Page 7 of Skid
In fact, the whole place was pitch black. It seemed odd, but I didn’t think much about it. She unbuckled her seatbelt as she announced, “This is us.”
I nodded and parked in front of her door. She looked tired, but there was still a small spark in her eyes when she said, “Thank you… I just realized I didn’t catch your name.”
“Folks call me Skid.”
“I’m Laken, and this is Baylor.”
“Nice to meet ya both.”
“So, what happens now?”
“I’ll have the guys bring your car over to my place, and once I get her up and running, I’ll give you a call.” I glanced down at her bag and asked, “You got a phone?”
She nodded and pulled it out of her purse. I took it from her hand and sent myself a text before handing it back to her. “Now, you have my number, and I have yours. If you need me, call, and if you can’t reach me, I’ll either be at the Black Crown or the Vault.”
“The Vault?” Her brows furrowed. “The strip club?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. It’s just a few blocks from here. The club owns and runs it.”
“The club?” she asked, with raised brows.
“Yeah, Satan’s Fury. It’s a motorcycle club I belong to it,” I explained.
“Oh, I see.” She thought for a moment, then asked, “So, does this club of yours own the Black Crown, too?”
“No, but we’ve got ties there.”
“And you work at both?”
“What can I say?” He shrugged. “I like to keep busy.”
“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.” She thought for a moment, then asked, “How long do you think it’ll take to fix the car?”
“Can’t say for sure. A couple of days. Maybe less.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“That gonna work for you?”
“Yes. I just have to figure out how I’m going to get to work.”
I could see the concern in her eyes, so I asked, “You work around here?”
“Yes, it’s just a few miles from here. I can either take the bus or walk.”
“With the kid?” nodding toward her daughter.
“It’s fine. We’ll make do,” she assured me. “We always do.”
“I’ll swing by and pick you up. Just let me know when.”
“No, you don’t need to do that,” she replied, eyeing me cautiously.
“I know I don’t. Just offering.”
She opened her mouth like she was about to turn me down again, but then sighed and said, “You’re really saving me here. I don’t know how I’ll pay you back.”
“No need to pay me back. I don’t do things I don’t wanna do.” I gave her a quick nod. “Call or text me in the morning. I’ll be here whenever you need me.”
