Inked Armor

by Helena Hunting

  Miller got into the driver’s seat and turned so she could see me head-on. “We don’t seem to run into each other on your good days.”

  “Looks that way.” I sagged against the seat. Letting my head fall back, I closed my eyes. If I had to justify myself one more goddamn time, I was going lose it.

  “First impressions tell you a lot about a person.”

  I cracked a lid. “Guess I’m screwed on that front, huh?”

  Her mouth twitched, but she remained serious. “Take your girlfriend, for instance. The first time I met her, she seemed like she had it together. This time? Not so much.”

  “She’s had a rough day.”

  “You want to tell me why that is?”

  “You spent the last fifteen minutes with her. Are you saying she didn’t offer any details?”

  “She did. But I’m asking you.”

  I sighed and rubbed my forehead, sharp pain slicing between my eyes. I’d be lucky if I didn’t end up with a migraine. “She was in an accident around this time last year. Her whole family died. Everyone she loved is gone. Holidays are difficult.”

  “That must be hard.”

  “Like I said, today’s been very emotional for her.”

  “I meant for you.”

  I frowned. “It sucks. I can’t do anything to make her pain go away.”

  “You could start by getting a handle on that temper of yours. That’s the second time you’ve gone off on a police officer in a very public place. Gotta tell ya, it doesn’t reflect well on you.”

  “I don’t get heated often, and never with Tenley.”

  “And how do I know that? Because you told me? Because your girlfriend will tell me the same thing to protect you? Have you ever considered where the collateral damage lies when you pull something like that?”

  I looked out the windshield. Tenley was still huddled inside the car, her stocking feet curled around the edge of the doorframe. Cross was kneeling down in front of her, looking up. She leaned forward, chin jutting out in defiance. Any other time, she’d back down in the face of authority. I was the only reason she would do otherwise. It unnerved me.

  “You know, I ran your background after that first meeting, and I checked your girlfriend, too.”

  Which meant she knew about the crash before she asked. Running my background wouldn’t turn up much besides a couple of the interviews I was subjected to after my parents’ murder. The initial ones had likely been erased, as I’d been a juvenile.

  “Other than a speeding ticket about a month back, your record is clean as a whistle.”

  “Surprised?”

  She got out of the cruiser and opened my door. The pounding in my head and the tightness in my throat let up a little once I was free of the cruiser.

  “With your attitude? Damn right. But then I went deeper because I was sure there had to be something else. The way you acted when you came into the precinct didn’t add up. You know what I found?”

  “I have no clue.”

  “Nothing. You have a perfect credit rating. You have financing pending on a joint property investment in a very good neighborhood. You own both your condo and your tattoo shop. You’ve never missed a payment of any kind, and you make several charitable donations a year. Interesting for someone who presents like you, don’t you think?”

  “And how do I present?”

  “Like you’re giving society the perpetual bird and you’ve got an ax to grind.”

  “My only problem is Cross.”

  “Yeah, I figured that out. Made me wonder what the problem was, until he told me he was the lead investigator on your parents’ murder case.”

  “He and his partner were first on the scene. They thought I’d done it, so they arrested me. Cross interrogated me.”

  “I’m going to guess that didn’t go well.”

  “You could say that.” I shoved my hands in my pockets, rocking back on my heels.

  “Wanna tell me more about it?”

  “There’s not much to tell. I found my parents’ bodies, called the police, and ended up in an interrogation room. I was there for a long time before I was allowed my phone call.” I wasn’t sure how much detail she wanted, or how much I felt inclined to provide. I didn’t know how closely she worked with him. “All I know is that the evidence in the case was deemed inadmissible because it was compromised. I don’t have all the details, which is why I went to the precinct that day.”

  “Why’d they target you as a suspect?”

  “Convenience? How should I know? I was seventeen. I came home and found my parents murdered. I called nine-one-one and freaked out because they were dead.”

  If she’d read the file, she knew I’d torn apart the living room, so mentioning it was redundant.

  She regarded me with a speculation that was not uncommon. “I’ve been through what’s left of the evidence. There’s not much there. I have some questions, too, but without something new it would be hard to make a case to have it reopened.”

  I thought about the constant, unyielding dreams I had lately. “What if I had something? Who would I go to?”

  “You think you do?”

  “It’s possible.”

  “Normally you’d go to the person who initially worked the case, if they’re still around. But I don’t see that going over well on either side. You can contact me, provided you keep yourself in check. I won’t deal with a loose cannon.”

  “As long as I don’t have to deal with Cross, I can manage myself.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “Not good enough. We work in the same precinct. Sometimes we work together. I can’t have you going off on Cross every time you run into him.”

  “He screwed up my parents’ case.”

  “So you say, but you were a kid. You said yourself that you don’t have the details, and from what I read, you were under the influence that night, so maybe your memory is a little spotty.”

  “But that doesn’t have anything to do with the evidence. If Cross was responsible for collecting and filing it, doesn’t the blame lie with him?”

  “Careful with the finger-pointing. I get that it was a traumatic experience for you. I’ve seen the crime scene photos, but I can’t help you if can’t handle yourself.”

  “I’ll rein it in.”

  “You’d better.” She took a step toward Tenley and Cross, then turned back. “Can I make a suggestion?”

  “Sure.”

  “All that metal in your face? It makes you a target.”

  “Are you telling me I need to get rid of it?”

  “Nope. I’m not telling you anything. But if you came into the precinct dressed like you are tonight and all that metal did a disappearing act? You might find people react a little differently.”

  “I’ll take that under advisement.”

  24

  TENLEY

  The conversation with Hayden, followed by being pulled over, sobered me quickly. Hayden wasn’t intoxicated. Officer Cross refused to let it go, though, particularly considering the state of the car and me.

  Even though the effects of the meds were still present, I hadn’t missed his contrived worry over my well-being. Today had been long and difficult and he wasn’t helping. His unconcealed antagonism toward Hayden made my anxiety spike.

  For the past ten minutes Cross had been grilling me about the dent in the hood, my missing shoes, and the state of my jacket. At least Officer Miller had asked about other things, even if the questions were leading.

  The details she gleaned from me had less to do with me and more with Hayden. She’d asked about his parents, his job, his co-workers, and where Hayden spent his spare time. Those questions were easy to answer because I could be truthful. The details painted Hayden in a positive light. He spent all his time outside of work with me, and if he wasn’t with me, he was with a select group of people.

  I looked over at the police car parked about thirty feet away. At least Hayden wasn’t locked inside anymore. Officer Miller had let h
im out almost immediately. Hayden was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, but not nearly as upset as he’d been when she first let him out.

  I huddled deeper into my coat, wishing we had stayed at Cassie’s. TK would have been fine on her own for one night. If it hadn’t been for my breakdown, we could still be cozied up in that oversize chair; rather than dealing with police. Officer Cross was still lecturing me, and my face was red with anger and humiliation. Although he couldn’t be much past thirty, his permanent frown reeked of parental disapproval.

  “I’ve told you already, we didn’t hit anything on the way home,” I said, done with the questions. “You’ve asked me the same thing twenty different ways. The answer isn’t going to change.”

  Cross dropped down into a crouch; his wide body filled the doorframe. He reached up and held on to headrest, blocking me in and cutting off my view of Hayden. His voice dropped. “Do you think your parents would approve of your boyfriend if they were still alive?”

  I recoiled. “That’s irrelevant and none of your business.”

  “I’ll tell you what I think. I think they’d be disappointed. Particularly if they knew what you let him do to you. And on the hood of his car, no less. Doesn’t say much about your self-respect, now does it?”

  “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, failing to keep the tremor out of my voice.

  “Oh, no? Based on the way you can’t make eye contact, I’m going to go ahead and call you on that lie, sweetheart. You might want to think a little more carefully about what you do and who you do it with. It could make people think less of you.”

  “I think this conversation is over.”

  “If you say so.” He rose up, his smile far from friendly. “One more thing, though. You wouldn’t be encouraging Stryker to pursue his parents’ case, would you?”

  “Why wouldn’t I, if it could get him some closure?”

  “It’s not always what people need. Think about it. That kid hung out with some bad people. If you want to help him, you might persuade him to let things go. You never know what kind of skeletons he might dig up.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You think it’s any coincidence that you come along and all of a sudden Stryker’s looking to clean up his act? He was with a suspected drug dealer the night his parents were killed. Draw your own conclusions.”

  I stared at him in open incredulity. This was new information and I wasn’t sure I should trust it.

  “You look awfully shocked, Miss Page. Do you even know who you’re spending all your time with? The kinds of things Stryker has done?”

  I didn’t have a chance to ask any further questions. Officer Cross stepped away from the door just as Hayden approached. “One last word before you head home, Mr. Stryker.”

  Hayden didn’t acknowledge that Cross had spoken. Instead, he knelt down in front of me and ran his hands down my arms. He dropped the key in my palm and folded my fingers around it.

  “Christ, you’re freezing.” He shot Officer Cross an irritated glare, then dropped a soft kiss on my lips. “Turn on the car, kitten.”

  While I tucked my legs inside, Hayden rolled up the window and closed the door. I slid the key into the ignition, and the engine started with a deep rumble. I pulled my legs up to my chest, conserving body heat. I’d been so distressed when Officer Cross put Hayden in his cruiser, the cold hadn’t registered. It did now. I flexed my frozen toes.

  After a brief, tight exchange between Hayden and Officer Cross, Hayden rounded the car and got in. He was silent in his fury as he shifted into gear and pulled onto the street.

  “Please tell me you’re okay,” he asked in a pained voice.

  “I’m okay,” I replied, though I wasn’t entirely sure it was true.

  He glanced at me as if maybe he didn’t believe me, either. “What did he say to you?”

  “He kept asking what happened to the hood.”

  “Did you tell him?” Hayden’s hands tightened on the steering wheel.

  “I didn’t have to. He already seemed to know,” I said, keeping my tone neutral. I didn’t trust how calm he was. “It’s okay, Hayden. It’s fine. We’re fine.”

  “No. It’s not.”

  We stopped at a light and I could feel his eyes on me. He could always see right through my half-truths.

  “What else did he say?”

  I didn’t answer right away, concerned honesty would cause more harm.

  “What did he say, Tenley? He must have said something; that cocksucker can’t resist stringing me up whenever he has the chance.”

  “That you might have been with a drug dealer the night your parents died.”

  “Why the fuck would he tell you that?”

  Tonight had gone wrong on so many levels for both of us. “I don’t know, but I would never believe anything he said.”

  “It’s true,” Hayden said flatly.

  I sat there, stunned.

  “I was with this guy named Damen, who ran a tattoo shop and dealt on the side. I didn’t know how extensive his side business was until later, after I went to work for him. He was the one who introduced me to coke, and to Sienna.”

  “Oh, Hayden. I’m so sorry.” No wonder he was so reluctant to talk about his past, when there were so many painful pieces.

  “You shouldn’t be. I’m the one who fucked up my own life.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” I said, but I knew he still blamed himself for what happened all those years ago.

  The rest of the drive home was tense. I asked him if he was okay a couple of times, but he didn’t respond.

  When we pulled into his spot in the parking garage, he shut off the car, then just stared straight ahead with his hands on the wheel.

  I put a hand on his forearm. “Should we go up?”

  He nodded and scrubbed his face with his palms. His shoulders curved in and he folded forward, his forehead coming to rest on the steering wheel. I put my hand on his back, feeling the muscles expand as he took long, slow breaths, his control slipping. A choked noise escaped, sounding like a stifled sob.

  “Hayden? It’s okay. We’re home now.”

  I unfastened my seat belt, reaching over to do the same for him. Whatever had happened in that police car had rattled him.

  His seat belt undone, I removed the keys from the ignition and got out of the car, then went around to open his door. I stroked his hair, but he didn’t move. He just murmured something I didn’t catch. I dropped down beside him, ignoring the cold cement against my stocking feet. He spoke again, repeating a phrase over and over.

  “Oh, Hayden. No.” My nose grazed his cheek.

  He lifted his head from the steering wheel. His eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed, but there were no tears. “I’m so fucked up,” he whispered. “I’m such a fuckup.”

  “No, baby, that’s not true.” I placed my palm against his cheek.

  “Yes, it is. Look what I did to you tonight. Look at you.” He skimmed a thumb under the hollow of my eye, then over my lip, brushing over the tender spot where his viper bites had cut in. “You’re so beautiful, and I’m ruining you.”

  “You’re not ruining me. Why would you think that?”

  “I wish I wasn’t so fucked up,” he said, as if I hadn’t spoken.

  His vacant stare unnerved me. I’d never seen him like this. Hayden could get upset, he could get angry, but I didn’t know how to handle his falling apart like this. He’d always been the one to keep me together.

  “Why don’t we go up and feed TK? She’ll have missed us today.” I wanted to get him out of the car. Also, it was the only thing I could think of that might pull him out of his downward spiral. He was like a parent when it came to her.

  “Yeah. Okay.” He nodded robotically and let me help him out of the car.

  The presents in the backseat could stay there until morning. I locked the car and led him to the elevator. He folded himself around me while we waited, burying his face in
my hair. When the doors opened, I pulled him in and hit the button for the second floor. I felt no anxiety as we ascended, my concern fixed on Hayden. I unlocked the door to his place and led him inside. When I turned to lock the door behind us, he seemed to snap out of it a little.

  “I ruined your coat,” he said hoarsely.

  “What?” I looked over my shoulder, taking in the forlorn expression on his pale face.

  “Your coat. I ruined it too.”

  He helped me out of it and draped it over his arm. The soft cream fabric was smeared with dirt. The buckle in the middle of the back had black powder on it, which explained the scratches in the hood. I took it from him and hung it in the closet.

  “Once it’s dry-cleaned it’ll be good as new.”

  TK came bounding down the hall, her excited mews stopping only when she skidded into Hayden’s ankle and he scooped her up. She rubbed her nose on his chin. Then he walked down the hall with his shoes still on. On autopilot he fed TK, then stood in the kitchen staring at his feet in confusion. I guided him back to the front hall and knelt in front of him. With a little prompting he lifted one foot, then the other, as I removed his shoes and put them away.

  “Why don’t I run a bath?” I suggested.

  It took him a few seconds to answer. “For me?”

  “For both of us.”

  “Okay. I don’t want to be alone right now.”

  “Then it’s good that I’m not going anywhere.”

  I took his hand and he shuffled down the hall beside me, fingers wrapped tightly around mine. Hayden sat on the edge of the tub while I ran the water. I searched his cupboards for bath salts but came up empty-handed. His eyes stayed on my face as I loosened his tie and slipped it over his head. Next I unbuttoned his shirt, saving the cuff links until last. They were little sliver skulls.

  “Cassie gave them to me a couple of years ago for my birthday,” he said, taking them from me to roll between his fingers.

  My heart stuttered. “I don’t even know when that is.”

  “You didn’t miss it while you were gone. It’s not until the end of May.”

  “That’s good,” I said softly, pushing his shirt over his shoulders.