Spark of Hope (MacKenny Brothers #3) - Kathleen Kelly Page 0,12
aren’t idiots. They’d sweep the place regularly just like we do.”
Angus nods. “Yeah, but you never know, in the meantime, I might learn something.”
“Self-defense?” I ask.
Angus nods, and I take in his overall appearance. He doesn’t look as thin, he certainly doesn’t have the bulk Sean or I have, but there’s strength to him.
“Kyle, you can’t go in alone,” states Wheels.
“Fine! Angus can come.”
“For fuck’s sake, Kyle. You need to show force. You need your MC with you.”
“He’s right, Kyle. Besides, do you really think Sean is going to stay away even if you order him to?” interjects Angus.
In my heart, I know they’re both right, but I don’t want any more of my people hurt.
“When’s the sit-down?”
“Cristiano said he’d meet at their garage at nine.”
I glance at my watch, it’s four o’clock in the morning. “You couldn’t get him to meet any earlier?”
“No, I tried.” Wheels rubs the back of his neck. “If he has Lola, he’s not going to hurt her. She’d be too valuable.”
“And if he doesn’t? We have no fucking idea who has her. No one’s reached out, Smokey’s dead, and we’re chasing shadows.”
Wheels’ eye bulge. “Smokey’s dead?”
Internally, I’m cursing myself at letting that slip. Smokey’s death needs to be reported to all the senior members of the MC, but I wanted to get a hold on the Lola situation first. Mind you, it’s a total cluster fuck.
Pushing the plate away from myself, I gesture for Wheels to sit. “I’d appreciate it, brother, if you kept that to yourself for the moment.”
“Who did it?” he asks.
“I’m not sure. Lola’s mother was missing. Either she did it or she saw who did it. Either way, we need to find her.”
“Why don’t you want the MC to know?”
“I don’t want anyone else getting hurt, and until we get some answers, I don’t want anyone else going off half-cocked and fucking things up worse than they already are.”
Angus closes the lid on his laptop. “I’m going to get some sleep. Wake me in four hours.”
“You’re sleeping now?”
“What’s Sean always saying? Sleep when you can. So, I’m taking his advice and getting a good solid four hours. You, brother, should do the same.”
Wheels looks from Angus to me. “I’ll keep my mouth shut but not for long, Kyle.”
“You won’t have to. I’ll call church soon enough.”
Without another word to either of them, I make my way to my room. I open the door, hang my cut on the back of it, and turn around. Logan is lying asleep on top of the covers.
“Fuck it,” I mutter to myself.
I’d forgotten he was even here.
Peering down at him, the resemblance to Lola is undeniable. He has her chin and nose. In sleep, Logan appears a lot less angry. For someone so young, he sure harbors a heap of rage. I move toward the bathroom and strip down. The hot water does little to soothe my frayed nerves. In front of my men, I keep it together, but here in the privacy of my own space, I go over the events of the day.
It was strange that Lola was up and dressed to take Annie to church. It’s not something she’d normally do.
Whoever took her, she knew them.
Then, there’s Logan, the brother or son I didn’t know she had. He was hurt that she didn’t tell me about him.
I’m confused.
Lola and I don’t have secrets. Well, I don’t keep secrets from her. She knows the goings-on in the MC, and sometimes Lola is my sounding board. When Sean lit out, I was prepared to throw him to the wolves, to disavow him, but Lola talked me around, made me see that I was working off hurt and anger and not thinking clearly, that family was all-important, and I needed to remember that.
As I soap up, the tattoo on my left forearm catches my attention. My brothers all have the same tattoo—it’s a cross with our grandfather’s initial. The joke in the family is it’s not only blood that binds us but ink. The ink that binds us.
Da, before he died, asked me to take care of the others. With Heather’s death, I feel like I failed him. I failed to protect her, but Sean, he avenged her.
Turning off the shower, I towel myself off and stare at my reflection in the mirror.
I can’t fail Lola.
She’s the one thing in this life that keeps me grounded and gives me clarity when anger clouds my vision.
Walking back into my bedroom with the towel wrapped around