“What do you need?”Kipp chortles, the sound of Diesel loudly babbling in the background both heartwarming and soul breaking.“Shop schedule?You wanna bring in that bike of yours?”Humor floating in his tone is impossible to miss.“Finally let me touch it?”
“You’retryingto make me jealous,” grumbles Nolan.“I see the signs.”All of a sudden, his voice gets closer.“And Papa,” there’s a minor shuffling sound in which I assume he transfers Diesel out of Kipp’s arms into his own, “does not appreciate that shit.”
“I thought Papa was a rolling rock,” goads Kipp.
“Papa is Sir and Sir is going to punish that ass assoonas we close up shop for the day.”
Post another round of chuckles, Kipp inquires, “Seriously.Whatcha need?”
“Advice.”
“Bike advice?”
“No.”
“Car?”
“No.”
“It ain’t legal,” Nolan tosses out.“That would be Garcia’s department.”
“Could beabouthim…” Kipp deduces.
“Kinda…” is practically whispered.
“Is this like dating advice?”There isn’t a pause long enough to insist otherwise.“’Cause we can go get Bunny.”
“Not quite.”Giving my hair another stressed out ruffle precedes me asking, “Shop clear?”
“Just us and our little man who…shouldnothave a lug nut that close to his mouth, Nolan!”
“He’s fine,” brushes off the other male.“He’s not gonna eat it.”
“He is!”
“What type of advice do you need, Zero?”
“Life?”
“Why did that end in a question?”Grumps the oldest one in the garage.“What’s with your entire generation and endin’ everything in a goddamn question mark?”
“That ended in one,” jabs his husband.
“That’s because it was an actual question.”
“Anactualquestion or a rhetorical one?”Kipp pokes once more.
“So hard,” hungrily grouses Nolan.“Gonna punish that ass so fuckin’ hard.”
“Oh, the promises, Sir…”
“How far would you go to protect the people you love?”is sloppily spewed to prevent further flirty fighting.
“That distance is immeasurable,” Kipp replies without hesitation.
“Agreed,” echoes his partner.
“Would you…” my eyes fall closed, “shake hands with the devil?”
