Kali James: The Complete Series by McBride L.A

Author:McBride, L.A.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: One Tree Press
Published: 2023-05-25T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 23

“Are you sure about this?” I asked Bennie for the fourth time.

“Will you stop worrying, already? It’s all good.” Bennie grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the passenger seat of his car. “Zach is a standup guy, and more importantly, he’s willing to work on installment,” he said, waggling his brows.

“Because he owes you a favor.”

Bennie laughed. “Because he owes me a favor.”

I gave Bennie a quick hug. Although the past few months had been terrible for both my bank account and my life expectancy, I’d found my people. I’d been alone for so long—since Claire had died. Having people like Bennie, who knew and embraced who I was, made the dangers almost bearable.

We stepped into the open bay, the smell of motor oil assuring me we had the right place. Zach’s Auto Body was a strictly word-of-mouth kind of shop. Without Bennie, I had no doubt they would have turned me away whether I had a pocket full of cash or not. They catered to supernaturals—shifters mostly.

As soon as the guys spotted us, the din of colorful language and clanking tools died down. There were four men who all looked to be in their twenties, and from their lean bodies and hard eyes, I was guessing they were all shifters. The men gave Bennie a cursory glance but stared outright at me. None of them smiled in greeting, eyeing me with suspicion despite Bennie standing next to me. They were all wearing identical overalls that, based on the layers of dirt and grime, had seen plenty of use.

“Hey boss,” one of them yelled without taking his eyes off me. “Looks like you’ve got some fancy company.”

I frowned, looking down at my sweater and indigo jeans. I’d made it a point to dress casual for this visit. Maybe I should have worn my running attire. Bennie nudged me in the side as a man walked out of a side office and spotted us.

Although I hadn’t met him before, the name sewn onto his shop overalls made Zach easy to identify as he approached. Zach was a scruffy man in his mid-thirties, with a mess of blond hair and the lean build and smooth gait of a cougar shifter. Unlike his staff, Zach had a ready smile that put me at ease.

He clapped Bennie on the back, almost lifting the smaller man off the floor with his enthusiasm. “Bennie, my man. How have you been?”

“Can’t complain.” Bennie turned to me. “Zach, this is my friend, Kali, who I told you about.”

Zach extended his hand, but after taking one look at my pale pink scoop neck sweater and French manicure, he pulled it back and winked at me. “A pretty outfit like that—probably best if you don’t shake my hand.” Even covered in motor oil, Zach was a charmer.

“I appreciate you fitting me in so soon.” I smiled wryly. “And being willing to accept payments.”

“No problem,” he assured me. “Let’s go take a look and talk about the estimate my guys put together.

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