“Jay and some of the others make fun of her singing, or they join in and she hates that. But her singing is really nice. It was a small group, just a few of us, and we listened, and I think I fell in love with her right then. If I could listen to her sing for the rest of my life, I’d treat her like a queen.”

“I’ll ask her. I’ll tell her some of that, if you don’t mind it.”

“Yes. Sure. I’m nervous now,” Lachlan said. “I was also wondering—she’s not necessarily the only one I’m considering.”

Rain’s heart sank.

“Do you know Nell?”

“I know Nell,” Rain said, feeling relieved. “Jay’s twin.”

“She has power too.”

“Do you like her?”

“I—she’s pretty, and she’s told me she’s interested.”

“But do you like her?”

“She told me she’s interested, and she’s close to the leadership. Do you know if I have to say yes?”

“I don’t know,” Rain said. “I might not be the person to ask.”

“You’re the easiest to talk to.”

“If they told you that you can pick anyone… you can probably pick anyone. But Nell might not be a fan of yours afterward.”

Lachlan frowned.

“Let me ask Allie, on the down-low. Maybe if she says no, you go to Nell and act like she’s the first and last person you considered for a wife.”

“What if she says yes?”

“Then you would have to decide if having her at your side is worth possibly having Nell be upset with you.”

Lachlan huffed out a sigh.

“The machine shop is just down the block,” Rain said.

“Thank you for talking to me,” Lachlan said.

Rain looked his way.

Lachlan’s hand adjusted its position on the steering wheel. His hand trembled a little in the moments where it wasn’t gripping the wheel.

“Sure,” Rain said.

Lachlan pulled the car to a stop. “Gotta ask you one more thing, if you don’t mind giving me a minute of your time.”

“Okay,” Rain said. “You saved me more than a minute, so I don’t mind.”

Lachlan got out of the car as Rain did. In the time it took Rain to work his way to a standing position, Lachlan walked around the front of the vehicle to the side of the road and pulled off his t-shirt.

He turned so his back was to Rain. Rain, in turn, was faced with a tattoo. Words in bold letters, inches-high, shaded, with thick outlines. The first word was just below the nape of his neck, and the last was in the small of his back.

Jesus
Virgin-Mother-Fucking
Christ

Two hands, middle fingers extended, were on Lachlan’s shoulder blades, the fingers pointing up and outward. Each hand had a nail through the center.