Chapter Nine
Keely was in the midst of the largest pile of laundry she’d ever seen.
At this point, she couldn’t be sure what was clean or dirty.
As a girl on a tight budget, she usually went over to her parents’ house.
Free laundry and a free meal? That was an offer she never refused.
However, since her suspension, she’d been avoiding them at all costs. And herein lies the dilemma.
She grasped her hips, stared down at the floor, and sighed. “Laundromat it is.”
It wasn’t exactly cost effective, but it was better than facing her parents.
It seemed Keely was avoiding a lot of people in the last day.
Keely immediately regretted texting Charley from Caine’s loft two nights ago.
The next day, her best friend responded back, and Keely was forced to make up a ridiculous lie to cover her ass.
With everything that happened, the last thing she wanted to share was her one-night stand with Caine and the humiliating aftermath that ensued.
She’d done her best to put it in the back of her mind. It probably would’ve been a lot easier had their night together not been the best sex she’d ever had. So much want, need, and passion. They’d felt so in sync and not just physically. There was intimacy and a connection. Right?
“Stop,” she snapped.
Keely refused to dwell on Caine, their night together, and especially how he’d kicked her out the next morning.
The mere thought had her stomach twisting in a wave of nausea.
Keely was not cut out for one-night stands.
This had been her first, and surely, her last. She realized a little too late that sex meant more to her than it did to Caine.
When her phone rang, and she saw the name on the screen, she perked up and immediately, grabbed it. Please let this be good news.
“Hey Sloane.”
“Hi Keely. How are you?”
Let’s just cut to the chase.
“I’ll be great if you tell me you’re calling to welcome me back to the Bowery.” Keely crossed her fingers and bit her lip.
“Then you’re officially great!”
Yes. Keely threw her hand in the air and bounced on her toes. For the first time in days, a feeling of pure joy raced through her body.
“Can you come in tonight?”
Tonight? Keely stilled, furrowing her brows.
“I’m on the schedule already?”
There was a small stretch of silence.
“Not exactly. There must be a bug going around because we’ve had a bunch of people call out. We’re a little short-staffed. Dahlia suggested we bring you back, and Trey agreed.”
“Did Rogue?”
“Define agreed.”
Oh shit!
“So, I’m back by default?”
“Umm…” Sloane cleared her throat, clearly stalling. “Yes, and in order for Rogue to allow it, you’ll be on probation.”
Keely shrugged. “I can get through three months without screwing up.”
“Six.”
Keely sighed, dropping her chin to her chest. That would be a harder feat.
“Girl, I don’t care as long as I’m back. I’ll be there at six, and I promise to be on time.”
“See you then,” Sloane said, and Keely hung up.
Things were finally looking up.
****
Caine and the others arrived fifteen minutes earlier than the scheduled time of the meeting. They waited in the SUV, parked out in front of Inez’s building. Caine wasn’t taking any chances being late.
He took in the time on the dashboard. They still had six minutes.
Caine sighed, reaching into his chest pocket and pulling out his pack of gum.
Bubble mint. One brand, one flavor. He was a creature of habit.
Some people smoked cigarettes, drank, or got high to settle their nerves.
Caine chewed gum. It was a habit that had started as a child and stuck with him.
Cyrus tapped his shoulder, and without being asked, Caine handed the pack to him in the back seat. Caine turned his head, looking across the street. The Bowery hadn’t opened yet, but there was a decent stream of cars pulling into the lot. Staff, he assumed.
“Thanks, man,” Cyrus said.
Caine was just turning back when a compact black car wheeled into the parking lot. Keely. Her suspension must’ve been lifted. Her car disappeared around the building, but he continued to stare. Two days later and his mind was still consumed with her.
“Time to go in,” Ridge said.
Caine turned off the engine, grabbed the pack of gum from Cyrus, and got out. As they walked up to the building, he shifted his gaze to the club. The last thing he should be thinking about right now was her. Fuck!
“Am I the only one who’s surprised Inez wants this meeting without Nash or Oz?” Cyrus asked as they made their way down the hall to her apartment.
It came as no shock to Caine when Nash informed them. He’d already mentioned he was taking a step back during their last meeting, and Caine knew the exact reason.
“This is Inez’s baby. We essentially work for her when it comes to this deal,” Ridge said.
“Yeah, but without stating the obvious, every deal has to go through Oz anyway,” Cyrus countered.
Caine shook his head, stopped a few feet from her door, and lowered his voice. “In Nash’s or Oz’s presence, she’d run the risk of an alternative plan or a suggestion. She’s not gonna let that happen. This will go down exactly the way she wants it to. And she’s not gonna get any pushback.”
Caine checked his watch. On time. He knocked and stepped back.
“At least we get inside this time,” Cyrus joked just as the door opened.
Cross, the VP of Killcreek, let them in. Caine expected more of the MC members to be in attendance, but aside from Ace and Cross, there was only Wraith. He was standing in the far corner of the room.
Caine lowered his chin in greeting to the brothers and Jessie, who was leaning against a doorframe.
“Why the hell are there only three of you? Where’s your fourth?”
Typical Inez. He’d be surprised if she even knew their names. To her, they were just soldiers in the Underground army.
“I talked to Trey earlier.” Ace folded his arms. “Rogue needed Jared.”
“The fuck he did,” Inez snapped.
Caine stepped forward in an effort to de-escalate the situation. “We’ll debrief him on everything. There won’t be any mistakes.”
Inez jerked her gaze, glaring at Caine. He kept eye contact but didn’t say another word. After a tense few seconds, she waved her hand toward Ace.
The president of Killcreek took the lead, breaking down how everything would run. It was similar to how Nash had explained, though there were a few minor changes. Mainly the timeline.
“Nash mentioned Anders wanting to meet the crew. You’re all gonna do that,” Ace said.
Inez slammed her glass on the counter. “I want that fucker at ease, thinking this is gonna run smoothly.”
And it would. Caine would make sure of it.
Inez ambled to her kitchen, grabbing a bottle of vodka. She stopped mid-pour, looking up at them. “Why the hell are you still standing here? Class fucking dismissed. Get out!”
Fucking Inez.
Caine glanced at Ace, who was openly smirking. He lifted his chin toward the door. “I’ll be in touch.”
They left without another word.
Caine stalked through the parking lot, eyeing the Bowery across the street. The line had already started to form. It was reminiscent of the X-Lounge on an average night. Both clubs did equally well and catered to a similar crowd. However, Oz’s club was larger and more exclusive.
“We’ll stop by the Bowery first to debrief Trey and Jared.”
Ridge arched his brow. “Before Nash?”
There were protocols. They reported directly to Nash, and in some cases, Oz. But it was identical information; there was no intelligence shared to which only Nash was privy.
“It’s right across the street.”
They all got into the truck, and Caine felt the stares from Ridge and Cyrus. Neither man pushed. Caine had an ulterior motive. One he wouldn’t admit to.