Page 14 of Property of Kevlar

She didn’t sound convinced, but that was fine. Kevlar meant what he said. He wasn’t in the business of taking things from women that they didn’t offer. He had morals—sort of. Some might consider his compass a bit twisted, but it was all he knew, and it worked for him. Others understanding him was their responsibility. Not his.

Kelsey twirled and tripped over her own ankles.

He sat up straighter. Kevlar didn’t want to call attention to her situation and further embarrass her, but if she got hurt, he’d help.

She hadn’t fallen. Instead, she stumbled a step or two before she got her feet under her again. A newborn fawn learning to walk on wobbly limbs had better grace and balance than she did in that moment. Somehow, he kept his snicker to himself.

When she disappeared into the kitchen, he sat back. The night had been rough for her. He couldn’t expect her to be calm, cool, and collected. She’d had the misfortune of running into a Bloody Scorpion.

Kevlar narrowed his eyes at the thought. Releasing a long exhale, he thrummed his fingers on the cushion as he conjured ideas on how to handle an invasion of his home territory. Considering he had an army of two, he’d have to tread carefully.

How many Scorpions were in town? How set up were they?

The weight of his new responsibilities hung heavy on his shoulders. He allowed his head to drop and closed his eyes. Shit would get real serious quickly. He had to build his numbers—fast. Were any Roughneck Riders still around that he could trust?

Plenty had to be in the area. These men were blue-collar guys. They didn’t have the means to fuck off the way Kevlar and Kid had. They had families and whatnot to keep them in place, but not all of them were worthy of a patch.

He’d only be betrayed by a brother once.

The Roughneck Riders had been his father’s club, but after three years with the Royal Bastards, Kevlar learned how fucked up his former organization had been. His dad made a billion mistakes, whether it be business choices or the rules of the club. There was no need to reinvent a broken wheel.

Kevlar wanted a club of his own. Loyal brothers who stuck to their code. No fuckups allowed. Things would be different under Kevlar than they had been under Snoopy. So, even if he tapped his old brothers, he doubted they’d get on board with him.

Not all of them anyway, but maybe Torch.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he tapped the screen to life. Tomorrow would be a busy day. They had a lot to do and not much time to do it. Considering Kevlar was busy at the moment watching over an innocent woman, he’d need Kid to do some research tonight.

Find Torch. He fired off a text and tucked his phone away.

8

Kelsey

After tossing the empty bottle into the blue recycling container under the sink, Kelsey slumped over the counter, resting her elbows on it and covering her face with her hands. She had a biker in her living room. For how long? She hadn’t exactly put a timeframe on his invitation.

Blowing out a breath, she righted herself. While this arrangement wasn’t the best idea, she felt safer having him there. Kev promised he wouldn’t do anything. She didn’t know why she believed him, but she did. So far, he’d been true to that word. He’d gone above and beyond.

Then why was she nervous?

Assuming her anxiety was because Pete ripped her shirt off was logical, except that wasn’t it. She wasn’t afraid. This was something completely different.

She felt an anticipation—an excitement.

Shoving that thought out of her brain, she reached for the handle of the refrigerator. She couldn’t hide out here like she had in her bedroom. Abandoning him in her own apartment was rude as hell.

Get it together. This wasn’t any different from having a friend over. While she didn’t know him beyond his nickname, that didn’t mean she had to behave strangely. This wasn’t the first time she’d brought a random guy home from the bar.

Granted, the circumstances were a little different.

Weren’t they?

As she grabbed another bottle of beer for him, and one of water for herself, she shook that idea away. She had to stop thinking that way. With a twist of the cap, she opened the brew. Nothing would happen tonight. Not with a biker. She had standards.

Didn’t she?

For fuck’s sake.

Kelsey had to get out of her head.