Punishing Me (Shaft on Tour #6) by Cat Mason Read Free Book Online Page B

I’d get it fixed as soon as possible. I’ve eaten Krispy Kremes
bigger than that donut.”
    Ireland’s
eyes snap to mine, all the lightheartedness, gone. “Do you really wanna play
mine is bigger than yours, Nicky?” she teases. “I know how much of a sore loser
you can be.”
    “Nicky?”
Jazzie giggles, looking at me. “There’s a girl named Nicky in my class. She
smells like cheese and picks her nose. Ugh, she’s so irrelevant it makes me
heavey. Can we go to the Happy Hut now? Ooooo!” Clapping her hands, her eyes
widen. Turning, she grips Ireland’s face with both hands. “You have to come
with us. Happy Hut is the bestest ever!”
    “What
is a Happy Hut?” Ireland asks through smooshed lips. “And why do I want to go
there?”
    “Because,”
Jazz huffs, releasing her grip on Ireland’s face to cross her arms over her
chest and scowl. “Rae is a Preggersaurus Rex.”
    “A
what?” Ireland laughs. Leaning into the side of the car, her eyes fall on me
when I nearly choke on air.
    “A
Preggersaurus Rex,” Jazz says again, louder this time. “That’s what Mack and me
call her when—“
    “Okay,
Kiddo, I’d say you’ve dug my hole deep enough for one day. Buckle up, I’m ready
to go.” Bending down, I lower the car and start to pack everything up into the
trunk.
    “Bossasaurus,”
Jazzie mutters under her breath, making me chuckle.
    “You
just broke my heart so much, I don’t know if I can bring my Bossasaurus self to
drive all the way to Happy Hut,” I fire back, winking at her over my shoulder. Packing
the jack back into the case, I slip it back where it belongs and put the bad
tire in before shutting the trunk.
    “Borrrrrring,”
she says before disappearing back into the car.
    “She’s
cute. Bonus points because she totally puts you in your place,” Ireland says,
leaning her hip against the tail light. Glancing back at my car, she smirks.
“Thanks for helping me out.”
    “Whoa,”
I gasp, gripping onto the back of the car. “Am I hallucinating, or was that an
expression of gratitude?”
    Her
eyes narrow, but a smile plays on her lips. “Shut up, you ass,” she deadpans,
slapping me in the chest. “Are we going to this Happy Hut place, or not?” she
asks, shocking me.
    “Just
because the kid asked, and I demonstrated major white knight and mechanic
skills here, doesn’t mean you have to feel obligated to come with us,” I assure
her. “I can tell her you’re busy or whatever. It’s no big deal.”
    “I
don’t feel obligated,” she replies, almost sounding angry. “Besides,” she
shrugs, her eyes glancing back at Jazzie through the windshield. “I’m not busy;
why should we lie to her? Unless you have an issue with me tagging along,
Nicky?”
    “I
don’t know if you can handle all that is Happy Hut,” I challenge. “That’s all.”
    She
smiles, her entire face brightening. “I’ll follow you there.”
    Skirting
by me, Ireland makes her way around the car and climbs inside. Without another
word, she starts the engine and pulls the door closed.
    “Is
she coming too?” Jazzie asks the second I get in the car.
    “Yeah.”
Releasing the brake, I shift into gear before pulling onto the street. “You
talked her into it.”
    “Yay!”
Jazzie cheers, fist pumping the air. “She’s the super coolest girl ever!”
    “Yeah,”
I nod, checking for Ireland’s car in the rearview mirror. “She’s somethin’
alright.”

Chapter Six
    Bull’s Spit
    Ireland
    "I
win again!" Hunter's daughter, Jasmine, squeals around a mouth full of
cotton candy. The Skeeball machine buzzes and lights up. The words ‘WINNER’
flashing in a rainbow of bright colors, almost appearing to celebrate right
with her. Standing to her bright purple covered converse feet on the chair, she
throws her hands up, shaking her butt in a full on victory dance. Rubbing salt
in the wounds of Dominick's loss.
    I
love this kid.
    For
the last hour, she has gone through half a red solo cup full of