Chapter Five
Keily
The sound of the phone ringing caused her to jump. Looking at the caller ID, she recognized the number. It was the same number that had been calling her since Patrick was locked up. And just like every time before, Keily ignored it. She knew he couldn’t get to her, but that still didn’t stop her heart from leaping out of her chest and beating at the speed a jackhammer every damn time the phone rang. She hated that he still had the power to do that to her. The fear. The uncertainty. Keily was still looking over her shoulder everywhere she went. And as the phone finally stopped ringing, and voicemail picked up, she cringed when she heard the distinct ding to indicate that he’d left another message.
Tears began to fill her eyes. She just wanted it all to be over.
Why was it so difficult?
Why couldn’t he just let go?
A sound at the door caused her to scream, and before she could calm herself and collect her thoughts, the door flew open.
Keily jumped from her spot on the couch. She dashed to the other side of the couch and reached into the side table, pulling out the small handgun she knew her father kept there. Rolling off the couch, she fell onto the floor. Righting herself, she pointed the gun toward the man who had just entered her house. The same man who was now looking at her like she was crazy.
“Keily?” he said. “Put the gun down.”
It took her a moment to recognize who was there and when she finally did, Keily felt like a complete fool. Dropping the gun, she stared wide-eyed. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he spoke calmly. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I heard a scream.”
She was such an idiot. She felt her face heat from embarrassment.
Putting the gun back in the drawer, Keily hurried across the room to checked on Emily, who was still sound asleep. Thankfully, the commotion hadn’t woken her up. Turning back to the man standing in her living doorway, Keily tried to hide her shaking hands.
“Keily?” he said gently. “What’s wrong?”
She saw his eyes shift around the room, trying to find the threat, but he wouldn’t locate it because it wasn’t there. It was over two and a half hours away, sitting in a maximum-security prison.
“I’m sorry,” she replied.
“Don’t be sorry,” Tinker said, looking concerned. “Just tell me what’s wrong.”
He stepped toward her and Keily took an involuntary step back, bumping into the bassinet and causing Emily to let out a whining cry of displeasure.
“Shoot!” Keily said, reaching for her daughter.
Picking her up in her arms, she held Emily close, afraid that she’d drop her. Trying to soothe her daughter proved to be a bit harder than she thought. Because the more Keily held her, the fussier she became.
“Here.” Tinker held out his arms. “Let me help you.”
“It’s fine,” Keily said, shushing Emily.
“You’re upset,” Tinker replied. “Your child can feel it. Let me hold her just until you calm down a bit.” He nodded his head, trying to persuade her. “I’ll sit right here.”
She watched as he sat in her spot on the couch, waiting, arms extended. Emily began to cry louder. Keily looked down at her daughter and then back at Jameson. With a heavy sigh, she slowly walked over to him and handed him Emily. Keily stood there nervously watching as he cooed and awed at her child. The sight was extremely sweet, and she couldn’t help but smile.
“There you go, pretty girl,” Tinker whispered. “Shhh.”
Keily watched as Emily quieted down. Her little girl stared up at Jameson with big round eyes. Never in a million years, did Keily ever think that a man would be helping her soothe her child. She’d settled on a quiet life with just the two of them, months ago. But standing there, in the middle of her living room, watching Jameson and her daughter, Keily wished things had been a bit different. A man around to help take care of the baby, to help ease some of the new-mom stress, would have been nice. But then she remembered all the hell that Patrick had put her through, and she shut those thoughts down. No way would she ever live through that mess again. Keily would rather do it all on her own.
“What are you doing here?” Keily asked, needing something else to focus on.
“Oh.” Tinker smiled at her. “I gave you my number but didn’t get yours. So, I wanted to let you know that I ordered the part for your car and it will be at the shop tomorrow.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “Just wanted to keep you updated.”
“Thanks.” Keily nodded.
“She’s a beautiful baby,” Tinker commented. “How old is she?”
“Five weeks,” Keily replied.
She watched as the pierced up and tatted biker, in his black leather motorcycle jacket smiled down at her daughter, and it was enough to melt any heart. The moment was something that Keily would always remember. She wondered again about how different things would have been, had Patrick not done the things that he’d done.
Would he look at Emily like Jameson looked at her? she thought to herself.
The sound of the phone ringing caused Keily to jump. Her eyes widened as she stared at the device like it was a bomb, ready to explode. She made no move to get it. She stood frozen in place.
When would it stop? she asked herself.
Tears started to well in her eyes again. Her hands started to shake even worse. Her lungs felt like they were on fire. Keily knew she was having another panic attack. And as the first tear slid down her face, she felt an arm wrap around her. The solid muscle of his chest pressed against her cheek as his shirt soaked the moisture off her face.
The distinctive ding of the voicemail caused her to jump.
Damn it! she told herself as she tried to level out her breathing.
“Shhh,” Tinker said softly. “It’s okay. I’m right here.”
For some reason, Keily found that reassuring. She breathed in deeply, taking his scent into her lungs. Jameson smelled like leather and the outdoors. Like fresh cut grass on a summer day, mixed with the smell of coming rain. It was a relaxing fragrance. She closed her eyes and tried counting to ten, sometimes that seemed to help.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Fiv…
And the phone rang, again, which caused Keily’s shaking to worsen.
“Who is that calling, Keily?” Tinker asked.
“My ex,” she replied. She didn’t want to go into detail about Patrick. She didn’t want to talk about him. So, when Jameson didn’t ask any more questions, Keily sent him a silent, thank you. But then she felt him stiffen for a moment before she felt him shift his weight. She watched, frozen, eyes wide as he grabbed her phone and answered the call.
“No!” she whispered as he said, “Hello.”
Keily could hear the prison recording and as it got to the part where Patrick would state his name – Keily heard, “Answer the damn phone, Keily! How could you?”
She felt as if ice water had been dumped over her. All the air was sucked from her lungs as she stared in horror.
He knew… No. No. No.
She had been so careful. She moved. Cut off contact with everyone from there, even people that Patrick hadn’t known. She hadn’t told anyone where she was going. Nothing. She hadn’t even told people she was pregnant. So, how had he found out?
Keily felt her lungs growing tight and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t drag in enough air to stop the lightheadedness. She collapsed to the floor in a heap, and all at once every wall she’d built around herself came tumbling down…
Chapter Six
Tinker
Real fear.
That’s what he saw in her eyes, seconds before she hit the ground. And Tinker wanted to make it go away. So many times, he’d seen that look on the faces of his clients, and each time it bothered him. Nobody should ever have to live that way. A deep, bone-chilling fear that robbed a person of everyth
ing they held dear.
Tinker ended the call and placed her phone back on the table, not accepting the collect call. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he sent a text to Sledge: Dean contacted her. Keily is scared shitless. What do you want me to do?
He waited a few moments before he felt the vibration of his phone. Checking the message, he read: Bring her and the child in, if you can.
Tinker knew that wouldn’t be possible. At this stage, Keily’s mistrust would be toward everyone, including him. Demanding she leave her home would only make things harder for him. So, he messaged Sledge back: No can do. That isn’t going to help us figure out who Dean has tracking her. If anything, it will make things harder for us.
He waited for a reply while trying to calm Keily and soothe her daughter. Kneeling to her level, arms wrapped around them both, Tinker held Keily against him as she broke apart. And for some reason, seeing her all torn up, bothered him more than it should. The fear he still saw in her eyes rubbed him the wrong way. Tinker wanted to wipe it away, vanquish it. He wanted to remove all the distress from her world and replace it with the smile she had moments ago.
The idea should have freaked him out, considering yesterday he thought that maybe she was working with an insider to track him. But now, Tinker wasn’t so sure. He hoped he been wrong.
Could this all be part of a ruse? he wondered as he waited for Sledge’s reply. But that didn’t make sense anymore. Why go to these lengths just to track him down? Obviously, they already knew it was him, so why continue the farce? Why not just take him out? Get it over with.
Because this has nothing to do with you, he thought to himself.
The baby started to whimper causing Keily to pull away from him. She quickly wiped her face and stood. So, Tinker did the same.
Suddenly, Tinker missed the feel of her against him. Which took him a bit by surprise. He wasn’t looking for a woman. That was a complication in life that he did not want or need. But still, it didn’t stop the feeling.
“I’m sorry,” she said, no longer looking at him.
Reaching for the infant, Keily bundled the baby against her and walked toward the kitchen. Tinker stared at her, watching her go. His eyes racked down her back and stopped at the sway of her hips. Keily had that natural sway that made a man sit up and pay attention. An hour-glass shape that most women would kill for. Her ass was plump and round, and it called to his hands.
Tinker groaned under his breath and instantly he knew – he was in trouble.
Maybe he should have taken Ink up on his offer to watch over her. Tinker couldn’t afford to get too close to a client. Not again. The last time something like that happened and he crossed a line, he’d almost paid for it with his life. And that wasn’t a mistake he wanted to make again.
His phone buzzed again, and he looked to see a reply from Sledge: Shit! Okay. Then keep an eye on her. I’ll send out Joker and Sparo to set up around the property.
Tinker replied: Okay. Let me know when they are in place.
He pushed his phone back into his pocket and headed into the kitchen. Standing in the doorway, he silently watched as Keily fed her daughter. The sight nearly took his breath. It was a beautiful moment between mother and child, and Tinker felt like he was witnessing something private, not to mention, special.
He wondered what it would be like to come home to see his wife embracing his child like that. To feel that depth of love for another human being. He didn’t think it was something that would ever happen for him. He was too involved in the club and his duties to ever consider a family of his own.
Plus, he’d probably make a shit husband and father anyway, he thought.
He stood there for a moment longer, taking it all in, before he turned away and headed back to the couch to take a seat and wait for her. He should have probably excused himself and just waited outside, but Tinker didn’t think Keily was ready to be alone yet.
Minutes later, Keily and a now full baby walked back into the living room. She silently walked to the small blanket that was laid out on the floor and set Emily down so that she could play. Tinker watched as Keily stood there, staring down at the tiny little girl.
“He’s never going to stop…” Keily said softly, almost too soft for him to hear. “He’ll always find me. Find us.”
She turned back toward Tinker and he saw that same fear was still in her eyes. The emotions that played over her face weren’t something that could be created on a whim. He wanted to allow her to have her privacy, but he wanted – no, he needed to know, what had happened. What caused her to have such a reaction to a man that was spending several life sentences behind bars.
“What’s going on?” Tinker asked, just as quietly.
Keily shook her head. Her brows furrowed for a second before she cleared her throat. Turning toward him, she folded her arms protectively. “I’m sorry. You should go. Just bring the car back whenever it’s finished.”
She was cutting him off, and Tinker didn’t like it. He genuinely wanted to help her.
“Keily...”
“Jameson, please.”
Frustrated, he knew she wasn’t going to open up to him. With a heavy sigh, he stood from his place on the couch and walked over to her. Lightly grabbing her upper arms, he bent his head down to look her in the eyes.
“Do you still have my phone number?” he asked.
Keily nodded.
“Good. If you need anything. Anything,” he stressed. “Call me. Day. Night. I don’t care if it’s three am. Call me. Got it?”
She nodded again. “I’ll be fine.”
“No, Keily.” He brushed a stray hair behind her ear. “I’m serious. Anything, at all. You call me.” He pulled her into his arms and placed a kiss to her forehead, hugging her tightly for a moment before releasing her. He didn’t know why he did it, but it had just felt like the right thing to do.
The hardest thing Tinker did was walk out of her house. He was worried about her, and her daughter. Every time he blinked, he saw the fear in her eyes, and it ate at him. No woman – no person – should ever have to live with that kind of fear or anxiety.
As he walked toward his truck, Tinker felt his phone buzz – once, then twice. Pulling it from his pocket, he saw that he’d received messages from Joker and Sparo. They were in place. Discreetly, he glanced around, but couldn’t see them anywhere.
Good, he thought.
That was exactly as it should be. Because if Tinker had been able to spot them, then anyone else could, too. He climbed into his truck and fired it up. He sent a quick message to both guys, informing them of the latest issue. Patrick Dean knew about the baby, and Keily was terrified.
Tossing his phone into the cup holder, Tinker shifted the truck into gear and then drove away. But he didn’t go far. Checking his mirrors to find the road deserted, he made a sharp right turn onto an old dirt road and parked his truck out of view. Jumping out, he headed off to the woods, making his way back in the direction of Keily’s house.
Another pair of eyes wouldn’t hurt, would it?
Chapter Seven
Keily
She didn’t want him to leave. She wanted to beg him to stay, but she didn’t even know him. And she most certainly couldn’t bring an innocent man into her messed up life. This was her problem, and Keily knew she would have to face it alone.
She paced around her living room, her arms still wrapped around her middle. She had to figure out a plan. If Patrick knew about Emily, then that meant someone would have had to tell him – but who? Because that someone hadn’t been her.
Her mind raced with possibilities.
There were only a few people who knew about Emily. None of which, Keily thought, had anything to do with Patrick or even knew him. And they all lived there, in Briar Prairie.
So, who? she wondered.
She continued to pace around the room while Emily played on the floor with her toys. Her mind raced trying to figure out who, in her life, knew Patrick. But did that matter now? Wh
at’s done, was done. Now, Keily needed to figure out a way to fix it.
Maybe we can just move again, she thought.
She thought of one possibility after another, dismissing the ones that weren’t possible for her, like buying a deserted island and living happily ever after.
A sound from outside caught her attention and in her hyper-aware state, she rushed over to the window and pulled the curtain back. She watched as her father’s truck bounced and creaked down the drive and pulled up in front of the old garage. She cringed when his bumper tapped the small building. Still watching, she saw him tumble out of his truck and Keily groaned out loud. “Damn it, Dad…” Keily watched in horror as he tried to climb to his feet but stumbled again and almost fell.
Keily sent up a silent prayer of thanks that Tinker wasn’t there to witness it. The embarrassment would have just about done her in. As it was, Keily’s nerves were being pushed to their limit.
Hurrying over to the door, Keily opened it just in time to see him fumble up the steps. And she rolled her eyes. She couldn’t keep doing this. Every day since she’d been back, Keily had had to help her father into the house – whenever he bothered to come home, that is. Between taking care of Emily, and now the crap with Patrick – Keily just wasn’t in the right frame of mind.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. It was a miracle that he’d even made it home.
“I live here,” he grumbled. “What the hell do you mean?”
“You’re drunk,” she stated flatly.
“Pssh.” He waved a limp hand in the air. “Drunk, smunk.” He hiccupped.
Keily shook her head.
She couldn’t worry about his life choices, right now. Her father, for as much as she loved him, had made his own decisions. And they didn’t involve Keily or Emily.
After Keily’s mother had died, her dad had fallen down a dark hole and refused to find his way out. As she watched him continue to stumble into the house, bouncing off the walls as he made his way to his bedroom, she remembered what it had been like as a child. Days and weeks of having to fend for herself. Stealing food from the local grocery store just so she could eat. He’d never recovered from losing her mom. Frank Sharp was an empty shell of a man without the love of his life. And Keily had long ago given up on trying to fix him. She just couldn’t do it.
Tinker's Dilemma: Devil's Henchmen MC Next Generation, Book One Page 4