Spark of Vengeance: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 2: An MC/Band of Brothers Romance

by Kathleen Kelly

  “You leave the keys in them?”

  “Yeah, no one comes out here. We’re far enough off the road that you’d hear a car. We used to have a dog, but he went missing around the time Dad died.”

  Sean climbs on and starts the bike. I move out first, and he follows. This is my favorite thing to do. I love riding around my land. It’s too big to do all of it in one go, but sometimes Dad and I would go out camping and do it in two or three days. I miss those trips. Today all we need to do is check on the cattle and make sure they’re fine along with the fences.

  Sean keeps up with me, and I take him on the scenic tour. There’s a small hill overlooking most of the valley. It takes us about an hour to reach it, and once we get to the top, I kill my engine as does Sean. Silence fills my senses. It’s still early, the sun is up, but it’s cool with a light breeze, and the grass looks like silk from up here as it moves gently with the wind.

  I unclip the flask and hold out one of the cups to Sean—he reaches over and takes it. Pouring the hot black gold into his mu,g then mine, we both stay quiet, listening to God’s green earth. Lounging back in my seat, I smile to myself. Sean gets it, he’s not trying to fill the void with endless chatter. He’s like me, enjoying the view. After I finish my cup, I look over at him. Sean has one leg bent up on the bike and has swiveled in the seat, so he’s facing me.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” I ask.

  Sean nods and looks down at the valley below. “My brother, Jamie, would love it here. He has an organic farm… fruit, vegetables, and chickens. I’ve never understood how he could do it, but looking at this… now, I get it. It’s beautiful.”

  “Does he do well with the organic stuff? I’ve heard it’s hard to get certified. We’ve always run cattle, but Dad often talked about branching out.”

  “I could ask him? You’d like Jamie. He’s like you, honest.”

  Well, that makes sense, it must have been him he was talking to on his cell. I frown and throw what’s left in my coffee cup onto the grass, and hold out my hand to Sean for his. I’m not looking at him, and after a minute, I glance at him sideways. “You going to hand me your cup?”

  “Yep, I only wanted to look at you some more. Do you know when you look out over the valley, you smile? It’s like a secret only you and the land knows. I’ve never seen a prettier sight.”

  I bark out a laugh. “Right, city boy, for someone who you think of ‘as your sister.’ Thank you, I think.”

  “Sister?”

  “It’s cool. I get it. You’re my dad’s friend, and you are older than me. Now, hand me the cup so we can get moving.”

  “Beth, I don’t think of you as my sister. I was talking to my brother, Angus. I didn’t want him to pry, that’s why I said what I said.”

  Sean places the cup in my hand, and I secure it and the flask to the ATV. I start the bike and smile at him.

  “It’s cool, city boy, I heard you on the phone. I’m going to head down the valley and across to the tree you can see in the distance.” I point where I’m headed and then let the throttle go.

  Sean yells out my name, but I keep going. He’ll catch up.

  Sean

  Now it all makes sense.

  Beth overheard me talking to Angus.

  Fuck it all to hell.

  I only said that to him so he wouldn’t ask me a bunch of questions, and let’s be honest here, I hardly know her. Yes, I think she’s smart, hardworking, and has an ass I want to grope, but I don’t want to rush her. I thought after the kiss on the cheek, we had a spark, but when I got inside the house, she’d gone cold. At least now, I know why. I watch as she takes off at breakneck speed down the hill. Beth sure isn’t good at talking things out. I start the bike and ride out after her. This woman and I are going to have a serious talk when I catch her.

  Beth is more experienced on an ATV, and she knows the terrain. By the time I catch up with her, the bike is off, and she’s approaching a cow.

  “Sean, there’s a pack on my bike. Bring it to me, please.”

  I grab the pack and jog toward her. As I get closer, I can see the animal is caught up in what looks like barbed wire.

  “In the pack, there’s a pair of wire cutters. Can you get them out?” Beth’s brows are drawn together as she murmurs to the cow.

  “Want me to cut the wire?”

  “Yes, please. It looks like he’s been walking around for the better part of a day tangled up in this mess.”

  It takes me a good ten minutes to free the animal’s leg. My legs are burning from being in a crouched position for so long. I look up at Beth, who’s staring at my handiwork.

  “There’s an antiseptic cream in the pack. Could you apply it to the cuts? They’re only surface wounds, but I don’t want him getting an infection.”

  Doing as I’m told, I apply the cream to a wad of cotton and go over his leg. As soon as I’m finished, the cow swings his head, knocking me over and runs away.

  Beth bursts out laughing. “Oh my God, are you okay?”

  “I thought you had a hold of him,” I state as I stare up at the sky.

  “I did, sort of.” Beth leans over me, a smile plastered to her face. “Welcome to the country, city boy.”

  “You think this is funny?”

  “Wait until you get kicked, then you’ll really be a part of the landscape.” Her smile widens as she talks.

  “Right. Help me up.” I hold out my hand, and she immediately moves in front of me and tries to pull me up.

  “Gotta give me a little help here, Sean. You’re not exactly light.”

  I grin and let her go, getting to my feet in one fluid movement. “Did you call me fat?” I ask seriously.

  “What? No one in his right mind would call you fat. Hell, you’ve got a better ass than most women I know.”

  I look behind me. “Did you just say I have a girl’s ass?”

  “No, no, no! You have a fine ass… a manly ass.”

  I grin at her, and Beth goes a lovely shade of red, and she says, “You are an ass, though.” Then she turns, picks up the pack, and walks back to her ATV. This time she isn’t going to get away from me so easily, so I jog to catch up to her.

  “So, you think I have a nice ass?”

  Beth avoids all eye contact. “We have other cattle to attend.”

  “Come on, Beth, I’m teasing you. You have a very nice ass, too.”

  I block the path for her to get on the ATV, and she turns around, places her hands on her hips, and looks up at the bright blue sky letting out a frustrated sigh.

  “Beth?”

  She turns back around. “We have work to do. I know I’m only paying you room and board, but we need to check on the cattle and make sure no one else has gotten themselves hooked up. So, can we please get on with it?” The seriousness of her voice is like a cold shower to my ego. I instantly move out of her way, and she climbs onto the bike, but I don’t want this conversation to end, not yet.

  “Beth, I like you, but I’m not a nice guy. Your dad wouldn’t approve of me. He’d kick my ass for thinking about you the way I do. I wish he were here. Thomas could always sort out my head better than anyone.”

  Beth drops my gaze and looks down. “What are you running from?”

  I pause and wait for her eyes to find mine. “I killed a man. He deserved it. He killed my sister and tortured my brother…” I pause, staring into her eyes, waiting for her to say something. Anything. “But I went against my brother, Kyle. He’s President of the MC I belong to. I’m his VP. I should have followed orders, but I couldn’t let him take another breath with Heather being gone. It didn’t feel right. Killing him felt right.”

  Beth does a slow blink. “Sean, why don’t you go back to the house? Take the rest of the day. I’ll catch up with you at supper time.”

  This isn’t the way I thought she’d react. “As you pointed out, you’re paying me to do a job, and I’d best get on with it.”

  “Well, as your employer, I’m telling you to
take the day.”

  “For fuck’s sake, Beth, tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “I have cows to look after and ranch that needs tending to. I need to get on with it. See you later.”

  Beth starts her ATV and tears off.

  I watch her go, and with a frustrated growl, I get back on my ATV and head for the house.

  She’s one complicated woman, and her reaction to my confession surprises me.

  Hopefully, when she gets back to the house, we can talk it out.

  I’m putting the ATV back in its spot when my cell rings. It’s Angus, so I hit accept.

  “Hey, Angus, how are you?”

  “Wow, you answered like a normal person.”

  “Fuck you. What did you find out?”

  “There’s the brother I know and love. Quite a bit, actually. Why don’t you buy me a beer, and I’ll tell you?”

  I stalk out of the barn and toward the house. That’s when I see a black charger parked next to my bike, and Angus lounging against it.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I hiss into the cell.

  Angus holds up both hands and yells, “I missed you.”

  I end the call, push the cell into my back pocket, and stomp toward him. Angus grins broadly at me, and when I get close, he embraces me in a rib crunching hug. I return the gesture until he squeals like a girl.

  “Ouch! Enough already. I missed you, too.”

  I let him go and hold him at an arm’s length. Angus’ wardrobe consists of black jeans, boots, black T-shirts, and black hoodies. Today he’s completed his ensemble with black wraparounds and a black cap.

  “You look good, brother.”

  “Aww, Sean, you did miss me.”

  “Why are you here?”

  Angus reaches into the car and pulls out a six-pack. “I brought beer,” he says as he grins and waves it in my face.

  “Angus,” I reply with steel in my voice.

  The joviality which was on his face disappears. “I discovered some disturbing facts about Thomas Trent and some others, and I needed to make sure you were okay. Can we please go inside and talk?”

  I quirk an eyebrow at him and hold up a hand. “Lead the way.”

  “You know it’s a nice house. I particularly like the kitchen, very homey,” says Angus as he mounts the stairs.

  “You’ve already been inside?”

  He opens the front door and steps in. “Well, your bike is out front, and you weren’t answering your cell, so I was worried. I scoped the place out. Her computer is as old as fuck and not password protected.”

  “Like that would have stopped you.”

  “True, but you have to protect yourself a little.”

  Angus sits at the dining table, a manila folder waiting there for him.

  “Tell me you didn’t rifle through her things?”

  “Who, Elizabeth Trent? Not really. Some… okay, a little. She’s cute.”

  “Angus,” I growl as I sit beside him.

  “Hey, you would have too if you’d found what I did.” He slides the folder toward me and opens a can of beer. “I was concerned.”

  Angus stretches out in his seat and takes a sip out of the can. I open one for myself and sit beside him. In the folder are the police reports on Thomas, photographs, and then I come to a picture of my old unit with all with their faces crossed out except mine and one other, Scope.

  “Why is this in here?”

  Angus pushes back the hoodie and takes off his glasses and baseball cap. “You should read the whole thing, especially the report on Thomas Trent’s bullet wound. It’s interesting stuff. I don’t want to cloud your judgment.”

  “Just tell me, Angus.”

  With piercing eyes, he leans forward. “The kill shot was fired from over 1100 yards away. It was a professional hit.” Angus pulls the image out of my hands and holds it up. “Everyone, bar you and this guy, is dead. One died in a car accident, another in a hit and run, and a suicide. What the fuck did you guys get involved with?”

  I take the photograph out of his hands and slump back in my chair.

  “They’re all dead?”

  “No. You and this guy are still breathing.”

  I stare at my old unit, and anger boils to the surface. All of the men in this picture served their country well, with honor. To be killed on home soil for an unknown reason is more than a little disturbing.

  “You’re sure?” Angus nods and takes another sip of beer. “What about Myles Graham?”

  “He does want to buy this place, but he’s a businessman, not a killer. The shot that killed Trent, well… it was some professional shit. Only a few people in the world could make that hit. You know it, and I know it.”

  I turn each page over in the folder, reading each one. Angus is right. My old unit has all been picked off one by one leaving only Scope and me. His real name is Norman Brittle. The man could keep his cool under heavy fire and do what he needed to do. It’s been three years since I’ve seen him. He’s perfectly capable of making the shot which killed Thomas, but my gut says it wasn’t him.

  Angus has addresses for each of them, and after I’ve read all the paperwork twice, I slip this piece of paper into my pocket.

  “What are you going to do?” asks Angus.

  “I’m going to go visit the loved ones of every member, and then I’m going to find Scope.”

  “Norman Brittle? You think it’s him?”

  I shake my head. “No. I watched him throw himself on top of a mine to protect us. It was a dummy, but he didn’t know it at the time. Scope is loyal, but I have a problem… I told Beth I killed Lamond.”

  “Brittle is also a hell of a marksman. It’s possible it was him. What possessed you to tell Beth? Hell, you’ve known her for the blink of an eye.”

  “I like her.” Then I shrug. “A shot like this takes practice, and after we got out, Scope said he’d never touch a gun again. It’s not like riding a bike. It is a skill, a skill you have to keep up.”

  “When was the last time you saw him?”

  I nod. “Yeah, it’s been a while, but my gut says it’s not Scope.”

  “I’m coming with you,” states Angus.

  “No, you’re not,” I reply with a firm shake of my head.

  Angus grins and lounges back in the chair again. “Okay. I’ll wait here for Beth to come back, and we can get to know each other.”

  I growl at him. “No, you’re going back home.”

  “Do you even know where Scope is living these days?”

  I point to the slip of paper in my pocket. “I’m pretty sure you wrote it down for me,” I say smugly.

  Angus smirks and scoffs at me. “Nope. It’s his last known address, but I know where he is. Took some digging… he’s smart, but I’m smarter.”

  “Angus, if something happened to you, Kyle will kick my ass. You’re not coming.”

  “Kyle…” Angus frowns and sits up straight.

  “What about Kyle?”

  “Your bike was out front, and you weren’t answering your phone—”

  “You didn’t fucking ring Kyle, did you?” I thunder.

  “I was worried.”

  “Fuck,” I hiss as I pull out my cell. “Honestly, you’re worse than a little old lady. I’m an ex-fucking-Marine, not to mention I’m VP in an MC, I can take care of myself.”

  “Well, answer your fucking phone next time, brother,” hisses Angus back at me.

  I purse my lips together and scowl at him. Arguing with him right now isn’t going to help the situation, so I search my phone for Kyle’s number and hit dial.

  He answers on the third ring. “Sean?”

  “Yeah, brother, it’s me.”

  “Are you safe?”

  “Kyle, it seems Angus overreacted. I’m fine.”

  I can hear an intake of breath. “You need to check-in, VP. You need to come home.” There’s concern, anger, and finality to his words.

  “Did Angus tell you what he found?”

&n
bsp; “Yes. We can keep you safe.”

  “I need to find out who’s taking us out. I can’t do it from there.”

  “Fucking hell, Sean! Don’t be an ass. Come home. We’ll handle it together.” I hold the phone away from my ear as Kyle yells down the line.

  “There’s a woman, Trent’s daughter, and I can’t leave her alone.” This isn’t strictly true. If the killer is after all the members of my unit, there’s no reason they’ll go after Beth.

  “Bring her home, too.”

  “She has a ranch, livestock that needs taking care of. She can’t up and leave.”

  “Figure this out, Sean. You come home, or we come to you. They’re your choices.”

  I know it’s pointless arguing with him, but I also know Beth isn’t going to leave her home.

  “I’ll come home.”

  Laughter greets me. “You giving in so easily? You fucking lied to me, didn’t you?”

  Kyle knows me too well.

  “Brother, I have to see this through.”

  “Fine, we’re coming to you. I’ll bring five of my men. And when you are done, we are all… all of us are coming home. You got that?”

  “You’re coming?” I ask incredulously, knowing he has responsibilities which would typically have gone to me in his absence. “Who’s going to run things while you’re gone?”

  “Well, that would be my VP, but wait, he fucking abandoned us, so it’ll fall to Wheels.”

  “You can’t come out here without your Sergeant-at-Arms. You need protection, too.”

  “I’ll have it. See you soon.”

  The line goes dead, and I stare at Angus with anger in my eyes. “You had to open your fucking mouth.”

  Angus shrugs. “We’re family… it’s what we do.”

  I nod as I know he’s right. If the tables were turned, I’d drop everything to be with any one of my brothers.

  “How long have you been in town?” I ask.

  “I followed you here. I reported to Kyle every day.”

  “Snitch.”

  “Yep, and proud of it. If you hadn’t asked me to look into Thomas Trent, I wouldn’t have found out about all this.” Angus points to the folder.