Page 43 of Shattered

After a few hours, Sunshine appears at the bottom of the stairs. She’s changed her clothes, and I swear she must be mocking me. She’s wearing a knee-length soft yellow dress with thin straps. It’s tight up top and flows out on the bottom. She’s not wearing a bra, and I can barely see her nipples trying to poke through.

“Trying to give someone a black eye?” I ask, motioning to her dress, and she rolls her eyes. “Was the yellow necessary?”

She flashes me a tight smile. “If it irritates you, then yes.”

A knock on the back door interrupts us, and Sunshine crosses the room to let Bane inside.

“You guys alright over here?” Bane asks.

“Yeah. Sunshine was scared they’d come back, so she wanted me to stay here to protect her.”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah,that’swhat happened.”

“I drove around for a while but didn’t see them. Not sure where they are now,” Bane says.

“I don’t get it. Why come all this way just to fuck with us? They already got enough revenge on me.”

“I don’t know, but I don’t like it. I picked up three security systems, one for the shop and one for each house. I’m not taking any chances. These guys are too unpredictable.”

“You’re right,” I agree.

“Look, I’m not trying to piss on your leg, but you’re not gonna be able to do this, and I’m supposed to have Jared in an hour.”

Fuck. I forgot about that. “We should probably cancel for today.”

“He’s got to be halfway here by now, and I think the brothers are gone.”

“I could do his tattoo, but I don’t want you here by yourself in case those pricks show up again.”

“I’ll be alright. It’s not me they’re after, remember?”

I wouldn’t say I like it.

“I can ask my friend Edgar to cover you,” Lila tells Bane.

“He’s the cop?” I ask.

“Yeah.”

Bane turns to me. “Okay, you do Jared’s tattoo, and I’ll take care of this. Want me to send you the design I have ready?”

“Yeah, I’ll use it as a base and fuck with it.”

“Well, he’s due at the shop soon, so you’d better move your ass. I’ll head out now.”

Sunshine calls her friend Edgar, who agrees to come by and station in front of our houses. With all that sorted, Bane takes off, and now I have to haul my ass next door and shower.

“I can go stay with a friend today,” Lila says.

“No, you’re coming to the shop with me.”

She scoffs.

“Don’t argue. Just for today, okay? This place isn’t secure yet, and I wanna know where you are. I’ve just gotta shower, and we can go.”

And my leg fucking hurts, and the stairs at my place are absolute shit.

“Promise not to bite my head off?” she asks.

---