Page 50 of Shattered

I balk. “You’re worried I’ll hurt him?”

“He’s never been in a relationship, and he doesn’t take crap from women. Except you.”

He’s never been in a relationship… Until recently, Edgar was in the same boat, and we’ve had that conversation. He was so lonely, and he still had his family and all of his friends. I can’t imagine how lonely Asher must be.

“Don’t fuck with his heart,” he growls.

“I won’t. I promise,” I say sincerely.

That seems to settle him a little, and he gives me a half smile. “I do have to admit, it’s entertaining to watch you two.”

I chuckle. “Well, I’m glad you’re amused.”

Once the food’s ready, Bane leaves me up front while he joins the men out back, and he leans right into Asher. I watch Asher turn over his shoulder to look at me with interest. A chill washes over my body as a thought comes to my head.

No, he wouldn’t…

Or maybe he would.

Chapter 17

Lila

Asher spends some time cleaning before he joins us up front for supper. Bane and Jared sit at the desk while I sit on the sofa with my plate in my lap, enjoying a generous helping of wings and salad. I laid Asher’s plate on the sofa beside me, and once he joins us, I lift it out of the way so he can sit down. His version of a thank you is knocking his shoulder against mine and stealing the plate from me, which makes me chuckle.

“So, Lila, how’d you get involved with these two boneheads?” Jared asks.

“Not by choice,” I say, nearly making Bane spit out his food.

“Lila’s our neighbor. She didn’t appreciate our music choices at all hours of the night,” Asher says.

“No one likes it during the day, either,” Jared says.

“Yeah? How would you know?” Bane asks.

“Because I’ve spent many hours in a tattoo shop with you lot, and your taste in music is garbage. The peace today was so nice for a change.”

“That was Rocco and Rooney’s music, asshole,” Asher says.

“Liar, we all listen to the same shit,” Bane says, and he flicks a fry at him that misses and hits me in the nose. It lands in my salad, and Asher reaches over to snatch it and stuffs it in his mouth.

“How long have you known these guys?” I ask Jared.

“Too fucking long. God, it’s been what, ten years? Back when Bane was just a receptionist, and Asher was Rocco’s apprentice. I used to go to Rocco, you know.” He motions to a couple of his tattoos, one being a pattern of lines and triangles in black and another that looks completely abstract.

“Different artists, different styles,” Asher says.

I smirk at him. “Yeah, I can keep up.”

He nods in realization. “That’s right, I forgot, you used to be an artist.”

“How do youused to bean artist?” Bane asks.

I shrug. “I haven’t picked it up in ages.”

“Show me the sketchpad I gave you,” Asher says, elbowing me in the side.

“The one I moved?” Bane asks. He reaches under the desk and pulls out the same one. He must’ve moved it when he laid out the food. Instead of passing it over, he opens it, and his eyes widen. When Jared looks over his shoulder, his do, too.

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