10. Kinsley

10

KINSLEY

To my surprise, when I open my bedroom door, there is no Jock. Over the past few days, I've become used to seeing him sitting and waiting for me. It isn't early either. In my bare feet, I pad toward the staircase and pause. Down below, I hear a couple of voices that I haven't heard before. That doesn't mean anything, considering I haven't met all the men Tiberius has brought here. Is something going on? My hackles rise when I hear her voice. Veronica. She certainly rubbed me the wrong way, more so after the things Tiberius and Jock warned me about.

I peer over the balustrade and find myself staring into Tiberius’s striking silver eyes. The man gives me a subtle shake of his head as he and his guests disappear into the office. True to his word, the air vent was covered the same day I got caught listening in. I smile to myself. I know of another place where I can eavesdrop. I'll have to be quiet, though.

After hustling back to my room, I tug on my biker boots. They look good with my purple leggings and black tee. I leave my hair loose and tiptoe downstairs. I glance around but don't see anyone. With a quick inhale, I rush across the hallway and into the dining room. So far, so good. The chair that usually sits in front of the secret panel has been moved to the opposite side of the room, which is good for me. I quickly push the panel, and the door pops open. I slip inside and pull the door closed behind me before I switch on the light.

When I reach the lounge, I ponder grabbing a snack but decide against it. Stealth is the name of the game. I'll be closer to the man who makes me ache at night. The man who makes my body swell with excitement simply by gazing at me. I shake my head to clear my mind as I walk to the office. As I approach, a thought occurs to me: what if Tiberius discovered the secret doorway in the office upstairs? They could be inside right now, having a meeting.

I swallow hard and listen at the door. There is no sound but the rush of blood in my skull. I glance through the keyhole and see no activity. Now or never. I push the door open and step inside. I close it behind me, pressing my back against it. The tall closet at the back is still locked, indicating that Tiberius has not yet gained access. I enter the code, and one side of the door opens. Before I can change my mind, I slip inside and shudder at the eerie atmosphere.

There is no light in the tight stairwell. I feel as if the walls are pressing in on me. There's a musky odor that causes me to screw my nose up. I take a deep breath and carefully climb the stairs, feeling the cold air wrap around me. As I reach the top, I notice a little glimmer of light coming from a crack in the wall. Now I hear voices.

A man with a deep voice is speaking. "—guns. The last shipment Jude sent fell short. They're not happy. I told them Jude was dead and that you had no part in your brother's dealings. They won't accept that. They want what they paid for."

I cover my mouth with a hand as tears pop into my eyes. What was my father doing?

"What the fuck else was Jude up to behind my back?" Tiberius says in a tight and controlled voice.

“Nevertheless, Beckett, you need to do something now,” Veronica says. “I can always ask my father for help.”

“No!” Tiberius snaps. “That won’t be necessary.” He pauses. “You haven’t explained why you are here.”

“I told you. I’m friends with Simon. He asked me to come along.”

Tiberius grunts.

Another man speaks. "Jude wasn't the man you thought he was, Beckett. He changed over the past few years. He wasn't the do-as-he’s-told kind of man like before. He's left us in the shit with some bad assholes. We need help to get them off our backs. Hence, we came to you."

My stomach sinks as I realize the extent of my father's deception. The man's words echo in my mind, making me question everything I thought I knew about him.

"How short?" Tiberius asks after a prolonged silence. "Are they insisting on their complete shipment, or will financial payment suffice?"

"They want what they ordered, but if you make contact, maybe they will agree to an alternative form of goods,” Veronica says.

Desperate to see rather than just hear, I lean against the lattice paneling just in time to see Tiberius nod, his expression opaque. "I'll see what I can do to resolve this situation discreetly," he says, his tone serious. "But be prepared for the worst-case scenario."

The smaller of the other men nods, accepting Tiberius’s solution.

"Jude's daughter, where is she?" another man asks.

“Oh, she’s—” Veronica starts.

Tiberius growls, shutting her up. "Where she is, it is no one's business. Jude kept her out of the family business. She knows nothing."

"It is no secret he has a daughter. They could come after her, thinking she does know something. Maybe the whereabouts of the guns."

Tiberius slams a fist on top of the table. "Then you better make sure that doesn’t happen. They stay away from the girl, or they will have a war with me, which they will not win."

"She has your protection?"

"Fucking right, she does. She is my family. We are done here. Salem will show you out."

"When will we hear from you?" a man asks.

"Soon."

“Beckett, really!” Veronica protests. “They’re not the enemy. You can’t just order them out of your house.”

“It’s my house. I can do whatever the fuck I want.” He pauses. “And I wasn’t just ordering them out of my house, I was ordering you out as well. Go!”

“You bastard!” she hisses.

I smirk in my hiding spot.

The second the door closes, Tiberius strides toward it and flicks the lock.

I lose track of him when he steps out of my range of vision.

The panel that conceals me suddenly swings outward. Tiberius slips inside and lifts me up before I can react. He presses me against the wall, using his big body to keep me there. He looks furious. My heart pounds as his silver eyes shoot fire into my body. I don't think he knows what it does to me to have him this close. Then again, as my hands grip his shoulders and I wrap my legs around his waist for a more comfortable position, arousal swells behind the zipper of his pants.

"You are going to be in serious trouble one of these days," he hisses, his arousal long and thick against me.

I let out a small moan and watch as his eyes narrow. He rubs his cock against me, causing a shudder to ripple through me. Now he looks pissed at my reaction.

"My father lied to us both,” I state, not needing an answer.

Tiberius’s gaze softens, and with a wince, he moves his hips away so we no longer touch. His forehead rests against mine, and his eyes don't leave me. "I'm only just discovering that my brother wasn't faithful to the family. I'm sorry you heard what you did." He carries me into the office and uses his foot to close the secret door. "Forgot to tell me about that, huh?"

I grin as he deposits me on the desk. "I didn't forget. I thought it might be useful one day."

He grunts and watches me swing my legs back and forth as I lean back on my hands for support. His eyes rove over me as my body responds. I'm innocent, but not that innocent. And right now, the way he's looking at me, I'm wishing I'd worn a bra to hide how hard my nipples are. His gaze lingers a moment longer on my chest before he clears his throat and turns away, pretending to focus on something else. I smirk, knowing I'm the cause of his lack of composure.

Realizing I'm not going to get anything out of him while I'm being wicked, I get to my feet and move to sit in one of the chairs opposite the desk.

"Tiberius, will you tell me who those men were and what the hell my father was up to?"

He laughs, but there is no mirth in it. "I wish to fuck I knew what Jude had been up to." He runs a hand through his disheveled hair. Eyeing the chair behind the desk and then me, he decides it's safe to sit.

I smirk. "I don't bite, Tiberius."

He snorts. "Sweetheart, if you want to put your mouth on me, I'm all yours." He sits back and spreads his arms wide.

My cheeks heat, and I clear my throat. "You were saying about those men."

"I wasn't saying anything." He sits forward and clasps his tattooed hands out in front of him. "You need to keep your nose out of Jude's business and mine, Kinsley. I don't know what the fuck he was up to, but I'm going to find out. I need you safe."

I tilt my head to the side. "I want to help, Tiberius. I need to. Please don't treat me like a child. I'm not. Not anymore."

“You’re definitely not a child,” he mutters under his breath, his heated gaze on me. “How much did you hear?"

I hold his stare before replying, “Guns are missing, and they want you to fix the mess my father made.” Sadly, I add, “I can’t believe the man who loved me would do this.”

“I didn’t think he would either.” He sighs. "I don't like any of this, which means I'm going to keep a closer eye on you."

Those words give me butterflies in my belly.

"How close?" I waggle my brows and grin at the dark look on his face.

Tiberius kicks back and laughs; the sound is rich and dirty. "Not that close… yet ." Clearing his throat, he contemplates me. "Going back to Jude," he says firmly, “the guns will be long gone.”

“Will they take a refund?”

He chuckles. “Those kind of assholes will not take a refund unless it comes with one hundred percent interest. That isn’t going to happen.” He pauses. “What I can’t fathom is why Jude would only fulfill half of the order. I’m assuming he had no plans to die at the time, which means it would be his blood they were after.”

My thoughts tumble around in my head, part of which are delighted Tiberius is talking to me about it.

“Maybe he had an agreement with the buyer,” I suggest. “Half whenever he delivered the guns, and then the other half at a later date. But then he was killed. He can’t fulfill the second part of the deal. The buyer knows and wants what he paid for.”

Tiberius steeples his fingers in front of his mouth as he leans back in the chair. “Hmm, I’ve been wondering about that.”

My eyes shoot upward. “How do you know they didn’t get what they paid my father for? I mean, now that he’s dead, they could be fucking with you.” I grin and kick my legs up so that my booted feet rest on the desk.

Tiberius’s eyes rove over my legs and stop on my feet. He smirks. “You look like a biker babe.”

I roll my eyes. “Can you focus on the conversation for a moment instead of eyeing my gorgeous legs?”

“You have no idea what I’m imagining right now.” He rubs his lips. “I think you’d look good lying on my desk in nothing but your biker babe boots while I do wicked things to you with my mouth.”

My heart races and my pussy throbs as his filthy words surround me. I know from the heat in my cheeks that they are flushed. I rub my thighs together to try to ease the ache between my legs, which Tiberius notices. His eyes lower as he watches me. I don’t ever remember feeling so turned on before, and it’s by the tattooed devil himself. The intensity of his gaze sends shivers down my spine, making me feel exposed and vulnerable in the most exhilarating way. I wonder what other wicked things he has in store for me. He slips a hand beneath the desk and winces. Is he hard and having to rearrange his cock into a more comfortable position?

Clearing his throat, Tiberius tips his face upward before catching my eyes. "Back to the matter at hand. I'm going to arrange a meeting with the buyer to find out what the fuck is going on, because you've made a good point."

"So, will we go to them, or will they come here?" I ask excitedly.

"Fuck no!" He shakes his head. "You are going nowhere near this mess. No way, Kinsley."

"That isn't fare, Tiberius." I jump to my feet and lean over the desk. "Let me come to the meeting. I will do exactly as you say. I don't want to stay here. Please, Tiberius! You know you want me with you." I grin. "Besides, how will you know I'm behaving myself if you aren't here. I could go out and get drunk and fucked."

He shoots to his feet, rounds the desk, and grabs a hold of me. I find myself pushed back onto the desk with his large body pressed over me. I feel every hard edge of the man, including his erection, which feels huge. His hand comes up and holds my jaw as he tips my face so I have no choice but to look at him. His eyes bore into mine, filled with a mix of desire and warning.

"You wouldn't dare," he growls, his voice low and dangerous. I shiver at the intensity of his gaze. "No one touches this pussy”—he grinds his cock against my sensitive folds—“but me."

Our chests heave as the tension between us builds. His grip tightens on my jaw, a silent command for compliance. I feel the heat of his body against mine, igniting a primal desire within me that I can't deny.

In the next breath, Tiberius is across the room with his hands on his hips and his back to me. He takes a moment to collect himself while I get back to my feet.

He turns around, his eyes filled with bewilderment. "I don't know what the fuck happens to me when we're in the same room. I don't like it." With those words, he stomps from the office.

“What happened between you and him?” Jock asks, taking the seat opposite me at the patio table while I enjoy the fresh air and lake view.

I take a deep breath before responding, trying to find the right words, because admitting to Jock that I have a constant ache between my legs for Tiberius is not going to happen.

"He doesn't want me involved with the meeting he's arranging with the buyers," I finally say, avoiding eye contact with Jock because I know that isn't what he meant.

"He only wants you safe. You know that, right?"

"I do, but he can't keep me here indefinitely in the name of protection. I trust him to keep me safe, Jock. I want to go. I want to know what my father was up to. I need to know."

"I'm positive the meeting you want to go to will not be safe. They are arms dealers, Kinsley, which means they will have no issue using a gun on you if they don't get what they want."

"Can we go on the lake?" I ask, changing the subject. I glance at Jock and add, "I haven't been on since my parents died."

He grins. "Stay here while I let them know inside."

"Okay." I watch him head inside and then return my attention to the lake.

Considering that I can't swim, it's surprising that I've always found the vast body of water to be fascinating. I don't know why my parents never arranged for me to have swimming lessons when I was younger. My mother never went in the water, so maybe she was scared. Now, I will never know.

A small white sailing boat attracts my attention as it comes into view, it’s pale-blue sails fluttering gracefully. I watch as it continues across the lake and disappears from sight. Footsteps sound behind me, and I get to my feet. Expecting Jock, I'm surprised to see Tiberius. He’s wearing a dark pair of jeans with his big biker boots on his feet.

I smirk. "We're both going to be rebels on the water."

He snorts. "I'm the rebel who should stay well away from you."

"You're the devil, Tiberius." I grin and offer him my hand.

He takes it and intertwines our fingers, pulling me down the path toward the lake. "If I'm the devil, then who are you?"

"Persephone."

He chuckles and shakes his head. "Bad girl."

"I'm not the little princess my parents may have led you to believe."

"I can see that," Tiberius replies with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I think we're going to have a lot of fun together." With a wink, he quickens his pace toward the water.

"I should tell you that I can't swim."

He stops and frowns. "Why not?"

"I never had swimming lessons. As I got older, it wasn't something I asked for. My mother hated the water."

"One day soon, I will teach you."

When we reach the lake, Tiberius launches my father's boat into the water before we climb aboard. He checks the fuel and a few other things that I know nothing about. As he leans over, my eyes stray to his perfect ass. The way his jeans tighten makes my mouth water.

I clear my throat, and ask, "Are we going to continue what you started in the office?" I grin.

Tiberius slowly turns his head and gazes at me from over his shoulder. "Sweetheart, the first time I get my cock wet in your virgin cunt, you will be in my bed." He licks his lips, and lust shoots downward, making me squirm. "And when you are no longer a virgin, I'm going to fuck you six ways from Sunday. I’ll eat your cunt so that you will still feel my mouth on you a week later. I’ll shoot my cum all over those round tits that I can’t stop thinking about to stake my claim on you. Is that clear?"

"Oh, hell!" I groan.

He chuckles.

He's a grown man, Kinsley. How did you expect him to react to your teasing?