Dead Ink: A Karma World Romance (Karma Series Book 4) by Donna Augustine

which she was, but he’d dated models. Dated might be overstating the encounters somewhat, but the point was that he’d had plenty of beautiful women. They were fleeting fancies. None of them had grabbed at his guts and pulled at him the way she did. If he could figure out what it was about her that called to him, maybe he could stop this need to want to walk over there and take her.
    “Hey, the tattoo isn’t supposed to go over there,” his client said.
    Lars looked down to realize he’d made a line halfway down the guy’s ribs while he’d been distracted. Shit. Looked like the demon would be blowing smoke now. Whatever. “I’m trying something different. You’ll like it.”
    “But what—”
    “Shut up, unless you want to go down the street to the crappy shop on the corner and have that untalented jerk finish it.”
    He looked back over at Faith and Angus. He couldn’t stop himself from noticing that Angus was checking out her lower half as he walked behind her.
    “You’re late,” Lars said to Angus a bit sharply, and noticed his client was also checking out Faith. He planted a hand in the middle of the guy’s back and pushed him firmly down onto the bench. He landed with a satisfying humph.
    “I don’t know why people come here,” the client complained.
    “Then leave.”
    The client stayed right where he was, even though Lars had removed his hand.
    Lars got up to go walk over to Faith and Angus, realizing he should be offering them some sort of welcome. Then he asked, “Where’s Cutty? I thought he was driving her over?” instead. Cutty came to the shop more. He would’ve been able to get Faith settled in without Lars having to say or do much at all.
    “Bic and Cutty wanted to go check out a fire that happened last night. See if any traces of Malokin’s involvement were left behind,” Angus said at a volume the client wouldn’t overhear.
    Faith turned her back on them as she looked about the place and Angus made a silent whistle as he eyed her without her knowledge. He mouthed the words, Who knew?
    Lars didn’t bother responding that he’d had a pretty good idea. He was also the connoisseur of the group. He knew a hot chick when he saw one, even buried under a couple of layers of dirt and grime. But yeah, she was a piece, and he was kind of wishing she were covered in dirt and grime again. If he wasn’t going to sleep with her, he certainly wasn’t going to sit back and watch Angus do it instead.
    Faith walked farther into the shop and stopped, looking unsure of what to do. Angus followed after her like a mama duck. He placed a protective hand on her shoulder and said, “One of us will be back at seven tonight. If you need anything, call me. We’re all programmed into your new phone.” He tapped his hand on the purse Faith was holding. His voice dropped a little lower as he continued speaking. “There’s some cash in there, too. I put it in this morning, just in case you need to buy anything.”
    Lars watched as Faith clutched the purse close to her chest like she was carrying the Hope Diamond inside. “Thank you so much, Angus. I’ll pay you back.”
    “No need,” he replied, waving the idea off.
    “Are we getting back to the tattoo soon?” Lars’ client asked.
    “Shut up,” Lars said and took several more steps away from him toward where Faith and Angus were now standing.
    He couldn’t understand it, but the fact that she was so grateful to Angus for the few dollars or whatever pitiful amount he’d given her, churned his insides and made his temper rise. “She doesn’t need your money. She’s got her own,” Lars said.
    “She does?” Angus asked.
    “No, I don’t,” Faith said shaking her head. “I used to but I can’t get any of it.”
    “Faith will be working here,” Lars said, addressing Angus who was really working his nerves today. Did he need to get laid that bad that he had to go after Faith? “I wouldn’t expect her to do it for free.”
    “I will?”