Page 27 of Inked Daddies

If I show up and decide not to go through with…whatever this is, I can just play it off as a joke. I’ll tell them I was inspired by Crow and his hammer tattoo and figured I’d beat the bad guys to the punch.

Last night with Trick…? That was induced by the trauma of the attack, nothing more. It didn’t mean anything, right? Just a one-off thing from me not being in my right mind. That’s all.

It’s not exactly believable, but it’s enough to keep me from looking desperate. And maybe it’ll give me the courage I need to actually walk through the door.

I stand in front of my closet, a towel wrapped around me, as I stare at the options in front of me.

Jeans and a T-shirt? Too casual. A sundress? That’ll work. By the time I’m dressed, my heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat.

This is a bad idea.

I should stay home, curl up on the couch with a book, and pretend none of this ever happened. I should stop writing about them, stop thinking about them, stop wanting them.

But I know I won’t. Because the truth is, I don’t just want them. I want them to wantme.And tonight, I’m going to find out if they do.

The drive to The Lethal Legacy feels longer than it should, even though it’s barely ten minutes from my house. Every stoplightfeels like a test, every turn like a chance to change my mind. The closer I get, the more it feels further away.

But I don’t turn back.

When I pull into the lot, the sight of the shop makes my chest tighten. The lights are still on, casting their own glow into the fading twilight. A faint outline of movement says someone is inside.

It’s not too late to leave. I could turn the car around, go home, and pretend this never happened.

But I don’t.

I take a deep breath, grab my bag, and step out of the car, my legs trembling as I make my way to the door. I don’t know what I’m walking into. But I know I can’t stay away.

12

SAM

“She’s coming heretonight?”

I glare at Hugo, my arms crossed as I stand in the middle of the shop. He’s perched on the edge of the counter, completely unbothered by my tone, sipping a cup of coffee like we’re discussing the weather.

It’s infuriating. I hate when he does this, and he knows it. The cool, calm, and collected thing he does whenever he knows he’s being an impossible ass, and I’m the one being a responsible adult. One of us has to be.

“Relax, Sam,” he says, smirking over the rim of his mug. “She wants to come here. I didn’t exactly need to twist her arm.”

“That’s not the point,” I snap. “You put the idea in her head. You know how young she is—she doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into.”

Hugo raises an eyebrow. “She’s twenty-six. Not a kid anymore. Or have you been too busy pretending not to notice?”

The jab lands harder than I want to admit, and I clench my jaw, turning away so he doesn’t see the way my hands are tightening into fists. It’s not like I don’t know how old she is. It’s not like I don’tfeelthe age gap every time I look at her, every time I hear her laugh or see her blush.

She’s twenty-six. She should be dating someone her age. Someone like…I dunno, someone younger than me. With Marie back in town and looking the way she does, I wouldn’t be surprised if guys her age are sniffing around again.

“She’ll be here soon, I would imagine,” Hugo says, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Might want to clean up your station. Just in case.”

I shoot him a sharp look. “Why? You think she’s actually going to go through with this?”

Hugo shrugs, his smirk widening. “I don’t think she’d come here just to hang out. Do you? I asked for a show. If she comes here tonight, I expect that’s what we’ll get.”

I don’t answer. I can’t. Because the truth is, I don’t know what to say. Instead of speaking, I clean. It’s the only way to burn off my energy right now. By the time Marie walks through the door, my stomach is in knots.

I hear the bell jingle, and when I look up, there she is—standing in the doorway, looking nervous and determined all at once. She’s wearing one of her little sundresses, her hair falling loosely over her shoulders, and the sight of her steals the air from my lungs.

“Hey,” she says softly, glancing around the shop like she’s not sure where to look. “Is it okay that I’m here?”

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