Inferno - Chelle Bliss by Chelle Bliss

“I have to text him and let him know you’re here,” Gigi says, pulling out her phone. “Is that okay?”

I shrug. It’s not like he’s going to drop everything and come running. What’s the harm?

“Shit. I have to run. My mom called, and Riley’s sick. She’s in a panic like she’s never dealt with a sick kid before.”

Gigi snorts. “They’ve all lost their minds.”

“Opal, Mammoth will be in shortly. Hang tight.”

“Got it,” I say to her as I move back toward a chair in the waiting area, keeping my eye on Gigi as she taps away at her phone screen.

“The alert has been sent,” Gigi says before Tam’s out the door.

“Damn. I miss all the good stuff. Text me what happens,” she tells Gigi.

Gigi gives her a nod before sliding into a chair next to me. “You okay?”

“It’s just been a shit day. I lost my job, and now—” I wave my hand toward the garage area “—I have a flat.”

Gigi shakes her head and sighs. “I swear, sometimes it feels like life takes a giant shit on us all at once.”

I lean back in my chair, trying not to think about Stone. “Yep. So, now I have to find a new job and hope I don’t need a new tire to boot.”

Gigi checks her phone as she taps her foot. “He must be busy. He hasn’t replied.”

“It’s okay,” I tell her, feeling all kinds of things. Relieved that he doesn’t have to see me on another bad day, but also a little sad because he makes a dark day a little brighter. “He has a life.”

“Want company?” she asks, checking her screen again. “I can stick around.”

“No, babe. You go do your stuff. I’m going to enjoy a little solitude and try to figure out my next move.”

“Stop by the shop sometime and say hi. Maybe you’d like a little ink. I’d be honored to be the one to do it for you.”

“I may do that,” I lie. I’m petrified of needles, and the thought of something permanent on my skin freaks me out.

She leans over and gives me a kiss on each cheek before heading toward the garage. “Don’t be a stranger,” she says with a smile and a wave.

I nod. “I won’t.” But I have no intention of going to the shop or trying to insert myself into their lives.

As soon as she’s gone, I pick up my phone and search for my next job. It’s time for me to make some solid plans for my future instead of just trying to survive.





7





STONE





My heart’s pounding as I pull into Nuts & Bolts. I didn’t even take the time to reply to Gigi’s text before I hit the road, wanting to see Opal.

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks trying to play it cool, letting her be the one to initiate contact as much as possible.

But I know I want her, and she isn’t moving as fast as I’d like.

The attraction is there.

The air sizzled around us, but at the time, she wasn’t in the right headspace because of her douchebag ex-boyfriend.

I’m done waiting.

When I know what I want, I go after it.

And right now, it’s Opal.

My truck isn’t even fully parked when I spot her through the glass window in the waiting room. But she isn’t alone. Her hands are moving around, and she’s putting her entire body into the conversation.

I squint, trying to get a better look at who has her so animated.

When my eyes finally focus, fighting the sunshine and reflection, I lose my mind.

It’s Jeff.

I’m out of my truck, hustling toward the door, ready to knock his ass out.

Has she been seeing him?

Did they get back together?

I stutter in my step for a moment, wondering if I should turn my ass around. Maybe I read our short time together completely wrong. Maybe after she found her own place, she decided to go back to him. Crazier shit has happened. Relationships are complicated and something I’ve avoided at all costs to avoid any type of bullshit.

“Fuck you!” Opal yells, her voice carrying through the glass of the customer area.

Jeff’s eyes find me as I pull open the door, ready to take out the trash.

“How the hell did you even find me here?” Opal asks him, her hands balled up at her sides.

“Yeah. I’d like to know that too,” I say, rushing into the waiting room to stand behind Opal.

She turns her head, and her eyes widen when they land on me. “Stone,” she says in a quieter voice.

Mammoth stalks into the waiting room, wiping his hand with a red rag. “We’ve got a problem.”

“Fuck,” Opal barks. “Of course. What the hell else could go wrong today?”

She’s spicy. I like this side of her. She doesn’t seem like the meek and mild woman who was beaten down emotionally a few short weeks ago.

Mammoth looks at Opal, then to me, and lastly to Jeff. “What the…”

“Hey, man. What’s the issue?” I ask my cousin.

He reaches into his pocket, pulling out what looks like a silver coin. “Found this on her car.”

“Found what?” Opal and I ask in unison.

Mammoth holds the small thing in the air. “Looks like a tracking device.”