“Is that why Lawrence was trying to force Keegan to marry Preston Hensley?” I asked.
“No, that was for the money,” Luke replied.
“What money?”
“Keegan has a trust fund that’s only accessible once she is married or turns 25 years old, whichever comes first. Hastings and Hensley wanted her to marry Preston to gain access to the trust so they could pay me off,” Luke explained.
I cocked my head to the side. “That doesn’t make sense. She already has access to her trust fund.”
Luke nodded in agreement. “Yes, she does have access to one, but she has two, which she should have access to since she married you. You didn’t know?”
I shook my head slowly, “No, I didn’t, and I don’t think she does either.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Keegan
I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived at the barn. Duke must have been busting his ass to make sure we didn’t fall behind. I owed him big time. I spent a few hours taking care of things for the barn. When I was finished, I started working with Blink. As much as I didn’t want to, I kept my promise and put my phone on one of the fence posts.
It had been a few days since I had been able to work with Blink and it showed. Once I got him warmed up, he started cooperating with me, which was a good thing because we needed to run some time trials. I left Blink in the round pen and went back to the office to turn the cameras on and make sure the computer was ready to go. We had a brand new, state of the art race timing system, and I was itching to try it out.
As I was turning to leave the office, something on the desk caught my eye. I smiled as I picked up the set of Bluetooth earbuds with a sticky note attached to the front.
Sync these with your phone and stay safe out there.
Shaker
I smiled at his thoughtfulness. It was a great idea, and I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t thought of it myself.
I synced the earbuds and made sure they were securely attached before I led Blink to the track. I was slightly nervous. He had only been on one other track before, and I wasn’t sure how he would do in a new setting. There was only one way to find out. So, I pulled on my big girl britches and climbed in the saddle.
Blink’s excitement seemed to match my level of anxiety. He was chomping at the bit, pun intended. I held him at the starting line for several seconds before shouting, “Go!” He took off without much encouragement from me, and I cherished every second of it. There was nothing but the wind, the track, Blink, and me. We rounded the last curve, and I just knew this was going to be one of his best times yet. When we crossed the finish line, I threw my hand in the air, fist-pumping and cheering like we had won a monumental race.
I was dying to check out the video and see the official time, but I knew a proper cool-down was imperative for Blink. I took care of Blink and made a beeline for the office only to faceplant into a wall of muscle.
“Whoa! Where’s the fire?” Duke asked.
“Sorry. I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be here,” I mumbled.
He chuckled, “Neither was I.”
“Thank you for taking care of things around here for me. I really appreciate it,” I said sincerely.
He waved his hand dismissively, “Don’t mention it. It was the least I could do after the way I treated you. Besides, there wasn’t much to do anyway.”
“Do you need any help over at your barn?” I offered.
He shook his head. “No. I guess Ember hasn’t had a chance to tell you yet. She hired a new stable hand for us to share. Since you only have two horses here, I was able to pitch in at your barn while he took care of the horses at my barn,” he explained. “Now, where were you headed in such a hurry?”
I grinned, “Follow me, and I’ll show you.” Duke followed me to the office and took a seat. I turned the computer screen so we could both see and hit play. We watched in silence as Blink and I casually made our way to the starting line. When I yelled and Blink bolted from the line, I stared at the timer in astonishment. Blink was faster than I thought. Much faster.
Duke whistled low and long, but he waited until we crossed the finish line to comment. “That fucker is fast. Is he yours?”
I beamed proudly, “Yes. He’s Mystic’s colt. I helped her deliver him.”
“Are you going to race him?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” I said, still dazed by the time flashing at the bottom of my screen. “I had no idea he was that fast. You think it was a fluke?”
“No, I don’t. Next time you run him, let me know, and I’ll manually clock you,” he offered.
“Thanks,” I replied dumbly. I daydreamed about racing horses when I was a little girl, but I never thought it would be a possibility. I wanted to be excited about the prospects, but I was afraid to get my hopes up. Based on my previous life experiences, getting my hopes up was the precursor to my dreams being crushed.
I vaguely heard Duke say goodbye and leave. I stayed in the office, playing the video over and over again while a thousand what-ifs ran through my head. There were so many things that could go wrong, injury being the first and foremost. It was a lot to consider, and I needed to get through the mess with Gabriella before I took on anything else.
I startled when I heard a knock on the office door. I glanced up to see Shaker’s fine ass leaning against the door jamb. “Are you watching porn at work?”
I rolled my eyes, “Seriously?”
“What else would have you so fixated on the computer screen?” he asked with an arched brow.
I grinned, “Come here, and I’ll show you.”
Shaker closed the distance and stood behind me with his hands on my shoulders while I played the video for him. When it was over, he squeezed my shoulders gently, “Is that your horse?”
I snorted, “You sound like Duke. Yes, he’s mine. His name is Blink.”
“Blink?” he questioned.
“As in Blink of an Eye,” I explained.
Shaker nodded, “Seems he lives up to his name. I don’t know as much about horses as you and Duke, but that seems like an impressive time to me.”
“It is,” I agreed.
“You don’t sound very happy about that.”
I sighed, feeling like the weight of the world was on my shoulders, “I am. It’s just, I have a lot on my plate right now. I don’t want to take on something this big while I have so many other irons in the fire.”
“I’m not following. Take on what?” he asked.
“Oh, sorry. Racing Blink. It takes a lot of time and a lot of money, both of which I need to dedicate to Gabriella right now,” I explained.
He smiled softly, “I think I can help with part of that.”
I held my hands up as if to stop him. “No, I don’t want your money.”
He chuckled, “That’s not what I meant. We had a meeting with Luke at the clubhouse today. He said the reason Hastings and Hensley were pushing for you to marry Preston was to get access to your trust fund; not the one you have access to now, but a different one. Did you know you had two?”
My eyes widened in shock. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. According to Luke, you would gain access to it once you were married or turned 25 years old, whichever came first,” he explained. “The lawyer should have contacted you once we were married.”
“Shit!” I swore. “I haven’t checked my PO Box in a few weeks.”
“I can have one of the prospects go, if that’s okay with you,” he offered.
“Yeah, that would be great,” I said, rummaging through my purse for the key. “Why would my mother leave me two trust funds?” I wondered out loud.
“I don’t know, baby. Most people set up one and specify amounts to be released when certain stipulations are met. Could this one be from someone else?” he asked.
“I don’t think so. My grandparents are the only other people who could possibly have established a trust fund for me, but there was no mention of it in their will,�
�� I explained.
“Let’s see if there is anything in your box about it and go from there, yeah?” he asked.
“Sounds good,” I agreed and handed him the key to my post office box.
Less than an hour later, Kellan arrived at the cottage with a box—yes, a box—of mail. I felt my cheeks heat with embarrassment. “Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve been out there to get my mail,” I mumbled.
Kellan laughed, “You don’t say.”
“Oh, so you do have balls? Here I thought you were going to be a kiss ass forever,” I snarked.
Kellan opened his mouth to reply, but Shaker beat him to it. “I’m going to stop this right here before it goes any further. Kellan, would you mind helping us go through her mail? We’re specifically looking for anything that looks to be from a lawyer’s office. And Keegan, play nice.”
I rolled my eyes. “He knows I’m just messing with him. Right, Kellan?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I slapped a hand over my chest and dramatically stumbled backward. “Did you just ma’am me?”
Kellan laughed. “Sure did. See, I can be a smartass, too.”
When his laughter died down, I shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. “Kellan, um, I’m sorry for leaving yesterday and not telling you. Shaker filled me in on the details, and, well, I wanted to apologize as well as thank you for following me and getting word to the club. Yeah, Luke was involved, but none of us knew that, and if you hadn’t been there…well, I’m thankful that you were.”
His cheeks flushed, and he fixed his eyes on the box in his hands. “You’re welcome. I’m glad everything turned out the way it did. So, should I just dump it?” he asked and wiggled the box of mail.
I shrugged, “Might as well. We can toss the envelopes back into the box as we’re sorting.”
“I think I found it,” I exclaimed after well over half an hour of sorting. I ripped open the envelope and scanned the documents. “This has to be it. The letter asks me to contact the office in regards to my trust and inheritance from the Kensington Estate.”
I looked over the letter and envelope again. “I don’t think this is the same attorney that handled the trust fund I have access to now. Why would that be?” I wondered aloud.
Shaker shrugged, “Do you remember the other attorney’s name?”
I shook my head, “No, but I have the name on the papers at my house.”
“Do you want me to go get them for you?” Kellan offered.
“Thank you, but no. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter. It just seems odd is all,” I answered.
Shaker’s phone started buzzing on the coffee table. “Byte, what’s up, brother?” he said by way of greeting. His eyes shot to me, and I suddenly felt unsettled. “Uh, yeah, I guess we can do that. Is everything okay?”
Kellan quickly got to his feet, his stance indicating he was ready for whatever Shaker might hand him.
“Okay, man, see you in a few. Thanks.”
Shaker turned to me, concern filling his eyes, “We need to go to the clubhouse.”
“Why?” Kellan and I asked at the same time.
“He didn’t say. He just said he needed you and me to come to the clubhouse as soon as possible.” He turned to Kellan, “Can you drive us there and back so we can avoid the hassle of the reporters?”
“Sure, man. I’m ready when you are,” Kellan replied.
Kellan was driving one of the standard SUV’s that belonged to the club and-or the farm. Even with the dark tint on the windows, Shaker insisted we duck down for the entirety of the trip to the clubhouse.
Upon arrival, Shaker and I were promptly escorted to Phoenix’s office by Byte. I was surprised to find Ranger sitting in one of the chairs in front of Phoenix’s desk. “Come on in and have a seat,” Phoenix rumbled.
“Fine, but let’s get on with it. You’re kind of freaking me the hell out right now,” I blurted and then slapped my hand over my mouth. “Sorry,” I mumbled behind my fingers.
Phoenix laughed, “That’s understandable given what you’ve been through recently, but we’ll get right down to it. Byte, bring them up to speed.”
Byte cleared his throat, “After the meeting with Luke, I was curious about the second trust fund mentioned, so I started poking around. To make a long story short, the trust fund you have access to now was started by your father. When he died, his life insurance money went into the trust and you were given access on your 18th birthday. The other trust fund is from your mother’s side of the family.”
I put my hand in the air, “Hold on just a second. My father? How do you know that? I don’t even know who my father is,” I said.
Byte looked confused. “What? But your parents were married.”
“What?” I shrieked.
“Your parents were married. I have the marriage certificate pulled up right here,” Byte said cautiously.
I felt tears stinging my eyes. Why would my mother keep that from me? I gasped, “I could have family out there. What’s his name?”
Byte took a step back, and Phoenix stood. “That’s why I asked you to come to the clubhouse. Byte recognized the name. Your father was Ranger’s son, Kyle Norris,” Phoenix said gently.
“The fuck you just say?” Ranger barked at the same time I shrieked another “What?”
Phoenix gestured to Byte, who turned the laptop so we could see the screen. There, in black and white, was a scanned document indicating that my mother did indeed marry a Kyle Quincy Norris almost a year before I was born. I looked to Ranger, “That’s your son?”
His eyes were glistening as he nodded. “It is. Was. Damn it.”
Phoenix clapped his hands together, “You two stay in here and chat. Everyone else, out.”
“You okay, baby?” Shaker asked gently.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I said, even though I wasn’t sure that was true.
When the room cleared out, Ranger spoke again, “I didn’t know about you. I knew he married a girl from Kentucky.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head, “Kyle and I had a falling out when he was around 19 years old. He took off and never looked back. I tried to keep up with him from a distance. He was still my boy. After he died, I didn’t check up on his widow. It didn’t even occur to me since I had never met the girl.”
“I can’t believe she never told me about him. They were married! Why would she keep that a secret? Why would she give me his middle name and not his last name? None of it makes any sense,” I blurted.
“Your middle name is Quincy?” Ranger asked, looking surprised. I nodded. He smiled and held out his hand, “I’m Noah Quincy Norris. Nice to meet you.”
I shook his hand and laughed, “I’m Keegan Quincy Kensington Marks. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”
“At least I have the answer to one thing that’s been bugging the piss out of me,” he grumbled.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Now I know why you’re so good at playing pool,” he deadpanned.
I burst out laughing. “That reminds me. I asked Shaker not to tell you, but given the circumstances, I’m going to tell you myself. So, that day when we played a few games of pool, that was the first time I’d played. Ever.”
“That’s not surprising. Well, not anymore. It’s in your blood,” he replied.
“So, um, is there more family?” I asked.
He shook his head, “Afraid not. My wife passed right before Kyle took off. He was our only child. My parents have long since passed, and my only brother died overseas serving our country. What about you?”
“I have a little sister, Gabriella. She’s five years old. Mom died giving birth to her,” I said, willing myself not to cry.
“I’m sorry to hear that. Where is the little one now?” he asked gently.
I scoffed, “Lawrence sent her away to boarding school. Luke is supposed to help me get full custody of her now that Lawrence has been arrested. As soon as I can, I will be bringing her back to
Croftridge to live with me.”
He patted my knee, “You let me know if you need any help with that.”
“Thank you,” I replied. “Um, what should I call you?”
“How about Ranger for now? I can’t have people thinking I’m old enough to have a granddaughter your age.”
“Hey now, I’m not that old,” I huffed.
“No, you’re not, but I’d have to be to have a grandkid your age,” he stated flatly.
“Point made. Ranger it is,” I laughed and rose to my feet.
Ranger grinned mischievously and held one finger against his lips in the universal be quiet sign. He took careful silent steps toward the door and reached for the doorknob. He gave a quick twist of his wrist and a firm shove to the door. I distinctly heard two loud thumps followed by “Ow!” and “Hey!”
Ranger pushed the door open and said to Kellan and Shaker, “Let that be a lesson to you, you nosy little fucks.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Shaker
Keegan was taking everything in stride. I kept watching and waiting for her to breakdown, but it never happened. She spent her mornings at the barn, but came back to the cottage to spend her afternoons tending to her personal business, which mainly consisted of phone calls to lawyers and a few to Luke. We spent the evenings together, just like any other married couple, both of us avidly avoiding the elephant in the room.
I was struggling with my emotions, as well as my physical needs as a man. I was painfully hard any time I was in the same room with her and half the time when I wasn’t. I needed a release, and I needed it before I lost my damn mind. We had been at the cottage a little over a week, and I hadn’t touched her since the first day we were there. It felt wrong to engage in anything sexual with her until we discussed our future plans.
Shaker (Blackwings MC Book 5) Page 16
