Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
12
MOLLY
“It’s okay, princess. I’ve got you,” Maverick murmured, stroking his palm down my spine.
I knew he’d been worried about the guy who’d sent me the flowers and stuff, but I’d just thought of him as a secret admirer. Not an actual stalker. I couldn’t have been more wrong and had almost paid for it with my life. “If you hadn’t been here…”
“You still would’ve been fine because my brothers would have made sure of it,” he growled, pressing me closer. “There couldn’t have been any other outcome. I can’t imagine my world without you in it. Nothing is ever gonna happen to you.”
“Fucking hell.”
My head jerked up at the familiar, deep voice. I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten that my dad was here. “Daddy,” I whispered, stepping away from Maverick to hug him.
His arms tightened around me as he rasped, “Shit. Fuck. Damn.”
“I know you came here because you’re not happy about me being with Maverick and were probably planning to try to drag me away from him, so I’m not super happy about that. But thank goodness for your timing because that could’ve been so bad if you hadn’t distracted my…my…stalker,” I babbled, tears streaming down my cheeks now that what had just happened was actually sinking in.
“You would’ve figured something out.” My dad brushed a kiss against the top of my head. “All those self-defense lessons the guys and I have given you over the years would have kicked in, and you would have found your chance and gotten away from the bastard.”
“Maybe,” I mumbled against his chest. “I heard your voice in my head the whole time, telling me to stay calm and not let my fear rule my decisions. To bide my time for the perfect opportunity.”
“So fucking proud of you, kiddo.” He patted me on the back. “Even with a gun to your head, you didn’t panic.”
“I knew Maverick would do whatever it took to make sure I was okay.”
“Yeah, I caught that.” I tilted my head back, but my dad’s gaze was locked over my head. “You’re not good enough for her.”
Pushing away from him, I heaved a deep sigh. “Seriously, Dad? Maverick just saved my life, and that’s the first thing you want to say to him?”
Maverick came to my side and wrapped his arm around my back. “Don’t worry, princess. I get where he’s coming from.”
I tilted my head back to gawk at him. “You just killed someone for me, and you don’t care that my dad is giving you a hard time about being with me instead of thanking you for what you had to do to keep me safe?”
“I don’t need your dad’s gratitude.” Cupping my cheek, he brushed his thumb over my bottom lip. “You standing here without a scratch on your perfect body is the only thing I need.”
“You got my gratitude anyway,” my dad muttered. “But it doesn’t change the fact that you’re not good enough for my daughter.”
Maverick’s hand clenched my waist as he replied, “I know, but she’s mine anyway.”
“I respect that because I’ve never been good enough for her mother either.” He speared Maverick with a hard look. “But I love the fuck outta my woman. Can you say the same about Molly?”
Before he could answer, I slammed my hand over Maverick’s mouth. “Nope. You’re not going to use that particular four-letter word for the first time while talking to my dad. If you want to make a declaration like that, it’s gonna be aimed my way.”
“You let him claim you without knowing if he loves you?” my dad growled.
“I let him claim me because I lo—” Pressing my lips together, I barely stopped myself from declaring my feelings for Maverick to my dad instead of him. “You can’t be surprised by how things are going down in my relationship. Not when you’ve cheered on your club brothers as they’ve claimed their women pretty much the same damn way that Maverick did with me.”
“It’s different,” he insisted. “None of them are my daughters.”
I huffed out an irritated breath. “The double standard is so ridiculous. And frustrating.”
“There’s no ‘if’ about it, princess,” Maverick murmured when I dropped my arm back to my side.
I twisted my neck to stare up at him, my brows drawing together. “What?”
“You said that I needed to give the words to you…if I felt them,” he explained, tangling my hair in his fist to keep my head tilted back. “You gotta know there isn’t a single doubt in my mind about how I feel about you, princess.”
My breath caught in my throat at the emotion shining from his blue orbs. “There isn’t?”
“Never believed in love at first sight. Thought it was a bunch of romantic bullshit before I met you.” He brushed his lips over mine and rasped, “Felt as though I was hit by a bolt of fucking lightning. Straight to the heart.”