“But?” I ask.
“No buts. Just be careful.”
“Because Mark is dangerous?”
She let out a snort and a laugh, shaking her head. “No, Ace is a little gruff, but he’s a good man with a sense of honor that won’t let him cross certain lines. But you’re hunting a murderer, Kenna. That can be dangerous. Some of these other MCs,” she shakes her head, her gaze taking on a faraway look that’s full of pain. “They don’t have the same sense of honor, and they won’t hesitate to hurt you if they think it’ll throw Ace or the Reckless Souls off their game.”
My shoulders sink. “That’s what Mark said.”
And that’s another reason I need to keep my heart away from the sexy biker.
“He’s right.”
Kelsey takes a step forward and studies my face as if she’s looking for a flaw to criticize. After her assessment is over, she wraps me in a warm, protective hug.
“I know I can’t stop you from doing this crazy murderer chasing thing, and I won’t because I know Grace was more of a sister to you than I ever was. But please, Kenna, just be careful.”
I laugh and squeeze her back. “Contrary to what you think of me, Kels, I have no desire to live out a cozy mystery, or worse, a mafia romance.”
She laughs back. “Do you even know what a mafia romance is? Who are you, and where is my uptight, bitchy sister who only dates guys from the who’s who of Angel Harbor?”
“Funny. Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think.”
“Maybe,” she sighs and pulls back a little. “Then maybe I should get to know you better.”
“Maybe you should.” I didn’t dare ask for that, didn’t dare risk her rejection again.
“Maybe I will,” she shoots back with a smile, arms crossed the way she did when she was a little girl trying to prove me wrong about everything. “How about we get together for lunch before classes start again?”
“You really are starting med school? At UCLA?”
She nods. “I am. I can’t let…what happened,” she says and looks away as if she’s ashamed of what happened to her before shaking her head as if to clear it of the memories. “I can’t let that stop my plans, but I know I’m not ready to be on my own yet or to be away from Coop. UCLA is the perfect compromise.”
“That’s great, Kelsey. Truly it is.”
Nothing in life has ever been able to stop my little sister, and I’m happy—for once—that’s still the case.
“Does Daddy know?”
“If he does, I didn’t tell him. I won’t.”
I nod, unwilling to have that conversation now, if ever. “Daddy is an adult, and if he wants to know what’s going on in your life, he can ask. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. Stay safe, Kenna.”
“You too, Kels. See you soon.”
Her face perks up at my promise. “Looking forward to it.” She gives me another hug and leaves quickly as if she’s afraid Daddy will come home at any moment.
And he will, so I lock the doors, set the alarm, and make my way to my room. Tonight’s been a great night, dancing with Willow, arguing with Mark, and then having the best sex of my life. After starting to make amends with Kelsey, I don’t want Daddy to ruin it.
He can ruin it tomorrow.
Chapter Eighteen
Ace
“You sure you don’t want me to go with you?”
Shades wears his sunglasses today because he wears them every fucking day. Even when it’s overcast. And I can feel the weight of his stare through the dark lenses as surely as if I could see it.
“I won’t start shit with Dominique. I promise.” Just to sell his lies, Shades holds up three fingers in a Scout’s honor salute, but his teasing smirk ruins the effect.
“Bullshit. I don’t know why you two go at it so much. Oh, wait, I do. Just ask her out already and be done with it.”
“Fuck that,” Shades shoots back and removes his sunglasses. “You think I want to fuck her? She’s got a big mouth, and not in a good way, and I don’t fuck with chicks who can shoot better than me.”
“Yeah, yeah. And she won’t go out with you. Got it. I’m good. This isn’t even a real meeting.” Dominique, AKA Dom, called me late last night saying she had a lead I might want to hear.
“You trust her. Why?”
I shrug at his question, borne more out of jealousy than a real concern for my safety. “She hasn’t let me down, sold me out, or provided bad intel in three years. Why shouldn’t I?”
Shades grumbles to himself because he doesn’t have an answer. “Whatever. Go.”
I don’t have time to massage Shades’ ego. There’s too much shit to do and not enough time to do it. Even the effect of those incredible orgasms with McKenna hadn’t lasted long. I barely slept last night, my mind racing between two specific things. McKenna and the Iron Kings, which makes sense because they’re kind of linked.