by London Casey
I pushed from the counter and turned, leaving my room. I went straight across to Prick’s room. He was the only one in the shop that was still giving me shit for being back. Not that I needed everyone’s approval to be there, I just wanted to find a way to crack his shell.
When I opened the door, I found a woman sitting in a leather chair, topless.
“Whoa,” I said. “Hey there.”
“Hi. Who are you?”
“I’m Sawyer. I own this place.”
“Oh,” she said. “Where’s Prick?”
“Why don’t you tell me that.”
“I don’t know. He was supposed to, uh…” She looked down at her chest and back at me, her cheeks red. “But he said he’d be back in a minute and that was ten minutes ago.”
“Right,” I said. “Uh… let’s see…” I walked forward and found her shirt and gently placed it over her exposed breasts. “There, that’s better for now. We’re having a staff meeting. My fault. I apologize. Let me go see where he’s at now.”
“Is he in trouble? Because I don’t mind… the things he says and does.”
“Right. The things he says and does. Meaning you’ve been here before?”
“Yes.”
“Prick has…” I waved a finger around the air. “Somewhere else on you?”
She blushed again and bit her lip as she lowered her left hand down between her legs.
“Ah,” I said. “Right. I hear that’s a good spot to get pierced.”
“It’s amazing,” she said.
“Well, I’m happy you’re back. And I’m sure the top and bottom are going to match and drive guys wild.”
“What about you?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, it would drive me wild. But I already have someone else driving me insane.”
She laughed.
I winked and got out of the room.
I exhaled a breath and looked left and right. I chose left and went outside.
That’s where I found Prick.
Standing against the building, one leg bent, his foot touching the building. He was shaking, jumpy, his head back and eyes shut as he whispered something.
I got closer to him and heard him say…
“… give me the strength…”
“Hey, brother,” I said.
Prick jumped forward and turned to face me. “What the fuck do you want?”
“Whoa, easy. You okay?”
“Fuck off.”
“There’s someone in there looking for you.”
“I know,” he said.
“Okay. She said you stepped out for a minute.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Ten minutes ago?”
“Shit,” Prick said. He looked really jumpy. “Fuck.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I don’t need your shit right now, Sawyer.”
“My shit? What’s my shit?”
“Nothing.”
Prick licked his lips and looked angry.
“Brother, whatever you’re going through, let me help.”
“You’re going to be my friend now?” Prick asked.
“There’s a woman in there waiting for you to take care of her. She’s going to pay for that. So, no, I’m not your fucking friend. I’m the fucking owner of this place and you need to get your ass in there and do your job.”
Prick lifted his hands and showed them to me. He was really shaking. “Leave me the fuck alone for a minute.”
“Panic attack, brother?”
“Eat shit, Sawyer.”
I rubbed my jaw and considered my next move.
I jumped at Prick and grabbed him by the shirt and put him against the building. I knew just how to grab someone’s shirt so I could press the collar against their throat and give them that horrible choking sensation without actually choking them.
“You either fucking tell me what’s going on here or I’ll drag your ass out of here for good.”
“She’s got shit in her purse, man,” Prick said.
“What?”
“Shit. Dirt. Garbage. Venom. Get it?”
I let Prick go and sighed. “You saw it.”
Prick swallowed hard. “Yeah. I saw it. She’s got enough in there that I keep thinking how long it would last me. How long could I slip away for. Get that crazy rush going. And normally if I get a taste for that garbage again I’ll drown myself in a woman. But she wants to party with me. She wants me to taste all of my work and taste the devil.”
“Do you want to do that?”
“Of course I fucking do,” Prick said. “It never goes away, Sawyer. You just fight it.”
“You did the right thing. You came outside.”
“It’s all I can think about though. It’s burning a fucking hole in my head.”
“You need to go to a meeting, brother.”
“No shit.”
“So go.”
“It’s not that easy for me to do.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know who you think you are…”
“You step off that wagon and you’re going to ruin your life,” I said.
“Look at you. Tough guy. Going to help me out?”
“What do you need right now, Prick?”
“Clarity, man. Clarity.”
“How do you get it?”
“Exactly what you said to do.”
“Good,” I said. “Then that’s what we’re going to do. Don’t move. I’m here to help you, brother.”
2.
I told the woman there was an emergency. She got herself dressed and I promised her when she came back, she wouldn’t have to pay. I got Prick’s keys and went out back again.
“You drive, I follow,” I said as I threw the keys.
“No way.”
“Yes. You’re going right now. I’m going to make you get there. I won’t ask questions. I won’t say a word to anyone. But you’re doing this right now.”
Prick gritted his teeth. He looked ready to attack me. Which was fine.
I waited a few seconds and he finally moved.
I got on my motorcycle and followed Prick as he rode his.
Whether he liked it or not, St. Skin was a brotherhood. Yeah, we all had our own issues in life and with each other, but when it came down to it, we were there for each other. I didn’t understand that part of life that Prick experienced. But to see him so worked up just by seeing some of that crap in someone’s bag, it meant his demons were alive and clawing at him.
We ended up riding for a good thirty minutes. Almost to the point where I thought maybe he just needed a ride to clear his head. But we came to what looked like a church. Except it wasn’t.
There was a small group of people standing outside, all of them smoking.
Prick pulled up to the curb and looked back at me. He put his hand out and gave a small wave. I parked my ride behind his and nodded. I killed the motor and just sat there.
As soon as Prick walked toward the old building, someone came to greet him.
“Prick, brother. Haven’t seen you in a while. You okay?”
They hugged and Prick started to shake his head. “Need your help, Aiden.”
The guy - Aiden - put an arm around Prick and they disappeared into the building, along with everyone else.
It took almost an hour for Prick to emerge from the building. When he did, he walked straight to his motorcycle and didn’t even look at me. Aiden was a few steps behind him. Stopping to talk to him. They were close and I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Aiden looked at me. He gave a nod and walked toward me.
“Hey, man,” he said. “Aiden.”
He offered his hand.
I shook it.
“Sawyer. Saint.”
“Yeah.”
“Everything okay?”
“Not really,” Aiden said. “Never is. You just cope.”
“Right,” I said.
“You did the right thing though with him.”
“H
ope so. He looked really out of it.”
“Next time have him call me. He hates to bother me because of my life. My wife and kids. But he needs to call me when shit gets like that.”
“You got it.”
Prick started his motorcycle and I did the same.
I followed him back to St. Skin and he walked in like nothing had happened. I didn’t say a word either. We both went back to work and the day pushed forward.
It wasn’t until I was getting ready to leave when I found Prick standing next to my motorcycle. Arms crossed. Looking madder as ever.
“What now?” I asked.
“What you did today… you saved my life.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I haven’t felt that low since I first got cleaned up. I didn’t realize how bad it could still hit me. But the second I saw that shit in her purse, it just clicked. I just needed it. I couldn’t focus. I mean, a beautiful woman sitting there topless, and I was worried about the shit in her purse.”
“Hey, you got through it. I wish I could say more, but I don’t know what that’s like.”
“I’m not here to do that bullshit, Sawyer.”
“Okay. Then why are you here?”
“To thank you.” Prick offered his hand.
I grabbed his hand and he pulled himself toward me and we hugged.
“You’re still a fucking asshole,” Prick said. “But I hope you do stick around here.”
“I’m not going anywhere, brother. I hope you take care of yourself.”
Prick broke away from me. “I plan on it. I’m having a private session with that woman. Make it up to her. I promised I would hurt her and then pleasure her. And I never break my promises.”
“Have at it,” I said. “Just stay away from the shit. I swear, brother, I will kick your ass.”
“I’m good. I called her out on it and she swears it was a friend’s. Do I believe that? Nah. But I’m looking to marry her.”
I watched Prick walk away and I sighed. I climbed on my motorcycle and saw Tate appear from the back of St. Skin. He looked right at me and pointed back to the building.
I guess my work day wasn’t done yet.
3.
“These are some locations that are prime for us,” Tate said. “I want to set up a meeting with my lawyer and finance guy and all that shit. So we can all talk about this the right way.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said.
“Are you going to look?”
“No. I trust you, Tate. You’ve always been good at this. I do my thing. You do your thing. And we both meet in the middle.”
“Is that what this is now?” Tate asked. “The middle?”
I put my hands to the folders and slid them away. “I’ll look at this if you really want. But there’s something else I need to talk to you about.”
“Great. Business talk is over, I guess.”
“Yeah. I know everything about Kate. Jason. Kira. Jed.”
“Oh,” Tate said with a nod. “So you two talked.”
“Yeah.”
“You understand why I couldn’t say anything.”
“I get it.”
“Sawyer, everyone around here doesn’t exactly know the whole story. Most people assume Jason is hers. That there was a one night oops. Some people think the kid is mine. We don’t talk about it. It’s nobody’s business.”
“Right. Except Kate is terrified of this Jed thing.”
“I know she is.”
“I’m not here to talk about Kate. I’m here to talk about you.”
“Even better,” Tate said. He leaned back in his chair. “Can’t wait to hear this.”
“You know, brother, we really fucked each other over years ago. We have a lot to sort through still. But when it comes to Kate… I owe you a big thank you.”
“A thank you?”
“You were there. You got her through that shit. You were her rock. You stood by her side. I don’t think I could ever repay you for that. Considering what I did to her. Or didn’t do.”
“Wow. I never thought I’d see this side of Sawyer. You’re acting like a pussy.”
“Thanks for that,” I said. “I’m just telling you the truth. I can’t figure out in my head what she’s going through. Or how to help. Or how to fix it.”
“You can’t,” Tate said. “You just…”
“Cope,” I said, thinking about Prick. “Right. You just cope.”
Prick fought his personal addictions and demons, and I fought mine. Mine was Kate. I was addicted to her.
“I’ll look at those folders,” I said, standing up.
“Good. I’ll set up some business meetings.”
“I’m not wearing a fucking tie, Tate.”
“Full suit,” he said.
“I fucking quit.”
He laughed.
We weren’t on a hugging like brothers basis just yet but I put a fist out. Tate punched my fist and I left the office.
I think it was the first time me and Tate bumped fists without swinging at each other’s faces.
SEVENTEEN
KATE
1.
It had been an exhausting day at the diner. And of course that was the night Jason decided to have double the normal energy. Dinner was a chore and a fight. Getting him a bath ended up with me getting more soaked than he was. Bedtime took two drawings, three stories, and didn’t finally end until I had to threaten to punish him. He told me I was mean to him and he pulled the covers over his head.
When I left the bedroom, I was tired and my heart was a little broken.
But that was being a parent, right? Not everything was like they showed in TV shows. There was no happy music playing in the background as everyone apologized and moved on. Some days and nights were just shit.
Except I now could make the night a little less shitty.
With one text message, as I bit my lip, knowing I was stepping even more off the edge with Sawyer.
The crazy part was that he showed up.
Twenty minutes later, he was at the door, holding a six pack of beer in his hand.
“You look like you need a drink,” he said.
“I need a hug,” I blurted out.
Sawyer came into the apartment, put the beer on the table, and grabbed me for a hug. I took a deep breath and melted into him. I could have fallen asleep right then and there, standing up.
“Rough day?” he asked.
“Yeah. Just long and annoying.”
“I know that feeling.”
“How hard could the tattoo life be?” I asked playfully as I looked up at him.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he said. “But I did talk to Tate and thanked him for what he did for you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. And he and I are talking about expanding the business. He found some locations for me to check out. He’s going to set up some meetings with his lawyer and banker or whatever.”
“Wow,” I said. “So you two are…”
“We can talk without throwing punches,” Sawyer said.
“Baby steps.”
“More like crawling,” he said. “But I’ll take it for now.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Sawyer looked around and asked, “How’s Jason?”
“He was fired up tonight. He went to bed mad at me. I had to yell at him. I hate that feeling.”
“I’m sorry, darling. I’m sure he’s going to love you in the morning.”
“I know. Sometimes I just… it’s stupid.”
“What?”
“I feel like if I waste a good night with him… I’m letting him down. Or what happens if he remembers it and tells a judge and I lose him?”
“Oh, Kate,” Sawyer said.
He opened his mouth and I wasn’t in the mood to be told how to think or feel.
“I love you,” he whispered. “I love your heart. I love your thoughts. I love your mind. Everything about you. I’m sorry but I have to say it. The w
ay you care is just… I don’t feel worthy to even be standing here with you.”
“I agree,” I said. “You’re not worthy. But you’re here. And you look sexy in that shirt. And I kind of like the scruff on your face. And there’s no way I’m drinking six beers alone on a weeknight.”
“So, I’m sexy and convenient.”
“Exactly.”
“I’ll take it. Baby steps.”
“More like crawling,” I said, teasing him.
I backed away but Sawyer slipped a hand to my back and pulled me close again.
And he kissed me. I wasn't exactly sure we were at the point where he could just randomly kiss me and it was okay, but I couldn’t stop him. That kiss was exactly what I needed. It pushed the entire day away and I felt a sense of peace run through me. Which was odd because the words peace and Sawyer did not go together at all.
When he broke the kiss, he let out a sigh. “You don’t get what that does to me.”
“I think I have an idea,” I whispered.
“How about a beer, darling?”
“Sure.”
The second we got into the living room, Sawyer sat on the couch and grabbed the sketchbook on the table. He flipped it right open and instantly smiled.
“You draw all of these?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Pretty good stuff. I mean, dinosaurs. Snakes. A scorpion. Is this…” He held the page out and nodded. “Is this a shark eating an anaconda?”
“Yeah,” I said. “It’s sort of a routine I have with Jason.”
“Oh?”
“I know it looks crazy, but he loves when I draw him pictures. He’ll describe it and I’ll draw it.”
“Really?”
“We draw and I read him a bedtime story.”
“You never fail to amaze me,” Sawyer said. “And you think you can’t tattoo people.”
“Don’t start with that again,” I said. “I already told you I’m not a charity.”
“So taking a job makes you a charity?”
I raised an eyebrow. I wasn’t in the mood for this.
“All I’m saying,” Sawyer continued, “is that the quality of this work is better than half the tattoo artists I’ve worked with. You’re working at that diner for what reason?”