Page 60 of Ink

I don’t want to tell her that they haven’t yet, but it’s obvious to every single one of us that the only place her old ass Pontiac is going to is the junkyard. That thing is a pile of shit. I’m shocked she was still driving that thing around.

“Not yet,” I lie. “I’ll have Hash get on it today.”

Sutton looks like she wants to say something but thinks better of it, instead turning back to her bags and zipping the rest of them up.

“What?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“That look on your face says differently, bunny. If you have somethin’ to say fuckin’ say it.”

“I don’t want to be any more of a burden than I already am,” she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just met all of these people. I’m so thankful for all the help I’ve received, but I don’t want to keep adding to that. It’s not who I am. I don’t want their view of me to be ‘Sutton: the girl who always needs help.’ It’s embarrassing.”

I sigh as I move to sit on my bed, grabbing her soft hand and tugging her toward me until she’s close enough I can maneuver her, so she’s sitting in my lap. I was expecting resistance, but she comes willingly, needing the comfort. She tucks her head right under my chin.

It’s the perfect fit.

“Every single one of my brothers, including me, has needed help along the way, even Evan. That’s life, bunny. It’s up to you to decide if you want to continue to suffer in silence or let someone in to help ease the pain. I can tell you one thing that’s for damn sure, though. Not a single one of us thinks you’re a charity case.”

Her arms slowly wrap around my waist as she hugs me. “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” I press my lips to her forehead, giving her a gentle kiss. Her soft sigh settles in my chest, making it feel tighter, but not in a bad way. No. This tightness is a feeling I haven’t experienced. It’s a tightness I don’t want to ever let up because if it does, I know she’ll be gone. “Let’s get you over to Evan’s.”

“Okay,” Sutton replies softly, neither of us moving.

Maybe we both need this.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

SUTTON

“Knock, knock,” a voice sounds from the doorway of my room at the same time a giant dog jumps on my bed. Looking up from where I’m lying on the bed, I see the start of purple and black hair that belongs to Evan. “Hades! Get down! Just because I want you doesn’t mean everyone else in the world does,” Evan scolds, giving me an apologetic smile. “Sorry about him. He’s still learning what personal space means. I hope it’s okay I came up. I was wondering if you wanted to come down and have a drink with me?”

“Sure,” I answer with a smile, hoping my nerves aren’t showing as I give Hades the belly rub he’s waiting for.

She gives me a reassuring smile back, seeing right through my mask. “It’ll just be us. Cain is out.”

“Ah yeah. Ink told me they had some sort of club business.” It comes out sounding more like a question because now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t remember exactly what he said. My mind hasn’t stopped playing the conversation we had right before he left.

“Yeah, they always have some random shit to take care of. Sometimes they’re gone longer than others. They always come back, though. I made a cheese board if you’re hungry.”

Right on cue, my stomach growls, reminding me I haven’t eaten since lunch with Ink.

“What’s your poison?” Evan asks as she walks over to her bar cart. “I’m a red wine or rum girl, but I have pretty much anything you can think of since the guys come and go. I like to have what everyone likes to drink on hand.”

“Um… whatever you’re having is good.” The last thing I want to admit to someone I just met and am now staying with is that I’ve never drank a drop of alcohol in my life. Judging by the interior of her house, I can tell she has good tastes so her taste for alcohol can’t be far off, right?

“You sure? I can make whatever.”

“I’m sure,” I answer, popping a piece of cheese in my mouth.

My eyes widen as I watch Evan pour more rum into a glass than I would have, topping it off with a splash of diet coke.

“So you and Ink,” Evan says as she sets the glass down in front of me.

“I don’t really know if there is an Ink and me.” I immediately taste the lie on my tongue.