Page 41 of Property of Kevlar

This was pointless. She released her hold on them. This absurd back and forth wasn’t worth ripping perfectly good garments.

He stumbled but recovered quickly. Clearing his throat, he closed the distance between them and leaned closer to her.

She pulled back. With his free arm, he grabbed her and yanked her into him.

Her heart jumped into her throat. Flashbacks of him pinning her against the wall, ripping her shirt flashed through her mind.

Where was Kev? Shouldn’t he be hopping out from behind a rack somewhere right about now? Kelsey squashed that hope as soon as it crossed her mind. She couldn’t keep depending on him to rescue her. That wasn’t his responsibility. They were essentially strangers.

But were he to show his face again, that’d be nice.

She’d appreciate it.

“You’re gonna wanna be my friend,” Pete whispered into her ear.

He reeked of stale weed and beer. His breath was hot on her skin, and it gave her goose bumps, but not in the good way. She wriggled to free herself. He tightened his grip on her. Pain throbbed in her arm.

“Shit’s about to go down, and that Royal Bastards dickhead ain’t going to be around much longer to save your pretty fat ass.”

With her breath coming in brief gasps, she lifted her chin and met his eyes defiantly. Cowering to Pete wouldn’t do her any good. Even though he absolutely terrified her, she couldn’t let him know that.

“You’re mine,” he said and covered her mouth with his.

His lips were dry, cracked, and forceful. He jammed his tongue into her mouth as she wedged her hands between them and pressed them on his chest.

She turned her head, skittering his lips along her face. “Fuck you,” she hissed.

He let her go.

The clothes he took from her dropped to the floor as she stepped back from him.

“In time, gorgeous.” He winked.

She sneered. Over her dead body.

Blowing her a kiss, he spun on his heel and strolled away as though he hadn’t just forced himself upon her.

She sagged and let out a breath. Covering her heart with her hand, she looked around for Carrie. They needed to get out of there. Maybe now that her friend had witnessed what Pete did, and how he treated Kelsey, Carrie would understand things weren’t all sunshine and roses.

Pete and Mike were the bad ones. These were the bikers who would hurt them.

But Carrie was nowhere to be found.

She’d vanished.

Fretting that her friend had been kidnapped by a bastard biker, Kelsey charged through the aisles of the thrift store. As she walked past the changing rooms, a man groaned.

Kelsey halted her steps.

“Fuck,” he muttered. “That’s good.”

Shifting her attention toward the noises, Kelsey glanced at the bottom of the stall, looking for signs of the occupants. She noted a set of boots beyond the curtain and a pair of knees before them.

Shaking her head, Kelsey pinched the bridge of her nose.

Carrie hadn’t seen a damn fucking thing because she was too busy blowing Mike in the changing room. Of course she was. Why wouldn’t she?

Kelsey knocked on the wall. “Hey, I’m gonna get out of here.”