“Yeah. Um, yeah.” She was shaking so badly it was hard to think. “I just um . . .” She swayed.
Maverick caught her. “Sit him down and keep him secured,” he bit out at the other Ravens. The men manhandled Slater over to the bottom of the stairs and forced him down. “Let’s get you outside.” Mav helped her onto the little porch.
She sagged down onto the top brick step, unable to do anything else. “If you . . . if you hadn’t . . .”
“I’m here. You’re good. I’ve got you.” His gaze ran over her face, his expression equal parts enraged and concerned. “Just rest for a minute, okay?” He rose.
“Don’t hurt him,” she said, her teeth chattering. “Don’t do . . . anything that will get you in trouble. He’s not worth it.”
Maverick scowled but nodded. “Much as I’d love to beat the shit out of him, I have a better plan.” He whipped out his cell, swiped his finger over the screen, and put it to his ear. “Yeah, I’d like to report that I’ve just interrupted an attack on a woman. I have the attacker restrained and need immediate police assistance. And an ambulance.” He eyeballed her and moved the phone away from his mouth. “Don’t you worry about a thing, Alexa. This time, Slater’s fucking done.”
Alexa gaped. As if it wasn’t miracle enough that Maverick had showed up just when it mattered, his self-restraint in dealing with Grant was frankly a miracle, too. Maverick still had a temper, but five years ago, he’d have solved this problem with his fists first. Now, he was thinking strategically, thinking long-term, which meant he’d grown up a helluva lot in the past five years. But she actually had lots of evidence of that, didn’t she? She saw it in the care he took of his house, the way he kept himself in check, the way he was taking care of her and her mom.
It made Alexa feel calmer. Safe. Secure.
Which was all she’d ever wanted.
MAVERICK’S BLOOD WAS boiling, but he wasn’t giving Slater the satisfaction of seeing it.
Standing in the front doorway where he could keep an eye on both Slater and Alexa, Mav was doing everything he could to keep himself reined in. Blake and Renner stood on either side of Slater, keeping him from moving a muscle. Renner had ensured that by pulling down some sort of cord from the dining room curtains and tying Slater’s hands to the bannister.
“I am going to sue you each individually and then take your little club for every cent it’s got. And then I’m going to bulldoze every inch of the Raven Riders property until no one remembers you even existed.” Slater chuffed out a chilling laugh. “I will ruin you and everything you ever cared about. You don’t know who you messed with.”
Maverick tuned him out. His words just made him angrier, but Mav was already savoring the sweet satisfaction of watching Grant Slater get arrested. That would have to be reward enough.
Instead of taking Slater’s bait, Maverick kept his gaze on Alexa. Except for the occasional, random shudders, she sat shock-still on the stoop, her arms around herself.
Jesus, what if he hadn’t gotten here when he did? What if he hadn’t left the track way earlier than he had to? Knowing Alexa would be seeing Slater at her meeting, Maverick had come to hang with Blake and Renner until it was over, and then he’d planned to drop by here to check on her.
I need your help at the model home right now.
The memory of all three of them receiving that message at the same time still made Maverick’s blood run cold.
Sirens sounded in the distance. Closer. Until, finally, three cop cars turned onto the street and parked haphazardly in front of the house.
“Now you’re going to pay,” Slater bit out. “Home invasion. Carrying a weapon. Assault. False imprisonment. You’re done, Rylan. All of you.”
“Do you ever shut up?” Maverick muttered, and then he stowed his handgun in a holster against his lower back and went into the yard to meet Martin.
“What happened?” Martin asked, rushing up onto the grass. Davis came running up beside him, a glower covering his weasel face. A rookie cop joined them—Eckstein, his name tag read.
“First, I need to tell you that I have a concealed carry license and I’m carrying at the small of my back,” Maverick said, wanting to play this a hundred percent by the book.
Martin nodded. “I know, but thank you. Start talking.” Davis threw scowls at both of them.
As an ambulance pulled up, Maverick recounted Alexa’s text message and what he’d seen when they’d arrived—Grant, pinning a crying Alexa to the floor of the model home, forcibly kissing her while she struggled and said “no.” Saying the words brought the images back to life in his mind’s eye, fueling the lethal anger vibrating inside him.