Priceless Ink: A Small Town Romance

by Lagomarsino, Giulia

  I was about to run downstairs to ask to use Joe’s phone, but something stopped me. I would take a shower first. I nodded to myself and walked confidently to the bathroom. I needed a hot shower so that when I called my father, I was composed and ready to battle him in any way necessary.

  Joe

  I walked into Shadows and nodded to Hawk, who was behind the bar, pouring a shot for Bender. Guess it was that time of the month again for him. Bender always went on a bender every month around the fifteenth. Nobody knew quite why, and if you asked, you usually ended up on the floor with a bloody face.

  “Hey, is Decker in back?”

  Hawk nodded. “Just got back.”

  I nodded, and headed back to Decker’s office. Knocking on the door, I was called in immediately.

  “Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I dropped off all that paperwork the other day.”

  He grinned at me knowingly. “You also picked up something on the way home, didn’t you?”

  I frowned, wondering how the hell he knew about that. He picked up a paper and tossed it across the desk at me. I picked it up, and sure enough, there was a picture of me driving off with a scantily clad woman on the back of my bike.

  “You want to tell me what that is?”

  “Let’s just say I thought I was rescuing a damsel in distress.”

  “Uh-huh,” he grinned. “How’d that turn out for you?”

  “A fucking nightmare.” I took a seat across from him and sighed. “She’s…”

  He leaned forward, interlocking his fingers as he stared me down. “Not someone you want to mess with. Do you have any idea who her family is?”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard all about it.”

  “If her old man finds out where she is, your business is as good as dead in the water. This guy has a lot of pull. Cut her loose.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. It wasn’t that I was particularly fond of Sofia. She was a brat and spoiled, but there was something about her, and I wasn’t ready to let her go yet. I would if she asked, but she wasn’t exactly running out of my apartment.

  “Is that an order?”

  He laughed at me, leaning back in his seat. “You know we’re not that type of MC. I’m telling you this for your own good, Joe. I like you and I want you to succeed, but if you keep this girl with you and her daddy finds her, you’re fucked. He will rip you and your business to shreds just to prove a point. Do you know who she was supposed to marry?”

  I sighed. Why did it always have to come back to that? “You know I don’t give a shit about these things. I don’t know who she is other than what she’s told me and I don’t give a shit about her fiancé. She wanted help and I gave it to her.”

  “Her old man is in acquisitions and her fiancé is from one of the richest families in the country, an old banking family. You don’t want to mess with these people. Joe, I’m not trying to put you down here. You’re one of the best guys I know, but all you have is that tattoo parlor. Do you really want to lose it all over a woman that won’t give two shits when her father tears you to shreds?”

  I knew he was right. Sofia was a princess in every sense of the word. Entitled and rich, she was way out of my league. And it wasn’t like I was looking for her to become more than she was to me, but I could still see the desperation in her eyes that day. She needed to get away from the life she was living. And until she told me she was ready to go home, I wasn’t going to force her to leave, no matter how big of a pain in the ass she was.

  “You’re not gonna listen to me, are you?” Decker laughed.

  “I appreciate the advice, I really do, but until she tells me she’s ready to go home, I can’t kick her out.”

  He nodded, giving me a knowing smirk. “Just be prepared for all that comes with it.”

  “Believe me, I’ve already gotten my fair share of her attitude, but I have my ways of making life…difficult.”

  He burst out laughing, shaking his head. “God, I would love to be there to see it. So, when are the wedding bells?”

  “What?” I asked in confusion. “No, it’s not like that.”

  “Uh-huh. You’re just helping her out of the goodness of your heart.”

  “I am,” I insisted.

  “Right,” Decker laughed. “God, I can’t wait until the day you bring her here to meet me.”

  “That won’t be happening. She’s not sticking around that long.”

  “She’s staying with you, isn’t she?”

  “Well, yeah, but that’s temporary until she figures out what she wants.”

  “And you don’t find her attractive at all.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Because I’ve seen her picture. She’s gorgeous. Nice, long legs and an ass that-“

  “That’s enough,” I snapped, hating the way he was talking about her.

  He nodded with a grin. “Yeah, she’s just staying with you.”

  “I think we’re done here.” I stood as he laughed and followed me out into the bar area.

  It was only moments later that a song I knew all too well, from when Ma was at home, filled the quiet of the bar. Bette Midler was singing Chapel Of Love. I sighed and turned around to see Decker leaning against the jukebox, laughing his ass off. Hawk and Angel started laughing too, and even Bender wasn’t far enough gone yet to see the humor in it all. I flipped them off, ignoring the raucous laughter, and stalked out of the bar. Goddamnit, it was bad enough that I got it at home.

  * * *

  “Quiche-girl!” I grinned as I walked into Eric’s house. Kat was at the kitchen table, reading a magazine. She raised an eyebrow at me and narrowed her eyes.

  “What do you want?”

  “What? Can’t a guy come visit his sister?”

  “We’re not family yet.”

  “Aw, you know you love me.”

  I gave her a hug for good measure, hoping to butter her up as much as possible.

  “Okay,” she said, shutting her magazine. “Now I know you want something. What is it?”

  I did my best to look offended. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just came here to see how you were doing with the whole baby thing.”

  I reached across the table and snagged some of her mixed nuts, then sat down next to her.

  “You want to know how the baby thing is going?”

  “Yeah,” I nodded.

  “Well, in that case, I really have to tell someone about this.”

  I grinned wide. “See? Aren’t you happy I stopped by?”

  “You have no idea. Your brother is like a hound, constantly humping me any chance he gets. Last night, he just whipped out his cock right here at the table. In that chair, in fact.”

  I glanced at the chair I sat in and grimaced.

  “Yep, he pulled down his pants and dragged me on top of him. And let me tell you, it was messy. And not just the stuff that came out of me. He must be building up cum for baby making because there was so much leaking out of me by the time-“

  “Alright, alright, alright!” I stopped her, covering my ears. “Fine, you’re right. I’m not here to talk about the baby or anything to do with baby making!”

  She grinned at me and popped some nuts in her mouth, waiting for me to continue.

  I sighed heavily and got to the point. “I’m sure Eric has told you that I have a roommate by now.”

  She looked at me funny. “No, he hasn’t mentioned it. But, as I said, he’s in baby making mode right now.”

  I cringed, afraid she would start telling me some other horrifying story. “Well, see, the other day, I was in Chicago, dropping off some paperwork for the MC. And when I was done, this woman ran out of the church and asked me for a ride.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me. “What kind of woman?”

  “The kind of woman that’s about to get married.”

  “Okay,” she said slowly. “And what did you do about it?”

  “I…I cut her out of her dress and drove her out of town.”

>   She sighed and stared at me in the way that only Kat could. “Joe…please tell me you dropped her off somewhere.”

  I nodded slowly. “I did…”

  “Somewhere other than here.”

  I thought about it for a moment. “Technically, I did.”

  “But she’s here now, isn’t she?”

  “Technically.”

  “Are you going to tell me what the problem is or do I need to pull it out of you?”

  I took a deep breath and launched into it. “She’s rich. Like, money. But her fiancé is a total douchebag, and she doesn’t want to go home, but she’s not exactly on board with the way I live.”

  “So, what you’re saying is she’s on fleek and you’re basic,” she grinned. “Funny, I remember you saying the same thing about Eric and me.”

  “Oh, she’s so much more than on fleek.”

  “And you’re worried that she’s not going to want to stick around for you.”

  I flinched back. Why did everyone keep assuming that I wanted this woman? “No, that’s not the problem at all. I don’t want her to be mine or anything.”

  “Then I’m confused as to how this is a problem at all.”

  I sighed heavily. “She doesn’t want to go home, like I said.” She nodded. “And…she’s a complete mess. I mean, she doesn’t know how to do anything.” She nodded again, her brows furrowing in confusion. “And…I told her she could stay with me until she figures out what she wants.”

  She sighed and shook her head. “Joe, whatever it is, just spit it out.”

  “I need you to take her shopping.”

  “If she’s so high class, I’m sure she knows how to do a little shopping on her own.”

  I cringed. “She…doesn’t exactly have any money. I’ll give it to you,” I rushed on. “But you’ll have to take her to a thrift store.”

  There was a long pause and based on the look on Kat’s face, I had no idea how she would respond to what I was saying. She ate some more nuts. She drank whatever the hell it was she was drinking, but she still didn’t give me an answer.

  Frustrated, I lost my shit a little bit. “Would you just fucking answer me? It’s a simple yes or no.”

  She nodded, biting back the grin that threatened to split her lips. “You want to help her.”

  “I do not,” I argued.

  She nodded again. “You see her as a damsel in distress and you want to help her.”

  “That’s not at all how I see her. If anything, I want to show her how the real world works. She’s so stuck-up and she thinks she’s better than everyone else. And she had the nerve to look disgusted when she walked into my apartment.”

  “That’s because your apartment is disgusting.”

  “Well…maybe, but who is she to judge me?”

  “Any normal woman would judge you.”

  I slammed my fist on the table and glared at her. “This has nothing to do with me. She needs to be put in her place and she needs to see how real people live.”

  “She got to you,” Kat grinned. “The little princess said something to you and now your feelings are hurt, and you want to get back at her. But you also want to take care of her.”

  I shoved my chair back and stood. “You know, if you don’t want to help, just say so.”

  I stomped toward the door, throwing it open as I stormed out.

  “Joe! I’ll do it!”

  I turned slowly, eyeing Kat to make sure she was serious.

  “I promise, I’ll go see her today and take her shopping.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “Would I lie to you?”

  I pulled out some cash and walked back over, handing it to her. “She’s not gonna like what she sees,” I warned her.

  “Do you really think that I can’t handle a daddy’s girl?”

  Sofia

  What was that incessant banging? Didn’t people know how to knock politely? Or call first? I rolled over in bed, wondering why the sheets were so scratchy. What happened to my silk sheets? This was ridiculous. If the staff ruined my sheets, I would make sure that my mother heard about it. This was unacceptable.

  The pounding continued, so with a groan, I peeled my eyes open only to realize that I wasn’t in my bedroom. I sat up quickly in bed and winced at the bright sunlight streaming through the window. I was at Joe’s place. The horror of what I had been through the past few days came flooding back to me. And still, the pounding continued. I pulled on the dirty pair of shorts. After all, I had nothing else to wear.

  I thought about checking my makeup in the mirror, but who did I have to impress? I resisted the urge to go check my hair and face in the mirror. I wasn’t living with my parents anymore. If I didn’t want to check my appearance first, I didn’t have to do it. So, I strutted to the front door and pulled it open, regretting my decision the minute I saw the beautiful brunette standing on the other side. Glancing down at my shorts and t-shirt, I felt highly underdressed and severely lacking. But my manners were still intact.

  “May I help you?”

  “I’m Kat. Joe sent me over.”

  “Kat?” What kind of name was that?

  “Katherine, but no one calls me that. Anyway, I’m Eric’s fiancé, Joe’s brother…” She said it like a question, in case I didn’t know who that was, which I didn’t. How many brothers did this man have? Still, I always knew how to fib my way through anything.

  “Of course. He told me all about Eric.”

  Her eyes narrowed infinitesimally, but I held out, not giving into her inquisitive stare. “Anyway, Joe asked me to take you shopping.”

  My face brightened at that. I knew that Joe wouldn’t leave me to go without the basic necessities. “Oh, thank God. I can’t wear these clothes for one more day. I’ll need new everything. I only have these nasty cotton underwear that this woman, Stacy, brought for me. And I’ll need some new makeup and some things for my hair. You would not believe what he has in his shower. He doesn’t even have a bathtub for me to soak in. But I can deal with that for now if I can just get some necessary products.”

  “Great,” she smiled, but I had a feeling it was fake.

  I just had one problem, I didn’t have any keys with me, and if it hadn’t been for the other brother, the suit, I wouldn’t have gotten up here to begin with.

  “You don’t happen to have any keys for this place, do you?”

  “Um…no, but Joe should be downstairs in a few hours. I’m sure he’ll be here when we get back.”

  “But shouldn’t we lock the door?”

  “Normally, I would say yes, but this is a small town. Hardly anything ever happens here.”

  “Really? I’ve never had to worry about locking up. My father’s men always take care of that, but the house is always being watched.”

  I followed her down the stairs and out to her car. I waited at the back for her to open the door, but she just walked around to the driver’s side. Frowning, I opened the door myself and got in the back seat. She turned around and stared at me in confusion.

  “Um…what are you doing?”

  “I’m…sitting in the back for us to go shopping.”

  She rolled her eyes at me. “I’m not your chauffeur. Get in the front seat.”

  I had never at any time sat in the front seat. I wasn’t sure what that would be like. But since she seemed so adamant about it, I climbed out and got in the front. “Well, this is different. I can see out the front window.”

  “The windshield,” she corrected. “And this is the way most people get around town.”

  “Really? I guess I’ve never really thought about it.”

  “We’re just going to stop and pick up Carly on the way.”

  “Who’s that?”

  “Josh’s fiancé.”

  “Let me guess…he’s another brother.”

  She grinned at me. “You catch on quick.”

  She pulled away from the curb and I held on for dear life. This was a completely different experience, sittin
g in the front seat. I felt like we were going to hit every car we came across. Even though we were driving slowly through town, I was sweating like crazy, just thinking about all the potential accidents we could be in.

  “And what does your fiancé do?”

  “He runs a construction company.”

  I grimaced. Didn’t anyone around here do anything respectable for a living?

  “And what do you do?”

  “I’m a nurse.”

  “Ew, I couldn’t do that, changing bed pans and all that gross stuff.”

  “I work in the children’s cancer center. Yes, there are some gross things I have to do, but I also get to help kids that are really sick. It’s very fulfilling.”

  I internally grimaced. Was that all people cared about? Having fulfilling work? Not that I couldn’t see the sense of accomplishment that must bring, but it all sounded so righteous. Then again, I was going to marry a man for position and run charity events, and there wasn’t really anything fulfilling about that.

  “So, Joe said that you ran out on your wedding.”

  “It might not have been the smartest move considering where I am now.”

  “Well, sure, if you want to be married to someone that only wants you for what you can give him.”

  “And I suppose your fiancé is the perfect man, who wants you for you,” I snapped.

  She laughed slightly. “Well, we didn’t exactly start off on the right foot. We met in a bar and I went home with him. I got pregnant, but I thought I would never see him again. It wasn’t supposed to be anything more than one night.”

  I stared at her, completely horrified by her behavior. “You just…went home with a man and slept with him? Without knowing if he would ever see you again?”

  “Well, that’s sort of the point of a one night stand.”

  I just sat there, blinking at her. Such behavior would never be tolerated by my parents.

  “Oh, come on,” she laughed. “Are you telling me that you’ve never wanted to just get out there and test the waters?”