Inked Obsession

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Archer nodded. “Okay, that’s round one.”

  “We drove here, we can’t do more than that,” Benjamin added with a shake of his head.

  “Oh, we’re going to eat a shit-ton of food we brought and some I’m sure Beckett has, and we’re going to be here awhile,” Archer corrected. “Tomorrow’s work, and then tomorrow night is Mom’s birthday dinner.”

  I cursed. “Fuck.”

  Archer gave me a look. “And Eliza will be there. And Brenna. Meaning anything that might have happened to you that people are just now hearing about will probably be spoken out in the open. Mom and Dad will find out.”

  “About me sleeping with Eliza?”

  “No, asshole. About the shooting,” Lee said.

  I cursed again. “Fuck.”

  “They know. They know that you’re okay, and it took every ounce of my will to keep Mother away from you,” Archer said. “Every ounce.”

  “I should have told you guys.”

  “Yes, you should have,” Benjamin said. “Sometimes, we each have secrets we need to deal with on our own before we let the Montgomerys invade,” he said.

  I gave him a look, and he held up his hand. “Oh, no, this is about you, twin of mine. Not me.”

  Lee pinched the bridge of his nose. “Well, since it seems everybody in this kitchen has secrets, let’s do another tequila shot and talk about what the fuck you were thinking about when you slept with Eliza.”

  “It was consensual. We both wanted it. And we might do it again.”

  “Okay,” Lee said, drawing out the word.

  “Eliza’s my friend.”

  “Brenna is, too,” Archer singsonged.

  I scowled. “Not like that. I’ve always done my best not to think about Eliza in certain ways.”

  “That makes sense,” Lee said as he poured tequila for all of us. “Eliza’s hot. But she was married. And then she was a widow. Though I know she told the girls that she was thinking about dating again.”

  “I know,” I grumbled.

  “I didn’t,” Benjamin said.

  “You don’t know many things,” Lee said, and Benjamin flipped him off.

  “So, you slept with Eliza. On vacation.”

  “Yes, our rooms were next door to each other. Did you have anything to do with that?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. Both of my brothers glared at Lee.

  Lee held up both hands. “Seriously. Not me. Plus, her brother’s friend was the one who got you guys the hotel rooms. Do you really think her brother and I had anything to do with that? No. You guys were just in the two owner suites, and that’s how it works. I swear. I didn’t even know she was there until my friend mentioned it.”

  “Okay,” I grumbled.

  Lee studied my face. “Seriously. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before, though. The way you two are with each other.”

  “What way?” I asked, confused.

  “You guys are always grumbling and kind to one another.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” I told Lee.

  Lee grinned. “Yes, it does. You guys are friendly, but hate asking for or needing help. Still, you’re always first in line to help each other. You guys did a good job of only dancing with each other once. Never too much. It was as if you subconsciously knew that it was wrong to want to dance with each other more than once like you’re in a Regency ballroom or somewhere.”

  “I’m pretty sure that it’s two dances that makes it wrong. Though, of course, if you go past one dance and somebody looks at you and wants to dance with you for that second one, you could be a little wanton,” Archer said.

  I growled. “I swear to God, if you bring up Regency romances one more time…”

  “It was a popular show, too,” Archer complained. “You can’t blame me. You enjoyed it.”

  “Anyway…” Benjamin broke in, and I laughed.

  “I don’t know where we were,” I said.

  “We were at the part where you were telling me exactly what you and Eliza were doing.”

  “I’m not going into details.” I sighed. “And I don’t know what’s going to happen now. Eliza is trying to figure it out. She has her own life with a lot of shit going on. Apparently, I have even more going on. I have no idea what I’m doing. This will probably all explode, but I can’t help it. I really like her. I wasn’t expecting it. She’s always just been there, but now, she’s really there. I don’t want it to stop. I probably should, but I don’t want to.”

  “On top of that, you need to tell Brenna,” Lee said quickly.

  “Unless the girls tell her first.”

  “Fuck,” Benjamin said softly.

  “Brenna told me that she needed space,” I whispered.

  My twin sighed. “Then you should give it to her.”

  “I need to tell her.”

  “Pull out your phone and do it now,” Archer said.

  I rolled my eyes. “Oh, yes, I should do this over the phone or by text.”

  Lee shrugged. “Well, you either need to do it that way or wait until the girls tell her.”

  “Brenna needs to know.” Benjamin met my gaze. “If you’re going to tell the whole world, Brenna needs to know before the rest of them.”

  I looked at all of them as they stared down at the phone in front of me. “You really going to make me do this in front of you?” I asked.

  “Yes. We are,” Lee said, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “I’ll be needing more tequila for this,” Benjamin growled and reached for the bottle.

  “It seems I’ll be driving tonight,” Archer said as he switched to water.

  I pulled up my phone and went into the bedroom, slamming and locking the door behind me so nobody could follow.

  Brenna picked up on the first ring, and I knew I was an idiot for letting all of this play out this way. “I’m working, Beckett. Is everything okay?”

  “Fuck. I’m sorry. I just…I’m sorry for a lot of things.”

  “I know. I swear my mood isn’t all about you. I’m just in a funk. You were almost killed, Beckett. And I love you. I don’t like that you were almost killed.”

  “I don’t like that I was almost killed, either.”

  “We’re going to be okay. I promise. I just need to think about a few things. And it really has nothing to do with you. It’s sort of just a catalyst, pushing me in the direction of where my life is going.”

  “I’ll always be your sounding board, Brenna.”

  “I know.”

  “There’s something else I need to tell you. We promised no secrets.”

  She let out a hollow laugh. “That doesn’t sound ominous at all.”

  “When I went on vacation, someone else was there.”

  “You met somebody?” she asked, happiness and warmth filling her tone. That was my Brenna. The one who was always there for me. Why had I been hiding a big part of myself and pushing her away since the shooting?

  “No, it was someone I already knew. Someone we both know.”

  “What are you talking about?” Then she cursed. “Oh my God, it was Eliza, wasn’t it?”

  “How did you know?”

  “Who do we both know that happened to be on a trip at the same time as you? Oh. You were there. On the weekend she went away. When her brothers sent her off so she had time on her own for the anniversary. Wow. I’m glad you were there for her.”

  I swallowed hard, not sure what to say.

  “You were there for her, weren’t you?” she asked.

  “Yes. Brenna? Eliza and I, well…”

  Brenna laughed. “Well, then. That’s a secret I’m glad you told me.”

  I shook my head, though I knew she couldn’t see me. “I didn’t even actually tell you.”

  “Because you’re like a teenage boy, stammering over what you want to tell me over the phone. This is what you wanted to tell me when I was at your house, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes. And I’m sorry. I’m an idiot.”

  “You’re not. I pro
mise. You know, I kind of like the idea of the two of you together. And, hey? She could be that person you can talk to.”

  “I want it to be you.” I paused. “Just not in the way that sounded. I meant the talking, not the…whatever.”

  “The whatever is not something I need the details on, although I am really good friends with Eliza, so she’ll probably tell me.”

  I cringed, even though she couldn’t see me. “This is where it gets weird.”

  “Oh, Beckett Montgomery. It’s been weird for a long time. However, I’m glad you told me. And I’ll let Eliza tell me, as well. Because we’re friends, we’re girls, and that’s what we do. It seems like that trip was good for you. And I hope it was good for her.”

  “So do I,” I grumbled, and she laughed. It didn’t sound like her normal laugh; it was just a bit off. I knew something else was wrong, but I wouldn’t push. Not until she needed me. Because I knew she wasn’t keeping secrets, not like I had. She was just going through something. At least, that’s what she’d told me. And I trusted her.

  “I’m sorry, Brenna.”

  “Stop being sorry. Just be the Beckett I know and love. And be kind. I really cannot wait to see what this thing with you and Eliza does. Because, wow.”

  “I should probably go,” I said quickly as the guys started banging on the door.

  “Is Archer drinking tequila?” Brenna asked with a laugh.

  “Maybe.” She knew us so well. I wished I could help her with whatever was going on.

  “Well, do a shot or four for me. I am working. I love you. Just not like that.”

  “I would say ‘thank God,’ but that would be weird.”

  “No, let’s go with that,” Brenna said. “We’ll make this work. Somehow. And I’ll stop being weird.”

  “Then how would you be the Brenna I know?” I asked, teasing.

  “You can’t see me, but I’m totally rolling my eyes. And now, I need to go.”

  “Same here. I’m going to fix this.”

  “I don’t think you really have anything to fix,” she whispered. “We just need to make sure we remember who we are and who we have.”

  “Sounds good.” We said our goodbyes, and I looked down at my phone, even as the guys banged on the door some more. That was one step. At least, I hoped.

  Now, I needed to make amends with everybody else and figure out exactly what to do about Eliza. And that was far too much for me just then. Good thing tequila fixed everything.

  At least, that’s what I told myself. For tonight.

  Chapter 17

  Eliza

  * * *

  Had I agreed to a date with Beckett Montgomery? I think I had. Maybe I was still on vacation fervor and had agreed because I wasn’t thinking clearly. I didn’t think so. I was going on a date with Beckett. Eventually. Once we figured things out.

  First, I was apparently going to Mrs. Montgomery’s birthday party.

  Why had I agreed to that?

  Oh, yes. Because I liked Beckett’s mother. Usually. I hadn’t liked how she treated her kids when it came to the business, but things had changed. Their mother had stopped placating their father when it came to running the business, and the family feud with the Montgomerys seemed to have downshifted into a truce…or faded away altogether.

  I didn’t know the other Montgomerys as well. I knew Brenna knew some of the Denver Montgomerys at least decently well because of her tattoos, but they weren’t close friends of mine—I hadn’t gotten a Montgomery tattoo yet.

  I knew I was the only one in our group that didn’t have one, and the few small pieces of ink that I had weren’t anywhere near the caliber of the rest of the family’s. Maybe I would change that. I could go down with Annabelle or Beckett and get a tattoo.

  Now I was thinking about getting tattoos. With the Montgomerys. Next thing you knew, I would be jumping on a Harley and driving off into the wind. Not that any of the Montgomerys I knew actually owned motorcycles, but it could happen.

  And if I kept letting my mind go down all of these different thought paths, perhaps I wouldn’t worry about the fact that I had to make a decision when it came to Marshall’s child.

  Not mine.

  I would never hold his child.

  Did Natasha want the money? Because she hadn’t asked me outright. No. Marshall’s parents had. They had left a couple of messages, mostly to ask how I was doing. They hadn’t called on the anniversary of Marshall’s death. And they hadn’t asked about money again. They didn’t seem to be pursuing it hard yet. And I didn’t know when or if they would. What would I say if they did?

  Why did I feel like I was running out of time? As if in every moment, I was forced to look at the choices others had made and how they affected my future. The stress felt as if it were catapulting me into making bad decisions. Not that sleeping with Beckett was a bad decision. It was a decision that I had made, knowing it might be a mistake. But I couldn’t just pretend it hadn’t happened. I couldn’t hide from the ramifications.

  And I needed to tell the girls. I needed to tell everybody. We had said no secrets. And now that I was in a new day in a new time zone, I figured maybe secrets were a good thing. Was I supposed to pretend that I had made a rational choice when it came to speaking with Beckett?

  It had been perfect. It had been exactly what I needed, and I wanted to do it again.

  That thought made me pause. Well, I hadn’t expected that. Again? Yes. I wanted to. I wanted to remember how he made me feel. The way he had touched me and made me the center of his universe for those moments. I wanted to sit across from him at dinner as he made me laugh and we talked about important things and things that weren’t so important. I loved hearing him laugh. I loved that smile of his when he finally let it free. He’d been hiding himself over the past few months to the point I had noticed but hadn’t known why. I could see the weight sliding off his shoulders inch by inch. As he took the reins more in the business, and his father backed off.

  And as he told more people about what had happened, about who had been hurt, he looked more relaxed. And I had been a part of that. At least I thought so.

  I shook my head and reminded myself that I needed to get ready to go see the Montgomerys. And Beckett. Did everybody know about us yet? I didn’t think so. So, that would be a secret. Wouldn’t it? And maybe I needed to stop twisting myself into circles. It wasn’t helping anyone.

  The doorbell rang, and I jolted.

  Tension crept up my belly. Please, don’t be my in-laws. I wasn’t ready for a confrontation. I had made no decisions, and I didn’t want to make any. At least, not yet. I hadn’t even let myself think too hard about it.

  I swallowed and looked through the peephole. I sighed in relief, and then another form of tension rose as I saw who stood there.

  Annabelle, Paige, and Brenna, all in cute dresses, their hair done, and their makeup applied to perfection. Annabelle looked a little pale under hers, though.

  “I didn’t know you were coming over,” I said as I moved back to let them in.

  Brenna gave me a soft smile and a knowing look that kind of worried me. Paige bounced in, and Annabelle slowly made her way inside.

  “Do you want some water?” I asked, and she shook her head.

  “No, I just had some ginger ale and crackers. Apparently, morning sickness is going to be a thing during the afternoon, as well.”

  I held back my cringe. She didn’t look like she was feeling all that great. “Well, sit down.”

  “We’re here to look in on you,” Annabelle said but let me lead her to the living room.

  “How was your trip?” Paige asked as she came back in from my kitchen holding a glass of water for Annabelle.

  “I said I didn’t need water,” Annabelle said, and I just rolled my eyes as I moved out of the way so Paige could hand her the glass.

  “Drink it and be happy,” Paige said. “You’re having the first grandkids of our family. We are going to baby you. It’s what we do.”


  “I can’t wait to see you waddle around,” Brenna said, and Annabelle flipped her off.

  “That’s not nice.”

  Annabelle just shrugged. “No, because then Jacob will be even more overprotective and overbearing when it comes to you. It’s nice. You guys are just so sweet with each other.”

  “You really are. I love how he is with you.”

  There was a wistfulness to my tone, and I didn’t know if it had to do with Marshall or Beckett. And that should worry me. But it didn’t.

  Paige smiled over at me. “What’s going on in that brain of yours?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, my eyes wide because it really could have been about anything. About Marshall, the trip, the anniversary, my in-laws, or Beckett. Not that I thought they knew. Did they? This was why keeping secrets was so bad. For the stomach—and everything else.

  “It’s been a tough couple of weeks,” Paige added, her voice soft.

  “And tell us if anything happened on the trip,” Brenna said, and I met her gaze. She winked at me, and I snorted.

  “I see you’ve already met with Beckett,” I drawled, and Paige and Annabelle gave each other confused looks.

  Brenna winced. “Sorry, I already talked with him, and we said no secrets, and then I didn’t want to pretend that I didn’t know and not bring it up because you said you were going to mention it. And I keep talking really quickly so I’m going to stop now,” Brenna said and then laughed.

  I shook my head and rolled my eyes. I looked to the two Montgomery sisters who were staring at me, mouths gaping wide.

  “You and Beckett?” Paige asked, clapping her hands together. “Where? When? What? Give me all the details.” She paused. Considered. “Maybe not all the details. Maybe small details. Little ones. Not crazy things.”

  Annabelle’s smile widened. “I knew Beckett went on vacation, but with you? Well, that’s just a crazy coincidence.”

  “Apparently, Eli and Lee know the same person. I don’t know. We’re just going to call it a Montgomery thing,” I said, shaking my head. “Not that it was really the Montgomerys who did it, but Beckett said we should.”