Page 63 of Lush Curves

Sam managed a tiny grimace, then his face tightened up again. “Jinx?”

“Yeah. Over in The Garage.”

“Can he come over here?”

Scars paused, glanced at Cindy. “Because…”

“Because he was a lawyer,” Sam said. “And I need one.”

“Gotcha.” Scars nodded at Cole, who was out the door in a flash, headed over to the club garage. “Something to drink?”

“Water, please.”

“Juice!” Cindy piped up. “Apple!”

“Uhhhhh,” Scars said, at a loss. Satan’s didn’t run to juice, didn’t actually serve up much more than the hard stuff, and even though he was damn good and sure that Sam could use a shot, he had to get his niece something to drink. “No juice, babyface. Water?”

“OK,” she said amiably. “With an ice cube?”

“Of course,” Scars said opening up the freezer. “Only the best for you, you know that.”

She giggled, watching him pour the water. “Is this where you work?”

“Yep.” Scars set the glass in front of her. “Right in this very room.”

She nodded, drank her water, then jumped a bit as the bar door opened with a crash.

“It’s OK, sweet pea.” Sam stroked her back. “It’s just Uncle Vic’s friends. They’re a bit noisy.”

“Sorry,” Jinx growled, wiping his oil-stained hands on a rag. “Cole said to hurry.”

“Yeah,” Scars said. “How’s about you and Sam go into Wolf’s office? He’s out this morning.” He winked at Cindy. “And you, babyface, will stay here with me and keep me company. Good?”

Delighted, the little girl nodded. She’d been madly in love with Uncle Vic since she’d first laid eyes on him a week earlier at Sam’s house. Scars had been worried about her shrinking back at the scars on his face and arms and hands, at the very least he thought that she’d ask a million questions, but she hadn’t, really. Just asked him if it had hurt when he’d gotten the long, white scars, and he’d said yes, and she’d accepted that, and the conversation had been over.

“Thanks, Vic,” Sam said softly. “I owe you.”

“You owe menothing, man,” Scars said in a husky voice. “Just an explanation, when you can.”

Sam nodded, the shook Jinx’s mostly-clean hand. “It’s a doozy.”

“Oh, I know.” Scars’s tone was even, but his blue eyes were blazing with suppressed anger. Heknewthat it was bad, whatever it was, and he knew that it involved that selfish, poisonous bitch queen, Kathleen. He also knew that it was going to hurt both Sam and Cindy, and he was already furious about that, even before he knew what it was causing the hurt. “I’ll get the alligator pit ready.”

Sam paused in surprise, then cracked a real grin. “Oh, yeah. For sure.”

He followed Jinx down the hall to a closed door, then went inside. It was a nice office, actually, and the fact that it was the private workplace of Wolf Connor, the MC President, came as a bit of a shock.

“OK,” Jinx said, pushing his long, dark hair out of his eyes. “What’s the deal?”

Sam reached into his jeans pocket, unfolded the thick stack of papers. “Is any of this legal?”

Jinx wiped his hands on his jeans quickly, then took the documents. First, he read the note, then glanced up at Sam.

“She walked out on you and the kid? Just this morning?”

“Sure looks like it.”

“Jesus Christ.” Jinx’s mint-green eyes were cold. “What’s this money she’s talking about?”

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