Page 62 of Biker's Tribute: Property of Bear

“Amanda isn’t the type to get involved in trouble. If they want her… Maybe they want me?”

Tanner shakes his head. “I’m afraid not. The attack had specific targets. Originally, Darragh worried they were after his family, and we haven’t ruled out mob involvement but?—”

“I’m telling you,” Keyshawn interrupts. “This isn’t Amanda. She’s innocent.”

“After weeks with Ethan Shaw, I doubt very much that’s still the case.”

“What does he need then?” I ask Tanner before Keyshawn says something more hysterical or worse, starts an argument with my cousin.

“He’s sending Ethan back to Boston with her to investigate and it’s my job to come out here and get information before I visit Magnum…”

“How is that rich prick going to help us?”

“By being the rich prick we need. You and I have families and obligations. Magnum doesn’t.”

“Can I talk to Amanda? Where is she? I think she would have mentioned…” Keyshawn says, trailing off into some train of thought.

“You can talk to her once I get back to the boss,” Tanner says. “Then… I’ll get to our part in all this and what Wyatt expects.”

“Coco!” Avery calls out, slamming her hands aggressively on the round center table.

Whatever Wyatt wants, I hope he doesn’t expect me to leave my business and my wife. Leave that to the young bucks… I gesture to my lap for Keyshawn to take another seat. She reluctantly slides her butt back into place.

“Promise me Amanda will be okay.”

“From what Wyatt said, she’s just fine,” Tanner says. “I know it can be hard to believe, Mrs. Hollingsworth, but we look after our own. And not all of us need a secret dungeon to do it.”

I try to stop myself from turning red, but I know my idiot cousin sees my skin flush. Keyshawn smiles and kisses my cheek, neither confirming nor denying his accusation about the dungeon.

Tanner stays for a while longer, picking Avery up from Cocomelon and then fending off the temper tantrum she has before he sets her down at the table with a popsicle to continue our conversation. Keyshawn balances on my lap and we talk about Quin, the kids, all the shit happening with the club, Doc Hollingsworth’s legacy… and then it trails off as we circle back to the attack in Boston.

Tanner and I have both seen enough to know that just because something happened out in Boston doesn’t mean that it won’t work its way back here soon enough. Trouble has a way of spreading through the club. Tanner gets sober enough to ride on a bike with a little kid before he leaves.

“Wyatt will arrange something so you can see your cousin,” he reassures Keyshawn. “But right now, we all have to keep a low profile. Until we know what’s going on.”

“I understand,” Keyshawn says. I squeeze her hand and we both say goodbye to Avery, who warmed up considerably, before they both leave. Once we’re alone, Keyshawn’s panic sets in.

“Amanda’s in danger. I know it.”

“Not from Ethan Shaw.”

“How can you say that?” Keyshawn says, crossing her arms in front of her chest in a way that normally means I’m about to catch some heat.

“He’s a big old teddy bear. The only thing that man could hurt is a poker chip.”

Keyshawn rolls her eyes. “I’ve seen what you get up to in that little club, Deacon. Just promise me that my cousin won’t end up dead.”

“She won’t.”

“Promise.”

“Christ, Keyshawn.”

“Promise, or this is the last time you’ll be putting bruises all over my ass.”

“So you’re the boss now?” I ask, raising an eyebrow and struggling not to grab her and spank her ass on the spot.

“I always was,” Keyshawn says in the brattiest voice before strutting away and giving me an eyeful of that perfect, delicious ass.

---