Lucky Baby (Crescent Cove 11)

“Right now, your aura is hot pink, Tish.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“I do.” But she didn’t say anything else. “C’mon, Goldilocks, it’s time to get you to bed.”

“Bed sounds like an essssslent idea.”

“Doesn’t it just?” They shuffled their way to their door.

I stepped back into the elevator. When I got back to the lower level, I found Lucky in the hallway where I’d left him. A ripping snore filled the room.

I put my hands on my hips. “Awesome.”

What the hell was I going to do with him? There was no way I could get him on my bike like this. I stepped over him and went out the door. “Of course your truck isn’t out here. I don’t even know if there’s a parking lot for the apartments.”

I thought about texting Luna, but she had enough on her plate. I rotated my tense neck. My only option was Lucille. Dammit, I didn’t want his drunk ass in my pristine Caddy.

I turned back around and kicked his boot.

He snorted, sat up for a second, then his chin lolled back onto his chest.

“Perfect.” I slammed out the door and stalked over to the garage. I dug out my key and turned off the alarm before I went through another door to the main garage.

Gage had on his welding helmet and was slowly working a bead of welding rod down a join. It looked like it was the bat template we were using on the rear brake lights. I waited until he was at the end of the join and his torch went out.

“I hate to interrupt.”

Gage flipped up his helmet. His head was sweaty, and flux and metal shavings dusted his apron. “Hey, Tish. Where you been?”

“Family stuff.”

“Dare said your brother’s friend passed. I’m sorry.”

My chest tightened. That wasn’t even half of it. “Yeah. It was not how I wanted to spend a few days away.”

“No shit.” He pulled off his gloves. “You here to work? I was only going to finish this up then get home.”

“It’s fine. I had plans to do just that, but I have another thing to deal with now instead. Can I borrow you for a second?”

He dropped his gloves on the bench. “Yeah. Let me just put this shit away.”

“Thanks.”

I headed over to the back of the garage and flipped off my covering. The smooth gleam of a deep smoky lavender Cadillac El Dorado gave my heart a little jolt.

Lucille was my first rebuild. Every piece had been salvaged and brought back to her former glory. And the parts I couldn’t find, I replicated based on the exact specs. I loved this car more than anything.

And if Lucky threw up on my white leather interior, I’d toss him onto the side of the road and leave him for dead.

I got in and flipped the visor down to find the keys I’d stashed there. Since it was probably easier to put a six-foot-four male into my car with the top down, I hit the hand releases.

Thank God it was a nice day. Besides, if he froze his ass off, it was his problem. That damn man wasn’t ever cold anyway.

“Oh, taking your baby out?”

“Yeah. Part of the favor. Can you open up the bay for me?”

“Yeah, you got it.” Gage jogged to the chains on the door. We’d tried to convince Dare to upgrade to automatic doors, but he was stubborn. It would take a blowtorch to get through the locks, so I couldn’t really fault him.