Chapter 1
"Are you kidding me? Tit for Tat? It sounds like you're trading your tittie for a tattoo!"
"Hey, I think it's catchy. It took me a long time to come up with that name!" she giggles.
"What? 5 minutes?"
"A whole day, thank you!"
"What happened to you sis? I thought we were going to be artist, not drilling ink into someones skin."
"You're a fine one to talk, you and your comic books!"
"They are not comic books, they're anime and they pay the bills, Thank you!"
"What happened to you Matt? You're always so serious lately. Is turning 21 turning you into an old man? Chill."
"Is turning 21 turning you into a 5 year old again? Come on Katt, you can't be serious about this. And this location is enough to scream creepy killer!"
"Brother, I will be fine. I have installed all the latest security apps and cameras. I'm checking into guards, I've been hitting up on that hunk at Jake's Bar, hopefully I can get him on board."
"Which one? They are all hunks to you." he glares at her.
"The big Samoan dude, he's always there."
"The brick wall that never speaks? Even brick walls have weaknesses sis."
"Matt, really? He is wider than the door itself, no one can get past him." she smiles widely.
"I still don't like it. Can you at least think about changing the name?"
"No."
"Hi Miko. What are you doing?" Katt flops down beside the large man.
"Eating" he mumbles.
"Are you busy?"
"Yes."
"Did you think about the offer I made?"
"Yes."
"So?"
"I'm still thinking about it."
"Come on man, you're killing me here." Katt whines.
"I'll get back to you."
"Fine, I guess I'll ask somebody else. I need somebody I can depend on, and soon. Sorry I bothered you Miko." she gets up to leave.
"Wait. I'll do it." he sighs deeply.
"Are you serious, no bullshit?"
"When do you need me to start?"
"I open in a month, but I need you the week before to scope out what you think needs to be looked into."
"It needs to be done earlier. I need to observe the area on a regular basis, watch the neighborhood, spot the locals and ones going through."
"Really? I never knew it was that involved. So when can you do all that?"
"Tomorrow. What are your hours of operation?"
"I was thinking 10-10 should be good."
"Will you have some one working with you?"
"No, not at first, maybe when business picks up, I can bring someone else in. Are the hours too long for you?"
"No, but I can't see you working that many hours at a time."
"I'm a lot tougher than most people think, I can hold my own. Can you?"
"We'll see."
"Thanks Miko." she pops up to leave.
"Oh and Katt, lunch will be on you."
"You got it big boy." she winks and walks away.
"He said yes? I'm surprised." Matt carefully sketches.
"Come on Matt, give credit where credit is do, I'm a real charmer." Katt says, hanging over his shoulder.
"A real pain in the ass more like it." He glances at her.
"I love you too. What are you working on?"
"A basic layout for a new scene. It's just the background right now but I have a layover to apply later."
"It's looks pretty complicated for a comic."
"Sis....never mind. So why are you here. I know it's not to tell me about the brick wall."
"Yeah, well it is. He thinks I should cut my hours of operation and bring someone else in."
"You have to see his reasoning in that Katt. He is there to protect you. Also, it can get bad if you try to tattoo for 12 hours straight. And bringing someone in sounds like a good idea, you wouldn't have to work so hard. You wouldn't be alone."
"I don't know, I like to be alone, I can concentrate better."
"I know, but you need to be around people now, it will make things better for you." he stops and looks at her.
"I know, I know. That's why I'm doing this to meet people, just not all at once." she looks at him sadly.
"So what are you gonna do?" He goes back to sketching.
"I don't know, yet. Okay, I gotta go, he's picking me up in an hour."
"Why?" He looks up.
"We are gonna scout the area for security."
"Have fun with that, and sis, be careful." he frowns slightly.
"I'm always careful. Love you." she bounces away laughing.
"Yeah, love you too." he watches her leave.
"What the hell is that?"
"What? It's my car." replies Miko.
"First, it's not a car, it's a big butt ugly cargo van. And Two, why do you drive a big butt ugly cargo van?"
"Shut up and get in. Wait, you gotta get in on my side. That door doesn't open easily."
"Not even gonna mention three and four and you better not touch my ass either."
"What ass?" Miko smirks, looking at her tiny ass, blushing. Then he notices she has a tattoo across her lower back, when her shirt rides up. He raises a brow.
"I happen to have a very fine ass thank you. Ugh, what is that smell?"
"A dead body, now shut up and scoot over." he gives her a nudge.
"Uh, Miko. There's nowhere to scoot to, the seat is missing."
"Oh yeah, well scoot as far as you can, you'll have to straddle the stick."
"I'm not straddling anything!" she snaps.
"The gear shift."
"Still. Fine! I have so many questions."
"Why am I not surprised." he rolls his eyes.
"Why is your seat missing?" she looks up at him.
"Fire." He starts the van.
"What is that smell?" she wrinkles her nose looking around.
"Kolarabi."
"Huh?"
"I do deliveries between shifts at the club. I had an order of Kolarabi left in here for a couple of days." he puts the van in gear and takes off quickly.
"That is disgusting and I don't even know what that is."
"It's a vegetable." he chuckles.
"That's why. Why do you not have a regular car, like a Buick or Chevy why this monster?"
"Do you ever shut up?" Miko grumbles.
"Matt says I don't, but I have to sleep don't I?" Miko questions that. She has so much child-like energy.
"I wonder. Here we are, this should be good for a bit." he pulls to the curb.
"Miko."
"What?" he says with a deep sigh.
"There's something sticking me in my ass."
"Enjoy. See that building there. That is a suspicious looking building. The entrance has a bunch of goons just hanging around. See how people walk towards the roadside of the sidewalk instead of down the middle?"
"Yeah, that is weird. I'm serious Miko, something is sticking me and it's starting to hurt." she wiggles in the seat.
"Damn. Lean up and let me see."
"I can't lean up, the stick is in the way." she whines.
"Hold on, we'll drive around the block so I can check it out." he pulls around the corner into a parking lot.
"Come onto my lap."
"No!" she snaps looking at him.
"Then enjoy." he shrugs with a smirk.
"No! Alright! Ugh! Ouch."
"It's a spring. Be still, I'll bend it down, there. That should be better."
"Katt."
"Um?"
"You can get off my lap now." he frowns.
"Oh yeah, sorry about that." he looks at the woman in amazement. How can a child live in the body of this beautiful woman.
"Seriously Miko. Why this clunker?" he sighs deeply.
"I used to live in it until I found a place. Plus, I'm a big man, I need a big ride. Happy?" he glares down at her.
"You're not that big. Well, yeah you're big, but not this big." she waves her arms around in emphasis.
"I really can't afford anything else right now, plus it comes in handy for deliveries. Why are you so concerned about my ride anyway?"
"For one, it's disgusting and you deserve something better." she struggles to turn around in the seat to look into the back.
"Hey! Watch the knee! What are you doing?" he quickly protects his privates.
"What's in those boxes?" she quizzes.
"Just stuff."
"Rape and murder stuff?" she turns and frowns at him.
"That's right wanna see?" he smirks.
"Yes." and she climbs over the seat.
"Katt. It's just junk, come back up here."
"Oh my god!" when she opens a box.
"You like fishing? I love fishing! Take me some time. Matt won't, he's a woose when it comes to worms and such." Miko laughs at her childlike excitement.
"Sure, next chance I get." she leans over the seat right in his face.
"Seriously? Or are you just trying to humor me?" he can smell the mint of her breath. She has a glint of excitement in her eyes, damn she is beautiful.
He is shocked out of his thoughts when she kisses him on the cheek.
"What was that for?"
"Thank you for all of this Miko, I really appreciate it." she beams.
"Yeah, well, lets head back We can scout somewhere else tomorrow. Come back up here and we'll take off."
She giggles as she clumsily climbs over the seat, her small breast press into his face then she drops onto his lap and slides down beside him, just a little closer than before he notices.
Miko holds his breath until she is settled. He starts the van and goes to shift , realizing for the first time how close his hand is to her. When he shifts into drive, his hand brushes against the inside of her thigh. It seems she moves a little closer to him.
Forget it fat boy. You ain't got a chance in hell with someone like her.
