Page 7 of Kaz (Salvation Kings MC: New Freedom Chapter #2)

Miles

THEY FOLLOWED Killian through the house. It was big with high ceilings, and that was the only good thing he could say about it. He was pretty sure the whole foundation was leaning to one side.

As they continued through the house, he took note of everything that needed to be fixed or replaced and had to bite back a curse.

In the living room, there was a newer staircase and big windows as well as a patio door at the far end.

The kitchen was to the left, and while that, too, was big, that only meant a lot of money would be going into it.

He dreaded looking at the bathrooms because he had a feeling they’d be complete gut-jobs.

At least the walls were white without any yellowing from smoke.

“We got the place for a steal,” Killian said with a bright smile, arms thrown wide as he walked backward through the living room.

Yeah, no fucking wonder. He wouldn’t be surprised if this place didn’t have running water. He was going to strangle Kaz. Killian, too. Emma had told him this was all Killian’s idea, after all.

“Do you know how long it’s going to take to make this place inhabitable?” The question was rhetorical, and when Killian opened his mouth to answer anyway, Miles cut him off with a deep glare.

Killian pressed his lips together, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, but a second later, he was smiling deviously at Miles. “It’s a good thing you’re here, then. I’m sure Kaz will appreciate your expertise.”

Emmett signed something Miles missed, though he certainly didn’t miss the amused look on Travis’s face.

“What?” he signed.

Travis and Emmett shared a quick glance, and then they both shrugged, Travis signing, “Nothing.”

He narrowed his eyes at them, hating that it probably had to do with him and Kaz.

He was quite sure Kaz wouldn’t appreciate his expertise.

He couldn’t imagine Kaz being elated about him staying.

Not if he wanted to keep his girlfriend happy.

From what little he knew of Jane, he didn’t get why she stayed with Kaz.

He’d broken her trust in the worst way. How could she forgive that?

He sure as fuck hadn’t. Forgive and forget? Fuck that.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm the rage simmering inside him. He didn’t want to hurt Kaz. Well, maybe a little. But, mostly, he wanted answers. Not that he thought he would get them, or that getting them would change anything.

He was following the others through the door to the screened-in patio when footsteps sounded behind him. Light as a feather but purposeful. He paused to wait for his sister to catch up and let the others head outside without him.

“How do you like it?” she asked, her eyes twinkling.

“It’s even worse on the inside,” he drawled, earning a hearty laugh from her.

“I talked to Kaz,” Emma said, the smile on her lips not putting him at ease in the slightest. “He’s agreed to let you stay until the renovations are done.”

Kaz was allowing him to stay? Fuck that and fuck him.

He wasn’t keeping his annoyance well-hidden because Emma put her hands on her hips and stared him down.

“We have rules, you know,” she said, eyes narrowing, “We have to follow the bylaws. He’s making an exception to let you stay and help. It’s supposed to be only members and partners.”

As much as he wanted to roll his eyes at the ridiculousness of that, he knew better than to do it in front of several bikers.

Especially when most of them looked like absolute beefcakes who were also armed.

Even Emma was, though her weapon of choice was wicked knives instead of guns.

She’d been trained by Stiletto, the Sergeant at Arms of their dad’s club, who’d gotten her road name because of the stiletto knives she wielded.

“As long as I get to make sure this house doesn’t fall on you,” he muttered, giving her an exasperated look.

Unlike him, Emma had no qualms about rolling her eyes and did just that.

He sighed and shook his head, then turned to run his gaze across the bikers filling up the back patio as well as the backyard.

There was a fire pit with chairs scattered around it down there.

It looked to be in rough shape, just like everything else here, except maybe the motorcycles out front and the leather vests everyone wore.

They had the same colors as the ones on his father’s cut, which made sense, seeing as they were a chapter of the Salvation Kings and not a brand-new club.

He knew Killian’s grandfather had to be proud of him, seeing as he was a founding member and the former president of the Kings.

He tried to get a look at some of the patches, noting that Remy had one with Road Captain on it.

Remy’s dad was an OG King, and though they knew each other, he hadn’t seen her much over the past few years.

He’d done his best to avoid anything and everything club-related ever since Kaz.

Ezra had witnessed the aftermath of that disaster, which was why he hadn’t told his best friend where he’d gone today.

He certainly wasn’t about to volunteer any information about where he would be staying for the next who-knew-how-many weeks.

Ez might joke about him still wanting Kaz, but when it came down to it?

Ez would kill him. Or possibly Kaz. Probably both.

A squeal had him jumping and snapping his head up to see a woman clad in black running toward Emma, who skidded back a step when she slammed into her.

She had long reddish-brown hair, and when she leaned back in Emma’s arms, her cheeks were flushed, and her smile bright until her gaze turned toward him.

Jane.

Fuck.

“Miles,” she said, blinking at him in surprise.

Oh, great. No one had told her he was coming.

He’d forgotten she would be here. That she’d likely be here the whole time they were doing renovations.

Fuck. He wanted to see her even less than Kaz because Kaz he could be mad at.

Jane he sure as hell couldn’t. He was the one who’d fucked her boyfriend, and while he hadn’t known they were together at the time, it still made him feel like shit.

Before he could say anything and thoroughly embarrass himself, a man who towered over almost everyone else grabbed Jane by the hand and tugged her through the door and out onto the patio.

He felt eyes on him and turned his head to meet Emma’s gaze. He couldn’t read that look. It was rare that his sister wasn’t an open book to him.

He didn’t like it. Not one fucking bit.

“Em―”

“Come on,” she said, cutting him off and wrapping a hand around his arm to pull him out onto the patio and down the rickety stairs to the backyard.

Someone was lighting the wood in the fire pit.

Miles threw an uneasy glance at the twins.

Those two weren’t exactly known for being smart, and from the looks of it, they had already started drinking.

He caught sight of a woman with a black bob and instantly relaxed.

Nicky was there, and she was watching the boys, her hands on her hips and a deadly look in her sharp, baby blue eyes.

Her girlfriend wrapped her arms around her from behind, and that cold facade slipped, her lips twitching as she rolled her eyes.

Ciara was the only one who made Nicky melt, and he loved seeing it.

He wasn’t surprised Nicky had followed Ciara here.

“I’ll grab us something to drink,” Emma said, walking off before he could reply.

He breathed a sigh and turned his head, his heart skipping a beat when his gaze caught on Kaz walking out onto the patio.

That man had no right to look so fucking good.

He should’ve been balding with a hanging gut and droopy eyes, not looking like he was still in his twenties.

His stubble was thick and black like his hair, his skin glowing from his golden tan.

The tattoos down his arms only made him hotter.

He’d kissed those tattoos years ago, and the thought of running his tongue along that ink again sent a spark of need through him.

He clenched his jaw, trying to will those thoughts, those memories, away.

He watched as Kaz walked up to Jane and dropped his arm around her shoulders, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head.

She looked up at Kaz with a beautiful smile, and he said something to her, his lips moving, but they were too far away for him to hear.

Jane’s smile slipped, and she frowned at him.

“They’re talking about you.”

He startled, head whipping around to find Emmett standing next to him, his brow creased in concentration.

“What?”

“He told her you’re staying and helping out.” Emmet squinted at them. “She asked him if he was out of his mind.”

His mouth dropped open, and he stared at Emmett, his words not quite registering.

Emmett’s gaze was back on Kaz and Jane, and when he winced, Miles considered whether joining a religion would be worth it just so he could pray for mercy. And forgiveness.

“Ouch,” Emmett muttered.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to know, and yet he found himself saying, “Tell me,” and then signed it when he remembered Emmett wasn’t wearing his cochlear implants.

Emmett met his gaze and said, “She called him a delusional asshole, I think, and then told him if he didn’t tell you, she would.”

“Tell me what?”

Emmett shrugged. “She didn’t say.”

“Fuck,” he muttered.

He looked back at them and did send up a desperate prayer this time because Jane was looking right at him, something dangerous burning in those bright green eyes of hers.