“Do you remember the Colorado shapter of the club taking us in?” Tinker asked.
Keily thought for a moment… Something in the back of her mind kept nagging at her. But she shook her head. “No, not really.”
“What do you mean?” Tinker looked confused.
“It’s like… I can, but I can’t.”
“It’s okay,” Amber interjected. “The memories will come back when your mind is ready.”
“But how did I get hurt?” Keily asked. “How did we get back here?”
“Williams showed up at a hotel we were staying at,” Tinker answered. “I was gone, getting you some food. So, you had to break a window to sneak out. You fell and the glass cut you up pretty bad.” She saw him swallow hard. “You almost died. It took three blood transfusions to keep you alive.”
“Because of a cut?”
“Because I pushed you too hard,” Tinker replied. She could visibly see the shame written all over his face.
“Hey.” She placed a finger under his chin and lifted his face to hers. “I might not remember everything, but I am pretty sure that is not the case.”
He shook his head.
“Stop it, Tinker,” she told him. “You have done nothing but keep me safe and protected. So, I can guarantee you didn’t push me to death.”
“No.” He shook his head, again. “Just near death.”
“Stop it!” Amber slapped him in the back of the head.
“Ouch!”
“I will not listen to you bash yourself, Jameson!” Amber was angry. “You did everything you could and it’s because of you and your quick thinking that Keily is alive right now. Believe that, son. Now, that’s enough of your self-hating bullshit. Am I understood?”
Keily tried to hide her smile. Seeing him get an attitude adjustment – from his mother, of all people – was hilarious.
Tinker saw her grin and his eyes narrowed at her with a promise of payback, which only caused Keily’s smile to widen.
Bring it on, big boy…
The days that followed her waking up were agonizing. The pain from her wound caused a lot of sleepless nights, but through them all, Tinker had been by her side. Even when Sledge had tried to send him on another assignment, Tinker had declined. Several times, Doc had come by to see her. He’d changed her dressings, cleaned the wound, and made sure she was healing well. He even wrote her a prescription for some pain medicine which elevated him to her favorite person in the world.
It wasn’t until Doc had finally given the go-ahead, that Keily was able to get out of bed and start walking around. While she was a bit unsteady on her feet at first, she enjoyed every second of it. She, Tinker, Emily, and several of the club members sat on the back porch with the sun high in the sky and the smell of burgers on the grill.
Keily was starving.
She was laughing at something Diesel had said when Sledge accidentally dropped a cookie sheet. The sound was loud on the patio and it triggered a memory for her…
She remembered peeking around the side of the hotel… She remembered seeing the two dead bodies lying on the ground… She remembered….
“Oh, my God!”
Everyone stopped. Nobody moved a muscle as Keily stared off into space, eyes widening with fear. Slowly, she turned her head toward Tinker. “I… I remember…”
He stood and immediately came to her. Wrapping his arms around her, he asked, “What do you remember?”
“They died,” she said quietly. “Who were they?” She looked up at him, pleading with him for the truth. “Please.”
“Jett and Reed,” he answered.
Her heart broke for them. Tears filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry,” she choked out.
“Don’t.” It was Sledge who spoke. “Don’t apologize for something that wasn’t your fault.”
“But…”
“No.” His tone left no room for argument. “That was Williams. And only Williams.”
At the mention of his name, Keily thought of something else. “I know him…”
She looked back up at Tinker, then turned toward Sledge. “I know him,” she said louder.
“What?” Now she had everyone’s full attention.
“His voice,” she explained. “Outside of the hotel. He said something and it registered with me. Patrick used to say it all the time. ‘Let’s find some pep for those steps’,” she said the saying in a deep, manly voice.
“Oookay.”
Keily shook his head. “I know him.”
“Okay, you said that already,” Reaper chimed in. “How do you know him?”
“I overheard a phone call once between Patrick and him,” she replied. “His voice. When he said those words. It triggered something.”
“So, he did work with Patrick Dean?” Diesel asked. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” There was no doubt in her mind.
“Okay.” Diesel stood and left the porch.
Tinker pulled her into his arms. He held her close and rubbed her back. “You did good, baby,” he mumbled against the top of her head. “Real good.”
Keily hugged Tinker back. Her arms tightened around his middle. She couldn’t believe she may have just given them a tiny piece of the puzzle.
Inside, a small flame burst to life. Her hope that one day this would all be over. Her dream of a normal life. Was it something she would finally have? All Keily wanted was for this to end… She wanted her life back… She wanted her future… Was that too much to ask for?
Chapter Forty-Six
Tinker
Three weeks later…
“We can’t touch him,” Diesel said.
“That’s bullshit!” Reaper replied.
“That motherfucker killed two of our guys,” Sparo interjected. “How can they do nothing?”
“They want concrete evidence.” Diesel shrugged. “Video proof. Whatever. Something that a lawyer can’t twist around.”
“And what about Hound and the boys?” Tinker asked. “How do we get them out of lock-up?”
“They were released this morning,” Sledge answered. “Our FBI contact went in and got them.”
“At least there’s that,” Tinker said sarcastically. “This entire thing is bullshit. How can they not pull him off the streets? They’re just going to continue to let a dirty ass FBI agent run around?”
“I don’t know,” Diesel sighed. “But what I do know, is as long as Keily remains here, on the grounds, she will be safe.”
“Oh, so I tell my girlfriend that she can finally have a normal life, but don’t mind the ‘being held hostage’ part?” Tinker’s brow furrowed as he shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, that’ll go over well.”
“Rest in Peace, to you,” Ink commented.
“No shit!”
“Right now,” Diesel said. “It’s all we’ve got. I know it’s not ideal. But she and the baby are both safe, and that’s the important part.”
Tinker shook his head. Keily was going to kill him. The one thing she wanted, and he couldn’t give it to her. Fuck me…
The door to the Chapel burst open and Beth poked her head in. “We have company.”
“Who?” Sledge asked, standing.
“FBI.”
“Well,” Gunny smiled. “That didn’t take long.”
“Let’s end this, gentlemen,” Sledge smiled.
“Remember, we have cameras,” Diesel told the group. “Whatever we do will also be taken in as video evidence.”
“You have become a total kill-joy in your old age,” Sledge said. “Has anyone ever told you that?”
“I’m not old!” Diesel replied, insulted. “My dick still works perfectly fine.”
“Eww!” Joker cringed. “TMI! Abort conversation! Abort!”
“What?” Diesel asked.
“I don’t want to hear anything about your dick, Dad!” Joker shouted. “Jesus fucking Christ.” He pushed his way past the others in the room. “Get me the hell out of here. Where in the fuck is the ear bleach?”
>
“That boy is so dramatic,” Diesel said, shaking his head. He turned to Tinker. “Hell, your parents still get buck nasty, too!”
“Whoa!” Tinker held up both hands. “Nope. Not hearing this.” He stuck both fingers in his ears as he followed Joker out of the room. “La, La, La. I can’t hear shit.”
Tinker didn’t want to know anything about his parents’ sex life. Just the thought made him cringe. As he walked into the living, he saw Keily standing next to his mom and walked over to her. Kissing her soundly, he looked into her eyes. “Stay inside. You hear me?”
She nodded.
“We got her,” Beth told him. “You go.”
He nodded to his aunt.
“They’re unloading,” Kailyn said from her spot near the window. “Single line at the gate.”
Tinker knew if anything happened to him and the others, his mom and aunts would get Keily and the baby to safety. Pulling the gun from the holster at his back, he loaded one into the chamber and replaced it at his back.
Turning back, he looked at Keily and Emily, taking them in. Every feature. Every curve. Every mark. Mentally creating a picture of them, just in case it was the last time that he saw them. He heard Sledge order the girls into position, before opening the front door. The light from the sun spilled into the living room painting his angels in a soft glow. Tinker smiled at Keily and winked.
“Let’s do this, boys,” Sledge said to the group.
Tinker let all his feelings show as he said the three most powerful words in the English language. “I love you.” Then he walked out of the door, praying it wouldn’t be the last time he saw them.
They stood at the edge of the property. The Feds on one side of the gate and The Devil’s Henchmen on the other.
Tinker watched as Williams stepped forward with a smug grin. His hand itched to grab his 9mm and shoot off his face. His gut twisted with a hatred he had never known.
“Hand over the girl,” Williams ordered. “And we’ll walk away. You can even keep the brat.”
Tinker shifted on his feet, causing Ink to reach out and block his movement. But not before Williams noticed.
“Oh, Jameson.” He tsked. “Don’t take it personally. She just knows too much.”
“Actually,” Sledge spoke. “She didn’t remember shit about you until you showed up at that hotel. If you would have just stayed away, you would have been in the clear.” Now, it was Sledge’s turn to tsk. “Such stupidity. But hey! Don’t take it personally.”
“Watch how you speak to me,” Williams seethed. “I can take each one of you down, including your precious women, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”
Sledge laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. Tinker’s temper was becoming harder to control, and he knew his brothers felt the same way at the threat toward the women.
“No,” Sledge shook his head. “You can’t.”
The sound of bikes rumbling caused the Feds to shift on their feet. On the hill, about a hundred yards from the house, several bikes lined up along the street. Sledge had called everyone in. All the chapters, including their Colorado brothers who were jonesing for some payback.
Hundreds of bikers against a handful of FBI agents.
The odds were not in Williams’s favor, and he knew it.
But that didn’t stop him from drawing his gun and pointing it at Sledge. Williams’ hand shook. Tinker could almost smell the man’s fear.
And he smiled.
The other agents followed suit, each brandishing a weapon. Tinker reached a hand behind his back, resting it on the grip of his firearm. His eyes scanned the crowd, mentally begging one of them to even twitch.
“Don’t try me, Devin!” Williams shouted.
“Fuck you,” Sledge sneered. “You want to shoot me, then pull the fucking trigger. You’re nothing more than a cock sucking, asshole licking, piece of shit, parasite.” Sledge was calling his bluff.
Sledge pointed at the series of red dots that held steady over the other man’s heart. Kailyn, Steph, and Ava were hidden high in the trees, each holding sniper rifles that held Williams in its sights.
“Come on, pull it!” he taunted. “Cameras are surrounding this place. All I need is a single piece of hard, concrete evidence against you, and I can lawfully put a bullet between your eyes. Or in your case, my girls will pump that tiny black heart of yours with fire lead. So, please,” Sledge begged. “Give it to me.”
Williams looked around, suddenly nervous. He lowered his gun, and the others followed. “This isn’t over,” Williams seethed. “Not even close.”
“Yeah, it is,” Sledge countered. “Because if you come anywhere near Keily or Emily, or any of my family, I will personally rip your heart out with my bare hands.”
“Load up!” Williams shouted. Still looking at Sledge, he smiled and simply said, “Be careful, Devin,” before turning and walking back to his SUV.
“Tread lightly,” Sledge warned. “And just remember, every fucking step you make.” He pointed toward the brothers. “We’ll be in the shadows. Watching. Waiting. One way or another, we will take you out.”
Tinker watched as Williams climbed in the SUV, and without another word, he and the other agents drove away.
“That’s it?” Sparo asked. “We just let him walk?”
“There’s nothing else we can do.” Diesel shrugged.
“That isn’t good enough,” Tinker replied. “We can go after him. End this now.”
“Not right now we can’t,” Reaper interjected. “We have to bide our time. But I do agree, we need to take him out, but if we do it right now – all fingers will point our way. And we can’t have that.”
“I agree,” Ink chimed in. “We need to plan this perfectly.”
“Guys!” Diesel looked at the group. “Are we seriously about to cross this line? Once we step over it, there’s no going back.”
The bikes slowly came rumbling down the drive. Tinker watched as one by one they each found a place to park. This wasn’t just about Keily. This was about each of them and their families. If they didn’t stop Williams what would stop him from coming after the others’ families? What would stop him from ruining the lives of others?
“Yes,” Tinker finally said. “It’s a line I’m willing to cross.”
“Me, too,” Ink said.
“Me, three,” Sparo followed.
“Same,” said Joker.
“I’m game.” Gunny shrugged.
“I’m in,” Doc replied. “Don’t have anything better to do.”
“Then I guess we’re doing this,” Reaper added.
“Guess we are,” Sledge agreed.
“Okay.” Diesel shrugged.
One by one, as Sledge welcomed the other chapters, Tinker headed inside intent on finding his girl. He knew he had some explaining to do and if he were honest with himself, it scared the hell out of him. But he was ready to do it – at least he hoped.
Soon, things would be changing at the clubhouse, and Tinker needed to prepare Keily for it. He just prayed she was up for the challenge ahead… But first, he had a totally different job for her…
Epilogue
“Okay,” Keily whined. “I’m exhausted.”
“Keep going.”
He watched as Keily spared with his Aunt Sapphire. He was grateful that she had agreed to teach Keily how to fight. Sapphire was the president of a female-only MC and had married his Uncle Tank. She was also the person who got his Aunt Rachel walking again.
Sapphire was a bad bitch. She was an expert in several different types of martial arts and had the patience of a saint. If anyone could get Keily ready for the fight of her life, it was her.
“Kick her ass, sweetheart!”
Tinker looked back to see Abel and Kane walking into the gym. He nodded toward the two men, who came over to stand beside him.
“How’s she doing?” Kane asked.
“Good,” Tinker replied. “She just needs to learn to pace herself.”
>
“That will come with time,” Abel added. “So… I take it you weren’t able to change her mind?”
“Nope.”
After the incident with Williams showing up at the clubhouse and then the funeral for Jett and Reed, Keily had let it be known that she was done having others fight her battles. She wanted in. And as much as Tinker hated the idea of her putting herself into harm’s way, he knew he couldn’t stop her. So, with the help of Sledge and his dad, he had called in the best teacher possible.
The guys stood there and watched as Keily and Sapphire sparred with each other. Tinker was proud of her. In the months since their unwelcome guest, Keily had truly come into herself. She became more outspoken, more passionate – and Tinker loved it.
The woman truly had him wrapped around her finger, and he wasn’t the least bit ashamed of it. If anything, it made him a better man.
The door to the gym opened again and he smiled as his mother walked in carrying Emily in her arms. “There’s my girl,” he said, reaching out for her. Emily came to him immediately and laid her head on his shoulder.
“She’s tired, Daddy,” his mother said. “But she wouldn’t go to sleep for me.”
“Of course not,” he replied. “You don’t sing to her.”
“You are going to ruin her if you don’t stop,” she reprimanded.
“No such thing.”
Tinker sang to Emily every night before bed. It was their special time together and it was important to him. Even when he was out of town on an assignment, or somewhere hunting down Williams, Tinker still called every night and sang her to sleep. It was their Daddy-Daughter thing, and he had no intention of stopping it.
“Alright,” he heard Sapphire say. “That’s it for this week. Keep practicing. When I come back, I expect you to give me a run for my money.”
“You can count on it.” Keily smiled, grabbing her hand towel and whipping the sweat from her face.
Tinker waited for her to say goodbye and as she walked over to him, he admired the new light that shone from her. She now bore a level of confidence that she wouldn’t have gained any other way. His heart swelled with pride.
Tinker's Dilemma: Devil's Henchmen MC Next Generation, Book One Page 26
