Chayton's Tempest (28 page)

my life and I was happy before you came back into it.” She

tried to pull away but he narrowed his eyes and held tighter.

“Look, James…Maverick…whatever you want to be

called. I don’t want to do this anymore. No more of your damn

drama. I don’t want any more calls from your mother. I don’t

want the drama. I can’t take it!” Her chest heaved.

“What the fuck are you talking about? My mother?” His

tone dropped below freezing.

“The late-night calls she graced me with, telling me how

happy you were that
Talli
was carrying your baby!” Her

shoulders rose and fell. “She even called me Sarah Whitehall.”

Tempest shuddered. “Apparently when dealing with you, I’m

required to take trips down memory lane.” She glared up at

him. “And I’m tired of taking those. I’m thirty-five and I feel

over sixty. Please,” her voice filled with exhaustion, “just go

away.”

Strength and a surprise jerk allowed her to escape his

touch. The second she was alone, Tempest sat down behind the

stairs, the light casting her in shadow, and cried.

_

Maverick seethed. He wanted to hurt his parents and

Talli
for what they were trying to do. His fists clenched as he

ground his back teeth in frustration.

How the hell is this going to work when it seems the whole

world is against us?

The loud noise around him penetrated the haze that had

settled around him. Maverick glanced back at the table where

his friends were. He managed a grin; they were having a

wonderful time.

Ambling his way back toward them, he retook his seat.

Hondo met his gaze. “How you doing?”

Maverick shrugged. “Apparently, my mother called her

and told her to stay away from me and that
Talli
was pregnant

with my baby and how happy I am about it.”

“Damn,” Hondo muttered. “That’s harsh.” The others

echoed the sentiment resoundingly.

In silence, Maverick drummed his fingers on the scarred

yet smooth tabletop. Whipping out his phone, he placed a call.

No one at the table said a word as he made another

immediately after.

Closing his phone with a snap, Maverick looked around

the table and said, “I’ll be back in two days, three tops.” He

smiled grimly and headed to the bar.

Maverick spoke loud enough to be heard over the orders

and music. “Dakota.”

His son looked at him dispassionately. “What?”

“Tell your mom I’ll be back in about three days. I’m

going to straighten all this out.” He swallowed as Dakota

positioned himself directly across from him.

“That woman…is it true?”

Maverick wanted to cry. His son was giving him a

chance to explain. “If she is, it isn’t mine.” He searched a

younger version of himself for acceptance.

One short nod. “Okay.” Dakota tossed the rag on his

shoulder, an action so mimicking his mother. “Do what you

have to; I’ll tell her.”

“Thank you. Thank you for trusting me.” Maverick

headed for the door, sending his teammates a two fingered

salute as he passed them.

_

Maverick climbed into the Chrysler 300 at the airport

and proceeded to head for his hometown. He’d already

acknowledged he was emotionally exhausted; and since he’d

yet to confront his parents and
Talli
, that didn’t bode well for

the rest of the trip. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if
Talli
would be

back in South Dakota yet.
I don’t know, but I’m not putting

anything past her.

As he drove through the small town, people stared at his

vehicle. He was glad for the tinted windows hiding his

identity. He didn’t wish his parents to get a heads-up he was

back home. Maverick pulled into the driveway and parked the

car. Taking a moment, he searched for strength to deal with

this without losing control.
Without.

Inside his body, he was beyond furious at the extent his

parents were willing to go to keep some control over his life.

He was going to give them a chance to tell their side, but there

was no way in hell he would believe their lies.

Climbing out, he walked to the house, went up the steps,

and knocked on the front door. The door opened a short

moment later and brought Maverick face to face with Dawn

Lonetree
.

“James,” she said with a smile. “It’s wonderful to see

you.” She hugged him and he returned the embrace, albeit

stiffly.

“
Aho
, Ina
.” He followed her into the house. “Where’s

Ate
?”

“He should be home anytime. Is that your new car? Did

you get rid of your bike?” His mother stared at him with

guileless eyes.

“No, that’s a rental. I still have my bike.” Maverick

looked around his parents’ home. It seemed a total contrast to

Tempest’s house.

Tempest. He wanted to go back to her. Hold her and

never let her go.

She sent him a soft smile. “Are you home for a while

now?”

His mother. She was a doppelganger, for all her ability

to turn from loving mother to screaming harpy in a matter of

seconds. He loved her; but at that moment, he didn’t like her or

his father at all.

“Just here to get some information. I have to be back to

work.”

“Information?” She sat down. “About what?”

Maverick opened his mouth to say something when the

door behind him swung wide to admit his father into the

house. The two men met gazes but remained silent. While his

father crossed the room to say hello to his mother, Maverick

watched him. His father was getting older and there seemed to

be a darkness surrounding him that Maverick didn’t recall

from before. It was like his face had a permanent scowl upon it;

and while his father had been a serious man, he hadn’t been

like that.

“
Aho
, Ate
,” Maverick said after his parents reunion

ended.

“James. Good to see you.” His father stuck out his hand.

Maverick shook the offered hand and wondered how he

was going to do this without losing his temper.

What excuse can they actually give that would appease me?

Nothing. So why am I trying to be nice about this?

“I need to know something from the two of you,”

Maverick began. “I want you to think very carefully about the

answer you give me.” He waited until his father sat down as

well before continuing.

“I want to know what it is you have against me being

with Tempest. Why did you call her and fill her head with lies?

Why would you try to keep me from my son and why would

you tell
Talli
to find me and tell me I was the father of her

child? I’m in no way the father of her child and we
will
be

doing a paternity test on that.”

His parents blanched.

“I want to know!” Maverick thundered. “The two of you

have been messing in my life and I want to know what your

reasons were for. Tell me!”

“Don’t yell at us,” Rodney
Lonetree
ordered.

“To hell with you and your demands,
Ate.
This is my

time. You two are un-fucking-believable! What reason do you

hate her so?”

His parents watched him carefully and Maverick knew

his plan of keeping his cool had vanished like meat on a bone

given to a pack of dogs.

Robert stood and faced him. “How do you know that

Talli
isn’t carrying your baby? You did sleep with her.”

Rolling his shoulders, Maverick ran his tongue over his

teeth. “You’re absolutely right. I did sleep with her; but one, I

wore a condom and two, and I never ejaculated in her. She

didn’t do it for me. So whoever knocked her up, I know it

wasn’t me.” He watched his father’s face fill with panic. “Good

thing we’ll be taking a paternity test, then, so we can discover

who the
real
father is.”

 
“What do you hope to gain from doing this, James?” his

mother asked all traces of loving mother gone and in its place

was harpy-mom.

“I will gain my family, the one I want not the one you’re

trying to cultivate for me. Tempest is my future. She and

Dakota. Now, answer my question. Why the hell would you do

something like this to us? Why would you want me to be

unhappy?”

Nineteen

“Dakota Falcon
Burnell
!” The screeched filled the house.

“You’d better get out of your room and prove to me that this is

nothing but a load of shit.” She shook her hand that contained

a handwritten note.

There was no response.

“Dakota!” Tempest banged her fist on his bedroom door.

Nothing.

She took another look at the note she held crunched in

her fingers. Maybe it would all be a hoax. Her son’s writing

leapt off the paper.

Mom,

Please don’t be mad, but I’m going to South Dakota. I’ve got a

flight so by the time you read this I’ll be there. Maverick said to tell

you that he wants you to have faith and he loves you. I know what

I’m doing. Besides, Dad will be there.

Dakota

Tempest dropped to her knees and sat in silence. Her

heart was shattered; this was the first time Dakota had called

James “Dad”. And it was for this.

“I have to go back,” she whimpered. “I have to go back

and face my past. I don’t care if Dakota has the entire damn

United States Marines with him.
I
have to protect my son from

the evil that lives in those hearts.”

Pushing up from the floor, Tempest snarled, “Damn

you, James, for bringing this shit into my life!”

She called
Mili
and explained what was going on. As she

shoved some things into a bag, she called the airline to grab the

first flight.

Hours later, Tempest was in a foul mood as she climbed

into her car rental. Her stomach clenched with fear and nausea.

Sweaty palms gripped the wheel as she drove off in the

afternoon towards a town she’d hoped never to set foot in

again.

_

Maverick paced the floor. His parents had tried to give

him excuses. He was beyond furious; but for the moment,

they’d settled into an uneasy silence.

It was all for the good and future of the tribe.
Talli
was a

good woman for him, they said. They claimed that while they

were
sure
Sarah…Tempest…was a nice enough person; they

believed he could do much better.

Maverick wanted to beat them both for their bigoted