AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I gave him a quick pet. “Come on, boy. Let’s put you outside.” I let the dog out and then turned to Marj. “Where the fuck is he?”
“Settle down. I have no idea.”
“He was here a few hours ago.”
“Oh, you were here?”
I nodded. “Is his car here?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t look,” Marj said.
I ran outside. His Mercedes was there, but his pickup was not. He had driven off somewhere. “Damn it,” I said under my breath.
Marj came outside and grabbed my arm. “Jade, what the hell is wrong with you?”
“Your brother is what’s wrong with me, Marj.” I let out a huff. “He has really overstepped his boundaries this time.”
“What are you talking about?”
“For some reason, he doesn’t want me to get a tattoo. He won’t tell me why, except that he doesn’t want me to mar my body. I had the greatest image all picked out—a phoenix similar to what I saw on my mom’s boyfriend. It truly spoke to me, and after so many years of searching for the right image, I thought I’d found it. But Talon went crazy, forbidding me to get a tattoo, and especially that tattoo. I don’t take kindly to orders, as you know, so I went in today to make an appointment at Toby’s, and I was told that they won’t tattoo me. Can you fucking believe that?”
“I’m sure there’s a very good explanation.”
“Really? You think so? He’s a businessman, for God’s sake. I’m a client willing to pay good money to get a tattoo. And he turns me away. That has Talon Steel written all over it.”
Marj bit at her lip. “Why would Talon care if you get a tattoo?”
I rolled my eyes and threaded my fingers through my hair. “Tell me, and we’ll both know. Your brother’s just crazy. Simply crazy. There’s no other explanation.”
Marj sighed. “I don’t know that he’s crazy, but he does have issues.”
“Issues? This goes way beyond issues. Your brother’s just going to have to understand that he doesn’t own me. I’m going to go into Grand Junction and get my whole fucking body tattooed to spite him.”
Marj let out a giggle. “No, you’re not.”
“Fine. Okay, I’m not.” I drew in a deep breath and let it out, trying desperately to calm down. “But I am going to go to Grand Junction and get a tattoo. No matter what he says.”
“That’s certainly your right. Normally, you know I would never tell you not to do something that you want to do, but…”
“But what? Surely, you can’t be telling me that you agree with him.”
“I’m not saying that.” She smiled. “And don’t call me Shirley.”
I burst into giggles. Trust Marj to pacify me with a stupid-ass joke.
“See, I knew I could make you laugh. Let’s go to the kitchen and have a glass of wine. We’ll talk this out.”
While Felicia was busy in the kitchen getting dinner ready, Marj poured two glasses of wine, and we went out onto the deck.
“Now,” Marj said. “Spill it. What the hell is going on?”
I sighed. “I wish I knew.” I looked down at my glass of wine and swirled the liquid a little. “He told me he loved me today.”
“Oh my God, that’s fantastic!” Marj clapped her hands. “I don’t believe it.”
“I didn’t either. I mean, I believe it, I just couldn’t believe he said it.”
“Did you say it back?”
