“Both of you?” he asks with a tinge of sadness in his tone.
“We aren’t going anywhere just yet, old man. You’re not getting rid of me that easily. Besides, I still need to master cooking apple pie.”
Samuel smiles and looks a little relieved. He’s lonely, and it’s something I need to talk to Cherie and Maddock about. Maybe Tula and I will stick around. We’re using an onion router which should be bouncing our signal all over the world. We aren’t going to push our luck, though. Once we locate Locutus, we’re out.
“I’ve found Arain.”
“Where?” asks Tula.
“He’s in Paris. There’s an art auction in two days.”
“Hmm… there’s nothing on Locutus. How’d you go with Patrick Lau?”
I shake my head. “Nothing.”
“I’ll book our seats to Paris.”
“Better book another seat.”
We both turn our chairs around to find Sean, Maddock, and Cherie standing in the doorway.
Sean snickers. “Nerds.” He points at Tula. “I want a window seat.”
Maddock pats him on the shoulder. “Let me hire a private jet. It’ll be easier to get in and out of the country.”
“Cherie,” exclaims Samuel as he tries to get out of his chair, spilling popcorn everywhere.
Cherie helps him to his feet, and they hug. The old guy even has tears in his eyes.
I stand. “I thought I told you not to come.”
Sean quickly walks over and engulfs me in a bear hug, lifting me off the floor. “Don’t you ever do that to me ever again.” For good measure, he strengthens his grip, so it’s hard to breathe.
“Put me down,” I gasp.
Sean chuckles and lets me go so fast that I nearly fall to the floor. Maddock holds out his hand, and as soon as mine is in his, he pulls me in for a brief hug.
“You had us worried for a minute there, brother.”
“More than a fucking minute,” says Kyle from the doorway.
“Jesus, you’re all here?”
Sean nods. “Yep, even Beth came. She’s outside with Lola.”
Samuel clears his throat, and we all look at him. “Tonight, is hotdog night, but I don’t have enough for everyone. I’ll head into town.”
Cherie has her arm around him. “It’s okay, Granddad, we can go in.”
Samuel shakes his head. “My house.”
Maddock holds out his hand to Samuel, and he quickly grasps it. “Sorry, Samuel, we should have phoned, but with certain people listening in, we thought it best to just come. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to travel with you into town.”
“Yay, we can go together,” replies Cherie.
“No, babe. I need you to stay here. I need a word with Samuel.”
Cherie’s face falls, but she doesn’t question Maddock’s request. “Fine. I guess I can help set up beds?”
Kyle hugs me briefly, then holds me at arm’s length. “We were worried, brother.”
He is the eldest and the least prone to emotion. I’ve always known Kyle loves us, but it’s not something he says on a regular basis. This is as close to an outburst as we’re going to get from him.
Turning, I look for Tula, but she’s not in the room.
“Give me a minute. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Kyle looks surprised as I walk briskly out of the room. Going through the house, I find Tula in her room, throwing clothes into a bag.
“What are you doing?”
“Packing,” she replies without looking up.
I close the door behind me, then move to stand behind her, putting my hands on her shoulders. “Come and meet my family.”
Tula shakes her head. “I’m not good with families.”
I turn her around to face me. “They’ll love you.”
Her eyes drop to my chest. “I nearly got you and Sean killed. They are all about family first, remember?”
I tilt her head up, so she has to look me in the eyes. “We aren’t doing casual, remember? If you’re important to me, then you’ll be important to them.”
“I’m important to you?”
“If you asked me to, right now, I’d escape to some island with you, and we’d never have to see them again. So, yeah, you’re important to me.”
Her mouth drops open, and I hope she understands the meaning in my words. I’ve fallen for Tula. Her happiness is the only thing that matters to me now.
“You’d do that? Walk away?”
I grab her hand and tug her toward the door, but she plants her feet, not moving. “What about Locutus?”
I shrug.
“You’d leave your family for me?”
I nod.
Tula throws her arms around my neck and peppers my face with kisses. “I’d never ask you to do that.”
“You wouldn’t have to.”
Tula smiles. “How about you introduce me to your family?”
It’s my turn to smile, for although I’d walk out the door for her right now, I would miss them all. And I’m not sure I could stay away from my family forever, even for Tula.
Opening the door, we walk back into the living room, holding hands. Kyle is talking to Samuel and stops mid-sentence to look at us.
“Everyone, this is Tula.” I put my arm around her to make my intentions about her clear to my brothers and their girlfriends.
Kyle steps forward and holds out his hand. “Nice to finally meet you, Tula. I’m Kyle.”
Tula smiles, then blurts out, “It looks like a biker reunion in here. All leather and tattoos.” She looks up at me. “Do you have tattoos?”
Smiling down at her, I reply, “You’ll see.”
Sean snickers. “You don’t know? Fuck, you’re slow, bro.”
I scowl at Sean but don’t answer his obvious barb to provoke me.
Kyle laughs, and Beth walks up to Tula, hugging her. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” She lets her go and looks up at me. “And you, too. You both had everyone worried.”
“Speak for yourself,” chimes in Lola. “I wasn’t worried at all. He’s a MacKenny, and that practically makes him bulletproof.”
“Where’s Logan?” I ask.
Logan is Lola’s son, who, until recently, none of us knew existed.
“He’s with Cutter,” she replies.
This surprises me as although Cutter is loyal, I wouldn’t call him the most stable person to leave a teenager with.
Kyle laughs. “I know what you’re thinking, but it was Logan’s idea. He wanted to spend some time with Cutter, and I threatened to castrate him if anything happened to my boy.”
Logan isn’t Kyle’s child, but once he knew who he was, Kyle accepted him as family. If Lola hadn’t proved herself to him, I think he would have kept Logan and let her go. She’s been working hard to earn his trust and affection back. If Lola only saw the way we see him look at her, she would know he belongs to her and no one else.
Maddock pushes past Kyle and holds out his hand to Tula. “Nice to meet you. I’m Maddock. Angus’ older, smarter, and better-looking brother.”
Tula laughs, and I scoff at him. “Only in his own mind. Except for the older part.”
Maddock smiles and holds out an arm to Cherie. “And this gorgeous creature is Cherie Lake.”
“Samuel’s Cherie?” asks Tula.
“That’s me.”
“I think I’m sleeping in your room.”
“No, you’re not,” says Samuel.
Tula peers around Cherie. “But all the clothes, and it’s pink.”
Samuel chuckles. “She has more clothes than any woman I know.”
“Well, that’s because you don’t know too many women,” retorts Cherie.
Samuel raises his eyebrows and shakes his head. “I know a few.”
This silences Cherie, and Maddock laughs.
It’s good to be in the room with my family and Tula tucked into my side. It’s a pity we can’t all stay like this forever, but we have work to do.
“Whenever you want. Can you leave with the NSA looking for you?”
Samuel says, “He scrubbed himself and all of you from…” he pauses and scratches his head. “Well, I don’t know exactly, but you’re good to go.”
Tula and I laugh.
“What are you talking about, Granddad?”
“I infiltrated a supercomputer and wiped us off all databases. We are all free.”
Kyle puts his hand on his hip. “Wait! When you say you wiped us off all databases, you just mean the ones where they are looking to build a case against us, right? Not everything? Our licenses and deeds still exist, we still exist, yeah?”
I groan and look down at Tula. Her eyes are wide, and she shakes her head slightly.
“I may need to go back in and fix a few things…”
Sean gives me a blank face, then rubs his jaw. “You scrubbed everything?”
I wince. “Yeah.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?” asks Beth.
“No. It means we don’t exist. No birth certificate, no social, no nothing,” replies a now aggravated Sean.
“I’ll fix it.”
“We’ll fix it. Give you much better dossiers,” replies Tula with a smirk.
“Fucking nerds,” mutters Sean, shaking his head.
Tula
The banter between Angus and his brothers is comical, then you throw their women into the mix, and it’s downright hilarious. I know when Angus said he’d leave them all behind, he meant it, but after watching him with them, I realize it would be cruel of me to let him do that. Life for Angus would never be the same. He hasn’t told them he can’t come home. The NSA may not have any records, but they know of him. They will hunt him down. In a way, this trip is a farewell to them. Angus will see them again, but he can never live near them—it’s too dangerous for him and them.
The plane touched down at Orly International Airport in France. It’s only twelve miles from Paris. Being a private jet of a wealthy businessman, we were rushed through customs and immigration. This is my first time outside of the U.S. I’ve had a passport for a while but never used it. The thought of leaving my country terrified me, unlike my brother, Brian, who traveled the world and sent me photographs of him posing in front of some monument all the time. Being with the MacKenny clan makes me miss him all the more. Being with Angus, I’m hopeful of a future with him. Maybe together we can form our own little family.
“Penny for your thoughts?” asks Angus.
I smile. “We’re in the city of love.”
Angus looks puzzled. “We’re in the city that Muhazzim Arain is in.”
Frowning, I place my hand in his and entwine our fingers. “Yes, but it is the city of love.”
Angus raises my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles. “I didn’t realize you were such a romantic.”
Maddock chuckles. “Every woman wants to go to Paris.”
I smile and nod at him, thinking he understands what I’m trying to say.
“Until they get here. It’s a filthy city. The subway, or as they call it here the Metro, smells like pee, and there’s dog shit everywhere. It’s nice if you have dinner at the Eiffel Tower but be prepared to sell a kidney to pay for it.” Maddock laughs some more, and Cherie punches him in the arm.
“You told me you liked it! You flew me here for my birthday. We had dinner at the Eiffel Tower.”
Maddock drapes an arm around her. “And I’d do it again for you.”
Cherie huffs at him and looks at me. “You get it, don’t you?”
I break away from Angus, and she disentangles herself from Maddock, then we walk out of the airport together. Glancing over my shoulder I look at Angus, who’s talking to Maddock, then they both shrug and look at us.
“Don’t look. Trust me. It’s good to keep the MacKenny boys on their toes from time to time,” loud-whispers Cherie. “So, you and Angus, huh?”
Beth walks briskly to us, pulling Lola with her. “No fair, no gossiping until I’m with you,” pouts Beth.
“We weren’t gossiping. I was only asking Tula about Angus.”
“Uh-huh, that sounds like gossip to me.”
I shake my head at Cherie and Beth while Lola rolls her eyes.
“There’s nothing to tell.”
Lola laughs. “The way that boy is staring at you, there’s something to tell.”
Thankfully, I’m saved by Maddock.
“Ladies, I hired an Uber. It should be arriving at any moment…” he points to a parking area and holds up his cellphone with the Uber app on it, “… over there.”
The Uber turns out to be a minivan.
Kyle bursts out laughing, and Sean does too. I sneak a look at Angus, who’s smiling at Maddock’s confusion.
“What did you think I was going to get?”
“Knowing you, a limo or something cool, but never a minivan.” Sean chuckles.
“Just get in,” orders Maddock.
I climb in, and Angus pushes past the girls to sit next to me.
“You okay?”
I nod.
“We can do dinner at the Eiffel Tower if you want?”
“You’re right… we have work to do. Maybe next time?”
He purses his lips and nods, clearly not happy with my answer. Not wanting him to feel bad, I lean in and kiss his cheek.
Angus quickly turns his head. “What was that for?”
“You looked like you needed it.”
It takes about thirty minutes to get to our hotel. None of us make small talk, and I’m enthralled by the city. I don’t care what Maddock says, there’s something in the air or the way the buildings are put together that makes it feel like a romantic city. It’s nighttime, and the city is bathed in artificial light. Maybe that’s what’s making me look at it with rose-colored glasses. I hope we can stay here for a little while.
Angus and I both have two laptops with us and our headsets. Samuel argued with the boys about taking us, but after his trip into town with Maddock, he came home silent but happy. Whatever he said to calm him down must have been huge.
Maddock said he’d booked an entire apartment for us to work out of. From the little I know about Paris, I was expecting small. The MacKenny boys don’t seem to understand small or low-key, so I should have known better. The apartment has four ensuite bedrooms and three living areas. It’s decorated in whites, blues, and golds and is incredibly plush.
Angus and I don’t bother to choose a bedroom. Instead, we set up in the dining room. He’s sitting opposite me with a small smile playing on his lips. When he catches me looking at him, the smile turns into a grin.
“You ready?”
I wish I knew what had him smiling. Maybe later I will ask him, I think, as I put my headphones on and sit.
“Ready.”
My laptop fires up, and I begin my search for Muhazzim Arain. It doesn’t take long to locate him. He’s staying at the Four Seasons Hotel, which is in the chic Champs-Élysées district. Very expensive and close to the Arc de Triomphe. We are in the Latin Quarter, which is on the other side of the river near Jardin des plantes de Paris, the botanical gardens.
“Found him.”
“Nothing on Locutus.”
“Want me to have a look? I at least know what he looks like.”
Angus frowns and nods. “Swap. I’ll keep an eye on Arain.”
Two of our laptops are linked, and we can see what the other is doing, so we both swap seats, and I go through what he’s searched for, then I start one of my own. Neither of us speaks, absorbed in what we’re doing.
Beth appears beside me with a cup of coffee and some cookies. “I have no idea if these are any good, but you haven’t eaten.” She puts them next to me, then goes around the table and gives Angus a few too. “Maddock and Cherie are going to find us something to eat.” She smiles at me as I demolish the cookies and gulp down the coffee. “Is there anything you don’t eat?”
“Tof
u, and I’m not a fan of sashimi.”
Beth crinkles her nose. “Me, either. Tofu is okay, but I’d rather eat something else. I grew up in cattle country so give me a steak any day.”
Angus laughs. “Thanks for the sustenance.” Then he continues with whatever he’s doing.
Curious, I glance at the other screen. He’s hacked into the hotel security so he can follow Arain.
“Thanks, Beth,” I say without looking up as my laptop pings on something.
Completely absorbed in my work, I jump when Sean places a hand on my shoulder. “Time out.”
“Soon,” I mumble, staring back at the screen.
“No, the food’s here. Come eat.” He points at Angus. “You, too, brother.”
Sean has changed. He’s in a long-sleeved black shirt and jeans. His hair is tied back off his face, and the change is dramatic. This Sean is handsome, not the rugged military man or badass biker. He could almost pass for a businessman except for his build. The man has muscles. His arms are huge.
Angus clears his throat to gain my attention. “You’re drooling.”
I shake my head. “I am not. He looks good, different. I was just taken by surprise, is all.”
Standing, I raise my hands over my head and stretch. My ass has gone to sleep, and I wonder how long I’ve been sitting there. Moving over to a window, I look out. The sun is creeping up over the horizon. It’s been hours, and I still haven’t located Locutus.
The smell of food has me turning back around, and I run into Angus. “Whoa!”
“You think my brother looks good?”
His question takes me by surprise. Is this jealousy?
“I said he looks different.”
Angus takes a step toward me. “No, you said he looked good.”
I place my hands on his chest. “He’s all muscle.” Angus’ face goes hard. “What? I’m not interested in your brother. He doesn’t know a laptop from a lap dog. I like you, remember?”
Angus cups my face, walking me backward until I hit the window, then his lips find mine. At first, he’s gentle, probing, then his hands move from my face to my hips, pulling me against him, letting me feel the hardness of his cock through our clothing. I’m overcome with his sudden onslaught, arousal turns my insides fiery hot, and for a moment, I forget where we are and who’s around us. My hand strokes the front of his jeans, and he growls into my mouth, crushing himself against me. One of his hands moves slowly up my body, under my T-shirt to my breast. Roughly he pulls my bra out of the way and pinches my nipple, sending an electric current through my body and straight to my clit. I moan out in ecstasy.
Spark of Deception: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 4: An MC/Band of Brothers Romance Page 14
