Page 23 of Broken

“You gotta admit, he’s hot.”

After a moment, I agree. “Yeah, he’s hot. But he’s also a raging dick.”

“Bet he has a raging dick too.”

If I agree, I’ll see him again. Doesn’t mean I have to spend any time around him. There will be tons of other people there too. I’m not getting involved, whether it's sex or anything else. I face Sin dead on knowing what she is thinking.

He might be hot, but I can’t stand the man. Not even a little.

“I’d love to,” I tell Lucky.

Chapter Seven

Garrett

“I’ve seen it all now.”

I look up from the mail in my hand. Sumner is looking across the front of the shop. Following his gaze, my eyes narrow. “What the fuck?”

Sumner snort laughs, his Irish brogue more pronounced as he mutters, “only in America.”

He wanders back to his station, shaking his head as he chuckles.

I’m about to head over and ask what the hell is happening right now, but stop and pinch the bridge of my nose. I’m too damn tired, and Lucky is thrilled to be dealing with the woman standing at the counter.

She has a leash in her hand, leading down to a huge fluffy cat. Lucky is bent over, talking in a baby voice. A fucking cat shouldnotbe anywhere near my shop. This is a sterile environment.

Lucky looks over at me from her crouched position. She pouts out her bottom lip, knowing what I’m about to say.

“Holy shit, is that a cat?” Shane comes out of the back room and beelines straight over.

Then he lavishes the animal with attention. The woman is beaming. With a deep breath, I go over, giving the cat a wide berth. It’s huge and has way too much fur. It’s soaking up Shane's petting, purring so loud it sounds like a fucking alien.

After the complete debacle with the group that Lucky brought in the other week, including Calli, whose name I now know, the guys were pissed at me. I get it, I was an asshole. Phoenix warned me to lighten up, said it creates a bad atmosphere. Initially, I was annoyed, but he’s right.

Lightening up is me allowing a twenty-first birthday party here. Not having a cat in my shop, that’s too much.

I can be civil when I tell her to get lost.

Before I open my mouth, Lucky is pleading her case.

“Maria wants to get her cat’s paw prints on her arm. She asked if we can take an impression from the cat today. We can do that, right Garrett?” her eyes widen in a ‘please let me,’ way.

“I’m happy to do it,” Shane adds, from where he is squatting.

Fucking hell. “You can take the impression, but the cat can’t stay while it’s done.”

The woman is stricken. “He’s my emotional support animal.”

Jesus Christ. I turn my glare to Lucky again. She’s making a pleading gesture with her hands. Phoenix is on the sofa, laughing his ass off.

“I’ll do it in back and do a deep clean of the room after,” Shane straightens up.

“He’s no bother. He will sit quietly while it’s done,” the woman adds.

“Come on G, you can’t turn her away. It’s her support animal. He’ll help her through the process.”

Lucky fires a glare at Phoenix because he’s being sarcastic.

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