Chapter 20 Kaylynn
KAYLYNN
My eyes fell open to something warm against me. The air smelled of muscles and sweat. The type of odor that made me wrinkle my nose as I relaxed into it. I turned over, finding Ryker asleep next to me. Silent. Still. Stoic.
And completely at peace.
“Shit,” I whispered.
What the hell were we going to do now? We’d crossed a line no one ever came back from. And what that meant with my standing here with the only people who seemed even remotely interested in taking me in made me nervous.
Get out.
I slipped out of bed and looked around for my clothes. And I panicked when I couldn't find them. Well, I found my underwear, yes. I slipped them on as quickly as I could. But that still didn’t bode well for the shirt I’d been wearing last night.
“Must still be in the kitchen,” I murmured.
I peeked my head out into the hallway, trying to figure out if I had enough time to rush into the room and scoop it up.
With my tits out and my body shivering from the cool air of the fan, I decided against it.
I was closer to my bedroom, so I made a dash for it.
Covering my chest and keeping my feet light as I turned the corner.
And leapt into the guest bedroom.
I closed the door behind me and puffed out my cheeks. After slipping into the clothes I had on yesterday, I gravitated over to the bedside table. I looked down at my phone, watching as the small yellow light pulsed. That meant I had a voice message.
A voice message most certainly from my brother.
I picked up my cell phone with trembling hands and turned on the screen.
The first thing that caught my eye were the missed calls.
I had ten of them spanning the entire night.
The next thing I clocked was my battery.
It was at thirty-eight percent and draining quickly.
I unlocked my phone and erased the missed calls.
I had no intentions of returning any of them.
Then, I saw the multiple missed texts I had from him.
Alex: Pick up this fucking phone, or I’m tracking it to come find you now.
Alex: Kaylynn, if you make me work to find you, I’m dragging you into Lars’ office.
Alex: Kay, what the actual fuck right now? My life is on the goddamn line, and you couldn't care less!
Alex: I swear to fuck on high, if you’re screwing around with him, you’re all dead. You. Him. That stupid little girl.
Alex: I should’ve never brought her to you. I should’ve kept her for my fucking self.
I didn’t even know what he meant by that last text.
But it boiled my blood. My lips downturned in frustration and my eyes widened with fury.
I cleared the rest of them out, not caring to read them as I navigated to my phone.
I called my voicemail and put it on speakerphone, because I damn sure wasn’t able to hold my phone in my trembling hand.
I tossed it to the bed as my brother’s voice filled the space around me. And his words felt like fire against my ears.
“Do you even know what you’ve done right now?
The position you’ve put me in? You’ve ruined everything.
Everything, Kaylynn! You’ve ruined your only source of income.
You’ve ruined my job. My career. My life!
He’ll kill me, Kay. Do you get that? He’ll kill me, then come after you.
He’ll torture you. For fun. Because that’s what a man like Lars does.
Do you hear me, Kay? Do you hear the hell you’re about to bring down on this family?
Because it makes me sick that you don’t give a shit! ”
Where the hell did my brother go?
I didn’t even recognize his voice. The anger.
The fear. The uncertainty. It didn’t even sound like him.
Like the boy I’d grown up with. Like the rational man that let me keep Ariel with me instead of tossing her into some system to be lost forever.
It brought tears to my eyes. Every word hurt.
Every syllable ripped against my skin. I listened as the last of my beautiful brother faded into nothing. Nothing except the shell of our father.
Oh, Alex.
“You come back. You get back to this fucking house so we can talk. What the hell am I supposed to tell my boss now, huh? What the hell am I supposed to do to get myself out of this situation!? Do you really care that little for me now? Are your ready to run for the rest of your life? Because we’ll both be doing that if you don’t get the fuck back here with that bratty little bitch now! ”
The voice message finally ceased, and I fell to the bed. I put my head in my hands, shuddering as silent tears dripped into my palms. I hadn’t cried this much since I was a teenager. And now, I didn’t know what to do. Was I really betraying family? Would my brother die because of what I’d done?
The bed moved next to me and I whipped my head up. My vision cleared instantly, and I readied myself for a fight. A hand came down against my back, and I flinched. Until it started rubbing. Stroking. Caressing me down from my emotional tizzy.
“It’s okay. I’m right here,” Ryker murmured.
My lip quivered. “How long have you been—”
“I heard it.”
I paused. “How did I not hear you open the door?”
He shrugged. “Probably too preoccupied with your own thoughts.”
“I’m sorry I left this morning.”
“I honestly didn’t expect you to stay. I figured you would’ve left long before you did.”
I snickered. “Guess you’re more comfortable than you think.”
He grinned. “First time I’ve ever heard that.”
I wiped at my tears. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?”
“We’ll figure that out. I promise.”
“That isn’t who my brother used to be. That isn’t who my brother is.”
“And I’m sure you’re right about that. Your brother has personal ties to this crew. At one point in time, he was friends with some of the guys.”
I paused. “What?”
He nodded. “According to our president, at one point in time you brother tried pledging us. Ran as a prospect for a few weeks before getting booted.”
I shook my head. “I had no idea about that.”
“I guess he tried steering the guys away from something your father was doing at the time, and they figured it out. Or, at the very least, figured out he intentionally sabotaged the crew’s mission. They kicked him out after that.”
“Seems like I don’t really know my brother at all.”
“In some respects, we don’t really know anyone. Only the version we wish for someone to see, do we really know.”
I furrowed my brow. “That makes sense. And it’s very wise.”
“Shocked it came from me?”
“No, actually. I’m not.”
He wrapped his arm around me. “We’ll protect you; you know. I’ll protect you, so long as you’re around.”
“Can I trust you, though, is the real question.”
“In due time, you’ll figure out you can. But for now? I’ll settle with you not pushing me away after last night.”
I snickered. “So, you can have a second shot at it?”
He shrugged. “If that’s what you want.”
I rolled my eyes. “Typical man.”
“I didn’t hear you once complain about it last night.”
I blushed. “Because there’s nothing to complain about.”
“Then, stop pushing me away.”
He kissed the side of my head and I closed my eyes.
I leaned against his lips, feeling them linger for a little longer than usual.
My head fell to his shoulder as he pulled away.
But he only pulled me closer. I swung my legs over his lap as my head ran a million miles a second.
Trying to figure out a way to save my brother in all this.
“Will the guys spare my brother?” I asked softly.
“I don’t know, Kaylynn. Your brother works for a terrible man that’s been gunning for us for a while now.”
“I know. Lars Norden.”
He paused. “You know who he is?”
“I don’t know him, like in person. But I know his name. Who he is. What he does.”
“Ariel isn’t the only child you’ve had in your custody, is it?”
I shook my head slowly. “No.”
“Do you know what they’re doing with those children?”
I shook. “No.”
“Shh, shh, shh, shh, I’m just asking questions.”
“I’m just as terrible as them, aren’t I?”
“No. Not by a longshot.”
“I should’ve stuck up for those kids like I did Ariel. I should’ve found their parents, like I wanted to find you for her. I should’ve—”
“Kaylynn. Listen to me.”
The curt sound of his voice halted my words in their tracks. Then, he sighed.
“Even you know your brother isn’t clean of evil.
And yes, I understand he’s still your brother.
He’s still your family. What you have to understand, though, is that I get it.
I get not having the ability to make money.
I get having to take whatever’s thrown at you in order to live.
Eat. Survive. Something tells me that’s what happened.
Your brother showed up with kids that needed a place to stay.
And in return, he paid you well to take care of them, not ask questions, and turn them over when asked. Right?”
I nodded, unable to say anything.
“You aren’t as bad as them, Kaylynn. They exploited you. A weakness. Just like they do everyone else. Just like they’ve done with the guys of this crew. Me with my daughter. Cage with his girlfriend. Saint with a family he didn’t know he had. Bear with his, well, everything.”
I snickered. “What does that mean?”
“Just—the point is, you’re a victim. Just like those kids you took care of. You aren’t them. You’re someone forced to work alongside them. That’s it.”
I paused. “He’s still my brother, Ryker. I have to try and find a way to protect him.”
“And that’s fine. I get it. I’ll do what it takes to make sure he isn’t killed. By our side, at least. But I need you to know that if it comes down to it—if there’s ever a situation where it’s him or Ariel…”
I nodded. “I understand.”
“I need you to know I’ll choose my daughter every time. No matter what.”
“And that’s why you’re a great father. Even though I know you don’t see it.”