I was alive, but it wasn’t real attraction, just a passing curiosity. The truth was, my heart was still in a thousand pieces. Ophelia gave me a cursory glance, then turned away. Fine by me. I’ve got other shit to worry about.

I trudged to the mud-wrestling ring, scanning the rowdy crowd. The stink of beer and sweat drifted on the hot breeze. Suddenly, I spotted a tall figure with a battered cut and sandy hair, arm slung around a petite woman with long blonde locks. Chigger and Nova. They sat on a couple of wooden crates, plastic cups in hand, cheering at the muddy spectacle. A bleacher made of old pallets loomed behind them.

I shoved through the spectators, ignoring a few shouts and stumbles. Finally, I reached them, planting myself with a grunt.

“Well, look who it is.” Chigger drawled, lifting his beer in greeting. His cheeks were flushed as he was clearly hammered. “The man himself. ’Bout time you got here, brother.”

Nova gave me a polite nod. She looked… prettier without Lexi sitting next to her. “Hey, Mav,” she said, sipping from her cup.

I let out a low grunt, dropping onto a crate beside them. “Yeah, I got delayed. Solo took a scenic route through half the desert.” I slid a glance at the mud pit, where two women in bikinis grappled to the whooping delight of the onlookers. Not my scene, not anymore. I took the cup Chigger offered me, half-filled with warm beer. “Thanks.”

He clinked his cup to mine sloppily, spilling a bit on his cut. “So how’s Maine, man?” he slurred, leaning in. “Heard you been up there for a while, helpin’ the KOA sort out some turf trouble.”

I shrugged, forcing a semblance of interest. “It’s all right. Cold as hell. Trees everywhere. Did some grunt work for Solo. I actually liked it, reminded me of Alaska in a weird way. Peaceful, when it’s not chaotic, if that makes sense.”

He snorted. “Sounds like you’re still wandering. Always on the run, Maverick.” His tone wasn’t accusatory, more drunkenly observant.

I tensed, flicking my gaze at Nova, who watched the mud-wrestling but was clearly listening. “Yeah, well,” I muttered. “It’s a nomad’s life.” Trying to avoid thinking about Lexi. But I didn’t say that out loud.

An awkward silence settled among us, broken only by the crowd’s hoots every time a mud-slick body got slammed. I sipped my lukewarm beer, my mind drifting. Maybe I should ask about Lexi, but I’d told the Road Monsters to keep me informed only if she was in serious danger, no details. I’d clung to that to keep from obsessing. But something in me stirred. Perhaps I should inquire anyway. Before I could speak, though, Nova coughed.

“I’m gonna go… find some water,” she said, sliding off her crate. “You two catch up.”

I nodded, though suspicion flickered in my gut. Chigger was hammered, maybe she didn’t want him blurting something? She ambled away, quickly disappearing in the throng.

Chigger watched her go, swaying slightly. “That woman… phew,” he muttered. “She’s a handful, but man… I love that handful.” He made a motion of grabbing hold with two hands. Then he cackled, draining his beer. “Been seein’ her on and off, you know. She’s got baby fever or some shit.”

My stomach tensed. Baby fever. The words pricked at some old wound. Don’t go there, Maverick. But I forced myself to keep it together. “Yeah? So, you two are serious now?”

He shrugged, grinning drunkenly. “Nova wants a baby, I think. I might be the prime candidate since she’s letting me raw dog her day and night. That or she’s just horny. Speaking of babies…” He paused, chuckling. “You hear about Lexi?”

My heart missed a beat. “Lexi?” I repeated, suddenly gripping my cup too tight. “No. Why?”

He shot me a confused look, then burst out laughing. “Shit, man, guess you don’t keep in touch, huh? I ought to thank her.”

“Why?”

“She’s why I’m getting all this good pussy from Nova. Her letting me jizz in her like an old sock.”

“Lexi? Why her?”

“She’s good, had a baby, I heard. Married that suit from her office, I guess.”

Everything around me seemed to go muffled, the roar of the rally receding. Lexi had a baby? Pain lanced through my chest, fierce and undeniable. So she moved on, started a family. My head spun. Of course she had. She deserved that. But an odd jealousy coiled in my gut. I can’t believe no one told me.

I forced a calm tone. “She’s… married? That quick?”

He shrugged. “A year’s not that quick. Nova says the kid’s about three months old. She’s doin’ well, fancy house, that sort of thing.”

Three months old. I did the math in my head. A year ago, we parted ways… She was pregnant then, or soon after. My mind leapt to the night we had together, the primal, undeniable pull. I’d gone in raw, no protection. I didn’t even know if the girl was on the pill. A virgin, she probably hadn’t been. Fuck. Could that baby be mine? The timeline certainly fit. But she never told me. No one told me. Fuck. My vision blurred with rage and hurt.

I cut my gaze to where Nova had vanished, wishing I could corner her for details. Chigger kept rattling on, oblivious.

“Yeah, man, she’s out there living the high life with that stiff in his monkey suit. Remember him. Mark, I think. From that fancy law firm.” He belched, adding, “Nova’s got baby fever from seein’ Lexi’s kid, I bet. She’s got all the pics and has to show me. She’s all ‘ooh, so cute!’ Then she’s riding my hog without a helmet, if you get my drift.

“Shit, well, I guess that’s how it goes. Baby fever,” I responded, but rage bubbled up, a dark swirl of betrayal. A baby. My baby, maybe. They all just… let me wander for a year, clueless. My hands shook. “You’re telling me Lexi just had a baby, right around now, and you never said a damn word?”

Chigger, drunk as a skunk, blinked. “Uh, man, I didn’t think it was your business. She’s married. The baby’s that stiff’s, right? She probably conceived it after she left the clubhouse. That’s how it lines up, yeah? Did want you to think bad of her, getting right in another man’s bed.”

I clenched my jaw so tight it hurt. “I’m not an idiot, Chigger. The timeline means the baby could be mine.”

He frowned. “You sayin’ you got her pregnant? Shit, you told me you didn’t want updates. And she’s publicly claiming it’s the suit’s kid, I think. So maybe not yours.”

My eyes scanned the crowd, spotting Nova returning, expression tense as if she sensed the confrontation. My gaze locked on her. She paled. She knew. She fucking knew.

“Nova,” I growled as she approached, ignoring Chigger’s drunken slur. “Tell me the truth. That baby… is it mine?”

Her eyes widened, color draining from her face. She clutched her phone. “I… Maverick, this isn’t the time or place.”

I snatched her wrist, not too roughly, but firmly. “Show me. Chigger said you got pictures. Why did no one tell me?” My voice trembled with raw pain.

She whimpered. “Because you said you didn’t want details, and Lexi didn’t want…”

“Show me,” I insisted.

Nova hesitated, then she tried to step back, pressing her phone to her chest. “Don’t do this here.”

But I was done being polite. I yanked the phone from her grip, ignoring her protests. Swiping through her messages, I found a chain with Lexi’s name. My heart hammered as I scrolled. Mentions of the baby’s birth, how sweet he was, pictures of a tiny infant wrapped in a soft blanket. I stopped breathing. One photo loaded, a baby with dark hair, greenish eyes.

Fuck.