to save him, no matter the danger, no matter the cost. If he hadn’t already been in love with her, he’d have fallen hard right then and there. If only his own mother had loved him just as fiercely. But those thoughts were useless. He was a grown man, where Jaxson had yet to live. Keys would make damn sure the kid got a chance to not only live, but to know both his parents, that was him and Palmer, loved him unconditionally. Blood be damned.
“I swear to you, I will do everything within me to keep the both of you from harm. If anything happens to me, you get Hoss out of here and run. My brothers are out there, and they’ll get you to safety. Promise me you’ll do that.” He gripped her chin between his two fingers.
“What are you talking about, Keys. They’re not going to hurt you. They want me, right?” Palmer bit her lip.
He gave her a little shake. “Palmer, listen to me. Did you see that truck? He’d have mowed you and him over. I guarantee you that he was paid to do it. I’ve been thinking about what you said. If someone knows that you found out about Thomas and his dirty little secret, they might be worried you know too much. Shut you up, and then there goes their worry. What you told me sounds like a lot more than just a man and his kink, baby.”
“Oh god, I did this. I’ve put all of us at risk.”
Keys squatted down on his haunches. “Baby, the only ones who put anyone at risk are the sick bastards who are now trying to shut you up. Listen, I need to see if I can hear anything by the door. Stay put and try to keep quiet.”
He hated to leave her when she looked so frightened. Jaxson slept on, unknowing the danger that lurked, just as he should. Giving her a hard kiss, he wished more than ever he could make her forget what was going on. He got up and walked out of the room. God damn, he really didn’t want to kill someone, or a few someone’s on his first day with Palmer. Life was a kick in the balls sometimes, he’d learned that at the knees of Claire as her prick ass boys kicked him in the side when he didn’t do as she’d asked. He’d been seven and knew it wasn’t right to steal. Not even from the rich. Now he had no problem doing it, but the rich they took from were sick bastards who hurt others; kidnappers, sex traffickers, and worse. His moral compass wasn’t screwed.
At the door, he listened but couldn’t hear a thing. His phone buzzed with a text.
Dumb and dumber are arguing with a couple of other dudes who walked out of your swanky place. I’d say your late-night visitors didn’t find what they were looking for. We’ll keep you posted. Stay tuned and don’t leave your room and try not to make her scream, even from pleasure. That might alert them to her whereabouts.
Keys sent him the middle finger image, then typed out a thank you a second later.
I knew you liked me. Katana said he don’t swing that way and to back off his best friend or he’d hurt you.
Keys sent him another middle finger emoji. How Koyn didn’t kill the two men he didn’t know but then he got another text, this one a picture of the men with Katana standing behind them. Shit, the crazy bastards were seriously crazy and dangerous, and exactly his kind of people.
Tell Katana you and he are both my new best friends.
Cool, can I see your woman’s tits?
Not gonna happen.
Unfriended.
Keys went in to check on Palmer, hating that she no longer looked like the well-loved woman she had only hours ago.
“Dragon said the men appear to have left the B&B but are sitting out in the parking lot now. Do you know these men?”
He let her see the image that he’d received, watching her face for any show of recognition. She used her fingers to enlarge the screen. A gasp made him frown.
“What? Do you know them?” he asked, looking at the man she’d zoomed in on.
“That’s Charlie, my grandfather’s lawyer. He was in my grandfather’s study yesterday. I think both men were stunned to learn I was the beneficiary. I don’t know why they thought I wouldn’t be. I know his mother didn’t like me, but