Page 36 of Tattooed Love

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“Can I ask you a question?” Jax asked, as I wiped an alcohol wipe over his fresh stitches.

“Sure,” I responded.

Jax and I had remained in silence the complete time I worked on him.

I wasn’t sure if he didn’t speak because he just didn’t want to speak to me, or because he didn’t want to distract me.

“Whyare you so good at this?” he asked seriously.

I frowned. “When your boyfriend is a known criminal, he doesn’t go to the hospital when he gets shot.”

“So you used to bandage Blake up?”

“Pretty much.” A dim smile appeared on my lips for a second, remembering the first time I did it. “Practice makes perfect.” I added, because I had got better over time.

“So I have him to thank for my perfect stitches then?”

“No, you have me to thank.”

“Can I ask you something else?” It sounded like he really wanted to know the answer to this question.

I arched my eyebrow, and nodded my head.

“In the HellBound, were you a target shooter?”

I wiped my face off any expression. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

I watched as a full smile appeared on his face, and he arched his eyebrow.

“It’s a skill to lie straight to someone’s face,” he said, calling me out on my lie.

I gave Jackson something I would never ordinarily give him - a real smile - and stood up from my stool, placing my case on my hip as I turned to leave.

“So, you were then?” He got up.

“Again, I don’t know what you are talking about.” I could act dumb when I wanted to.

A soft chuckle left his lips as he followed me out of the kitchen.

“How many have you taken out?” he asked from behind me.

I grunted in response.

“Who said I have taken even one out?” I threw over my shoulder.

“The way you handle that gun tells me you know how to use it,” he muttered. “But then again, it could all be a show.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“You’re clumsy,” he pointed out.

“Am NOT!” I yelled softly.

“Are,” he argued back.

I picked up my pace and took the stairs two at a time.

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