Page 21 of Maverick
I stared at Bear, needing several seconds for his statement to sink in. Fuck, I was tired. Thank God Sinner finally wanted to talk to a lawyer. He couldn’t get out of prison fast enough. There was a time when the club was all I focused on. A few weeks knowing Kat, and my priorities were shifting. I needed to get a handle on that.
“Sorry, man. The Alliance. An investment firm. Did Rowan mention them?”
“No, I’m still waiting to hear back from him. This is something I’ve been watching for a while. They’re buying up properties in Atlantic Shores under several different names. Including the property the Diablos were operating out of.”
Ah, now we were getting somewhere.
“Got any names?”
“Working on it. It took Baller this long to trace the shell companies back to the source. And either that was because of his hard work paying off, or…” He cocked an eyebrow as he took a swig.
“They were ready to be found.”
Bear nodded. “Exactly. I think they’re gearing up to make a move. Whatever the fuck that move is.”
“Get me a list of the properties they’ve already purchased. Maybe we can figure out what they all have in common.”
“It’s on your desk.”
I patted him on the shoulder. “You’re a good man. In fact, I was thinking about stepping back and letting you—”
“Pixie! Yeah, baby, I hear you! I’m coming.” Bear grinned. “Sorry, Mav, we’ll have to finish this conversation later. My woman is calling.” He set down his beer and started to back away. “And for what it’s worth, distraction looks good on you.”
“Pussy!” I shouted, but without any malice. Bear was the perfect enforcer, and I couldn’t blame him for not wanting to take on more of the decision-making and leadership roles. It was a heavy burden.
The bar was busy. If someone had told me six months ago that we’d have a thriving night life, I would have laughed in their face. But Pixie had made quite the transformation and all legal. I stroked my chin. Stitch’s gambling den could actually work now. If we could get all the bullshit settled.
Did Larry still have his blasting powder? I needed to blow some shit up and clear my head. I chuckled, imagining what Kat’s face would look like when she heard the loud boom. Fuck, I was doing it again. Why did my thoughts always go back to her?
I took another swig. It was still early, only nine o’clock, but I couldn’t stand here any longer. Bear said he left that file on my desk. Maybe I could—
“EEK! You came!” Pixie’s voice rang above the crowd. Looking up from my glass, all thoughts of leaving early vanished.
15
Kat
Iran a hand over my ass. Was this too much? The billowing fabric of my dress fell a few inches below my sweet spot. The beige, flowered peasant dress was definitely too much. Or was it more accurate to say not enough? Luckily the wind wasn’t blowing tonight or I’d have given all the creatures of the forest a show. But it went perfectly with my brown suede over-the-knee boots, which I was finally wearing. After saving them from the thrift store, I had to wear them, or their feelings would be hurt. I couldn’t have that. But now I was in a biker bar in a short dress and fuck me boots and hoping I might run into one particular biker.
“Dang, girl, you look hot!” I’d barely made it through the door when Lexie rushed up beside me. She was wearing a leather cut, similar to what the men had with her nickname on the right side. Under that, she had a white tank top with a Tinkerbelle design and cut off jean shorts. A large, bearded biker stood behind her, his mouth forming a tight line in contrast to her bright smile.
“Wait, are those—” She kneeled down and rubbed the front of my left boot. “Red bottoms!Wow. I’ve never seen a pair in real life.”
The biker cleared his throat. “You want a pair? I’ll get you a pair. Red bottoms. Blue bottoms. Green bottoms. Any color you want.”
Lexie laughed. “Bear, don’t be silly. There’s only red, but it’s fine. I’ve got plenty of shoes. I don’t need another pair, and especially not Louboutins.” She sighed and ran her hand along my boot as she stood up. “I mean, where would I even wear them?” She let out a soft sigh.
“Here?” I spread my arms wide.
She laughed again. “Oh, right. And they look perfect on you with your big city vibes.”
The biker’s jaw ticked as she stared longingly at my boots.
“It’s fine. I’m fine. My feet are well covered for any occasion. I definitely don’tneedthem.”
I chuckled. “I am not the person to be around if you are trying to talk yourself out of a pair of shoes.”
She shook her head and raised her eyes to my face. “Anyway! I’m glad you made it. What can I get you to drink? First one’s on the house.”
