Keily spent the next fifteen minutes feeding and talking to Emily. “It will be okay, little one,” she whispered. “One way or another. Somehow, I’ll get them out of this. Somehow, I’ll get the life I’ve always wanted for us…”
She didn’t know if she was just saying it out loud to remind herself of her goals, or if she was just trying to calm the chaos that was spinning in her head. Either way, it wasn’t working. Keily felt as if nothing would ever be right. She felt as if everything she wanted was slowly slipping away from her, completely out of her reach.
Holding Emily closely, she tried to garner comfort for at least having Emily. Because no matter what happened in life, as long as they had each other, everything would work out.
“Hey.”
Keily jumped at the soft sound of Tinker’s deep, timbered voice. She looked up at him from the floor, her eyes filled with tears. She hadn’t even realized that she’d been crying.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, dropping his catch.
Tinker rushed over to her and dropped to his knees. His hands found her face, cupping her cheeks so that he could tip her face to his. His thumbs softly caressed away her tears. “Keily? Babe, what is it?”
She shook her head.
“Talk to me,” he pleaded. “I can’t fix something if you don’t tell me.”
“You… You can’t fix this,” she replied.
“What is ‘this’?” he asked.
“How am I…” she sucked in a breath, then tried again to speak. “How am I supposed to give her the life she deserves… with all of this going on?” Keily felt like the most horrible mother on the planet. Totally undeserving.
“She will never remember this,” Tinker answered. “This is just a small blip. So minuscule compared to the big picture. One moment, in a lifetime full of other moments. Don’t concentrate on the now, Keily. Let it happen, and let it roll off. Do not allow this moment in life to consume you. Got it?”
She gave a slight nod.
“Good.” He leaned forward a placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “Now, let’s get up and I’ll fix us some dinner. How does that sound?”
“Okay.”
Tinker stood and helped Keily stand as well. She wiped the wetness from her face as he walked to the far side of the room and behind a small wall. Seconds later he returned carrying a plastic bag and a large box.
“It’s not much,” he said. “But if we put a towel or two in the bottom, Emily can safely sleep in this. And here are some clean, fresh sheets and a blanket for the bed. If you want to get that put together while I cook?”
“Okay,” she said again. She could use the distraction.
Tinker set the box on the floor, near the bed, and meticulously folded a beach size, fluffy towel, and laid it in the bottom. He then reached out for Emily and after kissing her forehead, just as he had Keily’s, Tinker laid her gently in the makeshift bed.
Keily’s heart fluttered. This man is going to be the death of me, she thought to herself. Seeing him with Emily did something to her insides. Ovary explosion! There was something incredibly sexy about a big, tattooed biker snuggling up to a baby.
Keily mentally shook her head. What was she thinking? Men were off-limits. She made all the wrong decisions when it came to them.
But Tinker wasn’t other men, a voice in the back of her mind said. He’s not Patrick.
Turning away from the sight of Tinker and Emily, Keily grabbed the bags on the bed and set them on the floor. She took her time to make the full-sized bed, her mind filling with thoughts of her sharing it with Tinker. His larger body surrounding her much smaller one.
Damn! she thought to herself. It’s hot in here.
She looked around the room to see that Tinker had gone back outside. Keily fanned her face. Maybe she would just sleep on the floor next to Emily, she thought. Yeah, that sounded like a better idea…
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Tinker
He found some logs and added them to the fire pit. While he was in the closet, he’d found his stash of matches, and quickly, Tinker lit the logs so he could cook the fish he’d caught. While the flames settled, he quickly filleted the two fish and made sure that all the bones were removed.
He worked by muscle memory, thankful when he put the fish onto the grate, he hadn’t cut himself or chopped off a finger because all he could think about was how badly he had wanted to kiss Keily’s plump, pink lips.
She had been so close…
When he’d walked into the cabin and saw her sitting there on the floor, holding Emily so protectively, something in his chest cracked. He felt the walls begin to crumble as a new, fiercer emotion began to consume him. Tinker knew he would do anything to protect them both, there wasn’t a question in his mind about that. But what had caught him by surprise was the sheer impact of that emotion. Seeing Keily look so broken, lost in her own little world, Tinker would have given anything to wipe that forlorn look from her face. Holding her there, in his hands, he wanted nothing more than to kiss the truth into her mind. To make her feel every single word he’d told her, deep in her soul.
When Tinker had found himself leaning forward, he knew he was in trouble. At the last second, like a pilot about to crash, he pulled up and pressed his lips against her forehead. While he hoped the gesture brought her some sense of comfort, it had caused hell in his gut and lower.
He pulled at the front of his jeans and readjusted himself.
This was going to be a long night, especially considering there was only one bed. This cabin was Tinker’s getaway. The place he came to when he needed to unwind and be alone. He’d yet to even tell anyone about this place, much less bring anyone to it. And now, he would have to share the only bed with a woman he was supposed to protect, yet couldn’t stop lusting after…
Fuck me…
“That was good,” Keily said as she stretched out her legs in front of her.
They both sat on the solo step, outside the cabin, listening to the frogs and crickets calling out. Night had long ago fallen in the woods, and peace surrounded them.
Tinker had always loved this place. The sounds of nature often soothed him after a long job, especially after the ones that left him mentally drained.
“Glad you liked it,” Tinker replied. “Sorry, there wasn’t more of it.”
“Don’t be.” Keily patted her stomach. “I wouldn’t be able to eat another bite if there was.”
Tinker nodded.
The silence descended upon them.
He felt awkward. Like a teenager on his first date, which was ridiculous since he was a grown-ass man. He tried to think of something to say but drew a blank.
He closed his eyes and sighed.
“This is awkward,” Keily said as a statement; then asked, “Or is it just me?”
He opened his eyes slowly and looked at her. She was still staring off into the woods toward the river, even though Tinker knew she couldn’t see it anymore because it was too dark outside.
“Do you think it’s because of the sexual tension between us?” Keily blurted out, then slapped a hand over her mouth.
Tinker’s brows rose and he stared at her, shocked. Then, just as suddenly as her outburst, he started to chuckle, which caused Keily to laugh. Then the next thing he knew, they were both laughing so hard they were having trouble catching their breath.
“I did not mean to say that out loud,” she admitted. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Tinker grinned. Then, turning serious, he said, “But I do think it’s because of the sexual tension.”
Now it was Keily’s turn to be shocked.
Tinker watched her face for any inclination that he’d made her uncomfortable but saw none. A part of him just wanted to kiss her and get it over with, but another part, a much smaller part, warned him that mixing business and pleasure would get messy.
He found himself leaning toward her, and his lips turned up in the slightest grin as he saw her lean toward him. His hand moved t
o the side of her face and trailed to the curve of her neck. He held her there. His eyes locked on hers. Tinker could see lust filling them and knew his mirrored the same. Her warm breath feathered over his face as he drew her in closer. Their lips were a millisecond from touching.
Finally!
And then… his phone rang, the vibration startling them both and shattering whatever had just fallen over them.
Tinker blinked and dropped his hand from where it held her in place. Glancing down, he saw his mother’s name and frowned.
“Your mom?” Keily said. The fear was back in her voice and Tinker cursed to himself.
Picking up the phone, he answered, “Hello?”
“It’s about damn time you picked up the fucking phone!” she yelled in his ear. “Sledge has been trying to get in touch with you all damn day, Jameson!”
“I know, Mom.”
“Then why didn’t you answer?” she yelled louder.
Keily’s eyes widened. Tinker knew she could hear his mother.
“Because I walked away from the club, remember.”
“The club is one thing,” she continued. “But family is different. You do not walk away from family!”
Tinker signed. “What do you need?”
“Don’t get that tone with me, Jameson Zander Parks-Evans!” Amber shouted. “You might be grown but I am still your birth giver.”
“Birth giver?” Tinker rolled his eyes. His mother’s dramatics were incredible.
“Talk to your uncle, Jameson. It’s important.”
Tinker didn’t say anything, but he heard the rustle of the phone being passed on the other side. So, he sat quietly waiting for Sledge to speak.
“I’m sorry about that,” Sledge finally said. “I had no other way to get in touch with you.”
“What’s up?” Tinker replied.
“Williams showed up today,” Sledge answered. “And it didn’t go well. Aside from a few threats thrown our way, I think Keily was right,” he heard his uncle say.
“What do you mean?” Tinker asked, on full alert.
“I don’t think Williams is as clean as he makes out to be,” Sledge explained. “I pressed him a bit about being dirty, and he didn’t react as an innocent man should.”
“What happened?” Tinker was getting annoyed with all the cryptic shit. “Just say it, Sledge. Enough with the closed mouth shit, man.”
“I think Keily knows Williams by a different name,” Sledge replied. “I think he is the one after her, not Dean. I think Williams wants to take her out in case she knows something.”
“But I don’t know anything,” Keily replied, clearly still able to hear the conversation.
“Am I on speaker?” Sledge asked, irritation in his voice.
“Fuck no!” Tinker answered. “The fuck you think. I’m stupid? The girl has good hearing, Sledge. Unlike the rest of us deaf fucks.”
Sledge sighed. “Put me on speaker then. She might as well hear it all.”
Tinker did as Sledge asked. “Done.”
“Alright,” Sledge continued. “Keily, you might not realize what you know, but there is something in that memory bank that has Williams running scared. Maybe you met him before…”
“I told you, I don’t know anyone named Williams,” Keily interrupted.
“You might know him under a different name,” Sledge finished. “At least, that’s my assumption. There’s something there. We just have to figure out what.”
“Okay,” Tinker sighed. “I’ll make some calls and start digging around.”
“Y’all need to come home,” Sledge suggested. “With Williams and his team out there, it won’t be long until they find you.”
“Not gonna happen,” Tinker answered.
“Tink… Come on, man.” He heard the worry in his uncle’s voice. “There’s safety in numbers. You know that. Come home and let us help you protect them.”
Tinker felt Keily’s soft hand land on his. And his gaze jumped to hers.
“Sledge,” Keily spoke. “While I appreciate the offer, after the incident that happened, I’m not that comfortable at the clubhouse.”
“I promise you that situation has been dealt with,” Sledge countered.
“Did my old man get a slap on the wrist?” Tinker asked sarcastically. “And a ‘no-no’?”
“Actually,” Sledge chuckled. “He got a knee to the nuts and a stint on the couch curtesy of your mother. Oh! And a fat lip. It was rather entertaining to watch if I do say so myself.”
Tinker could almost picture his mother raising hell. He could visualize the fury in her eyes as she went after her husband. He shook his head. “I’ll think about it.” And he left it at that.
“Please do,” Sledge said in earnest. “Seriously.”
“Anything else?”
“Not really,” Sledge answered. “Williams is coming in hard, hot, and fast. So, just watch your back, kid.”
“Alright.” Tinker moved to hang up the phone.
“Oh, and Tinker?” Sledge said at the last second.
“Yeah?”
“Next time I call you, answer the fucking phone.” And with that, Sledge disconnected.
Tinker stood from the step and began to pace. If Williams were dirty, then he had missed it. Fuck! All of this could have been avoided if he’d done a better job. This was his fault. Keily and Emily were in danger because of him…
He wanted to punch something.
“Tinker?” Keily said his name softly.
He turned to look at her and the concern he saw there only angered him more. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?” she asked.
Tinker shook his head. “Just don’t.”
“Oookay,” she drew out. “I don’t know what just changed here.” She drew a circle in the air between them. “But I don’t like it.”
“You don’t like it?” Tinker asked, incredulously. “News flash! You have a highly trained killer, and FBI agent, after you and your daughter. You aren’t supposed to like it!”
“I’m talking about us, asshole!” Keily shouted. “Whatever has gotten in your head, get it the hell out!”
Tinker stared at her, ready to pop something nasty back at her, but he stopped. This wasn’t Keily’s fault, and he was a prick for treating her like it was. “I’m sorry,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Shit!”
“Earlier, you asked me to talk to you,” Keily said. “Now, I’m asking the same. Talk to me, Tinker.”
He shook his head. “Doesn’t work that way, sweetness.”
“Yes, it does,” she argued. “Open your mouth and form feelings into words.”
He chuckled.
Turning away from her, he looked out in the direction of the river. He’d never been one to talk about his feelings. Did men even do that? He took a deep breath and just stood there, hoping she would give up and just drop it.
“We’re supposed to be friends, I thought,” Keily said softly. “You want me to blindly trust you, yet you can’t even trust me… Doesn’t say much for friendship, now does it?”
He heard the step creak and then the soft click on the cabin door as it closed. He turned around and she was gone.
Shit.
Tinker blew out a long breath.
What was it with women always wanting to talk? he asked himself.
He rolled his shoulders, trying to ease some of the tension as he reminded himself, We aren’t friends. I’m here to protect her. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Tinker grabbed his phone from the step and typed out a quick message before sliding it back into his pocket and heading inside. While he had originally thought it would be best to just sleep in his truck, he bunked that idea. If Williams was actively looking for Keily and Emily, then Tinker needed a good night’s rest. Which he wouldn’t get sleeping in a truck seat.
Quietly, trying not to wake Emily, he pushed open the door. But as he stepped inside, Tinker froze. The bed was empty and Keily was lying on the ha
rd floor.
What the hell? he said to himself. Out loud, he whispered, “What in the fuck are you doing?”
She turned to look at him. “Going to sleep.”
“Get in the bed.”
“The floor is fine,” she replied.
“Keily, get in the damn bed,” he repeated. “You are not sleeping on the floor.”
Tinker walked over to the small fireplace and added another log to the fire. It would warm up in there, but by morning, it might be a bit chilly.
“I said, I’m fine.”
“Keily!” he whisper-shouted. “Get up.”
She sat up quickly and with the light from the fire, Tinker could see her eyes narrowing. “I said,” she stressed each word. “That I am fine.”
“Well,” he countered. “I am not fine with you sleeping on the floor. We can share the bed.”
“No, thank you,” she said. “I don’t even know you. So please, let’s not pretend otherwise anymore.” And without another word, she laid down next to the makeshift bed they made for Emily.
Her comment hit Tinker the wrong way. And before he could think better of it, he was moving toward her. He reached down, wrapped his arms around her waist, and lifted her front the floor.
“Let go of me!” she hissed.
He ignored her.
Tossing her smaller body onto the bed, Tinker followed her down, pinning her to the mattress with his larger frame.
“No!” he hissed back. “Now stop it! Do you want to know what’s on my mind? Then fine!” he fired off. “I have this overwhelming need to either throttle you or kiss you. To either push you away or pull to close. And they war at me, every second, of every damn day since I met you. I have this urge to whip my dick out and bury it inside of you, but I can’t. I can’t because I’m your protector. Your keeper. And to do that would be a violation of the trust that I am trying so hard to build with you.”
His eyes fell to her mouth. A mouth that was currently hanging open as shock crossed over her features, followed closely by lust. Tinker saw the fire burning in her eyes that had nothing to do with the flames from the fireplace.
Tinker's Dilemma: Devil's Henchmen MC Next Generation, Book One Page 16