As Sully escorted me down to Ty's office, I thought about his advice. Right now, my instincts told me I needed to come clean with Kelly before this whole mess blew right up in my face.
But the thought of betraying Jeb's secrets just killed me. I would do anything to protect Jeb's secret and the man he had loved so very much. I hadn't understood the nuances of their relationship but I'd never doubted the love they shared. I refused to let that pig Trevor drag Jeb's memory or Peter's name through the mud.
I could only pray that it wouldn't cost me Kelly's trust.
* * *
Breathing hard, Kelly left the sparring ring and accepted the towel lobbed at him by Alexei. The Russian had the sleeves of his steel gray shirt rolled up to his elbows tonight. Wiping off his face and neck, Kelly didn't even try to hide his interest in the tattoos emblazoning the other man's skin. He'd seen that type of work on Vivian's husband and Yuri's friend Ivan. They were mob and prison markings, the type that only the hardest men earned.
If Alexei noticed him staring, he didn't acknowledge it. Instead, he barked, "Your defensive form is still shit."
"Thanks." Kelly took the water bottle Jack held out to him and swallowed a drink of the chilled fluid. "I'm doing my best."
"Bullshit." Alexei crossed his arms. "Maybe I should have that sweet little thing of yours come up here and climb in the ring with you. Something tells me you would learn to follow instructions better if it was your body between hers and the five animals I plan to throw in there with you."
Kelly's jaw clenched. "Leave Bee out of this."
"If you want to go home to your woman in one piece, I suggest you start paying attention to what I'm telling you and implementing that advice." Alexei picked up his jacket and stalked away from them. "Otherwise we're both wasting our time here. You'd be better off visiting a funeral home and picking out the fucking casket you're going to need."
When Alexei was out of earshot, Jack remarked, "He's right."
Kelly scowled at his oldest brother. "I thought you were supposed to be on my side?"
"This isn't about sides, Kelly. It's about you winning—or, at the very least, surviving to the final match." Jack let loose a noisy breath and gestured to the ring. "You were sloppy as fuck on your takedowns. You seem to think the answer is faster and harder but you're not listening to Alexei. This is about stamina. You're going to gas out and then what?"
Kelly glanced away from Jack. Being wrong wasn't a feeling he enjoyed but he knew that tonight Jack and Alexei had nailed him. "I'll try harder tomorrow."
"Kelly, this isn't a game. If you can't—"
"I said I would try harder," he interjected roughly. "I'm not a robot, Jack. You can't just reprogram me with the push of a button."
Jack's mouth slanted with amusement. "I bet Bee could reprogram you."
Kelly glared at his brother. "Funny."
Jack snatched the towel from his hand. "Get cleaned up and go home."
Rolling his eyes, Kelly saluted him but made sure to stick his middle finger way up in the air. Jack snorted and smacked him upside the head in that affectionate way only a big brother could master.
After showering and changing, Kelly helped Finn finish wiping down the equipment before following his brothers out of their gym. Out in the warm night, he caught sight of the dark SUV idling near his truck. He recognized the behemoth who stepped out of the front seat immediately.
"Jesus," Finn said with a breath of awe. "Is that who I think it is?"
Kelly nodded. "Yeah."
Sergei, the enforcer and underground fighting champion, walked to the middle passenger door. Arms crossed, he stared at Kelly and waited for him to make his move.
"What's going on here?" Jack asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.
"I think I've been summoned." Handing over his bag to Finn, he said, "Hold this. I'll be right back."
Wondering what the hell was happening, Kelly crossed the parking lot. At the SUV, Sergei stared down at him with an expression of utter annoyance on his hard face. There weren't many men who could make Kelly feel small but this beast managed it. Sergei didn't speak as he reached for the door, opened it and stepped aside.
Realizing that was all the invitation he was going to receive, Kelly climbed into the SUV and settled into the empty seat. Once his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit interior, he spotted the most dangerous man in Houston sitting just to his left.
"Good evening, Kelly." Nikolai Kalasnikov fiddled with his cuff link. "You'll have to forgive this rather unorthodox meeting place but I didn't think your brothers would appreciate me darkening their door."
He shifted for a better look at the reputed mob boss. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Are you enjoying Alexei's brand of training?" Nikolai deftly avoided his question.
"That's one word for it." Though it felt awkward, he added, "Thank you for helping me. I appreciate it."
Nikolai sent one of those cold glances his way. "You should thank Vivian."
The Russian's unspoken words were the ones that left Kelly uneasy. Dimitri's comment from a few days earlier circled in his head. Tread carefully. "I will."
When Nikolai reached inside the jacket of his suit, Kelly instinctively tensed. He relaxed when the mob boss withdrew a folded slip of paper and held it out to him. Kelly didn't take it. "What is this?"
"Yuri told me about your little problem."
He blinked. "You mean Trevor Cohen?" When Nikolai nodded, he asked, "How did Yuri—"
"Lena," Nikolai answered. With a surprising smile, he added, "She'll use every asset at her disposal to help a client."
He stared at the paper, unwilling to take it just yet. "How did you find him?"
Nikolai actually chuckled. "Do you really want to know?"
"Yes."
"He likes strippers. One of my men owns a club that he frequents. He's there now." Nikolai waved the paper. "I've got my man keeping him…busy."
Ready to put an end to one of Bee's problems, he took the paper. "Thank you."
Nikolai shrugged. "One of these days, I'm sure you'll find a way to return this favor."
Of that, Kelly had no doubt. Hoping he hadn't just made a deal with the devil, Kelly reached for the door handle. A hand on his arm stopped him. Glancing back at Nikolai, he was surprised by the concern in the other man's eyes.
"Kelly, I won't try to stop you from fighting. I understand why you're doing it, and I respect that."
"But?"
"But you need to know that my aid to you ends with Alexei," Nikolai said, drawing back his hand. "I arranged that because Vee asked me to help you but that's as far as I will go."
"I understand."
Nikolai considered him for a moment. "Good luck, Kelly."
Understanding that he had been dismissed, Kelly slipped out of the backseat and closed the door. Sergei had already turned his back and was heading back to the driver's seat. The coldness of the fighter he would soon face took Kelly aback. They had interacted on a social level a handful of times, especially when Sergei acted as Vivian's bodyguard, but it was clear that Sergei had labeled him the enemy.
He rejoined his brothers and unfolded the strip of paper. Seeing the name of the club, he waved the note. Grinning, he asked, "Either of you have some spare dollar bills?"
Chapter Twelve
Like most men in their late twenties, Kelly had spent many nights drinking and watching half-naked woman shake their asses. Between deployments, there hadn't been much else to do with his fellow Marines. Without a girlfriend or a wife, he'd sought out visual stimulation to appease his pent-up frustration.
Those long nights of dropping tens and twenties on mirrored stages weren't nights he was particularly proud of or nights he ever wanted to talk about with Bee. The fact that Jeb had usually been right beside him would probably keep her from asking those sorts of questions. He doubted she wanted to talk about her brother's sex life any more than he did. Not that Jeb had ever gotten any action with stripper
s…
"This place isn't nearly as seedy as most clubs," Jack remarked as they stood just inside the main door. "I think you could actually sit on these chairs without having to whip out a wet wipe first."
Kelly snorted his agreement as Finn laughed. For a strip club, it was awfully nice inside. Nikolai's man clearly hadn't wasted any money on this place. Judging by the packed crowd, the investment was probably paying nice profits.
"What's this guy look like?" Finn asked.
Kelly dug out his phone and brought up the image. He showed the screen to his brothers. "This is Trevor Cohen."
Always an officer, Jack took control. "Fan out. Find him. Take him out to the parking lot."
Once they had Trevor in the parking lot, Kelly would depend on his brothers to keep him in line. Trevor might not be the sicko making disgusting phone calls and sending Bee filthy photos but he was trying to ruin everything she had worked so hard to build. Kelly refused to let that happen. He wanted this Trevor situation wrapped up neatly so he could focus on the real threat to Bee's safety.
A man Kelly recognized as one of Nikolai's inner circle caught his eye. Kostya, the purported mob cleaner, made a gesture before finishing his drink and weaving his way through the crowd to join Kelly. Without saying a word, he pointed to a closed-off corner where lap dances occurred and held up three fingers. Kelly understood and followed close on Kostya's heels.
Inside the lap dance section, Kelly tried not to pick up on the inappropriate sounds emanating from behind the curtains shielding each booth. While it was totally illegal for any sort of sexual activity to occur, the sight of high-heeled feet sticking out from under the drapes told him most of these men were on the receiving end of blowjobs.
At the third booth, Kelly listened more intently. He heard the murmur of a man's voice before a woman heaved an irritated sigh. "Look, honey, I can't make this work if you can't stay hard."
Kelly allowed a juvenile smirk to curve his mouth as Kostya stepped forward and rapped his knuckles against the frame of the booth. "Tasha, you're finished here. Get back out on the floor please."
Clothing rustled amid a man's frustrated grumbling. The curtain flicked back and a pretty redhead sauntered out of the booth. Kostya held out a handful of hundred dollar bills that the woman happily accepted for keeping Trevor occupied.
When the man in question stepped out of the booth, he took one look at Kelly and immediately retreated. Kelly reached in and grasped him by the front of the shirt. "You're coming with me."
"The hell I am!" The paunchy man slapped at Kelly's hand. "Security! Help!"
Kostya laughed and grabbed Trevor's arm. "Yell all you want. No one is coming."
Trevor's expression slackened with horror. He tried to fight but Kelly and Kostya manhandled him out of the lap dance area and through a back exit. Jack and Finn were already waiting for them. No doubt one of Kostya's employees had send them.
"I'll leave this to you, Kelly." Kostya backed away from them. "I would appreciate it if you'd keep the blood spatter to a minimum. We're trying to maintain a certain atmosphere here."
Kelly grinned evilly. "We'll do our best."
Kostya shared a secret smile with him before returning to his club. The three Connolly brothers surrounded the weasel who had been threatening Bee and attacking her company. Kelly's hands fisted at his sides as he considered how best to get the point across that Bee was off-limits.
Trevor held up his hands and glared at them. "If you touch me, I swear to God I'll unleash every single picture I have. I'll fucking ruin her."
The mention of pictures stopped Kelly cold. His brothers shot concerned glances his way. Stepping toward Trevor, he demanded, "What pictures?"
Trevor's malicious smiled chilled his blood. "She didn't tell you."
A stabbing pain speared Kelly's chest. What was Bee hiding from him? The realization that she hadn't trusted him with something this serious hurt badly.
What in the world had she done that would make her too afraid to come clean with him? Trevor said he had photographs. Had she taken nude selfies or was it even worse? Had she been tricked by a former boyfriend into snapping provocative shots?
"Show me."
Trevor's smile faded at Kelly's growled command. He tried to back away but knocked right into Finn's chest. Recognizing that he was cornered, Trevor fished his phone from his pocket and tapped at the screen. He turned it toward Kelly who moved even closer for a better look.
At first, his brain refused to accept the image before him. It wasn't Bee. It was Jeb—but he was wearing women's lingerie and a leather collar and handcuffs and…
No. No.
"This is fake." Kelly batted away the phone. He knew Jeb. They'd been friends since preschool. If Jeb had been into that sort of thing, he would have known. "You've doctored these."
Trevor's acid laugh grated on his nerves. He swiped his screen before flashing it toward Kelly. "You think I doctored this one?"
He didn't even want to look but he couldn't stop himself. The sight of Jeb straddling some sort of leather and steel contraption twisted his gut. On closer inspection, Kelly realized the masked man beating Jeb's bare backside with a belt was also a Marine. The eagle, ball and anchor tattoo marked him as a member of their brethren.
Swallowing hard, Kelly tried to make sense of it all. "Where did you get these?"
"That's none of your business." Trevor tried to pocket his phone but Kelly snatched his wrist. Trevor yanked hard and warned, "I have copies of these stashed everywhere. Take my phone and they'll be all over the internet by midnight."
Gritting his teeth, Kelly released the slimy bastard's wrist. "What do you want? Money?"
"Not from you," Trevor remarked. "I doubt you could scrape together enough change to buy me a cup of coffee."
The reminder of his relative poverty compared to Bee wasn't a welcome one but he let that dig slide. Refusing to let this asshole hurt Bee, he insisted, "She won't give in over a couple of pictures. She's tougher than that."
"I have more than pictures." Trevor's self-satisfied grin gnawed at Kelly. "I have names."
Something told Kelly that the names of the men Jeb had done those things with were worth a lot of money. "Why are you doing this?"
Trevor shrugged. "She shouldn't have killed my baby."
Kelly's eyes widened fractionally. "Your baby? Oh. You mean that stupid program that never even worked?"
Trevor's nostrils flared. "It worked beautifully before she got her hands on it. That bitch doesn't know the first damn thing about coding."
"Watch your mouth," Kelly ground out between clenched jaws. "You'll need a bigger set of balls to call Bee names in front of me."
"Oh, I see how it is. You know, when I first found those pictures of her pervert brother, I thought for sure you'd be right there next to him, on your knees and sucking some other guy's dick. I wondered if there wasn't some special Marine brigade of fag—"
That was all that disgusting asshole got out before Kelly punched him square in the nose. The impact knocked Trevor right off his feet. He fell to the pavement hard and grunted. Kelly's fighter instincts kicked in and he leapt atop the downed man. Seeing red, he planted his fist right into Trevor's jaw and reared back for a third blow that never happened.
"Kelly! Stop!" Jack wrapped both arms around Kelly's chest and hauled him off Trevor. "You'll kill him."
"Maybe I should," Kelly spat out angrily. Jerking out of Jack's grasp, he kicked at Trevor's leg. "If you publish one fucking picture or one word about my best friend, I'll hunt you down and slit your fucking throat myself. He was a hero who died for his country, you cowardly fucking prick."
Spotting Trevor's phone on the ground, Kelly stomped it three times, delighting in the crunching snap of plastic and metal cracking under the weight and force of his shoe. Overwhelmed by a jumble of emotions, Kelly stormed out of the alley and headed right for his truck.
Finn raced after him. "Kelly! Kelly! Stop."
Fum
bling in his pocket for his keys, he refused to turn around and look at his brother. Finn caught up to him, grasped his shoulder and whirled him around. "What are you going to do?"
Kelly didn't know. Waves of betrayal and anger and pain crashed over him, threatening to suffocate him. "How the fuck could he keep something like that from me?"
Finn shrugged one shoulder. "Kelly, bro, it was a different time. Even now that Don't Ask, Don't Tell is gone, you know how hard it is for men to come out." He shifted his glance to the ground as if uncomfortable. "To come out as a man who likes to do those things?"
The images he had seen of his best friend allowing himself to be degraded and humiliated confused Kelly. Who the hell was that man? Did he ever even know the real Jeb?
There was only one person who could answer those questions.
And she had a hell of a lot to explain.
* * *
Primping in front of the mirror and trembling with anticipation for Kelly's return, I heard my phone ringing in the master bedroom. I hurried in to answer but didn't recognize the number. Wary after the onslaught of weird phone calls I'd been receiving, I hesitantly answered, "Hello?"
"Bee, it's Finn."
"Oh." Surprised that Kelly's brother would call me, I instantly went into panic mode. "Oh my God. What's happened? Did Kelly get hurt at training?"
"No, sweetheart. He's fine. Look—we had a run-in with Trevor Cohen."
My heart skipped a few beats. "What?"
"Kelly will explain. Listen, Bee, he's pretty pissed off but not with you. He's mad at Jeb."
"Jeb? Why would he…?" My voice trailed off as the horrid realization hit. He knows. "How long until he reaches the penthouse?"
"Ten minutes?" Finn guessed. "Maybe fifteen if he hits bad traffic."
"Thanks for the heads-up." I dropped my phone on the bed and rushed to get dressed. The argument we were about to have wasn't one I wanted to have stark naked.
Dressed in yoga pants and a camisole, I rushed out of the master suite and into the living room where I hoped to intercept Kelly. Winn leveled a curious stare at me and switched off the television. "Everything all right?"