Page 59 of Burning Ember
“That’s a nick in the floor,” I grumble.
“You sure?”
“Yep.
I grind my teeth as he steps down from his stool, and leaves footprints everywhere I just cleaned. He bends down checks the spot, huffs and shrugs his shoulders. “Guess you’re right.”
I swear he does stuff like this on purpose to get to me. I’m sure he’s hoping I’ll crack and leave. It’s worse though when he catches me alone. His taunts turn sexual, and there’s always an underlining threat in his choice of words. So that I’m never quite sure of his meaning.
I exhale and keep working. Making my way over to clean up his footprints.
My hair keeps falling in my face. Most of it is tied back in a bun, but strands keep escaping from the tie. I use my forearm and sweep them back but they only fall forward again a moment later.
“Why are you wearin’ such baggy clothes? Don’t you want us to get a good look at what we’ll be samplin’ soon?” Bodie asks.
“In,” Taz looks over at the calendar, “six more days.”
I meet Taz’s black gaze. He’s good looking, but in a Brad Pitt12 Monkeyskind of way. You can tell just by looking at him that he’s got a few bolts missing upstairs. It’s not a far stretch of the imagination to picture him in a white straitjacket instead of his leather vest. Or an orange jumpsuit to go with those nice prison tats on his face.
Right now, he’s flipping a knife end over end—catching the blade, then the handle. He’s also sucking on a toothpick. Which I think is to cover up the slight lisp he has when he says certain words.
I shrug. “Honestly, I don’t care if you see what my body looks like.” I’m lying through my teeth, but I hope they can’t tell. With Taz, it’s all about not letting him get to me.
Bodie sits forward on the couch, hands going to his knees. Bodie and Taz share a look. I shake my head and go back to cleaning.
“That right? So you gonna strip for us then. Give us a little show, ginger?” Bodie asks. I pause and focus on his expectant face.
“How about it, little stray?” Taz quips. “If it’s no big deal and all.”
He’s testing me. He’s always pushing. Like Mav. They’re always watching, always pushing me to unleash my temper. They want me afraid. They want me to run.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Griz come in and take a seat at one of the low tables. His presence calms me. He’s been sweet to me since I came here. Him and Dozer.
I play it all off as a joke. See maybe if I can keep it lighthearted. And I have an idea of how to get them to leave me alone.
“Sure, does right now work for you?” I get up, stretch for a second. My back aches like someone took a bat to it. My knees throb but they’re also half-numb from me kneeling for so long. I twist my back and push my boobs out. “I’m dying for a shower. But I’ll need to get these clothes off. You want to help me out?”
Taz eyes me suspiciously. “What are you playin’ at?”
“I’m not playin’. I’m serious.”
“How about you, Bodie? You want me to run my hands all over your face? In your hair, maybe?” I say it all in a saucy sweet voice.
Bodie’s flirty smile changes as I raise my gloved hands toward him. He finally catches on and thrusts his hands out to ward me off. “Ah uh, fuck that. Don’t you come near me with those gloves on. Oh, shit!” He laughs and jumps off the couch, then over the coffee table in front of it. “You got jizz on you from fingertips to elbows. Who knows what kind of diseases you’ve picked up from that floor.”
Griz, along with some of the old bikers in the corner, burst out laughing. “Get him, sweetheart. Half that shit he’s talkin’ about is his leftovers.”
I’m smiling and following Bodie around the room. “Ah, baby. What’s wrong? Don’t want a piece of me now? And here I thought you were staring at my ass all day because you actually wanted to touch it.”
“I do, but not until you shower that shit off you!”
I mimic a male voice and say, “What’s wrong, baby? I’m clean. I’ve been tested, trust me.”
This causes a roar of laughter to break out from the guys in the room. Even Bodie is laughing as he darts to the side of me.
We dance around Rigor who’s shaking his head and chuckling quietly while trying not to move so I don’t accidently touch him.
“How about you, Taz? I thought you wanted me to strip. Aren’t you going to help a girl out?” I’m a bit nervous about playing around with him.
