Chapter Two

Albuquerque, New Mexico

“Well, take care of yourself, man. Give us a call if you need anything. Catch ya later.” Click.

Maverick sat on his motorcycle and shut his phone. His friend Hondo had given him a call to find out where he was and what he was doing. Ever since the shrink had decided Maverick needed some down time, his teammates had been calling him to check up on him.

He loved the members of his SEAL team and he wanted the okay to go back to work. The therapist had determined he needed about a month off; in fact all of them got the required time, but the others had spouses, children, and family to enjoy. Maverick had no one and now he was alone in Albuquerque.

There was neither rhyme nor reason for him to be here. All he’d done was climb on his bike and it brought him here. He hadn’t had a destination in mind when he’d hit the open road; but now that he’d arrived, the part of his soul that had told him he needed to find something was telling him he was in the right place.

Maverick might not want to do as his father wished, but he did believe in the customs of his people and fully intended on listening to his inner voice. “First order of business…find a place to stay.”

It didn’t take him long to find a place, and soon Maverick was standing at the window of his hotel room. He had a direct view of the Sandia Mountains. It was beautiful. For that moment, he was content; but soon the earlier restlessness came to the fore again. He spent the rest of the day learning the area he was in. Taking a trip to Old Town, he played the tourist thing to a tee.

Around nine that night, Maverick hooked up with a group of single men who were on vacation and went to some bars. They had a great time drinking and shooting pool.

As they were walking back in the direction of the hotel, a light hit on the weathered sign that was in front of an older-looking building. B’s Quarry, it read. With a glance at the guys with him, Maverick and the guys headed for the door.

An assortment of vehicles were in the parking lot out front, everything from motorcycles, to trucks, to cars, and even fancy SUVs. Maverick wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

They walked through the door, Maverick bringing up the rear. For a brief moment, he took in the layout of the bar, an instinctive habit from his career.

There were tables placed throughout the whole place. The floors were wooden and they shone in the neon light from alcohol logos. On each side of the establishment were two pool tables and two dart boards, all being used by the patrons. Along the right wall was a raised stage and there was a small open space near it for dancing. A jukebox was next to the stage and right now it was the only thing offering up music to the bar.

Against the back wall was a long bar, and as far as he could see there was only one woman behind it, a beautiful black woman who didn’t seem to have any trouble handling all the hollered orders. The restrooms were to the right and left of the bar.

The place was jumping; for a Tuesday evening he would have guessed it would be quieter. But then he didn’t even know the establishment, so who was he to judge? There were very few tables left and his group grabbed one. A waitress came by shortly to take their drink orders.

Tempest had been behind the bar, in her usual place, when the door had swung open. A group of five men had stood there illuminated by the lights of her business. There was a man in the back of the group who gave her pause. He was gorgeous with flawless skin and jet black hair that was tastefully messy. His face was chiseled and held massive determination. She immediately identified him as Native American; but at the same time, a shiver went through her body, one she couldn’t quite understand.

He’d stood tall, proud, and frozen as his eyes swept the place. Normally if people did that, she’d assume they were casing the joint. Not with this man. There was something about his carriage that made her shudder. After he’d done that, he’d followed his group to a table and sat down.

When Mili, one of the waitresses she employed, leaned up on the bar, Tempest sent her a smile. “Wow, that is one hot group of men,” the Latina said with a grin.

“Most men in here are hot, according to the ‘Bible of Mili’, so that is nothing new,” Tempest teased her as she reached for five beers.

“I have a good eye for men. And the tallest of that group is a man’s man. I mean, Jesus, did you see the size of his arms? Or his chest?” The young woman was nearly panting. “His legs or the fact that he could crack a walnut with his ass?”

Tempest burst out laughing. “Damn, Mili. You’re horrid!” Sliding the drinks toward the dark-eyed woman, she shook her head. “Get back to work.”

With an overly dramatic sigh followed by a shoulder shrug, the woman did just that, weaving in and out of the increasing crowd delivering drinks to the patrons.

Maverick had focused his eyes back on the sexy bartender as she spoke to the woman who’d taken their drink order. The waitress was nothing to scoff at, but the second she’d gone next to the bartender, Maverick had lost all interest in her. His total attention had fallen upon the dark, smooth skin of the woman flipping drinks.

When her head had tipped back in laughter, his cock had jerked so intensely in his jeans, it’d made him jump. He’d groaned as she’d graced the waitress with a full-blown smile that allowed the white of her teeth to contrast against her dark skin. Whatever her response was, he’d had no idea; all he could see was the way her tongue snuck out to trace along her lips.

The overwhelming urge to cross the room and kiss that woman senseless was mind blowing. Maverick had amazing eyesight, a trait that enabled him to be a sniper, and he could see everything she offered. The oval shape of her face, unbelievably full lips, a small somewhat flat nose, wide dark-colored eyes.

Her hair was put up in a tight ponytail, allowing everyone to see her high cheekbones. She wore a black cutoff shirt that had the Harley Davidson logo on it. He could see the muscles in her arms moving as she worked.

“You okay, Maverick?” one of the men asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

Blinking, he nodded. “Fine.”

The waitress appeared at their sides and placed the beers down in front of each man. “Enjoy,” she purred when they placed tips on her tray.

He drank as the night went on. The group with him was getting rowdy. Maverick noticed how two bouncers were keeping an eye on their table. “Get it under control, guys,” he muttered. “I don’t want to get kicked out.”

The men nodded without really hearing him. Movement at the door behind the bar grabbed his attention. He noticed a young man with dark skin and black hair come out and walk over to the bartender, slipping his arms around her waist.

Maverick’s eyes narrowed as she served her drink and spun around with a cheer as her arms encircled the man’s neck. He growled his displeasure. The man holding her nodded at something she said, which set her off on another round of cheers.

Strong arms had slid around her waist. Tempest had pushed the Jack and Coke across the bar to the man waiting for it before acknowledging the man behind her.

“I did it!” he blurted before she faced him.

“Dakota!” she exclaimed and turned in his arms. She looked up at her son who was a few inches over six feet. “I am so proud of you!”

The early years had been difficult for them. Being such a young girl and raising her son had posed an immense challenge, but Tempest succeeded. She’d even finished high school and had gotten her degree in business management.

When her aunt died, she left everything to the young girl whom she’d taken in years earlier. So now, Tempest and her son owned a bar in Albuquerque and he was currently attending the university, majoring in African-American Studies and Anthropology.

“So you passed it?” she asked as he let her feet find the floor.

“I aced it,” he said and nodded.

Tempest hugged him and cheered louder. He’d been taking his final in The African World. “I will stop now before I embarrass you anymore.”

He smiled down at his mother. “I love you and I’m ready to get to work.”

“You just passed a major test; why aren’t you out celebrating with friends?” Tempest questioned her child as she heard a drink order being yelled and began to make it.

“I always work on Tuesday.” He moved to the other end of the bar and started preparing drinks for the patrons at the other end of the bar.

“I’m taking ten,” she shouted over the music to her son.

He waved her off as he continued to flirt with the women and serve drinks. About to go into her office for a few minutes of quiet, Tempest changed directions as she heard a loud commotion from on the floor.

Instantly, she headed for the table creating the ruckus. It was the group she’d noticed coming in earlier, with the handsome man. And he only got hotter the closer she went. She felt the large presence of one of her bouncers at her back.

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” she said, loud enough to get their attention. Five sets of eyes fixated on her.

“Hey, baby,” one of the men slurred.

Tempest controlled her eye roll. Drunken men were all the same. These weren’t wasted but definitely on their way. “Look, I am very glad you came in here but you need to get control of your emotions. I don’t need you being louder than everyone else combined.”