Page 69 of Tattooed Love

“I am alive,” I announced, leaning against the doorframe, crossing my arms, bringing myself out of the shadows of the lounge room. Troy and Cole were sitting on the bottom step, and Adam was standing with his hands in his pockets.

All their mouths dropped open, as they saw me standing casually against the doorframe, keeping my nerves in check.

“You’re back,” Adam finally managed to croak.

I nodded my head and kept my arms crossed. “That I am.”

Cole got up abruptly. “So… sick of playing happy family with Blake the gangster then?” He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at me.

Inhaling sharply, I pushed myself away from the doorframe and shouldered my way past him, walking up the stairs.

“I’m going to bed,” I shot over my shoulder, not looking back. Cole could say what he wanted about Blake, but he was the only person I knew who wouldn’t judge me.

“Wait Amber, we haven’t seen you in weeks!” Adam took the stairs two at a time, and wrapped an arm around my upper arm. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” I glanced at his hand and then back up at him. “I’m going to go to bed,” I announced again.

“So, that’s it then. No small talk with us?” Cole shot up at me from the bottom of the stairs.

“What would you like me to say, Cole?” I looked around Adam to look down at him, eyebrow arched sarcastically.

“Are you back with Blake?” He yelled up behind me as I kept walking. I stopped to respond, but the doorbell rang, and Cole let out an annoyed grunt as he spun around to open it.

The door flung open, and about six or so females stood at the door. I didn’t know them, but given the way they were dressed, it wasn’t hard to guess what they were all about. Pornstars.

“Pornstars?” I said out loud, slightly amused, and looked at my brothers pointedly. “I thought you guys had taste.”

The girls slowly walked in, and closed the door softly behind them. The boys, however, wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“I thought you were going to bed, Amber,” Troy shot at me, but still wouldn’t meet my eye. I guess your sister meeting your one night stand wasn’t particularly a high point, but they were bikies and, of course, girls like them always clung to the tough bad boys.

“Right, night!” I turned around and Adam let go of my arm. Walking silently up the corridor, I heard the conversation starting up as I walked to my room.

Coming to a stop at my bedroom door, I paused and shot a glance at Jax’s closed door. I bit my bottom lip; I couldn’t believe he had said what he had earlier, but then, what did I expect? He was a bikie; a tough lady’s man bikie. I knew all too well now, when it came to love, it didn’t rank very high on a criminal’s list of priorities.

They wanted sex, they didn’t want love. I twisted my door knob and walked into my room. It was cold and dark, and I flicked my bedside light on and closed the door.

Love was over-rated anyway, I thought, as I walked to my bed. Criminals and bad boys were nothing but work so I ignored the feeling that burned in my stomach; that made me want to hurl something across the room. All when I thought about Jax with other women.

Chapter 17

I looked into the mirror and took in my reflection. Lightly, I traced my scar with two fingers. I couldn’t wear this. I glanced back at my wardrobe, knowing I didn’t have a one piece. Groaning and throwing my hair up in a loose ponytail in frustration, I stormed over to my bed and threw myself backwards into it.

I wanted to swim in our heated pool, but I didn’t want to flaunt my scar in my brothers’ faces, but when it came down to it, it was their fault I had it so they couldn’t hate me for it, could they?

Sitting up quickly, before I lost my confidence, I swooped up an oversized t-shirt and pulled it over my head; it stopped mid-thigh. I flung open my bedroom door and swooped up my phone.

I froze when I saw Jax standing in his doorframe, about to walk out. His eyes snapped to mine, and widened with shock. I froze in my doorway.

It was Jax, Amber. JAX. Pull it together.

We both opened our mouths at the same time, but, before either of us could say anything, his bedroom door widened, and a tall, skinny, beautiful brunette stood in the frame.

Jax didn’t look at her, his eyes fixed on me. Was he watching or waiting for my reaction?

“Amber!” Ella smiled at me, before she crossed her arms. “It’s been a while.”

“That it has El, how are you?” I replied, ripping my eyes from Jax and looking Ella in the eye.

---