Spark of Hope: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 3: An MC/Band of Brothers Romance

by Kathleen Kelly

His eyes are bright as he nods and follows me to the front room. Maybe he’s been lying in bed waiting for me to come home. Apart from his bed ruffled hair, it doesn’t appear as though he was asleep.

  Logan sits on the couch, and I sit next to him.

  He clasps his hands together, hangs his head, and asks, “Did you get the man who killed your friend?” Then he twists his head to stare at me. “What did you do with Mom… I mean Yvette?”

  I suck in a breath. This kid isn’t MC, but he is family. Studying his face, I understand he would want to know. The question is, should he know?

  “Smokey wasn’t my friend… he was more than that. The men in my MC, they’re like family. It’s my responsibility as their President to provide for them, and protect them.”

  “I get it.”

  I shake my head. “No, you don’t.” Scrubbing a hand over my face, I lean forward. “Smokey was tortured and killed because Yvette let a drug cartel think we were in business with her. They assumed we were ripping them off. She got him killed.”

  This time Logan says nothing and simply nods.

  “We wanted the man who issued the order to pay for Smokey’s death.”

  “Did he?”

  I nod. “As for Yvette. She not only owed us but the drug dealers. She duped them. To keep the peace, we handed her over.”

  “So, she’s dead?” His voice cracks, and I pat him on the back.

  “Probably.” A single tear rolls down his cheek. “Do you really want to know?”

  It takes him a moment as though he’s thinking about it. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

  “I’ll get Angus to find out.”

  “How will he know?”

  Shaking my head, I say, “He’s smart, and he planted bugs in the Rochas’ warehouse. He’ll know.”

  Logan stands. “Thanks for trusting me, Kyle.”

  “You’re in now. You’re family. The MC and I will always protect you, and we expect you to do the same for us.”

  One side of Logan’s lips turns up. “You sound like a mob guy.”

  Standing, I lightly punch his arm. “The mob has nothing on us.”

  Awkwardly, Logan embraces me, and I pat him on the back.

  “You saved me. No matter what happens, I’ll never forget that.” He pulls away and walks to his bedroom, where he shuts the door without so much as another glance. Strange. Logan is a complicated individual, but I trust him enough to keep our secrets.

  Sitting in the darkness, I pull out my phone and dial Angus.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, brother. Where you at?”

  “I’m about to go on that date I told you about.”

  “Ahh, the one with the female hacker. It’s kind of late to be on a date, isn’t it?” I chuckle.

  “Yeah, she’s not here yet. She’s probably making sure I wasn’t followed.”

  “Jesus, you can pick them, hey?”

  “Did you want something?”

  “Logan wants to know what happened to Yvette.”

  His sharp intake of breath indicates he probably knows what happened to her. “What do you want me to do?”

  “I take it that means you know something?”

  “Yeah, the bug in the men’s bathroom hasn’t been detected. It’s not pretty, what they did to her.”

  I close my eyes. It is one thing to hand over someone. It’s quite another to hear all the gory details.

  “Give him a sanitized version.”

  “You want him to know?” Angus sounds surprised.

  “Might help the kid to move on.”

  “Okay, I can do that. I think my date has arrived. I’ve gotta go.”

  “You think?”

  “I’m not sure what she looks like, but she’s wearing a white scarf and has a flower in her hair.”

  I chuckle. “And is the bad guy hiding in the bushes?”

  “What?”

  “It sounds like a bad romance movie.”

  Angus laughs. “She cautious, that’s all.”

  “Have fun, brother.”

  “Will do.”

  Opening the bedroom door, Lola is fast asleep. I strip off and join her in bed, being careful not to wake her. I curve my body around hers. Lola lets out a sigh, and I smile. My whole life has been about family, the one I have and the one I created with the MC. I never thought I’d have a woman and son of my own. They’ve filled a void I didn’t know needed filling. Listening to the quiet of our home, I realize my universe is complete.

  Lola’s lips are on my neck as she works her way down my body. Under normal circumstances, I’d let her keep going, but we have a few things to discuss before I claim her.

  “Lola, I need you to stop.”

  Her head comes up, she pushes her hair out of her face with one hand and stares at me with confusion. “You want me to stop?”

  “Yeah.”

  She sits back on her legs, tilting her head to the side. “Why?”

  Sitting up, I put a pillow behind my back and pat the bed next to me. “We need to talk.”

  “Jesus, you want me to move out.”

  “Come here, love.”

  At my endearment, she shuffles forward and sits next to me. I wait until she’s comfortable, then I place a hand on her leg to reassure her.

  “Tell me about Logan and why you left him with your mother.”

  Lola hangs her head, her hair falling across her face. She takes a deep centering breath, then she moves so she can stare into my eyes while tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

  “I was a kid. Logan was born at home. Hell, his dad, Clarke… he was a kid, too.” Lola smiles. “He turned into a good man.”

  “Why is Yvette listed as his mother?”

  “That was Yvette’s idea. She said having a child, so young would ruin me, that no one would want me. I didn’t know what else to do. Clarke didn’t want me to do it, but she was my mom and I…” Lola trails off and shakes her head.

  “You trusted her.”

  One side of her mouth turns down. “Yeah.”

  “Okay, that explains Yvette as Logan’s mom.” Lola blows out air from her lungs. “But it doesn’t explain why you left him with her or why you didn’t tell me.” I reach up and rub my knuckles across her cheek. “She told me what she did to you, Lola. You know what she was capable of, so why would you put your son in danger like that?”

  A single tear runs down her face. “You never wanted kids or anything permanent. I tried to tell you… I swear.”

  “That’s your excuse?” My hand drops back to my lap. “Lola, I haven’t been with anyone else since that first night. It’s been you, only you. I’ve shared my bed and club secrets with you. You know how this life is, and you couldn’t let me in?”

  Lola dips her chin to her chest, and then she stares at me, eyes bright with tears that have not fallen. “I made mom promise she’d treat Logan right. I called almost every day. When I’d visit, I would ask Logan to make sure, and every time he said he was fine.”

  “Lola,” I growl.

  Nodding at me, she continues, “I know it wasn’t enough. I know I shouldn’t have trusted her.” Lola reaches for my hand. “The truth is… I didn’t want to lose you. Kyle, you’re the only good thing in my life. I wanted to believe she’d take care of Logan, but I let him down. When I look at him, the hurt in his eyes kills me, every… single… time. The damage Yvette did, I never wanted that for him, but… I didn’t know how to tell you.” The tears fall, and she sucks in a breath, dropping her head as she whispers. “I ended up failing you both.”

  With my finger under her chin, I tilt her head back. “No more secrets.”

  Lola nods.

  “Is there anything else I should know?”

  More tears fall. “N-No.”

  “When you went missing, I lost a piece of me, Lola. You’re right. I never wanted to be tied down or to have kids, but he’s a part of you, and I love you.”

  Lola begins to sob and throws herself at me, encircling my waist wit
h one arm.

  “Sit up, love. That’s gotta be hurting your ribs.”

  With a sniffle, Lola sits back, nodding. “Yeah.” She raises her arm over her head and pulls her long hair to one side. “How can I make this up to you?”

  “You chose the MC and me over your family. You’ve already made it up to me.”

  By coming to the pit and standing next to me while we passed judgment on her family and friends, Lola proved she could be trusted and is worthy of this life.

  Leaning in, I capture her lips for a soft kiss. “I never want to cause you pain, but I swear Lola, you lie to me again, and you’re gone.” She nods. “And if that happens, Logan stays with me.”

  “What?”

  “Logan stays with me,” I repeat.

  “You want to keep him?” she whispers.

  “He’s family now.”

  “What about me?”

  “You were always mine.”

  In one swift movement, Lola straddles my lap, putting her forehead to mine. “I’m still yours?” I nod. “I love you.”

  Her hips grind into me, and my cock responds by going hard instantly.

  “You’re hurt.”

  “You can be careful.”

  Lola kisses me, her soft lips press against mine as her tongue slips past my lips, teasing me. It’s been a long few days. I need to bury myself inside her. To claim her and make sure she knows I’m committed to her, to us, and to her son.

  With my hand on the back of her neck, I deepen the kiss causing her to moan my name. Lola’s good hand moves over my shoulder and down my back, teasing me with her long fingernails as they scratch with enough force to elicit a growl from me.

  “You always like a bit of pain, don’t you, Kyle?”

  In response, I put my legs over the side of the bed, grab her ass and stand. Lola laughs as I walk us to the end of the bed and sit her on it. The four-poster bed has a post across it, which is the perfect high for fucking my woman.

  Staring into her eyes, I slowly enter her. She’s wet, tight, and responds like no other. Lola’s legs encircle my waist, drawing me in until my shaft is deep within her. She arches her neck, letting her red hair cascade behind her. My lips suck on her neck as I withdraw, but she grips me more tightly with her legs, thrusting me back inside her.

  “I want it hard and fast,” she whispers.

  “You’re hurt.”

  Lola’s head snaps back, she smiles. “You won’t hurt me, Kyle.”

  I pull out and pump back into her.

  Lola groans in satisfaction. She puts her forehead to mine. “Take me.”

  Needing no more encouragement, I slam into her over and over again. One arm holding onto her, while the other is free to roam and explore her body. Lola bites down hard on my shoulder as her orgasm washes through her. Her tight pussy convulsing around my cock combined with the pain in my shoulder pushes me over the edge, and I find my release. All the while I’m pounding into her, she takes everything I have to give. My teeth rake down her neck, and when I’m done I peer into her eyes.

  Lola smiles at me, and I know I’ve found my spark of hope in the very depths of this woman.

  “Mine,” I state.

  “Forever,” Lola replies.

  “Yes.”

  Cutter

  For an ex-Marine, Sean was incredibly easy to follow. I knew that he’d want revenge on Carlos for killing Smokey. I didn’t realize Kyle would go along with it. I’m surprised. I didn’t believe he had it in him. Kyle’s always been good to me. Took me in when no one else would. Gave me a home, a place to belong, but my demons are dark and call out to me, making me do the most despicable things.

  I see those same demons in Logan.

  I see the way he observes everyone.

  He’s a stone-cold killer.

  And he’s smart.

  I watched him too as he slipped out of the house and followed Kyle and Sean. I’m watching him now as he climbs back into his bedroom window. Something tells me he’s going to make a great addition to the MC, and he’ll need a mentor. Of course, it can’t be me, well, not openly, but I’ll become his friend. His confidant. Make him understand he’s not alone.

  The lights go out in the MacKenny family home, and I grin to myself. It’s one fucked-up family, and they don’t even know it. They’re so busy trying to save each other that they can’t see their own flaws.

  It’s why they need someone like me—a friend who’ll always have their back. I roll my bike further down the road so I don’t disturb anyone when I start it. She kicks over on the first attempt, and I head for the clubhouse.

  Angus’ van is parked outside, which is strange. He normally goes back to whatever hole he crawled out of when his brothers no longer need him.

  Pulling up beside his van, the back door opens an inch, and I grin at him.

  “Burning the midnight oil?”

  “Cutter, I-I need your help.”

  I open the door fully, and the interior light comes on. Angus is drenched in blood, and it’s all over the inside of his van.

  “What the fuck?”

  “It’s not mine.”

  I grin at him as I relish in the fact that I get to help another MacKenny brother, thereby ingratiating myself further into their clan.

  “Who’s is it?”

  Angus is panic-stricken. “Remember the date I had to go on?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s hers.”

  “Where is she?” I ask as I scan the inside of his van.

  “I dropped her at the emergency room of Saint Michaels.”

  “Did you do it?”

  Angus’ mouth drops open. “Of course, I didn’t do it.”

  “Good. Give me the keys.” Angus stares at me with a blank expression, so I click my fingers in front of his face. “The keys, now,” I say forcefully.

  Angus reaches over into the front of the van and pulls them out of the ignition.

  “Okay, good. Now, take off all your clothes and leave them in the van.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m going to take care of this. I need to torch your van.”

  “What?”

  “My only priority is you. So, do as I say and take off your clothes.”

  When he’s standing in front of me with his hands cupped over his genitals, I chuckle.

  “Go inside and take a long hot shower. Pour a whole bottle of bleach down the drain when you’re done. Scrub with bleach under your fingernails. We don’t want any DNA to come back and bite you on the ass.” Angus nods. “You got your laptop?”

  “Yeah, it’s on the front seat.”

  I open the door, take it out, and hand it to him.

  “It doesn’t look like it’s got blood on it, but wipe it down with bleach. If you have any blood on it, torch it, you get me?”

  “Y-Yes.”

  “In the meantime, find out what you can about your date. Do your thing,” I say as I point to his laptop that he’s holding over his groin. “Don’t tell anyone what’s happened. Keep your mouth shut until I get back.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Cutter.”

  I grin at him. “Your family, it’s what I do.”

  in

  Book Four, Spark of Deception, the MacKenny Brothers Series

  Click here to purchase

  BLURB

  Angus MacKenny, computer hacker, super smart, and the younger brother to Kyle, President of the Loyal Rebels MC and Sean, VP of the Loyal Rebels MC.

  Angus is in serious trouble, and he’s always bailed his brothers out.

  Now. they are in a fight against time to save him.

  If you liked this story, you might also like:

  Spark: The MacKenny Brothers Series Book 1

  Spark of Vengeance: The MacKenny Brothers Series Book 2

  Tackling Love – A Sports Romance featuring Colton Anders

  The Savage Angels MC Series

  Savage Stalker Book 1

  Click here to purchase

  BLURB

>   Isn’t it funny?

  How one accident can change your entire path.

  I was an international rock star and the female lead singer for the Grinders, but now I’m hiding in the mountains away from everything and everyone.

  That is until the President of the Savage Angels MC, Dane Reynolds, gave me a reason to feel again.

  He’s fierce, strong, and loyal, but someone sinister hides in the shadows.

  Can Dane save Kat? Or will the savage stalker get to her first?

  Savage Fire Book 2

  Savage Town Book 3

  Savage Lover Book 4

  Savage Sacrifice Book 5

  Savage Rebel (Novella) Book 6

  Savage Lies Book 7

  Savage Life Book 8

  Savage Christmas (Novella) Book 9

  Savage Angels MC Collection Books 1 – 3

  Savage Angels MC Collection Books 4 – 6

  The Grinders Series

  Truth Book One

  As corny as it sounds, I’d like to thank all the bloggers, readers, authors, and everyone connected with the book world.

  I know there’s a lot of drama in the book world, but after six years and twenty books, I’m happy to say that hasn’t been my experience.

  If you’re a new author reading this and haven’t found your tribe in this awesome community, reach out. If not to me, then to someone you admire within it.

  Hopefully, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

  Take care and thank you all.

  Check these links for more from Kathleen Kelly

  READER GROUP

  Want access to fun, prizes, and sneak peeks?

  Join my Facebook Reader Group.

  Click here

  NEWSLETTER

  Want to see what’s next?

  Sign up for my newsletter.

  Click here

  BOOKBUB

  Connect with me on Bookbub.