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After he dropped that little bomb, he tipped an imaginary hat in the direction of Liv and Brenna. “Ladies,” he said before turning back to Kelsie. “Think about what I said. We’ll be in touch.”
She stood rooted, frozen to the spot as terror washed over her. She knew her family was capable of horrible things, including violence, but would they really go so far as to cause one of the Handlers to get in an accident?
Her knees buckled. Only Liv rushing over and grabbing her by the arms kept her upright. “Kelsie, you’re pale as death. What did he say to you? Did he threaten you? I’m calling Spec.”
She held up a hand as she tried to get her brain to connect to her mouth. “Don’t,” she managed. “It’s all right. I’m fine. It’s just… family stuff.”
Brenna tilted her head and stared at Kelsie so hard she felt the other woman could see straight past her bullshit. Thankfully, Brenna didn’t call her on the semi-lie.
Liv’s gaze shifted to Lorenzo as he climbed into a Range Rover. “Why does he look familiar?”
Oh God. She did not want Liv putting two and two together and realizing she’d seen that face splashed all over headlines just a few years ago. Liv came from money. For all Kelsie knew, their families were acquainted.
What a nightmare that would be.
It’s time to get control of the conversation. “Look,” she said as she bent to retrieve the box of cookies. “I’m not close with my family. There’s a lot of toxicity there, and he came to try to talk me into going home, which I am not interested in. That’s all. Can we forget about it and enjoy the rest of the day? I’m really looking forward to trying these.” She lifted the box of cookies to remind them of where they’d been before Lorenzo ruined it.
“Of course,” Brenna said with a smile.
Liv didn’t answer, but her lips pursed, and she appeared deep in thought.
“Right, Liv?” Brenna elbowed her in the side.
“What?” Liv blinked. “Right, oh yes. Consider it forgotten.” She waved her hand in front of her face as though brushing away the event. “Come on. The others are probably checking out with the groceries right now.”
Kelsie lagged behind a step as they finished their trek to the car. Her mind spun with the implications of Lorenzo’s sudden appearance. Not only did he know exactly how to find her, he seemed to know about the Handlers.
What would she do if her family caused trouble for the club?
Maybe she should leave. Drive to another state and start fresh. The thought of it brought tears to her eyes. The MC had become her buffer to the real world. As long as they surrounded her, she felt untouchable, which Lorenzo just proved false, but the feeling remained.
Liv was smart. She’d figure it out soon. Then what? Would she tell the rest of the ladies? Would she tell Spec? The notion that terrified her the most was Liv thinking she was involved with her family’s scandalous lifestyle.
“Yo, Earth to Kelsie! Come on, girl! We got food to prepare.”
The rest of the ladies had met up with Brenna and Liv at Brooke’s SUV, their cart overflowing with supplies for an epic barbecue. She rolled her shoulders to shake off the events of the past few moments, then jogged over to meet them.
She’d smile and hang out tonight, even if she had to fake her happiness. She couldn’t handle questions, and if the guys thought something was amiss, they’d be like dogs on a chicken bone.
Even though new friends surrounded her, a feeling of loneliness washed over her. Keeping secrets isolated her and caused guilt to tighten her chest. Not for the first time, she wished she wasn’t alone. What would it be like to have a man hold her through this stress, unburden her soul to someone who’d kiss her and promise to stand by her side, and leave her troubles at the doorstep for a night of passion?
Was that something she’d ever know?
The Handlers’ ol’ ladies were some of the luckiest women she’d met. They were relationship goals across the board.
Ty’s face floated into her mind, nearly making her lose her footing. None of what she dreamed would ever happen with him.
Then why was she starting to want it so badly?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
TY STARED AT his cell phone with a frown. 11:02 a.m. Where was the text from Jinx?
For the past three days, his club brother texted him the same message at exactly eleven in the morning.
Hey, asshole, only text back if you’re dead. If shit is good, ignore this.
A dig over how he fell off the radar and a sincere check-in wrapped up in classic Jinx snark. Since he was coasting along, he hadn’t responded. The guys knew he’d contact them if he needed them.
