Lily

TUESDAY MORNING CAME, and I woke with a groan... and not a good one. Instead of my man waking me by doing something delicious to my body, I was jarred awake by his phone buzzing on the nightstand next to the bed.

The bed jostled, and Maverick whispered, “Hello?” He sighed. “Yeah. Yep. Okay. Bye.”

I rolled over and slid my arm around his waist. He dropped his phone on the nightstand and pulled me closer. “Gotta head back.”

“What?” I squeaked. “No way. We have three hours!”

“Our dads want us home. Mom said we don’t have to clean up.”

I sat up and frowned down at him. “Something’s up if we’re not expected to wash the sheets.”

He dragged his hands over his face. “Sounds like it.”

“I’m washing the sheets.”

Maverick dropped his hands and looked up at me.

“Before you argue, it’s gross,” I said. “I would not want to sleep in a bed with dirty sheets, so I refuse to leave them like this. You go shower, I’ll start the washer, and then you can throw them in the dryer before we go.”

He tugged me down on top of him. “Quickie first.”

I obliged.

* * *

We climbed into Maverick’s truck an hour later. While he’d showered, I’d changed the sheets, thrown the others in the washer, made coffee, and managed to whip up a quick breakfast. After that, Maverick loaded everything in the dishwasher while I showered.

“We kind of rocked that out of the park,” I said as he pulled away from the beach house.

Maverick nodded. “We’re obviously a power couple in more ways than one.”

“We’re totally going to make marriage our bitch.”

Maverick laughed and reached for my hand. “We’ll have eighty years to do it.”

“Only eighty?” I challenged.

“Do you really want to live past a hundred and three, baby doll?”

“If I’m with you, hell yeah.”

He kissed my palm. “Okay, forever, then.”

“Better.” I grinned. “Besides, think about how good my blowjobs will be when I don’t have any teeth.”

Maverick bellowed with laughter. “Holy shit, Lil.”

I grinned. “You’re thinking about a blow job now, huh?”

“Hell, yeah, I am.”

“Sorry, not sorry.” I squeezed his hand and relaxed against the truck seat. We drove in comfortable silence, the music of Jackson Jackson and the Citizens filling the space. I knew I’d have to get back to reality sooner than later, but I chose to ignore that fact, sitting close to my man in the truck while he drove us back to real life. My heart fell as we drove into our neighborhood, and Maverick pulled into his driveway.

“I’m not ready,” I admitted.

“Me neither.” He turned off the ignition and faced me. “I’ve gotta head down to the club.”

“Now?”

“Yeah.”

I sighed. “For the record, I hate this.”

“It’s time, Lil.”

“Is it?” I challenged, releasing my seatbelt. “Because I was under the impression we were going to live our life for ourselves, not the club.”

He slipped his hand around my neck and stroked my pulse. “If you really don’t want me in, Lil, say it now.”

Shit! I hated it when he did this to me. “Can I think about it? Even if it’s just for a few days?”

“Yep.”

“Do you really want to do this, Mav? I mean I get that you want to protect me and everything, but don’t patch in if it’s not what you want. Dad’ll deal with the Club side of things. You can stay out of it.”

He stared at me for a few tense seconds. “I want in, Lil. But if you don’t want it, you know the deal—I’m out.”

I sighed, biting my lip. “Let me sleep on it, okay?”

His hand slipped away from my neck. “Yeah, baby doll.”

“Are you mad?”

He shook his head and climbed out of the truck, walking around the hood to my side. He pulled open the door and helped me down. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him. “You seem mad.”

He wove his hands into my hair and tilted my head back. “Not mad, Lil. Promise. Just need you with me on this. But you’re more important to me than the Club... or anything, baby doll... so if you’re not one hundred percent in, then we’re out.”

He leaned down and kissed me, and I gripped his T-shirt like it was a lifeline. Adulting sucked. Especially now that Maverick and I had to make decisions that would affect the rest of our lives. It was daunting.

Maverick broke the kiss and stroked my cheek. “I’ll carry your bag in then I’ve gotta go.”

I nodded, and after Maverick had grabbed my duffel, I led him next door to my house. Unlocking the door, I pushed it open and heard the beep of the alarm. “It’s just me!” I called.

“Is Maverick with you?” Case asked, and I heard footsteps jogging toward us.

“I’m here, bud,” Maverick said, dropping my bag to the floor just before Case arrived in the foyer.

Case grinned and gave Mav the ‘fist.’ “I made JV.”

“You did?” I asked.

Case nodded.

“Dude, that’s awesome!” Maverick exclaimed. “Did you get running back?”

“Yeah. Coach says if I keep going the way I’m going, I’ll be starting varsity next year.”

“I’m so proud of you.” I hugged my brother. At fifteen, he was already a total stud, and the hours he and Maverick spent throwing a football around had obviously paid off.

“We’ll go out this week, and you can tell me all about it,” Maverick said. “I’ve gotta head out right now, though.”

Case gave him a very manly chin lift. “Cool.”

I turned and kissed Maverick quickly. “Be safe.”

“Always, baby doll.”

Then he was out the door, and I reset the alarm. “Is Mom around?”

Case nodded. “Laundry room, I think.”

“Thanks.” I squeezed his arm. “Super proud of you, little brother.”

“‘Preciate it, big sister.”

I headed upstairs to the laundry room and peeked inside. “Mom?”

She jumped, spinning in place with her hand on her heart. “Ohmigod, Lil, you scared the shit out of me.”

“Sorry.” I smiled, leaning against the doorframe.

“How was your weekend?” she asked, handing me one end of a sheet.

“It was good ‘til Mav got a call, and now, he’s off to the compound.”

“Is he patching in?” Mom asked.

“You don’t know?”

“I suspected, but you know your dad doesn’t share.”

I sighed, handing her my folded end of the sheet. “He really doesn’t tell you anything?”

“Well, no, but he doesn’t share unless I needle him, and he feels he can tell me something.”

I rolled my eyes. “See? I don’t think I can do that.”

She set the sheet on the folding counter and then faced me again. “What does Mav want to do?”

“He wants to patch in.”

“I see.”

“But he wants me to think about it because he doesn’t want to do it unless I’m a hundred percent in.”

Mom gave me a sympathetic smile.

“Adulting’s hard,” I whined.

Mom chuckled. “Right?”

“How do you handle it?”

“Your dad was in the club when I met him, sweetness, so it’s all I’ve ever known.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the dryer. “Daddy shares enough with me, though, and I think the other guys are like that with their old ladies, too. At least, in our immediate group. The older ones, probably not so much.”

“But what’s ‘enough’?”

She shrugged. “I can’t answer that for you, honey.”

“Yes, you can,” I countered. “I give you permission.”

Mom grinned. “The fact Mav’s asking you to think about this shows me—and it should show you—that he will always consider your feelings in the decisions he makes. So right there, honey, that’s a good thing.”

“Well, he’s a good guy.”

“I know.” She reached her hand out. “Do I get to see the ring, or did you say no?”

“Oh!” I squealed. “I forgot about the ring!” I held out my hand, and she oohed and aahed over the setting and diamond, hugging me tightly.

“I am so unbelievably proud of you, sweetness.” She cupped my face, and I didn’t miss the tears in her eyes. “You’ve taken your dreams by the balls and made them happen, and you deserve this.”

“Thanks, Mama.” I hugged her again. “I love you.”

“Love you too, baby girl.”

“So... should I say yes or no?”

“You’ve already said yes.”

“To the patching in... I’m going to marry him, obviously.”

She laughed. “Can’t answer that one for you, Lil.”

“Dammit!”

“I love most things about the club, if that helps. The secrecy doesn’t even bother me that much. I was kind of used to it in a roundabout way, being so close to your uncle Brock and being kept out of all of his super-secret mission stuff.” She cupped my chin. “I have a feeling Mav won’t make a whole lot of moves without you, so whether he’s in or he’s out, you two will be the same couple you’ve always been.”

“I guess that’s true.” I smiled. “You’re kind of smart, you know that?”

“Don’t tell anyone. Bimbo’s my M.O.”

I laughed. Bimbo was so far from my mom it wasn’t even funny. “Okay, I’m going to read for a bit. Want me to cook tonight?”

“I would love for you to cook!”

“I’m on it.”

“Thanks, honey.”

I headed downstairs and grabbed my bag then made my way to my room. I had a lot to think about, so instead of reading, I sorted through my clothes until it was time to start prepping for dinner.

* * *

Six o’clock rolled around, and Dad still wasn’t home (neither was Maverick), so Mom, Hunter, Case, and I ate without him. My brothers scarfed down the mac ‘n’ cheese I’d prepared, which always made me feel good. I loved to cook, but I loved it even better when people enjoyed it.

“You boys are on dishes,” Mom said when Hunter jumped up to grab seconds.

I heard the garage door open, and I made a run for it. Yanking it open, I peered out to see Dad walking his bike in. “Is Maverick with you?”

“Hi Dad, how was your day? I missed you this weekend,” he deadpanned and slid the kickstand down.

I smiled, stepping into the garage and hugging him. “Hi, Dad, how was your day? I missed you this weekend. Is Maverick home?”

He chuckled, kissing my cheek. “Yeah, baby girl. He was right behind me.”

My phone buzzed just as I followed Dad back into the house.

Maverick: I’m home, baby doll. Want to come here?

Me: Yeah, give me five.

“I’m running next door,” I called, pulling on my shoes.

“I’ll walk you,” Hunter called back.

I wrinkled my nose but knew arguing would only delay the inevitable. “Thanks.”

Hunter appeared before me and slipped on his shoes then followed me outside. At seventeen, he was almost as commanding as Maverick had been at his age, but my brother was not a jock. He was firmly in the nerd camp with his freakish computer hacking ways and disinterest in sports of any kind. I wondered what kind of girl he’d end up with.

“You don’t need to walk me twenty-five feet next door, Hunt.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I do.”

“You’re so messing with the system, little brother.”

“I get that women can do anything a man can do, Lil, and that we’re equals, but the truth of the matter is, most men are bigger and stronger than women are, so I want to make sure you’re safe.”

I sighed. I couldn’t really argue with that logic. Especially when it came to me. I was barely five-foot-four, and although I was strong because dancing made me that way, I’m not sure I could take down a man Hunter’s size, let alone someone bigger.

Maverick stepped out on his porch and gave Hunter a chin lift. “Thanks, man.”

Hunter nodded in response. “No problem.”

“Love you, Hunter,” I called.

He grinned and headed back home. I climbed the stairs and walked into Maverick’s hug. He kissed my head and gave me a gentle squeeze then ushered me inside.

“How did it go?” I asked, slipping my shoes off.

“Good.”

“And...”

“And it went well, baby doll.”

I sighed. “Okay, okay, I’ll drop it... for now.”

He chuckled. “Thanks. Wanna come show Mom how good that ring looks on your finger?”

“Yes!” I said, excitedly.

Leaning down, he kissed me gently. “Needed that first.”

“You can have that first anytime.”

He grinned, taking my hand and walking me into the kitchen where everyone was eating. “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt dinner,” I said.

Cassidy gave me a dismissive wave as she rose to her feet. “You aren’t, honey.”

“Hey, Lil,” Ace said.

“Hey.”

Liam gave me a chin lift, and I bit back a giggle. He was such a mini Ace. “Hey,” he said.

“Lily!” Tillie said, excitedly. “Do you like my hair?

“Ohmigosh, I love it, Till.” Maverick’s little sister had purple streaks on the underside of her blond hair, and it looked really cool.

“Are you hungry?” Cassidy asked.

“I just ate actually.” I hugged her and then glanced up at Maverick. “Did you eat?”

“Not yet.”

“I’ll come back,” I said.

He held firm. “No. I’ll grab something later.”

“Or you could eat with your family, and I can come back or sit with you while you do.”

“Let me see the ring,” Cassidy ordered while Maverick grabbed himself a plate.

I sat beside Cassidy and slid my hand toward her. Tillie wanted to see it next, so I obliged.

* * *

Maverick

I filled my plate and then sat across from Lily. The meeting today had been rough. I didn’t see a way out of patching in, and truth be told, I didn’t want one. I just needed to figure out how to get Lily on board.

The Spiders were closing in, and Jenny was quickly becoming a bigger problem than anyone had anticipated. I didn’t feel I could effectively protect Lily from her mother’s bullshit drama if I didn’t have all the information, and I wouldn’t get all the information until I patched in. It was surprising Prez had shared as much as he had. I chalked it up to the fact that I was Dad’s kid and Lily was Hawk’s, and both men were well respected.

Lily raised an eyebrow pointedly at me, but I just smiled and took another bite of mashed potatoes while she continued to jabber with my family. She was a perfect fit, and I loved how much she completed a family that wasn’t broken.

“Dad, can I play Overwatch?” Liam asked.

“Homework done?” Dad asked.

“Yep.”

“Rinse your plate and put it in the dishwasher and you can have an hour.”

Liam pushed back from the table and did as directed.

“You too, Tillie,” Dad said.

“I don’t want to play Overwatch,” she argued.

Mom giggled. “How about you and I subject your dad to some chick flick?”

Tillie clapped her hands. “Camp Rock?”

“I’d rather be shot in the head,” Dad said.

“Miss Congeniality?” Tillie countered.

“Sandra Bullock I can handle.”

“I bet you can,” Mom retorted.

I saw Lily attempting to bite back a smile, and I focused back on my dinner.

“Mav and I’ll do the dishes,” Lily offered, and I raised an eyebrow pointedly toward her. She cocked her head, knowing I’d do anything she asked.

“Yeah, we’ll do the dishes,” I confirmed.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Mom pushed away from the table, kissed my head, and dropped her plate by the sink.

I finished my dinner just as the rest of my family dispersed, so Lily and I cleared the table.

“I’ll rinse, you load,” Lily suggested.

I backed her against the counter and kissed her. “Dishes?”

She slid her hands up my chest and grinned. “It was a nice thing to do.”

“Hmm-mm, yeah, it was... at my expense.”

Lily giggled. “Our expense, Möosh.”

“Mine, yours, ours. Same dif.”

“The amount of time you’ve stood here bitchin’, we would have the dishes done by now.”

I kissed her again. “But this was way more fun.”

“Are you going to fill me in on the meeting?”

I pulled away and stepped to the sink. Lily started to rinse the dishes, and I tried to think about what to say.

“Just spit it out, honey,” Lily said.

“What I know is that the Spiders are closing in. They’re starting to mess with a few of the recruits... mostly because they can’t get close to anyone else. And Jenny’s gunning for you.”

“Shit,” Lily whispered.

I met her eyes. “She won’t get near you, Lil.”

“I’m not worried about that. I know she can’t get near me.” She sighed. “I just don’t understand why this is all coming down now.”

“I don’t know.”

Lily stared at me for several seconds. “I’m in, honey.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded. “I talked to Mom.”

“There’s no going back.”

“I know.” She reached out and fisted her hand in my T-shirt. “You have to promise me you won’t shut me out, though. I can’t be an ol’ lady whose ol’ man doesn’t talk to her.”

I chuckled, leaning forward to kiss her again. “I promise, baby doll.”

“Then I’m in.”

I cupped her face and smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you more, Möosh. Never doubt it.”

I ran my nose against hers. “I never do.”

“When do we start looking for our own place?”

“This weekend.”

“Really?” she squeaked.

“Yeah. I already have a list.”

“Shut up. When did you make a list?”

“A week ago.”

She threw her arms around me and pulled me close. I stepped around the dishwasher door, so we didn’t fall over it and held her tight. “We movin’ in first?”

She nodded against my chest. “Unless you want to marry me on Friday.”

I chuckled. “I’d marry you tomorrow, baby doll, don’t doubt that.”

Lily licked her lips and whispered, “Do you think everyone would hate us if we eloped?”

“I think the bigger question is how bad would you feel if everyone hated us?”

“Bad.”

“Worse than having everyone focusing on you?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Whatever you want, Lil.” I smiled. “Talk to your mom. See what she thinks.”

“You sure you don’t care?”

“Couldn’t care less, baby doll. Just want your last name to be the same as mine.”

“I’ve actually decided I don’t want to change my name.”

I cocked my head. “Really?”

She nodded. “Lily Quinn is just so—”

I squeezed her middle, and she squealed with laughter, cutting off her offensive remark.

“Do you want to change that answer?” I challenged.

“I can’t wait to take your name, Möosh.”

I studied her. “You sure? ’Cause if you want to—”

“Mav,” she interrupted. “I was messing with you.”

I relaxed. “Just checking, baby doll, ’cause it’d break my heart, but if it’s something you feel strongly about...”

“I can’t wait to be Lily Quinn.” Lily patted my chest. “Jeez... when did your ego get so delicate?”

I hummed in suspicion. “No way to answer that without looking bad.”

Lily nodded. “I know. It’s why I asked.”

“When did you get an evil streak?”

“That was gifted to me at birth.” She grinned. “You’re welcome.”

“Fuck, I love you.”

“Back atcha.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me. “Let’s finish the dishes, so we can make out for a bit before I have to head home.”

“Can’t wait to get hot just to let you go,” I deadpanned.

“This is why we’re looking for a place.”

“We’ll figure out some way to be alone this week.”

“Can’t wait,” she said, and we finished the dishes.