“No!” Keily shouted. “You don’t understand. He killed her. He killed my baby!” She cried even harder.
“What?” Tinker was confused. “Who?” He had no idea what she was talking about. “Keily, I literally just handed Emily to my mom. Please, calm down. It was just a bad dream.”
“You what?” Keily jumped from the bed. “What gives you the right to give my child to anyone?”
Tinker sat there as Keily tore him a new asshole.
Whatever had happened in her dream, had also affected her mentally. He let her rant. Yell, cuss, scream, and call him everything under the sun. He just continued to silently sit there as she let out all the pent-up fear and anxiety she was feeling. He understood. Sometimes, he found himself in that same place, and it was never fun. So, if this was what she needed from him, then Tinker would give it to her.
He was a big enough man to handle it.
He remained quiet until her shoulders slumped, and her breath hitched. Then he simply stood and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her again. He wasn’t much for giving comfort but there was an internal pull between them that demanded he make it better for her.
“It’ll be okay, Keily,” he tried to reassure her. “I promise. Look at me.” He held her at arm’s length until her eyes met his. “I promise. Do you hear me?”
She nodded.
“I promise, I’ll take care of this.” He pulled her back into the circle of his arms. “I’ll make this all go away so you and Emily can live long, happy lives. You have my word,” he whispered into her hair.
God, please let me keep that vow, he silently said.
A soft knock on the door caused them both to turn their heads as it opened slowly. His mom stuck her head in. “I have someone here who’d like to see her mommy.”
Keily smiled and quickly wiped away the tears as she held out her arms for the tiny little girl. “Hi, baby!” The smile that spread across Keily’s face triggered something in Tinker’s heart.
Fuck me… He knew he was in trouble.
As his mom handed Emily over to Keily, Reaper said, “Can I talk to you for a minute, son?”
Tinker nodded.
Keily’s eyes looked panicked.
“It’s okay,” his mom said quickly. “I’ll be right here.”
Keily took a deep breath and gave him a weak smile.
He winked at her, then followed his dad out of the room.
The moment to door clicked shut, Reaper turned on him. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
“What?”
“Don’t act stupid,” Reaper replied. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. You’re allowing that girl to get close to you. To depend on you.”
“Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?” Tinker countered. “Ensure our clients trust us? How else are we supposed to protect them?” Tinker couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of his voice, even if he tried – and he hadn’t.
“Check your tone!” Reaper said, his voice deathly low.
“Mind your place, Dad!” Tinker emphasized the last word.
“What the…” Reaper took two steps away, then turned. Getting in Tinker’s face, he replied, “I don’t know what has gotten into you, but you’re off this case. Done. Do I make myself fucking clear?”
Reaper didn’t wait for Tinker’s reply.
tinker watched as his old man stormed off back down the hallway. Of all the people in the club, he’d expected his father to understand the situation he was in. His father had thrown caution to the wind when he went after his mom – the club President’s sister.
But Sledge gave his permission, a voice said in the back of his mind.
Yet, Tinker got nothing. It was either remain focused on the club, or you were fucking up. Could he not have a woman in his life and be in the club?
Wait. What? Tinker sighed. What was he thinking? Did he even want a woman? Did he want Keily? Fuck!
His mom opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. “What happened?” she asked.
“I’m fucking up left and right, Mom.” He sighed again, running a hand through his hair.
“Oh, baby.” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “Sometimes love sucks. But if you think she’s worth it, then fight for her.”
“What?” He wanted to deny her words. “No.”
“Yes.” She laughed. “Don’t think a mother doesn’t know. You’ve had the hots for that girl since she ran you off the road! Boy, I’m not stupid.”
“She didn’t run me off the road,” he corrected.
“I see you didn’t deny the rest of that statement, though.” She cocked a brow. “Hmm.” She kissed his cheek and then patted his chest. “Don’t worry about your father or uncle. I’ll deal with those two. You just flow wherever the water takes you. Okay?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
He watched as his mom walked away, in the same direction as his dad. He knew better than to question her. Amber Parks-Evans had an innate sense of knowing things, even before he knew about them himself.
Opening Keily’s bedroom door, he saw her and Emily lying on the bed. She reached over and patted the opposite side wanting him to lie down with them.
Tinker smiled, closing the door behind him.
And as he walked over to the bed and sat, he kicked off his boots and carefully laid back against the headboard. “Get some rest,” he said quietly. “I’ll stay here and watch over you.”
Keily nodded at him with sleepy eyes. “If I…”
“If you start to have a nightmare, I’ll wake you up.”
“Thank you, Tinker,” she whispered.
“Night, Keily.”
He sat there in the bed, long after Keily had fallen asleep, watching over them both. He made a promise and he intended to keep it. No matter what, come hell or high water – he would keep Keily and Emily safe – from all harm.
Even if that meant fighting off his own club…
Chapter Twenty-Four
Keily
Her eyelids fluttered as she stretched and yawned, trying to clear the fog from her brain. Gawd! Her body hurt, but she felt rested. Something she didn’t think would be possible after yesterday’s event. As she became more aware of her surroundings, Keily’s eyes focused on the empty bed in front of her.
Panic filled her as she realized she was alone. Sitting up, she searched the room to find Tinker sitting in the chair in the corner, feeding Emily. The sight of them together caused her heart to accelerate for a different reason.
Images started to flash in her mind of a different time. Oh, how she wondered what it would be like to have a guy like Tinker in her life? To wake up to him every morning… To have someone help her raise Emily… To be the dad her daughter deserved… She could picture them playing in the front yard… Tinker chasing Emily around as her giggles reached for the heavens…
Keily smiled at the thought.
“Good morning,” she heard him say. “What’s that smile for?”
She blinked, caught off guard by his words. What could she tell him? Not the truth, that’s for sure. So instead, she just said, “Good morning. And I was thinking about how great a hot cup of coffee sounded.”
“There’s some in the kitchen,” Tinker told her, still rocking Emily. “Go help yourself.”
Climbing out of bed, she stretched again and walked over toward them, placing a light kiss on Emily’s head, she asked, “Are you sure? I can take Emily.”
“Yep,” Tinker replied, staring down at the now sleeping child. “Go. Get some coffee and a bite to eat. I think my mom made pancakes.”
At that moment, her stomach rumbled, and she remembered the food tray. Looking around the room, she didn’t find it.
“I already cleaned it up and took it back to the kitchen,” Tinker said as if reading her mind.
“Oh.”
“Go on.” He shooed. “We’re good here.”
“Have you slept at all?” she asked, knowing that
she hadn’t woken up at all during the night. And Emily wasn’t sleeping through it yet.
“A bit.”
“I’m so sorry.” She felt horrible, not only for Tinker but for Emily, too.
What kind of mother was she? Sleeping all night and allowing someone else to take care of her responsibilities. That wasn’t who she was.
“Don’t be,” Tinker told her. “You needed the rest. Plus, I didn’t mind a bit.”
Keily’s mouth went dry as she watched Tinker smile down at her daughter. And not just any smile. He flashed his pearly whites, giving Emily the most gorgeous smile that Keily had ever seen. And now I’m jealous of a baby, she sighed. Lawd, help me.
Shaking her head, she turned away from the scene in front of her and headed out of the room, following the glorious smell of dark roast coffee.
“Good morning!” she heard as she walked into the kitchen area.
“Good morning,” she replied, heading straight for the coffee maker.
Fixing herself a cup, she turned back to the group who had gathered and softly blew on the brew before taking a sip. Watching them from over the rim, Keily felt a bit out of place. She didn’t really know anyone and thought about just returning to her room.
On the far side of the room was a long, rectangular table. She had a feeling it was off-limits to her. Sledge, Diesel, Reaper, and Gunny sat there, looking out over the rest of the room. There were three other tables scattered throughout the place, many held people that she didn’t know. But she spotted Joker at one, along with Sparo, and decided to sit with them.
As she walked closer, Joker spotted her and smiled. “Morning,” he said, tapping the seat next to him. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” Keily sat down and continued to drink her coffee. It tasted delicious.
“How’d you sleep?” Sparo asked.
“Fine,” she replied, not wanting to tell them that she’d slept like a rock because she had Tinker watching over her.
“Good.” Sparo and Joker both nodded.
“Keily?” Amber called her name. “Come get something to eat.”
“You better go,” Joker said. “If not, she will make your plate, and trust me you don’t want that.”
She looked at Joker, confused. Then at Sparo. Sparo spread his hands apart. “She’ll pile it high and expect you to eat every bite.” He puffed out his cheeks, causing Keily to giggle.
“Thanks for the warning,” she laughed.
Leaving her cup, she walked over to where the food had been set out in a buffet style and grabbed a plate. There was so much food spread out along the table, that Keily didn’t even know where to begin. Everything looked and smelled amazing. Moving down the line, she scooped herself some eggs, bacon, a pancake, and some fresh fruit, before realizing that she probably wouldn’t even be able to eat it all.
Taking her plate, Keily returning to sit with the guys and quietly ate her breakfast. She listened to the conversations around the room and wondered if she should go get Tinker. He was probably hungry too and she felt bad for leaving him to take care of Emily. After all, she wasn’t his responsibility.
“Slow down before you choke,” Sparo warned.
“Tinker has Emily,” she explained. “I want to get back so he can come to eat, too.”
“He already did,” Joker replied. “He and the babe were out here earlier.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t even known he’d left the room. Of course not. You slept like the dead. Then she cringed at her use of wording.
“You okay?” Sparo asked.
“Yeah, just thought of something that didn’t sit well,” she replied.
He nodded.
Keily continued to eat and when she was finally finished, she picked up her empty dishes and carried them to the sink where she quickly washed and rinsed them before putting them on the rack to dry. But as she turned from the sink, she came face to face with Reaper.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, trying to move out of his way. But he blocked her.
Keily froze, looking up to meet his eyes.
“I don’t know what kind of game you are playing with my son,” he said quietly so that no one would overhear. “But stop.”
“What?” Keily had no idea what he was talking about.
“Don’t play dumb with me.”
“I’m not,” Keily defended. “I legit have no idea what you’re talking about.” And a large part of her was rather offended. Who the hell does this guy think he is?
“Tinker has his entire life ahead of him,” Reaper continued. “This club is a whole hell of a lot more important than wetting his dick.”
“What!” Shocked, Keily’s voice rose causing everyone in the room to turn their direction. Which, in turn, caused Reaper to back away from her.
Keily was pissed. If she was offended before, now she was… Hell, she didn’t even have a word to describe how she felt. But the fact that Reaper was standing before her, accusing her of something she was not guilty of, infuriated her beyond belief.
“What’s going on here?” Amber asked, looking between Keily and Reaper.
“I have no damn idea,” Keily spat. “Why don’t you ask your asshole of a husband?”
“Hey!” Sledge said from across the room. “You are a guest here. Do not overstep by insulting my members.”
“Insulting your members?” Keily replied. “Your fucking member just accused me of seducing Tinker and potentially ruining his life! Do you treat all your guests like shit?”
“You what?” Amber said to Reaper, between clenched teeth.
“Stay out of this,” he warned her.
“Oh, I don’t fucking think so!” Amber seethed. “You pigheaded, jackass!”
“Amber!” Sledge shouted, getting her attention. “This is not the place.”
“Actually, you know what?” Keily raised her hands. “I’m done with this shit. And all of you.” Turning to Amber she said, “Thank you for everything, and I’m incredibly sorry for whatever distress I have brought to you and your family.”
“Kei…” Amber tried to say, but Keily shook her head.
“Don’t.”
Keily turned and hurried out of the room and down the hall. She was trying her best to fight back the tears. Never had she ever been so insulted or made to feel so lowly.
Throwing open the door to the bedroom, Tinker’s head shot up as she rushed over to him. “Give me my daughter.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, handing Emily to her.
“Nothing.” Keily turned to leave and rushed out of the room.
“Keily!” Tinker called, but she didn’t slow down.
Joker tried to step in front of her, but Keily wasn’t allowing it. Cradling Emily close to her chest, she shouldered past him and headed for the door. All hell had broken loose in the kitchen. Amber was yelling at Reaper. Sledge was yelling at Amber. Beth at Sledge. It was complete chaos, and Keily wanted out of it.
Grabbing the doorknob, she ripped open the door, tucked Emily close to her chest, and ran. Fuck these people! She didn’t need them. She’d figure out a way to keep herself and Emily safe on her own.
Or she’d die trying…
Chapter Twenty-Five
Tinker
He stood froze watching the pandemonium unfold in the kitchen. “What the…”
“I’m sorry, man,” Joker said.
“What the fuck happened?” He looked around the room and then toward the door.
“Reaper said something to Keily.” Joker shrugged. “From what it sounded like, he basically accused her of ruining your life or some shit.”
“What?” Tinker saw red.
And before Joker could say anything else, Tinker rushed toward his father. Grabbing Reaper by the shoulder, Tinker yanked him around and let his fist connect to the man’s jaw. The surprise attack caused Reaper to lose his footing and land on his ass.
He heard his mother scream.
“You son of a bitch!” Tinker sneered. “Who in the fuck
do you think you are?”
“Your father!” Reaper shouted.
“You do not get a say-so in my goddamn life,” Tinker hollered. “I told you to mind your fucking business.”
“You are my business!” Reaper yelled back.
“Tinker…” There was a warning in Sledge’s voice. But Tinker didn’t give a single shit.
“No.” He shook his head. “Don’t start,” he told Sledge. “President or not, you have no right. And neither does he. And you damn well know it.”
Reaper climbed back to his feet. “That girl is wrapping herself around your head. She will cause you to make mistakes. She will get you killed!” His deep baritone voice rattled on the last sentence.
Tinker disagreed. “Guess kinda like my mom was your mistake, huh?” Tinker’s eyes narrowed. “Go to hell, man.”
His mother gasped.
Tinker turned his back on his brothers in arms and strode for the door. He was done. Reaper crossed a line and Tinker wasn’t the type to let that shit go. Brotherhood was brotherhood. And when a brother overstepped, it was dealt with, but because of Reaper’s rank, Tinker knew nothing would be said to him.
“Where are you going?” Sledge demanded.
Tinker stopped. And without turning back, he said, “Again, I am not your business.” He slipped off his cut and tossed it on the floor.
Fuck this club. Fuck Reaper. Fuck Sledge.
He heard his mom scream out his name and he walked out of the door, slamming it behind him. Tinker didn’t need the club. If anything, it was the other way around.
Running out of the parking lot, he headed toward Keily’s house. With each step, he hoped he got there before she did something drastic – like running off, alone.
He had made a promise to her – to protect her and Emily – and he had every damn intention of following through with it.
Even if it killed him…
Walking into the house, he called out her name, “Keily!” Her car was still out front.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
Tinker could tell that she was upset, but what he didn’t like was that it was directed at him. “Listen, you have every right to be pissed at Reaper, but don’t take that shit out on me,” he said.
Tinker's Dilemma: Devil's Henchmen MC Next Generation, Book One Page 14