Page 56 of Under Kid’s Protection

“So you two are together?” Kelsey asked as they separated. Her attention went to the menu board.

“Oh.” Carrie scoffed and waved a hand through the air, shoving that concept away. “No. Definitely not.”

Kelsey turned sharply and fixated on Carrie. “What?”

“We agreed it should be casual,” Carrie declared with a confidence she didn’t possess. While what she said was true, her head and her heart weren’t on the same page. Despite the whole arrangement being her idea. Regrets? She had a few. “I’m not sure I’m ready for anything serious right now. I think I need like a year or so of focusing on me. Like empowering me.”

“By fucking Kid casually?” Kelsey asked bewildered. “And exclusively?”

Carrie snickered. “Him.” She shrugged. “Other people are an option.” Not that either one of them had actually worked out the details. However, they weren’t serious, so she assumed non-exclusive was a given. Wasn’t it? “I haven’t decided. But either way, I’m going to do what makes me happy.”

Kelsey pursed her lips. “And he agreed to this.”

Carrie nodded.

“So, the two of you can bang whoever you want?”

“Yep.”

Though the idea of Kid’s lips on another woman tinged her vision red. The image of his hands on another woman’s breasts had her clenching her teeth briefly. Internally, she dismissed the irrational jealousy. They weren’t together. They had agreed.

If she wanted to get nasty with other people, she couldn’t get mad if he did the same. Her head and her heart needed to get on the same page. She didn’t have time for this nonsense.

Kelsey blew out a breath as they took another step farther. “Then I guess it’s not a big deal that the woman he used to sleep with from the bar is living at the clubhouse with him.”

Carrie’s throat became the Sahara. Her muscles tightened, and for a brief moment, her face fell. He what? With who?

Realizing Kelsey studied her reaction, Carrie shook off her surprise. She slapped a smile on her face. “That’s his business.”

34

Kid

With “Happy Feels Like” by Ninth Key playing softly overhead, Kid bopped his head along with the beat as he leaned over the counter and reviewed Inkjection’s appointment ledger. The corners of his mouth curved upward in a pride-filled grin. They were booked solid for the next month. Between his studio surpassing every expectation he had and his club getting its legs, he could officially accept that things were on the upswing for him and his brother.

They finally had something to call their own. They weren’t under the thumb of someone else. The rules, the decisions, everything came down to them, and so far, they were making the right ones. This was what it felt like to be on top of the world.

A hand clapped on his back, and Kid turned a bit too sharply, bracing himself for a punch to the mouth. Florio, one of the tattoo artists he’d hired, smiled at him, appearing to be oblivious to how he’d startled Kid. “I’m off tomorrow, but I can hang around between ten and two if you want someone available for walk-ins.”

Kid nodded. “Yeah, that might be a good idea.”

Florio winked and shifted the bag he had draped over his shoulder. “Alright, see you then.”

Kid watched his employee saunter toward the door. The bell above it chimed when he opened it.

Florio stepped aside. “After you.”

Kid cocked his head to the side to get a better look at who would cross his threshold after business hours.

The petite woman with straight brown hair past her shoulders and large, innocent brown eyes that had the potential to burn with need in the right situation walked in wearing a heart-stopping smile. His final appointment of the night.

“Hey.” She greeted him with a wave as she got closer to him.

“You good?” Florio asked.

Kid nodded. “Yeah.”

“Want me to lock the door?” Florio asked.