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

by Kathleen Kelly

  Laughter fills the dining room, followed by clapping. Angus pulls back from the kiss, resting his forehead to mine. His body is still pressed to me, and I can feel the length of his cock through his jeans. My breathing is ragged. My only thought is to wonder what it will feel like to have him inside me because my body burns for him.

  “Come and eat. Food’s getting cold, and if you don’t hurry, Sean is going to eat it all,” says Kyle with another snicker as he leaves the room.

  “Wrong time and place,” says Angus, his lips moving on my forehead. Slowly, he peels himself off me and steps back. “You go ahead. I need a few minutes to collect myself.”

  In a daze, I nod and stumble away from him, pulling down my T-shirt and fixing my bra as I walk into the living room. The others all grin at me, and Lola laughs out loud.

  “Damn, girl! Whatever he did to you, he did it right. You’re all kinds of messed up right now.” Lola stands and fills a plate full of food and hands it to me. “Here, sit.”

  Gratefully, I take the plate and sit on an empty couch. Mechanically, I shovel the food into my mouth. It’s Chinese, my brain finally kicks in, and I wonder where they got it at this hour. Looking up, the lot of them are staring at me.

  “It’s good. Where did you get it?”

  Not trying to hold their mirth, Lola and Kyle laugh, and the others quickly follow. Angus walks into the room, which makes them all laugh harder.

  “Shut up. What are you, twelve?”

  A volley of insults is hurled back at him, but he ignores them. Angus fixes his own plate and sits next to me on the couch.

  Beth grabs two soda cans and passes them to me.

  “Thank you.”

  She smiles knowingly and then sits back down. It’s only then I realize they’ve all changed. Kyle and Sean almost look like carbon copies in their outfits. Maddock’s wearing a charcoal pair of pants and a light pink long-sleeved shirt. The men in this room could wear any color they choose with their dark looks, but I can’t picture the others in pink. I smile to myself at the imagery.

  Beth and Cherie are dolled up in dresses. Beth has more curves than Cherie, and her dark red knee-length dress is cut to accentuate them perfectly. Cherie is wearing an almost silver flowing dress that clings to her in all the right places, but it goes all the way to the floor with a split in the front, showing a decent amount of leg. Lola’s little black dress is stunning with its built-in corset and shows off her blonde hair, which is swept off her face on one side. She still looks biker-chick to me, but for those who don’t know her, she might look sophisticated in a sexy kind of way. Suddenly, I have pictures in my head of Lola with a whip standing over Kyle’s naked body.

  “What are you thinking?” asks Angus.

  Choking on my food, he hits me on the back until my coughing subsides, then opens my soda for me.

  “Here, drink this.”

  Nodding, I take the can and gulp down some of the contents only to screw my face up and stare at it. “What the hell is this?”

  The label says Orangina.

  “It’s a popular drink over here,” explains Maddock.

  “It’s got stuff floating in it!”

  Cherie giggles. “It’s full of pulp.”

  I give them both a face of disgust, which makes them laugh.

  Beth walks back over with a Coke. “I’ll swap you.”

  “Yay! Thank you.”

  Beth is the most considerate woman I’ve ever met. She’s like the mother hen of the group, always making sure that everyone around her is looked after. Makes me wonder how well Sean takes care of her. And as if he can read my mind, Sean puts an arm around her when she sits back down and hands her a glass of wine. She smiles at him like he sets the moon.

  Sean catches me staring at them and smiles. “What did you two find out?”

  “We haven’t found Locutus.”

  “You’ve been at it for hours,” states Kyle.

  “We know, but I have an idea,” says Angus as he puts his plate down and opens the Orangina. “We know Locutus has the bioweapon, but he doesn’t have a means to disperse it. Berezat Kakar is also in town for the art auction… he might know of Locutus’ location.”

  “Why would he know that?” asks Lola.

  “They are age-old enemies,” he replies.

  “How does that help us?” asks Kyle.

  “If we tell Kakar about the bioweapon and that Arain plans to use it on him and his entire family—”

  “He might help us,” I reply excitedly.

  Standing, I jog into the dining room and search for Berezat Kakar. He owns a building in the 16th arrondissement. Without turning, I can sense Angus standing behind me. It’s as though my body has a laser lock on him, even if I can’t see him.

  “It’s a twenty-minute drive from here to there, depending on traffic.”

  Angus puts his hands on my shoulders and kisses the top of my head. “Wanna go for a ride?”

  “No, brother, it should be Sean or me,” states Kyle.

  “No, it should be us. We are non-threatening. You and Sean, even dressed the way you are, look like trouble.” Kyle frowns and shakes his head. “Why are you all dressed like that?”

  Kyle smiles, and it’s then I see that Angus looks most like his older brother.

  “We both know how to look after ourselves. It’s too dangerous for you two.”

  I hear Angus’ intake of breath, and his hands leave me. “I can take care of myself. You have no idea what I’m capable of, brother.”

  “It’s not a pissing competition. It’s a fact. We’ll go,” replies Kyle.

  I stand and place myself next to Angus. “No.”

  “No?” repeats Kyle. His face screws into a scowl, and he places one hand on his hip and points at me. “You nearly got yourself and him killed. Why tempt fate?”

  Angus squares his shoulders and shakes his head. “Kyle, I can take care of myself. I got Tula out of the park when she got shot. I helped guide Sean to rescue her, and I also got all of our information scrubbed. Tula and I have got this.”

  “Yep, you did a good job of wiping us off the face of the planet,” injects Sean with a smirk. Angus glares at Sean, and whatever he sees there, he holds up his hands as if he’s giving in. “Whoa, easy, baby brother. We’re just looking out for you.”

  “In case you both haven’t realized it… you don’t need to do that anymore.”

  Kyle steps back and raises his eyebrows, his lips in a hard line as he appraises Angus. The tension in the room is palpable. I peek a look at Sean, who’s watching Kyle. I’m guessing if Kyle says yes, Sean won’t disagree.

  “It’s not that much of a big deal. It’s a meet and greet.”

  Kyle’s eyes flick to me, and he lets out a breath, his nostrils flaring slightly. “We’re coming. You two can go in, but we will be there if anything goes sideways.”

  Angus

  Tula and I are at the front door of Kakar’s residence. It’s a quarter to eight, and already there are people on the streets going about their day.

  She presses the doorbell, and a voice comes over an intercom. “Yes?”

  “We would like to talk to Mr. Kakar.”

  “Do you have an appointment?”

  I look up at a camera and talk into it. “No, but we have information regarding his safety and Muhazzim Arain.”

  After a moment, a man in a black suit opens the front door and ushers us inside. He points to the wall in the foyer. “Hands against the wall, legs spread.”

  “We aren’t carrying.”

  He looks bored and repeats monotone, “Hands against the wall, legs spread.”

  We both do as he says, and another man comes into the foyer and pats us down, then he runs a radio frequency detector over us.

  “They’re clean.”

  I drop my hands and turn around, and Tula does too.

  “Come this way.”

  We follow him, and the other man trails behind. They are both dressed the same. It makes sense
that a man like Kakar would have private security looking after him. He is, after all, a very wealthy man.

  We are led to the back of the building and out into the sunshine. I recognize Kakar from our searches on the internet. He’s dressed in a red and gold silk dressing gown and slippers, drinking what I assume is coffee.

  “You have something to tell me?”

  No offer is extended to us to sit, so we pull out a chair anyway.

  “We believe, Muhazzim Arain, is planning to murder your entire family. Your whole bloodline.”

  He chuckles. “My whole bloodline? So dramatic and not likely.” He sighs as though bored with the conversation. “Besides, he’s been trying for years. Tell me something I don’t know.”

  Tula clears her throat and stands. “He has a bioweapon which can target specific DNA markers. He merely needs a method of dispersal.”

  Kakar tilts his head and narrows his gaze from Tula to me. “Is this true?”

  “Yes. We can stop him. It’s our belief his nephew, Patrick Lau, has the bioweapon, but we can’t find him. We thought perhaps you might know where he is?”

  Kakar’s eyes look past us. I follow his gaze, and it lands on one of his men. The man nods and walks back inside but is quickly replaced by another.

  “How do you know this?”

  My attention goes back to Kakar. “I was with the NSA.” It’s sort of true. “And we uncovered Arain’s plot.”

  “Where did he get this bioweapon from?”

  I lick my lips, unsure how to answer his question.

  Tula sits. “It wasn’t meant to be used as a weapon. Arain raided a base and got lucky,” replies Tula.

  Kakar stares at her. “And you’re sure he has it?”

  “Not him specifically. We believe Patrick Lau has it.”

  Kakar takes another sip of his coffee. “Arain has always been a madman.”

  He continues to sip his coffee, and we wait in silence for his man to come back. Kakar is balding with a thick white mustache. Gold rings adorn most of his fingers. All the information on the internet paints him as a self-made man, and seeing him sitting here, in this lush garden in the middle of Paris, it’s hard to see him as poor.

  The bodyguard comes back. Kakar stands, putting his coffee cup down. I stand as well, and so does Tula, her hand resting on my lower back. The bodyguard gives Kakar a folded piece of paper which he opens and then looks at me.

  “Perhaps you could retrieve this weapon for me? For a finders fee, of course?”

  I shake my head. “No.”

  He smiles and puts his hands behind his back, keeping the paper away from me. “No? Don’t be rash. I could just go and get this weapon myself.”

  “So do it. I’ll send flowers to your funeral.”

  Kakar barks out a laugh and hands over the paper. “What will you do with it?”

  “Destroy it.”

  “Hmm.” He looks me up and down. “If you change your mind, come see me.”

  Then he sits back down and pours himself another cup of coffee, silently dismissing us.

  “If you’ll follow me?” asks the bodyguard, and we head back through the house and out the front door and back onto the street.

  Tula lets out a loud breath when we hit the sidewalk. “Why do you think he didn’t just go get Patrick and the bioweapon for himself?”

  “He’s a self-made billionaire unlike Arain. He’s worked hard to get where he is. It was a gamble, but I think he’d think it was cheating if he used this weapon to wipe out the competition. An unfair advantage. But until we run this address, we have no way of knowing if he’s given us the correct information or if he has catfished us.”

  We walk briskly to Sean and Kyle, who are waiting in a car parked around the corner. I open a door for Tula and then slide in the other side. As soon as I’m in the car, Kyle pulls out into traffic.

  “How’d it go?” asks Sean as he twists in his seat to stare at me.

  “Good.”

  Tula already has her laptop open and is tapping in the details we garnered from Kakar.

  “It’s an apartment that overlooks the Arc de Triomphe. Damn, it’s nice.” She pauses as her fingers fly over the keyboard. “I’ve got blueprints.”

  Sean grins. “My kinda girl.”

  Tula looks up at him and smiles at him.

  For the second time in my life, I’m jealous of Sean. I don’t like the way Tula is smiling at him, and I don’t like the fact that she thinks he looks good. In a show of possession, I put my arm around Tula’s shoulders. The move isn’t lost on my brother, who winks, then faces forward with a chuckle.

  Tula hacked the camera network around the area where Kakar said Patrick Lau, aka Locutus, is staying. Sean studied the blueprints to the apartment, and I watched Tula like a crazed man in search of a fix. The kiss from hours earlier still lingers in my mind. I can’t concentrate on anything but Tula. She, on the other hand, seems to have moved on without a second thought. Maybe she doesn’t feel the same about me like I feel about her?

  Beth puts a hand on my arm to gain my attention. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah. Anxious is all.”

  “It’s going to be okay. Patrick Lau is supposed to be at the art auction tonight with his uncle. Sean is going to break into the apartment, get the stuff, and then wait for him to come home.”

  I chuckle at her description of the bioweapon. “The stuff? And yeah, I know. We have a plan. It’s a good plan.”

  Tula gasps, and I immediately go to her. She’s shaking, and when I place a hand on her shoulder, she jumps, then stands, wrapping her arms around me.

  “T-that’s him.”

  The footage is from a street camera and is grainy. It’s difficult to make out the features of the man she’s pointing at.

  “You’re sure?”

  Tula nods. I lock eyes with Lola, and she rings Kyle.

  “He’s just left the building.” Lola nods. “Be safe.”

  “What’d he say?”

  “He said he thought he’d be taller. They watched him leave, and they’re about to go in.”

  Looking down at Tula, I say, “We need to get eyes in that art auction.”

  “I’ve got it. They’re streaming it for the international buyers.”

  Tula sits, and I drag a chair closer, so I can drape an arm around her and watch the screen. She flits between cameras to keep track of the car that Locutus is seated inside. We both watch as it arrives at the auction. He gets out of the car, fusses with the cuffs of his shirt, buttons his jacket, and walks into the building.

  “He looks so normal,” whispers Tula.

  “Wolf in sheep’s clothing.” I squeeze her shoulder, and she leans into me.

  “A monster.” Tula shivers.

  My cellphone buzzes on the tabletop, I reach for it. “Kyle, how’s it going?”

  “We’re in, and we have the bioweapon, but we think we’ve triggered an alarm.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “We’re locked in. We can’t get out.”

  “We’re coming.”

  Armed with our laptops, Tula and I arrive at Locutus’ apartment. The others wanted to come, but I told them if things go south, we may need Maddock and his money to bail us out. Maddock wasn’t happy at being left behind, but both Beth and Lola were worried, besides someone had to stay and look after them.

  Tula waits in the car as I slip into the building. It’s four stories, and, of course, Locutus is on the top floor. I have my laptop tucked under my arm and put my cell phone in my pocket. When I’m at the front door, I phone Kyle.

  “Can you get us out?”

  “I just got here. What happened?”

  “The bioweapon was in a canister in the refrigerator. When Sean lifted it, we heard a series of locks clicking, and then we couldn’t get the door open. The damn thing was on a pressure pad.”

  I laugh. “Okay, can you get out onto the balcony?”

  “It’s not funny and negative.”


  “Try smashing the glass.”

  Kyle sighs in frustration. “Do you really think we haven’t tried that?”

  “Sorry, brother.”

  My cell phone beeps, showing I have another call. I pull it out of my pocket, and Tula’s name is flashing, so I hit the receive call button. “Hey.”

  “Indeed, hey,” replies a male voice.

  “Locutus?”

  “Archon.”

  Dropping my laptop, I run toward the stairwell.

  “If you’ve hurt her.”

  “Oh, don’t be so melodramatic. If you give me your word that you’ll put back what you’re trying to steal, I’ll release her and whoever is trapped in my apartment.”

  Breathing hard, I hit the sidewalk and bolt for the car. The door is open, but Tula is nowhere to be found.

  “Landru!” I yell out into the darkness.

  There are a few people walking about—one man crosses the street to keep away from me. A scream pierces the air, and I run toward it, praying he hasn’t hurt her. As I round a corner, Tula runs straight into me, knocking me on my ass.

  Quickly, I get to my feet, and she stands behind me, putting me between her and Locutus. He’s glaring at me, his top lip peeled back in a snarl. The shoulder of his white shirt is turning crimson, where a pen sticks out of it.

  “Fucking little bitch!” He pulls the pen away, and a stream of blood spills from the wound.

  Rage colors my vision, and I advance on him. My hand balls into a fist, and I hit him hard, connecting with his jaw. His knees buckle, and he goes down with one punch, face-first onto the concrete sidewalk. It’s not enough. He needs to pay for what he’s done. I flip him over, he groans, his eyes rolling back into his head, and I hit him again, and again, and again until Tula grabs my arm.

  “Enough, Angus. Enough.”

  Snarling at her, I shake her off and hit him again. His face is bloody, his nose is broken, but I continue my assault.