The Darkest Link (Second Circle Tattoos)

by Scarlett Cole

  “Okay, there is every chance I’m going to push you out of the emergency exit if you keep fidgeting like this,” Harper said.

  Reid sighed and rubbed his hand across his forehead. “There’s some weird shit going on.”

  “So you said, but she didn’t respond to texts from you or me after she hung up.”

  Reid had gone through this a thousand times since getting on the plane. He’d tried to call her to say he was coming to Miami and that he wanted to see her, that he finally wanted to explain everything to her and stop pushing her away. It had only been five weeks since he’d met her, but he knew she was something special, and more importantly that what they had together was incredibly rare.

  He hadn’t really considered how that call was going to go, but he hadn’t imagined it starting with her going on and on about a bad connection when they could hear each other just fine. And then, as he’d tried to explain the depth of his feelings to her, she’d basically blown him off with a Yes, yes, come see me later and hung up the phone. And now he was worried sick and thousands of feet up in the air.

  “Did Trent have any more news when you spoke to him?” Reid asked.

  “For the tenth time, no, he didn’t.” Harper reached for Reid’s hand. “We’ll be there soon enough,” she reassured him.

  They landed and hurried through the airport to the baggage claim where he had no fucking signal on his phone at all. When they exited, Trent was there waiting for them, a bouquet of long-stemmed roses in his hands. As much as Reid was in a hurry to get to Lia, he wasn’t prepared to rob Harper of the minute it would take to allow her to appreciate the gesture properly. “Thank you,” she cried when she saw the flowers. She flung her arms around Trent’s waist. He heard Trent gruffly whisper how much he’d missed her. A part of him wanted to make fun of Trent, brotherly banter and all that, but for the first time in his life, Reid understood exactly how Trent felt.

  Finally, his phone had a signal and a solitary message from Lia. I’m home.

  Thank fuck for that. As much as he wanted to speak to her, he wanted to do it face-to-face, where he could hold her. It was going to be a long conversation, but it could wait another thirty minutes so he could do it properly.

  He’d left his car in the parking garage of Trent and Harper’s condo, but he didn’t want to waste a single second getting to Lia so he needed a ride. “Can I get you to drop me at Lia’s?” he asked Trent. “I can swing by tomorrow to pick up my car.”

  “Of course. Let’s go and you guys can fill me in on your trip while we drive.”

  It took about fifteen minutes to get the full story of their reunion out. “So how did you leave things with your parents in the end?” Trent asked.

  Reid sat back and let Harper answer. “Mom and Dad have always been pretty solid,” she said. “It’s not going to happen quickly, but I think they’ll find a way to make it work, and I told them they needed to do it before the wedding at Thanksgiving.”

  “You know, darlin’, we could always postpone. Give your parents a little more time to sort things out.” Trent kissed the back of Harper’s hand. “We can wait a little longer if we need to.”

  Reid did his best to tune them out. When he had finally agreed to go with Harper to see their parents, he hadn’t fully thought out the implications beyond his own. He should have realized that the fallout would have some effect on their wedding plans.

  “No, we leave it where it is. I feel like we’ve waited long enough for this, and I don’t want to start another year without being Harper Andrews. And this gives my folks about two months to figure things out. I’m hopeful that knowing they both have to be there will help guide them in the right direction.”

  They pulled up outside of Lia’s condo, and Reid jumped out, thanking Trent for the ride. Harper got out, too, and hugged him.

  “We might all be in a bit of a mess for now,” Harper said. “But we’re finally all reunited, and there are no more secrets. I feel like we’ve come full circle, finally.”

  Reid hugged her tight. “Thanks for coming with me, Harper. It made a huge difference to have you there.”

  He saw her back to the truck and waved as they pulled away. Now he had to make it right with Lia.

  Reid buzzed her condo, and she answered. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Red. It’s me,” he said. “I got here as fast as I could.”

  The door clicked open and he headed for the elevators. When he walked down her hallway, he could see Lia standing in the doorway. She was wearing the most singularly unflattering pajamas: black-and-white polka-dots in some shapeless flannel. Her hair was wet and curled up on top of her head in a bun, and there wasn’t a scrap of makeup on her face. Those beautiful gray eyes of hers were red-rimmed. Without saying a word, he dropped his bag and drew her into his arms. His heart tilted as she fell against him and started to sob. Somehow, he managed to pick her up and grab his bag at the same time. Carefully, he carried her into the apartment.

  He walked to her favorite chair. It was close to the balcony doors. She’d told him she loved the view and the sound of the ocean from it. Reid sat down and held her in his lap while she cried. He pulled her close against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder.

  Eventually, her sobs began to subside, but she still breathed shallowly as she tried to gain control of herself again.

  “Want to tell me what is going on?” he asked. “I’ve been worried about you, babe, the whole time I was on that flight. So worried that my own sister threatened to throw me out of the emergency exit while we were still in the air because I was bugging her so much.”

  Her eyes were cooler than an Illinois ice storm in the middle of February. “If you care so much, why have you been so distant?”

  He’d been expecting that question from her but had hoped to learn what had happened to her mom first. Now, as he sat here with her in his arms, he understood that that was going to be impossible. She wasn’t going to tell him if she didn’t know where she stood.

  “Part of my having stayed away is exactly what you think. Dealing with the garage, the investigators, the insurance company, and my employees, and beginning to clean out the shell of what is left has been exhausting, frustrating, and sickening work. But the reason I’ve encouraged you to stay away from me is because of Winston. I honestly don’t believe for one second that he isn’t involved, but I can’t prove it. Not yet. Circumstantial evidence is meaningless, so the fact that he and I argued at your father’s house and then we got targeted by a car jumping the pavement and my garage burned down appears coincidental. But I just don’t buy it, and if he is going to make another move on me, I don’t want you to get caught in the crossfire.”

  “And it didn’t occur to you to say, ‘Hey, Lia, I’m really worried about this thing happening, so what can we do to look after each other’? You took it upon yourself to become decision-maker for both of us?”

  Shit. She could see straight through him. And while ninety percent of him loved that about her, he was sure ten percent of him would hate it in the years to come. “I guess I did, babe. And I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m sure this is the point where I’m supposed to say it’s okay and hug you, but it’s not okay if you plan on pulling that kind of shit again.”

  He ran his thumb along her pouty bottom lip. “I won’t, but I have a plan to help us figure out what is going on. I haven’t told Harper yet because I know she’ll worry, but I’ve filled out some forms to get permission to go see Nathan.”

  “Oh my God, you can’t do that,” Lia said, sitting upright abruptly. “The guy nearly killed Harper. What if his father tries to do the same thing to you?”

  Reid gently encouraged her back into his arms. “We were friends once, and I’m hoping I can appeal to that side of him and ask him to call his father off. Plus, he’s in prison. I’m sure there will be wardens in the room.”

  “But how can you even stand to see him after everything he’s done?” Lia asked.

 
It was a good question, and one he had thought about a lot. Because his initial response was to snuff the life out of the douchebag who’d almost killed his sister twice. And to be clear, it would be a slow and painful extinguishing. But the cycle had to stop, and if Nathan could help make that happen, then Reid had to rely on his own self-discipline to be able to say what he had to say and then leave.

  “I don’t want to see him, but I need to if there is a chance to make all this stop.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I was an asshole to try and keep you out of it, and I’m really sorry, babe.”

  * * *

  Lia had so much to tell him, about her father, about what had happened after he’d called when she’d taken the drugs to the hospital, and about what they had found when they counted the pills. But right now she needed this. She needed the smell and feel of him. And the blanket of security that came with being wrapped up in his arms. Everything else could wait.

  For the first time since he’d arrived, he put his lips to hers and kissed her gently. She allowed herself to tumble into it. To take comfort from the way their mouths moved seamlessly together. To savor the way his hand wrapped around her back and slid inside the waistband of the ugly pajamas Pixie had bought her for when she was feeling down.

  “Babe, as much as I’m desperate to do this, we need to—”

  “No, we don’t,” she mumbled against his lips. “I need you. I need this more than anything else. Help me forget, Reid.”

  She sat up carefully and moved to straddle his thighs without breaking the kiss. His hands made short work of the four buttons on her pajama top. He pushed it off her shoulders and down her arms until it fell in a pool on the floor.

  “Reid,” she moaned against his mouth as he ran both his hands up her stomach and cupped both of her breasts. They ached for him and his attention. Gently, he pushed her back away from him and then leaned over her to suck her nipple into his mouth. Desperate, Lia arched her back, but it only pushed her core tight against his erection. Her hips started to roll against him, desperately seeking release. She reached for his T-shirt, wanting to feel his skin against hers. Even though everything wasn’t really resolved between them, she knew deep down in her heart that they could figure things out. Reid sat them both up again and allowed her to drag his T-shirt up along his ribs, over his head. He wrapped his strong arms around her, crossing them behind her back and holding onto her shoulders. Wrapped up this tightly against him, she could barely breathe, but it felt so unbelievably safe and secure that the panic she had been feeling before he arrived dissipated.

  “Babe, look at me. Whatever happens from now on, we’ll always have this. You and me. I promise.”

  He stood, and Lia wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried them to her bedroom and out through the balcony doors onto the private patio. He placed her down on the large daybed. Nobody could see them, but if they were too loud, any of her neighbors seated outside would be able to hear them. Lia placed a finger over his lips, but grinned. She’d occasionally sunbathed nude out here, wondering what it would be like to make love in this very spot.

  Within seconds, or so it felt, he’d removed her pajamas and panties, stripped his clothes off into a messy pile, and was sheathing himself with a condom that he’d pulled from his wallet. Just as he was about to crawl between her legs, she shook her head. He’d told her once what he wanted, and her arm was feeling up to the challenge.

  Facing toward him, she moved to her knees and spread them wide. His eyes were drawn straight to the space between her legs. He licked his lips greedily, but didn’t move. First, Lia removed the pins from her hair and let it fall so he could grab it when she was in position. Then she rolled over onto all fours, placed her arms on the back of the sun lounger, and arched her back.

  “Fuck.” Reid groaned quietly. This time, he did step toward her. He ran his hand down the gentle dip of her spine and across the sweet curve of her ass. She was already wet for him, and he ran his finger back and forth until it was slick enough to slide deep inside.

  Lia looked over her shoulder at him and bit her lip. His abs were tensed in anticipation, his cock standing at attention as he slipped two fingers into her.

  Reid grinned as he wrapped her hair around his hand and tugged gently. “Tell me if this all gets too much. I swear to God I’ll stop, but forgive me if it takes a minute.”

  He removed his fingers, placed his knees between hers, and ran the hand that wasn’t holding her hair down her back. “You have the softest skin, babe. I can’t stop touching it.”

  “So don’t,” Lia replied. “I want you, Reid, don’t make me wait,” she encouraged. She needed him to fill her, to take her, and physically show her just how much she meant to him.

  Reid rubbed the end of his cock against her, brushing up and down, teasing her mercilessly. He leaned over her back, his chest hair tickling her shoulder. “I’ll decide when I slide deep inside that perfect pussy of yours,” he whispered against her ear before giving it a nip. “Right, babe?”

  Lia shivered at his statement, realizing how much she wanted it, craved it, as part of their sex lives.

  He played with her for a few moments more before reaching down to ease himself through her lips. Slowly, he stretched her wide as he pushed his way in. Then he withdrew before making real progress.

  A groan slipped out of her mouth, a loud one, but she found it hard to care as Reid’s warmth filled her.

  He repeated the action again, this time going a little deeper before withdrawing. It wasn’t going to take long for her to come. She could feel the telltale tightening of her muscles.

  If all he was going to do was play, she would show him a little trick or two, regardless of him wanting to call the shots. The next time he slid into her, she rolled her ass back toward him, taking almost his full length.

  “Fuck,” he cried out, letting go of her hair to grab hold of her hips. “As good as that felt, babe, you just scored a time-out.” He pulled out of her completely.

  “Reid,” she cried out. “I’m so close.”

  “Shh. I know, babe, that’s half the fun,” he said, waiting for a moment before he slipped back inside her, this time filling her completely, and pulsing so deep inside her before he started to move in earnest.

  Lia moved her hands farther apart to get a better grip on the back of the lounger. The sound of metal on pavement periodically pierced the air, as Reid’s thrusts pushed the sun lounger forward. If anybody was out on the balcony, there wouldn’t be any doubt as to what they were doing, but Lia couldn’t bring herself to care as Reid pushed her closer and closer to climax.

  “Are you close, babe? Because I’m dying to come inside you. One day, I’m going to fuck you without a condom so I can feel every inch of you.”

  Lia nodded, unable to speak.

  He leaned his chest over her again as he placed his hands on top of hers on the lounger and pounded into her.

  Within moments it felt as though the night sky had cracked wide open and swallowed her whole. Her body exploded violently, squeezing against him. She felt every pulse as he came deep inside her, finally making her his again.

  * * *

  Reid fell to his side and took Lia with him. Every time they were together, they became a little more adventurous, a little more playful. And she trusted him implicitly, which made every part of him sing.

  He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him, looking up at the stars in the sky. It was the same sky that he’d looked up at when he was in Fort Pierce, and that it seemed darker and the stars shone brighter could only be attributed to the company he was keeping. Whether they were in Fort Pierce or Miami, he wanted to be able to look up at it with her for the rest of his life. If you counted the days on the calendar, he probably had fallen in love with her too quickly. But he didn’t want to change it, and neither did she.

  Lia grabbed the throw off the back of the sun lounger, and between the two of them, they managed to open it and cover themselves without
really moving.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Lia said.

  Her thoughts echoed his own. “I’m probably going to sound like the world’s biggest pussy, but everything about tonight just seems brighter because I’m here with you.”

  They sat in silence, cuddled close to each other. Reid ran his fingers up and down the bumps of her spine while Lia doodled circles over the tattoos on his arm.

  “Do you ever think you’ll let me tattoo you?” she asked.

  He hadn’t had any new ink done in years, but suddenly he wanted some badly. “Draw me another bike like you did that night. I’ll help you get it mechanically correct, and then you can tattoo it for me. It’ll be like having a piece of you permanently on my body.”

  “I love that idea. Send me some photographs of some of your favorites and I’ll see what I can come up with.”

  “So, do I get to be naked when you do this?”

  Lia laughed. “Well, that all depends on where you want it placed.”

  “I don’t give a shit where it gets placed; I just want to have real easy access if I get turned on while you’re doing it.”

  “Well, in that case, I’d better bring all my gear home.”

  They fell quiet for a little while again, until Reid remembered they hadn’t talked about what had happened to her mother.

  “You want to tell me what happened today? About your mom? I was worried after our phone conversation.”

  “I was concerned about her so I went over to the house and found my dad sitting in an armchair and my mom unconscious. He told me he was watching her, keeping an eye on her, and that we didn’t need to call the police or ambulance or anything because she was still breathing. He was more concerned about somebody finding out that she took an overdose of her pills than he was about the long-term implications for Mom. So I called 911 myself and went with her in the ambulance.”