Page 56 of Maverick
Shadow stopped me at the door to Chapel. His hand on my chest, pushing me back, and closing the door, locking us out.
“What the fuck?”
“Prez just got called back in from a trip away with Rowan. Tension is high. Focus on the immediate threat.”
I knew what he was trying to say, and it didn’t sit well with me, but I had to trust in Shadow. He had known Prez longer than I had. “You want me to keep quiet about who Tavi is? Chaos would disagree.”
“Chaos isn’t calling the shots, VP.”
I nodded, acknowledging what he was telling me, before I opened the door and walked in, with Shadow at my back. Not telling Reaper about my association with Tavi felt wrong, but I’d kept him out of it this long, a little longer wasn’t going to hurt.
The main problem we have is the Ironborne, and she wasn’t one of them. Not anymore.
Reaper would understand, in the end. He would understand because he would do anything to protect his woman, too.
I sat next to him, his eyes on me, and his expression grim. He was pissed. I would be too if I was away with Tavi for a few days and got the call to come in.
“Speak.”
His tone was low, menacing, like he was about to erupt at any given moment.
“Recently became aware of a threat to my family,” I told him, simply. “Mari’s husband has been working with the Ironborneall along. I don’t know what the end game would be, my kids and ex aren’t harmed, and they had no idea.”
Reaper grunted, rubbing his hand over his head. “Where is he?”
“It was too hot to take them in, Reaper,” Shadow offered. “Trojan is tracking their movements.”
Reaper nodded. “Have them brought in. No one fucks with our families. Shadow, go and surveil them, yeah?”
Shadow nodded, getting up and heading out to do what he does best. He shot me a meaningful look before he left, and I knew he was right. Now wasn’t the time to bring up who Tavi was. My family needed to be centrestage.
“Mari and the kids are here?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“And they’re okay with that?”
“Obviously it’s not ideal, and it’s startling, but I’ll visit them after church and make sure they’re okay.”
Reaper frowned. “Why aren’t you staying with them in the cabin?”
“They aren’t the only ones I brought for sanctuary. I need to keep my woman safe, and her son.”
Reaper’s eyebrows rose, almost like he was a little offended I hadn’t told him. “This the shit that’s been keeping you away?”
“It’s complicated, but it’s sorted now.”
“Am I going to have to ask for more, or are we good, Mav?” he asked. I knew what he was asking. He needed to know if my head was on straight. Fucked if I knew the answer to that, but I didn’t want Reaper blowing a gasket when he was already on edge.
“We are good.”
“Right,” Reaper declared. “We’re going into lockdown. Call your families in. We have enough room for everyone, since half you knuckleheads are single anyway. Club girls need to rally supplies and get back here before sundown. I’ll have Trojan givean update on what he finds out later. His gavel fell on the table, and chairs scraped back, everyone filing out except for me and Reaper.
Now was the time to come clean, but when he stood, I had remained silent.
“When this blows over, brother, and it will, I want to meet this woman who has you tied up in knots, yeah?”
“You can meet her now, but she’s scared, and so is her boy.”
