“Now, that’s no way for a club whore to be acting,” he replied, his face no longer humorous. “I think someone needs to teach you how to properly behave.”
“And I think you need to let the woman go, Clive.”
Keily’s head swung around to the new voice and relief flooded through her. Abel stepped onto the porch and between her and Clive. “Now,” he demanded.
“Go get your own whore, Abel,” Clive slurred. “This one is mine.”
“Actually, she’s Tinker’s.”
Clive released her arm immediately. “I… I didn’t know,” he stammered.
“And now you do,” Abel told him. “And maybe if I start feeling generous, I’ll keep this incident to myself.” He placed his hand on Keily’s upper back and said, “Come on.”
Able escorted her away from the drunk and Keily finally felt as if she could breathe. Not because she had been scared, but because the man had smelled so foul. She pulled clean air into her lungs, as she tried to rid herself of Clive’s funk.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Abel didn’t say anything until they were far away from any other ears. Then he stopped her and turned her to face him. “You cannot just walk around here, Keily,” he chastised. “Some of these dudes are nasty, shit fucks and won’t take no for an answer. Clive is one of them. And trust me when I say, he isn’t the worst.”
Tinker’s earlier words echoed in her head.
“But…” She just wanted out of that room.
“No buts, sweetheart,” he told her. “If anything happened to you while you’re here, Tinker would flip shit. Not to mention, Sledge. And that’s not something this club needs.”
“I’m sorry,” she sighed, now feeling like shit. “I just… I didn’t want to be in that room anymore. The walls were closing in on me and it felt suffocating.”
“I understand,” he told her. “Come on.”
Abel grabbed her lightly by her upper arm and led her over to the fire and an empty seat. “Sit down,” he ordered.
At first, she wanted to balk at his demand, but she didn’t. She did as he told her and kept quiet. With Tinker gone, Abel seemed to be the only one she could trust with her safety and she didn’t want to ruin that. Plus, she was where she wanted to be anyway – by the fire.
“So, Keily,” someone said. “The FBI, huh?”
“Um.” She wasn’t sure who the man was, so she didn’t know what to say.
He must have seen her hesitation, because he stuck his hand out and said, “I’m Hound. President of this chapter of the Devil’s Henchmen.”
“Oh,” she replied. “So, you’re like Sledge?”
“Kinda.” He shrugged. “You don’t know much about the MC life, do you?”
“I’m afraid not,” she answered.
“In that case.” Hound spent the next twenty minutes explaining the dynamics.
Keily learned that Sledge was technically Hound’s boss since Sledge was the President of the original chapter. There were also other Devil’s Henchmen chapters around the country. The chapters were like branches or companies, as Hound described it. Sledge was like the headquarters, and the other clubs were like the branches. She listened intently, finding it all rather fascinating.
“Hound, stop boring her,” another man laughed.
He walked over to her and Keily did a double take. She looked at him and then back at Abel, raising a brow questioningly.
“We’re twins.” Abel shrugged.
“I can tell,” she replied. “Wow.”
“I’m better looking though.” The man extended his hand. “I’m Kane.”
Keily shook it. “Wait. Abel… Kane…”
“Yeah.” He groaned. “Our mother was a religious type.”
“Are they seriously your real names?” she asked. “Kane and Abel.”
“Yep,” they said in unison.
“Oh.” She laughed out loud. “You poor things!”
“You have no idea,” Abel grumbled. “None.”
She laughed again and shook her head.
Another man walked over, and he too shook her hand as he introduced himself. “I’m Skeeter,” he said. “VP of this here club.”
“Nice to meet you, Skeeter,” Keily replied.
“Same, darling.” And then he winked. “So, tell us about this FBI agent.”
They all seemed to gather closer.
“I don’t even know what to tell.” Keily shrugged. “I don’t know him. I have no idea why he wants me so badly. All I know is he is somehow connected to my ex.”
“Your ex?” Hound asked.
“A dirty cop,” Keily said; the thought still made her stomach turn. “He was caught in a bust and he’s now serving life in prison.”
“Hmm.” Hound looked toward the fire.
“What?” Keily asked, noticing the sudden change in him.
“Show Boat,” he called out. Another man who was standing on the far side of the flames walked over to them.
“Yeah?”
“Make some calls,” Hound told him. “See what you can find out about this agent.”
“Okay.”
Hound turned back toward Keily. “I’ve found, in my experience, that when there’s one dirty cop – there’s often more.” Looking back at Show Boat, Hound said, “And get me some audio samples of him.”
“What are you thinking, boss?” Abel asked.
‘That this agent is as dirty as her ex,” Hound replied. “And I think it’s because, Keily girl here, can ID his voice?”
“Cleaning up loose ends…” Kane nodded slowly. “I could see that.”
“It’s what I’d do,” Show Boat replied.
Keily sat quietly looking back and forth between the men as they talked amongst themselves. She tried to think back, wondering if she had missed something. But it wasn’t like she’d ever heard Patrick planning a murder or a scheduling a drug shipment.
“Hey.” Hound tapped her leg. “We’ll get this figured out. Okay?”
Keily nodded. “I just want to be back with my daughter.”
“Where is she?” Skeeter asked.
“Back in Texas,” Keily replied.
Keily quickly gave them the rundown on the events that led to her and Emily being separated. As she told the story, she reminded herself to stay strong. No crying! “So, if anything happens to me, then at least Emily will be safe.”
“Nothing is going to happen to you,” Hound interjected. The steel in his voice almost had her believing him.
Keily didn’t know what to say, so she turned back to the fire and just stared into the flames.
The conversation around her turned to something different and Keily zoned out. She thought of Emily, but as the emotions started to pack in around her, she cut off that thread. She couldn’t go there. She wouldn’t be one of those pitiful women who broke down at the mere mention of a name. So instead, Keily thought about Tinker. The night they shared in his cabin… And then the two months after that when she hadn’t gotten her period. Something she hadn’t told him and wasn’t planning to tell him. It had been a false alarm, anyway. So, there was nothing to really say, but it had scared her all the same. She couldn’t imagine having to live this life with two babies…
Eventually, Keily’s mind turned down a different path… and then another… She thought about life – past, present, and future. She thought about anything and everything while she avoided the one topic that had the power to crush her, and she was running out of directions to go.
The night started to turn cold, so Keily stood and said, “I’m going to call it a night.”
“I’ll walk you to the door,” Abel said.
“Thank you.”
Abel walked her to the clubhouse and held the door open for her, and as Keily passed over the threshold, he said, “Good night, sweetheart.” And then closed the door.
Keily made her way up the stairs and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She kicked off her shoes, slipped o
ut of her pants, and flopped down on the bed. Suddenly, she felt exhausted and wished Tinker were there. Even though he irritated the hell out of her sometimes, she still missed him. There was something about the man that always seemed to pull at her.
That’s because you have feelings for him…
Keily had sworn off men, but if there was one person who could make her rethink that vow – it was Tinker. She knew he would be upset when he found out she’d left the room, but she would just have to deal with that later and hope that he would understand.
Turning on her side, she snuggled up with the pillow, wishing Tinker were there to lend his warmth. She sighed heavily, not wanting to get wrapped up in her feelings. She closed her eyes as she pushed everything from her mind, and before her brain could think up something else, fatigue took hold and Keily was out cold.
Chapter Forty
Tinker
He rode down the drive and into the lot, well after midnight and the clubhouse was still hopping. The Colorado chapter was nothing like his back home. At home, his mom and aunts had put a stop to the club girls a long time ago, before he was even born. But here, it was a completely different story.
As Tinker backed the bike into a spot and climbed off, one of the girls was by his side with a cold beer before he even got his helmet off.
“Hey, sugar,” she purred.
“Thanks,” Tinker replied, taking the beer.
“No problem.” She smiled flirtatiously.
Tinker ignored her and walked over to where some of his brothers were standing near a large bonfire. He needed to talk to Hound about how they were going to get out of the city. On Tinker’s ride, he decided that while his head might be mixed up about his feelings for Keily, one thing was clear – he needed to get her home. Once there, he’d figure out what would happen next between them, if anything.
“Enjoy the ride?” Show Boat asked as he walked over.
“I did.”
“Good.” The older man reminded him a lot of his dad. Long hair, full beard, and larger than life. But more than that, he had an air about him that warned people to keep their distance.
Tinker glanced around at the crowd that was gathered around the fire and noticed that Abel was staring at him. The look on the other man’s face wasn’t friendly, by any means. Tinker had half a mind to ask him what his problem was but decided he didn’t care. Whatever beef Abel had with him, the man would have to get over it.
“So, what’s the plan?” Tinker asked, turning to look at Hound.
“Chapel,” Hound replied, not answering Tinker’s question. He stood, taking one final pull from his beer and tossed the bottle into the fire.
As a group, they all walked inside the clubhouse and bypassed the bar area and headed toward another room in the back of the house. Even though from the outside, it looked like an old run-down Victorian, the inside had been remodeled and looked pristine.
Kane grabbed a small box and held it out. As each person passed by, they tossed their cell phone into the box. “Phone,” he said to Tinker. “You can get it back when the meeting is over.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Tinker added his to the pile.
Walking into the Chapel, he looked around. While the two clubhouses were drastically different, their Chapels were much the same, aside from the half-naked women on the walls. The club’s flag hung on the wall behind Hound’s chair, with the American flag on the opposite wall. Random Harley pictures and half-naked women hung on the other walls.
Kane closed the door after everyone had entered and walked around the table to take his seat. Tinker stood near the door, leaning against the wall.
Hound hammered down the gavel, calling the meeting to order. All chatting stopped. “I’ve found some information out while you were gone,” he told Tinker. “I had the guys do some digging.”
“And?” Tinker asked.
“I think we’ve found out why Williams is after Keily,” Hound said.
Tinker remained silent, waiting for the Chapter’s President to continue.
“Looks like Williams and her ex, Patrick Dean, were in business together.” The news should have shocked Tinker, but it didn’t. His club chapter had already figured that out. “I think.” He paused. “And this is just my opinion, we haven’t gotten information to make it factual. But I think Williams believes Keily can out him for his bad deeds. Maybe he thinks she overheard something between him and Dean. Or she saw something…” Hound shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“I’ve thought the same thing,” Tinker offered. “But Keily says she knows nothing.”
“I don’t think she knows what she knows,” Kane interjected. “To her, it's all nothing, but to this Williams guy, it’s something.”
“We just need to figure out what that something is,” Skeeter chimed in.
“Any ideas on how to do that?” Tinker asked, honestly hoping that maybe they would think of something that Sledge and the others hadn’t.
“Easy,” Show Boat replied. “Send her to him.”
“What?” Tinker looked at the man as if he’d lost his mind. “No. Absolutely not.”
“I agree with Tinker,” Abel said. “You cannot send that girl to him.”
“Why not?” Show Boat asked. “We wire her up, send her in, and find out what’s going on.”
“No.” Tinker and Abel said in unison.
“Have y’all lost your minds?” Tinker asked. “Keily isn’t used to this life. She doesn’t belong in it.”
“She’s already in it,” Kane countered.
“She will not be used as bait for getting information,” Tinker said, leaving no argument. “Williams will not get anywhere near her.” His hand slammed down on the table.
“Alright. Calm down,” Hound said. “We need to come up with a plan to end this. That girl is hurting. Like, big hurting.”
“I know,” Tinker answered. “Diesel has talked to a buddy in the FBI. They’ve opened an investigation into Williams. If they find the information they need, then he’ll join Dean in prison.”
“And if they don’t?” Show Boat asked. “Because we all know the chances of them finding anything is nil.”
“Then I’ll kill the fucker myself.”
Tinker had talked to Sledge while he’d been out riding. He already knew that Diesel’s meeting with the FBI had been productive. The wheels were already in motion. However, with the new investigation into Williams’s activity, Tinker knew it would go nowhere. But before it died, Williams would become desperate. And desperate men were dangerous.
“We need a plan to get Keily back to Texas,” Tinker told Hound. “That’s what Sledge pulled you into this for. To help us get out of the city. So, stick to that and let’s figure out a plan. If not, then I’ll get Keily out myself.”
He wouldn’t stand there wasting time, bantering the merits of some outside force. That wasn’t Tinker’s job. He was there to protect Keily and get her home. Period.
He opened the door and walked out of the Chapel. Stopping long enough to find his phone in the box, he headed up the stairs. His irritation at the club clouded his mind. Using her as bait? Who in the fuck did that shit? He was ready to just say, fuck it, and just head out of his own.
By the time he got to his room, Tinker was fully prepared to tell Keily to get her shit, they were leaving. But instead, he opened the door and just stood there, silently watching her sleep. The light from the moon, shone through the window and highlighted her beauty.
Slowly, he closed the door with a soft click. The small sound causing her to stir.
“Tinker?” she asked sleepily.
“Yeah,” he replied. “It’s me, babe.”
She cleared her throat and shifted on the bed to make room for him. But as she moved, her eyes never opened.
Tinker smiled slightly.
Walking over to the bed, he sat down, careful not to disturb her sleep. He kicked off his boots and slipped out of his pants before pulling his shirt over his head and climbing into
bed next to her. Tinker carefully pulled her over against his chest. Her warmth seemed to soak into him, soothing him. And calming his chaotic heart.
While he’d been out of his ride, Tinker had realized something important. He had fallen for Keily. He didn’t know how or when, but he had. And he was done hiding it. Life was way too short. So, as he held her close, Tinker kissed the top of her head and made a silent promise to her.
I’ll always protect you, he said in his mind. I’ll never let you go at it alone.
“I’m glad you’re back,” she mumbled in her sleep. “I missed you.”
Her words did something to his heart. It felt almost as if a warm bubble had burst inside of him. “I missed you, too,” he told her.
“Mmm.” She snuggled closer to him.
Her naked leg slid over his and Tinker groaned. That simple movement caused his dick to stand at attention and he chastised himself. Now was not the time. So, he readjusted his junk in his boxers and tried to get comfortable, all while her soft, tiny hand moved over his chest.
“Fuck me…” he breathed, the words barely audible.
Keily’s hand slowly traveled south and when it skimmed over his stomach, the muscles tightened. It felt nice to have her hands on his body. And as they continued their journey, and grabbed ahold of his cock, Tinker sucked in a breath.
“Keily?” He didn’t even know if she was awake.
“Shh,” she told him. “Just let me have my way.”
Taking a deep breath, Tinker did as she asked. He watched as she slowly kissed her way down his chest. She traced her tongue around his belly button, which caused the muscle to twitch. And when her hand slipped below the waistband of his boxers and wrapped around his dick, he held his breath. But the moment she pulled him free of the fabric and wrapped her mouth around the head, all the air whooshed out of his lungs and his stomach flexed.
“Fuck,” he groaned.
Chapter Forty-One
Keily
When she felt climb into the bed, all Keily could think about was getting him naked.
She was horny, on edge, and just needed to feel him inside of her. Maybe it was the erotic dream she’d been having, or maybe it was just her being needy – either way, Keily didn’t care.
Tinker's Dilemma: Devil's Henchmen MC Next Generation, Book One Page 23
