Free Shooting Scars: The Artists Trilogy 2 by Karina Halle Page B

the cops are after you now.”
    With a pained sigh, I went into my side of things. The after story.
    “But,” I finished off, “that really has nothing to do with the problem at hand. Javier has Ellie and I don’t know where or what he’s doing to her.”
    I almost saw a smile on his face but it looked like it was sucked up by his beard.
    “It has everything to do with the problem at hand if you’re wanted by the police,” he said like I was a moron. “Trying to track down Ellie just got a little bit harder with your fuck up.”
    Fuck up, huh. You know, I was having a real hard time figuring out why the hell Ellie would send me to this guy. So far he was a steaming pile of dickshit. Still, I bit my lip purposely, to keep myself from blowing up and saying something I’d regret. My old friend rage had been welcomed in the shootout yesterday, but not today. Today I needed to suck it up and behave and quit making things worse for myself.
    “So will you help me track her?”
    He pursed his lips. “And why do you want to find her so bad?”
    I gave him an incredulous look. “Because she’s in danger. If you know who Javier is, then you know he’s a bad man. He shot her uncle in the head.”
    Gus shook his head. “Poor Jim.” And I realized that maybe he knew him too. I was about to apologize when Gus continued, “She
is
in danger of some kind, that is certain. The man she’s with is not the man he was and the man he was … well, let’s just say he went from bad to worse. That still doesn’t explain why you care?”
    “Why I care?”
    “You should be hightailing it to Canada. Get your fake numbers and go. You should be creating your new life, your escape, not heading after Ellie. Why is that?”
    “Because …” how did I even explain it.
    “Do you love her?” he asked. “Are you in love with her?”
    I guess that explained it.
    I nodded. No hesitation. All cards on the table. “Yes, to both.” I almost said some bullshit like “We’re in love,” but I couldn’t even say if that was true. All I knew is what I felt. And that the woman that I loved, that I always loved, had sacrificed herself for me. There was no getting past that. She’d embedded herself in my skin, like a tattoo I could never give myself.
    “Well that certainly makes things messy, don’t you think?” he asked leaning back in the chair. The hostility on his face was replaced with pity. I wasn’t sure which one I liked better.
    “Love is messy,” I said. Another greeting card worthy sentiment.
    “So you’re a tattoo artist?” he said, getting out of the chair and changing the subject. He went into the kitchen and came out again, this time with two beers. He handed me one, which I thanked with a nod. I fucking needed this.
    I took a long swig before I answered. “I am. I used to work at a shop in LA before I opened up Sins & Needles.”
    “The front,” he filled in.
    “Yes,” I said hesitantly. “But I did actual work there. I had steady clientele. It really was enough to live on.”
    “Then why bother with money laundering?”
    My mouth flapped open and closed. “I didn’t have a choice.”
    “There’s always a choice. I get the feeling that you don’t know how to say no.”
    I glared at him. “I’m pretty sure I said no when I stole the money.”
    “And look where that got you. The best way to say no is before you start. Say no now, not later.”
    “Wise words,” I muttered, gulping more of the beer down. “You having second thoughts?”
    “I haven’t agreed to anything, now have I? I’m just hearing you out.”
    This was getting ridiculous. All this talk and he still wasn’t sold.
    “Maybe I’m wasting my time then,” I said, standing up. I felt better standing. I was a tall guy and I liked to remind people of that. If they couldn’t take me and my tattoos seriously then they at least took my height and muscle.
    I started for the door. “I just thought maybe you cared about Ellie since she seemed