Maverick, page 1
MAVERICK
IRON ROGUES MC
FIONA DAVENPORT
Copyright © 2023 by Fiona Davenport
Cover designed by Elle Christensen.
Edited by Editing4Indies
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
CONTENTS
Maverick
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Epilogue
About the Author
MAVERICK
Maverick Crawford knew that Molly Mackenzie was off limits. She was too young for him...and a Silver Saints MC princess. Her protective father was their president, so starting anything with Molly would cause trouble between their clubs.
But that didn't stop Maverick from taking her straight out of their tattoo parlor and claiming her for himself. Only someone wanted the feisty redhead to belong to them instead.
PROLOGUE
MOLLY
Growing up in the Silver Saints MC was way different from what outsiders assumed. When my dad fell for my mom, the club became all about family, one that continued to grow over the years. To the point where there were so many kids that it made sense to do a combined birthday for a bunch of them at the clubhouse today.
I had three siblings of my own, but I loved having a ton of bonus cousins who were related to me by choice instead of blood. Although I was more of an aunt to this crew since I was sixteen years older than them. Not that our age difference held me back from playing with them when I got the chance. Which was why I had volunteered to organize the games for all of them today.
“Okay, guys! Who wants to play tag?” I called, grabbing everyone’s attention except for Britta.
Lee and Kansas’s daughter had recently turned nine and was one of the guests of honor for the birthday party. Instead of running toward me with almost everyone else, she raced toward the back door of the clubhouse and threw herself at the guy who’d just walked outside.
I thought I knew everyone connected to the club enough to be invited to family events, but I didn’t recognize him. And if we’d met before, I definitely would’ve met him since he was pretty damn unforgettable. He was tall and muscular with dark auburn hair that my fingers itched to comb through, and piercing blue eyes that crinkled at the corners as he crouched down to greet Britta.
I was too far away to read what was written on the cut he was wearing, but Britta had solved the mystery of who he was when she had cried, “Uncle Mav!”
Maverick Crawford was the VP of the Iron Rogues and Kansas’s older brother. His club was back in the town where she grew up, and his introduction to the Silver Saints had been a rough one since he kidnapped Lorelei, Grey’s old lady. From the gossip I’d heard back then, he hadn’t been happy with Kansas’s relationship with Lee and wanted to make a statement by taking his sister. Only he hadn’t known that a Silver Saint had claimed Lorelei.
Luckily, no harm had come to Lorelei, and Maverick had come to terms with his sister being with Lee. Although it had all worked out in the end, I was pretty sure this was the first time he’d ever visited the Silver Saints compound. With how my body reacted to him from afar, my dad would probably regret extending the invitation.
Even surrounded by a bunch of kids who were excited to play tag, my gaze kept straying toward Maverick. Britta had dragged him over to Kansas and Lorelei before tugging on his hand and begging, “Come play tag, Uncle Mav! Pleeeeeease!”
Callum, Cash and Karina’s oldest, ran up and grabbed his other hand. “Yeah, play with us, Uncle Mav!!”
Maverick’s deep laughter drifted toward me as he shot his sister an amused smile and shrugged. “Lead the way. But don’t come crying to your mommas when I kick your butts.”
The kids giggled and took off. Maverick waited half a minute to give them a good head start, then chased them.
I’d been so focused on him that I missed Grayson, Lorelei and Grey’s son, coming at me. I fell to the ground as he tackled me and yelled, “Tag! You’re it!”
I hadn’t gone down too hard, but it took me a moment to stop laughing. When I looked up, Maverick stood over me with his hand stretched out. I slid my palm against his, and it felt as though I was touching a live wire with how all of my nerve endings came to life.
After he helped me up, I just gawked up at him, trying to catch my breath. Acutely aware of the fact that we were surrounded by men who still saw me as a little girl even though I was twenty-five years old, I knew that I needed to do something to break the sensual spell between us before one of them noticed my reaction to him. So I poked him in the chest and yelled, “Tag! You’re it!”
Then I sprinted toward a copse of trees where many of the kids had already found hiding spots. I had barely made it to my hiding spot before he gave chase. When he got close, I bit my lip to hold back my soft laughter but not before a giggle trickled out.
“Fair warning, baby,” he growled as he prowled closer. “When I catch you, I’m not going to let you go.”
My lips curved into a grin. “What makes you think you’ll be able to catch me?”
Silence was my only answer, which only made me more confident that he wouldn’t be able to find me.
Staring down at the ground beneath the tree branch I was perched on, I was disappointed not to see a sign of him. “Giving up already?”
Before I knew what was happening, the branch gave out beneath me, and I tumbled straight into Maverick’s arms. Stunned that he’d been able to creep up behind me, I blinked up at him in shock. Then he winked, and my cheeks filled with heat.
“I win,” he growled, his lips curving into a smile that had butterflies swarming in my belly.
I smirked back at him. “So it seems, Maverick.”
He quirked a brow. “You know my name, so it’s only fair that you tell me yours.”
“Molly MacKenzie,” I murmured, hoping that the knowledge of who my father was wouldn’t scare him off like it did with most men.
The heat in his intense blue eyes didn’t dim, but he did set me on my feet, which turned out to be a good thing. My dad’s daughter radar must’ve gone off because he marched through the trees toward us before anything else could be said. His gaze darted between us, and a muscle jumped in his jaw when he saw how close we were standing.
Pointing at the branch on the ground right next to us, I muttered, “You should be thanking Maverick for catching me instead of glaring at him.”
“And he should be hunting down the hiding spots of one of the kids so they don’t get bored with the game instead of looking for you,” my dad retorted, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Already know exactly where my niece is hiding.” Maverick jerked his chin at my dad. “Was planning on tagging her next.”
“Good.”
My shoulder slumped when the sexy biker stomped off in the direction Britta had run. “Did you come out here to ruin my fun, or were you planning on playing too?”
“Stay away from Maverick. He’s the VP of another club and a decade older than you,” my dad growled.
Considering what happened when my parents got together and their age gap, he was being incredibly hypocritical right now. “At least he didn’t kidnap me like you did with Mom.”
“And he’d better not.” My dad’s eyes narrowed as he stared holes into Maverick’s back. “We let him get away with that shit once, but being Kansas’s big brother won’t save him if he dares to mess with you.”
I had no doubt that my dad meant what he said…but that didn’t stop me from wishing that Maverick wouldn’t heed the warning he’d just been given.
1
MAVERICK
A sane person would probably be second-guessing themselves when contemplating what I was about to do. But I’d been going crazy since the moment I laid eyes on Molly Mackenzie—the oldest daughter of Jared “Mac” Mackenzie, the president of the Silver Saints Motorcycle Club.
They had a fierce reputation, and not many people were brave enough to go against them. It wasn’t much different from the rep my own MC, the Iron Rogues, had in our territory. And if my dad—who’d been the first VP—saw some older punk sniffing around his daughter, he’d have warned him off too. Which was exactly what I’d done when I found out about Lee and Kansas. Then the shit hit the fan when I took his sister for a trade, and when everything finally calmed down, our clubs had a truce and loose connection.
Now, I was about to jeopardize everything. Still…I felt no hesitation.
Ever since the birthday party two weeks ago, I’d been racking my brain, trying to figure out how to see Molly again. She was well guarded since she was not only a club princess but also the first daughter. Although, considering the wide berth her protection gave her, I was pretty sure she wasn’t aware of them.
I’d been hoping to devise a way to see her that wouldn’t send up red flags and give me time with her before I had her dad trying to put me in the ground. But after two weeks of missing her, waking up in a sweat from dirty dreams, and biting my brothers’ heads off because I was always in a shit mood, I’d come to the conclusion that there was no subtle way of doing this.
I’d also spent the past couple of weeks learning everything I could about Molly and her life. She was a tattoo artist—one of the most highly sought after in the area. Silver Ink, where she worked, always had a waiting list. She was really fucking talented, and I was determined to have her stamp on me. So this seemed like the easiest way to see her again without alerting the cavalry right off the bat.
I hopped off my Harley and strode toward the entrance to the tattoo parlor. It was attached to the SS compound on the back, but the front entrance was public, so I didn’t have to deal with as much security.
A little bell dinged when I walked inside and pulled off my shades, sticking them in the inner pocket of my cut. The place had an edgy, rock n’ roll vibe that was kick-ass, with black floors that had silver flecks, dark gray walls, and black leather furniture. There was shiny chrome all over the place, though, and bright lights, so the place didn’t seem dark. The walls were also covered with metal artwork that looked like they had probably been drawings for custom ink.
Behind a front desk were a series of tattoo stations, all separated with curtains in case the client wanted privacy. I froze when I saw a gorgeous redhead sitting with her back to me, leaning over the arm of a client as she worked. Tendrils of jealousy snaked their way through my body, and I clenched my fists at my side.
Get a fucking grip, Mav.
The guy was at least fifty, had a gray handlebar mustache, and a bit of a beer belly. It wasn’t like he was competition. However, it was when he hissed and blinked up at the ceiling, clearly trying not to cry, that those feelings disappeared.
“Can I help you?”
Suppressing a laugh, I smoothed my expression as I turned my focus to the girl behind the front desk. When she smiled, I immediately knew she was related to my woman. They had the same lips and eye color, though this girl’s hair was a darker auburn, and she had fewer freckles. Molly’s sister Dahlia did piercings at Silver Ink, so I assumed she was the one who greeted me.
Tearing my eyes away from my woman, I ambled up to the counter. “Got an appointment.”
“Hi. I’m Dahlia. You must be M. Crawford,” the girl said as she typed something on the computer.
“Yeah.” While I was willing to deal with whatever shit blew my way over claiming Molly, I figured it best not to send up any red flags just yet. So I’d made the appointment under just my first initial and last name.
“I see it's your first time with us, but clearly, this isn’t your first tattoo.” She gestured to my neck. Most of it was covered in ink, as well as a string of words across my collarbone, and a lot of it was visible above the crew neck of my white T-shirt.
She leaned over the counter a little, and I lifted my chin to give her a better view. “That’s really nice work,” she murmured with surprise, her eyes coming back up to mine.
My ink had all been done by one of my brothers, Whiskey, who ran Iron Inkworks, the tattoo shop owned by our club. Whiskey was one of the best artists I’d ever met, but after doing some research and seeing Molly’s work, I was looking forward to having her stamp on me for multiple reasons.
“Did your artist retire or something?” Dahlia asked as she grabbed a clipboard with a sheet of paper attached and a pen. “He’s obviously very good.”
“Molly’s better,” I replied gruffly, taking the proffered clipboard.
She smiled smugly. “Yeah, she is.”
I filled out the paperwork while she went into a little spiel for new customers. When she finished, I handed it back, and she motioned toward a waiting area.
“Have a seat. Molly’s just finishing up. It shouldn’t be more than ten minutes.”
I nodded and walked over to a chair that gave me a view of the working area so that when I sat down, I still had eyes on Molly.
Less than a minute later, the front door opened, and two people entered the studio. The man and woman were both attractive, young—probably early twenties—and were holding hands.
“Hey, Dahlia!” the woman said brightly as she approached the desk.
“Fawn!” Dahlia smiled happily, but when the man lifted the hand he was holding to show off a sparkling diamond on his girl’s finger, she screeched and ran around the desk to hug Fawn. “You’re engaged!”
The girls laughed and hugged while the man stood back and watched his fiancée with a soft expression.
“Congratulations, Dale,” Dahlia effused, giving him a quick hug. Then she hopped back and gasped. “Does this mean…?”
Fawn rolled her eyes, but she shifted nervously on her feet. “A deal’s a deal. Do you have time to do it?”
Dahlia clapped her hands and bounced on her toes. “Of course!” Then she put her hand on Fawn’s shoulder and smiled reassuringly. “Relax, girl. You know I’ve got this.”
Fawn sighed and turned to her fiancé with narrowed eyes. “You’re still holding up our end of the deal, right?”
“Absolutely,” he assured her with a firm jerk of his chin before sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her close.
Dahlia grinned and dropped her voice as they continued talking, but their conversation still floated to my ears. I only paid it half attention because I was keeping an eye on Molly.
“Dale, do you know which piercing you're getting?” Dahlia asked. Fawn’s face flushed, and her eyes dropped to the ground, though there was an upward curve to her lips.
Dale’s cheeks turned slightly red. “Um…since I picked the VCH for Fawn, she wants…um…a Prince Albert for me.”
“And the tattoo?”
I stopped paying them any attention when Molly suddenly sat back and set her tattoo machine on the little table beside her. She cleaned up the guy’s tattoo and treated it, finally covering it with gauze. They both stood, and I was mesmerized by Molly’s graceful fluidity. And I got a little lost in the sight of her perfect ass encased in a pair of tight leather pants. Her red curls were pulled up and piled on top of her head, showing off the Silver Ink logo on the back of her black tank top.
She took off a pair of gloves and dropped them into a trash can before walking beside her client to the front. My pants were already tight from how sexy she looked from behind, but seeing her big tits, athletic arms, slender neck, and drop-fucking-gorgeous face, I had to put my ankle on my opposite knee to hide my reaction.
“You know the drill, Buck,” she told the old guy with a smile. “I’ll tell Phyllis you didn’t cry this time.”
Buck glared at her, but there was no real menace in it, or I’d have been between them with my hand around his throat before he could take his next breath. “She wouldn’t believe you,” he finally said with a sigh, making Molly chuckle.
“Molly,” Dahlia interrupted. “Your next appointment is here.” Before Molly could turn in my direction, her sister put her hand on her arm and tipped her chin toward the couple. “Fawn and Dale are here to ‘seal the deal,’” she finished with a giggle.
Molly congratulated them with hugs, making me grit my teeth when the little punk put an arm around her. Even though it was brief and he didn’t linger.
I cleared my throat as I stood, and finally, those emerald-green orbs were trained on me once more.
“Maverick,” she breathed, eyes widening as she recognized me.
I didn’t bother to answer, just smiled and winked.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, and I cocked an eyebrow. There was only one reason I would be at Silver Ink, and she was smart enough to know what it was.
With sure strides, I closed the distance between us and grunted, “I warned you, I’d catch you, baby.”
“Molly?” Dahlia’s tone was hesitant as she looked between us. “Is everything okay? Should I call Dad?”
