Page 35 of Throttle Therapy

Jenna’s shoulders slumped.Math was the hardest subject for her, and it only got harder as her sister got older.Jenna had barely scraped by with a C all the way through school, and she hoped that Lacey would have an easier time of it, but not so far.

“Hey, I was wondering when you’d get here,” Papa Smurf said, coming through the door from the shop.“What do you have in the way of homework?”

“Math.I hate math.It wasn’t bad until they started putting letters in there, now I’m more and more confused every week.”

“I guess this is your lucky day.I got you covered,” Papa Smurf said as he pulled open the door to the shop.“Yo!Joker.I need you.”Papa Smurf let the door swing shut and winked at Lacey.“He’ll gripe and complain, but don’t let that bother you.He’ll warm up to this pretty quickly.”He stepped a little closer to Jenna, leaving space for the door.

They didn’t wait long before the door swung open and a tall man about her age wearing the same overalls all the men wore, his hair pulled back into a knot on the back of his head.Jenna had met him before, but it had only been introductions before he’d disappeared into the shop.

“What you need?”The newcomer didn’t even look at Jenna or Lacey as he spoke to Papa Smurf.

“I’ve got someone in need of some help.”

“So?”Joker scowled.“I take it you want me to do the helping?”

“I do, but only because it’s right up your alley.”

“What the fuck do you mean?”

“Watch your mouth.There are ladies present.”

Joker’s scowl grew deeper, but he turned and looked at Jenna, sparing only a glance at Lacey.

“I apologize, ladies.I’ll work on not doing that again.”He dipped his head toward Jenna.She blinked and watched him, not sure this was the best idea, but willing to give it a try.

“Back to why I called you in here.Someone is having trouble with her math homework and could use a little assistance.I know you’re good at math.”

Joker turned and looked at Lacey for a moment then to Jenna.“This your sister?”

Jenna nodded.

“Joker, this is Lacey.Lacey, Joker.He’s part of the motorcycle club with Roadkill and Papa Smurf.”

“Nice to meet you, sir.”

“Not sir, just Joker.What kind of math?”

“Algebra 1.”Lacey winced, as if she was preparing herself for something unpleasant.

“Ah, that’s nothing.Come on back to the break room and we can knock that out in no time, squirt.”Joker turned his attention to Jenna.“We’ll leave the door open so you can be sure she’s safe.Both of you are here, I hope you know that.”

Jenna nodded slowly, not quite sure how to take that.Was there something she should be afraid of?Had something happened that she didn’t know about?Jenna looked at Papa Smurf.

He opened the door to his office and stepped inside, jerking his head for her to join him.She got up and followed him into the room.He left the door open so they could hear if someone came in, but he lowered his voice so they wouldn’t be overheard.

“He had a sister who disappeared when she was about your sister’s age.It’s been more than five years and they’ve never found her.Not only is he a math wiz, he’ll do everything can to protect her, no matter what comes along.”

Jenna’s chest ached at the thought of her sister disappearing and never knowing what happened to her.

“Is there reason to think he’ll need to?”She stared out the doorway to the glass front of the building, wondering if she’d gotten them from one bad situation, where she struggled to pay the bills and put food on the table, to another.Only this one might actually be dangerous.

“No, no.There’s no reason to worry, not that I know of.And Roadkill would have told me if there was.He’d want to make sure we have your back.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure, , Girl.Well, as sure as I can be.You’re boss was just arrested and we’re not sure who he was involved with.There’s a chance, slim, but I won’t lie to you about it, that something tied to him could come our way.But I don’t think it will.Just go on with your life.We’ll cover the rest.”

Jenna watched him, unsure if she should trust him and relax, or if she should keep her guard up.Then again, did she even know how to relax?How exactly did someone function if they weren’t worried about something, like, all the time?