Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Nitro snorts.
“Go home to your Mama’s salon,” Wraith says, shaking his head. “I need someone who can deal with the monsters who come through here and I can’t be worried about babysitting your fine ass.”
“Some of the old ladies can be real monsters, too,” I blurt out.
“We’re not fucking joking, princess.” Nitro’s voice is deadly serious as he raises the edge of his shirt and reveals the hilt of a gun, and not a tattoo one like Tank’s.
My eyes go wide and I see on their faces that they know the point was made. “Um, maybe I should…” I trail off.
“Appreciate your application, though. Good luck on the job hunt,” says Wraith, with a note of dismissal in his tone.
“Right. Thanks.” I feel about three inches tall as I turn around and show myself out with my tail between my legs. For a little while I let myself think that maybe my life could be more than it is.
It was stupid to think I could fit in at a place like Haunted Ink, with men like that. I could barely make eye contact with them or watch Wraith work, never mind actually hold down a job. Maybe I should aim for something a little less exciting and work my way up.
With a defeated sigh, I start my car and pull away from the curb. I’m going to need a treat to deal with Mom’s ‘I told you so’.
2
KAYLEE
I take a deep drag on my blue raspberry slushie, almost welcoming the brain freeze when it hits. Sometimes, even in mid February, it takes the completely synthetic flavor of a fruit that doesn’t even exist to hit the spot.
“Rough day?” The guy behind the counter asks. He’s probably around my age, wiry with a friendly face and a name tag that says Gabriel.
“You could say that. Be honest, was I stupid for wearing this to an interview at a tattoo parlor?” I gesture at myself, loving everything about the pretty pink outfit, but knowing in my gut what his answer will be.
Yep, his expression says it all. “Was it like, a fancy one?”
“No.”
“Then yeah, kind of. You look really nice, though.”
There isn’t enough blue raspberry in the world for this situation. “Thanks.”
“Anything other than the slushy and the gas?” His question is nearly drowned out by the roar of motorcycles pulling into the station.
“No, I think that’s—”
A loud crack splits the air, immediately followed by one of the front windows shattering inwards, sending glass flying our way.
“Fuck! Get down!” Gabriel shouts, dropping below the edge of the counter, “Come back here. It’s reinforced.”
It isn’t until he says that, that I realize what the sound was. Holy crap! That was an actual gunshot. I drop to the floor, desperately trying to remember my school shooter training. Crawling like a turtle with its butt on fire, I scamper behind the register and huddle in place next to Gabriel.
“Just stay down and it’ll pass,” he says, voice strained but not nearly as shocked as it should be given the situation.
“I thought South Side was safe these days,” I hiss at him.
“It is! Mostly. Shit like this hardly ever happens anymore. The Eagles will make sure whoever is messing around here pays.”
The Screaming Eagles vest at Haunted Ink Tattoo should’ve been my first sign that this area isn’t just the fun kind of exciting. Everyone knows they are the most notorious biker gang in the city, probably even this whole coast, and their compound is right here in South Side. But I thought they kept it safe here, not… whatever’s going on outside.
I can’t help it. Gripping the counter, I raise myself just enough to peek over the edge.
“Lady, stay down!” Gabriel whispers harshly.
Stacks of wiper fluid and shelves full of snacks block my view, but it looks calm. “Maybe they’re g—” A flurry of gunshots and yelling sends me right back on my butt.
“You have a death wish or something? Keep your head down!”
An eardrum-shattering explosion takes what’s left of the front windows with it. I scream even though I can’t hear my own voice, pressing my hands over my ears as glass and burning debris come flying over us.
The stillness that follows is an eerie blessing, and I’m not sure if I’ve just lost my hearing until Gabriel starts swearing. Then something crashes to the floor, and there’s the sound of fire.
I never thought I’d experience what it felt like to be in a warzone, especially not right here in the city.
“That was one of the tanks. Those fuckers are destroying the place!” He grabs a fire extinguisher.
“You said stay down!”
“Yeah, when stray bullets were our biggest problem. This counter isn’t going to do shit if the place explodes. There’s a door out the back, follow me.” Head down, he sprays down any flames in his path as he leads the way.