Page 70 of Under Kid’s Protection

The guy lunged at Kid, and as he sidestepped the spearing, Kid took hold of the man’s head and bounced it off the bar top. The crunch of his nose breaking gave Kid a thrill. He hadn’t unleashed on someone in far too long.

Blood gushed from his face. Kid assumed a fighting stance. “You ready?”

“What are you doing?” Vanessa screeched as she came around the bar.

At his back, his brothers ran over. “What’s going on?” Kevlar demanded.

“Just finished a chat,” Kid declared. “We settled our differences. Bushie, show him the door.”

Cracking his neck, Kid turned away from the chaos he’d created and fixed his attention on the restroom.

One problem solved. On to the next.

42

Carrie

“Carrie,” Kelsey called. “Are you in here?”

Hovering over the toilet so that none of Carrie’s bare skin touched the seat, she squinted and attempted to peer through the crack between the stall and the door. “Yeah?”

“Oh, good.” Kelsey’s voice got closer. “Shit is about to go down.”

A chill ran through Carrie as she finished her business. The last time that phrase was uttered, Carrie wound up traumatized, and people got shot. Reaching for the toilet paper, she wiggled her bottom before she wiped.

“What is going on?” she demanded as she tugged her shorts up and made quick work of the button and zipper.

“Oh, nothing major. A bar brawl,” Kelsey said. “Not sure you want to go out there right now.”

What the hell? Carrie flushed the toilet, then opened the door.

Her friend was just outside the cubicle, but her attention was on the door as she nibbled on her bottom lip.

The nervous energy coming off her friend wafted toward Carrie as she made her way to the sink. Purposefully, she inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, trying to reject the anxiety attempting to strangle her.

The Knucklehead hosted some shady characters. Bar fights weren’t exactly unusual. However, Kelsey coming to warn her about it could only mean one thing. Obviously, her friend was concerned about Carrie’s reaction to violence in the bar.

The last time Kid punched someone when they were there, she spun out of control. While not a full-blown crisis, the situation wasn’t pleasant, but she’d made progress since then. She was confident she wouldn’t freak out.

As Carrie twisted the faucet to turn on the water, she stuck her hand under to wet it. “Thanks for the heads-up. I can hide here for a little while, but I think I can manage it.”

Kelsey peered at her, but before she could say a word, the door to the bathroom flew open. The knob thwacked against the wall. Chips of tile clattered on the floor.

“Everyone get the fuck out,” Kid boomed as he stormed into the restroom. “Carrie! Where are you?”

Carrie’s mouth hung open as she froze in place, unsure what to do in the face of the rage radiating off Kid.

Kelsey positioned herself between them. “Calm down,” she said, holding her hand, with the fingers spread, before her as she reached for Carrie with her free one.

Kid narrowed his gaze on Carrie’s friend and snarled. “Get. Out.”

Kelsey shook her head vehemently.

Carrie should’ve been terrified. Angry bikers shouldn’t be defied. They were criminals who thought nothing of putting a bullet in another person. Carrie had witnessed that the night Kid and his club came and rescued her and Kelsey from the Bloody Scorpions.

However, fear didn’t come.

“I’m not fucking around,” Kid declared as he stomped forward, closer to the two women.