Page 10 of Scythe's Salvation
“I sure hope so. It’s setting him back a chunk of change, that’s for damn sure.”
Not that I care, of course, because it’s money in all of our pockets, but Jim tends to obsess over every little detail. I’ve drawn and redrawn this thing more times than I can count, but he finally gave the thumbs up, so now it’s go time.
With a wave, I head back into my room and wait for Jim. He’s the only appointment I’ll have for the rest of the day, as I’m hoping to get it fully outlined, then possibly start on some of the shading. There are parts he wants color added, but it’s mostly a gray and black tattoo.
“Fuck, man, this looks great!” Jim enthuses as he uses the mirror to look at his back. “It’s just like I imagined, and we haven’t even added all the color.”
“I’m happy with how it looks so far,” I tell him, before I wrap it. “Now, I know you know how to take care of a new tattoo, but I’m still going over the process with you since this is the biggest piece you’ve ever gotten. Also, because you live alone, come up in the morning, and one of us will look it over, put the gel on, then rewrap it for you before you head to work. Plus, no going shirtless, Jim! Your skin is basically raw right now and that would be the best way to introduce an infection.”
He grins at me in the mirror and says, “The ladies love the pecs, man.”
“Yeah, well let’s give the ladies a break for a few weeks, okay?” I retort as I gather the stuff he needs to take home with him for his aftercare.
“Fine, fine, but what if I miss out on the perfect woman for me because I’m wearing a shirt?” he asks, now chuckling.
“Then she wasn’t the one for you. Now, get on out of here, settle up with Chloe and book your next appointment for about three weeks from now.”
“Thanks, Scythe,” he says as he heads out of my room.
“See you in a few, Jim.”
With him finally out of my room, I take my time cleaning and disinfecting everything. It’s one of the things Cuda and I aredictators about; any room that is actively used during the day is cleaned between clients, of course, but at the end of the day, we do even more as we prep for the following day. Since I’m now the last one here, I double check that the front door is closed and locked, then grab the trash from the breakroom to toss when I go outside, hitting the lights as I go, of course. The fucking electric company is a damn monopoly, so we try to save wherever possible.
Slinging my leg over my girl once I toss the trash in the dumpster, I decide to take a ride a few counties over. I’m in the mood for some good seafood, and Maurice’s Clam Jam is the place to get it. As I fire up my bike, I hit my Bluetooth and call Cuda to see if he wants to meet me out there. While we don’t have any true active threats that I’m aware of, it’s always a good idea to have another brother at your back. Satisfied that he’s going to meet me there, probably with a few other brothers since it’s a favorite restaurant of ours, I head out, my thoughts once again consumed with Tamara. I want to know every little thing about her, from how she takes her coffee if she even drinks it, to what her moans sound like as I’m pounding into her warm, willing body.
CHAPTER
SIX
Tamara
Amaraand I are enjoying a girl’s day since her parents took Chance to a local farmer’s market and fair. We’ve already eaten at our favorite out-of-the-way diner, which has a varied menu that always hits the spot. Now, we’re checking out the thrift shops in the next town over. I tend to find play clothes for Chance that have little to no wear and tear but help me keep him in clothes since it seems he’s going through a growth spurt every other month or so.
“What do you think about this?” Amara asks as she holds up a dressy shirt. “I could pair it with those skintight capris, a pair of booties, and maybe that necklace set?”
I squint at her, putting the outfit together in my head then finally nod. “I can see it and think it would look awesome.”
She grins as she tosses it into the cart. “Guess who’s come back to town?”
“No clue, you know between work, Chance, and his practices I barely have time to eat,” I tease, finding four more shirts to add to the cart for my son.
“Tim Jones,” she says, glancing at me.
My feet stop moving as the blood freezes in my veins. “Timmy’s back?” I whisper. “Why after all this time?”
“Apparently, he’s a hot shot cop and he wants to run for sheriff. You know Mr. Melvin’s been wanting to retire for a long time now, but no one will run against him.”
“Yeah, I know, butyouknow that the likelihood of me running into him when I have Chance with me is pretty high, Am,” I reply. “He left town so fast when I told him I was pregnant that he left dust plumes!”
“That’s probably a slight exaggeration, Tam, but you’re right, he did leave rather suddenly. I just wanted you to know because forewarned is forearmed and all that jazz.”
“Well, he better not think he can just waltz back into my life and play Daddy,” I mutter, my hands now clenched into fists. “He’s never provided a dime of support formyson, so he doesn’t get to be involved as far as I’m concerned.”
“May wanna get a lawyer to make sure Chance is protected,” she advises.
“Good idea. Now that my food has soured in my stomach, what do you wanna do now?”
“Let’s go get our toes done!” she exclaims. “Today’s about getting pampered now that we’ve bought some clothes.”
