“I’ll explain it to him,” Oscar says.
“If you get a chance before he tries to kill me.”
Mercy starts up her gun. “I might have to go on that vacay with you.
Hash grunts a laugh.
Brielle, who has been sitting in a chair leafing through a tattoo book calls, “You don’t have to worry, Mercy. Eight wouldn’t hurt a girl.”
“She’s right,” Max says. “Or Henri would’ve been dead a long time ago.”
“Haha,” I say sarcastically, even though he’s sort of right.
After a while, I get bored. Hash and Mercy are really concentrating, so they’re not talking to each other and they’re the only ones with interesting things to say.
The other artists get done with their customers, clean up, say goodbye to Hash and Mercy and leave.
The shop gets very quiet.
Mercy is almost done when Mom and Eight come crashing through the door.
“What the fuck is going on?” Eight shouts.
“Uh oh,” Hash says as he flicks off his gun and lays it down on the table. Mercy follows suit.
They both slowly stand. Mercy backs up while Hash takes a few careful steps towards mom and Eight. “It’s not what you think, man.”
“It’s exactly the fuck what I think. You and…” he glances at Mercy. “… are inking our kids.”
“I can’t believe this!” Mom shrieks as she looks at me. “You’ve done some stupid things in your short life, but this tops them all!”
I shake my hands in front of me because I’m nervous, which doesn’t happen much. I don’t think it’s happened before I got tangled up with Oscar. “It’s not our fault.”
“You’re fuckin’ right it isn’t!” Eight roars as he hurtles toward Hash, grabs him by the vest and throws him towards the door. “You and me. We’re gonna have a talk.” He stops, looks at all of us, “You stay!” To Hash, he says, “Outside!” Which is not really necessary since Eight hauled him out anyway.
“Dad!” Oscar bellows. “It’s not his fault!” He scrambles toward the door, but mom blocks the way.
She points her finger at all of us. “You bloody idiots stay inside!” She turns and follows Eight and Hash through the door.
Max and I roll our eyes at each other. “Like that’s gonna happen,” he says as he barrels out the door, followed by the rest of us.
We’re just in time to see Eight drag Hash down the alley, mom hot on his heels.
Ash throws himself between Hash and Eight as Eight is about to swing his fist. “Would you cool down and listen!” Fortunately, he ducks in time, and unfortunately, Hash gets hit solidly on the jaw.
“Get back inside,” mom snarls.
Brielle starts to cry, but mom and Eight are too mad to even notice. Sean, however, slides his arms around Brielle’s shoulders and turns her into him. “Don’t watch,” he says, then walks her out of the alley.
Hash uses the wall to get to his feet, tries to defend himself, but has no chance as Eight follows up with a hard punch to the stomach. “You fuck! Inking my boy. I’m gonna make you wish you never woke up this morning.”
Hash groans and slides down the wall.
“Dad!” Oscar shouts as he jumps on Eight’s back, wrapping his arms around Eight’s head and covering his eyes so he can’t see.
“Get off me, you little asshole!” Eight snarls as he grabs at Oscar’s hands. “You got your own load of explainin’ to do.”
Eight’s circling around like a bucking horse, trying to dislodge Oscar, but Oscar’s got his legs wrapped around his dad’s waist and is hanging on tightly.
