by Jess Bryant
“Come on little brother, is it that crazy of a request?” Remy fidgeted, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Colt swiped a hand through his hair and pulled himself together before turning to face his brother. There was something about Remy standing behind him that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Maybe it was the resemblance to Decker, the dark hair and dark eyes, so opposite to his own sand brown and light blue. Or maybe it had something to do with the knowledge that Remy had taken his natural-born violent tendencies and let the Army hone him into a killing machine. Whatever it was, he wasn’t completely comfortable with Remy but he hoped that didn’t show on his face.
“Uh… yeah, actually it is.”
“I’m back. I need to work. Why can’t it be with you?”
“You have some experience working in a tattoo shop that I don’t know about?” He crossed his arms over his chest, wincing when his ribs resisted the movement.
“I’ve done a lot of different things over the years.”
“You ever work in a tattoo shop?” He repeated evenly.
Remy scowled, “No.”
“Then I don’t see how you’re gonna help me.”
“You let Bent hang out here, even offered to apprentice him, but you won’t do the same for me?”
Colt seethed. So his cousins were talking to his brother. That didn’t surprise him. Last he’d heard Remy was sleeping on Lincoln’s couch. He wondered if that was still true considering the trouble he was in with that particular family member.
“Bent ain’t welcome here anymore as of about two hours ago.”
“Why’s that?”
“Dumbfuck used the equipment that he ain’t licensed to operate after I told him not to. We’re done. You see him before I do, feel free to let him know.”
“Okay.” Remy shrugged, “That’s better news for me then. You’re gonna need somebody to cover the shop for you when you have to go out for your… extracurricular activities.”
His jaw clenched and even that hurt. Damn it, he didn’t like that Remy seemed to know so much about his life. He hadn’t told him. Cash couldn’t have told him, not about that. Which meant his cousins were talking to Remy, which meant he was involved with them somehow, in something. They wouldn’t have been airing business otherwise.
“Link send you down here? Is that what this is about?” He narrowed his eyes and sure enough, Remy fidgeted. “Motherfucker, he did, didn’t he?”
He watched his older brother wince and cursed some more. He was a pawn. Lincoln’s pawn. Lincoln wanted eyes on Colt after what had happened last night and he was using Remy to send a message.
The business was still half Lincoln’s and if he wanted to hire a new employee, the point was that Colt couldn’t stop him. He wasn’t the one with the power in this situation. It was well played, that was for sure. Not as direct as he would have expected out of Lincoln but it was more effective this way, letting him know that Remy might be his brother but he was on Lincoln’s side.
“Link wants you here to keep an eye on me. You know that?”
Remy sighed, “I need a job if I’m sticking around. Link mentioned he had a vested interest in the shop and thought it’d be good for us to work together. Give us a chance to catch up.”
Colt snorted, “Either you’ve forgotten that nobody in our family does anything for the good of anybody but themselves or you’re more naïve than I ever suspected.”
“You’re not thinking of the third option.”
“And what’s that?”
“I know exactly what kind of power play Link is making by forcing me in here and I’m using him.” Remy’s lips curled slightly with cruel intent, “He thinks I’m on his side. I’m not.”
Colt raised a skeptical eyebrow, “Is that so?”
“Yeah, that’s so. You’re my brother. I failed to protect you once. I won’t do it again.”
He didn’t believe him. How could he? He didn’t trust him. That was partly Remy’s own fault. He’d promised to keep him safe once and he hadn’t. He’d failed him. But it was also the fault of a dozen other people in Colt’s life that had done the exact same thing. He didn’t trust anyone.
Remy must have sensed that declaration wasn’t going to sway him because he sighed, “Look, I’m not asking you to trust me, not yet, but it’s not like you have a lot of choice in this matter unless you want to start a war with Lincoln.”
“Maybe the war already started.”
“No. I talked to him. He’s pissed, wants to make a point, but we’re all still family. He wants a show of power and puttin’ me here gives him that. Do it. Take me on. Let him think he’s won on this one tiny thing and he’ll back off.”
“Link doesn’t know how to back off.”
“He’ll back off.” Remy repeated, “I’ll make sure of it.”
Colt opened his mouth to ask his brother how he intended to do that but the bell over the door stopped him. He couldn’t very well ask Remy if he intended to beat, maim or kill their cousin to be sure of that in front of a client. He pushed off the wall, wincing when his entire body objected to the movement.
“Well, well, looks like I’ve got my first client.” Remy’s grin immediately flashed into place when he turned to look at the door. “Hello darlin’.”
Since Colt was behind the curtain at his station, he couldn’t see who had come in that would earn that grin out of his older brother but it didn’t matter when he heard the click of heels on the concrete floor. There was only one person that came into his shop that wore heels. He’d know that sound anywhere and despite his brain telling him to slow down and his body all but screaming in objection he rushed out of his space, knocking his brother out of the way in the process.
His breath caught as soon as he saw her walking towards him. An angel. God, she looked just like an angel. The morning light was shining in through the glass storefront, framing her as if she’d just descended from heaven.
It glinted off her shiny blonde hair, the long strands down and falling over her shoulders. He’d seen her last night and she’d looked sick, deathly sick, but today she looked perfect. Just like always.
She was wearing a pair of painted on blue jeans and those high heels that jacked up her already tall, slim stature and made her hips sway seductively with every step. The little halter top she was wearing only added to the sex on legs effect she had. The straps were so tiny he could snap them with one hard tug and it flowed beautifully over her breasts.
Some men would have said her breasts were too small maybe, but not him. He’d never been much of a breast man but Skylar’s were perky perfection as far as he was concerned. Besides, the secret draw of small breasts was that the women didn’t always feel the need to tie them up in bras.
From the bounce in her step, he ventured to guess Skylar wasn’t wearing one today, a habit of hers that drove him absolutely crazy. Despite the aches and pains he’d experienced all day, his body still sat up and took notice. It didn’t help that her shirt also left her arms and shoulders all but bare, exposing the ink that he had put there.
The first tattoo he’d ever inked on her was the shoulder piece currently on display. It had taken him weeks to come up with the design. It wasn’t the first thing he’d drawn when she told him she wanted to get a tattoo. He’d drawn her a princess crown that first day and she’d laughed until she cried before ripping it up.
After that, he’d gotten creative. He’d decided on the twisting vines of roses because of her middle name but he’d also included plenty of thorns. It was girly, soft, sweet, but if you looked close it was also dangerous, just like the woman that wore it.
It was some of his best work in his humble opinion. Maybe because he was always so damn careful with her precious skin or maybe just because the ink and the skin belonged to Skylar. Or maybe it had something to do with the memory of having her in his chair and knowing just how hard he had to focus to get it right, because Skylar, in his chair, made him hard every damn time.
It was the memory of the way she looked when he inked her that tortured him most. Cheeks flushed. Lips parted on panting breaths. Her eyes glazed. Tiny little moans falling from her as she tried not to squirm. Fuck, it haunted him knowing that his needles did that to her. Made him want to see those same reactions from his touch instead.
Skylar was his every dream and nightmare all rolled into one and the fact that she was walking into his shop now, when he was angry at himself for getting distracted last night, angry at her for being the distraction he couldn’t ignore, and angry at the world for all the things that kept them apart, he knew he couldn’t deal with her right now.
He wouldn’t be able to control himself. He was too close to the edge after last night. Talking to her, touching her, leaving her behind, it had all been too much. If she so much as looked at him with desire in her eyes, he’d fucking break and he couldn’t let that happen.
If last night had taught him anything, it was that he had to push her away. It was for her own good. He wasn’t getting out of this life or putting the Bomar bullshit behind him anytime soon. And he wouldn’t risk dragging her down with him.
“Hey.” Her smile lit up her entire face, those bright blue eyes sparkling and just like always, he had to steel himself not to move towards her, not to react to that smile.
“Hey.” He kept his voice even, neutral, and watched her smile falter at the less than pleasant greeting.
He was such an asshole. Nobody should ever attempt to dim that smile of hers. It was pure goodness, pure light and joy, but he couldn’t have her here now. Especially not now. His demons were prowling too close to the surface after last night and he had to put some distance back between them before his shadows overtook her light.
“Hey, I was going to come by earlier but…” She came closer and her smile fell off completely, “Oh my God! Colt! What happened to your face?”
“Nothing.”
She had started to close the space between them, her hands already coming up as if she meant to touch him, comfort him, but she pulled up short at the harshness in his voice. She blinked, confusion flickering over her features. Her hands dropped back to her sides.
“Nothing?”
He didn’t answer and her confusion turned to a frown.
“You’re black and blue and you’re really going to stand there and tell me that nothing happened?”
“You’re a smart girl. You catch on quick.”
She recoiled as if he’d shoved her and he fought the urge to reach for her and pull her back, pull her into his arms. He knew what that was like now which made it even harder to deny. But he did it, for the both of them.
“Can we uh… talk?” Her gaze flickered past him and he remembered then that his older brother was behind him, watching their every interaction.
“I don’t have a lot of time, Sky. I’m running a business here.”
Her lips flattened into a disapproving line, “Colt, please.”
He needed to tell her no. Talking to her would only make things harder. He needed to shut her out, hard and fast, just like he should have from the beginning.
Letting her in had been a mistake. Letting her this close had been a mistake. Last night had been a mistake. He should have left as soon as he knew she was okay but he hadn’t and he’d paid for that mistake with his blood in the cage.
Close but not too close, he needed to stick to his own rule. He’d let her get into his head last night and it had cost him. It was time to correct that mistake and push her away, again. For both their sakes.
“Remy, give us a minute.” He said without turning around.
“Yeah, no problem bro. I’ll be in the back when you’re done here.” He could hear the smile in his brother’s voice when he added, “Good to see ya again Skylar.”
“Yeah, you too.” She added softly, never looking at Remy.
Even still, Colt felt his fists clench at his sides. He didn’t want his brother talking to her. Didn’t want him anywhere near her. Didn’t like that he even knew her name. The sound of footsteps retreating behind him was the only reason he didn’t turn around and deck Remy right then and there.
“What’s up, Sky?” He asked as soon as they were alone.
She moved a dangerous step closer to him, “Colt, what happened to your face?”
“Nothing.”
She sighed heavily, “You left me last night to go to a fight didn’t you?”
He clenched his jaw and stared at her. The flicker of emotions she didn’t try to hide nearly undid him. First there was sadness, then confusion, then frustration and then he saw it, the flare of anger in her eyes. She had a temper. It only ever surfaced when she was fighting for her friends, trying to protect the people she cared about. It was just another part of his sick and twisted obsession with this girl that he liked knowing she cared enough to get mad at him.
“You did. You left last night to go to one of those stupid cage fight things your cousin runs. Did you win? Does the other guy look worse?” She scoffed when he remained quiet, “You do realize how unbelievably stupid it is for you to fight with your fists, right? Those hands are your livelihood, Colt. What happens when you bust them up so badly you can’t hold the pen? Can’t ink a tattoo? What then?”
It was something he’d given far more than a passing thought since he started fighting for Lincoln and his heart stuttered with the knowledge that she worried about that, about him. Still, he remained quiet. He didn’t know how Skylar even knew about the fights but that was a whole other issue. His deal with Lincoln was a secret and it was going to stay that way. He wasn’t breaking family rules to tell her about it, not now, not ever.
She snorted, anger flashing over her pretty face, “Oh, I forgot, the first rule of fight club is that you can’t talk about it, right?”
His lips twitched despite his best effort. Damn but she was cute when she was angry at him. Sassy too. He wanted to kiss that fire right off her lips.
“Fine.” She put her hands on her hips and tipped her chin up at him, “You don’t want to talk about what you did after you left me last night. Let’s talk about what happened between us last night.”
All of his amusement faded instantly and he forced an indifferent shrug, “Nothing happened there either.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really.”
Her eyes narrowed and she glared daggers at him, “You call crawling into my bed and holding me while I slept nothing?”
“That’s exactly what I call it.” He lied.
The daggers fell away so easily, he could see now that the anger had been a mere attempt to cover the hurt. Pain flashed on her face and she looked away from him for the first time. He’d landed a solid blow with that one, just as he’d known he would, but he wasn’t done yet, not by a longshot, not if she was still standing so close to him.
“What are you doing here, Sky? You want to talk about that new tattoo you’ve been wanting? Because I’m trying to work so unless you want to talk ink, I ain’t got nothin’ to say to you.”
She winced, “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Don’t act like last night didn’t change anything.”
“It didn’t.” He shrugged and his midsection screamed in agony again, “Nothing’s changed. We’re still friends. Same as yesterday. And last I checked, you’ve still got yourself a boyfriend. Right?”
He shouldn’t have asked but he hadn’t been able to stop himself. He’d only meant to remind her that this entire conversation was taboo. Nothing had changed between them because it couldn’t. That was a line he was unwilling to cross, even for her. But since she was here, since she had come to see him, he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe that issue had finally resolved itself.
Her cheeks flushed and she looked at the floor, “Yeah, I still have a boyfriend.”
He hardened himself to the slash of pain in his chest. He wasn’t surprised by that. No smart woman would choose him and his issues over the nice, stable new guy, particularly not when he kept doing shit like this to purposefully drive a wedge between them. Skylar was smart, he’d always known that so he forced himself to end the conversation before she caught on to how much that one statement had hurt him.
“Then we ain’t got a thing to talk about do we?”
“You came to check on me last night. You took care of me. I thought that meant...” She glanced back up at him from under her lashes, “Never mind. Forget it. I just wanted to say thank you.”
“No reason to thank me. I was only doing Jemma a favor.”
Skylar studied him for a long second, “So that’s it then? You came over because Jemma asked. It didn’t have anything to do with the fact that we’re friends or… anything else?”
“Nope.” He lied and watched something he couldn’t identify flash in her eyes before she lashed out at him in return.
“You’re such a fucking liar Colt Bomar.”
She spat his last name at him like it was a dirty word and he fought the immediate clench of his fists. He could say whatever he wanted of his family, because for better or worse they were his, but he couldn’t stand hearing that crap out of the mouths of other people, definitely not her. And she knew that. Only the knowledge that she was trying to get a rise out of him softened the blow.
“I’m a lot of things but a liar ain’t one of them.”
“Bullshit. You lie to yourself all the time.” She gave her head a hard shake, “I don’t understand why you think you have to do this.”
What he should have done was tell her that the conversation was over. He should have done whatever it took to drive her out of his shop right then and there. But he just couldn’t help himself, not where she was concerned, so he asked the question instead of sending her away once and for all.
“Do what?”