Page 28 of In the Gray

A lost little girl without her father.

“Yeah, I guess. It’s something about her too. I can’t put my finger on it. Seems like I…know her.” His voice had trailed off, and now he was squinting as he stared at Atlas through the window. “O…sh-she don’t look familiar to you?”

All I’d allowed myself was a quick glance over my shoulder. “Not really. Where would we know her from? She’s young as fuck and not from around here.” Her license had read Ossella, which was clear on the other side of Mississippi.

“I don’t know—just a feeling, I guess. You talked to Golden? He’s been acting distant lately.” I gave him a flat look. “I mean more than usual,” he amended.

“Yeah, I talked to him,” I reluctantly admitted. I didn’t want to give credence to this paranoid delusion slowly eating away at our inner circle. “He pretty much said the same as you. He thinks we know her.”

He’d also been avoiding her too.

Roc was staring off in the distance for a while, and then he mumbled, “Maybe we do,” before walking off.

I frowned, my gaze following him all the way to his station next to Golden’s, which overlooked Temperance.

I went back to organizing my tools.

Golden was a drama queen, and Roc was an enabler. I wasn’t about to entertain either one of their bullshit today.

Still, when the lunch hour arrived, I took a break, which I rarely did. I was usually the first one here and the last to leave, even though my shift ended at four. I was a bit of a workaholic, but it kept me away from people and out of trouble.

I washed up in the employee’s bathroom inside the workshop and then headed into the lobby to grab a snack. I was leaning against the bar, doing my usual scans to make sure the customers were happy and business was running smoothly, when some guy I knew from around the way approached me.

“Man, I was hoping to run into you!” Donny’s dick-riding ass greeted me with a grin. “I asked the new girl if I could run back there and talk to you, but she said you were busy.”

That’s my baby,I thought with a smirk before I could catch myself.

I knew Atlas had only refused to avoid having to speak to me, but I still felt something akin to pride bloom in my chest. At the end of the day, she got me, and that was all any man could ask of the woman he wanted to fuck—more than once.

And I would definitely need more than one round with little Miss Atlas Beck.

Donny held out his hand, which I ignored.

He thought I forgot that time in the third grade when I caught him leaving the bathroom after taking a piss and not washing his hands. His smile wavered at my pointed stare before he awkwardly dropped his hand.

“I brought my car in for an oil change,” he said as if that would make me change my mind about shaking those dick-beaters.

“Cool. That’s what’s up.”

Grabbing a honey bun and water, I sat at the bar on the side facing reception and watched as Atlas checked in a customer. Tuesday must have been on her lunch break because she was nowhere to be found. I was a little irked since it was too soon to leave Atlas on her own, but surprisingly, she seemed to have a handle on things.

“So anyway,” Donny continued. “I saw the custom work you did to Nate’s car and wanted to know if you’d be willing to hook mine up.”

My gaze didn’t stray from Atlas as I answered him. “I don’t really got the time, Donny.”

“I know, I know, but you could take all the time you needed. I can always carpool with my wife until it’s ready. I’ll even pay double what you charged Nate.”

Unfortunately, that got my attention, so I reluctantly looked away from Atlas to regard Donny’s thirsty ass.

“You got cash? I don’t accept checks, favors, food stamps, or IOUs.”

“Yeah, look.” Like a dummy, he pulled out a large wad and counted out twice the cash I’d made from Nate. Ten years ago, I would have just knocked Donny over the head and confiscated the whole stack, but that wasn’t me anymore, so I only took what he offered and let his bitch-ass pocket the rest.

“All right, fuck it, I’ll do it. But listen carefully, Donny. I will only say thisonce. Pride of King’s official business is myfirstpriority. Your car won’t even be my second or third, and I don’t rush my work for anyone. It’s ready when I’m ready. With that understood, let me make something clear. You’ve got one time to ask me when your car will be done, and I won’t even sell it for parts. I’ll fuck you up first and then make you watch while I feed that bitch to a car crusher.” His eyes damn near bulged out of their sockets, and I could tell he was already regretting hiring me. It was too bad he’d already paid me because I didn’t give refunds either. I placed my hand on his shoulder, my grip just tight enough to let him know I was serious as I looked him dead in the eye. “One time, Donny.”

“O-okay.”

“Cool.” I stood up, cleared my trash, and started to walk away when I spun back around on my heel. “Oh, yeah. Appreciate the business, cuz.” I offered him a rare smile, but that seemed to only scare him more, so I let it drop.

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