by Kells, India
Wild Bastard
A Dark Sparrow Novel
India Kells
License Notes
WILD BASTARD
by India Kells
Copyright © 2019 by India Kells
Editing and proofreading by Black Opal Editing
Cover Art by Deranged Doctor Design
All rights reserved
ISBN 978-1-989354-03-2
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
www.indiakells.com
Contents
Introduction
Definitions
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue
Lost Bastard Sneak Peek
Also by India Kells
About the Author
Isabel Osborne learned early that when life gives you lemons, grab the salt and find some tequila. Before her life took an unexpected path, she found her prince charming in the form of a laughing surfer. The tragedy was that she couldn’t keep him, and even worse, had to break his heart. As she walked away without a word and with a bleeding heart, her only regret was that he’d never know how much she had loved him.
Kai Jones, former Delta Force, together with his bastard brothers, has a single objective with his bastard brothers—bring down their father at all cost before other lives are on the line. But when he comes face to face with a siren from his past, his mighty control is shattered and replaced by hatred and bitterness. How can he rein in his resentment toward the woman who betrayed him and focus on the mission?
When he’s forced to protect her, Kai discovers that Isabel is more than who she seems. He can’t help but admire the person she has become, and it makes him reconsider his feelings for her. Soon though, the secrets she kept hidden for so long shake his own convictions. With danger lurking, Kai will have to make a decision between stepping away from those shocking revelations or listen to his heart and who it longs for.
WILD BASTARD is the third book of the Dark Sparrows series by USA Today bestselling author India Kells. No cliffhanger. Blazing heat. The happily ever after you crave!
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. ~ Confucius.
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain. ~ Vivian Greene
Definitions
Bastard
~ An illegitimate child
~ An offensive or disagreeable person
Dark Sparrow
~ A small gray-brown songbird
~ A soul offered a new life in exchange for a favor to be repaid later
Chapter One
Isabel Osborne’s day couldn’t have been busier. Every single minute of it had been planned and each meeting had overflowed into the other. And it didn’t take into account receiving a call from an old friend wanting to urgently meet with her. Fitting that meeting into her packed schedule had been an exercise in upper management scheduling.
As she walked to meet Gabrielle Thorne, her long-time best friend, Isabel tried not to remember why they had initially met. The only good thing from that chapter of her life was meeting the blond Amazon who’d helped her to change the course of her destiny and ultimately build a small empire of her own.
It was Gabrielle who’d inspired her new career—Information. Not the dark, shady type used to get her out of trouble, but information available to the world and that could be twisted and colored to destroy people or build them up. As the head of her own PR and crisis management firm, Isabel was a respected member of the Chicago business community, and her reputation and talent had expanded both on the East and West Coasts, an accomplishment she’d never thought possible. Not with her past.
A past that was never far away, and one that could come back and haunt her in a matter of seconds, but she was tired of always thinking about that. If ever it became the case, she would deal. After all, she was a specialist in this kind of situation. Not that she wanted to test what she was capable of, but it would be the ultimate proof of her talent and resilience.
Pushing those thoughts aside, she spotted the bar where Gabrielle was supposed to meet her. She was starving and couldn’t remember the last time she ate. Maybe it was when her assistant pushed a muffin into her hand, but she had no recollection of actually putting it in her mouth.
Besides her many duties, Isabel had started her research into what Gabrielle had requested. It was known that Isabel had a way of getting information that no one else could, especially from the closed-off business community. Once you were in, it was like being part of a very exclusive club, one she intended to make the most of.
The small pub was bustling with the after-work crowd, and as it was so close to the Loop, most of its customers still sported suits and ties. Trying to make her way inside, someone pinched her butt and Isabel snarled, turning and punching the asshole in the gut. It was a young professional who was already inebriated, but no way she would let that go. By the look of surprise and pain on his face, she was certain her point had been made.
“Izzy!” The familiar voice made her turn and, over the crowd, she saw Gabrielle’s blond head, so similar to hers, bouncing toward her.
With a big smile on her face, Isabel extricated herself from the mass of bodies before being engulfed in a big hug. The simple contact, that true friendship, the sincere sisterly love, was exactly what she needed. When they both looked at each other, they started laughing.
“You look good, Gab. Married life agrees with you!”
Gabrielle swatted her playfully on the shoulder. “You say that because we look alike, and you want me to say that you’re beautiful.”
Isabel rolled her eyes. It was true that with their light-blond hair and tall builds, they looked alike, but it stopped there in her opinion. Where Gabrielle had an Amazonian beauty to her—more athletic with pale blue eyes—Isabel looked like a baby doll, all curves and softness, with a pouty mouth and dark blue irises that looked almost black. But both women had a definite strength in them, and a wicked sense of humor, which made them fast friends from the moment they met years ago.
“I’ve had people tell me I’m beautiful day in and day out for years, and it got me in heaps of shit… And I was being sincere. Sully is a lucky man. How is he? And Arthur?”
At the mention of her husband and adopted son, Gabrielle brightened even more. “They’re both good. Sully just came back from a mission and has taken Arthur on a fishing trip. Th
e house will smell like fish for weeks to come.”
As Isabel laughed, she was bumped quite rudely by a man with two pitchers of beer.
“Gab, you couldn’t have chosen another place? This pub is packed and noisy as hell.”
“Hiding in plain sight, and all that. You know I wouldn’t ask help from one of our Dark Sparrows if it weren’t important. Come to our booth, the guys are already there and you all need an update on what’s going on.”
It was true that Isabel wasn’t exactly sure why Gabrielle had requested her services and what her research entailed. The use of that code name was intriguing, but from the underlying tension in her friend, she suspected it was something serious.
Taking her hand, Gabrielle pulled her toward the back of the bar, where the noise dimmed a bit and the large, circular booths offered better privacy. As they approached, a tall, bearded man got to his feet.
“Izzy, may I introduce you to Lazarus King. He’s the one who needs your services.”
At Gabrielle’s weird choice of words, Isabel shot a look at her friend who appeared as if she was enjoying their inside joke too much. Lazarus King didn’t seem to understand the double entendre and offered his hand.
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Osborne.” The British accent rolled over her like honey, and that smile could send the entire female population of Chicago mad. However, there was something about his face that nagged her. As if she had seen him before.
“Do I know you? You look familiar.” Isabel was sifting through her memory and something told her that it was quite recent, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Smiling, Lazarus grinned. “Yeah, I’ve heard that a lot lately. You’re probably referring to my brother, Archer Blackwood of Blackwood Energies.”
And it clicked in her mind. “Yes! The Adler Planetarium party. A little more than a year ago. I was there and met Blackwood. He’s the image of you, but without the beard.”
Gabrielle touched her arm. “And that is private information, Izzy. Don’t discuss it with anyone, please.” Another strange request, but she could wait and twist Gabrielle’s arm in private for more details.
“Before we start, I want to introduce you to two of his other brothers. This is Aleksei Voronov.” The man near the outside of the booth was handsome in his own right, but with his shaggy dark hair and greatly tattooed skin, he imposed an air of danger. What intrigued her was the suit he was sporting. Smiling, she offered her hand. His touch was warm, but his palm rugged.
“Mr. Voronov.”
“Miss Osborne. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
As always, hearing that phrase caused something like fear to twist in her stomach. “And where was that?”
“I’m a senior accountant at Magnus, Christiani, and Zayne.”
The name brought a devilish smile to her lips. “Ah! Of course. I’ve had some dealings with them.”
Instead of appearing resentful, Voronov smiled in agreement. “Yes, and it was fun to see those big bosses squirm.”
Isabel smirked as Gabrielle steered her to the last man. “And this is Kai Jones.”
Everything in Isabel froze, her offered hand stopped in mid-air. Her eyes locked with the man sitting opposite her in the booth and she wondered if it was the universe’s idea of a bad joke. Kai seemed as surprised as she was, which confirmed that it wasn’t premeditated. And the fact that he didn’t offer his hand was a tell-tale sign that he remembered her quite well also.
As they all took their places in the booth and Gabrielle ordered a round of beers, it gave Isabel the minute she needed to steady herself and focus on the reason she was there.
It was difficult not to look at him; Kai had changed since she’d last seen him years ago. His brown hair was much longer and his body even larger, more powerful. Some things hadn’t changed though. Kai still wore a blindingly bright Hawaiian shirt. They were awful but suited him too. Isabel believed he was the only man able to pull off that look in the middle of Chicago without being completely ridiculous. Even worse, looking sexy while doing so.
When the waitress came with the pitchers and glasses, Isabel welcomed the drink. Her system needed the alcohol, and it would give her something to do with her hands. With their current arrangement, Lazarus and Gabrielle were sitting in front of her, with Aleksei to her left and Kai in the middle.
Gabrielle looked around and started. “We called upon your expertise, Izzy, because we have a serious problem.”
Lazarus nodded and continued. “For a couple of years now, we’ve been in the middle of a guerrilla war with our father. To put it mildly, he hates all his sons and is ready to go to extremes to have the upper hand over us, even have us killed if it suits his needs. Not only is he attacking us directly, but he’s also threatening our families and friends. He’s got to be stopped. So far, we’ve been on the receiving end, but we need to find a crack in his armor, a way of attacking him and bringing him down.”
Kai snorted. “Bringing him down is way too easy for him. It’s not enough, in my opinion.”
Isabel turned to him and blinked. She didn’t know he had other brothers. Another thing that surprised her was his anger, it was so unlike the man she remembered. It gave her additional insight into how dangerous his father was. When they had met all those years ago, they never discussed their lives in detail.
Lazarus nodded at his brother. “I agree. But it would have been way too easy to put a bullet in his head. We need another way. It seems that he’s set on staying in Chicago for the time being and making our lives hell. He’s already attacked two of my brothers, and there’s no way of knowing who he’ll target next. With Archer, he forced his girlfriend to steal data from two of his buyers.”
Isabel leaned back, her fingers tracing idle patterns on her damp glass. “Normally, if someone is stealing data, it’s often related to an impending blackmail threat.”
The men looked at each other without saying a word. Gabrielle nodded. “And those two men are only the ones we know about. We need to find something on him to give us some leverage. Purgatory, the organization I work for, has tried anything and everything so far without success. Lazarus even reached out to his old contacts at MI6 and it’s another dead end.”
“How can I help?” Isabel was at a bit of loss.
“You’re one of the most active members of Chicago’s most influential businesses. And as he has decided to stay in Chicago, he will certainly want to be involved in that business circle. You are bound to hear or see something.”
“He’s someone I know? Is he already in the circle?”
All the men looked at each other again, apart from Kai, whose eyes were only on her.
Aleksei sighed. “He’s a dangerous man, Isabel. By getting involved, there’s always a risk. Personally, I’m against having another civilian in the mix. It almost cost Zoe, Archer’s wife, her life.”
“If there’s a risk, are you sure Isabel is strong enough?”
Isabel clenched her hands on her lap. Not sure if the others knew of their connection, she preferred to ignore his insult.
It was Gabrielle who saved her. “Isabel is one of the strongest people I know.” Her friend’s confidence made her smile. It was true that Gabrielle was the only one who knew how much she’d had to grow and fight to get where she was.
“I owe Gabrielle and Beatrice a lot. And it’s clear that what happens to you and your brothers matters to my friend.”
Kai shifted in his seat, but she decided to ignore him.
“So, who do I have to keep an eye on?”
Lazarus’s gaze darkened. “Jamieson Finch.”
Isabel blinked. “You’re kidding me, right? The powerful mogul?”
At their silence, it was obvious to Isabel it was the same man. She sighed, sensing impending trouble. So better announce it now. “Well, it won’t be that difficult to get close. He contacted me this morning for an appointment. I’m meeting him tomorrow.”
Chapter Two
Isabel didn’t
think it was possible for the busy pub to go quiet, but she didn’t count on the moment when three tall, muscled, and mean-looking men on a mission stood up as one and decided to leave the premises through the back. The crowd of customers parted like the Red Sea.
Not sure what was happening, she decided to follow Gabrielle, making lots of mental notes for future questions. Also, walking alongside her friend allowed her to avoid contact with Kai Jones, which was the best idea of the year.
She had never expected to see him again, or worse expected the effect he’d have on her after so many years. It was a real shock to her system, and that system wasn’t shocked easily.
What was with all that nostalgia gripping her by the throat? She was an established, successful woman, it wasn’t like her to wallow in the past. What was done was done. The sudden reappearance of the surfer was only a simple coincidence she had no intention of exploring. If anything, she was a pragmatist.
When they finally got out of the pub, the men turned to Gabrielle, but it was Lazarus who spoke. “We need to continue this conversation in a secure location. Isabel needs to be briefed.”
