A pounding sounded on my front door and Shakespeare barked and took off running. Maverick looked at me and grabbed my arm.
“Are you expecting anyone?”
“In the middle of the night? Afraid not.”
Maverick strode over to the chair by my bed. He grabbed his cut, and then I heard the cock of a gun. “Stay here,” he told me sternly. I shivered as I stood in a tank top and boy shorts and held frozen veggies to my bloody face.
From love moons to table dances to a blind girl with two black eyes, my days with Maverick Conner were definitely one of a kind.
Chapter 11
MAVERICK
I opened up the door and just about killed Malik when I realized who he was.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
"Is that any way to talk to your kid brother?"
"Christ, Malik. I thought I was going to have to kill someone.”
“Wouldn’t be the first murder tonight in Brook Hill. Can I come in, Mav. I’ve got to bounce, but I just wanted to have a word with you first.”
“Yeah, there’s a dog. Let me see if he growls at you.” I ushered Shakespeare over and after I petted him some he kept wagging his tail even though Malik was in the doorway. “Come on in, he’s not gonna get territorial, I think he only does that with Soph. How the fuck did you find this place?”
“Tommy texted it over. Said he’d break both my legs if anything happened to Sophie.”
Tommy had been a sort of mentor for Malik when he became a closer. I was fully aware of Malik’s profession, but I often took a step back because it was safer not to know the details of his missions.
“Let me just tell her it’s you and get her settled. I just punched her in the face in my sleep, brother, so that’s how my night’s going. Feel like a fucking monster for doing it, too.”
Malik slapped me on the back and plunked down on Sophie’s couch. I walked back to the bedroom and Shakespeare followed close behind.
“Soph, it’s Malik. He’s got to talk business. You okay for a while?”
She nodded at me and I gave her a hug. She kissed me sweetly and got back in bed with her compress. I put my piece in her bedside table
"I’ve got a gig and I’m leaving tonight. Just wanted to run the assignment by you before I hit the road. I'm actually on my way to a town called Valor. There's an MC there, and I wanted to know what you can tell me about them?"
"The Valor are good guys, not scared to get their hands dirty if need be, but they walk pretty much on the straight and narrow. If you need a contact, I can introduce you. I know Malcolm Miller well enough. He’s part of the brotherhood but works as the DA in Valor. Your target isn't a member of the MC, is it?"
Malik stared at me as he scrubbed his jaw, a sly grin crossed his lips. "Relax, Gabe. I know not to fuck with your shit. The job itself is there, I'm tracking down a girl, and taking out the mark who’s allegedly got her."
"You need my help?"
"You thinking about switching professions?"
"No, but I want to make sure you don’t get yourself killed."
"I'm good, Gabriel. I haven't missed a target yet, have I?"
"Just be careful," I told him. "You want to go grab some grub before you hit the open road?"
"I can't. Time isn't on my side, and I want to make sure to get the girl out safely before I make my move. He’s a villain this one, Gabe, known to do some really sadistic shit to women, some even underage. I want him six feet under as soon as possible, before he hurts anyone else."
I gave Malik Malcolm Miller’s contact and hugged my brother.
“Gabe, before I head out. Take it easy on Sophie, all right. I can tell she means the world to you, so just go easy on yourself, too, man. It will work out.”
“Yeah, well I almost broke her nose. Can’t wait to see what happens next time.”
“She’ll forgive you,” Malik told me. I could see the concern in his face.
“I know she will, but that’s just it. I don’t want her to suffer because of me.”
“I’d suffer more if you took yourself away from me because of some night terrors.”
Sophie was standing in the living room in her bathrobe. Her face was flushed and her eyes were red and swollen from the impact of my fist.
“Came to put the veggies back,” she said, lifting them up as evidence. “Hi Malik, long time no see. What brings you to Brook Hill in the wee hours?”
“Hey Sophie, sorry for the intrusion. Just had to hit Mav up before I split town. How’s your face?”