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I look back towards my mother, and I sigh again. It was the wrong thing to say because she grabbed the nearest thing, which happened to be my lamp, and threw it across the room before storming out, making me scowl before I shook my head. That's the fourth one she's broken. My door opens again a few seconds later, and Dagger rushes in with his gun raised.
I raise a brow at him, biting my bottom lip at seeing the crazed look in his eye while he looks around the room.
"Awe, my big brother does care," I say with a chuckle, making him look at me. Then, the lamp before his eyes returns to me again, and he shakes his head. "I've always cared, Ink; I just didn't know how to show it. How'd you break the lamp?"
I smile at his words.
Growing up, he'd barely leave his room; if I'd try to talk to him or invite him to gatherings, he'd act like I was a parasite, but since he's been home from active duty after we nearly lost him, we've managed to get our brotherly bond together.
I sigh, "Mom. She decided to interrupt my threesome to bitch about you not going to her birthday party, then proceeded to throw a little hissy fit."
His brows shoot high into his hairline before he tilts his head, "but that was a week ago."
I nod. "I know; I've been avoiding her."
That makes him snort before he shakes his head, ignoring all conversations that is Leslie. "Alright, I thought I'd come and let you know Hawk's left for the tattoo shop. Something about a grieving sister coming in? I heard the bang, which is why I had my gun out.
He looks sheepish with the last bit, and I chuckle before I nod.
"Yeah, it's Daisy. She wants to get a memorial tattoo for her sister."
Dagger's eyes turn sympathetic, and he nods.
We went to school with Daisy's sister, Rose, and a drunk driver, who happened to be her own mother. She was driving intoxicated and smashed into someone else and killed her own daughter a few months ago, and her mother derailed. She was not coping with the loss or her guilt very well and ended up leaving town. No one has heard from her since, and Daisy's dad, George, the local farmer, has turned overprotected. I heard he's been trying to get Daisy to move back home, even threatening to try and take over the lease of her flower shop if she didn't, but she's still standing strong—last time I checked,
"I'll be on the walk-ins then. I better head to the shop. When are you going to let me Ink you, brother?"
I ask all the time. His body is full of Ink, and I'm fucking pissed he never came to me or Hawk.
He shakes his head and smiles a little. "When I want something else done, I'll come to you, deal?"
I grin and nod before we both head towards the common room. It's not that full; everyone's now at work, and I wave towards Annalise, the Pres's woman, who grins wide back at me before turning back towards Axel, our Pres, while Dagger takes a seat, dragging Clitter into his lap to watch the show of Annalise and Axel, making me chuckle. Annalise is under the brother's protection until her father, who killed her mother and nearly killed her years ago, is caught.
He got out on early parole and straight away went after her.
I head towards my bike that my dad got me after I threw the biggest whopper of a banger in the clubhouse, trashing it when I was 17. It was also the day Dagger left for the Navy without telling anyone except Tank and Jewels, which caused my dad to destroy the house, much to my mother's disapproval. When I woke and saw my mom grinning at me that morning, I honestly thought I was done, that she'd gone to my dad, but nope, she kept quiet, and instead of getting my ass kicked, my dad gave me a Harley with a green tank that I've upgraded over the years. To this day, I still don't understand why I was never punished, but Hawk had won over a grand, so it was a win for him, and it left me with confusion.
It doesn't take me long before I pull up at Fire's Ink, and I sigh when I look into the shop window to see Phoebe, our receptionist, pulling her top that's already low further down. When she sees me pull up, her hazel eyes sparkle at the sight of me.
Fucks sake.
She's been after me for about a year, but I haven't gone there.
I won't.
It's the one rule I have for my shop: no fucking the employees. I've seen how territorial the strippers get at Untamed Girls; I don't need that shit while I'm tattooing someone.
I climb off my bike before placing my sunglasses in the front of my black t-shirt while walking into my shop. Hawk and I designed it together. The walls are dark red, with our work hanging on them. We've placed cream sofas along the back wall and a couple of chairs off to the side, with a TV hanging on the wall.
It's our baby.
Phoebe grins wide, standing up. "Hey, Ink."
I give her a head nod, not willing to string her along, before looking into the waiting room to see a few walk-ins, but even better, I see Daisy. I grin ather, making her smile wide before she gets up, walks towards me, and takes her into my arms. I was close with her sister, who was, let's face it, very materialistic and quite selfish before she was killed in a car accident, but we haven't seen Daisy since. I've fucking missed her.
I see Phoebe scowl in the corner of my eye, but I ignore her before pulling back from Daisy, and I smile and say, "How are you doing, Daisy Masie?"
She rolls her eyes at me before giving me a smile. You can see the pain in her eyes, but she's still got her innocence flashing through and her hope for a happier life: "I'm doing OK."
