“How do you think you’re doing?”
I thought about it.The lessening heaviness in my body.The way I wasn’t as wiped out after walking to the bathroom or standing in the kitchen for ten minutes.The fact that I was actually starting to sleep at night instead of just lying there trying not to focus on pain.“I think I’m healing okay,” I said.“I’m less tired every day.And I’m starting to sleep better at night.”
Tempi smiled.“That’s good.”
“Yeah.”
I was just reaching for the sugar when Twister’s phone rang out in the living room.
Neither of us paid much attention at first.
Phones rang.Guys answered.Life moved on.
But then Twister answered it and barked, “What?!”
Tempi’s head snapped toward the living room.“Oh God,” she muttered.“Now what the hell is going on?”
We moved out of the kitchen together, and the whole mood in the apartment had shifted by the time we reached the living room.
Twister was standing now, phone pressed to his ear, his free hand clenched on his hip.Wheels had gotten off the couch, and Swift looked ready to attack at Twister’s command.Rev and Magnum were both watching him with the kind of attention that meant they already knew this wasn’t good.
“What’s wrong?”I asked.
Twister didn’t answer me.
“When?”he barked into the phone.
Pause.
His face darkened.
“We haven’t even started working on it yet.”
Everybody in the room exchanged looks.
I had no clue what was going on, and judging by the faces around me, nobody else did either.
Then Twister said, “I’m on the way, Gramps,” and shoved the phone into his pocket hard enough that it was a wonder the damn thing survived.
He dragged a hand through his hair.
“What the hell is going on?”Wheels asked.
“Gramps is at Saint’s Smash,” Twister said, “and he just got handed a fucking wad of red tape that we are going to have to wade through.”
“You gotta be fucking kidding me,” Rev said.“What the hell red tape can there be?”
Swift was up off the chair near the window now, all of his focus locked in.“Gramps got all of the permits and shit we need.”
Twister grunted.“Yeah, well, it seems the city found a few permits he forgot to pull, and now they have shut us down indefinitely.”
“Fucking hell,” Magnum muttered.
“That is the same shit they pulled with the clubhouse,” Wheels said.
Twister nodded once, sharp and angry.“I gotta head to Saint’s Smash now and see if I can talk some sense into this inspector before they leave.”
“I’ll come with,” Wheels said immediately.
