CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
– THORSTEN –
The men start to leave church while me, Macsen, Falcon, Jocko, and Archer are still discussing the final details.
Archer’s phone rings. “Bee, I have to take it. My old lady probably has set things in motion already.”
I nod while he walks out. Livi is standing in the main room, giving me a small smile when she notices my eyes on her.
Waving her in, I tell the guys, “Be ready in ten minutes.”
They wander out while Livi makes her way over to me.
“Archer still can’t get a location on Kayden. The fucker seems to have dropped off the planet.” I release a deep sigh. “Since we’re on the topic, Wally was discharged from the hospital. Jocko brought him home this morning and told him he’s out. With everything going on, even if he helped us in the end? There’s no way he has a place in the brotherhood. He took it as expected and is retiring.”
She doesn’t get a chance to say something about the update I just gave her due to my brother. He bursts inside the room and starts to rumble a growl while he swings his arm in the direction of the main room of the clubhouse.
“Yeah, about that…Kenz left.” Livi winces.
Falcon curls his fingers into fists at his sides and is glaring at Livi as if he’s able to pull an explanation right out of her mind.
Maybe he has the ability because Livi sighs and says, “Don’t look at me, I’m not a relationship expert. Hell, your brother kidnapped me to keep this thing between us going. You, on the other hand, have similar twisted ideas ’cause Kenz thinks you’re stalking her.”
What the fuck? Falcon grinds his teeth, and I know Kenz is right to think my brother is stalking her.
“Falcon,” I grunt in disapproval.
Livi holds her hand up to stop me from talking. “Kenz fits right in with crazy because she likes it. She also has no fear ’cause the woman slipped out of the clubhouse to taunt the knife wielding dude she has a thing for.”
My brother gives one of his rare grins. Though, ever since Livi brought Kenz into his life he’s practically been all smiles when those two message back and forth.
Livi leans forward and lowers her voice. “Please don’t let her know I’ve said that, or the fact she seemingly has a long list of all the dirty things she’d like to do with you.”
Feral hunger is the expression I recognize on my brother’s face.
“Don’t fuckin’ motivate him,” I tell her.
Planting her hands on her hips, Livi snaps, “I’m just giving him a warning about my friend while also letting him know she’s onto him. Can’t you see we have a situation on our hands where your brother has some twisted fascination with my bestie, who I just discovered is also my cousin? Shit. You do know her twin brothers are co-presidents of Areion Fury MC, right? Not that she’s too involved ’cause she’s busy with doing her own thing and all, but still.”
I jab a hand through my hair. None of this changes the expression on my brother’s face.
“We’ll deal with it when we get back,” I grumble. “First we need to head out.”
“Head out to where?” Livi questions.
“Working a job under contract apparently,” I tell her.
She bobs her head. “You signed the contract. Okay, how can I help?”
I narrow my eyes, not wanting her involved in any of it. Especially with the meeting we have set with the cartel within the hour. On Archer’s request we just reached out to them and they’ve agreed to hear us out.
“You’re not helping,” I grit. “I’m not risking your ass getting hurt, killed, or taken by those fuckers who use women in their trafficking ring.”
I expect her to throw some angry words at me, instead she steps closer and slides her palms under my leather cut and murmurs, “Admit it, you like me more with every minute passing and by midnight you’ll be head over heels in love.”
The corner of my mouth twitches. “Nice try.”
Her damn thumbs rub against my chest, voice sultry and caressing my skin. “What if I’m carrying your kid in my belly?”
Emotions flow hot through my veins. Is she fucking with me? Stepping back, I place my hands on her hips to look at her belly. It’s way too early, but I can’t help myself from picturing her belly swollen with our child. My hand is shaking when I gently place it over her abdomen.
Her fingers glide over mine before linking them. “I’ll stay at the clubhouse and wait for you to return to us.”
Return to us. Us. A family. A new chance to do right by them and wipe away the negativity of my own experiences.
“Fuck,” I croak. “For real?”
“For real. Just don’t piss me off by getting hurt and leaving me to raise whatever I pop out all by myself, understood?”
“Understood, babe.” I chuckle.
“I’m serious.” Turning to Falcon she snaps, “You better have his back out there and make sure he gets home. You too for that matter.”
Falcon instantly gives her a tight nod.
“Thanks,” Livi murmurs and gives me her full attention. “Give me a kiss and get your ass moving. I’m gonna take a nap and call Kenz to make sure she got home safe.”
A growl rumbles through my chest when I grab her ass and slam my mouth over hers. I swallow the squeal turning into a moan and kiss the fuck out of her. My tongue strokes hers, tasting her to savor her in all ways while letting my hands roam.
All too soon I pull back and place my forehead against hers. “Stay naked in bed. I’ll join you soon.”
“I’ll be waiting.” Her voice resembles a husky promise.
I smack her ass and walk out of church, knowing if I don’t, I’ll never be able to leave the woman who holds my future inside her belly.
“Ready?” Archer asks and shoves his phone into his pocket. “My team is in place and waiting for you to suit up so we can get the evidence we need to put an end to the Feliza Cartel.”
Stepping closer, I tell him, “I want one more confirmation.”
“About?” He raises an eyebrow.
“Any single one of my brothers, including me, is allowed to kill cartel members if things turn to shit?”
Archer doesn’t even blink when he states, “Correct. Preferably, we’d need verbal evidence first of some of their activities before you end them.”
“That won’t be a problem.” I grin and head for my bike.
We ride for twenty minutes and follow Archer to a spot where he has some Broken Deeds members who put some special undetectable technology on us. This way they can hear every word of our conversation with the cartel.
The woman fussing with a button on my shirt has honey colored hair, is curvy, and I know for a fact it’s Bee, Archer’s old lady. Lenz has dug deep to gather information about many of the members of Broken Deeds. It’s why I know for a fact her father was once the vice president of Areion Fury MC.
This woman is in the middle of the two MCs Livi is connected to also. Knowing my brother’s obsession with Kenz, it’s a possibility to gather some inside information about the chick my old lady is close friends with.
“I assume you know Kenz,” I murmur, making sure to keep my voice low for both Falcon and Archer who are a few feet away.
Bee keeps checking the microphone and whispers, “Why are you asking about a sister of co-presidents? Trying to upgrade from cousin to sister?”
“What the fuck, woman?” I growl, drawing Archer’s attention. “I’m only asking because Livi sent her a picture of my brother and she replied with ‘mine.’”
Bee holds a hand up to stop Archer from stalking over to us.
Lifting her gaze to me, she gives me a grin. “Really? What member did she like? ’Cause that girl is picky as hell when it comes to men.”
“I only have one blood brother.” I jerk my chin in the direction of Falcon who is standing in the shadows behind the bikes.
“Ah, the intriguing, silent, and scary looking one. Figures. Makenzie is a tattoo artist and meets lots of assholes through her work. Not to mention, she was raised in a family of overbearing MC members, along with twin brothers. To give you an example, her twin sister left town as soon as she could. Makenzie also moved, but at least she stays in touch every now and then. She takes no bullshit and isn’t easily impressed by men.” Jerking a thumb over her shoulder in Falcon’s direction, she adds, “Your brother looks like a dude who walked straight out of one of those dark and smutty books she loves to get lost in. So, you can say the dude has perks when it comes to catching her eye. Also, warn your brother for me.”
“Why?” I grit, getting angry at the thought of this woman wanting to warn Falcon away from Kenz.
Bee snickers. “Stop pinching your face or those wrinkles will catch up to you in a few years. I wasn’t gonna warn him away, I was gonna tell you to warn your brother for disappointment because Kenz isn’t the type of girl who wants to be an old lady. She might have said ‘mine’ and meant it…yet, it only would involve a kinky hot night.” Bee winces. “Forget I said that. Seriously, I only know about the kinky side because Kenz doesn’t shut up when she’s inking and oversharing is her thing. She simply doesn’t give a fuck what others think and does what she wants and likes. For instance, AF MC owns a tattoo shop and yet she left everything behind to build her own future and opened one herself. She doesn’t take shit from anyone and why should she? Kenz has done pretty damn fine when it comes to living her own way.”
“Thanks for your honesty,” I tell her.
She gives me a nod. “All done. Oh, and treat Livi right. With her past being ripped open and parts shattered, she doesn’t need any more hits hitting her in the face. So, don’t get killed.”
“She has my baby inside her belly,” I find myself saying, and watch Bee’s eyes go wide. “No fucking way am I planning to die tonight.”
“You knocked up my fucking cousin?” Archer growls.
“I fucking did.” I grin. “And it’s your job to make sure I come out of this shit alive tonight, or she’ll hate your ass for the rest of your life.”
Archer rubs a hand over his face. “Fuck. Me. Ma was right, and wins the fucking bet, as always.”
“What bet?” I mutter.
Bee snickers. “Lynn always places bets when it comes to new couples. You’re okay, Thorsten…it means you really are part of the Broken Deeds MC family now if Lynn has won the bet ’cause she didn’t bet against you.”
Well shit. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.