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“CJ’s mom suggested skin graft, which you outright refused, and we get it. After what you’ve been through, it’s a lot to allow strangers to touch you while you’re unconscious.” Although Baby’s never said that’s why she’s declined the option, I’m certain that’s the reason.
Although she’s gotten a lot better at not keeping her feelings hidden from us, I don’t think she’ll ever be an open book. That’s just not who she is. Except when she’s sleeping. That’s when she’s completely honest and vulnerable.
When I was finally released from the hospital and we got back to the house, she couldn’t sleep without all of us touching her. If one of us left the bed, she’d immediately wake up, curl in on herself and shake until we were all together. And even when we were all there, she was plagued with nightmares. Many nights she’d wake us up with tortured screams and sobbing as her subconscious played cruel tricks on her.
Though I can’t say for certain what changed within her, the night terrors became fewer and fewer. After we moved, they disappeared completely, and she’s now able to sleep through the night with no incidents—at least as long as we’re all together.
“And you’ve tried pretty much every non-surgical option known to man. Tropical treatment, silicone sheeting, intralesional injections, and scar massage. None of which could get rid of the brand or the indentation from it,” CJ adds, slowing down as we get closer.
Kas turns around and looks at Baby, who’s sitting in the back with me. “Well, how about covering it with something else?” he suggests, sounding like he’s trying to lead her to the obvious conclusion without actually saying it.
“Like a tattoo,” CJ says as he parks the car in front of a tattoo shop.
Baby cocks her head to the side, looking at us one at a time. I watch her as she looks at my neck tattoo before her eyes move to Kas and Coen. Unlike mine, their ink is hidden beneath their clothes.
“A mask,” she says and smiles. “I want a mask just like yours.”
Baby never fails to surprise me. The woman I met in what feels like another lifetime would never have considered ink, and if she did, it sure as hell wouldn’t be a second-rate theater mask nestled between her breasts. Yet her smile is genuine as she jokes around with Sylvia, the middle-aged tattooist who’s busy cleaning the area.
It’s no coincidence that we asked for Sylvia specifically. After all, it’s almost symbolic that the same woman who gave us our ink is the very one to do the same to Baby.
“I still can’t get over how grownup you boys are. It seems like it was only yesterday you came in here.”
Sylvia’s smile shows the years haven’t been kind to her. She’s missing a few teeth, and her nose looks like it’s been broken once or twice. Despite that, her eyes twinkle, and she looks happy.
“Are you sure you’re here voluntarily, honey? You look too classy to be putting up with that lot.” Even though I’m sure it’s meant in jest, there’s a curious look in Sylvia’s eyes, like she’s really wondering what Baby is doing with us.
“Hey now, don’t go get any ideas, Syl. Mia belongs with us,” Kas says, matching her tone completely.
Baby doesn’t seem bothered at all, if anything, she’s intrigued. “Ma’am, I appreciate your concern, but I can assure you those men belong to me as much as I do to them. They’re my special someones.” Then she laughs. “And I can promise you I’m not classy.”
After removing her bra completely, Baby lies down on the table, and for a second, she looks scared and lost. But after blinking a few times, she looks determined and excited again. Watching her like this makes me decide to face my own fear, well, it isn’t really a fear. Or maybe it is… I can’t fucking decide.
The piece of paper Mia gave me so long ago is safely tucked away in my wallet. I’ve never even dialed the number. CJ told me to call after he worked out what Mark had done with leaving messages for Baby, I didn’t though. I’ve kept dodging it, using one excuse or another. But no more. If Baby can cover her scar and insecurity, I can face a voice message from him.
“I’ll be right back,” I murmur to Kas before I walk over to the corner and pull the paper from my wallet, pushing the numbers into my keypad.
“Alec, hi. It’s Mark, but I’m guessing you already know that. I’ll make it brief because we really only have one thing to talk about. Mia! While I still can’t say I fully approve, I respect her enough to let her make her own decisions.”
Rolling my eyes, I turn around so I can look out the windows and at the people walking by.
“Look, there are things you don’t know. I never told you who attacked me, and I’m sorry for that. At the time, I didn’t trust you, and I wanted to protect Mia. That’s an old man’s mistake, and I apologize. If you’re listening to this message, it means something has happened to me, and you need to take care of Mia. Please, Alec, take good care of her and don’t trust anyone. Not Mr. Riley and not her Wednesday regular, Luis. I don’t know everything that’s going on between them, but something is.”
Gasping, I cover my mouth with my hand. Fuck! If only I’d listened to this message back when Baby gave me the number.
“I don’t have any details or anything official. All I know is that they’ve communicated more and more. Keep your eye on Mia, won’t you? For better or worse, Mia has chosen you, Kas, and Coen, and I’ll respect her choice. I’ve left almost everything to her, except for one thing. When you listen to this message, you need to call my lawyer and say these numbers: six-two-nine. Those are the numbers of a safe deposit box Mia doesn’t know about. Once my lawyer retrieves the item inside, you’ll know what to do and know that I want you to do it. Take good care of my girl. Thank you, Alec.”
My head is swimming as I play Mark’s message repeatedly before I finally call his lawyer and repeat the numbers. The conversation is brief, and the lawyer wants me to come to his office tomorrow with Kas and CJ. We have to come alone, though. He was very specific about that.
