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But I have to let her go.
She belongs to South now. She is his family, and he has to take care of her.
As I watch them pack, I stand back, knowing they will be leaving tomorrow, that their time at NOLA Defiance is limited, and every inch of me hurts.
But I realize this is the right choice for them.
I know South will take the best care of Ingrid and their baby.
But I have an idea up my sleeve.
I make my way over to Maverick sitting by the bar, drinking and watching all the commotion. I slide in beside him and sit quietly. He turns to me, bobbing his head. “How you feeling about all this, Pres?”
Letting out a heavy exhale, I shake my head. “Honestly, the idea of my baby stepbrother or sister bein’ over in LA without a NOLA Defiance backup is eatin’ at my very fuckin’ soul.”
Maverick raises his brow in confusion. “I’m not sure what you’re saying here, Pres.”
So I just out-and-out say it. “I know this is askin’ a lot. But out of everyone, you’re the guy who goes above and beyond to make sure everyone is okay, to make sure they’re safe. It’s why we called you Maverick.”
He narrows his eyes on me. “Okay? What does this have to do with Ingrid and South?”
“I want you to transfer to LA to keep an eye on them and report back to me. Just to make sure they’re doing okay.”
Maverick furrows his brows. “What about Clover?”
“Take her too.”
Maverick rolls his shoulders like he’s uncomfortable. “Is this an order?”
“No, I’m just askin’. But I would really appreciate it.”
He rubs the back of his neck and exhales. “Let me talk to Clo to see what she wants to do. Can I get back to you?”
I smile because he didn’t say no. “Yeah, brother, talk it out with her. Lots of opportunities for a seventeen-year-old in LA. She could thrive over there.”
“Yeah… I’ll get back to you as soon as possible, Pres.”
I slap his shoulder. “Whenever you’re ready, just let me know. And if you do, I’ll contact Alpha and let him know.”
“All right… just so you know, I am interested. So I will go talk to Clo now.” He stands and goes to walk off, but I call him back, “Mav,” he turns, and I continue, “You’re a fuckin’ asset, don’t forget that.”
He dips his chin, walks to the other side of the room, and sits with his little sister, who has grown into herself.
Six Months Later
Life feels so different than it was eight months ago.
We were at war.
Life looked like it could alter in the blink of an eye.
And in a way, I guess it did.
We lost Grudge.
That still doesn’t feel real some days.
We gained a heap of new brothers and, with it, their families and friends.
