Inked Armor

by Helena Hunting

  “Which says what about me?”

  “That you were a teenager asking his parents to notice him. They loved you; don’t ever think otherwise. But they made the choice to go out on a night you were grounded, fully aware you’d take off the second they left. They did nothing to prevent you from making those decisions. You were a kid, doing what kids do when there aren’t enough restrictions placed on them. You aren’t responsible for their deaths, no matter what you find out.”

  “But I—” I dropped my gaze, squeezing the ball in my hand until it was at risk of bursting. It took me a minute to accept what Nate was saying. “I hadn’t looked at it that way.”

  “Of course not. You’re viewing the situation from the perspective of a twenty-five-year-old who’s never gotten past what happened. Not that of the kid you were when it happened.”

  “Which is where all the therapy bullshit comes in.”

  What he said was true. Beatrice had said something similar, but I’d known her for all of an hour. Coming from Nate, it finally hit home.

  “Can I ask you something?” Nate rested his elbows on his desk.

  “Sure.”

  “It’s about your thinking that Tenley’s feelings for you are transient. I’m going to offer you my unsolicited opinion, and you can feel free to tell me to piss off or shut up at any point.”

  “Okay.”

  “Tenley has been through an unprecedented trauma and not only survived, but thrived in spite of it. Correct?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Has what she’s been through ever deterred you from loving her?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “So if anyone can relate to what you’re feeling, it’s her. She’s the best kind of anomaly. You’ve found an incredibly strong, resilient young woman who sees exactly who you are, and she has the same in you. There is no way to predict the future. But as an outsider looking in, what you two have isn’t something most people would walk away from easily.”

  “So I should stop worrying about things I can’t control?”

  “You can try. It’s not always that simple.”

  “I’m learning that.”

  Nate always seemed to know when I’d reached my limit on the sharing emotional crap. He flipped open the folder with the projected costs for renovating the house and slid it toward me.

  “What would you say if I wanted to fund the project on my own?” I asked.

  “I’d ask why.”

  “Tenley stays at my place. It’s not big enough to move all her stuff in.” Not that I wanted her furniture in my condo. Maybe her bed. It was nice, as long as it went in the spare room. Mine was a king; it had lots of places to hold for leverage when we got down to business.

  “Can you access enough equity to cover the costs?”

  “I think so. I’ve already started looking into it.”

  “Have you talked to Tenley about this?”

  “Not yet.”

  He gave me a speculative look. “Why don’t you find out about the financing first? We can take it from there.”

  When we were finished reviewing how much money I’d need to free up, Nate shuffled the paperwork into a folder. “Oh, one more thing.”

  He dropped a paper bag on the desk.

  “What’s this?”

  “I found them in the garage.”

  One glance inside confirmed what I already knew: it was Tenley’s shoes. “I—uh—”

  “Cassie thought it would be best for me to give them to you.”

  “Thanks. If Tenley knew someone else found them, she’d be—” Embarrassed as fuck. I could feel the heat in my face.

  “I’m glad you want to show Tenley what you’re working on.” His grin told me he knew exactly what had gone down in that garage. “For future reference, there’s a switch beside the door that heats the garage floor. Or next time, you could go inside and show her the whole house.”

  Cheeky fucking bastard.

  31

  TENLEY

  We were just about to round up the boys for dinner when the doorbell rang.

  “That’s odd. I’m not expecting anyone else,” Cassie said, frowning as she looked at the time. It was almost seven.

  “I’ll see who it is.” I tossed the pot holders on the counter.

  Sarah was standing on the front porch, dressed in leggings and a sweatshirt that was so big it had to belong to Chris.

  “I thought you had to work!” I stepped aside to let her in out of the cold. That was when I noticed she was wearing stilettos and fake eyelashes. She didn’t have a coat, either.

  “I did.”

  “Who is it?” Cassie called from the kitchen.

  “It’s me!” Sarah called back.

  At the sound of her voice Chris came out of the game room. “I thought I heard your voice! Come ’ere and gimme some sugar, sweetlips.”

  He almost knocked me over in his quest to get to Sarah. He wrapped her up in a beefy hug. With her in heels they were almost the same height, and Chris wasn’t short. I averted my eyes when they started kissing in earnest. Hayden and I were probably just as bad. I guess I understood the “sweetlips” nickname better, though.

  “How’d you get out of your shift?” Chris asked when he finally came up for air.

  Cassie and Lisa had come from the kitchen to greet her, and Jamie appeared from the game room, pool cue still in hand.

  “Sorry I’m not dressed appropriately,” Sarah said, smoothing her hands over her sweatshirt.

  “No one cares how you’re dressed. Did you get the night off?”

  “Um. Not quite,” she said hesitantly. She used his shoulder as a brace so she could take her shoes off.

  “Did you quit? Please tell me you quit.”

  Chris took her hands in his and peppered them with kisses, pulling her in the direction of the living room. He moved the cushions around when she sat down, ensuring she was comfortable.

  “Sort of.”

  “You sort of quit?” Chris asked, brushing her hair back off her face.

  “Not officially. I went in with the intention of quitting because you were right: Sienna started to offer opportunities for . . . better tips.”

  “Are you fucking serious?” Chris’s face turned a disturbing shade of red.

  “Don’t worry. I said no way, which is why they cut my shifts. Anyhow, you know that creepy guy, Damien? The one you used to work for?”

  “Damen?” The red in his face became more of a puce.

  “Yeah. All the girls call him the Vulture.” She shuddered.

  “Did he give you samples?” Chris interrupted.

  Sarah nodded. “He offered a bunch of times. I only took them once, and that was a long time ago. I figured out pretty fast how he and Sienna worked the other girls.”

  Sarah looked around, as if unsure how much she should share. Hayden and Nate had come out of the office. Hayden was standing behind my chair, and I wondered how much he’d heard. He leaned over and kissed the top of my head. Sarah’s eyes stopped on Cassie and then me.

  “No one here is judging you,” Chris said softly.

  “Okay.” Sarah leaned in and kissed him quickly. “So, things got weird when I went into the club. Max wasn’t on the door, and Jay, who’s like Sienna’s personal bodyguard, wasn’t at his post, either. In fact, no one was even manning that door to her office, which never happens. God. I’m rambling like crazy, aren’t I?”

  She paused to suck in a breath before she barreled on. “I went in, thinking I was going to tell Sienna I was done and get my stuff from my locker, except she and that Damen guy were having it out. He was all up in her face. At first I thought maybe they were . . . well, you know . . .”

  There were some coughs, and a gagging sound came from over my shoulder. Sarah made a face and shook her head. I didn’t want to think about what she’d walked in on in the past.

  “But they weren’t. I’ve never seen Sienna so freaked out. I mean, she’s always freaking out about something or other, but
this was different. She was way worse than usual. I heard Damen say something about the police, and I figured maybe they were getting busted, and I didn’t want to get stuck there—so I came straight here instead. That’s why I’m dressed like this.”

  “You could wear a burlap sack and you’d still be gorgeous.”

  While they cooed at each other, I turned to Hayden. “Do you think Officer Miller might have questioned him?” I’d recognized the name immediately.

  Hayden looked pensive. “She said she was following up on leads. It’s possible. Probable, even.” He sat on the arm of the chair. I moved over and he dropped down beside me.

  That got Chris to stop manhandling Sarah. “You think Damen might have been involved in what happened to your parents?”

  “I don’t know.” Hayden rubbed his forehead. “I was with him the night they were murdered. The police questioned him back then.”

  “Maybe they wanted another statement, because of the leads,” I suggested.

  “Yeah. That sounds logical,” Hayden agreed. “Maybe I should call . . .”

  “I think you should. That way you’ll know if it’s related either way.” I didn’t want this to ruin his night, but if he didn’t call, he’d probably fixate on it.

  Hayden pulled out his phone and dialed Miller. She didn’t answer, so he left a message.

  “She’ll call if anything happens,” I assured him.

  “I know.” He kissed my shoulder.

  Cassie broke the tense silence when she announced dinner was ready. It was a welcome diversion from the questions Sarah’s arrival had brought up. Conversation turned to lighter subjects as we made our way through the meal. After the main course, we cleaned up and returned to the comfort of the living room. Dessert would wait until later.

  Hayden stayed mostly quiet, one arm draped around my shoulder, sipping scotch as I listened to accounts of previous New Year’s celebrations. I could tell a lot was being censored, whether for my benefit or Cassie and Nate’s, I didn’t know.

  “So, Tenley, I hear you went to the house Hayden and Nate are renovating. What did you think?” Cassie asked conversationally.

  I nearly choked on my wine. “I, uh—the garage is very spacious.”

  “Mm. It is nice, especially the heated floors. What about the master bedroom? Once it’s remodeled, it’s going to be amazing.”

  “We didn’t get that far,” Hayden interjected.

  I could see him giving her a look in my peripheral vision. Everyone else was watching the exchange with interest. Cassie might be Hayden’s aunt, but they acted more like siblings. She wasn’t above embarrassing him when she had the chance, and me by proxy.

  “Oh? That’s too bad. Well, it’s lovely. Very roomy. Almost the same size as ours, isn’t it, Nate? Definitely big enough for a king bed. I think that was one of the reasons Hayden was so interested in the property—that and the backyard. There’s a pool and a hot tub! How much did you get to see?”

  “Cassie.” Nate elbowed her in the side.

  “Yes, dear?”

  Hayden was staring into his glass, his cheeks were pink, and he was fighting a smile.

  Nate whispered something I couldn’t hear, but Chris was beside him, so he caught whatever was said. “Oh, man! That’s when your car got damaged? Tee, you are awesome!”

  I was so mortified, I tried to use my hair as a shield.

  “What happened to your car, Hayden? Is that why you’re driving that hybrid thing?” Jamie asked.

  “It’s not a big deal. Chris is being overdramatic. It’s a scratch.”

  “A huge scratch, and a dent,” Chris corrected.

  Hayden pointed a finger at him. “What happened to keeping your mouth shut?”

  “What’s this about?” Lisa asked me.

  Sarah leaned over and Chris whispered in her ear. Her eyes went wide. “No way!”

  “What?” came in a chorus from around the room, everyone looking at Chris.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Hayden warned.

  “Oh, I was meaning to ask, did you get your shoes back?” Cassie asked, smiling innocently at me.

  “What do shoes have to do with anything?” Jamie asked.

  I curled into Hayden’s side and gulped my wine.

  “Christ,” Hayden muttered. “You suck, Cassie. Seriously.”

  “They’re nice shoes. I wouldn’t want Tenley to think they disappeared.”

  “I’m getting you back for this,” Hayden said to Cassie.

  “You just try, little man. Watch what happens,” she teased.

  “You wait for it.”

  “Who’s ready for dessert?” I asked, but everyone ignored me. I drained my glass.

  “You know, there’s an extra spot in our garage. Since you’re planning to stay the night, you could always park your car in there, Tenley,” Cassie said, her mischievous smile still in place.

  Chris snickered.

  Hayden shook his head. “You asked for it.” He looked at Nate, who was wore a horrified expression. He shook his head minutely at Hayden, eyes darting to Cassie and then back. “Nate, do you still want help installing that swing in your bedroom? I think we’ve got the right bolts this time.” Hayden grinned with satisfaction as Cassie’s mouth dropped open.

  “Why would Nate want a swing— Oh.” I watched the color rise in Cassie’s cheeks and drain from Nate’s face.

  Cassie smacked Nate’s arm. “You had Hayden help you?”

  “He was supposed to keep his trap shut. Besides, he’s the only person I know who’d have a clue how to install something like that.”

  I gawked at Hayden.

  “It’s the same principle as rock-climbing gear, kitten,” he explained.

  I shot up out of the chair, empty glass in hand. I had no interest in hearing any more. “I need a refill.”

  “Me, too!” Lisa was right on my heels.

  Everyone slept in the following day. Even then, we were slow to get moving. Hayden would have kept me in bed all day, testing how quietly I could come, if Chris hadn’t banged on the door around noon.

  “Brunch’ll be ready in ten,” he shouted.

  “Shit.” Hayden had been in the middle of persuading me I needed another round. “We’ll be down in five,” he called back.

  The knob rattled. “Why’s the door locked?” Chris yelled, as if we couldn’t hear him through a wooden panel.

  “I said we’d be down in five,” Hayden growled.

  Laughter filtered through the door, growing fainter as Chris moved down the hall and did the same thing to Lisa and Jamie.

  “I guess we’ll have to pick up where we left off when we get home,” Hayden said irritably, rolling off me.

  A year ago, I would never have imagined my life being so completely altered again. Nor would I have entertained the possibility of finding someone like Hayden. We spent the afternoon watching mindless TV in Cassie’s living room, nursing mild hangovers. Only after dusk fell did we head for home.

  We were about two blocks away when I saw the flash of blue and red lights in the distance. It looked like several sets; must have been an accident. Hayden went down the next side street, to my relief. I had no desire to put a damper on what had been a good day for both of us.

  “I don’t know what’s going on up there,” Hayden said, “so I’m going to hit the rear entrance of the parking garage.”

  He made a right, but then slowed down and came to a stop. The street ahead was barricaded by a police car, the lights flashing their silent warning.

  “What the hell is going on?” he grumbled, and backed up.

  He circled the block; every road leading to his condo was blocked off. When he tried to go to the back of Serendipity, it was the same thing.

  We were two blocks away from Inked Armor when Hayden pulled over, about fifty feet back from the wall of police cars. He palmed his phone.

  “Shit. I missed a bunch of calls.”

  To avoid distraction he’d put his phone away las
t night not long after he’d called Officer Miller. He hadn’t looked at it since. Putting it on speakerphone, he listened to the messages.

  The voice mails were from Officer Miller, except for the last one. Her first message was a calm reassurance that they were checking into leads and she would call with any news. The second requested Hayden’s location. The third was much less composed, asking for a return call ASAP. That was several hours ago. The last message was from Sienna. Hayden’s finger hovered over the delete button until her frantic, high-pitched voice came through.

  “Hayden? Goddamnit. Fucking voice mail. Listen, honey, I didn’t know. Whatever Damen tells you, whatever he says, I didn’t know. This is so fucked up. I’m sorry and I never meant to screw with you. That cocksucker is going to take me down with him. I know I’ve been a real bitch to you over the years, but I promise if I’d known, I would have done . . . shit . . . I don’t know. Something. I’m sorry.” By the end of the message, Sienna was crying.

  Hayden played the message again. “Does that sound like I think it does?” He was frighteningly quiet.

  “You need to call Miller back.”

  “Does it?”

  “I don’t know—”

  “Because if I’m hearing this right, Damen has something to do with my parents being dead.” Hayden looked at me with such betrayal in his eyes.

  “This isn’t your fault.”

  “I know. I was seventeen. I was just a kid.” The words came out, but with no inflection or feeling behind them.

  He turned off the car and unbuckled his seat belt. The cold air rushed in when he opened the door and stepped out in the dark winter night.

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” I said.

  He ignored me and strode down the street toward the barricade, his phone to his ear. I had to run to keep up with him.

  “I’m down the street from my condo. Everything’s blocked off by police.” After a short pause he continued, “I can almost see it from here.”

  Police lined the sidewalk, keeping the crowd that had gathered at bay. I looked beyond them, in the direction Hayden’s gaze had gone. Squinting past the flash of lights, I saw that something sparkled on the sidewalk.