“It is!”
“—it’s none of your fucking business. Barber should’ve never let you work for him. If you can’t keep your nose out of club business andmybusiness, I’m going to go to King and ask him to put a ban on you fromallour businesses.” He shoved me backward, and I almost fell on my ass. “We made a promise to keep you out of trouble. And Barber’s a fucking idiot, butIkeep my promises.”
I sucked in a deep breath and felt like a knife had been stabbed in my chest. Or was that my back? “King would never do that.” I hated that my voice wobbled and my lip probably did, too.
He pointed at me. “Don’t test him. King wants you safe.”
“He’s a great guy. He wouldn’t do that! I don’t know why you think he would!”
PD rolled his eyes.
For the first time all day I saw red. I couldn’t think.
“Hey, is that the VP ring King gave Cain?” Will asked, staring down at where I was twisting it on my finger. I hadn’t noticed that he’d come up next to me. I ignored him.
“Ren, the guy who is opening the shop next door, says he wants to see my work.” I ripped the card out of my pocket and waved it in PD’s face, proving a point. I could feel myself getting out of control. I liked PD. Respected him. Hell, wanted tobehim. But I had been trying so hard to get him to take me on as an apprentice. It had been years of me begging and begging.
Oh yeah, and begging some more.
PD swatted away the card, and I snatched it as it fluttered toward the ground and shoved it back in my pocket.
“You little shit.” He growled and grabbed my shirt, dragging me closer. He gave me a shake, and I couldn’t stop myself from closing my hand around his wrist, even though it wouldn’t do much good if he decided to deck me.
“For your sake, I’ve been nice. I’ve been understanding. I’m not a nice guy,” he snarled.
Will snickered, and PD glared at him.
“But I’ve been encouraging.” PD shoved me, and I caught myself on the hood of the car, hissing at the heat as I snatched my hand off it. “I get it. I respect someone who goes after what they want. But here are the cold hard facts.” He slapped the side of my car. “Your art isn’t there. If you were some crazy good artist, I would’ve at least directed you somewhere else. I know people around the city. But you’renot.” He glared directly into my eyes.
My stomach disappeared and my balls joined it. “But?—”
He sliced a hand in front of himself. “You’re good enough, maybe, to do auto work.” He nodded at my car. “You’re good enough for a lot of things. But youare notgood enough to put ink to skin. Okay? You just aren’t. And if you were ever going to be, you’d have turned out something worthwhile by now. I would see it.”
Horror washed over me as tears prickled my eyes. I frantically wiped my face with the back of my hand.
PD stomped off, which wasalmostfunny because he was using the crutch like an oar to row away from me, and then he spun around, taking his hat off to smack it against his thigh. “I didn’t want to be a fuck, okay? I didn’t! But there. That’s thetruth. Go back to Barber’s shop and stop coming into mine. You don’t have what it takes.”
“He’s only a kid, PD.” Will shook his head, but the pity on his face did me in.
I ripped open my car door and flung myself into the seat.
Will came over and stared down at me, frowning. He was a big guy, too, and honestly, he scared me a little when he crowded close because I’d seen him lose his temper in the past.
He pointed at my dad’s ring, the Kings of Men MC ring he’d left in Mom’s room when he’d gone to prison. “You shouldn’t be wearing that. Cain didn’t want you involved in the club, PD’s right.”
“That you remember?” I felt like an asshole as soon as I saw the hurt on his face. He shrugged and started walking toward the garage.
“Sorry! I’m sorry!”
PD slammed his fist into the hood of my car. I groaned at the dent, but then I saw the fury on his face and swallowed hard. I shouldn’t have said it. PD was protective of Will.
“You’re done. Get lost!” PD pointed at the road. “And if you say shit to Will again, you’re over. I don’t care who you’re related to or what King will say.”
“Shit.” I closed my door and started the car.
PD glared as I reversed out of his driveway back onto the road. Pissing PD off was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. I wasn’t the type of guy who hurt people’s feelings. What just happened?
I felt like hell as I drove through the morning traffic, fighting tears. PD didn’t think I was good enough to do tattoos. I ground my teeth. But he’d said he thought he should see better art from me by now, so perhaps I just needed to practice more? Try harder? This couldn’t be his final word on the matter. It just couldn’t. I’d wanted to warn PD about that loser openingthe tattoo parlor beside his place, tell him I would help get rid of him. And I couldn’t even do that right. My gut hurt like I’d swallowed broken glass, and I fought off more tears.
