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CHAPTER15
Maverick
“Thanks, Gage. I appreciate you taking care of that.” I kept my eyes on her as I finished getting the truck towed.
“I’ll have a report for you in a couple days for insurance,” he told me.
“That won’t be necessary. Just have it dumped.”
“Okay, buddy. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Yeah, so did I.
Lily had remained on edge, still insisting she had to leave town. Once I’d gotten her to my parents’ place, she’d remained quiet. At least she wasn’t shaking any longer, wrapped up in a blanket by the fire. But she continued to stare at the flames, unblinking for a good portion of the time.
I tossed the phone on the table, finally heading toward the bar for a drink. It had been one hell of a night.
“Any news on Apollo?” she asked a few seconds later.
“I didn’t ask. I was too worried about you.”
“I told you I’m fine.”
“Uh-huh. That’s why you ran off and crashed your truck. We need to talk, Lily. Whatever you’re going through is eating you alive.”
“I know.”
I allowed a few seconds to pass. She was still sipping on the same glass of bourbon I’d handed her almost an hour before. Thank God she didn’t have any injuries that I could find. And she was damn lucky the truck hadn’t exploded. “Lily. Do you trust me?”
She finally turned her head and the sight of tears in her eyes yanked at the protective beast inside of me. “With all that I am and all I know. You’ve saved my life twice. You’re the only person I can trust.”
“Then tell me what the fuck is going on. Level with me. I can’t help you unless you do.”
“Why do you care, Maverick? I’m just a girl you had to rescue.”
Exhaling, I closed my eyes. “I’m a hard man, Lily. I’ve told you that several times. What I haven’t told you is that I haven’t felt anything other than rage for so long I’d started believing something else wasn’t possible. But with you, every emotion has rushed to the surface.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that to you.”
I moved toward the couch, crouching down. I’d never been a romantic man, maybe because my parents had been free spirits or because of what had occurred on Sapphire Ridge. But seeing her turmoil reminded me that life was short. “You’re not understanding what I’m saying to you. While it’s only been a few days, I can’t live without you. Yeah, it’s crazy. We don’t know each other. But you awakened something deep inside. Whatever you’re going through, I won’t let anyone hurt you. You need to believe that in your heart.”
She remained quiet, but I sensed the closeness building. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“That’s not possible. I love you, Lily. I’m not an easy man to love. I know that. But I want to try to make a life with you but that’s not possible until you place your trust in me.”
Her eyes opened wide and as she reached out, brushing her fingers across my cheek, the way I felt about her only intensified. “That means more to me than you know, and you have my trust completely. Will you answer me one question?”
“Okay.” I took her hand in mine.
“What was the name of the criminal you were tracking?”
I hesitated before telling her.
“Bruno Escavetti, an enforcer for the Chicago Butelli mafia syndicate.” As soon as I mentioned both entities, there was recognition in her eyes. I bristled at the thought. My instinct had been right. “Do you know Candy and Mark Wells?”
“No. Never heard of them.”
“They were the hostages. They didn’t seem to have any idea why the fugitive broke into their house either.”
