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He raises an eyebrow. “Just making sure it’s perfect. Since it’s going to be there forever, and all.”
Forever.
I’m probably going to walk out of his shop in an hour or so, and I’ll never see him again. But I’ll have his mark forever.
It’s a tingly, breathless thought.
“This bit here—” He shows me a small blank space at the bottom of the design. “Was supposed to contain a word, or words. Anything come to mind?”
My heart gives a little jump. I might’ve screwed up in Perdue. I’m probably never going to be able to help my mom. I’m about to get a ridiculously spontaneous tattoo. But at least I can do this one thing.
“Demetrius,” I say.
Forge jerks backward, like he’s been punched.
The silence that follows is thick.
Then his face kind of hardens and he looks twice as scary as before. “Demetrius?” he repeats. “Is he your—?”
The front door of the shop bangs open.
Forge whips around, but I can’t see much from the position I’m in.
“Meredith,” he grunts.
“Hey, Forge. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Crap.It’s the woman from the bar—the one who told me to stop poking around Perdue. She’s going to tell him what I’m really doing here.
And he’s no longer going to look at me with smoldering eyes.
Ridiculously, I try to haul myself down from the chair, hoping to dash out the back. But it’s late. Way too late.
A moment later, the tall, stern woman is peering down at me, hands on her hips. “And what are you still doing here?”
Shit.Totally busted. “Oh, I’m j-just—” I stammer.
“Maya is a friend of mine,” Forge butts in.
My mouth falls open.
“A friend?” Meredith’s voice is dripping in sarcasm. “You didn’t mention you had a friend here, hun.”
“I-I guess I forgot. I’m such a scatterbrain sometimes,” I gabble.
“What can I do for you, Mer?” Forge sounds irritable.
I frown. Why is he protecting me like this?
“Oh, I came to speak to you about a new security threat in town.” She looks at me pointedly. “But it can wait. I’ll catch you later.”
She shuffles off and when the door bangs shut behind her, relief floods through me.
But then Forge rounds on me.
He’s all mad and growly, but he also seems wounded, like I’ve hurt him somehow.
“No more games, Maya. You’re going to tell me exactly what you’re doing in Perdue. Right now.”
I swallow hard. I have a terrible sense neither of us is going to like what we’re about to find out.
