It wasn’t her place, but…
Addison raised her hand. “I can answer that.”
No!
Barry slapped the towel on the bar. “Fine, I’ll get him in today.”
“Thank you,” The women said in unison.
“Now back to fucking work. The both of you.”
Addison rolled her eyes, and Ava winked. It was an unlikely friendship spawned by the ridiculousness of their boss. Addison bunched up her hair, clipping it in a bun on her head. At this point, her hair was drenched with sweat at her neck. She was mildly aware of Ava gasping until Barry snapped.
“Now what’s the problem?”
Addison glanced back at her friend. Ava’s face had paled, and she rushed toward her, yanking out the hair clip.What the…
“Female emergency.” Ava grabbed her arm and pushed Addison in front of her, walking toward the strip club. Her chest practically bumped up to Addison’s back.
“Is something wrong?”
“Yes,” Ava said in a harsh whisper.
They hadn’t known each other long, but Ava’s abrupt attitude seemed so out of character. She ushered Addison down the dark hall and into the bathroom. Addison spun around and noticed Ava glance over her shoulder. She charged forward, shoving Addison’s back into the wall.What in the world has gotten into her?
“Get out,” Ava ordered, and the stripper at the sink knitted her brows.
“I get a break, Ava.”
“Yes, you do. And you can take it somewhere else.” She pointed to the door. “Go!”
Addison expected some type of pushback, but other than rolling her eyes, the dancer left with Ava on her heels. Ava locked the door and turned.
“Where did you get that tattoo?”
Addison only had one. She’d never been a fan and hadn’t imagined having one for herself. She understood and appreciated the symbolism behind some. Done right, they could be amazing.Like mine.Of all the things on Knox’s list, aside from skydiving, getting the tattoo was what she’d feared the most. She’d done just about everything before circling back. It took some research, and there weren’t many pictures available on the internet, but there were a few. She was able to enlarge a clear one and print it out for the tattoo artist. Though she did add a little twist. Addison was careful with placement. It had to remain discreet, so she chose the back of her neck.
“A local guy in Iowa.” Addison bunched her hair up, exposing the back of her neck and sliding her fingers over it. “He did a great job.”
Ava widened her eyes. “And you had permission from the club?”
Permission? She was well over the age of eighteen, a consenting adult. She dropped her arms to her sides, eyeing Ava.
“Why would I need permission?”
She cupped her mouth, clearly in distress. “Oh hell, Addison.”
Ava’s panic was contagious. Addison’s heartbeat picked up pace and a nervous energy surged through her veins.
“What?”
Ava drew in a breath and angled around her, sweeping her hair over her shoulder. Her silence was making her even more nervous.
“What, Ava?”
“That’s Killcreek’s patch.”
“Yeah.” She smiled, realizing Ava didn’t know the significance behind it. Addison turned, confident her explanation would clear up things. “I did it to honor Knox, who was a member of the club and who died.”
