Adrienne nodded, though her stomach didn’t quite agree. Most of the shops like hers were farther south, near the older parts of downtown. There were trendier places there, and a lot more people who looked like they did with ink and piercings. Up north, on North Academy Blvd, every building was the same: cream or tan-colored, and fit in almost like a bedroom community around the Air Force Academy.
Shep and Adrienne wanted not only the cadets but also everyone who lived in the sprawling neighborhood who wanted ink to find them and come back for more. Beginning something new was always difficult, but starting something new in an area of town that, from the outside at least, didn’t look as if they’d fit in wouldn’t make it any easier.
She knew that a lot of the prejudices about tattoo shops had faded away over time as the art became far more popular and almost normal, but she could still feel people’s eyes on her when they noticed her ink.
“It’s right next to a tea shop, a deli, a spice shop, Thea’s bakery, and a few fancy shopping areas. I think you fit in nicely,” Austin said, his arms folded over his chest as he looked around the place. “You almost have a little version of what we have up north. You just need a bookstore and a café where you can hang out.”
“You’re just spoiled because you don’t even have to walk outside into the cold to get coffee or baked goods,” Adrienne said dryly.
“That is true,” Austin said with a laugh. “Adding in that side door that connects the two businesses was the best decision I ever made.”
“I’ll be sure to mention that to your wife,” Shep said and ducked as Austin’s arm shot out. The two men were nearly forty years old but fought like they were teens. Shea picked up Livvy and laughed before heading over to Maya. Adrienne didn’t actually know her sister-in-law all that well since she hadn’t seen her much, but now that the family had relocated, she knew that would change.
“They’re going to break something,” Thea said with a small laugh as she watched the two play-fight. She was the middle girl of the family but tended to act as if she were the eldest. When the retail spot three doors down from Thea’s bakery had opened up, her sister had stopped at nothing to make sure Adrienne could move in. That was Thea, taking care of her family no matter what.
“Then they’ll deserve it,” Roxie, Adrienne’s other sister said, shaking her head. “As long as they don’t ruin something in the shop, of course,” she added quickly after Adrienne shot her a look. “I meant break something on themselves.” Roxie was the youngest of their immediate family, and often the quietest. None of them were truly quiet since they were Montgomerys, but Roxie sometimes fit the bill.
“Thanks for thinking of my shop that hasn’t even had its first client yet.” Adrienne wrapped her arm around Roxie’s waist for a hug. “Where’s Carter? I thought he said he’d be here.”
Roxie and Carter had gotten married a few months ago, and Adrienne loved her brother-in-law, though she didn’t know him all that well either. He worked long hours, and the couple tended to be very insular since they were still newlyweds.
Roxie’s mouth twisted into a grimace before she schooled her features. “He couldn’t get off work. He tried, but two guys called in, and he was up to his neck in carburetors.”
Adrienne kissed her sister’s temple and squeezed her tightly. “It’s okay. It is the middle of the day, after all. I’m surprised any of you were able to take time off for this.”
Tears formed at the backs of her eyes at the fact that everyone had taken the time to be there for her and Shep. She blinked. She looked up from her sisters and tried not to let her emotions get to her, but then she met Mace’s eyes. He gave her a curious look, and she smiled at him, trying to let him know that she was okay—just a little overwhelmed. Mace had a way of knowing what she felt without her saying it, and she didn’t want him to worry. That’s what happened when you were friends with someone as long as they had been.
“I just wish he would have come,” Roxie said with a shrug. “It’s fine. Everything is fine.”
Adrienne met Thea’s gaze, but the two sisters didn’t say anything. If Roxie had something she wanted to share, she would. For now, everyone had other things on their minds. Namely, opening day.
Shep punched Austin in the shoulder one more time before backing away and grinning. “Okay, okay, I’m too old for this shit.”
“True, you are too old.” Austin winked, and Adrienne pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Great way to show everyone that we’re all so professional and ready to lead with our own shop,” she said, no bite to her tone. This was her family, and she was used to it all. If they weren’t joking around and being loveable, adorable dorks, she’d have thought something was wrong.
“It’s sort of what we signed on for,” Ryan said with a wink. “Right, Mace? I mean, the legendary Montgomery antics are why any tattoo artist worth their salt wants to join up with them.”
Mace gave them all a solemn nod, laughter dancing in his eyes. “It wouldn’t be a Montgomery gathering without someone getting punched. Isn’t that what you taught me, Adrienne?”
She flipped him off, knowing that Livvy’s head was down so she wouldn’t see. She tried not to be too bad of an influence on her niece.
“Okay, party people. Finish your drinks and cake and then let’s clean up. We have three clients scheduled between one and two this afternoon, and Ryan is handling any walk-ins.” Though she wasn’t sure there would be any walk-ins since it was day one and they were doing a slow start. Some of their long-time clients had moved with them, and they already had a waiting list because of it, but that could change on a dime. Having word of mouth would be what made their shop a success, and that meant getting more clients in who weren’t just the same ones from before.
The door opened, and she held back her frown. They weren’t officially open yet, but it wasn’t as if she could tell a potential customer off. The door had been unlocked, after all.
As a man in a nicely cut suit with a frown on his face walked in, Adrienne had a feeling this wouldn’t be a client.
“Hi there, can I help you?” she asked, moving her way through the crowd. “We’re opening in an hour or so, but if you need any information, I’m here.”
The guy’s face pinched, and she was worried that if he kept it up, it would freeze like that. “I’m not here for whatever it is this establishment does.” His gaze traveled over her family’s and friend’s ink and clothing before it rested back on her. “I’m only here to tell you that you shouldn’t finish unpacking.”
“Excuse me?” Shep asked, his tone serious. The others stood back, letting Adrienne and Shep talk, but she knew they were all there if she needed them.
“You heard me.” The man adjusted his tie. “I don’t know how you got through the zoning board, but I can see they made a mistake. We don’t want your kind here in our nice city. We’re a growing community with families. Like I said, don’t unpack. You won’t be here long.”
Before she could say anything in response to the ridiculous statement, the man turned on his heel and walked out of her building, leaving her family and friends standing beside her, all of them with shocked looks on their faces.
“Well, shit,” Mace whispered then winced as he looked behind him to where Livvy was most likely with her mom.
“We’ll figure out who that was. But, Adrienne, he won’t be able to shut us down or whatever the hell he wants.” Shep turned to her and gave her that big-brother stare. “Don’t stress about him. He means nothing.”
But she could tell from the look in his eyes, and the worried glances passing back and forth between her family members and friends that none of them quite believed that.
She had no idea who the man was, but she had a bad feeling about him. And every single warm feeling that had filled her at the sight of her family and friends coming together to celebrate the new shop fled, replaced by ice water in her veins.
So much for an easy opening day, she thought, and her stom
ach roiled again. Perhaps she would throw up because she just knew that wasn’t the last time they’d see that man. Not by a long shot.
2
Mace Knight really didn’t want to wake up. His bed was far too warm, and he’d just had the most amazing dream featuring a fantasy woman with soft curves and a mouth that knew exactly what to do with his dick. Getting out of bed and having to shower and act like an adult didn’t really match up to the dream woman and her seductive suction.
He sighed and gripped the base of his cock, annoyed with his morning wood that reminded him of his teenage self rather than a man of his age. But since he still had a few minutes, and he still had the image of the woman with her long, raven hair on her knees in front of him, he might as well enjoy his morning.
Sliding his hand up and down his shaft, he groaned and planted his feet on his bed so he could thrust into his fist. He imagined her licking up his length before swallowing him whole. His eyes still closed, he sped up his pace, fucking his hand. It wasn’t long before he came on his stomach, his body shaking with the release. He’d already been pretty damn close from his dream alone, so all it took was a few touches with as sensitive as he was in the mornings.
“Shit,” he growled out as his heart rate settled back down. He let out a ragged breath. Now, he was not only running late, but he also had a sticky mess on his hand and stomach, and no way to clean it up since he didn’t keep a box of tissues on his nightstand like any sane man should.
Annoyed with himself, he slid out of bed and hobbled his way to the bathroom, still holding his junk so he wouldn’t make more of a mess. He should have just taken care of himself in the shower like usual since he was a single man with a healthy sexual appetite, but the dream woman had made him want to do something different that morning.
Looking down at himself in the mirror, he figured that next time he’d just take the dark-haired woman of his dreams into the shower with him, because now he had to change the damn sheets on his bed, too.
“Happy fucking morning,” he grumbled and set about getting ready for his day. He had two clients scheduled, and any walk-ins that showed up. Since they were only a crew of four, they rotated which days they each took off. Right now, Adrienne and Ryan worked most of the weekends since they’d all decided that Shep needed some time with his family, especially right after the move. Shep would cycle in and out of the weekend shift since it was their busiest time, and he didn’t want to slack off, or so he’d said. Mace only took off on the weekends he had Daisy, his four-year-old daughter, who he only had partial custody of. He didn’t see her often enough as it was, and while it had been a pain in the ass at his old place to get time off for her, everyone was bending over backwards for him now.
He had a good feeling about this place, and he was so damned happy that he’d taken the risk to move to a new shop. Yeah, the guy who had come in and made the vague threat last week on opening day worried him, but Mace knew he’d put his trust in his best friend and her family for a reason. Getting more family time with his little girl was only part of that.
After he’d gotten dressed for the day and went to make himself some coffee, he pulled out his phone to text Adrienne. Since they were on the same shift most days—even at the old place—and lived close to each other, they tried to carpool as much as possible. The strip mall where the new shop was located had decent parking, but on busy days when the other stores and eateries were packed, they wanted to take up less space.
Mace: You up?
He sipped his coffee as the little bubble on her end of the conversation popped up.
Addi: Yes, but I need more coffee. All the coffee. Ever.
Mace grinned and paged through his notebook, glancing at his sketches for his first client. The cadet wanted a set of twisted trees on one shoulder to signify an event from his past with his family. He wouldn’t explain to Mace exactly what it was, but he had given enough detail for Mace to get the idea down for him. He’d also had to relearn all the rules and regulations regarding tattoos that came with being a part of any military branch. Things had changed so much in the past ten years that it almost took a math degree to figure out percentages of skin and placements. With the amount of ink covering Mace’s chest, arms, and back, there was no way he’d ever be able to join up—not that it had ever been in the cards for him, even since the beginning.
Mace: You still want a ride to work? Or you going in early?
Addi: Let’s save the environment.
Mace snorted before draining the last of his coffee. He’d need another cup before he headed over to Adrienne’s to pick her up. Hell, he might need a third cup, considering he hadn’t slept well the night before.
Mace: Pick you up in an hour.
Addi: kk.
Mace: What’s with the two ks?
Addi: …
Addi: Are you really asking me about texting lingo when I’ve only had half a cup of coffee after being up all night? And I have no idea, Austin’s kid starting doing it, and then Austin assimilated it, and now I’m doing it. Apparently, it’s hip with the cool kids.
Mace had to set his second cup of coffee down on the counter so he wouldn’t slosh the hot liquid over the sides. He had no idea how she’d texted so fast, but she could probably beat some of those so-called cool kids at the texting game. He and Adrienne had been forced to learn texting by tapping numbers more than once for different letters back in the age-old times of the first popular cell phones.
And now he felt old at the ripe age of thirty-five. He needed more coffee for that line of thought.
Mace: If you’re using the lingo, the kids don’t use it anymore, just saying.
He frowned and texted her again before she could curse at him.
Mace: And what were you up doing all night? You catch his name?
He had no idea why he’d asked that or why it was even his business, but for some reason, he’d let his mind wander a little too much.
Addi: I was working on a damn sketch, dumbass. The other probably would have been more fun since I got stuck in my head for three hours before I finally figured the design out. Now, for real, gotta shower. Go clean that beard of yours, old man.
He flipped her off in an emoji, then set his phone down so he could finish his morning routine. He was just finishing cleaning up when the doorbell rang. He frowned, wondering who could be at his house that early in the morning since most of his friends were either already at work or worked nights and were probably just waking up like he was.
Stuffing his phone into his pocket, he made his way to the front door and blinked when he saw his ex through the peephole. Then he held back a curse when he noticed that she wasn’t alone.
He threw open the door but kept his anger in check because, beside Jeaniene in her pressed suit and to-the-nines makeup and hair, was their little girl, Daisy. He raised a questioning brow at his ex then went to his knees and opened his arms. Without hesitation, Daisy jumped into his hold, and he picked her up, holding her hard to his chest. She kissed his temple, then his forehead, then his cheek, before sighing and resting her head on his shoulder.
That wasn’t unusual for her since she wasn’t the most talkative kid. She only said things when they seemed important to her. She was sweet as could be and whisper-giggled to her imaginary fairy friends more often than not, but she was really shy when it came to the real world. He didn’t care as long as she was happy and he got to see her—but that wasn’t often with the custody agreement in place. Jeaniene got full custody, while he only had visitation. That’s what happened when one parent was a lawyer in a family of lawyers, and the other was a tattoo artist without a college degree. He’d fought with all his savings but had won visitation only.
This wasn’t his weekend, though; yet Daisy’s suitcase was on the step behind his ex.
“What’s up, Jeaniene?” He rubbed Daisy’s back as she clung to him.
“Hi, Daddy,” she said sleepily.
“Hi, baby.” He kissed the top of her head.
“You okay?”
“Uh-huh, just sleepy.” She snuggled into his shoulder and started playing with his hair, her mind in her little dream world. “Jeaniene?”
She gestured behind him. “Can we go inside for a second? I don’t have a lot of time and, honestly, I didn’t know how to say this on the phone. I know I’m doing this horribly, but…just…can you give me a moment, Mace?”
He studied her face and knew that he wouldn’t like whatever she had to say, but as he had his daughter in his arms, it wasn’t like he had much of a choice. Jeaniene followed behind, rolling Daisy’s suitcase behind her. His ex seemed nervous, which was very unlike her, but he didn’t press. Not yet, and not with Daisy snuggled against him.
He and Jeaniene had only been together a few times, and just for fun with no real ties, when she found out she was pregnant. Everything had gone to shit after that, but in the end, he’d gotten his baby girl, so he counted it as one hell of a win.
Mace set Daisy down on the couch and kissed the top of her head before handing her his phone. Wasn’t the best parenting, but he needed to talk to Jeaniene in private, and he didn’t want Daisy to overhear. “Be right back, pumpkin.” He quickly opened up the child memory app game that he knew she liked, ran a hand over her hair, then gestured for Jeaniene to follow him into the kitchen.
“What’s going on, Jeaniene?” His coffee sat like lead in his gut, and he knew he’d probably regret that second cup.
She bit her lip, an action very unlike her, and he tilted his head, studying her face. She looked as if she hadn’t slept much the night before, something she couldn’t hide even with all her professional attire and makeup. If something was worrying her that much, he knew he wouldn’t like it.
Vote Then Read: Volume I Page 36