Page 46 of Maverick
I swallowed hard. Maybe this was for the best, after all. “Yeah, okay.”
He kissed me softly and leaned his forehead against mine. “What you saw earlier wasn’t what it looked like.” His brows raised, and I knew he was talking about that redhead.
“Okay,” I said, nodding.
“Okay?” he asked.
I forced a smile. “Least of my worries right now.” How did the saying go? You can’t lose something you never truly had?
He frowned slightly, and I started toward the stairs to escape his stare. “Kat,” he called out. “If anyone asks, you were at the salon all afternoon, then left to go back to Maryland.”
“I’ll make sure Ivy knows,” Stitch said. “If someone asks, but I doubt they will.”
Mav nodded. “Perfect. If you leave now, the time on the tolls will be close enough if anyone has questions. And without a body, the timing doesn’t need to be close.”
“Without a body?” I stopped, turning to look back at the six-foot-three man on the floor. “Are you going to bury him?”
Bear laughed. “Not exactly.”
“What the fuck is this?” Stitch stood up next to the body, holding a silver key attached to a small plastic pig.
“My spare key!” Dad stepped back into the kitchen wearing a bathrobe and holding a full garbage bag. “I’d wondered where that got to.” He reached down and swiped it from Stitch’s hand. “Where’d you find it?”
“In the dead guy’s pocket,” Stitch deadpanned.
Dad’s brows shot up. “Huh, I guess that explains how he got in here.” He ran a hand over his jaw. “Not sure how he got the key in the first place. But that’s a thief for you.” He walked over to the drawer with the plastic bags and dropped the key inside.
I looked at Mav. “What the fuck?” I mouthed.
He shook his head and rubbed his temples.
“Oh, and here’s this.” Dad held up the trash bag full of clothes. “Thought you guys might need this before I finished my shower.” He looked over at the dead man and shook his head. “I reckon Miss Patsy and Leroy are going to eat good tonight.”
I took in a deep breath and exhaled through my nose. “Dad, what do your pigs have to do with anything?”
Bear spun around to face the wall, but his shoulders were shaking with… laughter? My gaze shifted to Mav. His arms were crossed and he was looking up at the ceiling. What the hell was going on?
“I reckon if this keeps up, I’ll need to get another pig.” Dad turned and went back toward his room.
“Seriously, what do hungry pigs have to do with any of this?” I looked around the room, and now all three men were trying to hold back their laughter. And then it hit me. “Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me.”
Stitch raised his hands.
“Really?” I turned back to Mav.
He flashed a crooked grin. “Club business.”
I rolled my eyes. “If it involves my dad’s pigs, then it’s also my business. But in this case,” I raised a hand, “ignorance is bliss. I’ll go pack.”
27
Kat
Iended up packing everything. I told myself it was because I wasn’t sure what outfits I’d need back in Maryland. The truth was, my condo was fully stocked. I would have been fine with just my favorite pjs and new eyelash brush. As I dragged the suitcases along the carpet, I cast a final look around my bedroom.
Ourbedroom. My gaze lingered on a pile of Mav’s neatly folded clothes. Since becoming my “boyfriend,” he’d brought a few things over—toiletries, a phone charger, a copy ofThe Da Vinci Code.Before I could overthink it, I grabbed one of his shirts and shoved it into my suitcase. Then I made my way down the stairs.
The thought of abandoning my dad killed me, but another sad truth was that the MC was more his family than I was. They’d been here throughout the years, enjoying cookouts, listening to his stories, looking after Noodle. While I’d been… creating my independence.
