“That ship has sailed,” I mumble quietly, almost hoping Jump doesn’t hear me.
No such luck.
“That’s just it, Kenny. It hasn’t. I don’t know what his fucking malfunction is, and I won’t pretend to know how his brain works all the time, but what I do know is that my brother cares about you a hell of a lot. Maybe more than he cares about your boy, and that’s saying something because he loves the shit out of that kid.”
Huffing out a breath, I cross my arms over my chest and stare at the man in front of me who looks so like his brother sometimes that they could be mistaken for twins.
Both men have the same trademark sandy blonde hair and stand well over six foot tall. Their builds are almost identical, down to their broad shoulders, eight-pack abs, and narrow waists that lead to heavily muscled thighs and extra large size fourteen feet. Aside from Cash’s piercings and his tattoos which significantly darker and more disturbing, it’s only their eyes that set them apart.
Where Cash’s are midnight blue, so deep and dark they could pass as black occasionally, Jump’s are hazel. Swirling vortexes of green, gold, and brown that are as mesmerizing as they are dangerous. A woman could get lost in those eyes, never to be found again.
As desirable as he is, something the vast majority of the female race would agree on, Patrick Jump Collins doesn’t come close to making me feel the way his brother does.
“Seriously, buttercup, what the fuck are you doing going on a date with that moron? Cash aside, Zander’s not even close to being good enough for you, and you know it,” he pushes.
“It’s not a matter of good enough or not, Jump. I thought you and Cash said I should try new things and meet new people. That’s what I’m doing with Zander. I’m not stupid, and I highly doubt after one date I’ll decide he’s Mr. Right, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to give it a shot,” I admit, feeling more vulnerable than I have in a long time. “And if not with him, then with someone. I’ve been alone for so long, Jump, and I think it’s time I try and open myself up to changing that.”
I don’t mean it, not even a little bit, but dinner with Zander tomorrow night isn’t about a man and woman getting to know each other. It is a purely business transaction; one that will go a long way to setting me up to take the second step of my four part plan.
CHAPTER FIVE
~ Cash ~
“With great power comes great electricity bill.”
– Proof being an adult sucks
“Anyone have any questions about what we just went over?” Boss asks from his seat at the head of the table.
He called church an hour ago, and to be honest, between setting up for the hog roast, working, and keeping an eye on Talon and Kennedy, I’m fucking exhausted. Right about now, I’d kill for a solid eight hours of sleep, but I know that won’t be happening tonight. No, tonight I have a run to make after I’ve shown my face at the party for a bit.
When no one speaks up, Boss turns to Fury giving him a hard look and addresses the elephant in the room. I should have expected this, but it still knocks me for a six when he says,
“Before all of you leave, we’ve gotta talk about Kennedy and her boy, Talon. She’s been in Furnace nearly two months now, and she’s no closer to opening up about her history than she was the day we met her. All of us know there’s some dark shit in her past, but recently there’s been enough heat on the club to last us a lifetime which means we need to go digging to make sure there’s nothing she’s not telling us that could become a problem we’ll ultimately have to deal with.”
“Don’t think that’s wise, son,” Sarge interjects. “You’d have to be blind not to see that girl’s running from something, but after she laid her life on the line for one of our own, Kennedy deserves our loyalty, not us going behind her back and digging in her closet for skeletons.”
Running his hand roughly across the back of his neck, Fury nods.
“I don’t disagree with you, but he has a point,” he says, gesturing to Boss. “The club doesn’t need the extra heat right now. With the other chapters riding in over the next few days the last thing we need are any surprises. I’d prefer to know what we’re dealing with than be left sitting in the dark, brother.”
Gage’s eyes take in both men before he adds his two cents worth.
“I hear what you’re all saying, but whatever went down with Kennedy before she showed up here is none of our fucking business. She saved my woman, so for that, I’ll be forever in her debt.”
“Yeah, and no one’s debating that, Gage. You’re biased, though, brother, and that’s not a good combination when we’re talking about the club’s safety,” Fury replies.
It’s then my brother chooses to enter the conversation and to say he’s pissed is a vast fucking understatement.
“Biased or not, he’s fucking right. Kennedy’s life is her own, and we’ve got no right digging into her back story just to save us the trouble of dealing with shit that may or may not crop up one day. She’s been through enough, and I’m telling you now, if you do this, you’re on your fucking own. I won’t vote yes to going behind her back, so if that’s what you’re putting on the table, I’m out,” he snaps, rising from his chair.
“Sit the fuck down,” Boss barks. “You’re not going anywhere, and we’re not voting on this shit. It has to be discussed, brother. If we’re going to give her our protection, we need to know what we’re dealing with.”
“Everyone needs to calm the hell down,” Maddox intervenes, trying to cut through the mounting tension. “Both of you make good points, but I’m gonna have to agree with Sarge and Jump. That woman has done a damn fine job of raising that kid on her own, which tells me she not only deserves our protection, but she’s earned it. My old lady spends every Tuesday afternoon with her and still hasn’t managed to get more than a few words out of her. And if there is anyone who can get someone to spill their secrets it’s, Lonnie, so I’m figuring Kennedy’s either not ready to talk or doesn’t ever intend to. I say we give her more time, let her settle in more, and hope she learns to trust us enough to open up. If not, we’ll deal. Either way, Kennedy deserves her privacy.”
“Not as simple as that, brother, and you know it,” Fury mutters tersely. “Kennedy’s going to have to testify in Jess’ trial, so we need to know she’s going to stick around at least that long. Not to mention, whether or not there’s shit in her past that can be used discredit her as a witness. Like it or not, the club will take the heat for putting a woman with ties to us on the stand if her past is sketchy, and I for one don’t plan on doing time because I’m afraid to hurt her feelings by running a few searches.”
“Fuck that!” Jump shouts. “The club’s clean, and has been for years. Why don’t you tell us the real reason you’re pushing for this, Fury, because I sure as fuck know it isn’t because you’re worried about wearing orange.”
Fury glares at my brother before slamming his fist down on the table in front of him.
“You want an honest answer?” Not bothering to wait for a response, he goes on to snarl, “I’ve got a wife and a kid, motherfucker. So does Boss, Jonas, and Maddox, and Gage has one on the way. Some woman your brother met fucking years ago shows up in town out of the blue with a metric shit ton of baggage just when all hell breaks loose for the club again, and you wanna tell me that’s not suspicious. Add to that, her kid’s got some illness none of us have the details of, and she comes across as Mother fucking Teresa. When something’s too good to be true, brother, it usually is.”
Now, it’s my turn to snap. I can feel the rage boiling beneath the surface, so I draw in a few deep breaths to tamp it down before I lose my shit and do something I know I’ll regret.
“He has epilepsy,” I grate out.
Talon and I have gotten close since his mom was in the hospital and he needed someone to lean on. He told me all about his condition and what it means for his future. I talked him through some of the fears he has around driving and continuing to play football wh
en he considered quitting. The kid has lived it tough, and in part, his inner strength and courage reminds me of Jump when he was Talon’s age.
“It’s not a mystery, Fury. Talon just doesn’t advertise that shit to everyone because he’s worried people will look at him differently,” I growl, defending the kid I’ve grown to care about more than I ever thought possible.
“Right. Then let me just say,” Boss begins, but I don’t let him finish.
“No,” I bark. “Don’t say anything before you hear me out. If any of you have an issue with Kennedy or Talon being here, then lay it all out on the table now. You want them gone, then consider this my notice.”
“What?” Jump rumbles beside me.
Locking my eyes with his, I apologize,
“I’m sorry, little brother, but you know this shit isn’t right.” Turning to face everyone else who is watching on with expression ranging from confusion to curiosity, I state, “Never thought it would come to this, that I’d have to consider leaving, but for her, I will. If the club can’t accept her, then you’re giving me no choice but to turn in my patch. You want to black out my ink, have at it. You want it gone completely, I’ll let you take it. But what I won’t do is let her go. I’ve been waiting years to find her, and I could give the first fuck if her showing up looks suspicious.”
Drawing strength from the almost imperceptible nod Jump gives me, telling me he has my back on this before going on to say,
“The club’s been through hard times before, and we’ve always had each other’s backs. Not once during the clusterfuck that was Boss and Beth, Fury and Avery, Jonas and Blaine, or Gage and Aislinn getting together did I do anything but stand beside you and do what needed to be done. I never questioned you or your women’s motives. I would have taken a goddamn bullet for anyone of you and I still would. That’s what family’s all about; being there when shit gets hard and doing whatever it takes to get your brothers to the other side. Prez, you’ve got Beth, Jamie, and Heather, Fury has Avery and Dexter, Jonas, Blaine and Lyric, and Gage has Aislinn and a baby on the way. All I’m asking for is the same chance I gave all of you, and if you can’t give me that with Kennedy then I’ll pack my shit, hand over my cut, and be gone before sunrise.”
Leaning forward onto his elbows, resting his head in his hands, Boss lets out what sounds like a growl. Before he can reply, Sarge shoves out of his chair, sending it careening back into the wall.
“If he’s gone, so am I,” he states harshly.
The room fills with whispered curses and muttered, “what the fucks,” causing Boss’ head to jerk up and meet the eyes of the man who became a father to him when his own decided to start using him as a punching bag.
“Old man,” he questions, the words all but ripped from his throat.
“You heard me, boy,” Sarge replies, crossing his arms over his chest. “By my count, that girl has risked her life to save another, not once, not twice, not three times, but four. There’s a lot you don’t know about her, so let me educate you before you go and do a fool thing like losing one of your best men, his brother, and me because you’re too fucking worried about what this means for you and yours.”
Fury interrupts by clearing his throat, but Sarge doesn’t let him get a word in edgeways, silencing him with a truly menacing look.
“You can shut your mouth too, boy. I’ve got plenty of years on you, and no problem beating your ass for what you’ve already said, so I’d think long and hard about whether you want to add anything else to this discussion right now.”
Furrowing his brows, Fury snaps his mouth closed and waits like the rest of us for Sarge to continue.
“I’ll start at the end and work backward,” he explains. “If it weren’t for Kennedy getting in between Jess and Aislinn, your girl might not be carrying you baby now, Gage. Jess wasn’t in her right mind then, so who’s to say any of them would’ve walked out of that warehouse breathing? That’s four. Three was when Kennedy donated bone marrow to a dying girl she’d never met, ending up so sick she couldn’t leave the house for weeks and didn’t have the means to get herself treatment. If it wasn’t for her boy sitting at her bedside day in and day out, nursing her back to health, she probably wouldn’t be here today. You haven’t seen it, and neither would I if I hadn’t walked out into the backyard when she was getting into my swimming pool, but Kennedy’s got an eleven-inch scar on her hip. I asked her about it, and it took some coaxing, but she told me it was from a surgery she had to have after breaking her leg. When I pushed, Kennedy said when she was nineteen a little boy had run out onto the road into traffic, and she had managed to grab him and get him onto the curb but not before getting clipped by a car in the process. Broke her leg in two places, and it took three surgeries to get it to set right.”
Jesus fucking Christ! I didn’t know that. Talon never said a word. As if he knows what I’m thinking, Sarge turns to me and shakes his head.
“The kid doesn’t know, or if he does, he’s blocked it out. He would have been about four then, and Kennedy had a hell of a fight on her hands to keep him out of the system when the hospital found out there was no family around to care for him.” Sighing heavily, he says, “That was two. The first time she risked her life for someone else was giving birth to her boy. Kennedy was fifteen, and you’ve all noticed, fucking tiny. Talon was ten and a half pounds born, so you do the math. She hemorrhaged, ended up in ICU and had four blood transfusions before the doctors said she was out of danger. She spent weeks in the hospital, and when it came time to be discharged had nowhere to go and a baby to take care of. That girl risked everything to make sure her kid was well taken care of, and that she was the one to do it. Fucking everything. And she’d do it again, no questions asked.”
Jump is sitting beside me shaking, but I can’t think straight enough to calm his ass down. It’s always been my job to keep my brothers well-hidden temper in check, but he’s on his own this time because mine is taking every ounce of willpower I have not to unleash.
How Sarge knows all this is beyond me. Kennedy doesn’t talk about her past, and aside from the small details I’ve been able to piece together, the rest of her is a mystery.
I know Talon is the product of the man I beat almost to death raping her. I know she has no family or friends to speak of. And I know she picked Furnace as her next stop on her way to Denver by closing her eyes and pointing at a map. There is no ulterior motive, no agenda, and no scheming on her part. Her finding me here is pure coincidence no matter what Fury has to say about it.
Holding up his hand to silence the muttered conversations my brothers are having, Boss addresses the room.
“No one’s going anywhere. I said this wasn’t something we’d vote on, and it still isn’t. My job is to ensure this club is protected, and I can only make that happen by having good men at my side, but my decision isn’t wholly based on that.” Looking to Sarge, he adds, “You know me, old man. You know if I had that information before we sat down today I’d have never brought this up. I’ve met some strong women in my time, my wife being one of them, but after what you’ve shared, it sounds like Kennedy surpasses all of them. You have anything to add?” He asks Fury.
“Yeah,” Fury nods. “Sorry, brother,” he tells me, Jump, and Sarge in kind. “If I had known, I would have kept my mouth shut too. It’s probably too late, but let me know if there’s anything I can do to help with getting Kennedy settled. That goes for Talon too. Avery loves the kid, says he’s funny, smart, and has a good head on his shoulders. We’d be happy to have him any time Kennedy needs a night off.”
“Not fucking likely,” Jump grumbles, clenching his fists tightly until his knuckles turn stark white against his otherwise tan hands.
*****
Church over and done with, everyone files out and resumes setting up folding tables, chairs, and starts the fire pits as women begin loading tables down with food and drinks for the night.
Gripping my shoulder, Sarge pulls me aside for a word before I c
an get back to manning the grill.
“I would’ve told you earlier, but it was her story to tell. Still is, boy.”
“Yeah, but it’s not one she’s planning on sharing any time soon,” I remind him.
“Maybe, maybe not, but I’ve got an idea on that, so hear me out,” he states cryptically.
“I’m listening,” I reply.
“I think it’s time your girl had a change of scenery. As much as I like having her and her boy living in my house, I think she’d be better off staying with you and Jump. It’s about time that big house you boys live in had some life breathed into it, and I’m thinking Kennedy and her son are the right people for the job.”
In the beginning, when Sarge offered his vacant house to Kennedy for as long as she needed it, I fought him on it. I wanted her with me, under my roof where I could take care of her and keep her safe. Sarge pointed out that she needed time to heal, to get used to having people around who actually gave a damn about her, but still be able to retreat if she found it too overwhelming. I saw the wisdom in what he was saying, but that didn’t change how I felt.
Vengeance MC Box Set - Volume 2: Gage ~ Cash ~ Knight (Vengeance MC series Book 8) Page 33
