Page 25 of Through the Flames
Sucking my teeth, I nodded solemnly. “Safe healing practices. But still, respect for any man willing to endure this pain for pleasure.”
Hailey had gone back to fully hiding behind her hands.
“It’s the commitment for me,” I admitted with another dreamy sigh. “Like, ‘I bled for you.’ Literal blood offering.That’sromance.”
Hailey peeked through her fingers again. “You’re a menace.”
Savannah peered up at me again, dry as ever. “You’re lucky, you’re cute. Your mouth should be illegal.”
“Tell my exes.” I beamed.
“On that note, I’ve got to go.” Hailey giggled.
Since Savannah was almost done anyway, I didn’t complain.
“I’ll send you a picture once it’s done.” I promised.
“You better!”
Once Savannah had added the finishing touches, she cleaned it, and I hopped off the bench to admire it in the floor-length mirror.
“Oh my God, I fucking love it! Thank you so much.” I beamed at her.
Savannah was standing off to the side, smiling at me, marveling over my new ink. “Gotta say, for someone who doesn’t have a shit ton of tattoos yet, you sat so good!”
“Thanks!” I tried for my usual chipper tone, but my hands were trembling ever so slightly.
Just adrenaline.
Eight
Hunter
My room was quiet, bar the low hum of electronics, the occasional click of my mouse, and the clacking of my keys. The whole house had been quiet since Colt left.
Multiple screens glowed dimly, either displaying rows of code or surveillance feeds of various locations. Low music was pouring from an earbud in one ear, the other ear was attuned to the silence.
I tapped into the tattoo shop’s security feed, the audio kicking in with a soft click, barely louder than a breath.
Ella’s voice spilled through the line a beat later — joyous, easy, electric.
She was at the tattoo shop, and I’d already checked the place’s cameras. The quality of their feed was absolutely horrendous, but I’d caught a glimpse of my girl.
Good thing her artist was a woman. I didn’t know how I would’ve handled some guy leaning over her thigh for hours on end.
Actually,never mind. Ididknow.
The line crackled softly in my ear. Her laughter hit me, light and carefree. My Blaze.
Tattoo guns were buzzing like static, and faint, unintelligible music played in the background. Someone cracked a joke. Someone else snorted.
Hailey’s voice was cutting in now and then, but I didn’t register the words. The only person I was listening for was her.
They were on FaceTime, that much I could tell.
Fuck. Just listening to Ella had my dick stiffening in my shorts. Something in my jaw flexed, and I took a deep breath through my nose.
“… Just a bunch of roses up high on my thigh,” Ella was saying.
