Page 68 of Under Kid’s Protection

“Okay.” Carrie nodded as he walked by.

When he had passed them, Carrie turned to Kelsey and glared. “What the hell?”

“You can’t do that.” Kelsey glanced at the bikers and back to Carrie.

Carrie folded her arms over her chest, defiantly refusing to look in Kid’s direction. “And why not?”

Kelsey opened her mouth on an inhale, but no words came out. She closed it into a tight-lipped frown.

“I’m single.” Carrie placed a hand over her heart. “You don’t have to accept dances and drinks from men, but I’d like to.”

“Not at the Knucklehead,” Kelsey pleaded. “If we were at Dotson’s, absolutely. But not here.”

Carrie glanced around, exasperated. “What’s wrong with this place?”

Kelsey stared knowingly, the “you’ve got to be kidding me” expression painted on her face.

“He walked out on me,” Carrie reminded her. “We weren’t and aren’t a thing.”

“That doesn’t matter.” Kelsey once again glanced toward the bikers.

“It does to me,” Carrie declared as she lifted her chin.

“You don’t understand.” Kelsey reached for Carrie’s hands.

Carrie stepped past her. “I don’t have to.” She shifted her attention to the bar, and the cute man half turned toward her, waiting for the attention of the tender. “I’m going to get a beer.”

“Carrie,” Kelsey called after her, but Carrie ignored her friend.

She was done worrying about a man’s claim on her when he didn’t actually want her. Mike hadn’t, and she’d devoted months to him. Look how that panned out. Kid might not be as evil, but his intentions seemed to be the same.

He didn’t want her for his old lady, so she was a free agent. She could flirt with whomever she pleased. He had no say in it. The sooner he and everyone else got that through their thick skulls, the better.

Just because they fucked on a few occasions didn’t mean Carrie had to save herself for Kid. She could come and go as she pleased. She could talk to whomever she wanted. They never were a couple. She didn’t have to walk on eggshells because she rode his cock every now and then.

They were adults. They should act like it.

41

Kid

Kid thought Carrie had shown up at the Knucklehead to dance. Wasn’t that why she fled their table? She’d barely lasted one song before Kelsey returned to the booth to snuggle up with Kevlar without her.

Wasn’t there some woman code about staying in pairs? How could Kelsey leave Carrie behind after everything she’d been through? Her explanation of Carrie wanting to spread her wings—whatever the hell that meant—was stupid.

Summoning every ounce of restraint, Kid didn’t break the beer bottle over the head of the rodeo-looking dingus chatting Carrie up at the bar. He kept flicking his pissed-off stare between the two of them and Kelsey. She was not spared his ire.

Kelsey, to her credit, didn’t cower from him. Instead, she raised her brows and leaned over Kevlar toward Kid. “From what I understand, you did this.”

“What does that mean?” Kid scoffed.

Kelsey sat back and huffed. “You left, didn’t you?”

Instead of answering her, he filled his mouth with the last of his beer.

“You didn’t claim her,” Kelsey reminded him.

Of course not. She deserved better than Kid. He clenched his jaw as he stared at the toothy asshole laughing with her.