Chapter Twenty-One
TY SAT BESIDE her, rigid as a statue, staring at Spec with an ice-cold, nearly murderous glare.
The guys had come out of church, as they called their meetings, about five minutes ago. Ty was the first to exit. He stomped to the bar and poured himself a very generous shot of tequila, which he downed in two swallows. Curly had asked them all to gather at the tables for a discussion. None of the other men seemed angry, but Ty was as pissed as she’d ever seen him.
His mood immediately set her on edge.
After pouring his second tequila, he approached her and sat down. Given his tension, she’d not expected him to engage with her, but as soon as his ass hit the seat, he’d cupped the back of her head and drew her in for a neuron-frying kiss that left her trembling with desire.
“Are you okay?” she whispered once she could speak again.
He pressed his forehead to hers. “Promise me when we’re done here, you’ll come back to my house,” he whispered so only she could hear. “I need to spend the entire night inside you, making you come until you pass out.”
God, if the impending discussion weren’t so important, she’d drag him out of the clubhouse right then and there. She shivered. “I promise.”
He closed his eyes and blew out a breath before kissing her again.
Part of her wanted to run. It seemed whatever the guys had to say, it wouldn’t be good. Had something happened with her family? Oh, God, had they already made a move against Ty’s business?
Or worse?
Her stomach roiled.
“Ty—”
“All right, let’s get started.” Curly’s request had her springing back from Ty. She spun to face the commanding man as did everyone in the room. They all had immense respect for their president and fell quiet to listen. Kelsie admired the man as well, even if she hadn’t built the courage to be alone with him. Who wouldn’t hold the man who’d directed his club to rescue them in high regard? Still, she had a feeling whatever was about to come out of his mouth wasn’t something she wanted to hear.
“What’s going on?” Brooke asked, peering up at her old man, who was the only one still standing.
Curly wasted no time catching everyone up on the drama she’d brought into their lives. Even though she didn’t sense a hint of judgment or condemnation in his tone, she wanted to crawl under her chair and curl into the fetal position.
How humiliating. These people had already seen her at the lowest moment of her life. She’d been barely lucid and clinging to sanity by her fingertips when they rescued her. Was it too much to ask that she not be the cause of an enormous problem for their club?
The universe sure thought so.
“Holy shit, this is nuts.” Liv was the first to speak, following Curly’s explanation of the situation. “Babe, are you okay? I’d be a mess if I were you.”
Ty grabbed her hand, brought it to his lips, and pressed a lingering kiss to her knuckles. She could feel the strength flowing from him into her.
After a dopey smile of gratitude, she turned back to Liv. “I’m not sure what I am right now. Mostly embarrassed that you all have to deal with more of my issues.”
Jo snorted. “Trust me when I say we’re used to it. We all came here with a mountain of issues, didn’t we, ladies?”
They each nodded and voiced their agreement.
“She’s not kidding,” Liv said. “It’s your turn now, but we’ve all had to lean on each other heavily in the past.”
“That’s what we do,” Ty added. “For family.”
She blinked as her eyes grew misty. “I’m family?” she asked, gazing up at him.
“Damn straight.” He winked, drawing a wobbly smile from her.
“You sure as hell are,” Brooke added. “And we are a lot to handle, so I hope you’re ready.”
“Amen,” Jo said, pointing to Liv behind her back.
“I saw that,” Liv said with a faux scowl.
“No, you didn’t,” Jo shot back.
“Well, I felt it. You’re sending sketchy vibes my way.”
Kelsie giggled while Jo rolled her eyes. Curly scratched his chin, seeming unsure how to deal with this sassy group of women. “You ladies mind giving me five minutes of your time?”
“I suppose we can fit you in,” Harper said with a laugh.
“Give me strength,” Curly muttered, which set all the women off laughing and high-fiving. Kelsie even got in on the action when Liv held a fist out for her to bump like the men always did.
“All right, all right. Let’s get serious.” Brooke straightened and patted Curly on his arm. “Not sure who’s gonna blow a gasket first, Curly or Ty.”
Kelsie risked a peek at Ty, and, yeah, he looked seconds from losing his cool. Despite the ferocious expression of frustration, he held her hand with a gentleness she’d expected and appreciated from him. More than appreciate, she’d come to crave his touch in a way she’d feared her trauma had stolen from her.
Whatever plan they’d concocted, it was clear Ty didn’t approve, which probably meant it involved her in a way he’d been hoping to avoid. For the past few months, hell, years, she’d played a passive role in her own life, hiding out, fearing so many things, and merely existing. Ty had given her a gift. He’d boosted her confidence. Being with him had shown her she could trust again and that she had the strength and courage to conquer her fears.
It was time to start taking an active role in her destiny. She straightened her shoulders and spoke with a clear, assertive tone. “So, what’s the plan?” Her insides weren’t convinced she could handle what they threw her way, but she’d make sure no one saw her trepidation. This club had given her a second chance at life, and she wouldn’t squander it hiding in the shadows.
Curly looked her straight in the eye. “We need you to go to your father’s house.”
Her jaw dropped as she stiffened. “I…” She blinked. Those were the last words she’d expected to hear from him. “I’m sorry… what?”
Ty’s grip nearly crushed her hand. “Stupid fucking idea,” he muttered.
Now his ire made sense.
“Curly…” Brooke’s tone was full of uncertainty.
“I know,” Curly said before she could finish. He held up a hand. “It’s not what anyone wants. I get that. I understand you never wanted or expected to go back, but we have a solid plan we think is the best way to take them down.”
“Okay, lay it out for me.” She fiddled with her lower lip, rolling it between her thumb and forefinger as she listened to the proposal.
“Law enforcement can’t help us here.” Spec took over. Liv sat perched on his lap, glancing between Kelsie and her man with worried eyes. “Your father will buy them off or use his multimillion-dollar lawyers to crush any lawsuit we might bring. And that’s if we even have any legal recourse. All they’ve done so far is float the idea of stealing real estate out from under Ty.”
“They’re too smart to put themselves in legal jeopardy,” Jo said from her seat on Tracker’s lap.
“Exactly.” Spec pointed at her. “They’re also connected to some very powerful people in the business world. The kind of people who will leave your father and Lorenzo destitute if they abandon them.”
Kelsie frowned. “Yeah, but those are their legitimate business dealings. My father has committed every white-collar crime in the book, but only against those they consider lesser than. They aren’t going to screw over someone they need to elevate their positions in society.”
“No,” Spec said. “They aren’t.” His lips twisted in a grin, sending a cold trickle down Kelsie’s spine. “But that’s where we come in. We’ve got a buddy in another MC. His name’s Acer. He’s a scary, good hacker. With a few clicks of his keyboard, he can topple your father’s entire empire. He can make it look like he’s embezzling from some very powerful clients—men just as formidable as he is.”
She tilted her head. “The kind of men who’d have no qualms about taking my father down.”
“Exactly.”
The pieces were falling into place, but one major detail remained. “So why do I need to go to my father’s house?”
She hadn’t thought it possible, but Ty became even more stone-like beside her. His silence wasn’t the type that made him inconspicuous. It screamed louder than if he’d been ranting and raving his hatred. Kelsie tried to reassure him with a squeeze of his hand, but he remained still as a statue, glowering at Spec.
Curly took over again. “Acer is sending us a flash drive with a virus that will give him access to everything on your father’s company’s network. I don’t fully understand the behind-the-scenes workings, but the virus needs to be manually uploaded onto a computer connected to his business network.”
“His home office computer,” Kelsie said with a nod. Made sense. Her father had been working from home every day since being under house arrest. The pretend punishment hadn’t stopped him from running his empire and expanding his wealth.
“Yes,” Curly said as he finally sat. “I know this is a lot to process. You can take some time to decide if—”
She straightened. “I’ll do it.”
Beside her, Ty stared at the ceiling with a jaw like granite. Volatile tension rolled off him in thick waves. If this went on much longer, he’d likely cause an earthquake with the force of his fury.
The need to ease Ty’s worry shot to the top of her priority list. None of this mattered if she couldn’t get him on board. She’d be a wreck, stressing about him and his reaction the entire time she was supposed to focus on accessing her father’s computer. There had to be a way to get him on board. Convincing him of her safety and security, both physical and mental, seemed the only way.
She shot to her feet. Multiple sets of surprised eyes stared at her. “Is there somewhere Ty and I can talk in private?”
Liv shot her a knowing look.
“Of course,” Curly said. “We can hammer out the details later. You guys can use the bunkroom while the rest of us get dinner served.”
“Thank you.”
She tugged Ty’s arm. He allowed her to drag him to his feet and down the hall.
“You hate the idea,” she said as soon as she closed the door behind them.
“I hate this fucking idea.”
“Because you don’t think it will work?” She leaned against the back of the door.
Ty paced away, shaking his head. “No. I’m sure it will. I’ve seen Acer in action, and the dude is as good as the hype.”
“So…”
He spun and was on her so fast she gasped. His palms hit the door on either side of her head. She jumped as he slapped the wood with a loud crack, and her heart shot into her throat, but she wasn’t afraid. Quite the opposite. Ty, furious and protective, was sexy as could be.
Hard eyes stared at her. She trembled, instantly needy for him to touch her. But first, she said, “You’re worried about me.”
“I can’t have you hurt.” The agony in his voice shocked her. Ty cared. Really cared what happened to her.
“And I can’t keep playing a passive role in my destiny. I’ve laid low for years, and I’ve still been hurt. I need to take control of what happens to me, even if it ends up hurting me.”
He pressed his forehead to hers. “Kelsie…”
“I know,” she whispered. “But I trust you, Ty. And I trust your club. You’ll keep me safe.”
“Fuck.” He shut his eyes. “Fine. I fucking hate this, but I understand what you’re saying, and I respect it.”
“Thank you.”
“However, I reserve the right to yank your sexy ass out of there the second things feel wrong. Got it?”
She smiled. “Got it.”
He kissed her hard, almost desperate. “I can’t have you hurt,” he whispered again.
Knowing her well-being meant so much to him on a visceral level ramped up her desire. It was one thing to feel sexy and wanted but quite another to know the feelings went deeper than physical release.
She wanted this man with a force that shook her to her core.
“I’m alive, Ty, and I’m okay because of you. I’m more than okay. I want you when I never thought I’d want any man ever again. But you’re different. You’re mine. I don’t care about age, or families, or our fucked-up histories. All I care about is how good you make me feel in here,” she said, tapping her temple. “Here.” She placed a hand over her heart. “And here.” She slid her hand down her stomach and over her dress-covered mound.
“Stop.” Ty’s barked command had her freezing and her heart sinking, but she didn’t have to worry for long.
He snagged her wrist, keeping her from diving her fingers into her wet sex. “That’s fucking mine,” he said on a growl. Then he grabbed her by her ass and planted her against the door.
Her back hit the wood with a thud. She scrambled to wrap her arms and legs around him. Her dress bunched around her hips, leaving her wide open for him. Desperation had her feeling like her insides were coming apart. The only way to stop it was for him to get inside her. “Ty, please.”
He managed to hold her up with one hand on her ass while the other practically ripped the fly of his jeans open. He shoved his pants and underwear down, only far enough to free his cock, then yanked her panties to the side and pushed inside her with one swift move.
Kelsie cried out. It was just what she needed. The fullness only he could provide. The rough denim from his jeans sent a thrill through her. He’d wanted her so badly he couldn’t take the time to undress properly.
“I’ll keep you safe,” he ground out as he fucked into her.
“I-I know.” Already gasping for breath, Kelsie clung to him and absorbed the force of his thrusts.
“No one will fucking touch you.” He fucked her harder than before, harder than he probably meant, but she loved every second.
An out-of-control Ty was the sexiest thing on earth.
“I know. I’m not afraid. I trust you… oh, God.” Her head fell back against the wall. This was what people wrote books about.
“I’m going with you.”
“Yes. Yes, Ty.” She’d grant him whatever he wanted as long as he kept fucking her with the near-punishing thrusts. She felt free in a way she’d never experienced. If he weren’t holding her so tight, she’d fly right into space.
His eyes burned with lust and anger in equal measure, hypnotizing her in their fire. They stared at each other until he looked down between them to where his cock shuttled in and out of her pussy.
“God, this fucking body,” he rasped. “Feel what you do to me? You make me fucking crazy.”
“Yes. Same.” She couldn’t draw enough air to string two words together.
He grabbed her hair in a rough hold, angling her head back for a brutal kiss that had her working her hips faster. Her lips would be bruised, and her thighs would have marks from his zipper.
She moaned into his mouth so loud there was no way the rest of the club didn’t hear. But she couldn’t have cared any less. This was the most exciting sex she’d ever had—a driving need to claim each other that obliterated rational thought.
Ty tore his mouth from hers and latched onto her neck with a suction that would leave another mark on her skin. She arched her neck to give him even more access as she cried out.
“Christ, I can’t hold off,” he spoke against her neck.
“Don’t. Come, Ty. Come.”
He tightened his grip on her hair and held her as close as possible as he pressed her against the wall and thrust one final time. His teeth sank into the skin between her neck and shoulder as he let out a long, satisfied groan.
The sound of him climaxing and the way his body gyrated against hers set her off. She squeezed her eyes closed. Bright light burst behind her lids, and the harshest pleasures washed over her. She shouted one final time as her legs tightened around him to hold him in place. They couldn’t stay long, but she could revel in the feel of him for one more minute.
“Stay with me tonight,” he whispered. “We’ll sleep just like this. Me inside you.”
Her throat thickened until all she could do was nod.
Ty didn’t try to move away so she kept her eyes closed and enjoyed the feeling of him until someone pounded on the door. “Come on, porn stars. Dinner’s ready.”
Jinx, of course.
Her face flamed, and she buried her face against Ty’s shoulder while he chuckled. Before he could pull out, she tightened her arms. “I have to do this,” she whispered. “I have to be an active participant in saving myself this time.”
She felt his heavy sigh in her soul. “I know. And we’ll keep you safe. I’ll keep you safe.”
“I have no doubt.”