Page 65 of Property of Kevlar

Again, the image of a tree house flashed in Kelsey’s mind.

“Carrie.” Kelsey pinched the bridge of her nose to stave off a headache.

“Pete won’t be there,” Carrie blurted quickly. “It’ll just be Mike and some guys from his club, so you won’t have to worry about bumping into him. Mike asked me to bring friends.”

Kelsey frowned.

“And you’re the best one I’ve got.”

The pleading in Carrie’s voice struck a chord within Kelsey’s chest. She couldn’t leave her hanging. There was a code among women; they never let their friends visit the lion’s den alone. While Kelsey hadn’t gone to college, she’d been to her fair share of frat parties with Carrie. Kelsey could only assume that a biker party was a thousand times more predatory. Especially if the bikers were anything like Pete.

Never in all her twenty-seven years had Kelsey left Carrie to fend for herself in a situation like that. She couldn’t start now.

“Fine,” Kelsey groaned. “I have to get dressed.”

Carrie squealed on the other end of the phone. “Yay! I’ll be by in a half hour.”

She wouldn’t be ready by then, but maybe, if Kelsey stalled a bit, they could arrive after the cops broke up the soiree that would no doubt be rowdy as hell.

This was a bad idea, but Kelsey couldn’t let Carrie go by herself. As the call ended, Kelsey stared at the blinking screen. Should she reach out to Kev?

He had said if she ran into Pete, he wanted to be told about it, but Carrie said he wasn’t going to be there. She bit her lower lip, contemplating. They weren’t dating. They were fuck buddies.

Bullets had already flown in her name. Maybe. She couldn’t be too sure. She didn’t want to make things worse.

This would be fine. They’d be in and out. There was no need to tell him about it. He wasn’t her keeper, for Christ’s sake. Kev was just someone who made her come—and often.

Attending the festivities would be okay. She and Carrie would be alright. What was the worst that could happen? If they had their club brothers from out of state in town, Mike and his merry band of misfits would be on their best behavior. Besides, Carrie said that Mike wasn’t like Pete.

She would know. Right?

35

Kevlar

Since there were only three members, rounding everyone up and having a quick chat in the back room before they headed for Oberlin Body Shop didn’t take Kevlar all that long. Tensions were high. They could ride into a trap.

Remi knew what to be on the lookout for, but she was pissed. Maybe even out of practice. The idea she didn’t care if the Bloody Scorpions were lying in wait for them wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility. Then again, as prickly as his sister could be, she wouldn’t set him up to die. She wasn’t coldhearted. She was just over the bullshit.

He couldn’t blame her. This kind of bullshit had been going on her entire life. She got all the headaches and stress and none of the fun. Sure, she could get her own Harley-Davidson, but as a woman, she could never join the club. She didn’t get to be in on the meetings. For men who thumbed their nose at the rules of society, they sure had a lot of them for themselves.

That was existence as a one-percenter, full of contradictions. It made little sense, but it was one hell of a ride. Kevlar wouldn’t change it for the world. He lived and would die for this.

After circling the block, ensuring no Scorpions were lingering about, Kevlar and his men rolled into the parking lot of the auto shop.

With her hands on her hips, Remi stood at the door, giving all four of them the death stare. The night was dark, and the lot was barely lit by several floodlights on her building.

After cutting the engine, Kevlar got off his bike. Glass crunched beneath his boots. “Lionel,” Kevlar called. “Get a broom.”

With a nod, the man, eager to join their ranks, trotted around him and up to Remi.

She stepped aside and gestured into the building before she resumed her glaring.

Bracing himself for her ire, Kevlar approached. “I didn’t think—”

“No fucking shit.” She cut him off mid-sentence.

“There’s no reason for you to be involved,” he tried again.