“Thank you, Brody.”
“Brody, huh?”
“Yeah.But only when you are nice.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Hey, honey, I’m hoo-oome.”Trent walked into the studio, clutching Harper’s hand as she followed.
“Quick, Pix.Hide the booze and get rid of the hookers,” Cujo yelled as he stood and hugged the man he thought of as a brother.When he told Drea they shouldn’t compare how well they knew their BFFs, he wasn’t kidding.And in those twenty-seven years, he could honestly say he’d never seen his best friend so fucking happy.
Trent took a good look around.“Good to see you didn’t trash the place.”
“We did—just finished the repairs.Can’t you smell the paint?”
He moved to Harper and drew her into a bear hug.When they’d first met five months ago, she’d been scared of any physical contact as a result of a brutal assault by her former boyfriend.It pleased Cujo more than he’d ever let her know that she let him hug her without flinching.
“Want to stop hitting on my girl there, man?”
“She’s technically not yours until you guys are married.Run away with me Harper.Surely you’re over him by now.”Harper blushed as he let her go.
“Not sure I’ll ever be over him.”She rubbed her hand over Cujo’s hair.“I like it longer.”
He stepped out of the way as Pixie and Lia squealed their hellos.
“How was it, bro?”Cujo continued drawing a tattoo for the client who had left for a quick coffee run.It was a Roy Lichtenstein-esque bullet exploding with a giant WHAM in vivid color.
“Man, Tahiti was fucking incredible.Never seen anything like it.”Trent grabbed a packet of red licorice from the dish behind the counter.
“D’you get any ink?”Cujo asked, Polynesia being the home of tattooing.
“Nah.Thought about it.How’s the party coming along?Did you guys bankrupt me?”
“Did you guys say party?”Harper joined them and Trent draped his arm round her shoulders.
Cujo bit back a smile.They looked so fucking sweet his teeth hurt.
“Party’s good.Venue, food, bar, and a million other little things Drea deemed essential.”He turned to Trent.“She texted me at four o’clock one morning to tell me I needed to find a bulk dealer for sparklers.”
“Have you avoided killing each other?”Harper asked.
“Yes.But someone else nearly killed both of us,” Cujo answered.
Harper’s mouth dropped open as she grabbed his arm.
“For real?”Trent asked.
“Yeah.It’s a really long story, but for you guys, I can keep it real short.Two men chased a woman out of the café.Drea witnessed it.Couple of days later—”
“Wait, is Drea okay?”Harper interrupted.
“She’s fine.Shook up, but good.So the dude came back the other night.Tied us up tighter than is kinky.”Cujo winked at Harper.He’d put that stricken look on her face, and he wanted to remove it.
“Fuck.That’s—” Trent shook his head.
“Yeah, well.Gun.Closet.He leaves.We cut ourselves free and called the police.”
“I’m going to call Drea.”Harper walked toward the office.
