Spark of Hope (MacKenny Brothers #3) - Kathleen Kelly Page 0,51

dead to me.”

“And your kids.” Wheels nods. “Luna and Billy need you. You get sober. Get your head right. Then you go and get them from Sean’s. Beth has been looking after them.”

“Now?”

I sigh and scrub a hand over my face. “No, not now. Now, we go and give Smokey a proper burial and deal with our problems.”

Wheels stands. “Thanks, Prez.”

“Don’t thank me. It’s going to be a long night.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “And you are going to have to explain to the club about what you let happen with Deedee and the Rochas.”

“Tonight?”

“No, but soon. Now… go get cleaned up.”

Wheels walks off to the clubhouse, head down, his shoulders sagging in total defeat.

“He’s going to lose his position, isn’t he?”

I nod. “Probably. I know Arrow and Bags will call a vote. They only need one more.”

“Poor bastard.”

“No, he brought this shit on himself.”

All of the patched-in members of the MC are out here. Unlike the parties we hold at this place, there’s tension in the air as everyone gathers inside the shed to find out Ben, Tommy, and Suzie’s fate. Glancing at Lola, her gaze is fixed on the door where MC members are filing in one by one.

I clear my throat. “You ready?”

She nods but doesn’t look at me. Her hand goes to the car door, and she opens it. “You’ll be by my side?”

“Every step of the way.”

With her lips pressed into a hard line, Lola climbs out of the car. She waits for me outside the door to the shed. Holding out my hand, Lola looks down at it and gives a slight shake of her head.

“I don’t need you to take care of me. I’ve got this.”

I let my hand drop. “We’ve got this. And taking care of you isn’t a chore.”

“I can take care of myself.”

I smile at her. “Yeah, I know, but you don’t have to.”

Holding up my hand, Lola immediately puts her hand in mine, and we walk through the door as a couple, a force not to be messed with.

Standing together in the center of the shed with plastic covering the floor are the three of them. Suzie’s makeup has run down her face, fear evident as she shakes uncontrollably. Ben is much the same, although his is probably from withdrawals. Tommy only has eyes for Lola, and he takes a step toward her.

“Tell them I let you go. Tell them, Lo!” pleads Tommy as he falls to his knees.

“Lo?” I ask her.

“Don’t call me that.” Lola stares at me. “I always hated being called that. Mom called me that,” she whispers.

I nod. “Did he let you go?”

Lola nods. “But Suzie found me and brought me straight back. He was going to let Garry kill me. He didn’t have the balls to stand up to him or Suzie.”

“Lola, please don’t let them hurt me,” yells Suzie.

Lola’s face goes hard, and it twists into a gruesome smile. “You were all for fucking me over. All because I didn’t put in a good word for you with one of the MC brothers. Do you want to know why I didn’t, or why they wouldn’t touch your scrawny ass with a ten-foot fucking pole? You’re damaged goods, Suzie. They all knew it,” says Lola loudly. She’s breathing hard, staring daggers at the filthy, backstabbing bitch. “Me? I thought you were my friend. Wasn’t I a fucking idiot?”

Suzie is shaking her head from side to side, crying and staring at Lola with wide, scared eyes. Lola shakes her head in disgust and turns her back on the three of them.

I keep facing forward and glance sideways at Lola. “What do you want to do with them?”

Lola swallows and nods once, her red hair falling across her face. “They’re already dead to me. They would’ve killed me if you hadn’t found me in time.” Lola leans in and whispers, “You do what you need to do.”

I survey the room. Lola is the only female here beside Suzie, but I needed the MC to see she’s with us, not against us, and that she’s mine. My top lip curls up, and I take a step away from her.

Lola keeps walking for the door.

Projecting my voice so everyone can hear me, I say, “These three thought they could touch what’s mine, and there’d be no repercussions. Because of them, Smokey is dead. There can be only one punishment. You take one of ours, and we fucking put you in the ground!”

Shouts and cheers of