Rock Steady by Dawn Ryder Page A

blossoms.”
    Ramsey snorted. “Exactly. I think I’m going to be on the wagon for a bit.”
    “So, come to dinner.” Syon was already moving away before Ramsey got the chance to answer.
    “I could do dinner,” Taz agreed. Drake gave them a thumbs-up.
    “I’ll call and let them know you’re coming,” Brenton said as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.
    * * *
    Her electricity was off.
    Jewel used her cell phone to light her way into her apartment and find a candle. She held it to the burner of her gas range to light it before setting it on the pub-style table. The golden, intimate glow fit her mood. The sketch of the dragon was on the table, drawing her to it. She sat down and picked up her pen, pulled to the image and the memory of working it onto Ramsey. Sometime later, she sipped a glass of red wine as she surveyed the finishing touches she’d put on the drawing. If she’d been smart, she would have had him sign it so she could have sold it for enough to pay her utility bills.
    But she knew she’d rather be homeless than part with the drawing. It was too personal. Too much a part of something that had been created inside her soul.
    So she savored her last glass of wine as the candle burned low and she finished the dragon.
    * * *
    Someone laid their fist on her door at nine in the morning.
    It was the building door, at the street level, and the iron gate was making a huge racket that echoed up the narrow stair corridor. Jewel groaned, but she’d be lying if she said she’d been sleeping. She ran her fingers through her hair and slipped her feet into a pair of shoes and headed down.
    “Good, you’re up.”
    The woman at the door had a rose tattooed on the left side of her neck. Her forearms had ink as well. She was also wearing a spiked dog collar around her neck with a little metal tag that had “Pony” inscribed on it. “I’m Pony from Spike Collar.”
    “Hi. What can I do for you?” Jewel kept the key to the outer door in her hand.
    “It’s what I can do for you,” Pony said with a snap of chewing gum. She propped one hand on her hip, the short, lacy skirt she had on flipping with the morning breeze. “Heard Ted booted you to the curb for doing the tat on Ramsey. Casey sent me over to tell you we’ve got a spot open for you.”
    Or more precisely, for her ten seconds of fame as tattoo artist to the stars.
    “You know I was covering up your guys’ work?” Jewel asked pointedly.
    Pony snapped her gum again and smirked. “Sure do.”
    There was a gleam of enjoyment in her eyes. Jewel decided it was pretty ugly. “Sorry, but I don’t roll that way.”
    “Like what?” Pony demanded. “The dude got what was coming to him. Even if you’re straight, you know men like him are massive pricks. About time he found out what it feels like to be on the business side of being used. You’ll make a lot more money working for Spike.”
    “I’m a professional. I don’t do drunk tats or vengeance ones,” Jewel said firmly.
    Pony snorted. “Don’t judge it, bitch. At least I don’t live in an armpit like this. Your morals aren’t going to keep you from getting evicted tomorrow.”
    Jewel stiffened. Pony snapped her gum again. “Yeah, we know the manager of this building. He heard you got canned. Already has someone lined up to move in. Casey can make it right for you. Show up if you don’t want to be on the street tomorrow night. It’s a dog-eat-dog world, baby. Better get with the program.”
    She turned with a flip of her torn skirt hem and started off down the street.
    Jewel leaned against the wall, feeling like the world was making ready to beat the crap out of her. She had options; she just didn’t like any of them.
    Something shifted, and her jaw dropped when Ramsey appeared in the doorway next to hers. It was all of three feet away. He had a T-shirt on today, to cover his new ink. But the thin jersey material stuck to him, sending a ripple of awareness through her.
    God, he was