Page 6 of Trust In Me

Answering, he puts it on loudspeaker so I can hear too. “Hey, son,” Desmond answers cheerfully, as soon as Liam acknowledges he’s at least picked up the phone to him.

“Don’t call me that,” Liam grinds out before snapping at Desmond. “What do you want?”

With a scoff, I can hear the playfulness in Desmond’s voice, and I know he is trying to wind Liam up. “Can’t a father ring up for a social chat with his favourite son?”

Now it’s Liam’s turn to sneer. I'm even trying hard not to laugh at that comment. “We both know you don’t like any of your kids enough to play favourites, and if you did, it would be Evan. Now, what did you ring for?” Liam’s voice is beginning to sound forced, and I can tell he’s struggling to be pleasant. Since Desmond officially joined on as part of the business, Liam tries to deal with him like any other business partner, but it’s so much harder. Then again, Desmond knows all the right buttons to press to wind Liam up.

“I have a bit of a problem, and I need some help. I’ve started working with this man who has a penchant for underage girls. He has a lot of money, and seems to think he can get whatever he wants. And what he wants is to use my club to sell under-aged girls as sex workers. I tried to tell him that it’s against your policies, but he just said he doesn’t work for you. In the end, he agreed to allow us to part ways, but only if I pay him a severance package. What he wants is something I can’t afford.” Whoever this guy is, Desmond actually sounds scared of him, I can hear the quiver in his voice.

Liam and I look at each other, suspicious over why Desmond says he can’t afford the payment, since we both know he has a small fortune stashed away. “What does he want that you don’t have?” Liam asks through gritted teeth.

“He wants fifty non-marked, untraceable AK-47s, and he wants them by next week.” As soon as the words leave Desmond’s lips, a string of expletives erupt from Liam’s mouth, as he calls his father all sorts of names under the sun for getting himself into this position.

“How do we know that if we give him the guns that he isn’t going to use them against us? What the fuck do you think you were doing being so reckless? You know we don’t work with anyone who hasn’t been vetted yet. Have we done a full background check on him?” Liam’s questions fire out in rapid succession. We already know the answers.

Desmond groans, as he realises his son has caught him out. He shouldn’t be doing business with anyone we haven’t authorised. “Erm, so…no. But, in my defence, I was working with him before I allied myself with you, son. I knew he was a bit dodgy, but I didn’t really realise he dealt in underage kids and girls until it was too late.”

“That is not a defence!” Liam shouts, his tolerance wearing thin. He runs his fingers through his hair, tugging on the ends in despair. “When do you need to make the drop by?”

We can hear Desmond on the other end of the phone, shuffling bits of paper around, no doubt trying to find his diary. To normal people, the day you’re supposed to arm a potential threat should stick in your heads, but not Desmond. His brain works differently, and I’m not sure any of us will ever grasp it. “Ten days,” Des finally replies.

“Okay, here’s what you are going to do. Text me all the information you have on this guy. If you have a picture of his face, that would really help a lot. Give me all the information you have, and I want it in the next hour. Obviously I don’t want you working with someone like that, but at the same time, someone wanting that much firepower isn’t a good thing. Do you have any idea what he wants them for? Any of his known associates that could want them?” Liam asks, trying to get as much information out of Des as possible.

“Honestly, I have an idea, but I really hope I’m wrong. I think the Celtic Reapers might be getting ready to go to war. As for who, or why, I have no idea. But tensions have been strained the last few months, and I think things aren’t all sunshine and rainbows at the compound. I have a girl who works for me, she is a Sweetbutt with the MC, but given I’m the one who pays her, her loyalties lie with me. She keeps me updated on all the gossip, and apparently everyone is on edge. Someone is threatening to tear the Reapers down, but they have no idea who it is. I’m thinking the guy wants to arm the Reapers.”

As soon as I hear the word Reapers, my ears start to ring, and spots cloud my vision. I can hear my heart racing, like a pulsing sound in my head, and I feel myself start to hyperventilate. Liam looks torn between dealing with his father and helping me. I can’t listen to it anymore. I run out of the room, gasping for air, as I slide down my bedroom wall, the nearest place since my work room is adjoined to my room.

Placing my head between my legs, I try to focus on breathing, but it isn’t easy. That’s a name I thought I’d never hear again. We are in London, the Reapers are a Limerick-based MC, and even if they were branching out, they would never leave Ireland. I hate the idea they might, somehow, worm their way back into my life. I need to make sure that doesn't happen. Not just for my own sanity, but for Hallie too.

I send Liam a quick message telling him I need a break, and not to worry about me, before I drag my ass off the floor and head down to the main part of the house. Ever since hearing the word Reapers, I’ve had this overwhelming need to cuddle my little girl. Everything I do is to keep her safe and give her the best life. She can’t have the best life if the Reapers, or Shayla, are part of it.

As I look around all the main rooms of the house, I can’t find Hallie or Bree, and I start to panic. Bree wouldn’t have taken her out without letting me know. Just as I’m about to run back upstairs and check Bree and Liam’s bedroom suites, I hear laughter coming from the backyard.

Walking towards the backyard, I see both Bree and Mia are in the pool playing with Hallie. When I found out Bree had an outdoor pool, I was initially sceptical as to how practical that was. I mean, we live in London, for Christ’s sake. You can count on one hand the amount of truly hot weeks we have. But, this pool is not only covered over by a large gazebo, complete with side walls to protect you from the elements, it’s also heated. So, it’s more like an indoor pool, and I suspect once Bree is granted the planning permission from the local council to extend further, she will build a permanent structure for it to be inside, and that will give us a bit more living room upstairs too. Even with a large swimming pool nearest the house, there’s still a massive garden beyond that.

More giggling pulls me back to the here and now, and I look over just in time to see Hallie splashing the water with her hands, laughing hysterically while Mia tries to keep hold of her, getting soaked in the process. But she doesn’t get mad, instead she blows raspberries on Hallie’s chest, causing her to laugh even more.

I stay there for a bit, just leaning against the door jamb, watching Mia play with Hallie. Bree joins in every so often, but the rest of the time she swims laps. Mia holds Hallie up, like she’s standing outside, on the edge of the pool. Then, very loudly and dramatically, she starts a countdown, which Bree joins in for, even while swimming her laps. Once they get to one, Mia lifts Hallie off the side of the swimming pool and jumps up in the air with her, making Hallie feel like she’s flying, before they land back down in the water. My gorgeous little girl screams and giggles, her little hands clapping together as she coos in her own little baby language.

I try to focus on Hallie, the way her smile lights up her chubby little face, or the fact that she’s actually having fun and clearly likes being with Mia. But that just brings me back to thinking about Mia, looking at her, which is dangerous. She’s wearing the most ridiculous black bikini. Strings tie around her neck, and at the back of the stupid triangular-shaped top of the bikini. The bottoms tie on either side of her hips, with barely enough fabric to actually cover the gorgeous swells of her ass. It’s the perfect bikini for if you want to take advantage and ravage someone. Which is most definitely not something I should be thinking about.

After that day at the warehouse, I know I can’t let anything happen between us. Hallie is the most important person in my world, which means, if she likes Mia, which she clearly does, then I can’t fuck with that. I can’t have her liking someone, who I then screw and hurt, only for that person to walk away, like Hallie didn’t even exist in the first place. I don’t give a shit if she hurts or leaves me, but nobody is abandoning my little girl, not again.

I must have been so distracted thinking about that damned bikini, I miss them getting out of the pool. Bree’s on a sun lounger, wrapped in a towel as she wraps a grumbly Hallie in one too. Clearly my little monster didn’t want to get out of the pool, and her grumbles soon turn to screams. Just as I’m considering going to her, I see Mia, her towel wrapped around like a sinfully short skirt, walking towards me. There’s nowhere to hide, and given the little smirk on her face, she knows I’ve been here for a while. Watching them. Well, fuck, I guess I look like a creepy stalker now.

I try not to stare but her hips sway while she walks towards me, hypnotically, and it’s almost impossible. I find myself praying that the damn towel will fall down, but alas, I’m not that lucky. As she reaches me, she pulls the door open, giving me that small, shy smile that I can’t help but like. She looks fucking adorable, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she realises I’m obviously checking her out. I don’t think this girl knows how fucking beautiful she is. If I thought she looked good when I first met her and she had that platinum blonde hair, now she has gone back to her natural brunette colour, she looks perfect.

Off-limits, Kellan. Keep repeating that. I mentally chastise myself, but sometimes the sight of her in a bikini and the memory of her lips against mine is too much to ignore. My dick certainly can’t forget. He’s standing to attention, desperately trying to break free from my boxers and ripped jeans at the mere memory of her.

“Hey, what are you doing here? You are supposed to be working hard. We’re just stopping for a food break. Which is code for Hallie is hungry. Do you want to come and have a drink with us?” she asks, as she strolls past me towards the kitchen.

I don’t even think about it, I just follow her, my feet taking on a life of their own. Standing beside the island in the middle of the kitchen, I watch as she clicks the kettle on, and then out of the blue she removes the towel that was protecting her modesty. Or stopping me from perving on her seems more accurate. She’s far too close, showing far too much skin, it leaves me mesmerised. The curves of her breasts that are only just being held in by the black triangular patches that just about cover her nipples. The creamy white of her soft skin that is stretched taut across her stomach. As soon as I catch sight of the glistening jewel in her belly button, I realise it’s pierced, and I know my cock will never come down now.

I want to keep looking, to explore every aspect of her skin, but before I have a chance, she grabs a big t-shirt off the side and pulls it over her head. It’s not until she gets it on, do I realise it’s one of my t-shirts. Fuck, that’s even worse than the bikini. I’m getting caveman-like thoughts about owning her, and claiming her as mine while she’s wearing my stuff.

We stand there in silence as she makes up a bottle for Hallie, and makes a few sandwiches, before she turns to face me. “What do you want to drink? I’ve made enough so you and Liam can join us, when he’s not busy, I mean.” Her voice is like music to my ears, and my cock. Fuck, what the hell is wrong with me? So, I’m attracted to her. I’ve been attracted to lots of girls and managed to not sleep with them. Since Hallie’s birth, I’ve had no choice but to change my ways. As much as I would love to fuck around, Hallie comes first.

“He will be down soon, he’s just on the phone.” I go to try and help her pick up some of the plates and drinks to carry outside, but she stops and turns to look at me.

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