“No,” I snap. “Leave him alone. Both of you. He’s just a client and nothing else. He may make my belly flip, but the man isn’t getting in my pants. You two need to calm down and keep all this shit to yourself. Don’t tell anyone.”
Gigi laughs. “You want me to keep this a secret?”
“Yes, asshole. He’s nothing.”
She clicks her tongue. “Rosie said it’s a secret. She doesn’t want anyone to know,” she says, talking to Pike and not me.
“Fuck,” he bites out, and my phone dings.
I stare at the screen, my eyes widening at the message in the group chat.
Pike: Who’s Dylan Walsh?
“Oh. My. Fucking. God,” I bark. “Can’t anyone in this family keep their mouth shut? Pike, I never expected you to be gossipier than the bitches in this family.”
Tamara: Dylan Walsh? Who’s seen Dylan Walsh?
Jett: He’s a total asshole. Bad news all the way around.
Lily: The Walsh family are not friends to the Gallos.
Mammoth: What’d he do? I can be ready in ten to kick some ass.
I groan. “See what you two did. Can’t shut the fuck up about anything. Jesus Christ.”
“We’ll do damage control. Don’t worry,” Gigi promises me.
“Whatever. I have to go. He’s nothing. Remember that. No more gossip.”
“Got it. Lips are sealed,” she says before disconnecting the call.
Gigi: He’s coming back to the shop for a tat tomorrow. We were just talking about him.
Tamara: Out of all the places, he has to come to our shop?
Mammoth: Again, do I need to kick his ass?
Gigi: Stand down, big man. He’s just a client.
Mammoth: Then why’s Pike asking about him?
Pike: Just never heard shit about him, brother. Making sure he’s not someone I have to “deal” with either.
Arlo: The Gallos have an enemy? <shocked face>
Nick: His family is just…different.
Rebel: Well, duh. No family is like the Gallos.
Rocco: No, Reb. They’re bad news. Like totally bad news.
Mammoth: We all have pasts.
Rocco: Not like the Walshes. The brother killed their father years back.
Tamara: That was some crazy shit.
Mammoth: No shit?
Rocco: The father deserved it. He was the worst kind of people.
Nick: But sadly, I think most of them are like their father.
Rocco: Saw a new bike at Ian’s. Must be where Dylan is staying.
Pike: Do we even want him as a customer?
Gigi: As long as he’s paying cash, yes.
Me: Jesus. He’s just a customer. Who cares? Don’t you people have better shit to do than gossip about someone?
Lily: You’re defensive there, Ro.
Me: Not defensive. Just stating the obvious.
Lily: Are you feeling better? I was worried when you left.
Me: I’m fine. Just my stomach, but it’s better now.
Carmello: Wait, wasn’t that Dylan there this morning right before you got sick?
I grunt into the air and hate my family for being observant and nosy. That’s the problem when working with family. Everyone’s in one another’s shit all day, every day.
Me: Has nothing to do with it.
Rebel: Hmmmm.
Me: NOTHING. I have to go. Some of us have things to do.
Carmello: And what’s more important than talking to us?
Me: Anything right now.
Lily: Totally touchy.
Mammoth: Something’s off.
Tamara: Yep. Something is way off.
Me: Byeeeeeeee.
I snooze the group text, giving myself a break from their questions. Once they get started, they never stop.
“Hey, I’m home,” Luna says, breezing through the front door and making as much noise as she possibly can. “What the hell with all the text messages?”
I push myself up, meeting her in the living room. “They’re all asking questions about a client.”
“Who?” she asks, swiping her finger across the screen and taking in the thread that’s still going on. When she gasps, I know she’s seen his name. “Oh my God. Dylan Walsh. You saw Dylan Walsh?” she asks, her head rising and eyes meeting mine. “Is he sexier than he used to be, or have the years not been kind to him?”
“Dad would kill you for even asking that.”
She shrugs, kicking off her shoes. “Dad doesn’t control who I think is hot or not, babe. Maybe you’re too busy trying to make Daddy happy all the time, but I’m sure as hell not. If Dylan is as beautiful as he was when we were little, I’d be all over that without an ounce of shame or guilt and sure as fuck not worrying about what Dad thinks.”
I shake my head, muttering a slew of curse words toward the tile. “I don’t live my life to make Dad happy.”
“Bullshit,” she snaps.
She sits across from me as I curl into the couch, tucking my legs underneath my bottom. “First, Dylan is and has always been so much older than us.”
“Age is just a number.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Second, his entire family is a shitshow.”
“Chaos can be fun.”
I roll my eyes at her but keep on talking. “Third, he’s always been bad news. I don’t have many memories of him, but the ones I do have don’t give me the warm fuzzies.”
“Everyone has a past, Ro. People change over time.”
“And last, he’s just a client looking for some ink. Nothing more.”
She stares at me, studying my face in that silent way she often does. “We’ll see about that,” she says softly. “Have you looked him up online?”
“No.” I narrow my eyes in warning. “And neither will you.”
“Sure,” she mutters, lying to me as she lifts up her phone.
“Lulu, I swear to God…”
“I’m just reading the text messages I missed. Calm the fuck down, Ro.”
I tip my head back onto the cushion and stare up at the ceiling fan. “Whatever. Just don’t start no shit where there is no shit.”
“Would I do that?”
“Yes,” I breathe. “You so would.”
She snickers. “But what would it hurt to do a little online stalking?”
“Luna.”
“What? Knowing a man like Dylan Walsh, he probably has zero social media presence anyway.”
“I’m sure he’s been too busy being in and out of prison his entire life to bother taking selfies and posting profound thoughts.”
She shifts in the chair, getting more comfortable. There’s silence for a few minutes, and I close my eyes, taking in the brief moment, knowing she’s about to get chatty again. Luna never stays quiet for long.
“Well, you want the good news or the bad?” she asks.
I snap my head upright and glare at her. “What did you do?”
She gives me her big doe eyes over the top of her phone. “Nothing,” she mutters.
I narrow my eyes. “Luna.”
“What?”
“The bad.”
She smiles. “It’s not that bad.”
“Quantify that bad.”
“So, I may have found Dylan’s social media.”
My eyes widen and my back stiffens. “It’s been under a minute, and you’re already stalking him?”