The Ink Romance Series

by Bridget Taylor

  The building almost looks the same as before, but it’s bigger. On my side we have a shelter and an actual veterinarian hospital. The downside to that is we don’t have a vet; we haven’t been able to find someone suitable and who fits our “vibe” as Kane calls it. So right now, I’m just a shelter and someone who does basic animal care like before, but I am going to school to be a vet, so everything is looking up.

  There is also a door inside that leads from one shop to the other. On my side, it says, “Enter here for Ocean’s Animal Shelter and Clinic,” while his side says, “Enter for Ocean’s Ink Tattoo and Body Shop.” They are interesting shops to have next to one another, but you’d be surprised how many people come in looking for a tattoo and end up leaving with a dog or vice versa.

  Noon strikes and Kane yells, “All right everyone. We are officially open for business!” Everyone hoots and hollers, excited about the shops being here again. I can’t believe how many people bring in strays they found on the side of the road. We have a box of pit bull puppies, kittens, and even a fox. We don’t usually do wild life, so I had to call a wildlife conservation center for them to come pick him up. Poor little fox looks like he got hit by a car.

  “Sampson!” I shout as he comes up to my counter. He looks great! Gone is the sad man I saw a few months ago on the bench and now he’s a man with a smile.

  “Hey, Leslie. How are you?”

  I run from behind the desk and throw my arms around him. “You look great! I’ve been well, how about you?” I say excitedly. My smile takes over my face at seeing him here! He actually came!

  “I’m good. I get better every day. I started going to a grief counselor and you know, that really helped. I go twice a week, and I have to say, it’s changed my life.” He runs his fingers through his thick head of chestnut brown hair and it gleams with a hint of red.

  “Who are you?” Kane’s voice is deep and threatening as he approaches from the door that connects our shops.

  “Cool your jets. This is Sampson!” I smile at Kane, and his smile stretches across his face.

  “Oh, I’ve heard about you. Glad you to finally meet you.” He sticks out his hand.

  “Oh, not my finest hour meeting Leslie, but it’s nice to meet you too.” Sampson reaches for the outstretched hand.

  “Only good things, man. What brings you by? You want a tattoo? Or a dog?”

  There goes Kane, stealing my thunder.

  “Actually, I hear you have a vet position open. I’m looking to start new.”

  “You’re a vet? That’s amazing! Can you start now?” I ask eagerly. I need someone to look over the animals that were just dropped off. Especially the puppies, I think they might have an upper respiratory thing going on.

  He chuckles. “Don’t you want to know my references, how much experience I have, and all that?”

  “Sure, tell me.” I glance over at Rorie who is taking care of the customers now.

  “Uh, well, I have five years of experience as a vet and you can call the last place I worked for. I started and ended with them, so they will be the ones you want to talk to.”

  “Great. Can you look over the puppies we just got? I think they have some wheezing and it’s just perfect timing that you walked in.” When I hug him, Kane reaches and pulls me away.

  “All right, no touching. I don’t know him well enough,” he grumbles.

  “Seriously?” He is so maddening!

  “It’s all right. Let me get my bag out of the car and I’ll be right in.” Sampson walks out the door and my evil eyes turn to Kane.

  “So what? I can’t hug people now?”

  “Not guys I don’t know.”

  “No reason? Just beat your chest and say mine.” I slap my chest.

  “Pretty much.”

  “Ugh! You!” I point my finger at him.

  “I think you’re hangry. Come to the shop. I got us some lunch. It’s your favorite, spicy yellowtail rolls with extra cucumber,” he bribes.

  “I’m only going with you because I’m hungry,” I mutter. “Rorie, I’m going to lunch. Do you have everything taken care of?” It’s died down a lot since we opened, or I’d stay with her.

  “If it gets real busy again, I’ll call you,” she tells me as she takes a cute golden retriever puppy from someone.

  “I think someone just found her pup,” I whisper to Kane. Rorie’s eye lit up when she saw the little guy. He only has three legs and the couple can’t take care of him like that, so they brought him here. We are a no kill shelter, so every animal is welcome. Kane even put large cages in the backyard for overflow. No animal will ever be left behind, not on my watch!

  “Hey Kane, someone is asking for you specifically,” Tommy, the new tattoo artist, says as we walk in the door.

  “Thanks, man. Is he at the counter?” Kane looks around the shop to try to pinpoint where the person is.

  “Yeah. Hey Leslie.”

  Looking over at Tommy, I smile. He has always been the shier type when he is around me, which totally contradicts his appearance. He has tattoos from head to toe besides his face, and his lips are pierced. He looks intimidating and badass, but the moment he sees a girl his cheeks turn red and his eyes look everywhere except at the girl he is speaking to.

  “Hey Tommy!” I bring him in for a hug and he doesn’t reciprocate. It’s fine. I might have just stunned him.

  He pulls away with wide eyes and turns abruptly.

  “We need to talk to you about hugging other men, Crazy.” Kane grabs my hand and pulls me to the front of the shop where a man is leaning against the counter, looking like he is waiting for someone to help him.

  “Eat behind the counter,” Kane orders, pointing to a chair and then me. I plop down automatically, rolling my eyes at myself for even listening.

  “How can I help you?” Kane turns to the stranger but glances back at me and mouths, “eat.”

  “Caveman,” I mutter, but not before I see him smirk.

  “I was wanting a tattoo for my brother. He is in prison and received a life sentence, so I don’t think I’ll be seeing him anytime soon except for visiting him. I was wanting to show you what I was thinking, and maybe have it done within a few days?” He looks at Kane hopefully.

  “I’m sorry to hear about your brother, man. Tell me what you want, I’ll sketch something out, and…” Kane looks at his calendar which already looks booked. “You only want me to do it, right? Or are you open to someone else?”

  “No. Just you. I hear you’re the best on the west coast,” the stranger says.

  Watching them interact is like watching one of those tattoo competition shows. I eat a piece of sushi and moan when the spicy sauce hits my tongue.

  I open my eyes to see both men staring at me, and Kane with a promise in his eyes that he is going to spank me later for that salacious moan.

  “Sorry, it’s really good,” I mumble around the food in my mouth.

  After that, Kane draws up some ideas and the winner seems to be a drawing of a man behind bars, but a crack is showing in the metal with a light coming from within it. It’s beautiful.

  “All right man, I’ll see you on Halloween!”

  “Awesome, thanks Kane!” The guy goes to leave, but not before shooting me a look that promises nothing but bad things.

  Appetite ruined.

  “What’s wrong, Crazy?” Kane stands in front of me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

  “Nothing, just not feeling well,” I lie.

  “I’ll give you something to feel good about,” he purrs.

  Chapter 13

  “I’m taking Flamingo for a walk!” I shout at Kane who is tattooing another ink bunny. It’s different this time though. When she puts her hands him, he peels her talons off him, telling her that he’s a taken man. She pouts for a moment and gets over herself. I want so bad to jump in the air and stick my tongue out at her. But, I’m better than that.

  Kind of.

  “All right, be careful.” He doesn’t
look away from the skin he is injecting ink into. I haven’t told him how curious I am about getting a tattoo, but I don’t know if I’m up for the pain. I have no idea what I’d get anyway. I could always get “Kane” tattooed on my butt, I’m sure he would like that.

  I snort at my own joke, yeah right!

  The tattoo shop stays open later than the shelter does, so when I close I always take Flamingo for a walk before getting dinner for Kane. It’s good routine, and I enjoy watching him tattoo such beautiful pieces on someone’s flesh. I can’t imagine the pressure he feels needing to perfect something that is going to be on someone forever.

  “I’ll be back in forty-five!” I shout before walking out the door and taking the stairs to the beach.

  “It’s so pretty, isn’t it, Flamingo? Not as pretty as you though. Isn’t that right, my pretty boy?” I squat and cup his squishy face before planting a kiss on his muzzle.

  The sand is a greyish color while big broken off rocks that used to be attached to the cliffs fill bits of the ocean. It makes a beautiful picture as the waves slam against them. A spray of white foam fans out before sinking back into the ocean’s abyss.

  It’s overcast today. The sky isn’t dark promising rain; it a light grey, looking like a thin layer of fog. It’s makes it a cool day and that is why I’m wearing my zip up hoodie. Flamingo brings a piece of driftwood to me and plops it down at my feet.

  “You want to play? Go get it!” I toss the dense wood as far as I can before he sprints to get it and bring it back.

  We do that for fifteen minutes before he gets tired and decides walking next to me is better than running. I don’t blame him. I hate running or any form of working out. Unless it is sex with Kane. That counts as exercise, right? He always makes sure I break a sweat.

  Flamingo growls, bringing me out of my sexual thoughts. “What is it, boy?” He stops mid step showing his teeth, and I look to where he is looking to see a figure walking toward us. He doesn’t look dangerous until I see it’s the stranger from the tattoo shop yesterday. It’s just a coincidence that he is at this beach. Everyone is allowed to come to the beach.

  “It’s okay, Flamingo.” I try to reassure him, but my nerves are jumbled, and Flamingo can sense it. I start walking backwards and Flamingo does the same. I turn around, hoping I don’t look obvious.

  “Come on, Flamingo,” I say a bit too harshly. My instincts are screaming at me to run, but for some reason people who run never make it to where they are going. At least that’s how it is in the movies. Since I’m not a runner, I’m going to assume I don’t have a chance.

  The weather reflects the mood of the situation. The waves are a dark blue crashing coldly against the shore. They are as beautiful as they are violent and if that man did anything to me, he could throw my body in that unforgiving water and no one would hear from me again. I’d get swept away into the deep blue, forgotten.

  With that in mind, I stay closer to the cliffs instead of the water. It would give me a chance to fight him before he could dunk my head in the water, drowning me, which is my worst fear in the entire world. Well, that and burning to death. I want to at least have a chance at protecting myself before getting thrown to the fish.

  “Excuse me? Miss!”

  Crap, crap, crap. Pretend you don’t hear him. People do that everyday when people are asking for money on the street. They just turn a blind eye. You know that moment of guilt you feel when that happens though? That’s what I’m feeling right now. I’m wondering if I should give him my attention, like someone would give a stranger a dollar, or if I should just keep walking.

  I’m going to continue walking and trust my gut.

  “Hey! I’m talking to you!” The man voices more harshly, and I pick up speed until I hear him pounding his feet against the sand, which makes me hightail it.

  “Go Flamingo! Go get Kane!” I yell. I push my body as hard as I can against the weight of the sand. The traction is causing me to slow down and the man is gaining ground.

  Flamingo stops and looks back at me, struggling with what to do. He wants to protect me, but I have a feeling that he wouldn’t be enough.

  An arm wraps around my waist causing me to scream and Flamingo bolts back to the shelter. A heavy cold object presses into my back, the barrels right on my spine.

  “Is this where I say tag, you’re it?” the stranger whispers into my ear. “You know, I might keep you for myself. You are…edible.” He licks the cartilage of my ear making me cringe.

  “What do you want?” I stutter. I look around for anyone that could be on the beach, but its stranded. It usually is on cloudy days. What was I thinking? I should have stayed inside!

  “You little boyfriend took something from me. I want it back. I want revenge. And what better way than to take someone he cares about away. I want this to be climatic though. So, let’s take a walk. You can tell me about your hopes and dreams that you’ll never have.”

  He pushes me until I fall into the sand. It bites into my skin from the shells and small pebbles that are embedded in it.

  As I walk up the stairs back to the shop, the gun is still pressed against my back, cold and unforgiving just like the dark blue ocean. Tears don’t run down my face this time. I don’t know if it’s because I have thicker skin now or that the situation hasn’t hit me fully yet.

  Flamingo’s bark echoes through the air and as I turn around the bend, Kane is coming down the steps of the building. Flamingo turns in circles in front of him, barking, and when Kane stops walking to the staircase that leads down to the ocean, he sees me. He relaxes until he sees the stranger come up beside me, putting the gun to my temple. The metal is warmer now, but only on the end of the barrel that was pressed against my back. I’m so glad I warmed it up for my death.

  “Woah, what’s this about, Drew?” Kane tiptoes slowly to us.

  Flamingo stays by his side growling, showing his teeth. The hair on his back is standing up and he’s waiting to be told to attack and protect his family.

  But the risk of the gun going off, leaving me with a bullet in my brain, clouds my thoughts.

  No risk without reward, right?

  “You took something I cared about! It’s only fair I do it in return.” He pulls the lever back making a bullet slide into place to take me to my death. It’s like a final countdown.

  “What are you talking about? I don’t even know you, man. You must be mistaking me for someone else. I have never met you before!” Kane yells.

  Movement from the corner of my eye catches my attention, and I see Rorie in the window watching. She has a phone against her ear mumbling something before hanging up. I really hope that she was calling the cops. With how things are going, I’m going to have to make them number one on my speed dial list. 9-1-1 just isn’t quick enough.

  “My brother is behind bars because of you,” Drew sneers and tightens his hold around my neck cutting off my air supply.

  Kane’s eyes widen before anger takes place. “Your brother murdered my family! He deserved what he got! He got off easy if you ask me! He took everything from me!” Kane stalks towards him with no care in the world.

  “Don’t come any closer!” Drew shouts before shooting the gun next to Kane’s foot, making him stop in his tracks. Dirt blows in the wind from being disturbed by the quick impact of the bullet.

  “He didn’t take everything.” Drew licks the side of my face making me cringe. Tears still don’t run down my face, and I’ve concluded, if I make it out alive, it’s because I’m in shock. I know I’ll have a nervous breakdown later.

  “Leslie had nothing to do with this. We can settle this like men. You and I. Let her go.” Kane pleads. When I look at him, I can see the fear in his eyes. I’ve seen that familiar feeling all too often lately.

  This moment makes me regret ever being mad at him. I should have kissed him more, made love to him more, said yes instead of no…there are so many things I should have done.

  “She has everything to do with it! You
took something I care about so it’s only fair I do the same in return!”

  “You know what your brother did. Maybe you’re in denial, but he did do it. He let greed control him. Don’t let anger do the same for you,” Kane tries to reason with the psycho holding the gun to my head.

  “I don’t think so. I don’t think I’ve ever thought so clearly before. And I don’t think it’s fair that you get to live a happy life while my family suffers because of you not being able to get over your family’s death!”

  Flamingo doesn’t wait any longer and he lunges, biting down on the man’s leg. Drew shouts in agony as Flamingo tears his flesh. The gun goes off making my ears ring and my vision get blurry. Kane shouts and I hit the ground, hearing a vague sound of fighting in my surroundings.

  My new habit doesn’t let me down as unconsciousness takes me over. Again.

  Ink Breaks

  Description

  Leslie is tired of Kane leaving her alone in bed with nothing but a memory to keep her company. She decides there are other fish in the sea, and she deserves a man who won’t make her feel dirty and used. When she meets another man, a man that actually wants her, Kane interferes with his caveman act. It’s obvious Kane is jealous, but when an enemy sets his sight on Leslie, and Leslie gets hurt, Kane realizes there will never be another man for Leslie, except him. When he tells her he wants her for good, she does something he doesn’t expect—she pushes him away.

  Will Leslie ever learn to trust Kane? Or are they better without each other? Maybe some things deserve to break.

  Chapter 1

  A dead body. A bleeding dead body.

  This guy, this stranger just held a gun to my head and now he is dead. I can’t take my eyes off his lifeless form. Instead of shooting me, he shot himself. His blood is splattered on my face, dripping down my temple, and the only thing I can think of is to keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to taste anyone’s blood!