Page 36 of The Best Shot

Grant had rolled into town two years ago wanting to buy it outright and fold it into Townsend Customs, same as he’d done with shops from Waco to Corpus.

I’d told him no. Then proposed another option.

Partnership. My people kept their jobs. We got Townsend’s parts network, payroll system, financing, and enough breathing room to stop patching the roof with prayer and spite.

And HENRY’S went up on the wall.

That was the part I held out for. Three generations of Henrys working under another man’s name, and I was the one who finally put ours up there. Cost me points in the negotiation, but Grant being Grant, hadn’t made it hard for me. He’d come back with a better offer than I deserved and fewer strings than I expected.

Jazmine hit her high notes and I turned the wrench again.

“You’re going to strip that bolt.”

I jolted. “Jesus.”

Carter leaned against the workbench in a navy quarter-zip, arms crossed, looking too clean for the shop but too useful to send away.

“It’s fine,” I said.

“Uh-huh. You’ve been fighting that same bolt for twenty minutes.” He glanced at the speakers mounted in the corner. “And what the fuck is this music?”

I set the wrench down. “That is Jazmine Sullivan.”

Carter stared at me.

“The voice of her generation,” I said.

“What?”

“You heard me.” I looked toward bay two. “Hey, Darnell?”

“Yeah, boss?” He didn’t look up from the transmission.

“Tell our friend from corporate what’s playing.”

“Jazmine Sullivan,” he said immediately. “Voice of her generation.”

“Thank you, Darnell.”

Carter pinched the bridge of his nose. “Perfect. Consensus.”

I grabbed a rag. “What do you need, Carter?”

“The Masterson invoice, which I’ve now asked for—” he held up his fingers, “—four times.”

Carter ran operations for Grant, which meant he knew where every dollar went and enjoyed making that everyone else’s problem.

“Right, the invoices,” I said. “I’ll get them to you by Monday.”

“You said Monday, last Monday.”

“This Monday. Different Monday.”

“Hale. Finance is on my neck. I need them.”

“You’ll get them.”

“I need them before the quarter closes, not after.”