Page 1 of Kaz (Salvation Kings MC: New Freedom Chapter #2)

Miles

“I QUIT,” he said quietly, because while he would’ve preferred yelling, his delusional boss wasn’t worth the strain on his vocal cords.

He might be the CEO of a construction business, but the man had no idea how his own crews operated.

The fact that he was lowering wages and making them cut corners made Miles seethe.

The money was one thing. Cutting corners meant increased risk to his crew, and he wouldn’t stand for that.

As it was, he’d fought for his crew for years now, but this?

This was the last fucking straw. When he contested the lowered wages, his boss suggested lowering his crew’s wages more to increase his own.

He might’ve been raised by an outlaw biker, but good morals and justice had always been part of their lives, even if that justice wasn’t always served in a legal way.

His boss spluttered, clearly not expecting him to quit over something he didn’t consider a big problem.

“Mr. Holland,” Bruce finally managed to get out. “That is a rather irrational reaction and―”

“I’ll expect my last paycheck on Friday, including the bonus you promised me two months ago,” Miles said, his gaze hard and unyielding.

He already knew that bonus was going to those of his people he had no doubt would walk away with him. His decision affected them the most, so he would do what he could to make the transition as easy as possible.

Bruce’s jaw dropped, and Miles didn’t stick around long enough to hear his protests.

He turned and pushed out the door, unsurprised to find Mika flirting with Bruce’s assistant.

She was leaning over the poor man’s desk, his eyes ping ponging between her eyes and breasts.

She’d taken her pink wavy hair out of the usual braid, and it was cascading over her shoulders, nearly touching the desk.

She’d left her pink high-vis vest in the van, and with her jeans hugging her curves just right and her top being low-cut, it was no wonder the man was damn near drooling.

Mika was a gorgeous woman, and it hadn’t helped her in their line of work.

Not one bit. He didn’t tolerate sexism and discrimination in his crew, but they all talked smack and took the piss out of each other, Mika maybe more than most. She always gave as good as she got, and while others had been skeptical when he’d hired her, he hadn’t had a single doubt in his mind that if anyone tried anything, she would eat them for breakfast. She was a woman with a tough exterior, but once you got to know her, she was a loyal and kind person, and he was proud to call her a friend.

Mika snapped her head toward Miles when she heard the door shut behind him, brows jumping as a gleam entered her dark brown eyes.

“Did you fix it, or did you quit?” she asked, tongue-in-cheek.

“I quit,” he answered, not slowing down as he walked past her toward the elevator.

Mika blinked rapidly, her face losing color in an instant.

“Wait, what?” she blurted out, jogging to catch up with him. “You actually quit?”

“He’s a sleazebag who wanted me to cut everyone’s pay to get more for myself.”

The disgust on Mika’s face mirrored his own feelings on the matter, and he wasn’t surprised when she started to cuss the man out, flipping a bird or two in the direction of his office.

The elevator doors opened right before they reached it, and he waited very impatiently for the three people inside to step out before he walked in and pressed the button for the lobby.

“What are you gonna tell everyone?”

He waited for the doors to shut before he let out a loud sigh and rubbed his hands down his face, shoulders slumping.

“The truth?”

There were those who would resent him for quitting on them, but he couldn’t do this anymore.

He didn’t want to work in a place with such subpar standards and thereby perpetuate them.

He tried his best to keep his people safe on their job sites, but there was only so much he could do with a budget that didn’t allow him to purchase new hard hats when the old ones fell apart.

The elevator came to a halt, and he looked up to find they’d reached the right floor. He followed Mika out, both staying silent as they passed multiple people in expensive suits.

He’d parked the van outside because they weren’t allowed in the damned parking garage, and he was dreading the parking ticket that was likely waiting for them on the windshield.

It was the last thing he needed right now.

He could feel the anger and betrayal burning right under his skin.

He tried his hardest to shove it all down, to keep himself in check, but once he saw that piece of paper flapping in the wind from under the windshield wipers on the van, a litany of curses escaped him.

He ripped the ticket free and shoved it in his pocket. He couldn’t even send it to the company for reimbursement because he knew they’d just take it from his paycheck. Cheap fuckers!

He opened the door to get behind the wheel and subsequently slammed his fist against it repeatedly.

“Fuck,” he exclaimed, a growl escaping him before he dropped his head back against the headrest and squeezed his eyes shut.

This wasn’t the turn his life was supposed to take. He was thirty-three, damn it! This was not where he was meant to be at this age. He was supposed to be married, maybe have a few kids or pets, and certainly not have just quit his job. That white picket fence life seemed a far-off dream now.

A light chuckle had him snapping his head toward Mika in the passenger seat.

“What’s so funny?”

Mika’s lips pulled up on one side as she gave him a once-over.

“I’m just enjoying seeing you react for once. Takes a hell of a lot. He must’ve been a prime asshole today,” she said.

A groan pushed past his lips.

It was rare that he couldn’t control his temper or reaction.

He was usually the epitome of quiet, respectful, and reserved.

He didn’t lose his shit the way he had with…

unbidden thought of his ex, whom he could barely call an ex, filtered through his mind, and he hated himself for it.

Hated that despite barely having seen the man in over a decade, he still thought about him.

The last thing he wanted was to think about Kaz Tailler, the man who broke his heart into a million pieces, and it was all a fucking joke to him.

Kaz had bullied him since the day they met as kids, and according to Kaz, it was because he wanted his attention.

He’d faithfully ignored Kaz all those years because of the feelings Kaz sparked in him, so he didn’t think Kaz had lied about that.

Kaz’s father was the president of the King’s Disciples MC, a support club to Miles’s dad’s club, the Salvation Kings MC.

Their parents were friends and had insisted they spend time together.

His sister and Kaz got along great, but him and Kaz?

The asshole had gotten on his nerves every single time, pushing and pushing until he lost his shit and had to use his fists to make Kaz stop.

Not that it ever lasted long. Kaz was nothing if not persistent.

He had been home for spring break during his first year of college and had reluctantly gone with his fathers to a party at Kaz’s clubhouse.

Kaz had annoyed him as always, but this time, they ended up in bed together.

He’d spent a week with Kaz, falling under his thrall, and he’d actually believed Kaz when he said he wanted to be with him.

A few weeks later, he’d shown up at Kaz’s birthday party only to find out that Kaz had a girlfriend the whole time. He’d told Kaz exactly what he thought of that and left with a broken heart, the fragile trust he’d built in their time together completely shattered.

He took a deep breath and shoved those memories into the vault box he’d made for them. Kaz had no place in his life. Not after what he did.

“You okay, boss?”

“Huh?”

Mika’s eyes held a certain awareness he didn’t like. “You kinda disappeared there for a minute.”

“I’m fine,” he mumbled and reached for his seatbelt. They needed to get to the job site, so he could inform everyone and switch to his own car.

Mika remained quiet during the short drive, and he was thankful for it. His thoughts were already all over the place, and he knew he would crash the second he got home because of how overwhelming everything was.

He pulled up at the gate, and Mika jumped out to open it for him.

The five-story office building they were working on in Fells Point was nearly halfway done.

It was a project he’d enjoyed because the owners had appreciated his expertise and input, ensuring the building was not only sturdy but also beautiful in its resemblance to the older buildings surrounding it.

Then Bruce had gone and demanded they use subpar materials for the rest of the build to make himself more money off the project.

With the gate open, he drove through and parked next to the other cars, then stepped out and made his way to Mika, who was waiting for him, her vest back on and her hard hat in hand.

“You know, you could always start your own firm,” Mika suggested, brows high as she gave him an inquisitive look.

He knew she was right. He should’ve done it years ago, but he’d worked his way up in this damned company and hadn’t wanted to leave his crew. The joke was on him. Clearly.

He felt his phone buzz and met Mika’s gaze.

“Go get them all, will you?”

Mika snapped into a salute, the broad grin on her face ruining it.

It brought a smile to his lips, though, and he watched her head toward the building for a moment before he pulled out his phone.

He frowned as he read his sister’s text. She was demanding that he come by tomorrow afternoon. Knowing Emma, she was up to something. Hopefully, it wasn’t another blind date. The last one had made him consider remaining single for the rest of his life. So much for that white picket fence dream.