Wind Therapy - A.J. Downey Page 0,91

rather burn the whole world for her only remaining son than admit he did anything wrong. Believe me, I’ve lived it for years now.” I swallowed hard and pressed on.

“She will hurt every single one of those people in my village, cut them off from their medicine, just to get back at me and think she’s getting back at you somehow. Now, I know you can just turn around and sell it elsewhere, but a lot of the people under her thumb are just scared of her. It’s easier to placate her crazy than stand up to her.”

“You got someone in mind to take her place?” Maverick asked.

I nodded.

“Julio Sanchez,” I said. “He’s fair, he’s got the leadership ability, the only thing that he has going against him is that he’s young.”

“How young?” Glass Jaw demanded.

“My age young,” I said. “But between him and the doctor, the people will listen.”

The men around the table all exchanged a look and Maverick met my gaze with a cool and appraising one of his own. I swallowed hard, but a subtle shift in his expression, the way his eyes flashed; I knew what came next wasn’t how he felt. Not truly. I understood, though. It needed to be said…

“Right, now get the fuck out – and don’t you ever barge in here like this again.” Maverick gave me a pointed look and he meant every single one of the next words that fell from his lips. “You won’t like the consequences if you do, and neither will I.”

I nodded and went out, unfriendly gazes from various points around the table causing me to itch between my shoulder blades. Shutting the door firmly behind me, I slipped across the hall to Maverick’s office to wait for him there.

It was a long wait, but not excruciating. I mean, I didn’t think I was in trouble, per se… I didn’t get that vibe from him, although by the looks on the rest of the guys’ faces, I’d definitely overstepped.

The more the second hand clicked its way around the clockface, the more apprehensive I became. Finally, I heard the door across the hall open. I straightened, standing tall as I waited for him to open the door and step through. I listened to the low, grumbling voices, the creak of leather, and the shuffle of booted feet out in the hall as they moved down the hallway toward the barroom.

Finally, the door opened, and Maverick stepped through, shutting it tightly behind him. He turned to me and his expression softened from its stormy neutrality it’d held as he’d come through into something else entirely. Something that spoke of love and sorrow in equal measure.

“What?” I asked, barely breathing.

“What you just did.” He shook his head slightly.

“I know,” I murmured. “I’m sorry, it’s just—”

“Just nothing,” he said sharply, but not unkindly. Just a mark that it was his turn to speak and for me to listen.

“You have to answer for it, but it’s not in me to hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” I asked. “I thought you guys didn’t do that.”

“Not as a general rule, but, babe… what you just did…”

I pursed my lips and nodded and said softly, “I understand. You do what you have to. To keep their trust, right?”

He nodded slowly and smiled gently, “You know,” he said. “You understand.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry… I didn’t know it was that bad.”

“It’s for your own good, Zaychik. It’s for your own safety.”

“I don’t understand that,” I said and threw up my hands, rolling my eyes. “I already say ‘yes’ Maverick. I want to stay with you, I am in this with you… I don’t understand why you all shut us out.”

“Us?” he asked, stepping up to me, putting his hands on my hips, looking down into my eyes.

“Law enforcement?” he asked gently. “Bad enough one or more of us get locked up, but what could happen to you?” He shook his head. “We want you free. We need you to be able to come see us, to keep us going should it come to that.”

“I see,” I uttered and I did. He smoothed his hands around to my ass and pulled me into him. I put my arms around his waist and looked up into his eyes which were suddenly smiling, twinkling with mischief. “So, what happens now?” I asked.

“Now?” he whispered against my lips.

“Yeah?” I dared not breathe.

“Now I fuck you over that desk, make you scream, and make those fuckers believe I pulled you back into line.”

“I don’t