Page 45 of Whips and Chains (Saint View Murder Squad #2)

“It’s not perfect,” Levi said self-consciously.

Dax stepped back and shoved his hands in his pockets. “No, it’s not. But fuck, man. It’s pretty damn good. A hell of a lot better than my first tattoo. You’ll start this weekend, yeah?”

Levi grinned as he tugged his shirt back on over his head. “Whenever you want me to.”

The two of them shook hands, sealing the deal.

Just like that, Levi had landed himself his dream job. And I couldn’t have been happier for him.

Nyah clapped excitedly. “We should go out and celebrate! We can double date!”

That seemed bold of her, considering she and Dax had what? Hooked up at Psychos and now again this morning? It was quite a leap to go from there to a double date.

But Dax was also nodding. “That’d be fun. Maybe not right now in the middle of the morning, but one night? Dinner and drinks?”

Levi glanced at me. “What do you think?”

All three of them turned to me hopefully. “I’ve never been on a double date,” I admitted.

Nyah tucked her arm into mine. “It’ll be fun. We can get drunk and dance and the guys will watch us from the bar, and when other men come to try to dance with us they’ll storm over and be all, ‘get your hands off my woman!’”

Levi and Dax both frowned at that, but Nyah ignored them.

“Say yes,” she begged me.

“Of course, yes. Sounds fun.”

The guys fell into a conversation about inks and what hours Levi would work, and Nyah announced she and I were going to walk down to Clean Sweep to pick up the jacket she’d left there at our meeting earlier in the week.

Levi glanced up at me worriedly, but I waved him off.

“It’s one block, in broad daylight. I’ll be fine.”

He didn’t seem sure, but I needed some girl time, and he and Dax had business things to sort out.

The moment Nyah and I got outside, I pounced on her. “What the hell is going on with you and Dax? You two are acting like an old married couple.”

Her smile was so wide it looked like it had to hurt.

“I know! I’ve never met anyone like him.

I did exactly what I said I was going to and just dropped by his store the day after that night we had at Psychos, and we basically haven’t been apart since, other than for me to go to work.

” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I’ve never met anyone like him.

He’s so nice! Like, actually a really decent human being, you know?

Who doesn’t kill people for sport like all of my exes, and every other man I ever knew back home.

In just the space of a few days he’s bought me flowers and taken me out to dinner.

” She clutched my arm tighter. “And the things he has done to me when we’re alone and naked.

Holy shit, Vi. I think I’m going to marry this man. ”

I laughed at her, but at the same time I was so happy for her. She was thick in the early excitement of a new relationship, and it looked good on her. And on him. When I glanced back over my shoulder, both men were watching us walk away.

I couldn’t help my smile as Nyah and I rounded the corner.

“What about you?” she asked, side-eying me. “You and Motorcycle Man are cozy all of a sudden. Don’t think I didn’t see you get off the back of that man’s bike, Violet Garrisen.” She grinned. “I know what that means to guys like him. Shall we make it a double wedding?”

I shook my head at her exuberance. “No weddings.”

She pouted. “Aw. Why not?”

I bit my lip but I couldn’t keep the words in. “Because the law kind of frowns on marrying more than one person at a time, and last night, I had a threesome with him and Whip, and both of them are saying I don’t have to choose, and so now…” I blew out a long breath. “Now, I don’t even know.”

Her eyes widened, but then she laughed and raised her hand for a high five. “Not to mention you and X getting down and dirty in that cam room at Psychos the other night. Is he on board with you having three boyfriends as well?”

I raised a shoulder. “I don’t really know but I kind of think so?”

We both burst into hysterical laughter.

We’d reached Clean Sweep, and I pushed on the door, holding it open for her. “This is so insane.”

Francine glanced up from behind her desk. “What’s insane?”

I pressed my lips together, embarrassment rising up my neck. “Nothing.”

But Nyah was too overexcited to keep the news to herself. “Violet has three boyfriends.”

I elbowed her. “Nyah!”

She laughed. “Girl, stop being so modest. If I had three boyfriends, I’d be telling everyone I know. Wouldn’t you, Francine?”

I waited for it. The judgment I knew was coming. It was one thing for me to tell Nyah about the man-hopping I’d been doing the last few weeks, but Francine was older. Maybe the same age as my foster mom.

And every insecurity that woman had ever put into my head was right there on the surface, while I waited for another woman just like her to pass judgment on me.

I didn’t want to hear it and yet I felt like I had been trained to stand there and take whatever disapproval Francine threw my way. To be the good girl who respected her elders.

But Francine’s disapproval didn’t come. She just leaned back on her chair. “Whatever makes you happy, Violet.”

Nyah nodded. “Agreed!”

But I couldn’t let it go that easily. “Really?” I cocked my head to one side. “You don’t think it’s weird I’m dating three men at once?”

I just couldn’t imagine someone of her age thinking this lifestyle was acceptable.

But Francine just went back to her pile of paperwork. “I might be older than you ladies, but I’m not dead. And who you date, Violet, isn’t any of my business.”

Nyah leaned on the edge of her desk. “I bet you have a hot man waiting for you at home, huh, Francine?”

I nudged her. “That’s not your business either.”

But Francine was smiling down at her paperwork.

Both Nyah and I stopped to stare at her.

And even I couldn’t help but get involved in the gossip. “Wait. You do, don’t you?”

Francine chuckled to herself. “There might be a new man in my life, yes.”

Nyah slammed her palm down on the table. “I knew it! Go, girl! Is he a silver fox? Ooh, is he a younger man? Tell us all, Francine!” Nyah glanced over at me. “Maybe she could come on our double date? Make it a triple?”

Francine waved us off. “You don’t want a middle-aged woman like me cramping your style. Go on. I’ve got to get back to work anyway.”

Nyah and I left her to it and emerged back out into the early morning sunshine, with the addition of Nyah’s jacket over her arm. “I bet Francine is super freaky between the sheets,” Nyah said as soon as we were out of earshot.

I made a face. “I don’t need that visual, thank you.”

Nyah laughed, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the way Francine hadn’t shamed me when we’d told her I was dating three men.

Something warm settled inside me. Something that reminded me not every middle-aged woman had the sharp, vile tongue of my foster mom.

And that some could just be happy for a girl who was finally finding herself with the help of three men.

I walked back to the tattoo shop with a lighter step and the hope maybe Levi and Whip were right.

That I could have my cake and eat it too.

That society wouldn’t make me choose between three men it felt impossible not to fall for.