Page 95 of Midnight Ink

“You can do better than that. Keep it coming.”

Instead, she hops down and makes her way around the island. “I’m going to do this once, and we will never speak of it again.” I’m confused before her tiny arms wrap around me.

The contact must shock something loose, because once her arms go around me, I’m done. I lose it. Everything I’ve held onto since meeting Ian just crumbles. I hug her tighter, probably too tight. She rubs my back and waits for me to come back to the surface.

“You deserve all the good things, Jules. Never settle for less than you deserve.”

I finally pull away from her. “Shit.” I laugh softly, shaking my head and wiping my eyes.

“What is it?”

I look at her then pat the top of her head. “I think you’re my best friend.”

Anna’s pierced brow lifts. “Oh, Jules.” With a lopsided grin that makes her snakebites stick out, she grips my bicep, giving me a quick squeeze. “That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.”

MADDOX

BEFORE

“How can someone so insanely skilled have such absolute shit taste in art?”

Jamie holds up the vampire queen painting I got for a dollar at a yard sale, inspecting it like it might hiss at him. Ian leans over his shoulder and recoils.

“Burn it,” Ian says, shaking his head. “Please.”

“Why does she look wet?” Jamie grimaces. “And angry.”

“She’s ethereal,” I say. “And powerful.”

“She’s damp.” He grimaces. “And mad about it.”

Jamie keeps roasting my gorgeous painting, but it’s fine. Anna loves it. Anna always loves the weird shit I find. Yard sales are full of amazing shit. She always comes along with me and finds the best things.

Which is why Anna is my number one best friend.

My second-best friend twists his face like he’s smelling something rancid. “Can I finish your neck today? I have some time later.” The shop is nearly done and I’m itching to tattoo. We’ve all busted our asses these last few months.

“Sure.” He sets my vampire goddess down. “It’s gonna hurt, right? The outline sucked.”

“Immensely. Even more now that you insulted my queen.”

Ian drops into my chair with his sketchbook in hand. I know he wants to help, but he hurt his back last time we were moving things, and I have him strictly on light work.

He flips his book open and starts to draw. He’s a little pissed at me now, but it’s okay. We got into a tiny argument this morning. It’s fine, we’re fine. Ian’s brain just doesn’t let him let go. He thinks of every possible thing that will go wrong.

I rest my arm on Jamie’s shoulder, watching Ian pretend to ignore me. He can try all he wants but I am not ignorable. He should know this by now. “Look at my sexy little stormcloud.” Ian’s greenish eyes lift with murder bright in them.

Getting this shop ready has been a fucking nightmare.

I tried to do everything myself at first until my friends staged an intervention and started to help. Jamie and his little brother Xavi, with their sister Luci, have helped this summer. Hunter even came up for a bit but had to go back home to get ready for hockey camp. Ian and Anna have been here day in and day out with me. It’s hard to accept help, but I hate to admit I needed it.

“Jamie, when you’re done burning that monstrosity, I have a stack upstairs you can have at. Take them all.”

“You guys don’t understand real art.”

“Baby, when your flavor of art is shit, no one wants to taste it.” He smiles, proud of himself.

I walk to him and brace my hands on the arms of the chair, staring at this little asshole. “Stop being mad at me.”