Page 49 of Wolf Cursed
Downstairs, the shop was already open, and Oscar gave me a few grunts of disapproval for being late, but that was it. I didn’t tell him about the call or ask him any of the million questions I had about my dad and his paranoia. Instead, I avoided him and tried to reassure myself that Vorack would never find me here.
Maybe I could find a way to change my name. Oscar had said my father’s legal last name was Lawson. If I could find a way to change it, Vorack wouldn’t be able to track me that way. But every time I tried to ask Oscar about it, he was busy with a customer or gone on a break.
Even Kai steered clear of me most of the day, coming and going through the garage as he did repairs and test drives and customer deliveries.
My nerves recovered slowly from Vorack’s call, but even so, I barely had time to think about things like wolf shifters and panty-melting kisses, so that was something.
“Can you put this invoice in?”
I looked up to see Kai holding out a sheet of paper full of handwritten scribbles. He was staring at my mouth. I found myself equally turned on and pissed off. I decided to acknowledge the pissed part.
“I would if I could read your chicken scratch,” I said.
He rolled his eyes, tossed the invoice on the counter, and walked out, which only made my irritation worse.
Fine.
Two could play this bull shit game.
For the rest of the day, I avoided him, stepping out of the office when I saw him coming and waiting to hand out job orders until he was busy.
Late in the afternoon, a customer walked in, and I tensed. His face was familiar, and then I remembered. He’d been at Bo’s, playing poker with Silas.
“Hey,” he said, a cocky smile spreading as he walked up to the counter. Behind him, two friends hovered, and I had the distinct feeling they were here to watch the show.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
“Actually, I’d love to helpyou.”
I rolled my eyes. He didn’t notice.
“I’m Devon. This is Cade and Luke.”
“Do you need work done?” I asked, not bothering to glance their way.
“Oh, shit,” Devon said. “Hell yeah, I do.” He leaned forward across the counter. “What’s your going rate for bodywork, Ashes?”
He winked, and I bit back the surge of temper that tempted me to take out one of the beers Oscar kept in the mini-fridge at my feet and shatter it over his dumbass skull.
“You couldn’t afford me,” I said.
His friends hooted at that.
Devon’s eyes narrowed. “Tell you what. You give me a freebie, and I’ll put in a good word with Kai to let you stay awhile.”
Yep, fuck it. He was getting a beer bottle to the dome.
“Sure, let me just get my purse.” I batted my lashes at him and then reached into the fridge and grabbed a cold, brown bottle. The sound of a familiar voice stopped me from swinging it.
“I’m not sure when you were promoted to pack advisor, Devon.”
I looked over sharply at Kai, who stood at the end of the counter glaring at Devon.
“Hey, man,” Devon said, unconcerned with being caught. “I was just hanging out with my special friend Ashes here.”
“We are not friends,” I said.
Devon chuckled. “Right. Strictly professional.” He winked, and I considered using the bottle despite Kai’s presence.
