Spark (MacKenny Brothers Series Book 1)

by Kathleen Kelly

  “Okay, let’s do this.”

  “Mad, you can’t give him what he wants.”

  “What choice do we have?”

  “Sean has a plan.”

  “How long has Lamond had Cherie?” I demand to know as I imagine the horrors he’s putting her through.

  “Seven hours.” I charge toward Angus, grabbing his shirt and pushing him against the wall out in the hallway. “We didn’t tell you because we knew this is what you’d do. The only way to keep you safe and get Cherie back to us is your fucking family. Don’t shut us out again.”

  I let go of his shirt, and he slides back down the wall. Looking to my left, I see Kyle, Sean, Lochlan, and Jamie staring at me.

  “We have a plan, brother, and it’s a good one. Trust us,” states Kyle.

  I place my hand at the back of Angus’ neck, staring into his eyes. I nod, and all the tension in his body drains away.

  “The FBI agent is our way in. Trust me,” states Angus.

  “I do, brother, I do, but she’s important.”

  “We know.”

  I feel helpless. My instinct is to go to Lamond and bargain for Cherie, but I know they are right. They’ll kill both of us.

  “I’ve called the agent who’s on Lamond’s payroll. He’s setting up a meet with you, Lamond, and Cherie. We’ve picked the place, it’s all worked out. You just need to show up…” he points to our family and continues, “… we’ll do the rest.”

  I nod. This all sounds too easy, like too many things could go wrong.

  “When’s it planned for?”

  “Tonight. To make Lamond feel safe, we picked his place up near Bowie. It’s private. And we have Rio to thank for a map of the place. Who knew such a big, burly guy would sell his grandmother to get out of the pit? This should be easy,” replies Angus.

  Easy.

  Nothing ever is.

  Cherie

  The drive up to my granddaddy’s home is always something I look forward to. It’s picturesque with the red barn and the white homestead. As the cab pulls up, my granddaddy comes out the front door. I jump out and engulf him in a hug.

  “I’ve missed you,” I gush.

  “And I’ve missed you.” He pushes me away and looks me in the eye. “How the hell did you meet Colton Anders?”

  I burst out laughing. “It’s a long story. Let me pay the cabbie, and we can sit down and chat.”

  Granddaddy nods and goes back inside the house while I pay and grab my bag. I stand on the porch and take in a deep breath. As much as I say I don’t like it here, it’s good to be home and on the land. The barn door is open and bangs noisily against the side of the building, and I frown. It’s typically shut.

  “Cherie… coffee’s on,” yells my granddaddy which causes me to smile, and I go inside.

  As I walk into the kitchen, I notice he’s lost weight and looks older to me. The way he’s moving is a little slower, and he’s breathing harder than normal.

  I place a hand on his upper arm. “Are you okay?” I whisper.

  “Yes, stupid doctors. Bloodsuckers! Money-hungry varmints.”

  “Sit down and tell me.”

  “The insurance didn’t cover everything.” Granddaddy puts down the spoon in his hand and stares out the kitchen window. “I think I’ll have to sell the farm.”

  My breath catches in my throat as I watch him try and keep his composure. This land has been in my family for generations. My grandfather has never lived anywhere else. This is home.

  “How about I bake some cookies, and we can sit down and talk? You always said a problem shared is a problem halved.”

  He nods and sits at the kitchen table. “Chocolate chip?”

  “If you have ‘em.”

  Granddaddy nods and points to the fridge. “I was hoping you’d make me some.”

  “So that’s the reason you wanted me home,” I tease.

  “It’s one of them. Now, Colton Anders?”

  I laugh as I get out the ingredients for the cookies. “He’s a friend of Maddock’s brother, Lochlan. Oh my God, Granddaddy, he was divine. Such a nice guy.”

  “Maddock’s brother, Lochlan? Who the hell are they?”

  I stop and look at him. “There’s a lot to tell you. Eric, the mechanic, is Maddock. Lochlan, well… he’s his brother.”

  Even to my ears, this sounds ridiculous.

  “Eric is Maddock?” I nod. “And he’s the reason you went to DC?”

  “Yes. It’s kind of confusing. See Eric Hill is really Maddock MacKenny. He was, I mean is… well, sort of… in witness protection.”

  Granddaddy frowns, shakes his head, and rubs the back of his neck. “I need coffee.”

  I smile and nod. “Okay, coming right up.”

  I pour him a cup and continue with my cookie preparations.

  “You like him?” he asks.

  “Colt Anders?”

  “No, I mean, Eric or Maddock, but do you like Colton? There was a picture of him kissing you.”

  I laugh. “No. I like Maddock. I think I’ve finally picked a winner.”

  “He does seem like a good one,” he replies. “Why was he in witness protection?”

  “The man he was working for was selling parts to an arms dealer. Maddock found out, and they tried to kill him but ended up killing his sister instead.”

  “Lord have mercy. They killed his sister?”

  “Yeah, so sad.” I shake my head.

  “It explains why he has no friends. How’d they find him?”

  I pause and look down at the dough between my fingers. “While he was visiting you, Maddock ran into a man who recognized his tattoo.” I glance over at my granddaddy, and he’s looking into his coffee cup. “It wasn’t your fault.”

  His eyes meet mine. “I know that.” Granddaddy takes a sip of coffee. “He seems like a good man. So, tell me about Colt Anders.”

  I giggle. “It was all a ploy to make sure Maddock is safe and a rather long story. Colt is a super nice guy,” I say, smiling goofily.

  “You sure your not interested in Colt?”

  “I’m sure. He’s larger than life and a player. Maddock is hardworking and a good guy.” I bend and place the cookies in the oven. I’m about to sit down when I hear the barn door bang. “Dang it! The barn door is open.”

  “Must’ve come loose, I’ll go shut it.”

  “No, you won’t. You sit there and watch my cookies, and in twelve minutes the buzzer’s going off. If I’m not back, pull them out.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” replies Granddaddy with a grin.

  I shake my head and head toward the barn.

  As I walk in the direction of the banging red door, nothing seems out of place. My mind is on my granddaddy and how I’m going to help him. I grab the door with both hands and push. Suddenly, a hand goes over my mouth. My reaction is to kick back as hard as I can. A yelp escapes my assailant, and he releases me. I run inside the barn and into the arms of someone else. He’s taller than me, and his arms feel like a vice around me.

  “Calm the fuck down, or we’ll kill the old man.”

  I stop fighting instantly, and he lets me go. I take a step back, ball my hand into a fist, and hit him as hard as I can. The man’s head turns with my punch. He rubs his jaw and looks back at me, anger in his eyes. He raises his fist and strikes me in the jaw. I feel myself falling, pain explodes, and my head whacks the floor of the barn, hard. The last thing I see before my world goes black is a boot to the face.

  Sean

  The shack I’m working out of has no air conditioning, and sweat drips from my forehead. It’s fiddly work, and my hand shakes. I stop, take a deep breath, slow my breathing, and insert the last wire with a steady hand. Now is not the time to lose my nerve.

  All the while as I work, Heather and Cherie plague my thoughts. I live by a code. It’s a simple one—you don’t fuck with my family or those I care about. I know the others won’t understand why I’m doing this, but I have to.

  When it’s done,
I carefully attach it to the large magnet. Normally, this work is done without gloves, but I’m not risking getting caught. It’s taken longer to assemble, but I’m happy with the result. I place the package into my backpack, clean up my worktable, and open the door to see Kyle headed in my direction. I place the backpack on my shoulder and walk toward him.

  “Hey, man,” I offer as a greeting, trying to sound casual.

  “You ready for tonight? It should all go off like clockwork,” replies Kyle.

  I grin. “Yeah, man, I’m ready.” Kyle slaps my arm, and the backpack jostles. I grimace, and he eyes me curiously. “I’m worried about Cherie.”

  Kyle places his hands on his hips. “She’s not yours to worry about,” he says flatly.

  “Not like that, man. I know she belongs to Mad. I don’t want to lose anyone else to that fuckwad, Lamond.”

  Kyle’s hands fall from his hips, and he nods. “Yeah, I get you.”

  I walk toward my bike with Kyle shadowing me. “Where you going?”

  “I thought I might head up early, take the long way, so I don’t run into anyone and scope out the place.”

  “Good idea, you want me to go with?”

  “No, man. I’ll be cool. It’s easier for me to get in and out alone without anyone tagging along.” The lies fall from my lips, and my brother, my President, believes me.

  Kyle nods. “Okay, check back in after you get there and again within an hour. If I don’t hear from you, we’re all coming.”

  I nod, put my backpack on properly, and start my bike.

  I watched Lamond pull up, alone, and walk into his house. Two men arrive shortly after and with a limp body that I assume is Cherie. It was still daylight when I crept under the car. I wanted to help Cherie, but I was scared I’d get her killed. The plan to get her out should work. What I’m doing right now, that’s another story.

  The wires are all attached, and the magnet is glued to the gas tank. The explosion should happen five seconds after the ignition turns on.

  I wait in the dirt listening for footsteps or voices, long after they’ve gone inside. There is nothing. Sliding out from under the car, I carefully go back into the woods. No one has seen me. All my training in the Marines prepared me for this. Darkness slowly falls, the men have since left, and another man arrives. From the distance I’m at, it looks like the fed Angus showed me a picture of. There are no screams from Cherie or loud voices inside. I hope she’s still alive. When I’m sure I can’t be seen, I jog the mile to the rendezvous spot. Some of the MC are here already.

  “How was it?” asks Kyle.

  “From what I could see, it’s Lamond, the fed, and Cherie inside.”

  Kyle nods and places his phone to his ear. “You ready?” He looks down at the ground and nods again. “We have men placed everywhere. Sean just got back, and he’s confident it’s Lamond, the fed, and Cherie in the house. Good luck, brother.”

  I go and sit by myself, arms crossed over my chest as we wait. Kyle thinks I’m worried about Cherie and leaves me to my exile.

  There’s nothing left for me to do but wait.

  Maddock

  It’s nearly midnight as I pull up in front of Lamond’s home. It’s off the beaten path, no neighbors, and before I get out of the car, I scan my surroundings. I know there are MC all over the place, but I have no idea if Lamond has men waiting for me too. I let out a deep breath and open the door. Slowly, I stand, pausing to see if anyone rushes out. When no one does, I reach back in and grab a briefcase with all of the evidence against Lamond inside.

  Every noise is amplified as I make my way to the front door. I’m dressed in a dark blue suit, white shirt, and brown shoes. This is what I used to wear every day to work. It all feels alien to me now. I guess after three years of wearing grease, jeans, boots, and T-shirts, I’m out of practice.

  The front door opens, and I stop in my tracks. A man in his thirties steps out. He’s got sandy blond hair and is wearing a black suit and white shirt. His expression is grim like he doesn’t want to be here. Our eyes meet, and he does a chin lift. I continue my approach.

  “You must be the elusive Maddock MacKenny?”

  “Yeah, and you are?”

  “It’s not important.” He pauses, looking behind me into the darkness. I turn around, unable to see anything or anyone. I look back at him and raise an eyebrow. He shrugs, moves back inside the house, opening the door wider. “Please come in.”

  This house is not a little holiday home. I’m in the foyer, and if Rio’s plan of the house is correct, the oversized office should be to the right of the front door. The man closes the front door and gestures for me to go left, which should take me into the first of three living rooms.

  As I enter, my eyes go to Cherie who’s sitting in a chair, shoulders rigid, back straight, and her face is bruised. I take a step toward her, and she practically leaps out of the chair and into my arms. Cherie is shaking uncontrollably. I drop the briefcase and hold on tight.

  “Isn’t that sweet?” says Lamond snidely from further into the room.

  I look down at Cherie. “Did he hurt you?”

  Lamond replies, “That little cunt wouldn’t stop screaming, so they had to subdue her. Apart from the bruises you see, she hasn’t been harmed.”

  I ignore him and look into Cherie’s eyes. “Did he hurt you?”

  Cherie shakes her head, and I let out the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I nod at her and position her behind me. Cherie understands. I feel her head between my shoulder blades, and her hands on my waist. She’s scared, but she’s okay.

  The man who let me in gets the briefcase and hands it to Lamond. Lamond smirks, opens it, and goes through the files inside.

  “Is this all of it?” he asks.

  “Yeah, that’s all of it.”

  “You know Special Agent Stephen Jamieson here…” he points to him, “… destroyed all the evidence they had on me, but I knew you would have covered your ass. Why couldn’t you leave things alone and then none of this… unpleasantness would have happened, and your sister, Heather, would still be alive.”

  “Don’t you say her name,” I hiss.

  Lamond laughs, the FBI agent flinches.

  “And as for your little friend there, if she hadn’t left her pen behind, I’d never have known something was wrong. What did you hope to accomplish by getting her to break into my home?”

  “I wanted my life back.”

  “You must know everything on my computer is password protected. What did you think you’d get out of it?”

  “You know one of my brothers is a hacker, right?”

  Lamond still looks confident, but Special Agent Jamieson looks angry as he peers down at Lamond.

  “You can go,” states Lamond.

  “That’s it? I can go?”

  “Yes, I have everything I want. After I burn all of this…” Lamond stands and points to the briefcase, “… there’s not a lot the U.S. government can do to me. Your word isn’t enough to convict me on if there’s no proof.”

  I can feel Cherie move away from me, pulling at my coat, coaxing me to step backward.

  “How do I know you’ll leave me, us, alone?”

  “You don’t,” states Lamond. “But I have no interest in hurting you. I never did. It’s business, that’s all. Nothing personal.”

  He killed my sister, and it’s nothing personal?

  He kidnapped my woman, and it’s nothing personal?

  If Cherie weren’t with me, I’d rip the fucker apart.

  Keeping my mouth shut, I back out of the living room into the foyer. Once there, I turn, open the front door, tuck Cherie into my side and walk her quickly to the car.

  Opening the driver’s door, Cherie jumps in and crawls across the seat to the passenger side with me sliding into the driver’s seat in one fluid movement. I grip her face with my hands and crush her mouth to mine.

  “Are you okay?” I whisper.

  “Yes. Some of his goons got me g
oing out to the barn. Does Granddaddy know I’m safe?”

  I’m nodding at her, turning on the car and backing out of the driveway without breaking eye contact.

  “Buckle up,” I order. “Your granddaddy is fine. I called Theo and asked him to check on him. He was concerned, but you know he’s a tough old bugger. He’ll be okay.”

  Cherie does as she’s told, nodding and smiling. A tear trickles down her face, but now is not the time to comfort her. I’m driving like a madman to get to the rendezvous spot with my brothers and the MC. It’s only a mile away, but until I’m with them, I won’t feel protected.

  When we pull up, Sean rips open Cherie’s door and helps her out. His eyes go deadly as he takes in her bruised face. “Motherfucker!” Sean hisses.

  “I’m okay.”

  Sean looks into her eyes searching for something. I put my arm around Cherie, and she buries her face once again in my chest. Sean nods and walks away. There’s a look in his eyes which bothers me. It’s the same look he came home with after his first deployment. Deadly.

  “It all went smoothly. Your FBI man was there.”

  “Yeah, he’s our FBI agent now. You should see the shit Angus has on the fucker,” replies Kyle with a grin.

  “How do we know Lamond won’t come after me or us again?”

  “Mad, we have enough on him to give to the feds. He’s going to prison for a long time,” says Angus.

  “It’s not enough,” states Sean.

  “Brother, we’ve talked about this. For Mad to be free and clear, Lamond has to face charges. We’ll get him in prison,” says Kyle with authority in his voice.

  “He gets to breathe free and clear until then? Nah, brother, it doesn’t work for me.”

  “Sean—”

  An explosion lights up the night sky. All of us turn toward the fireball that quickly disappears.

  Cherie looks at Sean. “What have you done?”

  “What I needed to do.”

  En masse, we all head for Lamond’s house.

  Sitting on the lawn is Special Agent Stephen Jamieson. He looks shell-shocked.