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

by Kathleen Kelly

  “Do we know where they’re going?”

  “It’s a guess, but I think they’ll come here. Kyle won’t want to risk Beth riding at night.”

  I nod. “Yeah, you’re right. He’s going to kick my ass.”

  Angus bursts out laughing, nodding his head the whole time. “Oh, yeah, brother, you’ve got that right.”

  It’s one of those strip motels with all the rooms right next to each other. It’s not a large motel, only a dozen rooms—six on one side, six on the other with the parking lot in the middle. The room consists of a bed, a bathroom, and an aging television. Angus and I are sitting outside on the park bench that’s between our two rooms. It’s a small country town, this is the only motel, and it stands to reason Kyle will come here. I’m sure at one time this was a fairly upmarket place, but they moved the main highway, and like all small towns when that happens, they eventually die.

  It’s not long before we hear the sound of Harleys in the distance. I have to say I’m surprised to see Beth on my ride. She looks good on there, but it’s my ride. Both Angus and I stand, and I can tell Kyle is the first to see us as he bypasses the main office and rides straight toward us. His bike has barely stopped moving when he is off and stalking toward us, pulling us both into a bone-crushing back-slapping hug.

  “Where the fuck have you been? I was starting to think the worst, brothers.”

  Kyle lets us go and stands back. Here I was thinking he was going to kick my ass, but instead, he’s worried about me, about us.

  Cutter gets off the bike and holds out his hand to Beth, who smiles up at him and takes his offer of help. Closing the gap between Beth and me, I take her hand out of Cutter’s and pull her into my embrace.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  Beth leans back but doesn’t let me go. “Looking for you, you stupid city boy.”

  Keeping her firmly in my grasp, I look over my shoulder to Kyle. “You shouldn’t have brought her. It’s too dangerous.”

  “Beth can take care of herself,” replies Cutter.

  I scowl at him.

  Kyle nods. “Cutter is right. Beth is fully capable of looking after herself. Hell, she rides better than you do.”

  I look down at the woman in my arms. “You rode my bike.”

  “You were the one who left the keys and that God-awful note permitting me. What did you think I was going to do?”

  “Woman, I didn’t think you’d come looking for me.”

  “Well, city boy, you got a lot to learn about country girls and how we can take care of ourselves.” Her eyes sparkle with mischief as I release her after Kyle clears his throat, but I keep her hand firmly grasped in mine.

  “Where did you come from?” I ask Kyle.

  “We’ve been riding for the better part of two days. We came from Beth’s ranch.”

  I study Beth’s face and see shadows under her eyes. “Are you okay?”

  She smiles up at me, and it warms my heart. “I’m okay. Hungry, though.”

  Cutter has moved, so he’s on her other side and standing a little too close to her. “I agree, food would be good.”

  I look to Kyle, and he agrees with a nod.

  “There’s a diner around the corner. The road food’s pretty good.”

  Beth let’s go of my hand, puts her hands above her head, and stretches. “Is it close enough to walk to? I could use the exercise.”

  Angus steps toward her and holds out his hand. “Hey, Beth, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Angus, the younger, better-looking brother.”

  I bark out a laugh and punch him in the arm. “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, brother, maybe one day it’ll come true.” I want to wrap her up in my arms again, especially when she shakes Angus’ hand and smiles warmly at him. “The diner’s within walking distance. Come on, let’s go… meals are on me.”

  To antagonize me, Angus links his arm with Beth and walks toward the diner. At this moment, I could easily pound my younger brother into the pavement. I’m about to separate them when Kyle’s hand clamps down on my shoulder.

  He waits until the other three are a little way ahead before he says, “Don’t you ever do this to me again, brother. We are family, and family doesn’t run away from each other. We work together.”

  “I needed to clear my head, Kyle.” I glance down at my feet, searching for the right words. “And I think we needed some distance. I know I upset you,” I begrudgingly admit.

  Kyle nods and shoves me. “Come on, let’s get some food. I’m ordering extra cause you’re paying.”

  “Cheap bastard.”

  Kyle grins and nods. “Yep, and proud of it.”

  The other three have already gone around the corner of the building so we can’t see them.

  “Are we good?” I ask.

  “For now, but we have a lot to talk about.”

  “Yeah, we do. Food first, and then I’d like to see Beth settled. She looks tired.”

  Kyle laughs and moves ahead of me. “I like her. She’s sassy.”

  Scowling at him, I ask, “How’s Lola?”

  The answering laughter has me looking at him in confusion. “I knew it. You got it bad. We better catch up, brother, before Angus or Cutter sweep her off her feet.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “Sure. That’s why you’re suddenly walking faster, she’s just a friend. You need to stake a claim. If you don’t, someone’s going to get in before you. Beth’s a good woman. Pretty to look at, too.”

  “Fuck you, brother. Keep your eyes on the road, not Beth.”

  Kyle laughs louder as he opens the diner door and walks toward the other three. Beth smiles broadly at me as I enter. Even though she’s been riding for a couple of days, she looks better than ever.

  “Where do you want to sit?” she asks.

  Toward the back of the diner there’s a table for six, so I point to it. “Over there looks good.”

  Beth nods as the others head in that direction. She cocks her head to the side and looks up at me. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”

  “Why would I be mad?”

  “Well, your bike.” She looks like she wants to say something else and is fudging around the subject.

  “Beth, I’m not mad. I am happy you’re here, and I am glad you’re safe.”

  She lets out a nervous laugh. “Kyle wouldn’t let me stay at the ranch anymore, not after someone tried to kill him.”

  I rock back on my heels and stare down at her, shocked to my very being while an icy chill runs through my veins.

  “Someone took a shot at you?” I whisper.

  Beth shakes her head. “No, no, not me… at Kyle. Well, we think they were trying to shoot you.”

  I look at my brother across the diner, who raises both eyebrows at me. This is something he should have told me in private, outside, away from prying eyes and ears.

  I look down at Beth. “How about we sit down, and you, Kyle, and Cutter can tell me all about it?” I’m angry someone would do this, and I can’t help it as my voice goes hard. From Beth’s reaction, I know she doesn’t understand, but if something had happened to her, I’m not sure how I’d handle it.

  Beth does a quick turn and heads for the table sitting next to Cutter, leaving me to sit next to Angus. This little maneuver does not impress me at all. She’s at one end of the table, and I’m on the other at the opposite end.

  Looking my brother in the eye, I ask, “Did someone take a shot at you?”

  “I was getting to that, brother.”

  “How about you get to it now?”

  “I will, after we’ve had something to eat, and we all have clearer heads.”

  “I don’t know about you, but my head right now is pretty fucking clear.”

  Kyle picks up a menu and ignores me as I stare daggers at him across the table. “Well?”

  “Now you know how it feels to be on the outside, so you can sit there and stew for five minutes while I decide what I’m going to order. I suggest ev
erybody at this table pick something to eat because the waitress is coming, and I’m hungry.”

  “Hello, y’all, how’s it going? What can we get for you today?”

  All of us look at Beth, who is chewing on her bottom lip as she studies the menu.

  Angus clears his throat, and she looks up at him.

  “What?”

  “Ladies first.”

  “Oh, right. I’ll have…” and she pauses. “… um, a large Coke and the special of the day, please.”

  As soon as her order is taken, the rest of us dive in and give the waitress ours. I don’t feel like eating. All I want to know is what the hell happened at Beth’s ranch and if she was hurt at all. Impatiently, I wait for the right time to try again with Kyle, but patience has never been my strong suit. “Well?” I demand.

  “It happened on Tuesday morning. I was waiting outside Beth’s house after I knocked on the door, saw something, bent over to pick it up, and someone took a shot at me from long range. Cutter checked the area. There were no shell casings, no prints, nothing. Whoever it was also tied a piece of ribbon to a tree near the front porch so he could estimate the wind. I was damn lucky he didn’t take my head off.”

  “That’s when we decided he was probably looking for you and not Kyle, so we hit the road,” interjects Beth.

  I understand now why they bought Beth with them. It wasn’t safe to leave her at the house by herself. I owe Kyle a thank you, not an interrogation.

  The waitress comes back with our drinks, and as soon as she’s gone, Angus leans over the table staring at Kyle intently. “What were you doing at Norman Brittle’s house?”

  “How the fuck do you know we were at Norman brittles house?” asks Cutter.

  “It was your fucking camera,” replies Kyle.

  “Whose camera did you think it was?” asks Angus.

  All three of them in unison say, “Brittle.”

  Angus shakes his head. “No, it was ours. We’ve been here for three days and haven’t found hide nor hair of him. In desperation, I put up the camera to see if Brittle or anybody went to the house. Imagine how excited I was to see your ugly face on the camera, brother.”

  Kyle locks eyes with me. “Why’d you go radio silent?”

  “That wasn’t my idea, it was the nerd here,” I say, gesturing toward Angus.

  “We were being tracked. I haven’t been able to piece it all together yet, but I’m pretty sure this has something to do with a politician. I think Sean’s unit got tangled up in something years ago. Something Senator Lewis Towell doesn’t want anyone else to know about. My current theory is Norman Brittle is working for the Senator and is taking out anyone who knew anything about a mission they did in South America.”

  Kyle cocks an eyebrow at me. “What do you think?”

  “I know everything points to Scope, but I find it hard to believe it’s him.”

  Angus scoffs. “You and he are the only ones left. How can you have any doubt?”

  “There’s a code, Angus. Unless you’ve served, I don’t think you’re going to understand. If Scope is doing this, I have to hear it from him. I need him to tell me the how and the why.”

  “Is that before or after he shoots you in the head?”

  All conversation stops as the waitress comes back with our orders. I keep glancing at Beth, who gives me nothing. I watch as she takes a mouthful of the special of the day, meatloaf, and then she frowns. Cutter also observes this and chuckles. Without asking, he simply picks up her plate and swaps it with his, a burger and fries.

  “You can’t,” replies Beth.

  “Beth, I can, and I will. I’ve got a cast-iron gut, honey. Trust me when I tell you it’s perfectly fine. Eat my fucking burger but leave me some fries.”

  Beth smiles, and I want to reach across the table and put my fist through the back of his head. Kyle pays no attention to Beth and Cutter. His eyes are glued on me, and there’s a smug smirk plastered on his face.

  He bites into his burger and chews, eyes dancing with amusement at my reaction. I’m smoldering at the end of the table staring daggers at Cutter as he continues to flirt and chat with my Beth. I don’t participate in any of the conversations around the table. When we are all finished eating, I open my wallet and leave some bills on the table.

  Kyle and Cutter head for the manager’s office of the motel to book some rooms for the night, Beth walks behind them but not with them or with Angus and me. Her brow is creased into a frown, and I want so badly to ask her what she’s thinking about but have no idea how to talk to the woman.

  Angus and I wait outside as the three of them talk to the manager inside the office. Beth is waving her arms around in what looks frustration. From outside, I can’t tell if it’s at Kyle or the manager. With anger turning her pretty face red, she stomps out and joins us.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask

  “He claims there are no other rooms in the motel even though I can see there’s a whole bunch of keys hanging up on the wall. What do you call them? Club whores? I think he thinks I’m one of those!”

  I burst out laughing, which only seems to make her angrier.

  Beth stomps off toward my bike to get her things when Kyle comes out and winks at me. “You owe me, brother. Beth needs to share a room. I suggested she bunk in with you, or you can bunk in with me, and she can have your room. Either way, she’s not happy.”

  Cutter grins and says, “Beth could share my room… I don’t mind.”

  I get right up into his personal space, chest to chest with our noses almost touching, and through gritted teeth, I say, “You keep away from what is fucking mine. You got that?”

  Cutter grins. “Yeah, VP, I’ve got it, but does she know it?” The cocky bastard strolls toward Beth, puts an arm around her shoulder, and talks to her. I’m about to walk over and pound him into the pavement when Kyle plants a hand into the middle of my chest, stopping me from moving.

  “He’s playing with you, brother. You need to calm the fuck down. As far as we can tell, all you’ve done is confuse the poor girl and told her you think of her as nothing more than your sister. Now, I know it’s been a while, but she doesn’t look like any sister of ours.”

  “I’m going to hurt Cutter,” I reply.

  “No, you’re not. The man got on his bike, and he came out here to help you. You’re going to keep a lid on it, and you are going to sort out your feelings for this woman. And if we’re lucky, we’ll keep you alive long enough for you to see how good a woman like Beth is.” With that, Kyle walks toward Cutter and Beth.

  I follow close behind with Angus chuckling to himself as he keeps pace with me.

  “I’m sorry to throw you out of your room,” says Beth quickly.

  “It’s not a problem.”

  “I’m pretty sure the old bastard couldn’t be bothered.”

  “Beth, it’s not a problem. Come on. I’ll show you your room while I get my things out of it.”

  I open the door with the key, and the bed isn’t made. The few clothes I have are hung up on a make-shift clothesline in the bathroom. I begin pulling them down when Beth comes up behind me.

  “Stop! Just stop. I’ll go and tell the old bastard he has to give me a room. I’ll give him some excuse, tell him I snore or something. I’m not having you leave because of me.”

  “Beth, it’s fine. I’ve shared a room with Angus or Kyle plenty of times.”

  Shaking her head, Beth makes a beeline for the door of the room. I grab her by the arm and twist her around.

  “Sean, can you stop? I’m going to sort this out.”

  “Beth, the only person who thinks this is a problem is you.”

  “Right, right, so you want to share a room with one of your brothers? That’s why you and Angus aren’t already sharing a room, right?” She looks down at my hand on her upper arm. Beth is standing so close I can smell her perfume, or maybe it’s the sweet scent of her.

  Beth opens her mouth to speak again, and I drag her into me, sealing
her lips to mine. She lets out a surprised yelp but doesn’t pull away. Her hand snakes around the back of my neck, and she deepens the kiss. A deep growl emanates from me, and I walk her backward until Beth hits the door of the room. My hands travel down the curves of her body, enjoying the feel, the taste, the smell of her.

  Slowly, as if in a dream, I realize what I’m doing, and I force myself to remove my hands from her and place them either side of her head on the rough wooden surface of the door. It takes a moment for my lips to leave hers. With my forehead resting against hers, I listen to our ragged breathing.

  My body wants so badly to take this further, but I need to know if it’s what she wants.

  Pulling in a shuddering breath, I push myself off the door and away from her. My eyes never leave Beth’s. Her lips are red and swollen, and her eyes are filled with desire.

  My hands clench into fists at my sides, breathing heavily. All I want to do is pull her into me and make use of the bed in this room, but I need the decision to be hers. I open my mouth to speak, and she closes the gap between us. One leg goes up around my waist, and both hands tangle in my hair. That’s is all encouragement I need.

  My fists unclench, and I grip Beth’s ass and lift her, then I turn and take the few steps to the bed. My cock is straining against my jeans, and all I want is to be inside her.

  I throw Beth on the bed, kick off my boots, rip my T-shirt over my head and pull down my jeans. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten naked so fast in my entire life. Crawling up the bed, Beth looks startled, and I wonder if I’m going too fast. I cover her body with mine and kiss her. My eyes lock with hers, looking for any signs she wants me to stop. Her lips are soft and mold to mine. Her tongue teases me while my hand massages her breast through her clothing, and to my pleasure, Beth’s nipple grows hard. I want so badly to see every inch of her.

  I sit back, my cock standing at attention, and rip open her buttoned-up shirt. Unfortunately, she has a tank on underneath, so I drag it up to expose her ample breasts now only clad in a white lacy see-through bra. Like a man possessed, I draw her nipple into my mouth and suck on it through the thin, lacy material, Beth’s hands holding me in place as I flick, tease, suck, and explore her breasts.