Page 38 of Devilish Ink

She was just trying to be nice.

But she was wrong.

“It isallmy fault,” I said as the cold of winter stabbed at my chest.

Kayleigh kept the garage warm under the excuse that she had poor circulation in her toes. In truth, I don’t think she wanted Darren to get cold.

And he wasn’t the type to ever admit something like that.

I appreciated the red glow of the portable radiator like a temporary stay of execution.

Kayleigh stood above me like a reproachful mother. “You wince every time you lie down on that shoulder.”

I lay on an old leather creeper and stared back up at her.

Her feet wide, arms crossed tightly across her chest, a “don’t give me any bullshite” set to her pretty pink lips. As stern as such a sweet face can look.

“I’m fine,” I said and began to roll myself beneath a raised Harley Davidson.

Kayleigh’s boot jammed behind one of the wheels stopped me short.

“No,” she said. “You’re clearly not.”

Darren munched on a sandwich as he sat on top of a big red toolbox. “No workman’s comp during the trial period.”

Kayleigh hushed him.

I dragged a hand over my face and sat up with a sigh, drumming my wrench against my thigh.

“I’m not hurt,” I explained. “It’s a new tattoo.”

“No workman’s comp for tattoos,” Darren grumbled.

I looked across the shop at him and he grinned over a mouthful of tuna sandwich.

“It’s on your back then?” Kayleigh asked, fussing like a mother hen. “I don’t want you lying on it till it’s fully healed. You look like you’re in pain!”

“They’re on my upper back,” I said.

“You got more than one?” she asked.

“I’ve got two and I plan to get more very soon. So it’s not really possible to not lie on them.”

“Oo, I know.” Darren hopped off the toolbox.”How about…younotget another tattoo?”

He disappeared under the hood of an ‘80s muscle car that was more rust than paint.

“I don’t really have a choice,” I said.

Darren poked his head out and pointed a screwdriver at me. “There’s always a choice.”

“There’s a girl.”

Darren huffed, glanced at Kayleigh, and grumbled, “Right. You’ve got no choice.”

Kayleigh beamed toward Darren before smiling back down at me. “She’s a tattoo artist then?”

I nodded.

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