by Debra Kayn
"I've hated you. I've feared you. I've fallen in love with you." She rubbed her lips against his mouth. "I’m deeply in love with you."
He captured her mouth, backing her up to the wall of the hotel. A thrill swept through her as she clung to him, stroking her tongue against his.
She wished they were back at the house, and she could show him all the ways she loved him.
He pulled his head back, continuing to hold her imprisoned against the wall. "I haven't had a good life, Grace. But, I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to make sure you never regret loving me."
She kissed him, and he pulled back again. She cupped his face, seeing how difficult it was for him to talk about his feelings.
"I love you," he whispered.
She melted, pressing her lips against his mouth. That's all she'd wanted to hear.
"I called the police when I arrived at the hotel last night." She rubbed her thumbs over his eyebrows, trying to massage the tension in them. "I told them I got lost in the wilderness and, in the process, lost my PLB. Then, Amelia told them she went searching for me and found me. I didn't think it was a good idea to tell them about you, while you have other things you're dealing with at home. So, I'm no longer a missing person."
"I saw the cops last night."
"You were here?"
"I wasn't going to let you stay here without someone looking out for you." His chest expanded. "Prez and Trip brought your Jeep early this morning and headed back to Avery Falls before you were even awake. But, I couldn't make myself leave without seeing you one more time."
"I can't believe you were going to let me go." She stuck out her lower lip.
He caught her lip with his mouth, kissing her. "I probably wouldn't have been able to let you go, but I hadn't figured out how I could kidnap you with your sister around."
She laughed, loving the way he made her feel wanted. "I can't wait to get you back to the house."
He lifted his brow, pressing his semi-hard cock against her. Her leg came up, wrapping around his thigh. His life was hard and unbelievable, but it was easy to love him.
The door to the hotel room opened. She turned her face without letting go of Keenan.
Amelia raised her brows in question. Grace nodded, letting her know everything was okay. She was going back to Avery Falls, and Amelia would be going back to Canyon Beach to the condominium.
Through the night, she'd confessed all her conflicting feelings about Keenan to her sister. Leaving out the information about the Alpha Bio Project and Keenan's enhancements. She'd also left out the way Keenan killed a man to save her life.
Some things were better off left in the past.
That was part of Keenan's life that he could choose to share if he wanted. All Amelia needed to know was that Grace was taken care of, loved, and wanted.
"Everything okay out here?" asked Amelia.
"Perfect." She glanced back at Keenan, kissed him swiftly, and said, "Amelia is going back to Canyon Beach, but I'd like her to come and stay with us for a couple of weeks soon. I want you two to get to know each other. Will that be okay?"
"Anytime." Keenan moved away from the building, taking Grace with him. "Why don't you show me what needs to be packed in your sister's car, and I'll load it up while you say goodbye."
She pointed. "All her stuff is on the bed."
He kissed her again and then slipped into the room. She walked to Amelia and hugged her.
Amelia rocked her back and forth. "You'll be okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine." She held Amelia in front of her. "How about you?"
Amelia shrugged. "It'll be weird living by myself."
"We could always sell the condo and move you to Idaho." She raised her brows. "I need my sissy."
"I'll think about it." Amelia sighed, turning to look at Keenan. "It feels weird leaving you with someone I don't know."
"I love him." She watched Keenan stroll to the parking lot with the two bags. "I've never felt like this before."
Amelia kissed her cheek and then walked out to the parking lot with her. Grace, caught between the two people she loved, wanted more time with each of them.
"Call when you get back home." Grace wrinkled her nose, remembering that was impossible. Keenan had busted her cell, and his house lacked a landline.
"Here." Keenan handed her his phone. "You can give her that number until I get you a new phone."
She smiled, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. They'd come a long way.
While she and Amelia exchanged numbers, programming them into the phones, she stepped over and leaned against Keenan, warming as he put his arm around her shoulders.
"Drive safe. If you get sleepy, pull over and take a break." She wrapped her arms around Keenan. "I love you."
Amelia waved out the window. "Love you back, sis."
She waved until Amelia drove out of the parking lot and then sighed. Keenan tightened his arm, rolling her to the front of him.
Looking up at him, she smiled. "Our situation changed fast, huh?"
"Yeah." He kissed her nose. "Things should calm down soon."
"With your club?"
He nodded. "I'll be working longer hours for a while."
"Do I have the freedom to leave the house when I want?"
He pulled back his head, studying her intently. "Are you going to let me know where you'll be?"
"If I have a phone."
"Then, yeah." He kissed her. "I won't lock you in."
She grinned, loving the changes that were happening. He palmed her ass, lifting her off her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her away from the hotel.
She laughed. "Where are you taking me?"
He set her down on her feet, dug in his pocket, and handed her the keys to her Jeep. "Let's go home, Gracie."
After he got her settled in the vehicle and returned to his Harley with instructions to lead the way, she squeezed the steering wheel in her excitement. Then, she pulled ahead, looking in the rearview mirror.
That was her man following her. She was never going to let him go.
Chapter Thirty Five
The locals spread out in the yard surrounding the clubhouse, filling the picnic tables and catching up with the local gossip. Keenan stood at the gate, standing guard. It was the second time they'd opened the place after canceling all the Friday get-togethers throughout the summer while the club went through the switch.
"Old man Nutter is making his way to the front door. Someone needs to stop him from going inside." Keenan spoke under his breath so as not to be overheard by the locals.
"I'll get him." Prez cut across the grass, weaving between the groups.
Problem taken care of, Keenan scanned the parking area outside the fence, catching sight of Trip bent down beside his motorcycle. Nothing was wrong with his Harley. They had men at every corner of the property and around the field to ensure everyone remained safe and nobody else, but the locals, came to the get-together.
The heightened security would remain for as long as they felt it was needed. None of them knew what the future held. Each day, they learned more about each other. He often found himself contemplating how new information about their past could make him question his loyalty to men he only knew through the Alpha Bio Project.
He searched out Grace, sitting with a group of women. She talked with J.J. while including Laurel in the conversation. Bonnie sat on the other side of the picnic table, listening intently. She bonded quickly with the women, even shrugging off the information he'd given her about being intimate with J.J. in the past. His chest warmed. His woman could overlook a lot because she lived her life one day at a time. Yesterday no longer mattered.
Her outlook on life influenced him. He'd remained sober and drug-free. On hard days when it would be easier to reach for a drink or something to snort to numb the pain of what he'd gone through, or he couldn't shake his nightmares, she was there, showing him how to enjoy the moment.
"Where's Zach
and Kenny?" said Trip in Keenan's ear.
He looked out into the field and whispered, "Kenny's riding the trac on his motorcycle, and Zach's getting handsy with Trina."
"Damnit. Johnny, hold my position." Trip walked past Keenan and jogged through the crowd at a normal pace.
Keenan chuckled. Those two kids were never going to make it until they graduated.
"Heads up," whispered Johnny.
Keenan turned, prepared for trouble. "What do you see?"
"Tourists are riding this way on bikes."
Keenan closed the gate and moved over to the line of motorcycles to his right. He stepped up to his Harley, aware of the bicyclists riding past.
A minute later, Johnny said, "All clear."
Trip jogged back, stopping beside Keenan. "Go ahead and get something to eat. I'll take your position while Johnny's out there."
"Thanks, man." He smacked Trip's arm.
Approaching the table, he snuck up behind Grace and nuzzled the side of her neck. She reached up and stroked his jaw through his beard without stopping her conversation with the others. When she finished, she turned and held up her hands. He pulled her to her feet.
"Ready to eat?" she asked.
"I could go for a piece of apple pie." He walked over to the food table with her, holding the plates as she piled stuff on.
A pleasant side effect of the switch was regaining his appetite for sweets. Damn, he loved a good apple pie. He'd bump up his workout tomorrow so the sugary treat wouldn't settle on his body.
"I know you're not going to eat everything I'm giving you." Grace's eyes twinkled. "But Adele Johnson is watching everyone and judging if they eat more of the food she brings or if they pick Paula's dishes. So I'm making sure we get equal amounts to keep them from bickering the next time there's a Friday get-together."
"That's ridiculous," he mumbled.
Grace shrugged. "You never know, when we get old, we might have weird things we bicker about, too."
"I doubt that." He steered her over to an empty table and sat down beside her.
Before she could take a bite, he hooked her neck and brought her mouth toward him. He tasted her, enjoying the way her mouth softened, and her tongue came out to kiss him back. Knowing he couldn't have her until tonight when they went home, he pulled back with quick kisses.
"I'd give up pie for you." He nuzzled her nose with his. "Damn, you taste sweet. Give me another kiss."
She laughed softly. "Bonnie made us girls a drink while we were setting up the tables. It was very sweet and potent."
He slid his hand off her neck and swallowed, wanting to drink her sweetness. Grace placed her hand on his thigh and frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He turned toward his plate, but the sensation of his heart racing—even though he knew it wasn't, distracted him from eating.
Grace rubbed his leg, glancing at him. He could feel her gaze, wondering what was wrong. But she wouldn't bring it up at the get-together in front of the others.
He rubbed his hand over his face and shoved the plate away from him. Grace leaned her head against his arm, silently supporting him.
He reached down and patted her leg. "I'm okay, Gracie."
"Sure?"
Aware that any Avery Falls Motorcycle Club members could overhear their conversation and he'd already disclosed to Prez about his past, he turned to Grace and lowered his voice.
"I'm an addict."
She frowned. "You mean you were. I've never seen you take any alcohol or even a Tylenol."
"No, I mean I'm an addict. It doesn't go away. I might not have used since I was brought to Avery Falls, but it's there inside of me, alive and reminding me constantly that it would be easy to chase the dragon."
She kissed his arm. "I won't drink anymore."
"I can't ask—"
"You don't have to ask. I have no plans to stop kissing you, so there's that." She picked up a roll and took a big bite. When she finished swallowing, she looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Thank you for telling me."
He stared at her, amazed at her acceptance of everything that came with loving him. She deserved a perfect man, and instead, she wanted him.
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. She squeezed her eyes closed, and when she opened them again, she smiled softly at him.
She wouldn't pressure him to tell her more. For that, he was grateful. Maybe someday, he'd share his nightmarish past with her. But for now, he was only living for the moment.
Grace slid his plate back in front of him. "I talked to Amelia today."
"Any offers on the condo yet?" He picked up the fork and took a bite of pie.
"Not yet, but there were three couples that looked this week. I'm staying hopeful. It would be nice to get her moved up here before it starts snowing."
"We can always move her up early. It isn't going to cost her anything to stay in the motorhome."
"Oh, you should hear Amelia talk. She's so excited about running the RV Park and has ideas about how to run it more efficiently—you know since you told her about the problems that creep up during tourist season." Grace stopped to take a bite and then continued. "The skills she had working at the nursing home as the entertainment director will come in handy, I think."
He grunted, finishing the pie. Losing Hank still bothered him.
As one of the originals and his MC brother, Hank failed to move on from his past and take what he learned through the Alpha Bio Project to change his life around. But the demons reared their ugly head, and his urges weren't acceptable. Before anyone was aware of the struggle Hank was going through, he'd slipped into the river. They found his body ten miles downstream.
Hank could damn near hold his breath for that distance, and the fact that he'd chosen to go against his training and end his life probably gave his MC brother back his freedom. He'd gone out the way he wanted.
Prez approached the table. "Speeder's taking Trina and Laurel home and then going to return to take your post. Go ahead and take the night off."
"We can stay."
"You need the break." Prez lowered his voice. "It's been a hell of a summer. Take your woman and enjoy yourself. We've got enough men to handle the get-together."
"'Preciate it." He dipped his chin, his appetite gone.
Alone with Grace, he turned her head and kissed her. She gazed up at him, waiting for his reaction. All he tasted was apple pie.
He winked. "You ready to get out of here?"
She grabbed their paper plates and stood. While she dumped the garbage in the can, he visually checked in with the other originals. They had forty percent of their members out. The rest of them were locked inside the clubhouse, trying to get a handle on their new life. It would come. It only took a little training—much like when they participated in the Alpha Bio Project.
Grace hurried back to his side and latched her fingers in his hand. He led her out of the fence and to his Harley.
She climbed up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Before he could shift into second, her hand wandered, teasing his cock.
By the time he pulled into the driveway, his jeans were uncomfortably tight, and all he wanted to do was take them off and give Grace what she wanted.
She slid from behind and landed in front of him, hanging onto his neck. Kissing him deeply, she backed away toward the house, crooking her finger for him to follow.
He threw his leg over the bike, adjusted his dick, and stalked after her. At the door, he unlocked the house and slapped her ass, sending her toward the bedroom.
Inside, he reached over and picked up the padlock on the shelf. Sliding it through the latch, he snapped the padlock closed.
Every night, he lock Grace inside the house with him to make sure she stayed safe.
And he planned on doing that for the rest of his life.
Epilogue
Sequestered one thousand, three hundred, and forty miles away from Avery Falls, Idaho, the controller of the Alpha Bio Project flipped the monit
ors on, lighting up the wall in front of him. He sat down in the chair and studied the frames.
Pleased at what he viewed; he pushed the intercom button. "Come in here."
Less than a minute later, the handler walked into the underground room. Excitement filled him. The project had succeeded beyond his expectations.
"How long until you have the next group of men ready for the trip?" asked the controller.
The handler double-checked the papers on his clipboard. "The flight is scheduled for Monday. That's four days to get them prepped and sedated."
"Perfect. I'll make sure to meet them upon their arrival."
"Will the other handler be working with the next group?"
"Unfortunately, he's no longer working with the Alpha Bio Project." He looked at the handler. "I trust you can run things by yourself."
"Yes, sir."
"I believe you're a fan of warm weather."
"I enjoy the sunshine." The handler stepped closer. "Where are the next group of men going?"
"The big island."
"Hawaii?" The handler raised his brows in surprise. "That'll be a change from what we're used to in the Bitterroot Mountains."
"Indeed, it will be." He flipped all twenty-four switches in front of him.
Each monitor changed views. He sat back and steepled his hands. The work in Avery Falls was completed. The men were left on their own to live independent lives. He would continue to observe them through the cameras placed inside the homes and in the gyms to continue their training.
"Isn't that...? The handler stepped forward, studying the screen. "Isn't that the woman I contacted about the photography assignment?"
"Yes. Grace Lambert." He hummed in approval. "She's now living in Avery Falls with Kyle Bowman, aka Keenan, aka Fifteen."
"Is she from his past?"
"No." He chuckled warmly. "I had the pleasure of sitting beside her on one of my flights back to the states a few years ago. Hm, I can't recall where we were coming from, but she struck up a passionate conversation about the rain forest with me. I enjoyed her enthusiasm."
"The other two women, Bonnie and Laurel, certainly worked out well for the two participants." The handler hugged the clipboard to his chest. "Will you bring other women in for the rest of the men?"
