Moonlight Moments (Steele Family Book 2) Page 6

  “I think you better head on over to the registry office across town.” He leans back into his chair, his shoulders beginning to sag slightly. “Last time your grandmother was in here, I told her the same thing.” He points at me. “From my understanding, there’s a hefty lien on that place. If what she told me is true, you would be better off walking away from it. It would cost less.”

  His words leave me stunned and speechless. The lawyer never said anything about a lean, only that I was left her house.

  “Lien for what?” My voice rises unintentionally, my back straightening as I’m put on alert.

  “Well, now that’s all hearsay. She never did tell me.”

  He looks around before lowering his voice, even though we’re the only ones in the small storefront.

  “Rumor is she tried to help rescue that biker place, McGrath’s mansion. And when she came up short, the lien was slapped onto her place.”

  This was all news to me. “I see.” My resting bitch face comes fully on as I stand and walk myself out. If this ends up being true, Kiptyn better explain himself. I already feel betrayed that he’s never said anything to me about this.

  CHAPTER 14

  “You’ve been MIA on me,” my partner David tells me, opening up the translucent fridge door to pull out a drink at the local convenience store.

  I bend down, pretending to look at something on the bottom shelf. “I’m just setting everything up, trying to find out what’s changed since I was out.” My words are hushed, my lips unmoving as I answer. From my understanding, he wasn’t going to search me out in public. It pisses me off that he thinks he needs to keep tabs on me.

  “From our source, the McGrath mansion is getting a new shipment of cars to take apart and resell.”

  I’m hardly able to get a glance at him, but he’s grown his hair out, with a full-on front receding cul-de-sac on full display. It looks like he put too much gel in it, making it appear slick and greasy.

  “What do I need to do?” I ask, standing up and opening the opposite door to pull out some popsicles.

  “I want you to find out where the drop off is or what those VIN numbers are for me.”

  Turning away, I head to the cashier to pay for the popsicles I have no intention of eating.

  I would be lying if I wasn’t excited about the news. I’ve been sitting idle in jail for five years, gathering contacts, making the type of friends you can’t find out here. I’m far more valuable to Kiptyn now, with all of my resources. I think it’s time to finally have one of those stale beers I’d missed so much over the last few years.

  On my way to the mansion, I remember Becca lives along the way. Making a slight detour, I stop in front of her modest but beautiful home. Taking the frozen treats, I hope her kids like them.

  When I ring the doorbell, Molly opens the door with a wide, surprised expression. “Well hello, stranger,” she drawls sweetly, stepping forward to give me a hug.

  I shuffle my feet; I hadn’t realized she might have been here. As I clear my throat, she giggles.

  “Your sister around?” I ask.

  “She’s at Nelly’s. We’re taking shifts back and forth today.” I watch as her smile grows and she leans into the doorframe.

  “Who is it, Aunty?” a young blonde girl around four asks.

  “I heard someone here likes popsicles.” I take out the cardboard box I was holding behind my back, bringing it up to show her.

  I watch as the little girl gasps and looks to Molly, her eyes pleading.

  “Well, aren’t you too sweet?” Molly purrs at me, batting her eyelashes.

  “Nothing sweet about it. They were going to melt in my truck,” I answer honestly.

  The little girl runs back into the house, and I hear her yell for her brother, telling him they have popsicles.

  Molly turns toward the young voice before looking back at me. “Thank you.” Her eyes, for the first time, look full of sincerity. “They will love them.”

  “You’re welcome,” I tell her, turning around.

  “Wait.” She steps outside, closing the door behind her. “If you ever want to catch up and get a beer, just let me know.” Her fingers linger on my chest as she tries to flirt with me.

  I can’t help but think, Same old Molly. She even looks the exact same from high school.

  “I gotta go, but I’ll see you around.” I try to give her my charming smile, but it’s a weak attempt, since I have no plan on catching up with her. She was Shay’s friend growing up, never mine.

  Getting back into my truck, I head off to McGrath’s mansion.

  *

  Heading to my old stomping grounds from before I was thrown in the slammer, all the memories of my high school days flood me. Fuck, I was messed up then. Then it seemed like my life kept taking blow after blow, knocking me down farther each time.

  Walking in, I head to the bar. Russ, the bartender, is still behind the counter from when I stepped inside that first time.

  “Well, looky here. Who’d the cat just drag in?” Russ whistles, looking at me in disbelief. “I heard you got out, but thought I might have been mistaken, since I haven’t seen your ass in your usual seat yet.” His smile is warm and welcoming. I’ve always liked him.

  “I’ll take your best beer,” I announce, taking “my” seat.

  He bends over in a bow. “I’ll even shine up your glass.” Using his shirt, he rubs the edge of the glass before pouring me the one and only type of beer they have on tap.

  “What, no fancy beer bottles here?” I ask, keeping up with the playful act.

  He leans in, whispering, “That’s reserved for the lost tourists.”

  “You haven’t changed, have you?” I prompt.

  “Looks like that makes two of us.”

  I take my time drinking my beer before I start up with business. That is how things are run around here. Pleasantries first, then business. I don’t want to come across too eager.

  “Where you work at?” Russ opens up the field for me.

  “So far, only my parents’ ranch will hire me.” I lift my glass up in my own silent cheers.

  “How are you liking that?” He tests the water to see if I’ve made a clean break.

  “Wouldn’t be here during the day drinking if that’s what I wanted to do every day.”

  He slides a shot glass full of dark liquid over to me. Taking it, I down it, tipping my head. Just like the old days.

  “I was hoping maybe you could help a guy out.”

  He shrugs, but I know the bug has now been placed in his ear. I only have to wait to see if Kiptyn agrees or not.

  I finish my beer, enjoying everything around me. The sound, the company, the stale peanuts. I’m going to miss this place one day. I’ve gotten a few nods from the old-timers who were around when I first came all those years ago. But other than that, I’m left to myself.

  “I need to find an old part for my truck. Mind if I look around back?” I ask Russ, knowing there are always a few spare parts back there.

  “Just through the grave?” he asks, referring to the gated backyard area. It’s a graveyard for old, dying vehicles, hence the name. It’s inside the shop where all the fancy cars are kept. Those parts will never touch the graveyard. They never stay longer than twenty-four hours either.

  “It’s the only place that holds my type of caliber,” I joke, referring to my less-than-expensive truck.

  “I’m the only one here right now, but go on back.” Knowing that no one is back there dealing with any leftover shipments gives me the perfect opportunity to snoop a little.

  CHAPTER 15

  I need a drink, and not some girly, fruity drink or anything that can be described as with hints of citrus either. I need something that will burn my throat going down, to remind myself I’m human.

  Walking into the old place that looks just as rundown as the house I’m living in, I get a few nods. No one says a word to me; they all know better. I’m on a mission. My strides are long and purposeful, m
y lips pressed together, not wanting to deal with anyone’s bullshit.

  “Now that’s a look I’ve missed the last few years,” Kiptyn’s best friend, Russ, the mansion’s bartender, calls out.

  “You mean the fuck-off look?” My eyebrows quirk up.

  He laughs me off as he’s always done. “That’s the one. You seem to be the only girl who’s ever been able to give me one of those. It’s refreshing,” he flirts, and I roll my eyes.

  “Your standards are too low if I’m the only one.”

  His piercing, light blue eyes stare at me, never able to figure me out. “That could be a possibility. I like to think of it as I’m giving out skill-building for all those lucky ladies.”

  “You’re a pig.” I toss some peanuts at him. For the first time in a few days, I feel some tension in my shoulders relax, but just slightly.

  “I’ll take a scotch.” He goes to reach for the bottle when I clear my throat. “The good stuff.” I give him “the look” with my eyes.

  “Your wish is my command,” he flirts again while bending down to get the stowed away expensive bottle.

  “No tequila?” he asks, as I watch him pour me an inch of the amber liquid.

  “I’m not looking for fast and sloppy.” Trying to make an innuendo, I add, “I’d rather take my time and savor it. It makes the end game so much better.”

  “You just haven’t tried good tequila yet then, sweetheart.” He blows me a kiss while smirking before going out to clear a few glasses from other tables.

  The first sip burns its way down, but the second is smooth, my throat ready for it. I feel like I need to know more before I can go to Kiptyn. The only way to do that is to snoop. I hate that I’ve resorted to that with family, and with the only family I have.

  I hope it’s not what it seems. It would be another disappointment, another chapter in my story in which the people closest to me have let me down—proving to me, once again, I can only ever rely on myself.

  Each sip warms my body, my plan solidifying in my mind. It’s now or never. Tipping my head back, I down the last bit, finishing it off way faster than I would have liked, not allowing me to savor each sip.

  “If that was you savoring each drop, I understand why you don’t want to shoot tequila.” He shakes his head in disbelief while continuing with the bar.

  “I need to head back to see Kiptyn,” I casually toss out, pushing myself up from the bar.

  “You need the key?” I look at the chain he wears that holds a gold key.

  “Nope, Kip gave me one already,” I lie, not wanting to make him distrust me. “Thanks for the drink.” I smile at him while walking past the bar, down the lone hallway where the bathroom is and the one door that leads to the empire behind the so-called rundown bar.

  In the back, it looks more like a warehouse garage. A car sits high in the air, looking picked apart. A few bikes rest against the wall. Heading across the concrete floor, I hurry toward the door that leads to the storage rooms and offices. Kiptyn’s office has a large window in it, looking over his pride and joy.

  My heart pounds painfully against my chest, its sound overtaking my senses. Inch by inch, I slowly close the door, not making a sound as it closes. My feet falter when I see Kellen walking out of the office across the hall from Kiptyn’s.

  I must look like a deer caught in headlights, because my body freezes, and he gives me that lazy, sexy, mouthwatering grin of his. I watch as his head tilts, his eyes asking why I’m here. I can see the questions forming in his head.

  Taking a deep breath, I try to recover, only to stay speechless. Part of me is disappointed that he’s not a rancher like he said. I should have known; guys like him never stay out of trouble. Him being here showcases this. For him to have access back here must mean he’s one of Kiptyn’s few trusted men.

  Behind us, I hear men walking into the back, and I think I’m found out. Kip will never trust me again.

  Catching me off guard, Kellen pulls me in, sweeping me off my feet before he barricades us in the room he just stepped out of. I have no time to think as his lips crush mine, devouring me as if his life depends on it.

  My mind whirls around his touches on my skin, the way his lips feel, the way I want to tear my panties off right now, right here. I’m completely consumed as I drink in what he gives me.

  The kiss is hard then slowly lightens up, and my hands find their way under his shirt. Under my fingertips, I can feel the valleys and ridges of his muscles. His hands go from roughly pulling me in to delicately touching me under my shirt. His caresses are skilled and maneuvering. With one sweep of his fingers, I feel my bra go lax, and his warm hand cups my breast.

  The more I arch into him, the more I feel his bulge press hard into me. Thinking about his cock in my pussy has me moaning at the same time his fingers pinch my nipple. My body shudders at the new sensations, ready to explode, before his touch slips from under my bra and out from my shirt. He parts our kiss, abandoning my now swollen lips, leaving me breathless and unsure.

  “I’m sorry, but you deserve somewhere better than in an old, dirty shop.” I watch as he takes a step back, distancing us while trying to readjust his pants.

  I feel vulnerable again, my hands reclasping my bra immediately. I keep my head down, wishing once more that I hadn’t just gone with my impulses.

  His hot and cold mood swings give me whiplash, not knowing where I stand with him.

  “I agree. I am worth more.” My heart pushes hard against my chest, reminding me how much relationships can hurt. “Don’t kiss me again if you don’t mean it.” I glare at him, and he accepts it, looking somehow thoughtful in all of this.

  My heart doesn’t know what to do with this man. He doesn’t fit in any tiny compartmentalized boxes I’ve made in the past.

  When I steal a glance at him, he still looks like he wants to pick me up and take me against the wall. It’s a look full of desire and lust that confuses me as to why he stopped. And why he wouldn’t come in when I subtly offered the other night.

  My hand goes to reach for the handle when I decide to speak up again, this time hoping to throw my weight around.

  “I’ll let you off easy by not telling my cousin Kiptyn, since you look new around here and all.” I fake my smile as I say this as sweetly as I can, when I mean it as a threat. “The last guy who tried to pull the shit you just did in here was sent away, banished. Nobody has found him yet.”

  So, I’m lying about the last part. Kiptyn didn’t kill him, when it would have made my life easier. But I also didn’t tell him the half of it. That’s why I’m here and still running away from my past.

  CHAPTER 16

  Her quick breaths and flushed cheeks have my cock hating me for letting her go. The ache slowly starting to pulse in my balls is well deserved.

  I can see the hurt and anger shining in her eyes, and I detest myself for putting those emotions there. I’m the asshole who just used her to not get caught. I meant what I told her the night before, but I’m also a selfish bastard. I do want to kiss the hell out of her. I want to have her next to me in the morning. I want to be the one to make her smile. Not this.

  Looking around, I want to punch my fist into the wall but restrain. This isn’t the place to come undone. I keep my face impassive, void of emotion. Years of training has made this easier than I thought it might be.

  The voices have come and gone. When we walk out, no one is around. Her once perfect hair is now everywhere, looking like she was just head-banging at a punk concert. I want to run my hand through it to calm it down but can’t.

  “Guess I’ll see you around.” My voice is gruffer than I would like. I’m awkward around her, trying not to react to her. I head toward the back exit, not wanting to be seen up front.

  My thoughts should be on the information I just found. My head should be in the game. Instead, my mind keeps going back to Sloan. My system is shocked that she’s related to Kiptyn. Instantly, I think of a princess amongst thieves. I wonder what her
part is in all this.

  I can feel the tingle of me putting on my exterior shell, the one that reminds me that I’m FBI.

  The thought that she’s on the other team makes my stomach twist. All I can hope is that she doesn’t become my undoing—or worse, I become the one who destroys her.

  CHAPTER 17

  It’s been a week since I’ve seen Kellen. My heart twists when I think about him and the way my body reacts to each of his touches. The fact that I want to slap and kiss him confuses me. I can’t seem to make up my mind. That’s something we both seem to have in common with each other.

  Today, just when I think my hatred for him has started to ease, he puts it right back up there. I envision me as a volcano and my anger the lava that will explode out of me. I want to wring Kellen’s gorgeous, lickable neck. Who the hell does he think he is?

  I wash my dishes harder, thinking about all this. My cell phone lights up on the counter, distracting me from my thoughts.

  Pulling my hands out of the hot, soapy dishwater, I quickly tuck my cell phone between my ear and shoulder. “Hello?”

  “Good morning, Ms. Tate,” the person on the line replies as I grab a dishtowel, drying my hands off before taking the phone into my hand again. “This is Sage Jacobson calling.”

  “Oh, hi, Sage. I was just heading into the bank to get the check you needed for an automatic deposit,” I tell the owner of the vet clinic. To my surprise, I got a job there as their newest receptionist. Only part time, but I’ll take it. I didn’t even care that it wasn’t for a vet assistant position. This is what I love, and I finally found a job.

  “That was my reason for calling,” he says with unease before clearing his voice.

  I pause midswipe on the towel, noticing his tone is too formal. My back straightens, preparing myself for the bad news. This always seems to happen around me.