Maverick by Ashers, LeAnn (read dune TXT) 📕

he can never again touch a woman like that without her permission.

I take my hand off of his mouth, “Now tell me, what did you mean?”

His eyes roll back in his head. I squeeze his hand a little, causing him to perk right up.

“Her husband told me right outside that she’s a whore and I paid him for her, for the day.”

I look at Bell, who is white as ghost, but I just smile. “Looks like it’s time for me to have some fun.”

Bell

Her husband. Her husband. It rings through my mind over and over. He’s here. He’s in this hospital right outside of that door.

Maverick smiles. “Looks like it’s time to have some fun.” I look at the nurse, but she takes off running to the door. “You stay here. Don't touch that door.”

Maverick tosses the doctor onto the ground. “You do not fucking move.”

Maverick takes out his phone, placing it to his ear and calling someone. “Smiley, her husband has made his move. I need the boys here to check the hospital and make sure he’s gone before I leave this room. We also got a doctor here that we need to take care of.”

Maverick kicks him to emphasize his point.

The crazy thing is, I’m not freaked out by the fact that he just tortured the doctor.

He did it to protect me.

Maverick walks over to me, rubbing his hand down my back. “We’re going to stay here in the room until you get here. Thanks, brother.” Maverick hangs up the phone and calls someone else.

I close my eyes and rest my face on his side. The day has barely started and I am exhausted.

“Ethan, it’s Maverick.” I tune out his words, not wanting to hear the details once again.

The doctor is glaring at me from the door like it’s all my fault. That’s how it goes.

Someone can touch you inappropriately but it’s your fault, you enticed them, it’s all on you

It’s fucked up.

But I won’t be shamed. Never again.

I sit up straight and stare right back at him, tired of the men who think the world owes them shit.

“Quit staring at me like that. You know I’m not the first girl you have ever touched like that and I know that I’m going to be the last.”

Maverick drops the phone on the bed, walking over to him. “If you look up from the floor, I will fucking tear your eyes out of your skull and make you eat them.”

I shiver from the deadliness in his tone. I know he means it.

The nurse looks up at me. “He has touched me for years. I’ve told the board about it many times but nothing has ever happened.”

My heart cracks a little. “I’m so sorry that happened to you, honey.” My maternal instincts are taking over.

She walks to me. I wrap my arms around her, hugging her. “It won’t happen again.”

“Sure the fuck it won’t.” I hear the doctor yell, from whatever Maverick just did to him.

“Did you tell anyone else what happened? Your mom? Therapist?”

She shakes her head. “I don't have any parents, but this is not the first time and it won’t be the last. It’s the life of being a woman.”

Maverick looks horrified at the thought that this happens—the catcalls, the comments, the touching then the taking of what is not theirs. Some men in this world don’t deserve to breathe.

“I want a fucking list of every person who has done this shit,” Maverick tells her, and she smiles.

“How old are you?” I ask her, rubbing her back.

“I’m twenty-two.”

I smile. She’s young. “You’re around my youngest daughter’s age. Maverick, I think we need to adopt her.”

He laughs, smiling at me.

The nurse laughs. “I mean it, though, I’m your stand-in mom. You need me, I’m here. Come over for breakfast, go shopping, get our nails done. Heck, you have two sisters now and a little brother.”

Her bottom lips trembles. I know she’s fighting back tears. I squeeze her hand. “Deal?”

She sniffs, laughing slightly. “Deal.”

Thirty minutes later, there’s a knock at the door. “Maverick, it’s me,” a man calls through the door.

The door opens and a man steps into view wearing the same cut as Maverick. He looks down at the ground at the doctor, who is crying, holding his arm. “This is the fucker?”

“Pitiful, isn’t he?”

He laughs. “Not even sure what the fuck he is. He sure isn’t a man.” He bends down and practically lifts him off the ground. I see the name Smiley on his cut.

I know he’s one of Maverick’s close friends. “Want to get together and let our ladies meet?” he asks Maverick, who looks at me.

“I’d love that.”

Smiley smiles at me and drags the doctor out of the room. “What’s your number, honey?” I take out my new phone since the other is long gone.

I need to get with my girls tomorrow and catch them up on everything that has happened. It’s a been a whirlwind.

Once I have her number, I text her so she has mine. “Nice to meet you, honey. I do hope to hear from you.”

She smiles and walks out of the room, leaving me and Maverick alone. “Ready to go home?”

My mind gets stuck on the word “home,” but that is what it is to me, home.

“Yeah I am. We have a special little boy to take shopping and I was googling. I found a salon that offers lessons with helping to do hair for Ronny. I need the help.”

Maverick helps me off the bed. “I need to learn too. I’m clueless about hair shit in general.”

My heart does a little dance at his offer to learn too. That immediately lets you know what kind of man he is. He’s the best of the best.

10 Bell

Ronny’s waiting for us at Lane’s front door. He saw us and ran outside to greet us.

Maverick gets out and helps him in the back seat. “Hi sweetheart, you have fun?”

He nods enthusiastically. “It’s so cool that we are neighbors. She said