Read Online Faster (Stark Ink, #3) by Dahlia West - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dahlia West
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vintage cars on my account, muñeca.”
Ava gasped. “I did not! I...” She paused, realizing she couldn’t tell him the truth. “It was an accident!”
Emilio shook his head, though. He disagreed. “No, no, no, baby girl. You and me meeting in the canyons? That was no accident. That was fate.”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Coincidence,” she insisted.
“Fate,” he argued.
“We’re just two people who happen to both like racing. That’s all.”
He smiled down at her. “Oh, I bet we have a lot more in common than just that.”
Ava smirked at him. Even if it was true, she didn’t want to find out. One and done. That was it. Well... maybe twice. It was all he was after anyway, surely. So maybe they did have that in common, at least.
“Doubtful,” she told him anyway, feeling contrary.
He shrugged. “Okay, then. Have it your way. Let’s just get your car fixed.”
He turned and walked away, back toward the garage.
Ava gaped at his retreating back. Unsure what to do now, she hopped forward and started to follow him inside. Once they passed under the open bay doors, she realized there were four other men, all of them large, all of them strangers.
“This is Ava,” Emilio told the others. “Stark,” he added for good measure. “You know her brothers.” He grinned at her. “Adam, Dalton, Jonah. And... DJ?”
She smirked at him to hide her guilty expression. She was so busted. “DJ’s my nephew, actually.”
“Ah,” Emilio replied. “DJ’s the nephew.”
Ava nodded to the assembled group. Most of them returned the greeting. Her eyes fell on the largest of them, though, who did not look particularly happy. His long, black hair and bronze skin marked him as Sioux Nation. There were plenty here in Rapid City and on the nearby reservation. She smiled at him.
The huge man merely grunted at her.
Ava waited for him to say something, but he didn’t seem inclined. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Emilio. “Is that a good grunt or a bad grunt?” she asked him.
Emilio eyed the man for a moment before answering. “A neutral grunt,” he declared.
“Neutral?”
Emilio grinned. “Hawk has a long memory. Unfortunately. But he’s coming around, right?”
Silence.
Ava’s brows knitted together. “But why neutral? What’s the deal?” She looked the man over carefully before asking, “What did Adam do?”
It had to be Adam. He was the worst Stark offender. Even though he was engaged now, occasionally women still showed up at the tattoo shop, not having gotten the message that the eldest Stark was off the market. Apparently, Ava’s older brother left a lasting impression.
No one answered. In the sunlight that filtered through the open bay door, the thin gold band on the man’s left hand glittered. Ava caught a glimpse of it and then gasped. “Oh!” she gasped. Her mouth was hanging so far open she might catch flies in it. “Oh, crap!”
Emilio was about to say something when the large Sioux snorted. A deep, baritone voice filled the garage. The man’s voice was just as intimidating as his appearance. “If he’d done that , little girl, he’d be in pieces all over the Badlands.”
Ava swallowed hard and stared up at him. She didn’t dare doubt his words. “He’s getting married,” she told him, hoping to smooth things over.
Another grunt.
The blond guy draped an arm over the Sioux’s shoulders. He smiled, white teeth flashing. “We know. We got an invitation. Hawk’ll be there. I promise.” He elbowed the larger man in the ribs. “Water under the bridge, right?”
“Might put him under a bridge,” the large man muttered.
The blond frowned. “Hey, now, let’s not— ”
Ava stepped forward, ignited by his threat. “Look, I don’t know you and I’m sorry for whatever it is my brother did with your wife. But that was a long time ago. He loves Calla and he’s getting married.” She took another step forward, letting her anger get the better
Ava gasped. “I did not! I...” She paused, realizing she couldn’t tell him the truth. “It was an accident!”
Emilio shook his head, though. He disagreed. “No, no, no, baby girl. You and me meeting in the canyons? That was no accident. That was fate.”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Coincidence,” she insisted.
“Fate,” he argued.
“We’re just two people who happen to both like racing. That’s all.”
He smiled down at her. “Oh, I bet we have a lot more in common than just that.”
Ava smirked at him. Even if it was true, she didn’t want to find out. One and done. That was it. Well... maybe twice. It was all he was after anyway, surely. So maybe they did have that in common, at least.
“Doubtful,” she told him anyway, feeling contrary.
He shrugged. “Okay, then. Have it your way. Let’s just get your car fixed.”
He turned and walked away, back toward the garage.
Ava gaped at his retreating back. Unsure what to do now, she hopped forward and started to follow him inside. Once they passed under the open bay doors, she realized there were four other men, all of them large, all of them strangers.
“This is Ava,” Emilio told the others. “Stark,” he added for good measure. “You know her brothers.” He grinned at her. “Adam, Dalton, Jonah. And... DJ?”
She smirked at him to hide her guilty expression. She was so busted. “DJ’s my nephew, actually.”
“Ah,” Emilio replied. “DJ’s the nephew.”
Ava nodded to the assembled group. Most of them returned the greeting. Her eyes fell on the largest of them, though, who did not look particularly happy. His long, black hair and bronze skin marked him as Sioux Nation. There were plenty here in Rapid City and on the nearby reservation. She smiled at him.
The huge man merely grunted at her.
Ava waited for him to say something, but he didn’t seem inclined. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Emilio. “Is that a good grunt or a bad grunt?” she asked him.
Emilio eyed the man for a moment before answering. “A neutral grunt,” he declared.
“Neutral?”
Emilio grinned. “Hawk has a long memory. Unfortunately. But he’s coming around, right?”
Silence.
Ava’s brows knitted together. “But why neutral? What’s the deal?” She looked the man over carefully before asking, “What did Adam do?”
It had to be Adam. He was the worst Stark offender. Even though he was engaged now, occasionally women still showed up at the tattoo shop, not having gotten the message that the eldest Stark was off the market. Apparently, Ava’s older brother left a lasting impression.
No one answered. In the sunlight that filtered through the open bay door, the thin gold band on the man’s left hand glittered. Ava caught a glimpse of it and then gasped. “Oh!” she gasped. Her mouth was hanging so far open she might catch flies in it. “Oh, crap!”
Emilio was about to say something when the large Sioux snorted. A deep, baritone voice filled the garage. The man’s voice was just as intimidating as his appearance. “If he’d done that , little girl, he’d be in pieces all over the Badlands.”
Ava swallowed hard and stared up at him. She didn’t dare doubt his words. “He’s getting married,” she told him, hoping to smooth things over.
Another grunt.
The blond guy draped an arm over the Sioux’s shoulders. He smiled, white teeth flashing. “We know. We got an invitation. Hawk’ll be there. I promise.” He elbowed the larger man in the ribs. “Water under the bridge, right?”
“Might put him under a bridge,” the large man muttered.
The blond frowned. “Hey, now, let’s not— ”
Ava stepped forward, ignited by his threat. “Look, I don’t know you and I’m sorry for whatever it is my brother did with your wife. But that was a long time ago. He loves Calla and he’s getting married.” She took another step forward, letting her anger get the better
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