Page 20 of Blade

“Okay, baby.” I sigh. “Just promise that if you need a hand, you’ll ask.” I put it out there, and now it’s up to Emryn to reach out. Emryn bites her lower lip, and I can see that she’s contemplating the idea of asking for help. “For my peace of mind?” I add.

“I would appreciate someone to talk with, but I have to do things my way,” she says quietly.

I’ll take what she gives, for the moment. It dawns on me that Emryn never pushed for more information on what transpired between Dan and me to get him to move her furniture as promised. It’s because Emryn doesn’t want to admit she needed help.

Later that morning…

War, Guard, and Ghost arrive at the shop as I finish up the radiator problem of Ms. Benson’s car. She’s a sweet older woman who tends to ignore the speed limit. I think she dreamt of becoming a NASCAR driver when she was younger. Ms. Benson brings cookies every time she has her car in the shop and treats us all like her kids, even Guard. And we let her. She’s never been married or had kids of her own, but has traveled the world, choosing to settle in our town. Unfortunately, Ms. Benson seems to have a ton of car trouble. War insists on charging her for the parts only. He has a soft spot for her, only slightly more than the rest of us.

“Grandma’s car again,” Ghost says, shaking his head and grinning. “What is it this time?” Ghost started calling her Grandma a while back, and it stuck. Ms. Benson huffs when we call her that, but it’s all an act and she secretly loves it. She tries to hide the smile, but never manages to succeed.

“Radiator hose. Nothing big,” I answer. “She’ll be by later to pick it up. Probably after her skydiving lesson.” The guys chuckle, and Guard steps forward, putting a hand on my shoulder.

“If you got the time, we want to show you something,” Guard says.

“Yeah, sure. Where to?”

“Out to the barn,” War replies. That’s what War calls the garage, where Guard has the old car we’re fixing up for Ava. It’s tucked in on a street behind Hanna’s Bakery. Guard had it kitted out with all you’d need, just like the main garage, but since we’ve only worked on Ava’s car there, it’s a much smaller space.

As we walk over, the smell from Hanna’s Bakery makes me hungry for her chocolate croissants. When War beelines for Hanna’s shop, I know I’m not the only one who has a hankering for Hanna’s eats. We take half a dozen croissants and half a dozen apple Danishes, each of us gnawing on one as we walk to our destination.

War flips on the light as we move inside. The size of the space is a little smaller than our current space, but racked up against the wall are several mobile tool benches. The garage has also been kitted out with the latest hoists. It’s basically a smaller version of the original garage.

“Place looks great,” I murmur, taking in all the cool gadgets they’ve added.

“Good to hear, since we want to make you the manager of this garage,” Guard states, watching my stunned expression. “We’ve talked about this,” he reminds me.

“Yeah, but I don’t have my part to pitch in to be an owner yet,” I tell him. Guard and Satan’s Pride have always wanted to expand their empire. They already have trucking depots for the auto and motorcycle parts of the business. The Pride is part owner in Risk’s construction company and in Saint’s medical clinic. Guard and the club have invested well, and the club is doing really well for itself financially.

In turn, the members of the club get a piece of the pie, and we all benefit. Since I haven’t been a full member until a short while ago, I haven’t profited the same as the others yet. They pay all the mechanics really well, but not enough to front a business at this point. Hence, my comment.

“We’ve worked it out. Sofia has drawn up a contract for you to review. Take it where you like, read it through, make sure this is what you want. Our vision is to make this site one for elite customers and a restoration site for vintage cars and bikes, and we think you’re the guy to run it,” War says, handing me a contract.

“But—”

“Hear us out,” Ghost butts in. “We know you don’t have the cash upfront. We’ve got a way for you to become a part owner, but we also want to retain part ownership of the place. It’s a win-win for everyone. It’s all there.” He points to the papers in my hand.

“Take your time, go see a lawyer of your choosing, then come back to us. Either way, you’re a brother and nothing changes between us,” Guard finishes.

“I trust you,” I tell Guard, then look at War and Ghost. “I know this is solid.”

“Thanks, brother. Appreciate it. But you have a dad, and you should seek guidance. We know we’re being more than fair, but never sign anything in haste. It’s not smart and not good business. There’s a clause in there that says War continues to be the financial officer for both locations, and a stipulation that you’ll work together for you to learn about money matters. Later down the road, if War gets too busy, it’ll be good for you to know the ropes and be able to handle it,” Guard insists.

“I’m going to Sofia and Demon,” I tell them.

“Your choice, but keep in mind, Sofia’s on Satan’s Pride’s retainer,” War says.

“Then I’ll go see my father,” I add with a grin.

“Smart choice,” Ghost says with a laugh.

I look around at the garage I’ve been dreaming of for so long, and my heart swells with excitement. They believe in me; this is proof of how much.

“This is smart business, Blade,” Guard says. “You’ve earned it, not only because of your sense of loyalty and dedication, but because you’re talented. You make those tools sing. Demon will be a big part of this because his auto body skills are unprecedented, and no one comes close to his work. He’s the one who thought it was time to expand. We all agree.”

War says, “Let’s get out of here. Blade’s got some thinking to do.”

“Do you mind if I take the afternoon to go see my dad today?” I ask.

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