Chapter One
Someone was watching her.
Kayla hurried down the sidewalk, carrying two bags from the diner that contained lunch for everyone at Hair Affair, and told herself she was being paranoid. The Kings of Doom motorcycle club was done, busted up and scattered to the winds by her soon to be brother-in-law Alexei Kamarov and his SEAL buddies. They’d rescued her sister and stopped her psychotic ex before he could harm Bailey.
And before James could sell Kayla’s baby—his own child—to an adoption agency. Kayla shivered as she quickened her steps. Little Anastasia was secure in her playpen in the salon, watched over by Chloe, Avery, and JoJo, and life was good. Kayla had been working at the salon as a shampoo girl since the previous one left a couple of months ago. Before that she’d been answering phones at a real estate office and contemplating getting her license, but she didn’t like the idea of meeting clients alone at strange houses. It wasn’t likely anyone would kidnap her and turn her into a sex worker like the Kings of Doom had done to so many unsuspecting girls, but knowing it had happened—still happened, since trafficking was a thing—made her supremely uncomfortable with the idea of being alone with anyone she didn’t know.
But then Chloe had suggested she replace Milly the shampoo girl, who was moving to another state. Avery—the salon owner—had agreed, and Kayla had been there since. She liked working at the salon. Chloe, Avery, and JoJo were sweet to her, and they’d started encouraging her to think about cosmetology school. She would love to learn how to be a stylist, but she didn’t have the time or the money.
Someday. Maybe.
Right now she had to work to take care of her daughter and provide for the future. James was in prison, and even if he weren’t, he wasn’t the kind of guy you asked for child support. A man who’d been planning to sell his own daughter to an illicit adoption agency damned sure wasn’t going to pay money for her care.
Kayla was nearly to the salon when a car pulled up beside her and slowed. Her heartbeat quickened and sweat popped up on her skin, but she didn’t turn her head.
“Hey, baby,” an oily voice said. “Where you goin’ in such a rush?”
Kayla gripped the bags tighter and didn’t reply. She cut her gaze sideways, trying to see the man without being obvious about it.
“I’m talking to you, baby,” he said again. “You too good to talk to me?”
The salon was just ahead. She could taste safety even if she wasn’t there yet. She walked faster, unwilling to break into a run—and unable to anyway with the wedges she’d worn today. Her stomach twisted with fear.
Keep walking, Kayla. Don’t look at him. You’re almost there.
She heard those words in Bailey’s voice because her sister had been the one to take care of her when she was a kid, to protect her from harm and make sure she had food and shelter. Bailey had been more mom than sister, and when Kayla needed to be brave, she thought of Bailey’s strength and determination. If Bailey was the one in her shoes, she’d stop and tell the asshole to piss off.
But Kayla didn’t like confrontation. She didn’t want attention, and she didn’t want anyone to notice her or remember her. Not beyond the few minutes it took for some sexist asshole to catcall her on the sidewalk anyway. That was pretty impossible to stop with men being what they often were.
The man revved the engine. “You’re gonna get what’s coming to you, bitch!” he yelled before peeling out in a squeal of rubber.
Kayla stumbled up the steps and into the salon, her heart racing. Chloe looked up from where she was sweeping around her chair after her last client had left. Something must have showed on Kayla’s face because Chloe dropped the broom and hurried over.
“Hey, honey, what’s wrong?” Chloe asked with her sweet Southern drawl, putting her arm around Kayla as she took one of the bags from her hand.
Kayla pulled in a deep breath as hot shame flooded her. It was stupid. She was stupid.
“It’s nothing. Some idiot tried to pick me up.”
Chloe reached behind her to twist the door lock and flicked the switch for the neon Open sign so that it went out. “Oh, honey. I’m sorry. I heard that jerk squeal his tires. Was he the one?”
Kayla nodded. She was still trembling. Why? It wasn’t like she hadn’t been harassed by a man on the street before. But this one had just seemed so… deliberate. “Yes. I didn’t look at him, and he got pissed off about it.”
“Men are jerks. Well, not all of them. Not even most of them. But the ones who are—lord a mercy, girl, they really make you want to scream.”
Kayla knew Chloe’d had a bad relationship before, but she didn’t know how bad because Chloe hadn’t said. To her way of thinking, Chloe had one of the good ones now. Ryan Callahan was a Navy SEAL, like Alexei, and he was so totally in love with her that it would have made Kayla jealous if she didn’t like Chloe so much.
Besides, Ryan wasn’t the SEAL she wanted. The one she wanted mostly treated her like she was his little sister.
Except for that one time.
Once, Zach “Neo” Anderson had let down his guard and lost his famous control. It had been the most glorious sexual experience of Kayla’s life, being the focus of all that gorgeous male attention and skill. She hadn’t known what she’d been missing until that moment. All heat and fire and pleasure so intense she’d wanted to sob with it.
But when it was over he’d gone right back to treating her like his little sister. Worse, he’d treated her with more distance than before. Maybe it was her fault for running away the next morning, but she’d panicked. She’d awakened in his bed when the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, her nipples aching from how much he’d sucked them, her pussy still throbbing with memories of his mouth and cock, and she’d known she couldn’t be there when he woke up. She couldn’t face him like that, when the night before was fresh and raw and her sheer neediness embarrassed her.
When she’d seen him again a few days later, he’d been so cool that she’d realized nothing had changed. He didn’t want a relationship with her. And why would he? She was a mess, and she had a baby. There weren’t many men who wanted to start a relationship with a woman who had a baby.
“Come on, honey, let’s go eat,” Chloe said. “You’ll feel better once you cuddle that cute little girl of yours and get some food in you.”
“You’re right. Thank you.”
They walked toward the back of the shop and the small break room where they took their lunch. Kayla loved that they ate together every day. Working in the salon made her feel like she was part of a family. Like she was accepted. She’d told them bits and pieces of what had happened to her, but not all of it. She didn’t want their pity or want to feel like she was nothing but a living and breathing tragic figure.
JoJo was holding Ana. Avery stood to help with the food when Chloe and Kayla walked in. Ana’s little face broke out into a grin when she saw Kayla, and Kayla’s heart melted. She’d never known she could love anyone as much as she loved her baby. She would do anything to keep Ana safe. Anything.
Ana reached for her. JoJo kissed her on the head before handing her over. “You want your mama, little girl?”