Priceless Ink: A Small Town Romance

by Lagomarsino, Giulia

  I was about to tell him that this just seemed to be a natural reaction to me, but Derek switched to interrogation mode.

  “Do you like Joe?”

  “Of course.”

  “Are you there to screw him over?”

  Another person that felt I wasn’t good enough for him. Geez, what was with this family? It felt like the only people that liked me were the girlfriends, and even they seemed to think that it was only a matter of time before I left.

  “Why would you think that? You don’t even know me.”

  “Exactly, but I’ll tell you this right now…I have access to all your records with just a stroke of the keyboard. I’m trained to take out any threat, and if you do anything to hurt my brother, I’ll consider you a threat. Do you understand me?”

  I swallowed hard. “Okay, I’m beginning to think that Joe’s brothers are all insane.”

  “Just wait until you meet me in person. Oh, and if Andrew does anything stupid, just throat punch him.”

  “Throat punch him?”

  “Yeah, but in a nice way.”

  I shook my head, but before I could ask him how you would even do something like that, Andrew snatched the phone out of my hand.

  “Why would you tell her to throat punch me?” he asked, walking out of the room.

  I sighed and flopped back on the bed, covering my face with a pillow. Who knew it would be so difficult to date like a normal person?

  Joe

  “Going for a ride?” Andrew asked.

  “Yeah. Sofia’s meeting the guys tonight.”

  He sneered. “That should be interesting.”

  I sighed heavily. I was getting awfully sick of this shit. I couldn’t catch a break with him. Every time I thought he was coming around, he ended up saying something to really piss me off.

  “Actually, I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”

  “Right,” he laughed. “Because Sofia seems like the type of girl to hang out with a bunch of bikers.”

  “You know, they’re not just bikers. They’re my friends.”

  He turned his back on me and didn’t say anything else. He just didn’t get it. They had helped me get my business going. They were my support system when I was having a rough time. None of my brothers were giving me much of that lately.

  “Ready?” Sofia asked as she walked out of the bedroom dressed in full leather. I grinned and pulled her into my arms. “You look sexy in black.”

  She wound her arms around my neck and kissed me. “I bet I look even better out of it.”

  “Can you two just leave? I’m gonna hurl if I have to listen to this shit.”

  “Or you could leave,” I snapped.

  Taking Sofia’s hand, I pulled her to the door. I was ready to have her wrapped around my body on the bike. When we finally got on the open road, I opened the bike up and let her go. Sofia was starting to get more and more comfortable on the back, finding it easier to move with me as we wound around the curves of the road. When we pulled into Shadows, she was happier than I had seen her in a while.

  “You ready to meet everyone?”

  “I’m kind of excited.” She squeezed my arm, leaning her head against my shoulder. I hoped they all liked her. I couldn’t take it if anyone else in my life was nasty to her. I pulled the door open and was greeted with a round of cat calls as they looked at Sofia in her leathers.

  “Guys, this is Sofia.”

  Decker strolled over, a cocky grin all over his face. “Sofia.” He took her hand, kissing her knuckles just to piss me off. “You should have seen this fucker a few weeks ago, all broken up over what he did to you. The man’s pussy whipped.”

  “Hey, language,” I growled.

  “Sorry, your bae is all twisted up over you. Just spilling the tea.” He winked at me, then pulled Sofia to him, wrapping his arm around her neck. “Stick with me, love. I’ll make sure you have a good time tonight.”

  “Um…I’m not a club whore.”

  Decker stopped and looked at her strangely, then busted out laughing. “Where the hell did you hear that?”

  “I’d like to know that too,” I grumbled.

  Sofia flushed bright red and picked at her jacket. “I…read some books in preparation for tonight.”

  “What kind of books?” Decker asked, a huge grin on his face.

  She shrugged her shoulders slightly. “Just…MC romance books.”

  Decker tossed his head back, howling with laughter. I swear to God, he looked like he was crying, he was laughing so hard. “Christ, Joe. I think I’m in love with this woman.”

  I shook my head as he walked away with my woman, introducing her to all the guys that showed tonight. He was shoving beer at her, trying his best to get her drunk. I couldn’t say I was too happy about that. I didn’t like to see her so sick after drinking, so after her third beer, I switched it out for water.

  “I want more beer,” Sofia giggled.

  I leaned in, whispering in her ear. “I don’t want you to be sick tomorrow, sweetheart. Let’s lay off for the night.”

  She looked at me, her smile slipping from her face, but she wasn’t angry. She looked like she was happy that I was worried about her. She nodded, leaning in to brush a kiss across my lips. I grabbed her and pulled her between my legs, gripping her ass as I deepened the kiss.

  “Fuck, that makes me hard,” Bender growled. “I need a woman wrapped in leather.”

  “Just check out one of her girly books,” Crow laughed. “I’m sure she can tell you all about how to find yourself a club whore.”

  “That’s not funny,” Sofia laughed. “I was trying to be informed.”

  “It’s fiction, darlin’,” Little John laughed. “Hell, if we’re supposed to be big bad-ass bikers, we’d better read these books of yours. I think we’re doing it all wrong.”

  “Speaking of which,” Sofia sat up straighter. “I have a proposition for you.”

  Little John’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “Do tell.”

  She slapped him on the arm. “Not that kind of proposition. Joe told me that you help out around the community. And as a lady of…a biker in the…group thingy, I think I should have some say in what you do.”

  “You do, huh?”

  She nodded curtly. “I have some great ideas that I’d like to share with you.”

  Little John assessed her for a moment and then tipped his head in acknowledgement. “Besides being a lady of the bikers, what other qualifications do you have to speak out?”

  “Well…I wore leather, which is not something I ever thought I would do.”

  “Okay,” Little John said slowly.

  “And I rode on the back of Joe’s bike, so it’s like I’m practically a biker. I’m like a biker by association.”

  Little John grinned at Decker. “Well, boss, I’m not sure we can argue with that.”

  Decker shook his head. “Nope, I’m pretty sure we have to do whatever the lady says.”

  I listened for the next fifteen minutes as Sofia laid out her plan to help out with children in hospitals, how she planned to lift their spirits, and help the parents. She was very concise in explaining her ideas, and by the end of her speech, she pretty much had every guy drooling over her and wanting to pick her brain for more ideas. I had a feeling Decker was going to try and recruit her to run our meetings from now on, and put her in charge of the charitable side of our MC.

  If there was one thing that Sofia could take away from her upbringing, it was that she knew how to express herself and keep people interested in what she was saying. In just a few hours, she had all my MC brothers convinced that her idea was one of the best anyone had brought forward. They were all mesmerized by her, and as I watched them wrapped up in her every word, I wondered what the hell was wrong with my own family that they couldn’t see what I saw. It was slowly tearing me apart inside to know that my family wasn’t accepting of her. I had to fix that soon.

  * * *

  After Derek called me and informed me that he had s
poken to the princess and wasn’t sure she was what I needed, I’d decided that I’d had enough. I had let them get to know Sofia. I had been patient, thinking they would come around, but they were still acting like assholes. Even the women, who were generally nice to her and liked her, still acted like she was running away at any moment. Enough was enough.

  I stomped up the steps to my brother’s house and flung the door open, practically ripping it off the hinges. It was poker night, and everyone was here. I just hadn’t brought Sofia with me. I told her I had club business to take care of, and that I would be home early. Really, I was just coming here to set the record straight.

  “Hey, you want to be careful with my door?” Eric snapped.

  “Sure, I’ll be careful with your door.”

  I walked back over to it and slammed it shut, then flung it open again. Everyone at the table went silent as they stared at me.

  He looked at me in confusion. “Yeah, that’s not being careful. See, in the English language, careful means to use caution or to not try and harm something. That right there was harmful. The opposite of careful.”

  “Well, if you want me to be careful and respectful of your door, how about you extend me the same courtesy.”

  His brows furrowed in confusion. “You think I disrespected your door?”

  “I think you disrespected me. All of you have.”

  The girls walked in from the other room when they heard my raised voice. “What’s going on?” Kat asked.

  “You want to know what’s going on? Let me clue you in.”

  “I wish someone would,” Eric muttered. “I don’t want to replace another screen door.”

  “I want to know what the fuck your problem is with Sofia. And none of this bullshit about her leaving me.”

  They all looked at each other like they were treading on thin ice. They had no idea how thin the ice really was. I was about to shove them all through and watch them drown.

  “Look, she’s nice,” Will started.

  “Yeah, she can’t cook for shit, but at least the sex is good, right?” Robert grinned.

  I walked over to Robert and hauled him out of his chair, slamming him against the wall.

  “What the fuck?” he shouted.

  “Don’t you ever talk about her like that again.”

  “Alright, geez, back off.”

  I shoved away from him and walked back toward the door. “You know, I’m so fucking disappointed in all of you. I may be a fuck-up. I’ve done some stupid shit that I know was wrong, but the way you’re all acting is just sad. You’re my family. You’re supposed to be on my side. I’ve supported all of you. Will, when Charlie didn’t want you, what did I say? I asked why you would want to be with someone that didn’t value you. I didn’t make fun of her. I didn’t give you shit about it or make fun of you, and I sure as shit didn’t joke around about how she was a good fuck.” I turned to Josh. “I never once told you that Carly wasn’t good enough for you, even though she’s the reason you disappeared for seven years. I didn’t take it out on her, or go talk shit to her face. I just accepted that she was your choice and I moved on. And Eric, did I tell you that Kat wasn’t good enough for you when the two of you couldn’t seem to work it out? No, I talked you up. I wanted to make sure that she saw the best of you. And I never once said a damn thing about Anna to you, Robert. I’ve been there for you guys. Why the fuck is it so damn hard for you to be there for me?”

  The girls just stood there, looking a little disappointed in the guys. And my brothers? They couldn’t even look at me.

  “And you’re the most disappointing, Andrew. Do you think that I don’t know that you constantly say shit to her?”

  “Figures she would complain to you,” he muttered.

  “She hasn’t said a word,” I seethed. “I can always tell when one of you says something to her. She has that look like she doesn’t belong. She gets quiet and I can just fucking tell that she’s wondering how the hell she’s ever going to make you guys like her. And I know it tears her up inside, because she thinks it’s her fault that there’s this rift growing between us. Just imagine for one fucking minute what it’s like for her, to grow up with people that never gave a shit about her, and then she’s thrown into this whole new world and there’s just more people there shitting on her. Well, I’m done with it. I thought you guys would grow the fuck up and accept her, but that’s not happening. So, until you all decide to pull your heads out of your asses and behave like my brothers, I’m done with you. And it fucking kills me to say that, but I can’t watch my family treat the woman I love like shit anymore. It ends here, or we’re done. Am I clear?”

  They all nodded, but none of them bothered to apologize. Even Eric, my oldest brother, the one I had looked up to my whole fucking life, couldn’t bring himself to be the bigger person. Disappointed in all of them, I turned on my heel and walked out of the house. For people that were supposedly family until the end, they sure had a lousy way of showing it.

  “Joe!” I heard Kat call out behind me.

  Sighing, I turned and stared at the woman I considered a sister.

  “I’m sorry. I…”

  “Save it, Kat.”

  Tears filled her eyes and it killed me, but she wasn’t my concern. As much as I loved her and the rest of my family, I had to look out for the woman that was standing beside me, loving me without judgement. Maybe it wasn’t like that in the beginning, but it didn’t take long for her to see the man I really was. And while everyone else made fun of the MC and did their absolute best not to understand me, Sofia had actually gone with me to meet everyone the other night. She had gotten to know the guys that had helped me become the man I was, and they had accepted her without reservation. I wished the same was true of my own family.

  I walked forward and wrapped her in a hug. I wished they could see Sofia through my eyes.

  “I’m trying. I give her lessons on cooking, but I just don’t see her sticking around. I wish I did. You could move back home. I’ll do your laundry and cook your meals.”

  I stepped away from her and smiled slightly. “The fact that you think moving back home would solve everything tells me all I need to know.”

  “Joe—“

  “No, sorry, Kat. I love you like a sister, but right now, you’re being selfish. This is my life, and you’re dismissing the woman I love. Like I could forget about her just because you offer to do my laundry. That’s pathetic.”

  I turned and left, because there was nothing more to say. My family let me down today, but more than that, I let myself down by letting it go on for so long. But I was done with that now.

  Carly

  As much as I hated to admit it, I actually liked Sofia. When she first came here, I had a very strong desire to punch her in the face, and I had. She was a selfish, spoiled brat, but it didn’t take an idiot to see that had all changed. I had spent enough time with her over the past two months to see how much she had changed, and it was all due to her feelings for Joe. So, when he came in here and basically told everyone to go fuck themselves, and they barely responded, I knew it was time for me to step in. Someone had to be on their side.

  Kat walked back inside, hanging her head dejectedly.

  “What did he say?” Eric asked.

  “He basically told me he loved me, but that he was done with me.”

  Eric walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s okay. He’ll come around.”

  “Fuck that,” Andrew growled. “Nobody has to come around for that woman. She’s a pain in the ass and he needs to get rid of her.”

  “She’s not that bad,” Will muttered.

  “Oh, come on. Can’t you guys see what she’s doing to him?”

  “Shut up,” I snapped, irritated with his nonsense. “You’re just pissed because he’s found someone.”

  “Why the hell would I be pissed about that? I’m not upset about any of my other brothers finding someone.”

  I walked over to him and cros
sed my arms over my chest. “Because unlike everyone else, it’s always been the two of you together. And now Sofia’s here and she’s taking up all his time, and you don’t like that.”

  He scoffed, shaking his head. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Is it?” I asked as I studied him. “Because I think you’re jealous. He’s leaving you behind, and the longer she stays there, the less room there is for you.”

  “Fuck you,” he spat.

  I grinned, my hand shooting out to slug him in the face before he could move. He groaned as his head snapped to the side. The guys were all getting to their feet, like they were going to take me down. Except Josh. He just leaned against the wall and grinned.

  “Seriously, is this the way you treat your family? Joe’s happy and none of you can find it in your heart to be happy for him?”

  “It’s not that we don’t want to be happy for him…” Eric started.

  “Have you actually spent any real time with her? Because I’ve spent plenty of time getting to know her and talk to her. Kat, you’ve gone shopping with us. You’ve seen her excitement to start a new life, so what the fuck is your problem?” She flushed and ducked her head. I turned to look at Charlie. “What about you?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve got no problem with her. I like her.”

  Well, at least that was one less person to convince. “Why can’t you just accept her?”

  “Why do you care?” Robert asked curiously.

  “Because I was an outsider too. I know what this is like for her. I had no family that gave a shit about me, and neither does she. We may be completely different personality-wise, but I understand her in a way you never will. You grew up with this close-knit family and you have people that support you. She grew up with none of that. And then she finds someone that accepts her, but his family hates her. Do you know how that must make her feel? You’re all a bunch of assholes.” I turned to Kat and shook my head. “I think I’m most disappointed in you and Eric. The golden couple of the family. Everyone loves you, hell the whole fucking town falls down at your feet, and you can’t even be happy for your brother.”