Page 1 of Grind

Chapter 1

Frank

Inmomentslikethis,Frank regretted he didn’t kill people anymore.

He had to take a deep breath as he stared down the cashier’s acne-ridden face. “For the last time, it says the coupon is valid until today.”

The huff in the line behind him only made him more agitated. He could take on any of these fuckers in a brawl. He was six-five and one punch from his massive fists could shatter a nose with ease, but that would get him thrown out of Costco without his birthday beer.

The teenager frowned at him from behind the register and blew a strand of unruly hair out of his face. “No, according to the terms and conditions, it needs to be usedbeforethis date. Which means it was valid until yesterday.” He then leaned forward and put his finger on a row of words in a cloud of black, barely-readable font on the coupon, as if he thought Frank was either blind or slow.

If Frank had lasers for eyes, he’d cut the kid in half and be done with it. “How is that in any way clear, if it saysuntil.”

The man behind him huffed again. “Just pay the extra quarter, man. Jesus.”

Frank bared his teeth. “That’s not the point!” He did not want to pay extra when he had a coupon for this shit.

A middle-aged woman standing right behind his back tossed a bill right next to the cashier’s hand and spoke with a voice soaked in annoyance. “Here, now put it through at full price.”

Frank blinked and turned around to glare at her scrunched features. “I have money! This is about principles.”

“Well, my principle is to pick up my kid from school on time.”

Frank squinted at her in frustration, but the cashier butted in.

“Or would you like to leave it?”

All Frank wanted today was a nice beer for his birthday on top of all the other stuff he had to get for the small party he was throwing for friends in two days. He was turning forty today, but it was more convenient for everyone to come over on Saturday. So the beer was the one thing just for him. Why would he waste more money than he should when his coupon was valid? Furthermore, why should the greedy corporation get an extra quarter they didn’t deserve, even if it wasn’t him paying?

Until a few months ago, Frank would have sent his nephew, Dex to do shopping like this, but he’d moved out, leaving Frank alone with all the chores. Which was fine. Especially since Dex was wasteful and would have probably forgotten about the coupons altogether. But since Frank needed to get his own groceries now, he’d do things his way.

“Yes, I’d like to leave it,” he said in a stern voice.

The cashier rolled his eyes.

“All this wasted time for nothing,” the woman behind Frank’s back said loudly enough for him to hear.

A part of him wanted to glare at her, but what was the point? His mood had already been spoiled. Not that it mattered, if he wasn’t to see any of his friends later. Shane and Ros were away for a dog training event, and since the birthday party was postponed, Jag and Dane had the latter’s family over for the evening.

Tonight, it would be just Frank, beer he’d get someplace that didn’t violate his customer rights, andPredator. The old one, not the shitty new ones.

He’d watched the movie so many times he could recite the dialogue by heart, and it never failed to provide comfort at the end of a difficult day.

Frank paid for the rest of his shopping without a word and grabbed the bags, his lips set in a thin line. This was exactly why he liked that his house sat in the middle of a massive junkyard, far away from people he didn’t want to deal with.

It was his sanctuary, a place he’d made his own, and wherehisrules were law.

The standoff attracted the attention of customers waiting in lines for the other registers, so he walked off keeping his gaze on the exit, determined not to make any unnecessary eye contact. He wanted to be back home, in comfortable sweats, and without anyone spoiling his mood with their bullshit.

But as he headed for his truck—beat-up and in a dark red shade Dex laughed off asold—his eyes ended up straying to a pair of long legs clad in bootcut jeans. Frank’s breath caught when he noticed the way denim hugged the man’s buttocks before making way for a fitted long-sleeve that showcased a toned back.

Had it really been so long that seeing a random dude in a parking lot was enough to make his mouth water? The thought of dating apps made Frank break out in hives, and even hookups often proved too much hassle to arrange when he had so much work every day. Especially that a man couldn’t get his cock sucked nowadays without downloading something from the app store. He spent his free time either tinkering in his workshop or preparing for the next strongman competition, and there was no time left for taking good selfies.

But when the stranger bent over, putting his groceries into the trunk of his car, Frank couldn’t help but stare. It was his birthday after all. Could this possibly be some sign from the heavens that he should live a little?

A quick glance in the side mirror of his truck confirmed that his long black braid looked neat. Maybe he was no model, but Frank knew he was a catch for any guy who liked his men very masculine and wasn’t afraid of the extra muscle he carried. But life was about being realistic, not living in la la land, and Frank couldn't date anyone long-term. Because how would he explain his frequent absences, the occasional bloodstains on his clothing, or the fact that he kept gold bars in walls and under the floor? The right guy for Frank would need to be okay with the illegal shit happening at the junkyard, and if Frank had learned something in the past forty years, it was that the vast majority of men couldn’t be trusted. Those in his line of work—even less so.

But while he did not want to form commitments based on lies, a one-night stand wouldn’t care if he lied about his profession, so he double-checked whether his T-shirt was clean and stood a bit straighter as excitement simmered beneath his skin.