Tempting Country: Ruthless Sinners MC

by Wilder, L.

  The girl who seemed to be so strong and had it all together wasn’t as tough as she tried to make us think. I knew it might’ve just been the effects of the pot, but I liked the fact that she’d given me a glimpse of her vulnerable side. Hoping she might open up a little more, I asked, “How did you find out?”

  “I heard a noise, I went to check it out, and I saw things I never should’ve seen—which would’ve never happened if Dad hadn’t forgotten to shut a door. If he just kept it closed, I would’ve never known he wasn’t the man I thought he was.” She shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong. I love my father, I really do, but I grew up thinking he was someone who wouldn’t hurt a fly. I was wrong. He thinks I’m just a college student studying to be a biochemist. Turns out, he’s wrong. too.”

  “So, you decided to grow pot as a way of getting back at your father.”

  “No, I...” She let out a breath, then shrugged again. “Maybe a little. I really did want to find a way to grow it to help people. Like Braylon, for example. He spent years suffering from chronic pain, and marijuana was the only thing that seemed to help him, but he couldn’t get it living here. Now he can, and I’ve seen for myself how much it’s helped him, but there’s still this piece of me that likes that my father doesn’t know what I’m doing. So, yeah. I guess, in some small way, I did do all this as a way to get back at him.”

  “I get It. I really do. It had to have been tough to see what you did, especially as a kid, but you gotta know that what a man does for a living isn’t the be-all and end-all of his existence, Kiersten. It’s just a job.”

  “Yeah, but what he’s doing is more than just some job, Country,” she argued.

  “He’s still your father. He’s still the man who did whatever he had to do to give you the life he thought you deserved.”

  “I know, and I appreciate that, but I would’ve rather he stayed the man I always thought he was.”

  “I’m sure he’d say the same about you.”

  She cut her eyes towards the dark sky. “I’m sure he would.”

  “So, Billy really doesn’t have a clue about your operation here? He thinks you’re just off at college doing your thing?”

  “Yep.”

  “Damn.” I shook my head. “He’s gonna blow a fucking gasket when he finds out.”

  “I have no intention of him ever finding out.” Before I could tell her that she was crazy if she thought a man like Billy wouldn’t figure out what she was up to, Kiersten stood and brushed off her pants. “Mind if we change the subject?”

  “No, I’m good with that.” I watched as she walked over and started tossing the empty cans and bottles into the trash. I had the feeling she was a little bothered by our conversation and hoped that a change of subject might ease her mind. “What about Satan’s Fury? How’d you tie up with them?”

  I got up and went over to help her with the trash as she said, “That was all Braylon. He and Shadow were in the military together, so he reached out to him, and the rest is history.”

  “They’re good guys. You did good getting them on board.”

  “Yeah, well, it wasn’t easy. Gus is a lot like Viper. They’re both pretty intimidating.”

  “Only because they have to be.”

  “I guess.” After she tossed the last bottle in the trash, she turned to me and said, “It’s late, and we have a big day tomorrow. I better call it a night.”

  “Okay.” I smiled as I stepped over to her. “I’ll walk you back to your place.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I want to.”

  A warm smile crossed her face as she gave me a nod. Neither of us spoke as we made our way across the dark, grassy field and up to her doorstep. Kiersten looked up at me with those beautiful doe eyes and asked, “You want to come in?”

  “Yes, but it’s not a good idea.”

  “Oh, yeah. You’re probably right.” A look of disappointment flashed through her eyes as she said, “Maybe some other time.”

  “Maybe.”

  Those doe eyes remained locked on mine—tempting me, drawing me in like a fucking moth to a flame. I knew what she wanted. Hell, I wanted the same fucking thing, and the temptation was only growing more intense as we stood there staring back at one another. Unfortunately, it didn’t matter how much I wanted to kiss her. I couldn’t do a damn thing until I’d discussed the situation with Viper. Unable to force myself to leave, I motioned my head towards the door and said, “Go inside, Kiersten.”

  “Is that what you really want?”

  “Don’t ask me that.”

  “It’s a legitimate question, Country.”

  “It’s not a question I can answer.”

  Not willing to give it up, she crossed her arms and asked, “Why not?”

  “Because it doesn’t matter what I want.” I motioned my hand between us. “This can’t happen.”

  “I didn’t ask if it could or couldn’t happen. I asked what you wanted.”

  “Say goodnight, Kiersten.”

  She studied me for a moment, then opened her door and stepped inside. She turned back to me with one last soul-searching stare, then whispered, “Goodnight, Country.”

  As soon as she closed the door, I stepped down from her porch and walked back over to the sitting area to look for Rafe. Every step I took was harder than the last. I didn’t want to leave Kiersten. I wanted to grab her up, carry her back into the house, and spend the entire night tangled in her arms. My only consolation was the fact that I’d be seeing her again later that night. I’d have those soft, warm lips on mine once again—even if it was only in my dreams.

  By the time I made it back over to the picnic area, Rafe was done pillaging the fridge and ready to call it a night. We both went back to our guest quarters and crashed. The following day, Kiersten treated us all to one hell of a breakfast, then finished her tour of the grounds.

  Once we were done, she led us back into her conference room to share the files she created for each of her employees. As I sat there listening to her talk about the background checks she’d done on each of them, I couldn’t take my eyes off her—not just because she looked amazing in her jeans and boots, but because of the way she spoke about her work. Kiersten was passionate and determined, and she was incredibly smart—more so than I’d realized.

  She’d done a great job piecing this place together, and she knew it. Even when Hawk or Menace would question her on her methods, she didn’t let it get to her but instead stuck to her guns and forged ahead—just like she did when Menace pointed to the files she’d made on her employees and asked, “You mind if I take a look at those?”

  “Okay.” Kiersten slid the stack across the table. “But you have nothing to worry about when it comes to the people who work for me. I’ve been very meticulous in that regard.”

  “I’m sure you have. We just need to be sure, Kiersten.” Hawk leaned back in his chair and asked, “So, who’s actually moving the goods?”

  “We all are. Regan, Mia, and I cover the college scene. We try to limit our days to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but we never miss sporting events and frat parties. They’re both big moneymakers for us. Braylon, Timms, and Duggar take care of deliveries with our larger buyers.”

  “Like Fury?”

  “Exactly.”

  “And Braylon, Timms, and Duggar handle security?”

  “They do.”

  “And you feel certain they can handle any trouble that might come their way?”

  “Braylon told you himself that he’s ex-military, but what he didn’t tell you was that he was steps away from becoming a Navy SEAL. He would’ve made it if he hadn’t been injured during his qualification training and lost his leg.”

  “Damn, that’s tough.”

  “It was very tough, especially since he was hurt helping one of the other men he was in training with. They made the mistake, but Bray was the one who paid the price for it.” Her tone turned serious as she said, “That being said, I have full faith tha
t Braylon can handle whatever he needs to.”

  “That’s a lot for one man to take on.”

  “It’s not just one man. He has Timms and Duggar to help out, and they’re equally qualified.”

  “Not sure I agree.”

  “I need you to understand something. When I decided to do this, I knew what I was getting into.” She cleared her throat, before continuing, “I knew what would happen if I got greedy or tangled up with the wrong people. I’d either end up in jail or six feet under—that was something I learned from my father. I’m not going to let that happen. I’ve been careful from the start, and I’m going to continue to be careful. And that goes for every aspect of this business—from how I grow my product to who I get to protect it.”

  “You’ve clearly put a lot into this place, and it’s doing well. Certainly better than I expected, but I’m still concerned about the level of security you have here.” Hawk glanced up at one of the cameras in the corner of the room. “Even with everything Riggs has done and with Braylon’s expertise, I’m not sure you have the means to protect yourself if things go south.”

  “Well, if I do my job right, that won’t happen.”

  “Things happen, Kiersten. No matter how well you plan. No matter how careful you are. There’s always someone who will come along and try to fuck it all up.”

  “So, what are you saying?”

  “If we were to join forces, you would have to make some changes.”

  “What kind of changes?”

  “For one, you need to stop selling at the college. You would have to leave the distribution up to us.”

  “But I make good money there.”

  “Maybe, but it’s too close. It leaves you too exposed. It’s only a matter of time before those sales lead someone here, and that can’t happen.”

  “And what about Fury?”

  “We’ll take care of them.”

  “So, you’ll just take things over?”

  Hawk shook his head. “No, just the sales and distribution. That way you can focus on things here.”

  “Is that the only option?”

  “I can’t say for sure. I’ll have to run this all by Viper, but yeah. If we were to go into business with you, it would be the only way we’d do it.”

  “I’m going to need to talk it over with the others before I make a decision.”

  “Take your time.” Hawk stood, then said, “We’re going to head back. Once we’ve had a chance to discuss things with the rest of the club, we’ll be in touch.”

  “Okay, sounds good.”

  I could feel Kiersten’s eyes on me as I stood and followed the others towards the door. I wanted to look at her, take her in one last time, but I knew it would only make it that much harder to leave—which was already something I didn’t want to do. I wanted more time with her, but there was only one way that was going to happen.

  I had to talk to Viper.

  Six

  Kiersten

  “It sounds like a sweet deal to me.”

  “Yeah, but we’d be giving up all control,” I argued.

  “And all the hassle that comes with it.” Braylon had always been my voice of reason. He was older and somewhat wiser, and I trusted him—something that didn’t come easy to me. I valued his opinion, so I tried to keep an open mind when he said, “I think this could be the answer you’ve been looking for.”

  “I just don’t know. We’ve worked so hard to get here, and I’m not sure I’m ready to just hand it over to someone else.”

  “You won’t be. You’ll still have the say, and you can get back to working in the lab. That’s where you’ve always wanted to be.”

  “I know, but—”

  “You need to remember why you started this whole thing.”

  “To get back at my father?” I scoffed.

  “Yeah, well, there’s that,” he chuckled. “But I remember you telling me you wanted to create something that was better. Something that could end up helping people who are suffering. Maybe this is your chance to start focusing on that again.”

  “Maybe.”

  “So, if this deal with the Sinners comes through, what are you going to do about your boy toy?”

  “My boy toy? Really?”

  “Call him whatever you want to. I’m just asking what you’re going to do about him.”

  “Well, his name is Country.” It seemed strange to say that out loud, so I added, “At least, that’s what his brothers call him, and honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I guess there’s not really anything I can do.”

  “Do you like the guy?”

  “Yeah, I do.” Just thinking about him brought a smile to my face. “He seems pretty great, but I’ve been wrong about men before.”

  “Gah, you really need to get past these daddy issues of yours.”

  “Easier said than done.”

  “I know, but it’s just been a while since I’ve seen that spark in your eyes. I just don’t want you to let the past interfere with your future.”

  “It was one night in a bar.” My smile faded as I continued, “Besides, he’s a biker, and we might be going into business with his club. I doubt I’ll be seeing him again, much less have a future with him.”

  “You never know. Stranger things have happened.”

  “I never knew you were such the romantic.” I stood and started to the door. “I’m going to check in on things at the lab. I’ll let you know if I hear anything from the guys.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  I left the office and headed down the hall to my lab. I hoped it would help take my mind off of things, and it did for a little while. Unfortunately, experimenting with a new fertilizer wasn’t enough of a distraction from the phone call I was expecting from the Sinners. I started to worry that something might’ve been wrong with my phone and that I hadn’t heard it ring, so I pulled it out of my pocket and checked the screen. That’s when I noticed the date. It was my father’s birthday. With everything that had been going on, I’d totally forgotten all about it.

  I immediately dropped everything and rushed over to my house for my keys and purse. After sending Braylon a message about where I was going, I got in my car and drove over to my dad’s. On the way, I stopped to pick up a small cake and a generic card, but I didn’t bother with a gift. The man already had everything he could possibly want and more. The only thing he didn’t have was a real relationship with me, and no matter how hard he tried, that was something he would never have—not after years of trying to deceive me.

  When I got to the house, the front door was wide open and coffee was brewing, but there was no sign of Dad. I placed the cake and card down on the table, then opened the basement door. “Dad?”

  No answer.

  I stepped over to the back door and opened it before shouting, “Dad!”

  Again, no answer.

  Worried something might be wrong, I rushed to the front to make sure I hadn’t missed him, and that’s when I spotted him out on the pier. I hated myself for it, but my heart ached seeing him out there all alone. It was his birthday. He should’ve been with family or friends, but he’d spent the last ten years living like a recluse and had neither. I didn’t want to feel sorry for him. I knew his work was why he’d chosen to distance himself from the world, but that didn’t stop the sorrow dwelling in the pit of my stomach. I inhaled a deep breath and feigned a happy smile as I walked over to join him at the pier.

  He was just about to cast out his line when I said, “Happy birthday, Daddy.”

  “Kiersten!” He dropped his fishing pole and opened his arms wide, then stepped over to me and hugged me tightly. “I didn’t know you were coming today.”

  “I couldn’t miss your birthday.”

  “I’m so glad you came!” He released me from his embrace, then looked down at me with a warm smile. “You look good, kiddo.”

  “You do, too.” My father was in his mid-fifties, but he was a bit of a health nut and appeared much younger. Even no
w, as he stood there in his loose-fit t-shirt and old-man jeans, he looked in better shape than most twenty-year-olds—which wasn’t always the case when he was in his dress pants and button-downs. I glanced over at his fishing pole. “Are you catching anything?”

  “Not a thing, but I wasn’t really trying. Just wanted an excuse to get outside for a bit.” He grabbed his pole, then motioned me towards the house. “Let’s head up to the house, and I’ll fix us both something to eat.”

  I nodded, then followed him up the pier and to the house. Once we were inside, Dad went over to the counter, and an excited smile swept across his face when he spotted his surprise. “You got me a cake?”

  “You can’t have a birthday without birthday cake.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.” He picked up my card and quickly scanned it, then smiled like I’d given him the moon. “Thank you. I don’t deserve you.”

  “It’s just a cake and a card, Dad.”

  “But it’s from you, and that makes it even more special.”

  It was times like these that were the hardest. Dad actually sounded sincere when he said those words to me, and maybe he truly meant them. I just couldn’t get past the demons in my head to believe him. Don’t get me wrong. I knew it wasn’t fair to judge him so harshly. Like Country said, his job was just a job, and it didn’t define him. I also knew he had his reasons for becoming a cleaner, and they probably had something to do with me, but the pretending unnerved me. True or not, it made me feel as if everything that came out of his mouth was a lie.

  I didn’t have a response for him, so I walked over and grabbed a couple of paper plates from the cabinet. When I started cutting each of us a slice of cake, he asked, “You want a cup of coffee or a soda?”

  “Soda will be fine.”

  “You got it.” He opened the fridge and got each of us a can of soda. Once I had our plates ready, I asked, “Do you want to carry this out to the porch?”

  “That would be perfect.” I followed him outside and over to the swing. Once we were both seated, he asked, “So, fill me in on things. How’s school? How are your friends? Are you seeing anyone?”