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“What’s it mean?” he whispered. He knew it had to have a special meaning to his human; it was different from the rest of the ink on his body. It was the only tattoo with color, yeah, but it was also beautiful where most of the rest seemed perfunctory.
“It’s a reminder.”
“Of what?” It was probably rude to ask, but he didn’t want any secrets between him and Quinten, not even something little.
“No matter how dark the world gets, there’s still beauty. Sometimes it’s just hidden.”
His eyes stung again, but he blinked the tears away. “I love that.” He placed a soft kiss to the center of the rose, then climbed to his feet. “What about this one?”
Quinten looked down at where Caden was tracing the infinity symbol beneath the word Amato.
He snorted a laugh, drawing Caden’s eyes to his face. “Liam’s idea. He got one just like it and pestered me until I’d get one to match. A symbol of our brotherly bond.”
He said it laughingly but with such fondness Caden’s heart swelled in his chest. “That’s sweet.”
“I don’t know about that, but I finally gave in after my dad died.”
“I’m sorry. When was that?”
“Almost five years ago.”
Caden cocked his head, studying his wonderfully complex human. “Why did that convince you?”
“Because I found out the real reason he got his,” he said, smiling. “He got drunk on shifter wine and told me how he wanted to be an Amato forever, not just because our parents were married. I think that little shit actually thought I wouldn’t consider us family anymore once we weren’t connected by their mating. I got the tattoo the next morning while he was still nursing his hangover.”
“You,” Caden said, clasping the sides of Quinten’s face, “are so soft and mushy on the inside, aren’t you?”
Quinten scoffed. “Hardly.”
“Mhm.” He knew better. He’d just need to convince him to see himself how Caden did.
Oh, and ease him into the fact that they were fated mates.
One step at a time though.
“You’re done here, right?” Caden asked, glancing at the room around them.
“Yeah, kitten.”
“Good. You don’t sleep anywhere but next to me from now on, Quinten Amato. I won’t have it.”
Grinning, Quinten wrapped his arms around Caden and palmed his asscheeks. “Yes, kitten.”
Chapter Thirteen
“We’re at a dead end,” Dom said, sighing. “Ash has tapped all his sources, and I’ve gone back to some of mine, but no one knows where Tiho is hiding out. Is it possible he left town?”
Quinten leaned back in his desk chair. It had been almost two weeks since his phone call with Tiho, and he supposed it was possible the fucker had taken his warnings to heart, but his instincts were saying differently.
“It is, but I don’t buy it.”
“Yeah, me either,” Dom said glumly. “At least Vlatko is toeing the line.”
Quinten grinned. That was putting it mildly. He and Dare had flown into the city for a meeting with the new head of the Borko family a week ago, and Vlat had fallen all over himself to make it clear he had nothing to do with his brother, had sent down the word that Tiho was being denounced, and would cooperate any way he could moving forward.
Quinten gave it two years before he owned Vlatko and ran the crime family himself.
“Any word on Tiho’s mom? Dare will be pissed if I don’t ask.”
