Spark of Hope: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 3: An MC/Band of Brothers Romance

by Kathleen Kelly

  “Club business.”

  Maddock holds me at arm’s length. “Bullshit. Family business.”

  I shake my head. “No, brother, it’s not.”

  Wolf whistles sound from outside, and Annette walks through the clubhouse doors.

  “Jesus,” I mutter as I stare at Lochlan.

  He’s smiling at her as he walks to her and wraps his arms around her waist.

  “Annette, Annie’s granddaughter, is seeing Lochlan?” asks Maddock.

  I cast a glance at him—his mouth is hanging open.

  “It would appear so.”

  “You didn’t know?” he asks.

  “No. In fact, like every other male I know, I warned him off.”

  “Does Annie know?” asks Sean.

  “Yeah.”

  Lochlan breaks away from Annette. He takes one look at the three of us, and he places his arm around her shoulders and moves her toward Beth.

  “Kyle, can we take this somewhere a little more private?” asks Maddock as he stares around the clubhouse.

  “They know,” I reply.

  “I know.” Maddock smiles. “Meet you at Da’s?”

  I scowl at him. “Why?”

  “All will be revealed,” Maddock replies cryptically with a shit-eating grin.

  Cherie stands and heads for the door while Maddock winks at me and follows her.

  “What the fuck happened while I was sleeping?” I ask Sean.

  His lips turn down as he nods at Maddock. “No fucking idea. Let’s humor him.”

  I cross my arms over my chest. “Why do I feel like you’re lying to me?”

  “Well, that’s because you know me better than anyone.”

  “Except me,” chimes in Beth cheerily. “Come on, we don’t want to be the last ones there.”

  She grabs Sean’s hand and drags him toward the door.

  “Sean,” I say, scowling at him.

  He keeps walking and holds up a hand gesturing for me to follow.

  Angus slaps me on the back. “Come see who we have stashed at Da’s house.”

  Closing my eyes, I open them slowly and tip up my chin. Angus backs away, arms raised, and runs like the coward he can be toward the front of the clubhouse.

  “Come on, Logan, before he kicks my ass, and I cry like a baby in front of everyone.”

  Jamie chuckles. “Come on, Kyle. The sooner we get to Da’s, the sooner you’ll be a step closer to getting what you want.”

  “Besides, you’re going to like the surprise,” says Lochlan as he escorts Annette through the doors.

  Fucking family, they can get under your skin like no one else.

  In the basement of Da’s house, tied to a chair, is Yvette. The women and Logan are all upstairs. I cast a glance at my family, all of whom are staring at her. Yvette has tape over her mouth, but her eyes are staring daggers at us. Her shoes have blood on them, probably Smokey’s.

  “Yvette, I’m going to remove the tape. Don’t scream. No one will hear you, anyway.” Holding up my hand, I point and make a circle. “This whole room is soundproofed.”

  Toward the end of Da’s life, his hearing went. He’d have the television so loud that the neighbors complained, so we built this room for him. It’s weird to be down here. I haven’t been in this room since he died. Too many fond memories, and now Yvette Cartland will sour them all.

  Pulling on the tape, I slowly peel it away from her lips, trying to be gentle even though she doesn’t fucking deserve it.

  “W-Water,” she mumbles.

  Sean holds a bottle to her mouth, and she drinks it greedily, letting some spill down her face onto her shirt.

  Yvette coughs then shakes her head. “Thank you.”

  Sean steps back.

  “Yvette, who killed Smokey?”

  “How should I know?”

  I point at her shoes. “You’ve got blood on your shoes.”

  “It’s not his,” she replies defiantly.

  “Who’s is it then?” asks Sean.

  “Dog died.” Yvette has a smug look on her face as she grins up at him.

  “Yvette, no harm will come to you from us. We want to know who killed our man.”

  Her gaze comes back to me, and she shrugs. “Word on the street is the Loyal Rebels are hunting for me.”

  “Oh, honey, we’re not the only ones.” The smile on her face disappears. “Looks like the Rochas want you, too.”

  “Not if you pay our debt, then I’m home and hosed.” Yvette squares her shoulders. “My boys will give you Lola back.”

  “We don’t have that kind of money lying around, Yvette.”

  “Then that useless bitch is dead.”

  I shake my head, unable to understand how a woman could care so little for her own child.

  “Do you know where they have her?”

  Yvette squints at me and shakes her head. “She was always trouble. Who took care of her when she got pregnant? Who took in the kid when she was too scared to tell you? Me, that’s who,” says Yvette triumphantly.

  Maddock pulls a chair closer to her and sits. “This is going to sound like a revelation to you, but as her mother, it’s what you’re supposed to do. You’re meant to help. It’s what family does.”

  “Pfft!” Yvette shakes her head. “Lola has only ever looked out for Lola. I went to her and asked for help a month ago. Told her what a good deal we had going with the Rochas. You know what she said to me?” Yvette leans forward in the chair, straining her bonds as she does. “She told me she was taking Logan, that I wasn’t fit to be in his life.” Yvette laughs. “Well, she can have him. I never wanted him in my home. He’s too clingy. I’ve raised my kids. I don’t need to be raising their mistakes.”

  “You think Logan is a mistake?”

  Yvette nods. “Besides, he wouldn’t let me use him for a hit every now and again.”

  Jamie clears his throat. “What does that mean?”

  Yvette shrugs. “You know, not everyone is in to women, and I don’t like anal.”

  The silence in the room is deafening. The ache in my chest increases as I understand what this piece of crap is saying.

  “Did you ever let Lola get used like that?”

  She shrugs again and nods. “When she was young.”

  The next thing I know, Sean and Maddock are dragging me backward and up the stairs, away from that evil, disgusting bitch. They keep walking me until they reach Da’s table, where the women and Logan are seated. I break free and stride toward Logan, engulfing him in a bone-crushing hug.

  “My family is your family. We protect our family. Family always comes first. Yvette isn’t your family. From this day onward, you belong to us. You get me?”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Do you understand?”

  “Yes… yes.”

  I release him and look around the room. As bad as our parents were, they’ve got nothing on Yvette Cartland. Rubbing my chest, I don’t understand why Lola would let her son live with such a worthless human being.

  “What happened?” asks Beth, staring at Sean.

  He shakes his head. “Later.” Taking a deep breath, he puffs out his cheeks and says, “I’ve never seen you so angry. You didn’t hear me down there, did you?”

  “Hear you?”

  “Sean’s right. It was like a mask had slipped over your face, scary as fuck. I wasn’t sure we’d be able to get you out of the room.”

  “Did you hurt Mom?”

  I growl at Logan. “She’s not your mother.”

  He goes to argue with me, but whatever he sees in my face causes him to close his mouth and stare at Sean.

  “Is she okay?”

  Sean nods once and quirks an eyebrow at me. “You should stay up here, brother. Mad will keep you company.” Then he turns and leaves the room.

  “I need a stiff drink.”

  Beth immediately gets up and opens the liquor cabinet. She grabs a bottle of whiskey, a glass and pours me one. I motion for her to give me more, s
o she pours two fingers. I frown at her, and she half fills the glass. Nodding, I sit next to Logan and throw back the fiery liquid, letting it burn its way to my gut.

  Annette and Cherie walk into the room, each carrying a tray of sandwiches. Cherie looks at me, then Maddock. “What happened?”

  “Let’s say Yvette Cartland isn’t winning any mother of the year awards,” replies Maddock.

  Cherie frowns. “Do we want to know?”

  “No,” Maddock and I say simultaneously.

  Cherie gives Maddock a long, hard stare, then nods. “We raided the fridge and made an assortment of sandwiches.” She smiles at Logan and puts the tray on the table as does Annette. “We thought you might be hungry.”

  Logan nods and reaches for a sandwich, only to stop and stare at me. “Is it okay?”

  “Yeah, Logan, eat your fill.” I hold up my glass to Beth. “Refill?”

  Without saying a word, she half fills the glass and then puts the bottle away.

  Maddock sits beside me and grabs a sandwich. “You should eat, Kyle.”

  I know I should, but the imagery going through my brain right now isn’t pretty. I’m hoping the whiskey will dull some of my senses, so I can eat later.

  Angus walks up from the basement, his face pale as he sits next to me. I slide the glass to him, and even though he’s not a drinker, Angus takes a healthy swallow then slides it back.

  In a quiet voice, Logan asks, “Did she tell you?”

  Pursing my lips together, I nod once.

  He puts the sandwich down, and his gaze goes to the floor. “I never let them.”

  “She said as much.”

  “It’s why Lola was going to get me out of there.”

  “Logan, look at me.” With his eyebrows drawn together, he manages to make eye contact. “Lola should never have let you stay there in the first place. She should’ve told me about you. Lola, let you down, son.”

  Logan shakes his head. “She was doing the best she could.”

  “Her best isn’t good enough.”

  Lola

  Garry has tied my wrists so tightly that they’ve cut off the circulation to my hands, and the more I try to loosen them, the more the nylon rope cuts into my flesh. The light pink shirt I’m wearing is covered in filth from the floor, red hair dye, blood, and sweat.

  Garry and Tommy have been huddled in the far corner, occasionally staring at me as they try to decide what to do with me.

  Not surprisingly, Garry has no problem with killing me. Tommy is still undecided, so much for having a soft spot for me.

  It’s getting dark.

  I’m scared.

  I can’t see a way out of this.

  For once, Garry has a good plan, although Yvette is probably the mastermind. Convincing Tommy to join in their plan was smart. He’s always been money hungry. This will be the easiest money he’s ever made. All he has to do is kill me and run. It’s a win-win for all of them.

  “Tommy,” I shout.

  He turns around and walks toward me. “Yeah?”

  “I need to use the bathroom.”

  Garry laughs. “You can do it there.”

  Frowning, I keep my eyes on Tommy. He’s the weak link. “Come on, please?”

  Tommy reaches me and pulls out a knife. For a moment, I think he’s about to end me when he slices through the ropes and helps me to my feet. My wrists throb as blood rushes back into my hands, and I wince as I inspect them.

  “Thank you.”

  Tommy nods and points to the bathroom. “Don’t run, Lo. You have ten minutes, no more.”

  He walks back to Garry, and I limp toward the back of the building. Once inside, I lock the door. There’s a window above the stall, so I stand on the top of the toilet and try to open it. It moves an inch and stops. Using all my strength, I push up, and it noisily opens. I hit the flush button on the toilet to try and mask the sound. I’m not sure I’ll fit through the very small opening, but I have to try. It’s only a matter of time before Garry convinces Tommy I have to die. I’m halfway out the window when my ass gets stuck. Fear and desperation take hold of me, and I use all of my strength to propel myself forward. Well, that and gravity.

  I hit the ground hard, bracing myself as I do, and one of my wrists turns at an odd angle. The pain is immediate, and I know I’ve broken it. Clutching it to my chest, I move as fast as I can away from the warehouse. I have no idea where I am. It’s dark, and it will only be a matter of minutes before they come searching for me.

  There’s a road—I know I can’t stay on it for long as there’s no way I’m letting those fuckers get me again. A car comes toward me, and I duck down behind a dumpster. Its acrid smell fills my nostrils. When I can’t hear the car anymore, I continue on. My body is sore from head to toe. Fear and adrenaline keep me pushing forward. Another car approaches, but I’m out in the open.

  There’s nowhere to hide.

  It stops, and I peer at the driver.

  All my fears fall away.

  It’s my friend, Suzie.

  She stops the car and gets out. “Oh my God, Lola! What happened to you?”

  “Long story. Suzie, please get me out of here.”

  “Of course! Get in the car.”

  Suzie is looking around like a scared rabbit as she opens the passenger door and helps me into the car. I see her cell phone in the center console and pick it up. We’ve been friends so long that I know her PIN. Immediately, I call Kyle.

  “Hello?”

  “Kyle!”

  “Lola?”

  “Kyle, I’m with Suzie, she found m—”

  Suzie snatches the cell phone from me and hangs up. Her face twists into an ugly scowl, and she strikes me on the face so hard, I see stars.

  “Fuck,” she yells as she throws the cell onto the back seat.

  Then, she puts her car in drive and speeds to the warehouse I had just escaped from. Tommy and Garry are outside as she pulls up.

  “What the fuck are you two doing? I found her on the side of the road. I thought you had this under control.”

  “She climbed out the bathroom window,” admits Tommy.

  “Well, who was the idiot who left her in there by herself? Get her back inside.”

  “Suzie?”

  At the sound of my voice, all three stare at me, then Garry begins to laugh.

  “What, Lo? Did you think she was your friend? You’re dumber than a box of rocks.” He sneers at me.

  Tommy pulls open the car door and drags me out. Although I’m hurt, I struggle and cause him to trip.

  “Jesus, Lo. Do you want me to hit you? Or should I hand you over to Garry?”

  Suzie laughs. I pin her with a glare that does little to stop the annoying shrill noise coming out of her mouth.

  “Why, Suzie?”

  “Money.”

  “I thought we were friends? The invitation for coffee, it was all a ploy to get me alone, wasn’t it?”

  Tommy drags me inside and back to the chair. “Sit,” he orders.

  Suzie peers down at me. “I thought when you hooked up with Kyle, you’d hook me up, too.” She shakes her head and twists her lips into a smug smile. “The one time I asked you about Sean, you told me I wasn’t his type. You said it like I was nothing more than dirt on your shoe.”

  “This is about Sean?”

  “No, this about lifting others. Putting in a good word. But no, you didn’t, did you?”

  Now, it’s my turn to laugh. I’m laughing so hard I have to hold my ribs. The pain is worth it to see that smug look slip off her face. Standing, I poke her in the chest with my good hand. “No one gave me anything. From the day I was born, I’ve had to fight for everything I’ve ever wanted.” Drawing myself up to my full height, I tower over her. “And Kyle? Kyle was the one thing I didn’t want tainted by my past. So, no, I was never going to introduce you to Sean because they’re good people and every one of you aren’t,” I thunder as I point at the fucked-up trio.

  Garry pushes me back ont
o the chair with such force that it tips over, and I’m again on the filthy warehouse floor.

  “Fuck you,” I growl as I scramble to get to my feet.

  “Fuck me?”

  Garry draws back his arm to hit me when Tommy grabs it and shakes his head.

  “Look at her, Garry, she’s done. Lo’s all talk, and you’re letting her get the best of you. Don’t be an idiot.”

  “Bitch deserves everything she gets,” sneers Suzie.

  Garry nods and smiles. “Yes, she does.”

  My temper gets the best of me. “Really? I work two jobs. I’m trying to save enough to rent a place so Logan can come live with me while you three always go for the easy solution. Easy money. Well, guess what?” I square my shoulders. “There’s no easy way. It’s hard work. It’s all about depending on yourself. I’ve never asked Kyle for anything. Hell, I never even told him about Logan. Do you want to know why?” I shout.

  “Oh, I know why, sis. Because he’d know the slut you are. The woman who abandoned her child so she could hook up with a biker. Real class.”

  Garry’s words cut through me, even though he’s wrong. I never abandoned Logan. I was fifteen when I met his dad, and he was twenty. When we found out I was pregnant, I begged him and his parents to take Logan. I didn’t want him exposed to my life. Logan’s dad, Clarke, was a good guy. His parents had him late in life, and they died in a car crash when Logan was five. Clarke let me visit, he sent me photographs of all of Logan’s milestones, and above all, he was the best dad.

  The morning I was kidnapped by these morons, I was on my way to see a lawyer. He even agreed to meet with me on a Sunday. The plan was to get Logan away from Yvette and use some of the money that his grandparents have in trust for him to find a house. I was even prepared to move out of the state. The lawyer, from our telephone conversations, seemed to think I wouldn’t have a problem. But if Yvette got a hint that Logan had some money, she’d stick her claws in him so hard that it would be nearly impossible to get them out. My whole life, I’ve cleaned up after her, but my son deserves better.

  I know I let him down, allowing him to go live with Yvette, but I needed a little more time.