MAVERICK
“What’s this for?” I hesitantly took the cards and a piece of paper wrapped around it.
“My credit card. If you want to buy groceries or coffee or go shopping.”
“I have money, Lake. And I don’t do shopping sprees.” I gave it back to him, but I only got a stare. “Fine. I’ll keep it before you put holes in my head. What about this one?” I flipped a debit card.
“It has fifty thousand in it, and I will send ten thousand monthly.” The way he said it was as if we were not talking about money worth thousands of dollars.
“I thought I gave the details of my bank account-”
“That is not your monthly payment, Maverick. As your husband, I’m obligated to give you financial support for groceries, bills, spa day-”
“Wait. Wait.” I raised a hand. “I already have the credit card. I don’t need this one.”
“Take it. You might need cash. Follow me.”
“Oh, God.” I rolled my eyes.
“I saw what you just did.” He grunted as he went upstairs.
I followed him, stomping my feet. “I’m gonna be late, Lake.”
“Just five minutes. I won’t be always at home. Sometimes, I travel for days for business trips, and you’d be alone here. The combinations in that paper are the lock codes of the penthouse.” He punched some codes, and the door to his room unlocked. “Come in.”
“What am I doing in your room?” His room smelled just like him- rich, masculine, and clean. He had the master bedroom with a king-sized bed and a bigger walk-in closet.
His room was neat for a man. The walls were painted light colors except for the dark wooden paneling around the corner.
“Done checking out my room? Sorry for the clatter.”
“Where’s the clatter?” I looked around and on the floor. I didn’t see any other than an over-the-counter bottle of painkillers on the bedside table. He already made his bed with well-arranged pillows. “I expect to see a sock. You made your bed.”
“Yup. One thing I learned from my father’s bullying.”
“Stop.” I followed him to his walk-in closet.
“You and I are the only people who know about this. Well, besides the guys who installed this.” He opened a door, pushed his color-coordinated shirt on both sides and pressed the wall. Those cords popped in his forearms. The automatic panel slid, and his high-end safe appeared before us.
“Great. Now what? Why do I have to know? Do you have diamonds or a crypto wallet in there?”
He flashed a smile. Lake was really handsome and had a strong posture. He wasn’t bulky but had pure muscles and strong arms. I’d seen handsome men, but Lake was in a different stratosphere. His sharp jawline was prominent. He was confident and sometimes cocky, like a Hollywood actor handsome used for the attention and flashes of the camera around him. His natural teeth were perfect, and those lips looked soft.
“Don’t look at me like that when we’re in my bedroom, Maverick.”
My face burned. “Just tell me why are you showing me your safe.”
“If there’s an emergency and you need cash. I have two hundred thousand cash in there. Pressed your thumb on the screen. I wanna add your fingerprint.”
“I don’t think-”
“Just do it, or you’ll be late for school.”
“Geez. Yes, sir.” I did as he asked me, and he did something on his phone’s screen. I guessed his safe lock code was connected to the app.
“Enter the code.”
I checked the combination from the paper and kept it in my head before punching the numbers. The safe was unlocked.
“What the hell?” I turned to him with wide eyes.
“It’s licensed under my name. It’s necessary to have a handgun in my safe for my protection. Don’t worry, I know how to use it. I have training at Osmium. And yes, I have my crypto wallet inside. Lock it.”
I locked the door and returned his shirts like they used to be. “Why did you trust me with this?”
“You’re my wife. If something happens to me-”
“Okay. Stop right there, big bunny. Nothing’s going to happen to you, and thank you for trusting me even if you don’t have to do that.” I slipped the cards inside my wallet and threw a joke. “I’m gonna go shopping.”
“Go ahead. Bring your roommate.”
“Just kidding.”
“Every Saturday, a grocery service will fill the pantry and the ref.”
“I thought-”
“Just stop whining, Maverick. Write down the things you need. There’s a note on the counter. Then they will bring everything for you.”
“Aye, aye, captain.” I did a salute.
“Now go to school and make me proud.”
I caught whatever he threw at me. “A car key?”
***
“Oh, wow!” My eyes grew wide to see the bar filled with people. I mean, it was always crowded, but this time, it tripled the number.
“There were still people outside,” Rocco said proudly. He even wore an apron, helping Athena, Genesis, and the new guy. “That’s Dallas.”
“How?”
“Thanks to your boy toy. At least he has use for me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Be nice.”
“I know. He’s my favorite guy now. You haven’t checked your Ig? The Bazz account just got five thousand new followers today. The engagement is skyrocketing.”
“That’s good.” I chuckled as I took orders. “And that band?”
“Yeah, they call themselves DemiGods.”
“DemiGods? Like Percy Jackson?” I almost burst out laughing.
“I don’t know who that is. They just came earlier and asked if they could play. They brought their things with them and sang for me.”
“That’s nice. At least, it’s better than out-of-tune singing on the Karaoke.”
Another group of tall, big guys walked in.
“Holy shit.”
I looked at Rocco with wide eyes. “You know them?”
“Are you kidding me? Those are Lake’s friends.”
“Oh.” I took another order.
“Wait. You haven’t met them?” He patted Dallas and took off his apron. “Cover me for a while.”
“Yes, boss.”
“I heard,” Genesis said, but I pretended I didn’t know what she was talking about.
“About what?”
“Damn. The rock is big. Who put it in there?”
“Shut up.” I elbowed her, and she just laughed at it. I watched Rocco welcome the big guys and shake hands with them, ushering them to the table at the corner.
When the tall, big man in his early thirties stood up, I looked away and focused on taking orders. One moment, he was there and just slipped through the throng of people. Now, he was leaning against the bar and just cornered me, or I was overthinking it.
“What can I get you, sir?”
He smiled meaningfully. “So he let you work alone without someone watching over you?”
“Pardon?”
“He didn’t tell you about me, did he?”
“Um. Who?”
“Come on, Maverick.” He was really Lake’s friend. He even knew my name.
“You’re his friend. Gabe Linden. The big boss of Osmium.”
“Bingo. Nice meeting you, pretty lady.”
“Likewise.” I shook his big hand.
“Homer and Owen work for you.” I poured a shot of whisky and offered it to him. “He talked about you and Striker.”
“Hmm.” He took a sip, his eyes still pinning at me. “You know, you look familiar.”
“I doubt that. I would have remembered your face if we’d met before.”
“I don’t mean it like that. It’s just your eyes.”
“Oh.”
“So where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” A smile nudged at his lips.
“Yup, I’m sure you know about us by now. You two seem close.”
“Yes, we are.”
“We’re taking requests now,” said the lead vocals. “Our first song is dedicated to the beautiful girl over there, Maverick.”
“Who the fuck dedicated that song for you?”
Startling, my head snapped at angry Lake. I didn’t even know how he got in there, but he was already standing before the counter. “I don’t know.”
His stare was with me as he and Linden shook hands and did a brotherly hug.
“Calm down, lover boy.” Linden patted his shoulder.
I offered him a drink and took it right away. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For boosting up the costumers.” I smiled gratefully.
“A kiss would suffice.”
Linden whistled before he shook to laugh. “That’s my boy.”
“Shut up, Linden,” he said as he leaned on the counter to kiss me on the lips.
My cheeks heated, and everyone on the counter just applauded us.
“Get that, asshole. She’s taken, and she’s mine,” he said, raising the glass at the band.
“That was me, toolbag.” Linden laughed. “Gotcha, my friend.”
“Well, shit.”