Chapter 4
Chapter Four
KIT
Kit wanted to scream. He stood in the middle of his bedroom bare-assed naked, and nothing. Zip. Nada. Not even an embarrassed glance to the side.
Dammit, he’d given the man a striptease and Red stared at him as if he were a five-year-old having a tantrum. Which, to be honest, Kit was ready to have. Maybe flinging himself on the floor and screaming and shouting would make him feel better, because at the moment he felt like crap.
His whole world had been yanked out from under his feet and everyone around him didn’t care. He was tired and scared and just wanted to lay his head on Red’s broad chest and howl.
From the bored way Red looked at him, Kit would have more chance being comforted by a grizzly bear. He sniveled. Red didn’t react. Kit would take the bear hug.
“Clean your teeth, shower, whatever you need to do.”
“I’ve already showered.” Kit stalked into his bathroom and kicked the door behind him, but he didn’t lock it. Dammit, was he losing his touch with guys already?
But in the bathroom, he lost his bravado as he stared at himself in the mirror.
“This isn’t Kansas anymore,” he whispered.
Kit wanted his world back to the way it was. Before ex-boyfriends decided to shoot up clubs and he was threatened because his brother had upset dangerous people. He leaned against the sink, letting his head drop down between his shoulder blades.
The soft knock at the door made him jump.
“Kit, are you all right?”
“No, I’m not,” he whispered, knowing Red wouldn’t be able to hear him.
The rap was sharper this time. “Kit?”
Boy. He wanted Red to call him his boy. But that was never going to happen because Red didn’t want to have a boy.
I could make him my Daddy.
Kit looked at the frightened boy in the mirror and hated it. What did his dad used to say?
“Fake it ‘til you make it, son. Don’t let anyone see you scared or crying. You’re a man. Act like one.”
He’d been about ten and just realizing he was not like other boys.
He guessed his dad had realized he wasn’t like other boys too, but he’d never had the conversation with his dad about being gay.
He was ten for God’s sake. He couldn’t even put into words what was different about him.
His parents had died not long after, which left him in the care of his brother.
Tony couldn’t give a toss whether Kit fucked men or women as long as he didn’t throw them down on the club floor in front of the guys. Kit screwed his face up.
I mean, ew! I have standards.
But his traitorous mind had to make a point.
You’d let Red fuck you anywhere he asked.
And he would, because it was Red. The crush was very real.
“I’m coming in,” Red snapped, and flung the door open. “Why are you taking so long?”
Kit locked eyes with him in the mirror. There was no way he was about to turn around.
He was half-hard, just looking at the gorgeous Daddy in the glass.
He opened his mouth to yell, to scream at him.
Anything to break the tension between them.
Then he caught it. That glint in Red’s eyes for a second before it was replaced by a mask of boredom.
What did that mean? He had to find out. Maybe Red wasn’t as indifferent as he appeared. Kit stared at Red who returned it with a level gaze. And inside he gloried in that one glimmer of emotion.
Red stepped away from the door. “Come on. Even if you don’t need to sleep, kid, I do. I’m an old man, remember?”
“Kit, not kid,” Kit insisted.
“I’ll try to remember,” Red drawled.
“Give me a couple of minutes.” Kit did need to clean his teeth and wipe off the last traces of mascara.
Red gave a curt nod and backed out of the bathroom.
This time Kit went through his usual nightly routine. He kept everything he needed here and at the condo. He rubbed at the bristles on his chin. No, they could wait until morning. He didn’t want to upset Red any further by taking more time.
Back in the bedroom, Red was on the phone. He glanced at Kit, smiled briefly, then returned to his conversation.
“No, I’ll stay here tonight. Padraig and Jace for the rides.
Doug and Ronan as back up. I know those four.
Yeah, I know that too. You can pick a third team only if I agree with them.
Are you sure Blue isn’t available?” Red growled in the back of his throat.
“Not Quinn Ryder…because his boy would put a hit out on me if anything happened. Same goes for Mo. Yes, he’s damn scary. ”
Kit pretended not to listen to the conversation as he climbed into bed, but he wondered who these people were. Red couldn’t be scared of anyone, surely.
Red disconnected the call and looked over. “I’m organizing your protection detail.”
“What’s with the colors. Blue, Red. Is there a White?”
Red gave an unexpected smile. “There is. Skip White. He still works for Monaghan’s.”
“And who is Kane Quinn’s boy?”
“Quinn Ryder,” Red corrected. “And his boy is Cade Connolly.”
Kit stared at him, his mouth open. “Cade Connolly. The Daysance lead singer? You’re joking.”
He’d drooled over Cade since he was a teenager. The guy was one of the most well-known pop stars in the country and a talented street artist. Kit longed to own a ConC painting, but that was out of Kit’s league.
“Look them up,” Red said. “He’s scary rich, got a temper to match, and could order a hitman like that.” He snapped his fingers. “The window is locked. I’ve got the key so don’t bother trying to get out that way. I’ll be outside the door all night.”
“What makes you think I’m going to run away?”
Red gave him a flat look. “I know you, remember?”
He had a point. Kit had been the master of escaping from the club when he’d first lived with Tony.
His brother used to send the guys after him, Red among them, but Kit always went to the same place, his mom’s grave, and he always returned.
Tony calmed down after a while, insisted he had his phone on, and left him to it.
As Kit had gotten older, the places he’d visited had been less about visiting with his mom and more about getting his rocks off, but by that time, Tony had lost interest in his whereabouts. Until now.
“Go to sleep,” Red insisted. “It’s been a long night.”
Kit wanted to protest, but it was as if Red was the sleep whisperer or something. He relaxed into his pillows and yawned. “What happened to Ti and his Daddy?”
“We took them home. They’re safe.”
Kit gave a jaw cracking yawn and closed his eyes. “Ti is so lucky to have a Daddy who cares about him.”
He was almost asleep before he felt a hand smooth back his hair. “Go to sleep.”
And he did.
There was no sign of Red when Kit finally rolled out of bed and flung on a robe.
He opened his bedroom door, expecting to find Red and found a man he didn’t know, standing outside.
He was an old dude, forties at least, dressed in black bike leathers, and drinking out of a cup bearing the words, ‘never underestimate an old guy on a Hog.’
“Who are you?” Kit demanded, suddenly aware his robe hung loose, and he had nothing on underneath it. He wrapped it around himself and fastened the tie.
The man didn’t seem to notice as he gave Kit a nod. “Morning. I’m Padraig.”
“You’re on rides,” Kit remembered. “What are you doing outside my bedroom?”
“Yeah, me and Jace. He’s my partner. He’ll be here soon. Red asked me to cover you while he’s in the kitchen making breakfast.”
“He didn’t leave me alone?”
Padraig gave a wry smile. “No, kid, he didn’t leave you alone. You’ll be lucky to take a piss in peace from now on.”
Unsure whether he was excited or worried by the prospect, Kit wandered downstairs, following the scent of coffee.
He found Red alone in the kitchen at the stove, shoulders under a plain black T-shirt so broad they should have been in different zip codes, and a gun holstered at his hip like it belonged there.
“Morning,” Kit said brightly, hopping onto the counter instead of a chair. He spread his legs, hoping to entice Red to glance his way.
But Red didn’t move away from the stovetop. “Counters are for plates.”
“Then I’m decorative.”
No answer, just that slow turn of the head and one raised eyebrow.
Kit stayed where he was, he was comfortable, and it wasn’t like he had to obey Red, was it? This was his home after all.
“Ugh, get your naked ass off the countertop,” Tony grumbled as he wandered into the kitchen. “At least close your legs. No one needs to see your junk. At least pretend you weren’t raised by wolves.”
He laughed at his own joke. The Evergreen Wolves had raised Kit who’d heard the quip too many times to give anything but a lip curl.
Kit didn’t move. If they were going to treat him like a kid, he would behave like one. The game had officially begun.
“Go get dressed,” Red ordered. “Breakfast will be ready in five.”
“I don’t want breakfast,” Kit protested but his belly rumbled. He stared down at it. “Traitor.”
There was the briefest of a smirk playing about Red’s lips as somehow he managed to sweep Kit off the counter and place him on the floor.
“Get dressed.” The second order came with a firm shove toward the door.
Kit grumbled under his breath all the way out of the kitchen. Trying to tempt Red with his fine body hadn’t worked. Now for round two.
Padraig joined him in the hallway. Kit gave him a cool look.
“I don’t need you to follow me.”
“Boss’s orders,” Padraig said, jerking his thumb toward the kitchen. “I told you, you’re not to be left alone.”
“This is my home,” Kit snarled. “You think I’m gonna be taken out by an old lady? What’s she gonna do? Clean me to death?”
“We have no idea where an attack will come from,” Red said from the doorway. “Hurry up or your breakfast will be cold.”
“You take me,” Kit demanded imperiously.
To his surprise, Red agreed. “Padraig, you can plate up the food. No reason for your food to be cold because this one is throwing a tantrum.”
Kit glowered at Red but they both ignored him.
“Sure thing.” Padraig vanished into the kitchen, leaving Kit alone with Red.
“I’m not throwing a tantrum.” He almost stomped his foot in frustration.