Piece By Piece (The Ink Nation Series Book 1)

by Jennah Thornhill

  Ignoring her pleas, I look to Zoe.

  “Do you have her purse?”

  “Erm, yeah sure. Here you go.”

  Snatching it up from between her and Smith, she hands it to me. With a curt nod, I’m turning back around, I’m out of the bar and striding us, all the way home.

  “I can walk you know, I’m not incapable.”

  “I don’t care, it’s quicker if I carry you.”

  I hear nothing but huffing and puffing for the rest of the way, back to my apartment.

  Stabbing at the elevator button, I curse it out for taking so long to arrive.

  “What’s up, baby? You seem a little frustrated.”

  She’s teasing me, she knows exactly what’s wrong with me. She’s known since I turned up at her place earlier tonight and saw what she was wearing.

  Slapping her ass with my palm, a sigh of relief leaves me when the doors finally open.

  “I wouldn’t push me, Pink. I’ve been a walking hard-on for hours now, it’s time you fixed it.”

  The elevator starts to carry us up to my floor and the entire time she’s wriggling on my shoulder. Trying to press her thighs together, just that little bit more. Those actions speak louder to me, than if she had actually opened her pretty, little mouth.

  “Finally.” I spit when we reach my floor.

  Quicker than I’ve ever got there before, I land us both outside my door. I open it and rush through, as if someone had shoved a rocket up my butt. Throwing her purse somewhere on my kitchen counter as I pass it.

  Finally, in my bedroom, I put her back on her feet and crank my neck from side to side, to stretch out the muscles from carrying her so far.

  “Trey…”

  My name falls from her lips in a soft whisper.

  “Strip, Pink. I need you naked and wet. I understand if you don’t…”

  I’m cut off from speaking when she kicks the strappy shoes she’s wearing off. Then slides her hands into the waistband of her extremely, tight trousers and shimmies them down her legs. Before stepping out of them and leaving them in a pile next to her. Next to go is her tank, leaving her standing before me in just her underwear. Her eyes drop and I’m almost positive, she’s not going to go any further and I’m going to have to do it for her. When I take a step forward, she looks at me from under her lashes and holds her hand out to stop me.

  Bringing her arms around her back, she unhooks her bra and slides it down her arms, before throwing it in my direction. Fuck me. My cock just went from rock hard to Defcon one solid, in exactly zero point one seconds. Unable to take anymore, I throw her bra over my shoulder and advance on her. I’m not waiting around any longer, she’s mine and I need to touch her.

  Taking a fast step forward, I lower to my knees in front of her. Not giving a shit if she hasn’t got any to go home in tomorrow. I grip the side of her panties and rip them straight from her. My patience is no longer fucking existent. A ragged gasp leaves her, and she holds on to my shoulders to steady herself. Ridding her of the offending material, that’s just blocking the jewel that’s calling to me. I poke out my tongue and lick her pussy lips, before going in for the kill on her clit.

  “Shit,” she screams.

  Her knees are buckling slightly, I hold onto her curvy hips to stop her from falling. Twirling my tongue and sucking her clit into my mouth further, causes her juices to coat my mouth. In all my life of fucking women, I’ve never tasted anything so fucking, sweet.

  Letting her clit go with a pop, I lick up her body, rising from my knees as I go. When I reach her pert tits and hard nipples, I lap at them as if they’re my last meal. Letting her go, I banish myself of my own clothes. I take her hand in mine, lead her into my bathroom and straight into the shower. Turning it on, we both wince when the cold water first hits us, before it starts to warm up. Taking her by the wrist, I pull her into me and push some of the pink hair, that’s started to stick to her face, away.

  “I love you. Yes, tonight you looked smoking hot, but I much prefer this Daisy…”

  Reaching behind me, I take the washcloth from the stand in the corner. I wet it under the spray and start to wipe away the makeup, that’s hiding her flawless skin. When I finished removing all the shit from her face, I can see her throat bobbing up and down.

  “Thank you,” she chokes out and I can tell she’s trying her hardest not to cry. “I love you too, no-one’s ever loved me the way you do.”

  With the water pouring down around us, I take her into my arms and pull us to the floor of the shower. With my back against the wet tiles, making her legs straddle my hips.

  “If I hurt you, tell me.”

  I instruct her before running my fingers over her slick entrance and adding two fingers to pump into her. When I feel her body stiffen and I know she’s on the edge of falling. I line up my dick, that's been begging to get in her and push all the way in. At the same time, she pushes down onto me. We both moan as I slide into her heat. Digging her nails into my flesh on my shoulders, she throws her head back on a loud moan, as she starts to move her hips against mine.

  “Fuck. Yes. You’re fucking beautiful.” I groan out as I take one of her pert breasts in my hand and pinch her nipple, between my finger and thumb.

  “Shit, Trey.” she screams, when my thumb sneaks down between us and starts to circle her clit.

  She starts to buck against me, and I know she’s close. I carry on circling her sensitive bud of nerves. At the same time, I can feel my balls start to tighten and my own spine stiffens. I’m not going to last much longer seeing her like this. Knowing it’s me that’s brought this side out of her, makes my inner caveman jump in glee.

  I feel her inner walls start to grip me and it’s my undoing. She pants out my name again, as she crashes over the edge. I bring her lips down to mine, as I push up into her and follow her into the amazing bliss, that is my release.

  As I lean my head against hers, our breaths mixing together as one.

  I realize there is nothing, I wouldn’t do for her.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Daisy

  My life hasn’t been easy. In fact, I thought the only way out was to end it all. Only now, I’ve never been more grateful that Zoe saved me.

  She saw something in me that was worth saving.

  What I thought, I would never have, is now mine.

  I have a man who loves me and who I love back, scars and all my issues, included.

  A job I love.

  People around me, that I can’t imagine not being in my life now.

  All of that is thanks to one man: Trey.

  At least if at any point it doesn’t work out between us, I can say what it feels like to love someone and to be loved, at least once in my life.

  The pain in my heart hits me like a bullet to the brain, at the thought of him not loving me anymore. It’s something that doesn’t bear thinking about.

  He’s my life now.

  I didn’t see it at first, but I’ve been rolling in the deep with him, from the second he spoke to me. When I came to the studio with Zoe, that first time.

  With my head in my hand, I look down at the sketch I’ve done for a customer and wish that it was my own tattoo.

  Levi’s client wanted something that represented that she had survived. That she was still living. I’ve drawn her a fractured heart. That’s been patched together with stitches and band aids with the words; I may have been broken, but I’m a survivor and life’s for living, scrolled around the top of it.

  She’s showing the world that she had the choice to give up, when things almost got too much for her. Yet instead, she decided to fight.

  Just like I have. I don’t know what she’s been through, but whatever it is, she's celebrating with this tattoo. She’s giving herself the constant reminder that, she didn’t let the demons win.

  An idea hits me, I just hope Trey will agree with it.

  Finding a clean page in my sketchboo
k, I start to draw and scribble words down.

  When I next look up from my place behind the counter, I notice it’s dark outside. My necks gone stiff and there’s only me and Trey still here. The other guys finished with their clients over an hour ago and then left.

  Staring back down at the sketch I’ve done; I start to have second thoughts. Trey might have a small fit when he sees I’ve been working on this, instead of the one for Levi’s client. She’s coming back tomorrow to have it done and it’s not one hundred percent, finished yet.

  Voices come from behind me and I see that he has finally finished with his last client for the day. When he’s said goodbye and they’ve paid him; I quickly go to close my sketchbook before he sees it. A hand that quickly grabs it, tells me I was too late. Lowering my eyes to the counter, I draw circles on the glass with the tip of my finger and listen to him flick through the pages. I know when he finds my drawing, because the pages stop moving and a sharp gasp comes from his direction.

  “Daisy.”

  My name on his lips is like music to my ears. Only, I don’t look up at him still, just in case he doesn’t like it.

  “This is fucking amazing. You want this doing?”

  His question has me whipping my head up and my eyes landing on his. Which are shining back at me with nothing but love in them. He likes it and he’s not mad, because I haven’t finished a paying customers' design.

  “Yeah, I do… If you don’t mind?”

  I dig my nails into the palm of my hands waiting for him to say no.

  When he doesn’t say anything, I watch him come back around to where I’m sitting. With my book still in his hands, he carries on until he’s standing in front of me.

  “You’re mine, I’ve told you this so many times. Don’t ever be afraid to ask me for anything. If I can give it to you, then I will.”

  I smile so big, that I feel like my cheeks are going to split.

  “Come on, baby. Let's get this bad boy onto that perfect, soft skin of yours.”

  Taking my hand in his, he tucks my sketch book under his arm and pulls me down from the stool, I’m sat on.

  Lying on the chair that folds back at Trey’s station, I’m starting to get sore from where he’s been tattooing me, for well over an hour now. My ribs have started to throb, and the sting is getting that little bit worse, every time he places the needle on my skin.

  I just keep telling myself that once it’s finished, it will be worth it.

  “Baby, I don’t have much left to do now. I promise, another five minutes and you can get up. Plus, if I don’t get it done soon, I’m gonna fuck you in that chair.”

  He looks up to where I’m holding my t-shirt up and I can see in his eyes, that me having my breasts practically hanging out, is torture for him.

  I try not to laugh at his predicament, but he just has this way of saying things. That make me want to smile and laugh, all the time.

  Twenty minutes later, he declares that I’m free to get up and look in the mirror. Still holding my t-shirt up to my breasts, I walk over to the mirror and inspect his work.

  Tears spring to my eyes and a shocked gasp leaves my mouth.

  It’s a million times better than what I imagined when I drew it.

  There on my rib cage is a jigsaw, some pieces are connected, some are not with the words:

  Despite what you took from me, I survived. I’m no longer a victim, but a fighter. Who piece by piece, is making herself whole again.

  It’s my daily reminder that I’m alive and that he didn’t win.

  “Do you like it?” Trey asks me as he comes and places his hands on my shoulders and looks at me through the mirror.

  “I love it, it’s beautiful. Thank you so much for doing it for me.”

  “Anything for you, baby. You know that. Now come on, I need to get it wiped and wrapped. I don’t want you getting an infection now do I? That shit could ruin me.”

  We both laugh, knowing full well that he would never be ruined. People are waiting months to get an appointment with him, or one of the other guys.

  Once I’m all cleaned up, we grab our things and lock up the studio for the night. Today has been weightlifting, even though Trey has fixed me in ways I never thought possible. With this new tattoo on my flesh, I feel like I’m now strong enough to take on the world. To say fuck you, to anyone who tries to take it away from me.

  Wrapped up in each other, we lazily walk down the sidewalk and to Trey's apartment. I’ve hardly stayed at my place these past few weeks. If I even try to, I’m hauled over his shoulder and back to his bed.

  Standing with his arm wrapped around my shoulders, as we wait to cross over the road, a shudder wracks my body. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. My whole body is on alert for some reason, I can’t fathom. It’s not the first time it’s happened this week. I feel like someone is watching me. Yet, when I look around, I can’t see anyone I would recognize.

  The light turns green, allowing us to cross and I brush off the feeling. I’m just being stupid and paranoid. I guess some old habits do die hard.

  That night, I’m lying in Trey’s bed, wrapped up in his strong arms, after he’s worshipped every inch of my body. He was even super careful that he didn’t hurt my ribs, where my new ink is. I’m on the cusp of between awake and sleep, with Trey behind me snoring softly. When I hear a bang coming from the door to his apartment. My body goes rigid and I dare not move from my spot in the bed. When the bang doesn’t come again, I convince myself that I’m hearing things and that I just need to go to sleep.

  That is until it comes again and again. Fear I haven’t felt for a really long time, consumes me and I start to shake, disturbing Trey from his sleep.

  No. Stay asleep. If someone is there and they think no-one is here, they won’t hurt him.

  How wrong could I have been with that silly little notion?

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Trey

  Do you know that connection you get with someone? The one that tells you no matter if your away from them. Or in my case, lying next to them, but your sleeping, that something is seriously wrong. Well, that’s what I have with Pink, it took me a while to figure out why I had it with her. When I did, it was because I loved her and that my instant reaction would be to protect her, at all costs.

  Even now, when I’m lying in my bed, with her in my arms and she starts to shake, effectively waking me up from sleep. I instantly know there is something seriously wrong. With her still in my arms, I lift myself up and lean over to whisper in her ear.

  “Hey, baby. I’m…”

  “Shh.”

  She waves her arm to silence me, just as I hear a bang from the other side of my bedroom door.

  “They’re here, I know they are.” A man's voice sniggers from the other side of the door.

  A voice I don’t recognize, but yet judging by the way Pink goes stiff in my arms, she knows exactly who it is.

  “No, no, no. They found me.”

  Her body starts to rock in my arms and something I haven’t seen in a while comes back, the fear. Only this time it’s worse than ever and I know in an instant, who let themselves into my apartment uninvited.

  Letting her go from my arms, I place my finger over my lips, to tell her to keep quiet and get out of bed slowly. Tugging some sweatpants up my legs, I pick up my phone to call for help, once I’ve seen who’s here. Pocketing it as I walk over to my closet and pull out the baseball bat, I keep in there.

  No fucker breaks into my apartment, with the intention of hurting what’s mine and gets away with it.

  Treading carefully and quietly across my bedroom, in the dark, with only the streetlamp pouring in from outside for light, I near the door and just as I reach it to open it, the door swings open. As I bring up the baseball bat to knock out whoever is there, I’m met with something cold and hard to the side of my head. Causing me to fall to the floor.

  The last thing I hear before
my eyes close of their own accord, is Daisy’s blood curdling screams.

  Chapter Forty

  Daisy

  All I can see is Trey lying on his bedroom floor, with blood pouring from his head. That image will be ingrained into my brain, for as long as I live. If judging by my current situation, I’m not going to be alive for much longer.

  Fighting against the restraints that have me tied to the water pipe. I feel my skin start to burn and blood start to trickle down into the palm of my hand. A few months ago, I would welcome this feeling, but not anymore. I have a reason to live. He makes me want to be alive. To have a life, I thought I would never have.

  Sitting in this dark, filthy and stinking room, my fear is not for my life, but for his. He doesn’t deserve to be dragged into my mess; all he’s done is save me from self-destructing. I know what this animal is capable of and it’s not pretty. The thudding of heavy footsteps, sound outside the locked door. I know this is it, this is the moment I have wished for, so many other times.

  I’m finally going to die.

  They could have killed me, while I was screaming at the top of my lungs in Trey’s bed. Instead, they dragged me from my safe place. Put a cloth over my mouth and dragged us both out of there, down the back stairwell, as if we were animals.

  I shouldn’t have expected anything less, really.

  The metal door creaks open and I see Finn. He’s been one of the goons that protects the evilness, that is my stepfather, for years. He’s always gave me the shivers, when he was at the house.

  “I see you’re behaving yourself. If you stay quiet, you’ll be getting a visitor soon.” he sneers at me. “If I had my way, I’d have you on your back and pounding the fuck out of you, until you broke. Lucky for you though, I’ve been instructed not to touch you. Apparently, that’s the boss man's job.”

  I can’t stop it from happening, I vomit all over my bare legs, that are just barely covered from Trey’s t-shirt, that I went to bed in. Heaving until I have nothing left to give, my head falls, so my chin is resting on my chest.