Spark of Deception: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 4: An MC/Band of Brothers Romance

by Kathleen Kelly

  “Yes,” I reply as I reach for the door.

  “I don’t mind—” The door opens inward quickly, and I fall into the cabin. Standing there, holding a frying pan in his hands, is Angus. His eyes are wide, he’s got a beard, and he’s wearing nothing but a pair of black jeans.

  “Tula?”

  Closing the gap between us, I throw my arms around his neck. “We thought you were dead.”

  Angus

  I’m crushing her to me. I know I’m squeezing way too hard, but I can’t believe she’s here. Tula leans back, moving her hands to my face, tears well in her eyes.

  “Where have you been?”

  “Here. I’ve been here. Waiting. The message I got was that you’d be here. When I arrived, and you weren’t here, I thought maybe you were still coming, but as the days wore on, I thought you mustn’t have made it. I thought you were dead, too.”

  An elderly gentleman clears his throat, and Tula twists out of my arms.

  “Samuel, this is Angus. Angus, this is Cherie’s grandfather.”

  Samuel holds out his hand to me, but I move in and hug him instead.

  “I’m so glad to see you two.”

  Samuel pats me on the back and takes a step. “You’re okay, son. I know your brothers are anxious to hear from you. Why didn’t you make contact?”

  I let him go and step back, raking my hands through my hair. “It’s not safe. There’s no internet up here, so I couldn’t go through any of my usual channels. Nomad will be looking for me. I need to wipe myself off the internet. I need to be free before I contact anyone.”

  Tula frowns at me. “Nomad is real?”

  “Who’s Nomad?”

  Tula reaches up and runs a hand through my hair. “It’s a supercomputer, one that for years we believed was in use by the NSA.” Tula steps back. “You look tired.”

  “What’s a supercomputer?”

  Tula and I both look at a very confused Samuel.

  “How about I make you both coffee, and we can talk about it?”

  I shake my head. “Sorry, I ran out of coffee two days ago.”

  Samuel smiles. “Come on, let’s go home. You can tell us all about this Nomad and where you’ve been over a good home-cooked meal. How does that sound?”

  I look down at Tula, who has her hand in mine. “You cook?”

  Samuel bursts out laughing, and Tula frowns at him. “Lord, no, son. I’ll do the cooking. Tula is good at re-heating.”

  “You promised me pie,” replies Tula petulantly.

  “I did.”

  I shake my head. “I can’t get caught on a camera. Nomad is looking for me.”

  “Samuel, can you drop us home and then go into town by yourself?”

  The older man nods. “I can do that so long as you peel the vegetables and get things ready.”

  Tula smiles. “How hard can that be?”

  Samuel laughs. “Son, you need anything from here?”

  Moving away from both of them, I grab my backpack and stuff some clothes into it, then put on a black T-shirt and boots without socks and without doing them up.

  “I’m good to go.”

  Samuel nods and walks outside with Tula and I following him. It’s one of those older trucks with only a bench seat, so Tula sits in the middle.

  “Are there any cameras between here and your home?” I ask Samuel.

  “No,” answers Tula. “There might be in town, but out here, there’s nothing. Just open road. Have you been to Samuel’s house?”

  “No. I’ve heard Mad and Cherie talk about it, but I’ve never been to his farm.”

  “It’s an amazing place. He has horses, cows, mean chickens—”

  Samuels scoffs. “My chickens are not mean. You have to stand up to them, that’s all.”

  It’s interesting to listen to the banter between Tula and Samuel. It’s obvious in the short amount of time they spent together, they’ve grown fond of each other.

  Samuel stops his car near the front gate to his farm and lets us out. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be less than an hour.”

  Tula puts her hand in mine, and we walk toward the house.

  “It was good of him to let you stay here.”

  “I got shot. Sean left me up at the cabin. I was grateful when Samuel came to check on me and took me in.”

  Stopping, I look down at her. “Sean said you got hit. Where?”

  Tula pulls up her shirt to reveal a round bullet-shaped hole in her side. “It was a through and through.”

  “He should have stayed with you.”

  Tula lets her shirt fall and shakes her head. “No. He was too worried about Beth. Sean needed to get home to her. I was sore, but I was okay, and then Samuel came and brought me here. He’s taken good care of me.” Tula tugs on my hand, pulling me toward the house. “We should call your brothers.”

  “No.”

  “Why?”

  “Anything out of the norm, and Nomad will spot it. Does she still call every night at six?”

  “Yeah, like clockwork.”

  We reach the bottom of the stairs to the porch. It has a swing at one end and a bench seat next to the front door.

  “Do you have a laptop?”

  “Yes. Cherie organized one for me.”

  “I installed a RAT in Nomad.”

  Tula stops walking, her mouth drops open. “No way.”

  “Yes way, and hopefully, they haven’t found my code.”

  “That’s what you meant by wiping you off the internet? You’re going to scrub yourself?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  Tula’s whole face lights up. “Can you do me, too?”

  “Yes. If Nomad is as powerful as we think it is, I could do anyone.”

  Tula walks into the house, and I follow her. The old place has a well-looked-after feel. It’s a home, not a house. I guess after seeing it, I understand why Samuel didn’t want to stay with Cherie and Maddock.

  Tula walks me into a bedroom, then goes and sits on a window seat. She’s looking at the floor, suddenly appearing awkward.

  “Have I done something wrong?”

  “This is my room.”

  Glancing around, I can see it’s painted a light shade of pink and must have been Cherie’s at one stage.

  “It’s nice.”

  Tula looks up at me, eyes wide, and blurts out, “You can stay in here with me.”

  Rubbing the back of my neck, I smile down at her. “I don’t think Samuel will approve.”

  “We could go back to the cabin?”

  I move to sit next to her. “No internet. Besides, I promised you a date first. We can’t do that until we’re sure I’m free.”

  Tula nods, a small frown creasing her forehead. “Okay.”

  “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

  “But we aren’t, are we?”

  Sighing, I lean back. “No. Locutus is still out there. His real name is Patrick Lau. He has the bioweapon but no means of delivery. Well, he didn’t a month ago. If I can get into Nomad, maybe together we could figure out where he is?”

  “What do we need?”

  “We need another laptop, and I need to get access to Nomad.”

  “Sounds easy enough.”

  I laugh at her optimism. Getting into Nomad should be easy, but making sure we aren’t tracked or discovered is a whole other problem.

  “Angus?”

  “Hmm?” I say as I turn my head toward her.

  “I glad you’re safe, too.”

  Tula leans in and kisses me softly on the lips. It’s a chaste kiss, not meant to be anything else but comforting, but it’s not enough.

  My hand goes to the back of her head, and I crush her lips to mine. Tula’s hands entwine around my neck, and in one fluid movement, she straddles me. My cock becomes hard, my hands, with a mind of their own, go up under her shirt to feel the softness of her skin.

  The taste, smell, and feel of her are intoxicating. Ever since that first kiss, I’ve dreamed of only her. Tul
a grinds into me, and a low growl escapes me. It’s been a while since I’ve been with a woman, and the thought of burying my cock inside her to satisfy my needs has me standing and walking her to the bed. I place her on it, then kiss my way down her neck, pulling her shirt up so I can caress her breasts. As I kiss my way down her stomach, I graze the bullet wound on Tula’s side, and it’s as though someone has thrown a bucket of ice water over me.

  Stopping, I stand and take two steps back from her.

  “Jesus, Tula, I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” She goes up on her elbows, staring at me.

  “No, it’s not. You told me you don’t do casual and what we were about to do is the definition, for me, of casual.”

  A look of shock goes over her gorgeous face, and a blush creeps its way up her neck as she sits up and pulls her shirt down. “Right.” With her eyes firmly planted on the floor, she says, “It’s not like we know each other. I didn’t expect anything.” Tula shakes her head and fidgets with the bottom of her shirt.

  Dropping to my knees, I place my hands over hers. “No, you misunderstand me. I like you. I want to get to know you, and I want to do this properly. I don’t want a fuck. I want to take you on a date, and trust me when I tell you, there will be nothing casual about what I want to do to you.”

  Her big blue eyes find mine. “Not casual?” I nod, and she smiles at me, lighting up her face. “When are we going on that date?”

  After dinner, Samuel shows me to my room, which is across the hall from Tula’s.

  “I’m not blind. I can see you and the girl like each other but…” He smiles and shrugs.

  “It’s fine, Samuel. It’s your house, your rules.”

  He nods in agreement. “Cherie should be ringing soon. What do I say?”

  “Tell them… family first, always. And then say the package you sent me finally arrived. Tell them it was a bit of a surprise, but you’re glad it’s here.”

  “I can do that.”

  The telephone rings in the living room, and Samuel grins. “Speak of the devil. Come on, you can listen in.”

  I explained, in layperson’s terms, to Samuel that the government could be listening in. So I can’t speak to my family, and he can’t tell anyone I’m here. I have no doubt Charlotte Manning is using Nomad to track me down.

  “Hello?” says Samuel.

  He pauses and smiles as he listens to his granddaughter’s voice.

  “Oh, I’m fine, honey. That package you sent me finally arrived.”

  He rolls his eyes at me.

  “The one you thought was missing. It’s got a lovely engraved plaque. I love it, family first, always. Sums us up nicely.”

  He frowns.

  “Don’t cry, honey. It’s in good condition. I know it took a little longer to get here, but I’ve got it now.”

  Samuel puts his hand over the mouthpiece and whispers, “She wants to come visit.”

  I whisper back, “Tell her no. Tell her you’re busy with the farm, but you’d like to try Zoom. However, you need a better laptop.”

  Samuel nods. “Honey, I don’t think that’s a good idea right now. I have a lot to do around the farm, but I was talking to my neighbor the other day, and he said there’s a thing called Zoom, but apparently, I need a better laptop to use it. Do you think you could send me one?”

  He nods.

  “Yes, honey. A laptop.”

  I hold up a piece of paper with the words, top of the line.

  “Top of the line. Only the best so I can talk to my girl,” says Samuel as he shakes his head.

  I’m pretty sure he has no idea what Zoom is. He talks to her for a few moments more, then ends the call.

  “You made my girl cry. And I’m pretty sure your brothers will not wait. I reckon they’ve all mounted up on their bikes and are headed this way.”

  I groan. “I hope not. It’s not safe for them or me.”

  “Well, Cherie said she’d send the laptop. Knowing her, she’s doing it now. Should be here in a couple of days. Until then, my home is your home.”

  “Thanks, Samuel. If I can help around the farm, please use me.”

  “You ever worked on a farm?”

  I grin at him. “Not really. I’ve helped Jamie out on his, but he’s a crop grower, no stock.”

  “I haven’t met him. He sounds like a nice fella.”

  “You and he would probably hit it off.”

  Tula walks back into the room, tears in her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask as I engulf her in a bear hug.

  “T-the pie.”

  Samuel laughs. “You burned the pie, didn’t you?”

  She nods. “Only a little.”

  Samuel pats her on the arm. “Let’s see if we can salvage it.”

  Tula looks up at me. “I’m a lousy cook.”

  “Yeah, that’s okay. You’re a talented hacker.”

  “I nearly got you killed.” The words tumble from her lips, and the tears that were welling in her eyes spill over.

  “But I’m not dead, and neither are you.” I maneuver her toward the couch. “Why did you seek me out?”

  Tula shifts away from me, her eyes fixed on the wall in front of us. “The only times you sought me out were to help your family or the MC. You have a code. Few of us do. I knew from our interactions that you are a man of your word.” Tula twists her head to look at me. “You’ve kept every promise you’ve made to me. You’ve helped me when I asked for it.”

  She sighs. “When Brian died, you were the first person I thought of. I knew you’d understand after what you went through with Heather. Then when I found out about the experiments, I knew I had to do something, but I didn’t know what. I wanted your help to stop them, and I knew you wouldn’t say no.” She reaches up and touches my face. “Because you’re a man of your word.” Tula smiles. “And your family has always had your back, so I figured with Sean’s expertise, we’d find a way to shut it down.”

  Reaching up, I place her hand on my leg. “How in the hell did you find out who I was?”

  Tula chews on her bottom lip. “You made a reference to Maddock in one of our correspondences when you were trying to find him. Well, not him exactly, but to the company he was working for. So I did a simple google search and discovered that an employee had been in a fatal car bombing with his sister. From there, I found you and your brothers. Every time you asked for my help, one of them was involved in some small way. You were the only one in your family who had the skills to do what you do. That’s how I found you.”

  “Through a fucking Google search?” I ask incredulously at my own incompetence.

  Tula smiles. “Yeah. Don’t worry… no one knows your real name but me. You never asked any of the others for help with your family, so it was easy to keep your secret.”

  I sit back, resting my head on the back of the couch, staring at the ceiling.

  “Are you mad?”

  Chuckling, I say, “Not at you. At myself. I can’t believe I made it that easy for you.”

  “Most people wouldn’t have looked into it. But you were always so polite to me. You seemed nice, and it piqued my interest.” Tula laughs. “Thankfully, you weren’t a twelve-year-old boy. That would have been awkward.”

  “So you liked me first?”

  Tula blushes. “Yeah. I live in an apartment by myself. I don’t have a lot of friends, and Brian was my only family. You were easy to like.”

  I bark out a laugh. “Well, when you put it like that, it’s no wonder you found me irresistible.”

  She giggles. “I may have worded that badly.”

  “You think?”

  We are both laughing when Samuel walks into the room with two bowls of ice cream.

  “Where’s the pie?” I ask.

  “In the trash.”

  I put a hand over my mouth to stifle the laughter which threatens to pour out of me. Samuel takes one look at my face and laughs. Within moments, all three of us are laughing. Samuel hands out the bo
wls, and I stand, dragging Tula with me.

  “We’ll eat in the kitchen, and then Tula and I will do the dishes.”

  Samuel nods. “Sounds fair.”

  Angus

  Tula and I have commandeered Samuel’s living room. Using his credit card, we purchased new laptops, monitors, headsets, and two chairs on wheels, all with a promise to pay it back as soon as we can. The laptops are all set up, and the large monitors surround us. With our headsets on, we are ready. Sean’s voice reverberates through my head, and I can hear him saying ‘nerds.’ But nerds rule the world… right?

  “You ready?” I ask her while I type.

  Tula smirks and cracks her knuckles. “Born ready.”

  Samuel comes into the room with some freshly made popcorn and three sodas. “Did I miss anything?” he asks eagerly as he hands us each a soda.

  “No, we’re about to start.” Samuel smiles at me as he sits in his armchair.

  “Okay, let’s do this!”

  Samuel’s enthusiasm is endearing, as he has no concept of what we are about to do. His old chair makes a creaking noise as he hits the leaver to put his feet up. The only other sounds in the room are the clacking of keyboards and Samuel eating his popcorn.

  “My RAT is still there. They didn’t find it.”

  “Cool. Let’s scrub you from their files.”

  I glance at Tula as she types away.

  “While you do that, I’m going to scrub my brothers.”

  Tula’s fingers stop typing for a moment. “You sure? If there’s too much missing, someone might notice and find your code.”

  “Family first, always,” I reply as I ask Nomad to delete all their files.

  It’s satisfying to see all their details disappear off the system and not just the NSA’s but every government and enforcement agency in the U.S., and I watch as the system encodes, then deletes it all, line by line. The satisfaction is creeping through my entire body.

  “You’re done,” announces Tula with a clap of her hands.

  “And so are the boys,” I mutter.

  “I’ll search for Locutus.”

  “And I’ll start one for Patrick Lau and his uncle, Muhazzim Arain”

  “So, you’re free now?” asks Samuel from his chair.

  I grin at him. “Yep, we can finally leave your home. You are free of us, Samuel.”