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

Faith asked, looking as shocked as Lars felt inside.
    She will? Did he just lock himself into having her here indefinitely? “Yes. That’s why you’re coming here every day. The timing worked out perfectly.”
    “I thought I was just…” She shrugged, letting her words trail off as her eyes shot around the room to everywhere but him until she finally spat it out. “Lars, I don’t know how to tattoo. What can I do here?”
    “Doesn’t matter. You’re going to be the shop manager.” Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. He only had a couple of other tattoo artists he deemed talented enough to be there but the phone rang pretty often. If she was going to be around, she might as well be useful. She could shoo the annoying humans out as well.
    “Shop manager?” Angus asked and Faith’s eyes shot to his quickly as if confirming her own suspicions.
    “Yes. Like I told you just a few days ago I was going to hire one.” Lars gave him a look as if to say and you better swear that I did .
    “Yeah, I completely forgot about that,” Angus said. Angus had the decency to turn his face away from Faith before he rolled his eyes.
    “You can put your stuff in the office,” Lars said, pointing to the back room.
    He was watching her walk in there when Angus started questioning him. “What are you doing?” His voice was hushed but impatient.
    “If she’s going to be here, she might as well help out.” Sounded logical enough to him. Nothing to make a big deal out of.
    Angus’ jaw dropped open as his brow lowered. “You going soft on me?”
    “Me?” Lars responded in a forced whisper. He jabbed a finger in his friend’s arm. “Who bought her a phone and gave her lunch money?”
    Angus shot a look to see if Faith was still in the office before he replied in an even softer voice than Lars. “I couldn’t help it. She looked all…I don’t know, sad and lost and shit.”
    Lars didn’t say anything but nodded and motioned to the door. “Okay, well get going. I’ve got shit to do.”
    Angus made a huffing noise. “I don’t know how you have customers.”
    Lars let out a sound that was almost a laugh before he said, “Me neither. But seriously, get out.”
    Angus shook his head and Lars watched him walk out the door. When he turned back around, Faith was standing there. Now what was he going to do with her?
    She straightened her shoulders, still standing there and looking determined about something. Then it clicked. He’d seen this look before. She wanted to talk. This was already going downhill and this was only her first day.
    “I know that you just made up this position for me,” she said. “It doesn’t matter. I promise I will be the best shop manager you’ve ever had.” She gripped her hands together as her brows rose and said, “Even if I’m the only shop manager you’ve ever had.”
    He didn’t respond and she didn’t move. She was looking at him like he should be saying something to her now but he wasn’t sure what she wanted. He knew what he wanted to do and it had nothing to do with talking.
    He took a couple of steps away, seeing if that would jar her out of this strange expectant mode but she followed him.
    “Lars?”
    She wasn’t going to let this whole talk to me thing go. He stopped walking away from her and tried a new approach. “It’s not a big deal.” Then he turned his back and hoped that was the end of it.
    “What should I do?”
    And the talking just kept going on and on. She was looking all around. If he were human, he’d even say she looked eager. The idea made his insides shudder.
    “Watch the door. If someone walks in, tell them to get out.”
    Her mouth opened slightly, and she looked confused. What was confusing about that? It was a very simple request.
    “But what about the rest of the time?”
    What did he have to do to get the talking to stop? And then the phone rang and it sounded like a symphony to his ears. He pointed to it. “Answer that.”
    She ran over to it