Page 46 of Under Kid’s Protection

Vanessa was disappointed too, but she understood. She knew how bikers worked. Kid and his ilk, they were nomads. Always on the road getting into shit. Staying in one place too long wasn’t in their blood.

Except that was a lie. While yes, he could still go out on runs, he was tied to a chapter again. Oklahoma City was his chapter—this was his home. So, yeah, he’d be around a lot. Which was the perfect reason Carrie shouldn’t get attached to him. He wasn’t that kind of guy. Commitment wasn’t in his DNA. She should be with someone who could treat her properly. Kid was never good with valuable things.

“I’ll get the rest of my stuff out of here in the next few days,” he said as he leaned over the bed, planted his hands on the mattress, and pressed his lips to her forehead.

His heart pinched, and his throat went dry. Why did he do that? What the fuck was wrong with him?

“Yeah,” she said in a ghostly tone.

She sounded lost and stared vacantly—almost through him. This was for the best—her best. He’d already hung around longer than he should have.

Kid strolled to the doorway. Pausing, he rested his palm on the molding. Don’t look back. “Be good,” he said as he tapped the frame and left the room.

Grabbing his backpack and keys quickly, he exited the apartment before he could think better of it.

He couldn’t meet her eyes. What a fucking coward. He’d stared down however many Scorpions meant to kill him and didn’t flinch once. He laughed in the faces of people who had punched him or shot at him, but this—Carrie—he couldn’t do it.

Instead, he turned his back on her like a spineless chickenshit and fled her apartment.

28

Carrie

Pursing her lips, Carrie shuffled through the bottles of hair dye, considering what color blend she should use to achieve the shade her client wanted. She could combine the mousey brown with the lightest golden-blond for highlights to get the hue the woman desired. The combination looked good on most people.

Especially Kid. He had such perfect hair. Purposefully messy, usually in his eyes, and effortlessly beautiful.

Which she shouldn’t be thinking about. Their little—whatever it was—had ended. There was no need to dwell on what was, because it wasn’t anything. He was a tool in her recovery. He proved that she could move on. Mike hadn’t destroyed her ability to be with men.

Just the wrong men.

Kid had proven she could own her sexuality again while simultaneously teaching her that she didn’t have to accept any guy who paid her the smallest bit of attention. She could have standards—she was worthy of them.

Which was why he left. She couldn’t move forward if he stuck around. How could she go out and spread her wings with a dude sleeping on her couch? He couldn’t be her roommate in a one-bedroom.

The only way she could progress was to do it alone, and that was why he’d vacated her apartment. He did it for her. Their tryst was exactly what she needed to be a free woman on the market. He was a stepping stone to the future she deserved.

Then why was there a heavy boulder of regret in her gut? This was a good thing. Getting attached to the wrong guys had always been her problem. While a decent enough fellow and a fantastic bedroom partner, Kid wasn’t good for her. She had to smother these silly lingering feelings she had for him.

They hadn’t been together in any other manner than a no-strings-attached sort of arrangement. She used him. Not the other way around. This was supposed to be her moment of empowerment. She was officially capable of engaging in sex with someone without developing emotional attachment.

Maybe if she repeated that in her head, made it a mantra, she would believe it.

“You okay?” Kelsey asked as she came through the curtain into the dye room storage area. “You’ve been back here a while.”

“Yeah,” Carrie said, turning, holding the two bottles, and plastering a smile on her face. “Just deciding the best shade for Terri’s hair.” She raised the dyes and wiggled them. “Do you think she can pull off highlights?”

Kelsey eyed her warily. “You sure? Because I swear you’re about to cry.”

Scoffing, Carrie waved a hand and made her way toward the curtain. “I’m good. Looking forward to the charity function at the clubhouse. I ordered a bunch of stuff for my costume. Pretty sure I maxed out my credit card again.”

Chuckling, the two of them exited the back room and went to the floor of the salon. “Can you just tell me and not keep it a secret? Maybe I’m going as the same thing. We can’t have that.”

“Aren’t you doing a couples costume with Kevlar?” Carrie asked as she squirted hair dye into the bowl.

“Yeah, so.” Kelsey shrugged.

“Well, I assure you, it’s not couple-y.” A grin grew on her face as she considered what she’d wear this Halloween. “But it will be sexy.”