And she stayed that way.
Keily had no idea where they were going, but she trusted Tinker; even though it was obvious that the trust was only a one-way street.
And that knowledge hurt, especially considering what happened between them just a few hours ago. She didn’t know what to say to him. Well, that wasn’t completely true. There was a lot that Keily could say, but it wouldn’t have made a difference. It was obvious that Tinker didn’t care about her anxiety or her feelings; and there wasn’t anything she could do to change it, so she didn’t bother.
Keily understood he was working, but what she didn’t get – was why? Again, what had Sledge said to Tinker to cause such a drastic change in his behavior? How was he so capable of turning off all emotion and going into Rambo mode? Or maybe there wasn’t anything to turn off… Maybe there was nothing really between them. Maybe Keily had just read more into it.
After all, sex is just that – sex. Right?
At some point in the journey, Keily had fallen asleep, mentally, and physically exhausted. When she woke up, she blinked. The sun had long since risen and the sky was painted a beautiful shade of baby blue.
She looked around, and immediately Keily knew exactly where they were, but she didn’t understand why. Why return to the place they had just left? It didn’t make any sense. Why would he bring her back to the one place where she didn’t want to be?
“Why are we here?” she asked.
Tinker glanced over at her, then back to the road. “It will be safer here.”
“Why?” she inquired. “What did Sledge say?”
“Club business,” was all he replied.
“That’s it?” Keily didn’t like the answer. “That’s all I get? Club business. Really?”
“Yes.”
She stared at his profile as her anger bloomed. What the actual fuck? Was that all she was worth? She didn’t understand the need for secrets, especially since it was her ass on the line, and her daughter’s. So, why was she the only one being left in the dark?
Friends, my ass!
Keily was done. She couldn’t do this anymore. So, as they turned down the gravel road between Tinker’s shop and her old house, she created her plan.
Fuck Tinker. Fuck the club. Fuck Williams.
Keily would take care of herself and Emily on her own. She didn’t need Tinker. Or anyone else for that matter. And she most certainly didn’t need the secrets and lies.
She fought back the tears that threatened to fall. She would not cry, she reminded herself. She had been alone for a long time. After her mother died, it had just been her since her father turned to the bottle. And even during her relationship with Patrick, she had still been alone. So, it was nothing new for her. Second nature, really.
Tinker pulled the truck to a stop and without saying a word, opened the door and hopped out. Keily slowly unbuckled her seat belt and climbed out. She opened the back door, but Tinker was there, already grabbing Emily from her seat.
“I got her,” he said, then closed the door and proceeded to walk toward the house.
Keily stood there for a moment, shocked and silent. Could she not take care of her kid now too?
Taking a deep breath, so she wouldn’t flip out on him, she followed him back into the clubhouse. And as the door closed behind her, a new sensation hit her. Keily felt trapped, and she didn’t like it. She felt as if she were walking into the lion’s den and had a sudden overwhelming need to watch her back.
“Welcome back, short stack!” Joker tossed an arm over her shoulder and pulled her against him. “Miss me?”
“You have no idea,” she said, under her breath.
He raised a brow. “You okay?”
She shook her head, then turned toward Tinker who was now staring at her with narrowed eyes. She ignored the look, and asked, “Can I have my child now?”
Tinker looked down at Emily then passed her over. Keily cradled the sleeping baby to her chest and lightly kissed the top of her head.
“Take them to Keily’s room,” Tinker said, and then turned away and started down another hallway.
Keily lifted her hand and flipped him off. “Asshole,” she mumbled.
“Well,” Joker commented. “I see things are going great! Yay!” he said sarcastically.
“I don’t need an escort,” Keily told him. “I know where I’m going.”
“Alright.” Joker nodded. “See you later, chica.”
She waited until he walked away and then she made a quick about-face and headed for the front door. If Tinker couldn’t or wouldn’t give her the respect she deserved, then she had no reason to be there. Keily might not have the best confidence in the world, but she did have her self-respect and dignity. Two things she refused to allow another person to destroy.
Walking out of the clubhouse, she went to Tinker’s truck, thankful it was still unlocked. Quickly, she put Emily back in her car seat and then unhooked the base. She grabbed their bags and heaved them onto her shoulder, before lifting the car seat out of the truck and closing the door. Steadily, and carefully, she headed to where her car was parked, in front of her old house.
The walk seemed to take forever. Keily had expected to hear her name being called, but luckily nobody had noticed her missing, yet. When the back of the house finally came into view, Keily sighed in relief. Quickening her pace, she hurried around the house and smiled.
Thank you, Sweet Baby Jesus!
She set down their bags and opened the back door to allow some of the heat to escape. Opening the driver’s door, she reached inside and started the car, flipping the AC on. She waited for some of the heat to dissipate before placing Emily inside. Keily secured the car seat and then kissed her head.
“No worries, Princess. Mommy’s got this,” Keily told her.
She grabbed their bags from where she’d dropped them and carried them to the back of the car. Popping the trunk, she tossed them in and froze. She could have sworn she’d heard someone call her name.
She listened, but nothing more came. Starting to feel panicked, she closed the lid and quickly walked to the driver’s door, closing Emily’s as she passed. She slid behind the wheel, reversed out of her parking spot, and seconds later she was finally speeding away from the house and the club.
She had no idea where they were going, but it had to be better than where she’d left. Keily couldn’t live the way the Devil’s Henchmen wanted her to. She couldn’t be the meek and mild woman, who was okay with secrets and lies. She’d had enough of that with Patrick. And while Tinker was not her ex, Keily refused to put herself back in that type of situation. So, as she swallowed back the tears, she told herself, this is for the best.
Keily would drive every day, all day, if that’s what it took to find a safe place for them to hide. Once she found a spot, then rest would be simple. If there was one thing Keily was good at, it was blending in. Hiding in plain sight.
But first, she needed to make a phone call. Tapping the radio display, she dialed a number she hadn’t used in a long time…
“What?” the voice boomed.
“I need papers,” she replied. “Two sets. For me and another for a two-month-old baby girl.”
“Kid yours?”
“Yes,” Keily replied. She wasn’t into kidnapping.
“Done,” he said instantly. “Meet in the normal spot.”
“Give me two days,” Keily replied.
“Heard.”
She ended the call and with a heavy sigh.
“Well, Princess,” Keily said to her daughter in the back seat. “I guess it’s finally time for us to travel.”
Keily had never been out of the state, but it looked as if it were no longer an option. So, she steered her car toward the on-ramp and headed north. Soon, Texas would be nothing more than a memory. A black blip on the radar.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Tinker
Six months later…
“You seriously need to get laid, dude.” Joker shook hi
s head. “You’ve been a fucking dick for months.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Tinker replied.
He wasn’t in the mood for Joker’s bullshit. He hadn’t been since he discovered that Keily had taken Emily and run. That was six months ago, and Tinker still hadn’t been able to locate them.
No hits on her bank accounts or social media. Nothing. Two days after she’d left, her car had been seen in Oklahoma City, abandoned – but there had been no sign of Keily or the baby.
Tinker’s stomach turned at the thought of what could have happened to them.
And he blamed Joker for it all. If the man would have just walked her to her room like he’d asked, then Keily wouldn’t have run off.
“Are you ever going to get over being pissed at me?” Joker asked.
“No.”
“Tink… Come on, man!” Joker threw his hands in the air. “I said I was sorry. Hell, I didn’t think the girl would run off! Shit.”
Tinker ignored him. He wasn’t saying anything that he hadn’t already said before.
“And what difference does it make?” Joker questioned. “If she didn’t want our help, then so be it.”
“Because she’s alone, asshole!” Tinker snapped. “With a baby. A helpless baby!” He wanted to dot Joker’s eye.
“Enough!” Tinker turned to see his aunt standing in the doorway, clearly irritated.
Great…
“It’s not Joker’s fault she left,” Beth said, her hands resting on her hips, eyes narrowed. “It’s yours. Own your shit.”
“How is it my fault?” Tinker asked. “I told him…”
“I don’t care what you told him,” she interrupted. “The fact remains, you had sex with the girl, then cut her off – mentally and emotionally. And you expected her to stay after that?”
“You sexed her up?” Joker asked, shocked. “Man!”
“Shut up!” Tinker roared at Joker. He turned back to his aunt. “You don’t know anything about what happened.”
“Really?” Beth replied. “Then, please. Explain.”
Tinker stood there. He couldn’t explain.
“Exactly.” Beth walked farther into the room, then and pointed at Joker. “Out.”
The man left immediately. Tinker wished he could go with him. When Beth got on one of her kicks, nobody wanted to be around. Unfortunately, Tinker was the cause of this one…
“I’m not trying to bust your balls, Tink,” she told him. “I’m trying to get you to snap out of whatever funk you’re in. This club needs you and so far, your head isn’t in it. And that’s how people get killed. So, pull it together, kid.”
“I’m trying!”
“Then try harder,” Beth countered. “Because Sledge has an assignment for you, and it will require your full attention.”
He perked up at the thought of getting out of the clubhouse and being able to dive into something else. “What is it?”
“Go see him and find out,” she replied. “What the hell do I look like? Your secretary?”
Tinker rolled his eyes.
He walked out of the living room and headed down the hallway to Sledge’s office. Tinker hoped it would be an assignment that would help him take his mind off Keily and the baby. Since they’d left, his mind had been a mess of chaos, and so had his heart.
Knocking on the door, he waited for Sledge to say, “Come in.”
Reaper, Gunny, and Sledge were in the room – none of which Tinker had said much too since he’d returned from the night at his cabin.
“Beth said you wanted me?” Tinker asked.
“Yeah. Sit.” Sledge nodded toward an empty chair.
Tinker sat down, kicking his legs out in front of him. “So, what’s up?” he asked when Sledge didn’t start talking.
Sledge ignored the question as he continued to flip through some papers that were scattered around his desk. Tinker looked at Reaper, then over to Gunny who just shrugged.
Sledge finally shuffled the pages around one last time before stacking them all back together, sliding them into a folder, and passing them over to Tinker. “Take this.”
Tinker grabbed the folder. “What’s this?”
“Open it,” was all Sledge said.
He flipped to the first page and froze.
It was a picture of Keily. But she looked different. In the image, her hair was dyed black and much longer than it used to be. She’d also lost some weight. He flipped to the next page to find another picture. This time, Keily was holding a beautiful little girl… Emily.
Absently, he ran his finger over the little girl’s chubby face as he smiled. She was an adorable thing, and it was at that moment that Tinker truly realized how much he missed her. Missed them both.
He flipped to the next page to discover an address. “Is this where she’s at?” he asked.
Sledge nodded.
Fucking Colorado...
“You’re leaving in ten minutes,” Sledge told him. “Get packed. Gunny will take you to the airport. I’ve called in a few favors and you’ll have a vehicle waiting for you when you land. And I also took the liberty of renting you a hotel room for the weekend.”
“Why am I going after her?” Tinker asked. “She left. She didn’t want our help anymore.”
“Because this isn’t over,” Sledge answered. “I think Williams is getting close to finding her. If he hasn’t already.”
Tinker’s heartrate increased at Sledge’s words. “What makes you think that?”
“I haven’t heard from him.”
Even though Williams knew Sledge had information on his dirty deeds, the man had been a pitbull when it came to trying to get information on Keily. Over the last few months, the clubhouse had been raided and just about every member had been harassed. And at one point, Williams had even threatened to leak the Devil’s Henchmen MC’s involvement in foreign affairs to the news and media outlets. The man was getting desperate, and that was dangerous.
“I don’t care what you have to do,” Sledge told him, staring Tinker in the eyes. “You protect them, and then bring them home. Got it?”
“Got it.” Tinker nodded.
He turned to walk out of the room, but Reaper laid a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. Tinker looked at the hand, and then at his dad. They still weren’t on the best of terms.
“I’m sorry,” Reaper said quickly.
Tinker looked his ol’ man in the eyes. He saw the emotion in there, that his father refused to acknowledge. And so, he nodded.
Reaper coughed, then slapped him on the back.
Neither of them were emotional men. So, when they let the subject drop, they both sighed in relief.
“Get packed,” Gunny chimed in. “Can’t have you missing your flight.”
Tinker nodded his head and left.
“Really?” Gunny asked Reaper. “That’s it? Just ‘I’m sorry’?”
“What was wrong with that?” Reaper asked.
“No, ‘I love you, son’?”
“What? No.”
Gunny shook his head. “Brother, we are sending that boy into a possible hot zone, and you couldn’t even tell him that you love him? That’s sad, dude.”
“He knows I love him,” Reaper argued.
“Does he?” Gunny countered. “Because since y’all’s falling out, it doesn’t seem that way.”
“Trust me,” Reaper replied. “He knows.”
“Okay.”
“If we’re finished with the Dr. Phil segment of this meeting…” Sledge said, looking between the two men. “We need to get things lined up for when this blows sky high; and it will. Diesel’s already in Washington D.C. meeting with top FBI shields. Whatever Williams is involved in, we have no idea how high or deep it goes. Therefore, I want the family moved to a secured location. Just in case the hot zone happens to come this way, if you know what I mean.”
“Consider it done,” Reaper answered.
“By this time tomorrow,” Sledge looked around the room. “All hell will be b
reaking loose, gentlemen. Be ready. Be prepared. This could very well get nasty, boys.”
“Understood.” Reaper stood and headed out of the room.
“And Reap, tell that boy you love him before he goes,” Sledge called out at the last second before the door closed. “It just might be the last time you see him alive…”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Keily
She smiled as Emily played in her playpen.
“Are you ready to eat?” she called.
“Yes! I’m starving!” Shondra said as she came into the kitchen.
Keily had met her several months back when she first came to Grayson Falls, Colorado. Shondra had posted in the local paper that she was looking for a roommate, and Keily had jumped on it. Since then, the two of them had become best friends.
“Want to grab the plates?” Keily asked.
“Yassss, girl!” Shondra stood, but the knock on the door caused her to sigh out loud. “Why do people always insist on coming over at mealtimes? Ugh!”
Keily shrugged. “Go answer it,” she told her. “It’s probably for you anyway.”
Keily didn’t get out much and made a habit of not making any friends. She knew Williams was still out there, somewhere; and he was probably still searching for her. So, the fewer people she knew, or the less people who knew her – the better.
“Um, Keily?”
Smiling, knowing that Shondra was about to ask if there was enough for their guest, she turned, already holding out the plate.
And froze.
The plate fell from her hand and crashed against the tile floor.
There, standing across the room, was the last person she ever thought she would see. And he looked pissed.
“Tinker?”
“Hello, Keily,” he smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Nice to see you.”
“You know this guy?” Shondra asked.
Tinker's Dilemma: Devil's Henchmen MC Next Generation, Book One Page 18