I snort. “Uno reverse!”
“Yeah, that doesn’t make any sense.” He shakes his head.
“You don’t make any sense.”
“Wow, strong with this one, the comebacks are,” he says, doing a surprisingly good Yoda impression. Because why wouldn’t he?
I grin as I flip him the bird and he laughs.
“So,” he tacks on. “If it wasn’t your soul, then I’m gonna assume you stole the keys, and in that case, no, I’m not bailing you out—”
“Wow, you really hate me.”
“—But yes, if worse comes to worst, I’ll throw you a really nice funeral.”
“Aw,” I place a hand over my heart. “You do love me. Thanks, babe!”
He makes a small hand gesture like “you’re welcome”.
“But, your assumption is incorrect, my dude. No need for stealing when you’ve got something he wants.”
“Which is?”
I pump my brows. “My v-card.”
Kaden throws his head back and laughs, making the moth on his throat look like it’s flapping its wings, taunting me. I allow myself two seconds of staring at him before I shift my gaze.
6
Kaden
I’mbythecounter,going over the schedule for the week, when Kit comes bursting through the backdoor like his ass’s on fire.
“I’m heading home,” he says, not even looking at any of us. “Who’s opening tomorrow?”
“I am,” Seth says, from the couch. “Iggy’ll be here by one, I think.”
Kit nods. “How long will you be needing the car?”
“Well,” Seth drawls. “The demolition derby’s tomorrow, so… Thursday okay?”
Kit pinches the bridge of his nose, sighs and locks his eyes on the ceiling for a beat. Then he turns around to face me.
“Remind me why we took him in?”
“You thought he hadpotential,” I grin, making air quotes.
The day Seth first walked into our shop was a Monday. Everyone was a little tired after the weekend, and Kit was grumpy as hell. The doorbell chimed, and Seth walked into the shop dressed in baggy jeans, a band shirt, and sneakers. His hair was basically bleached white.
He roamed his big, blue eyes over the paintings and tattoo designs covering the brick walls in the studio before he strode over to the counter, dumped a thick sketchpad on it, and declared he was looking for an apprentice position.
Kit had cocked an eyebrow, glancing at me and Diaz before he stepped up to the counter. He swept another look over Seth, snatched the sketchpad, and started flipping the pages.
“You’ve got skills, kid,” he’d said. “But you’ve got a lot to learn.” Then he turned to me. “Kaden!” Hefting a thumb at Seth, he shocked me all to hell when he said, “He’s yours,” before he went back into his office.
“What?” My eyes ping-ponged between Diaz and blue-eyed stranger.
Diaz licked his teeth, squared up and turned to Seth.
