"This is my shop. What are you doing here?" I cocked my head to the side and stepped fully into the office.
"Me? Same, man. It's my shop." He stuffed a wadded piece of material under his arm. "I just came to grab a few shirts. I'll see you later." He tried to push past me, but I grabbed his arm.
"What's in there?" I pointed to the gym bag he had slung over his shoulder. It looked heavy and stuffed full.
"Just some of my equipment." Todd tried to push past me again.
"Really? Let's have a look." I pulled at the strap, and he resisted. "Hand it over, Todd." Then we began to wrestle for control of the bag. He shoved me against the wall, and I pushed back until Todd fell onto the desk then slid to the floor. Pens and papers scattered everywhere. I pinned him to the floor using my forearm against his neck. He struggled but couldn’t get away. I had at least fifty pounds on him. He'd lost more weight than I realized, but he'd been able to cover it with his clothes. He felt like skin and bones...and weak.
"What the hell are you doing, Todd?"
"Come on," he said, his voice garbled from the pressure I was putting on his neck. "There's insurance money. We can get an even bigger, better shop." When he started to gag, I released him and stood. He was too spent to get to his feet, so he sat there and watched me unzip the bag. I pulled out tattoo equipment, some shirts, and several stacks of cash he'd stolen from the safe.
"You were robbing me?" I roared, unable to believe my eyes. "You cleaned out the safe and then you were going to burn the place down?" If he didn't already look chewed up and spat out, I would have k
icked him. He didn't say anything; he just sat there looking at the ground.
"Brando?" Carina came running in. "Are you all right..." She stopped speaking when she noticed Todd sitting on the floor. "What's going on?"
"Did you call the cops?" I asked, pulling her against me.
"No."
"Todd, you have two choices. Jail or rehab."
Todd's head snapped up as he looked at me.
"What? Fuck you, man," he mumbled and looked away.
"Money's been missing for a while. I just didn't know it was you." I started putting together the pieces. "At first, you were sneaking a few dollars from the register, but I knew about that. I even saw you do it, but I let it slide. How did you figure out how to manipulate the books?"
"He was skimming money from each sale," Rosie said quietly as she appeared in the doorway. Her eyes looked red, as if she’d been crying. Carina drew in a deep breath, her body tensing. I rubbed her back and kissed her jaw, and it helped a little. "He had me mark up the costs at the register but write a lower amount in the books. He said it was for taxes or something." She shrugged.
"Shut your mouth," Todd growled. "You knew about it the whole time."
"No,” Rosie shook her head, long bangs swishing over one eye as she vehemently denied Todd’s accusation. “At first, I didn't know he was skimming from each sale, I swear. When I figured it out, he threatened to tell you it was me who was stealing. Let's face it. You would have believed him over me." Rosie lowered her eyes. She was right, and the realization made me feel like shit.
"So, when that stopped being enough, you wanted to burn down the shop for your cut of the insurance money?" I glared at Todd, feeling more and more disgusted every time I looked at him. "I don't know what you are on, but it's fucked you up completely."
"Also, that night, he waited until you had passed out then he sent me in your room to swipe your phone." Todd threw his hands up in exasperation, but Rosie continued. "He stole it so he could get to the security camera app and erase all the recordings." Rosie wound her fingers together nervously. I was grateful that she had confessed it all, but it didn't make me feel any better about her involvement. Her apprenticeship would definitely be over. I couldn't have people around me that I didn't trust.
"Last chance." I turned my gaze back to Todd. "Jail or rehab."
Todd hesitated for a moment and made an exaggerated show of putting his finger to his chin and staring up at the ceiling as if he were giving his options some thought.
"Hmm, let me think." He scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you going to at least pay for this treatment place?"
"Yes, but your ass is going to pay me back. One way or another."
An hour later, Todd was on his way to a treatment center in Charleston with Rosie as his escort.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Carina
Every time I exhaled, he exhaled. I needed, he provided.
I tilted my hips and rocked against him. His pace was slow and deliciously agonizing. I wanted to come so badly, but I also wanted the moment to last forever. The feel of his skin on mine. Taste of his tongue. The tiny whimpers that left my throat each time he hit my sweet spot.