Page 69 of Maverick
Van had finally relented and let me lay him down. The kid was exhausted and I’d been the only one who could placate him.
It pulled on my heartstrings knowing that.
He missed his mum.
Fuck, I missed her too. I missed her before I even knew I did. My stomach burned with hunger, making me wonder how long it had been since I had a feed. I’d been so wrapped up in everything happening that I had forgotten the usual routine, ensuring Van was okay, and Lani and Bane were okay. Animal hadn’t left their side, which meant I could focus on what I needed to.
Cherry was outside my door when I closed it, wanting to help. Her eyes held the concern that most of the girls did. They knew we were going into a war that we probably couldn’t win.
It was Thomas Charman’s war against us all over again. Only this time, it was his son who was relaying information to us, to save us.
“Can I help?”
“Stay with him? If you need me, call me.”
She nodded and crept into the room, closing the door behind her. I set my mind on the task at hand. I needed to get ready for tonight. Vegas had set up the table for a few hands, just to warm myself up. He was the best bet if I was going to do this.
Hardy knew who I was, but he didn’t know the name I’d entered as, which means he couldn’t prepare.
“No kuttes tonight,” Reaper announced when I got to Chapel. “This isn’t official club business.”
Everyone agreed, shedding their leather kuttes and putting them on the table. I did the same, feeling naked without it. Personally, everything felt bad right now. Not having Tavi in my arms every morning, not seeing her smile, or even knowing if she was okay was killing me.
I had to fix this.
I had to get Van’s mum back for him, even if it meant I was killed in the process. I’d happily replace her right now, so long as she was safe. It was burning me not to be able to leave, to go and find her myself, but I had to trust in my club.
Mannix appeared on the screen in Chapel on a zoom call. “She’s here. I got confirmation she’s alive, but he’s a cruel bastard, so she’s not in the best shape. I turned one of his men against him. He’s giving me everything and keeping her alive, for now. Tonight, she’ll be at the casino. It’s the only time we’ve got. There’s something going down. I’ll be there, but I can’t be seen with you.”
“Got it,” Reaper said. “Thanks for the update.”
She’s not in the best shape.
Fuck. That line near destroyed my resolve. What’s he done to her? The sick fuck wasn’t going to leave that casino alive.
No amount of talking me out of it was going to work. I’ll happily go down for life if it meant I took him out of the equation for Van, and for Tavi.
Mannix hung up and the screen returned to the blueprints of the casino. My mind was buzzing with all the possibilities that we could fuck up tonight. I moved out of Chapel and toward the poker table, getting lost in what I knew without thinking.
I knew cards.
I knew strategy.
Icouldn’tlose. Not tonight.
“You ready for this?” Vegas asked, the concern was clear in his eyes.
“Always ready,” I lied. He knew I was lying, but he said nothing. Knight dealt the cards and we played. And played. And played. Until daylight turned to night, and my pulse raced.
I couldn’t fuck this up.
“Go see your family,” Reaper said, putting his hand on my shoulder and squeezing. “We all know tonight is dangerous.”
He was right. I had to tell them I may not be coming home. How do you tell your kids that? I moved through the clubhouse and out to where the cabins were. Mari was sitting on the porch of the cabin she’d been staying in with Animal. They were drinking beers, but I could see the stress on her face.
She knew.
“Where are the kids?”
