16. Kelsey
Kelsey
Safely inside the coffeehouse, Kelsey let out a breath. Kev had done it again. He’d rescued her from Pete. She thanked whatever force of the universe at play that brought him when she needed him.
Without placing an order, she sat at the table closest to the door and watched the interaction between the bikers.
These were dangerous men. The situation could turn violent quickly.
She’d already learned Pete was quick with his temper.
Also, she had it on good authority that all three of them were strapped.
Which wasn’t exactly outside the norm in Oklahoma. Men around these parts loved to brandish their guns. However, this was different. These were the type of men who weren’t afraid to use them. They didn’t carry to overcompensate for small dicks. These men were armed out of necessity.
That shouldn’t make her all tingly.
The last thing she wanted was to cause a shoot-out—let alone get caught in the crossfire. As Pete turned and walked away, she let out an audible breath. Another potential disaster avoided thanks to Kev. She should get him a fruit basket or something.
Snorting at her own thought, she waited to see what her biker one-night stand/savior would do. He’d mentioned getting coffee, but she doubted he meant it. He sent her out of the line of fire. For that, she was eternally grateful. Twice now, he’d stepped in and saved her ass.
When he and his friend got off their bikes, they didn’t head her way. Instead, they ducked into the laundromat. She furrowed her brows. Why?
Neither of them carried a basket nor a laundry bag. They couldn’t wash clothes they hadn’t brought, so why would they go in there?
Shaking her head, she put it out of her mind. Their purpose wasn’t any of her business. Kelsey wasn’t a criminal or a biker. She didn’t need to concern herself with whatever Kev did.
Instead, she pushed off the table and went to the counter. She had a list of caffeinated beverages to get. Her co-workers would wonder if she got lost if she didn’t get back soon. Besides, she had another appointment. She couldn’t stand around watching and waiting for Kev to come out.
Orders balanced in hand, considering everyone and their mother wanted some caffeine, Kelsey strolled down the sidewalk from the coffeehouse to the salon. She told herself not to check. Whether or not their bikes were still there didn’t matter. Kev and his buddy weren’t her concern.
Except she did.
She looked for the Harleys—for Kev.
The bikes sat together in the same spot in front of the laundromat. As she passed it, she glanced through the window, past the bubbles painted on them, and searched for the two men who had come to her aid.
They weren’t there. Not in the chairs waiting for their clothes. Not at a machine loading or unloading items. They’d vanished.
Blinking, she wondered what that meant. Was this laundromat more than a place where people washed their clothes?
With a scoff, she laughed at herself. She was clearly losing her mind.
While Oklahoma City wasn’t exactly the least crime-ridden place in the country, it sure as shit wasn’t the type of town that would have local businesses acting as fronts for bikers.
This wasn’t New York City. That stuff only happened in movies. This was real life.
Also, the irony of laundering money through a laundromat was a bit on the nose.
Then where did they go?
It didn’t matter. She had more important things to worry about. Like the mother of a different bride, who would sit in her chair in the next fifteen minutes.
Walking through the door of the salon, she handed out the coffees and did her best to push Kev out of her mind.
Carrie had just finished with a client and was cleaning her station. Kelsey placed her order on the counter.
“Pete showed up,” she said on a sigh.
Her friend grinned. “Did he?”
Kelsey regarded her friend warily as she sipped her frappe. “Please tell me you had nothing to do with that.”
Beaming with pride, Carrie shimmied her shoulders. “Maybe he wanted to say he was sorry for a bad date.”
Kelsey hadn’t shared the details of what occurred. It didn’t seem important. While scary at the time, nothing had happened. Kev saw to that. So, why should Kelsey blow it out of proportion? He’d been a dickhead, and that was enough information to share.
Carrie furrowed her brows. “He didn’t bring flowers?”
The absurd image of Pete carrying a bouquet of roses nearly had coffee shooting out of Kelsey’s nose. “No. Was he supposed to?”
Her friend frowned. “I guess not.”
“Whatever you’re trying to do, please stop,” Kelsey said as she helped organize the station.
“Mike says the guy you had outside your apartment is bad news,” Carrie declared.
The hair on the back of Kelsey’s neck stood on end. “That’s rich coming from him.”
Carrie glared. “I know you think Pete’s a dick, but with these new bikers in town, they’re on edge. So, the situation is tense. Cut them a break.”
Sipping her coffee, doing her best not to call her friend out, Kelsey thought about how she should best tackle this.
“They just want to keep us safe,” Carrie said.
Kelsey bit back a laugh. That was definitely the least of Pete’s concerns.
Carrie leaned toward her.
Kelsey raised her brows, bracing herself for some bombshell secret.
“The new guys. They traffic women,” her friend whispered. “You don’t want to get involved with them.”
Kelsey wrapped her lips around her straw and sucked more glorious, caffeinated caramel into her mouth. Good thing one night of orgasmic bliss was all she was interested in.