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“Do you accept?”

She pressed her lips together.

He waited.

Her nostrils flared as she inhaled deeply.

He swallowed his anxiety.

“Yes.”

46

Kid

Halloween

Brothers from the neighboring states joined in for their event and filled their parking lot with festively decorated trunks for all the kids in attendance. The Royal Bastards MC: OKC Chapter Charity Halloween Thrill Ride and Trunk or Treat raised over twenty-five grand for the nonprofit law firm Harper, Kid and Kevlar’s sister, had founded.

She defended troubled youth in juvenile court. Her goal was to avoid having them follow the same path as her brothers—and her boyfriend. People she routinely fraternized with. She had tried to escape the criminal life, but it wouldn’t let her go.

Though, having her snarky ass home was nice.

As the public-facing event wound down, Kid stood beside Kevlar who was dressed in skintight black jeans, a black T-shirt, and a white and red letterman sweater with an R on it. Apparently, he was Danny something or other from a chick flick Kid had never seen. Kelsey had talked him into a couple’s costume which allowed for her to tease her blond hair high, wear black stain pants, and a leather jacket like an iconic biker babe from the fifties.

The getup looked good on her. Even if Kid didn’t get the reference. His mind wandered to Carrie and how fantastic she would look in the same outfit as he discussed the exchange of funds with their sister. Beside her was her ever-vigilant, ice pick-wielding boyfriend, Paul, scanning the parking lot.

When their gazes clashed, Paul jutted his chin toward Kid. “You got a second?” He thumbed to his left, indicating he wanted to speak in private.

Kid peered at his brother and back at Paul and nodded, following the guy so they were out of earshot of Kid’s siblings but remained out in the open. While unlikely, if this guy wanted to stab Kid, he wouldn’t make it easy for him.

“Don’t fuck with the Colombians,” Paul ordered in a whisper.

Kid furrowed his brow. Who was this asshole to be telling anyone what to do? First of all, he wasn’t in command of his own outfit, let alone Kid’s. He had fuck all in say as to with whom the Royal Bastards chose to do business.

He waved his index finger through the air as he spoke. “Don’t ask how I know, but I do. They’ll give you nothing but trouble. You haven’t forgotten who put out the contract on Harper, have you?”

Kid narrowed his eyes. “Diesel,” he hissed. That fact still chapped his ass that one of their own, someone their father trusted, had betrayed Kid’s family so boldly.

Paul huffed and shook his head. “Who brought it to the table?”

“Wasn’t that Sebastián?” Kid countered. “And if I do recall, he’s missing.”

Paul’s eyes twitched.

Kid arched a brow.

Missing was a euphemism. Everyone who was anyone knew that the Dixie Mafia, and probably Paul himself, were behind the regime change within the Colombian syndicate. The Dixie dickwads had teamed up with the Irish, if Kid had gotten the correct story.

When Paul didn’t refute him and rather pulled at the lapels of his dark suit as he glanced around, Kid took that to mean he’d heard the truth.

“Steering clear would be in your best interest,” Paul asserted as he brought his attention back to Kid.

Kid smirked. “I get it,” he said. “You and the Colombians got beef. That has nothing to do with us.” Kid placed a palm over his chest before he gestured toward his brother. “And while we have struck a deal with your family…”

Paul lifted his chin and looked down his nose at Kid.

“We operate independently.” Kid didn’t want to set any precedent that they were merely an unsanctioned arm of the Dixie assholes.