Page 25 of Under Kid’s Protection

Noting few bikes along the wall as he pulled into a spot, he frowned. Had he missed last call? Maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. He didn’t really want to be around people. Jerry, the owner, shouldn’t mind if Kid hung around after hours. He never had before. Not like he would be there.

Vanessa usually ran the evening shift. She definitely wouldn’t kick him out.

After cutting his engine, Kid dismounted his bike. Raising his arms, he arched his back until he heard the satisfying cracks.

Approaching the door, he noted a lack of security. Which meant they had either shut down for the night or were on the verge of doing so. Either way, he tested the door and found it unlocked. Waltzing in, he scanned the nearly empty bar.

The space seemed larger at the end of the night than it did during the busy hours. On a good night, they would test the fire code and be nuts to butts, but not now.

The lights were still low, the stage was empty, save for a roadie coiling a wire, and several workers milled around clearing off tables. A few of the regulars hung their heads, finishing their pints at the bar.

Behind it, the tenders were busy with their closing routines. He moseyed over to the pass and rapped his knuckles on the counter to get Mark’s attention. “Hey,” he called. “Vanessa in the office?”

Jerking his head, the bartender gave Kid a once-over. Mark had worked there for years. He’d known Kid when he shouldn’t have been hanging around such an establishment, let alone getting service. A grin of familiarity spread on his face as he paused wrapping the garnishes with plastic.

After grabbing a pint glass, he brought it to the tap and pulled the handle. The amber liquid filled the cup with very little head.

“Yeah,” he said as he sauntered over to Kid, offering him the beer. “Counting out.”

Accepting the drink, Kid nodded. “Thanks.”

He brought it to his lips, taking a deep pull before heading to the storage area where the office was hidden. As he approached the door, it opened. He stepped back, startled a bit, and did his best not to spill his drink.

“Oh shit!” Vanessa squeaked, holding a hand over her chest.

“Yeah,” Kid mumbled.

Her gaze swept over him as she planted a hand on her popped hip. “I didn’t think I’d see you back after that shit you started.”

“Was it bad?” Kid asked politely but without a bit of care in the world.

Fights at a biker bar were as common as foam in beer. Some instances were worse than others. She shouldn’t be mad about it. This was a part of the business.

She sighed heavily and shook her head. “Nah, broke up pretty quickly. Threw out a few assholes, but we got things under control.”

He nodded and sampled another drag from the beer.

She closed the door behind her and leaned against it as she studied him. “Last call was about a half hour ago.”

“Yeah.” Another fact that meant little to him.

Perhaps he was a cocky dickhead, but at the Knucklehead, the rules didn’t apply to him. They never had. He could come and go as he pleased, drink his fill, and do whatever he felt like. As long as the cops didn’t show up, everything was copacetic.

“So what do you want?” Her question and her expression were laced with innuendo.

There was a time Kid found her to be the most attractive woman on the planet. In the before days. When he had a fresh patch and was prone to bad decisions. She was another guy’s old lady, but Kid never liked Diesel. He’d treated Vanessa like shit. When he’d dated Harper, Kid’s sister, he was a giant douche canoe. Which was probably half the thrill of fucking her behind Diesel’s back. The guy was an angry waste of oxygen. What Kid’s father saw in him, Kid would never know. Making Diesel the VP of the club was the nail in the coffin.

Literally.

Because of Diesel, Kid’s dad was dead and the Roughneck Riders went down in flames.

None of that was Vanessa’s fault. She was a decent enough woman. Rode hard and put away wet quite a bit, but she was loyal to the club. His dad’s, back then, and now the Royal Bastards. Eventually, hopefully soon, someone would make an honest woman of her.

It wouldn’t be today, and it wouldn’t be Kid. However, that didn’t mean she wasn’t without her uses.

“I figured I’d take you up on that offer.”

Her brow arched, and her lips turned up in a sultry grin. “Which one was that?”