Order (Tattoos and Ties Duet #2)(100)

“I’m payin’ you back. How much does that fancy attorney cost?”

“Why does it matter?” Alec finally asked, turning onto West Davis Street, close to the tire shop. “We’ve never let money get between us.”

That did it. Keyes barked out a harsh laugh and turned Alec’s way. “Money’s always between us, Alec.”

“Why are you being so mean to me?” Alec asked again, turning into the parking lot of Tires. The place was closed up tight—no one around. Keyes looked down at the time on the dash. When had it gotten so late?

“Stay inside this car, and if anything happens, do whatever it takes to drive the fuck away.” Keyes got out of the car, his long strides carrying him to the side of the building. His bike was gone, but there was a note tucked underneath a rock where it usually sat. He went over to the spot and pulled the page free, seeing Dev’s scribbled handwriting.

I got the bike at your apartment, locked up. We need to talk.

Dread built solidly in his gut. It was one thing to assume his brothers knew, another to have it confirmed.

He flipped around, jogging back to the parking lot. He stopped dead in his tracks at seeing only Alec’s car in the lot.

Think, Keyes. Be smarter than they are.

He scanned every pebble in the parking lot, willing his brain to think.

Okay, there was no possible way Dev would have left a note or taken the bike to his apartment if he truly knew everything. If the club knew, his Harley would be at the clubhouse to draw Keyes there.

He stared down at the note again. Dev never used words like we need to talk.

“Dammit,” he roared to the heavens. “Can’t you give me a fucking break for once in my fucked up life?”

Think, Keyes.

He balled his fists, knowing he’d kill any of those motherfuckers for touching one hair on Alec’s head.

That wouldn’t be enough to stop them.

Stop the caveman bullshit and think.

He stared at the note again, reading between the lines. All right, if his brothers did in fact know, they could have ambushed him here—especially if Clyde called Dev and told him they were headed to the shop.

Alec was there, still waiting inside the car like he’d asked, staring straight at him. An anxiety-filled sigh escaped as he started that direction, opening the passenger door and dropping down inside. He had to get a hold of himself, a hold of this anger that wasn’t helping anything, and think tactically. Of course, Alec would have shown up. He loved Keyes, and he did have the power to help or at least he’d think he had the power to help. Yeah, Alec was the kind of man who would have his back no matter the consequences.

Alec stared at him, and he stared at Alec. He needed to have more faith in Alec. And the fucking secrets between them needed to end. Too much was at stake now for Alec not to know everything, knowledge would help better protect him for the future. They needed to work together to figure this out, and as a tried and true loner, that was a damn hard decision to make.

=?=

“Dammit, Key, just talk to me.” Alec fumed. How Key could be anything except proud of everything Alec had accomplished today was beyond him, and he refused to move his vehicle from the Tires parking lot until they settled this between them. He stared a hole though Key’s profile as the man again ignored him completely, holding his phone in his hand, his thumbs moving across the screen.

When had Key become so proficient with a cell phone that he’d changed from using a single index finger for typing each letter to skillfully typing away using his thumbs?

“Did you hear me?”

Key’s eyes narrowed and he continued to type. There was no question, Key was absolutely ignoring him.

Alec hated being ignored.

“I’m not—” Alec started through clenched teeth, but Key stopped him by way of his thumbs pausing and his head turning slightly toward Alec, not enough that he could see Key’s eyes or his full face, but enough to make Alec pause.

“I’m worried about your safety.” Key lifted his hand, stopping Alec when he dragged in breath, preparing to launch into why his safety was secondary to Key’s wellbeing. “And I wanna pay you back for all of this. We have a club attorney. She’s good. She can handle this, and she’s not gonna cost me a dime, because of all the money I pay in…”

There was too much Key didn’t know, and he clearly didn’t understand the value of connections. Between Alec being in the politically connected Pierce family and Marc Manners being as connected as it got in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Key might truly have a chance at staying out of prison. Marc Manners was a badass. He made his deals with the justices while on the golf course or at Friday night poker parties. Marc was a winner—in everything he touched. Key needed him, and as long as Alec got this settled before his father found out how much he was tossing his name around, Alec might be able to keep Key from taking the fall for his entire club, something DA Twiford would aim for in a heartbeat.

“Baby, I promise you, your club attorney isn’t Marc Manners. You have to trust me on this. I’ve watched miracles happen under that man. He doesn’t lose. Period.”

“Can you get us on the road? I don’t want to risk anyone else seein’ you.” Key’s head tilted fully away from Alec, and his thumbs again moved on the phone screen in his hand.

They hadn’t resolved the fight between them, but they also were no longer sniping at each other. So, he depressed the gas pedal and pulled to the entrance of the parking lot.