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“I’m glad we’re on the same page.”
As Liam continued the tattoo, working diligently in peace, I found myself hitting a wall of resolve.
I couldn’t continue with any articles that might make him look bad or investigate his past, for that matter. I needed to stop for both of our sake. Trying to meet with his old boss got me jumped by some random assailant, and I didn’t need to put myself in any other questionable positions.
Beyond that, I didn’t want to hurt Liam. Before, I thought I did. I thought that exacting revenge would make me feel better, but I realized it would only continue to be an endless loop—a never-ending cycle.
It would tarnish the peace we were trying to reach, and if our relationship moving forward ended up being a good thing, then I didn’t want to be the one to ruin it.
“And we’re done here,” Liam said, turning the tattoo gun off as he set it aside and reached for a fresh cloth. With one final spray, he wiped the tattoo down, removing whatever ink was left over.
As the fresh, beautiful art was revealed to me, I could hardly contain how happy it made me to see it.
The dainty line work paired with those soft colors looked amazing against my skin, and I couldn’t contain my smile.
“It looks beautiful. Thank you,” I said, making sure Liam could feel and see my sincerity. “The process wasn’t so bad either.”
He didn’t need to hide his content grin either. “See? I'll give you a week or two before you’re back here asking for more.”
Amazed by how it looked and felt, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Something told me he was right about that.
Chapter 22 - Liam
I had just reached the studio to get a head start on some client designs when my phone vibrated in my pocket. Fishing it out, I noticed Kai’s name and answered the call.
“How is everything?” I asked, wondering if he had any information on the man who attacked Cora.
His tone rang through more serious than I expected. “Come see me on the grounds. We need to talk.”
Dread dripped into my system, and I had my answer already. Without having to say anything else, I knew it had to do with the assailant. I just hoped it was a random hit and that the man would no longer be a threat to anyone.
“I’m on my way now,” I replied, turning on my heel despite the wash of worry that came over me.
Without any doubt, it was a situation that needed to be handled carefully, and I wanted Kai to know that no matter what, I was serious.
With a sound of acknowledgment, Kai ended the call, and I was left to wonder what the newest development was.
Despite feeling uneasy about it, I reminded myself that everything would be fine. Cora was safe, we were making strides in the right direction, and I didn’t need to worry.
Without wasting any time, I hopped in my truck and headed for the pack grounds. While it wasn’t too far, I didn’t want to delay. From the sound of it, Kai likely had questions for me, and I wasn’t prepared to make the alpha wait.
I was lost in my head the entire drive, left wondering what direction the conversation would go in. For my sake, I hoped it wouldn’t be as bad as my instincts seemed to assume.
When I pulled up to the grounds, already finding Kai outside of the pack hall, I took in a deep breath and lifted my chin. I knew I had to face whatever news he had, and there was no backing out.
Stepping out of the truck, Kai crossed his arms over his chest, and he gave me a grave look that made my stomach drop.
It couldn’t be anything good.
“Thanks for coming here promptly,” he said, getting right to it with a deep exhale. “Your past is your business, and I don’t want to pry more than I have to, but I need more information.”
While I didn’t entirely like the idea of being asked any more questions, my confusion masked that resistance creeping up inside me. I didn’t know what my past had to do with any of it, but I couldn’t see any other choice left for me to take.
“All right,” I began, silently telling myself I couldn’t hide anymore. If I wanted my reputation in Rose Valley to be an honest one, then I had to be exactly that. “What do you need to know?”
Acknowledging my cooperation, he nodded. “The man who attacked her apparently worked for someone named Alphonse Gleason. According to the assailant, you have ties with this individual.”
Everything stopped at once. The details I tried to hide for the sake of moving on. The people I tried to escape. No matter how badly I wanted to free myself from it all, it still followed me.
