Page 78 of Property of Kevlar

Gritting his teeth, he let his head fall back. What he wouldn’t give to be in Washington, with his national chapter. They had someone reliable who could look him over and stitch him up. He didn’t have that shit yet.

He couldn’t even remember who his father used years ago. Those were the sort of resources he should’ve established before he went behind enemy lines.

Jesus Christ.

He was lucky he survived going in half-cocked like that. He was his father’s son after all.

“Where are we headed?” the man behind the wheel asked.

Kevlar opened one eye and studied him. The driver was one of Paul’s men. Thank fuck they hadn’t gotten into the car with some random asshat or worse.

“The shop,” he said, because he couldn’t come up with anywhere else to go.

The Knucklehead would be wall-to-wall people. They weren’t in any condition to crash the back room right now. Kelsey and her friend were practically naked. No. They had to go somewhere private. There was only one place he could think of.

Considering he wasn’t on the best of terms with his sister, he should probably give her a heads-up that they were headed there. Let her get the yelling out of her system before they showed up, because this wasn’t negotiable.

With a grunt, he shifted slightly to get his cell. As he did, he couldn’t help but study Kelsey.

Blood. His? Hers? He couldn’t tell. Either way, there was too much. Beneath her chin, he noticed some minor cuts.

He clenched his teeth. A renewed rage boiled in his veins. This was his fault. He should’ve had eyes on her. He left her to the fucking wolves. His fingers curled into tight fists. What he wouldn’t give to put more bullets in Yogi and every one of his brothers.

“What’s wrong?” Kelsey asked, inching closer to him.

She bumped into the butt of the blade in his side.

“Jesus!” She recoiled backward. “You’re stabbed.”

“Yeah,” he scoffed. Hadn’t she seen that happen? She’d been right there saving his ass.

She placed her hands on the grip. “Should we take it out?”

“No!” The man in the front seat joined Kevlar’s protest.

Releasing the handle of the knife, she backed farther away from him and lifted her hands up, palms facing him.

“He’ll bleed more if we do that,” the driver explained.

Worry glittered in her eyes as her lips tightened into a thin line.

He couldn’t remember the last time anyone looked at him like that. The last time he got stabbed, someone cackled gleefully. This was a little different.

He cupped her cheek and pulled her closer to him. “I’ll be alright.”

“You better be,” she whispered as she covered his hand with hers.

He forced a smile as warmth blossomed in his chest. This woman was something else. She’d just been through hell. Who knew what had happened to her before he got there. Yet she wasn’t concerned about herself. Her focus was on her friend and him.

She was one in a million.

She was his.

He sighed, tapped the screen, and found his sister’s number. As it rang, he brought it to his ear, bracing himself for the slew of curses she’d hurl at him.

41

Kelsey