Chapter Twenty
THE SHARP KNIFE slid through the potato like butter.
Slice.
Slice.
Slice.
The back of Kelsie’s head itched from the strength of the stares coming off the hoard of nosey women sharing the kitchen with her. Beyonce belted powerful lyrics in the background, providing the perfect ambience for this impromptu cooking and wine-drinking party. They hadn’t been at this long, but clearly, all the ladies knew she’d spent the night at Ty’s house and were dying for details, yet no one was brave enough to ask.
Surprising. Especially for Liv.
Kelsie continued her assigned kitchen task for about three more minutes before she couldn’t take it any longer.
“Okay,” she said, setting the knife on the counter with a loud clatter. She whirled around, folded her arms across her chest, and rested her backside against the counter. “Out with it. What do y’all want to know?”
Harper, ever the sweetheart, was the first to respond. She shook her head, waving the fork she’d been using to shred the pulled pork. “Honey, your business is your business. You do not need to tell us anyth—”
Liv wasn’t so unassuming. “Harper, zip it!” She hopped off a stool and click-clacked across the kitchen in shoes Kelsie envied. “You need to tell us everything… everything.” She waggled her eyebrows as she poked a finger into Kelsie’s sternum.
Heat rushed from her chest to her face. “You really want to know?”
“Yes!” They chorused.
Okay then. “Um, well, after you and Spec dropped me off at Ty’s last night—”
“You guys spent the entire night swinging from the rafters while naked?” Rachel asked. Of all the women, Kelsie knew her the least. She was Frost’s ol’ lady and Curly’s half-sister.
“No, no, not the rafters. You were making passionate love, right?” Liv clasped her hands over her heart and sighed before Kelsie could answer the first intrusive question.
“For fuck’s sake.” Jo rolled her eyes. She’d been stacking rolls on a large platter but abandoned the task in favor of this intrusive conversation. “Can you let the poor woman speak for herself? And ‘making passionate love?’ Who the hell says that?”
Liv whirled on her. “I do, and you shut it, or you’re cut off,” she added, pointing a perfectly manicured nail at Jo’s beer. According to Brooke, Liv wasn’t the most skilled in the kitchen, so she’d been relegated to making sure everyone’s drink was topped off, and she took her job very seriously. It seemed like every time Kelsie took a sip of her wine, Liv was there to replenish it.
With a wide grin, Liv spun back around. “I’m kidding, mostly,” she said with a shrug. “We want to make sure everything went well. That you are okay and feel good about whatever did or didn’t happen between you and Ty.”
Kelsie tilted her head and studied the glamorous woman. “But you’d prefer if something did happen?”
“Well, of course, girl.” Liv playfully slapped her shoulder. “We are very picky about our sisters and want you to be one. So please put us out of our misery and tell us something!”
“We don’t claim her,” Brooke called from the other side of the kitchen.
“Please, you love me, and you know it. Now stop distracting her.” Liv practically stomped her heeled foot as she waited without an ounce of patience.
Kelsie couldn’t help it. She grinned, and it quickly turned into full-on laughter. “You guys are hilarious and a little crazy. Seriously, I haven’t known you long, but I can already say you are the best friends I’ve ever had.” She pressed a hand to the left side of her chest. “Thank you for all that you have done for me. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, big love fest.” Liv flicked her hand in a hurry-up motion.
“Liv!” Jo shook her head but struggled to hide her smirk.
“Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say. I better get back to cutting these potatoes.” She started to turn.
“Nooo,” Liv wailed. “You’re killing me.”
“Sorry,” Kelsie said, laughing. “I couldn’t resist.” She spun back. “I’m not going to give you details…”
Liv pouted.
“But I will say that lots of things happened between last night and this afternoon.”
The ear-splitting cheers from every woman had Kelsie’s eyes popping wide and her jaw dropping. Liv, of course, had the most over-the-top reaction.
“I knew it!” she screamed, jumping up and down. How she managed to keep her ankles from rolling would forever remain a mystery to Kelsie. Liv shrieked and threw her arms around Kelsie, squeezing the life out of her. “I’m so happy for you. And for me, because I love you and want you and Ty to be together forever so you can always be with me.”
“Get it, girl,” Jo shouted before whistling so loud Kelsie winced.
Harper wiped fake tears. “I’m so proud.”
“You guys need some serious help,” Kelsie said with a chuckle as she hugged Liv back.
The rest of them kept cheering, laughing, and sharing stories of how they got with their men, but Liv quieted. With her hands on Kelsie’s shoulders, she searched her face, which burned under the close-up inspection.
“How are you, for real?” Liv asked, her voice chock full of concern.
Kelsie understood exactly what she was being asked. A few days ago, humiliation would have had her hiding from the question, but today, she didn’t let it cut into her cheerful mood. These women cared for her and wanted her to be happy and have a healthy relationship with a man they considered family. “I’m great, Liv. Ty is… different from every other man. I trust him completely.”
Liv beamed. “I get it. He’s yours. And, for the record, I think you are just what that man needs in his life.”
She wasn’t sure about all that, but she’d been floating on cloud nine all afternoon, even with the impending disaster her family had in store for the club.
“HOLD THE FUCKING phone.” Jinx’s shocked outburst echoed the surprise and disbelief on Ty’s brothers’ faces. “VP, you trying to tell us that sweet-as-pie, strong-as-hell Kelsie is related to some of the most notorious shitbags in America?”
“That is what I’m saying.”
“Well, Christ, pretty sure you couldn’t have shocked me more if you told me lovebugs flew out your ass this morning.” Jinx shook his head as though trying to get the information to line up and make sense in his mind. Too bad it wouldn’t work. “What a mind fuck.”
“You said it. My head’s been spinning ever since she told me.” Except for when he was buried inside her. He couldn’t think of a damn thing besides how incredible it felt deep inside her tight pussy. And maybe when he’d get to do it again. Soon, if he had a say.
Spec’s face was a mask of serious concentration. Most likely, he was jumping three steps ahead, plotting how to rid the world of one very famous criminal and his douchebag of a son. Ty was about to add another prey to Spec’s list. “She has no relationship with them now?” Spec asked.
Ty shook his head. Why hadn’t he grabbed a drink before the meeting? Spilling Kelsie’s personal business without her around made him feel like trash, but she’d consented to him cluing in his brothers. “She left when she was a teenager. She’s been living off an inheritance in a shitty apartment ever since. She worked in a hair salon and spent her days worrying about her family knocking on her door. Once in a while, her brother, Lorenzo, who is a decade older, would call to remind her they know where she is and how to reach her, but they never tried to force her back home until now.”
Curly, ever the leader, leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the long table. “Okay, so we knew that the guy who showed up the other day was her brother, and you told us he’s basically using your business to blackmail Kelsie into returning home…”
“Don’t forget using Ty’s lovely ex-wife to throw in a little extra fuckery,” Jinx added.
“Right.” Curly nodded. “That too. But you haven’t told us why the fuck he wants her back so much. They aren’t close, so why now?”
This was the part that made him feel like he’d swallowed a gallon of sour milk and took a kick to the nuts at the same time.
“Did I hear something about her old man running for senate? Maybe it was governor… some political position,” Pulse piped in for the first time. “Am I making that up?”
“No, you’re not,” Ty said as he clenched his fists on the table. “Not only is he running for governor, but he has the chance to get the backing of Tinsley.”
“Remind me…” Jinx said, snapping his fingers as though that could conjure the man’s image.
“Speaker of the House,” Pulse said.
“Ahh. Right. That guy sucks.” Jinx’s twisted expression mirrored the words.
Ty snorted. “That he does. But he’s hella powerful and willing to get in bed with Kelsie’s father, politically speaking.”
“Damn, that would all but make him a shoo-in for governor,” Tracker said as he rubbed a hand across his beard. “We might think that Tinsley guy is a fucker, but plenty support him.”
Curly’s eyes narrowed. “What’s in it for Tinsley? He’s not exactly known for doling out favors.”
“Ahh, well, that would be a wife for his son.” Just saying it made Ty want to upend the table and drive his fist through a wall. Even better, someone’s face. He could think of a few candidates—three, to be specific.
The room went deadly silent.
They all knew of Andrew Tinsley. Hell, everyone in the nation knew of Andrew Tinsley. He was the type of man that kept fathers up at night, fearing their daughters were out with a guy even a fraction as heinous as that motherfucker.
A loud crack rang out as Jinx slapped the table. “Well, that’s just not gonna fucking happen. There’s no way in hell we’ll let him near your woman, Ty. Won’t let him fuck up your business either. Goddamn, this pisses me off.”
The rest of them chimed in with their agreement. The room grew loud with all the outraged shouting and promises of violence.
Curly held up a hand. “Seems like we don’t need to take a vote here. Everyone is on board with devising a plan to keep Kelsie safe, right?”
“Fuck yes!” Jinx shouted.
“So, what’s our first move, boys?” Curly asked, but his attention was on Spec.
“I haven’t shot anyone in a while, so…” Spec shrugged.
The room cracked up, and, as usual, Jinx’s deafening laugh trumped them all.
Thank God for these men and their fucked-up sense of humor. Their unwavering support, no matter what life threw his way, meant more than he could express. But the best part was, he didn’t have to say shit. None of them did. He’d been there for his brothers through the worst and best times in their lives. That’s just how they rolled. No one needed or expected an elaborate thank you. He’d show his gratitude by sticking by them as they did him.
The tension he’d been carrying for the past few hours halved. Solving this problem wouldn’t be a cakewalk, but he had no doubt they’d devise a stellar and possibly devious plan to keep his business, and more importantly, Kelsie safe.
“I already called my attorney,” Ty said, bracing his elbows on the table. “She’s been made aware that I’m unwilling to back out of my expansion plan no matter what they offer in case they try a legal route first. I’ve also warned her there might be an attempt at a hostile takeover. She’s prepared and on alert for any suspicious activity.”
“Smart.” Curly rapped his knuckles on the table. “Spec? Ideas?”
“We need to neutralize the father and Lorenzo. This is the kind of trouble that doesn’t just disappear. We block them from taking Ty’s business, and they’ll move on to the next target. They’ll turn to Lock’s business, get the health and safety board to investigate Tracker’s tattoo shop, fuck with the opening of the women’s shelter, and the list will go on.”
“They can fucking try,” Lock muttered as he sipped his whiskey. Smart man bringing a damn drink.
“There’s no legal route to get them to back off, is there?” Tracker asked.
Shaking his head, Spec said, “Doubt it. They’ve proven countless times that they’re too slippery to face any real consequences.”
“So, we gotta play dirty,” Jinx said, cracking his knuckles.
“We hit them where it hurts the most.”
Ty raised an eyebrow. “And that would be?”
“Money and connections,” Pulse said. He wasn’t as rowdy as the others but possibly the smartest in the club. He tended to think before he spoke, whereas impulsiveness ran rampant with the rest of these guys.
“Bingo.” Spec pointed to Pulse. “We need to find a way to drain their wallets and turn everyone against them. Without funding and minions to do their dirty work, they’re nothing.”
“They’ve already survived a million scandals,” Tracker said, narrowing his eyes. “How the fuck do we get at them?”
Spec’s maniacal grin sent a shard of ice through Ty’s chest. “By doing the one thing they’d never expect.”