Page 5 of The Echo of Violence

“I’ll get the margaritas ready.”

“Man, if only I had a dick, you really would be the perfect man for me.”

“Hey!” Rex protests from the back seat. “Get your own man.”

I look in the rearview mirror and snort.

“I’m going to pass. I think the dating pool needs a whole new breed of fish before I dip my toes back into it.”

“You don’t have any toes.”

“Damn, foiled again.”

CHAPTER TWO

Knight

I pour a shot and throw it back before pouring another, enjoying the burn it leaves behind.

“That kind of day, huh?” Mercy slides up to the bar and sits opposite me.

“You could say that. You want a drink?”

I take Mercy in from the top of her blonde hair to her boobs, which are covered with a Chaos Demons tank top, unfortunately, and grin.

“Keep looking at her tits, Knight, and I’ll scoop out your eyeballs with a teaspoon,” Scope snaps as he moves up behind her.

“I wasn’t looking at her tits.”

They both stare at me.

“Fine. I wasn’t just staring at Mercy’s tits. I was staring at the new tattoo.”

In script across her collarbone are the words You killed my father. Prepare to die with a small, crooked crown hanging from the Y.

“I didn’t think a Carnage tattoo would go down well,” she says with a shrug. She’d be correct. She might have been raised as a Kings of Carnage kid, but she’s a Chaos Demon now.

“But I still wanted to get something for my uncle Inigo. I thought he’d see the humor in it.”

“Has he seen it yet?”

She nods as Scope wraps his arms around her and starts kissing her neck, making her squirm.

“I went to visit him when you guys were helping Sugar. He thinks it’s great.”

“What’s pissed you off?” Scope butts in, like he always does.

“Work, what else?”

“I’ll have a Coke, Knight,” Mercy throws out before continuing. “You’re renovating the old bail and bond place, right?”

“I’m trying, but it’s been one fucking thing after another since I took the project on.”

Mercy smiles at me in sympathy as I pour her a Coke and grab a beer for Scope.

“Anything I can do?” Scope offers, taking the bottle from me.

“You want to come down and help?” I grin.