Page 37 of Framed for Life
“That’s a yes,” she says, as she rinses a bowl she made some kind of spicy chicken-wing sauce in.
“I’ve heard he’s hung,” she adds. “Good for you girl. Just don’t choke to death on the thing.”
I’m ready for the floor to open up.
They stop what they’re doing and look at me before breaking out into laughter.
“You should see your face.”
“I can’t help it! I’m not like this…” I wave my hand around. “I live a quiet, peaceful life.”
“Give her the cookie,” the ringleader says, hopping onto the counter. “I wanna watch Skull freak out when she’s high.”
I back away. “Like I said, another day. I promise.”
“We’re holding you to that,” a quieter woman named Whitney says. She wraps an arm around me. “Don’t worry this place will grow on you.”
They share a cookie and the conversation turns to other things, thank god. I make myself busy patting out hamburgers until they rush to the window.
“Speaking of Skull, what in the world is that man up to?”
I wash my hands and join them as the rumbling of motorcycles fills the air.
Standing on my tip toes, I lean over the counter to see out the window next to them.
“What is that?” I ask as confused as they are.
“Looks like someone’s moving in.”
“Or a repo job?” Whitney asks.
Skull climbs out of a sleek black truck, stalks around the front and looks directly at me from across the parking lot. He curls a finger in a come-hither motion.
“Hm.” I frown at him. “Is he calling me to come down there?”
The women all push me toward the door.
Before my brain catches up, I’m jogging across the gravel as the gate swings closed behind the motorcycle convoy that followed him in.
Skull reaches for me, his hand sliding around behind my back as he lowers his mouth to me. “Fuck it’s good to see you.”
“What—”
He kisses me before I can finish asking what’s going on.
When he releases me, he presses a small object into my hand. The metal is warm from being in his pocket.
I open my fingers and burst into tears. “My necklace!”
Chapter Nineteen
I used to think I was tough.Fuck. The minute Katie’s eyes well up at the sight of that little gold horse-shoe necklace I almost break into a thousand shards of metal.
With her pretty green eyes glassy, she looks at the back of my truck. “My things. You got my things back from my brother.”
There’s a boulder stuck in my throat. “Yeah. Everything should be here. The car’s on the way too.”
Right on time, the gate opens and a blue Honda rolls through. It’s dirty as fuck, and has a spare tire on the driver’s side. It’s old but a ton better than the other POS she was driving when we met.
