AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I turn my gaze to Elian who’s watching me with those iridescent eyes. “I’m not here to play games, Mr. Donati.”
“Neither am I,” he tells me, closing the distance between us, and at full height, I have to tip my head back to look at him. “Now tell me honestly, since the choice is yours, who is it going to be?”
He stares at me for a long while. There can’t be any doubt in his mind anymore. He knows it’s him, but he wants to hear me say it. My heart thuds, beating in my ears, deafening me. I need to make a choice. Even though I know I want Elian more than anything, it’s the trust and affection in Ahren’s eyes that keep me from opening my mouth.
Elian is forbidden.
But I can break the rules once more.
Can’t I?17AhrenShrugging on my leather jacket, I make my way down the driveway to my bike. The apartment I’m renting has everything I need, and it also offers me solace from the town that’s always had its watchful eyes on me. I haven’t spoken to my brother or Arabella since yesterday afternoon, so I’m not sure what happened after I left. He hasn’t called me, so I figure they’re getting to know each other more intimately.
My choice to step back and allow Elian to be with Arabella doesn’t hurt me, but it does frustrate me because she’s fucking gorgeous. I want nothing more than to devour her whole, but I know she likes him. And I’m not a homewrecker.
My cell phone vibrates in my pocket, and when I pull it out, I see the name of a man who’s offered me a chance at a job when I leave school. He’s one of the most talented tattoo artists out there, and if he wants me to be his apprentice, I’ll jump at the chance.
“Hey,” I answer, nerves already twisting my gut at the prospect of working for him full time once I’ve graduated.
“Ahren,” his deep voice barrels over the line. “I’m in town, and I wanted to know if you’d be up for a session tomorrow. I have a new client coming in, and she’s willing to let you do something small on her. Test the ink, so to speak,” he tells me.
“Yeah, of course.” I’m smiling from ear to ear, and I’m sure he can hear it. “Thanks, man. I look forward to it.”
“If you have any ideas, sketch them up and we can show her. I’m sure she’ll want something unique.” The fact that he’s allowing me to do this means a lot. Elian has always told me I will be able to live my dreams, to have the career I’ve always wanted, but even growing up in Miami with his family looking after me, I knew I had to make it on my own.
“Most definitely. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I tell Scar. We hang up, and I’m thinking about how fortunate I was to meet him. Back in Miami, I hung out at a small dive bar on the beach where the Fallen Saints MC would hang out. The Miami chapter allowed me to spend time with them, and when I met the guys from the Arizona chapter, I knew where my future was headed.
I haven’t yet told Elian I will definitely be patching in, but I know soon I’m going to have to come clean. The more time I spent with the guys, the more I realized that’s where I belong. When Scar told me that he had his own studio not far from Black Mountain, I asked him if I could pop in over a weekend to watch him work, to learn from him, and he agreed.
Even though he doesn’t head out to Black Mountain often, he called me up a few days ago and told me he’s coming to town on business. I don’t know his full story, but from what I gather, it’s not good. He once confided in me that he needed to find his own way, even if it was for a short time. And since he opened his own place, he’s been doing well.
With excitement rushing my veins, I hop on my bike and speed down to the gate, which slides open, allowing me out onto the road. First things first, I need to get to school.When I walk up to the front door of the house, it whooshes open, and Elian steps out onto the porch. He’s dressed in casual slacks with a black tee that makes him look far younger than he is. But his gaze is haunted, worry creasing his expression.
“What’s up your ass?” I chuckle as I reach him.
“I’m concerned. I don’t know if this is a good idea or not, and Arabella will be here in thirty minutes,” he tells me, looking me over. I’ve always seen Elian as confident, commanding in any situation, but I can imagine taking a risk to be with her can be stressful.
