Page 95 of Hold Back
Kit was in the shower,trying to warm up after the events of the afternoon. Red was in the kitchen, taking a moment to decompress, his hands still shaking as he poured a sweet iced tea. He knocked it back in four gulps, needing the sugar in his bloodstream.
Red contemplated joining his boy in the shower, but he wondered if Kit would prefer to be alone and have time to think. He put the glass down more sharply than he intended, and itcaught the edge, slipping out of his hand as it crashed to the floor, splintering into thousands of pieces.
“Dammit.”
“What happened?” Kit appeared naked, looking worried. “I heard the crash.”
Despite the stress, Red wanted to lick every drop of water off him, then take him to bed and hide under the covers forever.
“I dropped a glass. Don’t come close,” he ordered tiredly as he headed to the cleaning closet for a broom. “You’ve got bare feet.”
Kit looked worried as he stared at the floor. “I can sweep if you want.”
“Finish your shower. You’re still covered in soap.”
“Okay.”
Kit hesitated a moment, but Red shooed him away and started sweeping up the remains of the glass. He swept three times, then vacuumed the floor because those pesky shards of glass were determined to evade him and he didn’t want a chance of one of them getting embedded in his boy’s foot.
When he was sure that the floor was as clean as it could be, he disposed of the glass in the trash, washed his hands, and made them both a cup of coffee, then sat and waited for Kit to join him.
His phone vibrated and he saw it was a call from Quinn Ryder. He stabbed the connect button and put it on speaker.
“Baxter.”
“Red, I heard what happened. How are you?”
“Kit is safe.”
“That wasn’t what I asked,” Quinn said briskly. “Let’s try again. How are you.”
“Freaked out.” Red looked at his hands, still trembling as he realized just how close he’d come to losing his boy today. “If Tony had been a professional, he would have just shot Kit andwalked away. We wouldn’t have been able to save him. It was only Tony’s ego that saved Kit. And Lucinda.”
“Thank God for amateurs and scary spooks,” Quinn agreed. “Craig pointed out most of the people who come after our boys have been amateurs. They cause more trouble than the professionals. But you’re okay and Kit is safe. That’s all I care about.”
Red took a shaky breath. He wasn’t used to feeling so vulnerable, but if anyone was going to understand, it was this man. “What happens now?”
“You go home. Take the weekend off. We’ll discuss your next assignment on Monday. Or Craig will. I won’t be home for another couple of weeks.”
“How is Mr. Connolly?”
“Cade is coming off the ledge.” Quinn sounded cautious and Red realized they weren’t out of the woods yet.
“That’s good to hear,” he said, his tone neutral.
“Thanks, for pointing out where I should be.”
“Thank you for offering me this job.” A thought occurred to Red. “Do I still have a job with the Biker Daddy Bodyguards now this is over?”
“Of course you have a job. We just renegotiate your terms now you have a full-time boy.”
“Daddy?”
Red smiled as Kit joined him, dressed in a hoodie and sweats, and sensibly wearing a pair of thick socks. He’d taken the time to shave. Kit sat next to Red who pushed the coffee towards him.
“Kit is here. I’m talking to Quinn Ryder.”
“I’m so glad you’re safe, Kit,” Quinn said.
