Page 42 of Jingle Belle's Biker

“You’re kidding. You did not escape jail out the bathroom window,” I say.

He smiles at me as he finishes his second piece of lasagna. “Oh, you should know I don’t kid, Red. Right out that window like I was a greased hog.”

And he winks.

I throw my napkin at him. He catches it easily. “Careful there, as far as I know, they’re not holding any baseball tryouts right now, and you might ruin my food. I take good food very seriously.

“You stole a box of Twinkies.”

“Outdated Twinkies.”

I shake my head. “Those things are like roaches. They’ll be here and still fresh long after the apocalypse.”

“Point is, I stole them, got caught, and escaped.”

“You’re too big.”

“Red, I was twelve. My dad patted my back, and my mom took me back to face the music.”

“She did not name you Saint,” I say.

His mouth twitches as Nomad rolls over on the floor. “No, but that’s the name people call me.”

“It’s Kermit, isn’t it?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

“Tell me,” I demand.

“This is more fun.”

“If I had a dinner roll, I’d throw it at you.”

He picks up the bottle of wine and refills my glass and his as well.

“When did you decide to become a mechanic?”

“Around the time I figured it might be more lucrative than the serial killing.”

I sigh. “That’s the problem with bikers these days, no staying power.”

He laughs. “I’ve always had an affinity for tinkering. I like how things work, I like making them work better. And I love rebuilding old machines and turning them into something better than they ever would have been. What about you and teaching?”

“It’s easy to dispose of the bodies when you have a whole team of small and enthusiastic hands available.”

“There are laws,” he says, “against child labor.”

I pick up the wine and take a sip. Then I get to my feet, Nomad’s head popping up. “Just putting the dishes away, kitty, no food for you.”

“Are you sure he’s not yours?”

“No, he claimed you.”

“Fuck.” Saint gets up and brushes me away as he clears the table.

I set out some containers, he cuts up the remainder of the food, and puts it in the fridge.

“Take some home with you—please. You’ve no idea how much it means to me my car is not only working, but working better than ever.”

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