Forever Tattooed (Tattooed Billionaire Book 3)

by Alicia Rae

  Once out of the view of others, I lowered myself to a bench. William sat down next to me. I looked to my left where I saw Raelyn. She was still by the fence. She briefly glanced at me and gave me a reassuring small smile.

  I returned my focus to William. “I’ve been in your shoes, William. I understand what it’s like to be pissed off at the world and to need space.” I set my hand on his shoulder. “I only want you to learn to do it in a reasonable manner. Your grades and attendance at school are important, and more so, your mother has been worried sick about you.”

  “I didn’t mean to worry her.” Guilt filled every plane of William’s freckle-covered face. “I don’t want to join band. That was last school year. Music isn’t my thing anymore.”

  I searched his eyes where I was able to read him like an open book. “You want to skateboard instead?”

  “Yes, I really do.”

  “Does your mom know your feelings?” I queried.

  Maybe Suzanne didn’t realize William had had a change of heart.

  His visible remorse multiplied tenfold. “No, I’m too scared to disappoint her. My mom already bought me a guitar and case. Plus, she even negotiated with our new neighbor to give me discounted lessons in exchange for help with cleaning her house. It was a surprise.”

  “Wow.” My head jutted back on my shoulders, impressed. “Sounds like you’ve got a determined mom there. I’m sure she just wants you to be happy.”

  “This makes me happy,” William countered softly, gesturing toward the skate park.

  “Well, you do have some mad skills, kid.” I gave him a manly slap on the back.

  William’s expression lit up. “Do you want me to teach you some moves?”

  I threw my head back and laughed, hard, and then shook my head. “No, that’s quite all right. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground. I don’t bounce as well as I used to when I was your age. Besides, I prefer the throaty hum of a motor under me.”

  “You mean, like BMX bike riding and shit? I’d love to learn that, too, but Mom says it’s crazy expensive.” William’s shoulders dropped with a frown.

  “How about I make you a deal?”

  “Yeah?” William sat up tall in his seat as his facial expression did a one-eighty. “What kind of deal?”

  “I have a request,” I told him. Then, I quickly corrected myself, “Well, actually, a few requests. First, don’t swear. Smart kids don’t swear.”

  “Uh, don’t you swear all the time?”

  Well, fuuuuck. I inwardly chastised myself at my choice of words. I wasn’t used to being around kids. I’d have to try to keep a lid on it.

  “No, I try not to,” I lied for my nephew’s best interest. “Besides, I’m an adult.” I pushed on, not waiting for him to interject, “Two, you need to stay in school and get good grades. Absolutely no more skipping. Not one single day. You plant your—” I broke off, catching myself from saying ass. “Plant your rear end in your seat and stay in school all day. If you can do all of that and keep your head on straight, I’ll talk to your mom and check into the BMX Freestyle Bike Park stuff in North Port to see what I can do.”

  “You’d do that…for me?” William asked, sounding bewildered to the core.

  “Yes.” I didn’t hesitate. “As long as I have your mother’s permission.”

  “Do you think she’ll let me?”

  Movement to my left caught my attention. I glanced over at Raelyn to see Suzanne had arrived. The profound worry and relief was evident in her features as tears were streaming down her face. Raelyn hugged Suzanne before the two of them began to talk.

  I stared back at William and said, “To be honest, I don’t know your mom very well. But I am certain she loves you very much. The parents who talk with their kids, set boundaries, and push them are the ones who love the most. Those kinds of parents do it because they care and love so much.”

  Speaking about such a deep topic hit home and reminded me of Suzanne’s phone call yesterday. “Your mom has been very worried about you, even before this incident today. Can you tell me what’s going on?” I asked lightly, truly concerned.

  William put his hands together in his lap. Gazing down, he began to fidget with his fingers. “I’m so angry. Every other kid I know has a father who loves them.” His eyes welled with tears when they locked on mine. “Why did I get the asshole of a dad who likes to get drunk and come home and…and…” He didn’t finish.

  A lump, a big fucking lump, lodged itself in my throat. The scars beneath the ink on my back tingled, coming to life. Every strand of hair on my body prickled with rage, fueled with a hatred within myself that scared even me. I wished Drake were standing in front of me because I’d put that motherfucker six feet under the ground without blinking an eye, all consequences be damned.

  “I know what it feels like to be hit”—I quietly cleared my throat—“to be beaten to the ground, physically and mentally, over and over again.” I set my hand on his knee, determined to focus on him in order to help him and to keep my past buried where it couldn’t affect me. “It takes time to overcome those nightmares and feelings of anger, bitterness, resentment, darkness, and soul-crushing fear. But you’re not alone, William. You have your mother, you have me, you have Raelyn, and all of us will always be here for you.”

  “You-you promise?”

  “I do,” I vowed sincerely. “May I ask one last thing?”

  William nodded his agreement.

  I continued, “Will you talk to someone? A counselor?” I said. “And I don’t want you to do it for me or your mom. I want you to do it for yourself, so you can begin to heal—in your own way, on your own terms. I wasted many years—too many years—of my life being closed off from the world around me. I don’t want that for you.”

  William released a strenuous long breath before he replied, “I will.”

  I looped one arm around William’s shoulders and pulled him in to hug him. “Thank you. I only want what’s best for you. I love you, kid.”

  “I love you, too, Uncle Damien.” His arms tightened around me.

  My heart thumped wildly in my chest. It was the first time he’d referred to me as his uncle, so I soaked it in, unbelievably grateful to have this boy in my life.

  I drew back and briefly glanced between him and his mother before setting my gaze on him. “We should go talk to your mother. She looks like she could use a hug, too.”

  “Yes, we should.”

  William and I both rose from the bench to walk back toward Raelyn and Suzanne. We only made it halfway to them before Suzanne took off in a sprint, barreling toward us.

  She threw her arms around her son. “Oh gosh, William. Don’t ever do that to me again!” She squeezed the boy hard. “I was so worried!” she cried, pulling back to cup his cheeks.

  “I won’t, Mom.” William’s eyes lowered with shame. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” Suzanne wept, embracing William again, as if she weren’t sure he was real.

  I went to Raelyn and looped one arm around her waist. I brought her close, so I could press my lips to her temple. “Let’s give them some time alone,” I whispered.

  It had been a long day, and Raelyn had to be exhausted, but I knew she probably wouldn’t admit it.

  I pivoted us to face Suzanne to excuse ourselves, “We’ll talk soon.”

  She mouthed, Thank you, with tear-stained cheeks.

  Raelyn and I discreetly made our exit.

  Now that the storm had blown over and the dust had settled, it was time to go back to my bubble, where it was just Raelyn and me, tucked away from everything else. There was nowhere else I wanted to be.

  Raelyn was my slice of heaven that I didn’t deserve.

  nineteen

  Raelyn

  The ride home was quiet. The fun, loving, relaxed Damien from this morning was completely gone. His mood had been replaced with a distant, tense Damien. It was the same persona that surfaced whenever Drake or Annabelle was near him. The muscles in hi
s forearms flexed as he gripped the steering wheel. His shoulders were rigid, as if bracing for impact. I wasn’t worried in the sense that we might get into a car crash, but I feared Damien might burst at the seams.

  His noticeable uneasiness wasn’t what troubled me the most though. It was the palpable emotions oozing out of him and filtering through the confined space of the vehicle. His anger and sadness stifled the air around me. It left a hollow ache in my heart to sense such profound feelings were ripping him apart.

  Once we pulled into the driveway of the beach-house rental and parked the car, I followed Damien inside. I didn’t wait for him to divulge his feelings because I knew he wouldn’t. He never did—willingly, that was.

  Instead, I wordlessly reached for his hand and led him up to the elegant master bath where I momentarily left him at the sink to start the Jacuzzi. After I poured a jasmine-scented bath oil into the tub, I returned to him. My hands went to his chest to pull his black polo shirt over his head.

  Damien’s eyes were clouded and grave, appearing a murky charcoal gray. The haunting unfamiliar color made my chest constrict painfully. Gazing up at him, I set my hands over his heart where I felt it beating rapidly before continuing to run my palms down his taut stomach.

  “You did a great thing today for a young man who needed you more than you’ll probably ever know. You’re a good man, Damien,” I whispered, wanting him to know how unbelievably proud of him I was.

  My gut told me that his own past surfaced every time he was reminded of William being abused. It had to be unbearable to hear of someone he loved going through something so traumatic that he’d also experienced firsthand, especially when it was by a man who Damien already deeply despised—for what, I was still unsure.

  Doubt pooled in his irises at my statement as I reached for his belt to unbuckle it. His shorts and briefs were removed from his body, and he lifted his legs one at a time to step out of the clothing. Next, I took off my shirt, bra, shorts, and panties without delay, leaving us both bare and exposed to one another.

  Reaching for his hand, I guided him toward the Jacuzzi.

  “Our tattoos shouldn’t soak in the tub,” he stated in a low voice with absolutely no emotion whatsoever.

  My movements didn’t slow. “Then, we’ll keep them on the ledge, out of the water.”

  He needed a warm bath to loosen up, or he was going to burst at the seams.

  Damien lowered himself into the tub first, careful to keep his right leg on the ledge. He spread his thighs to make room for me and outstretched his arms to assist me. I took his hands and stepped into the Jacuzzi with my right leg in the air before twisting to place my bum between his legs. I set my sore foot next to his and let my torso connect with his firm chest. My eyes briefly closed as I sighed, understanding this was exactly what we needed after a long, emotional roller-coaster kind of day.

  Over the course of the next several minutes, my lips parted to speak and closed several times. Waiting for someone to let you in required patience. It was not my strong suit. I was anxious to know if William was okay and equally concerned about Damien’s state of mind.

  Damien was such a strong man, yet William could also flip his emotions on a dime. It was one of the rare occurrences when Damien lost control.

  “I run one of the largest, most successful charities, A Voice for Kids, to save children from neglectful and abusive parents,” he began, sounding desolate, “yet, for all these years, William was right under my nose, being hurt by a man I hate with all my being. How could I have been so blind?”

  His long drags of air made me rise and fall dramatically above him.

  Frustrated I couldn’t see him, I shifted to my left side while managing to keep my bandaged ankle out of the water. Damien supported my lower back with one of his hands as I gently brought my thumb to his face to caress his cheek to comfort him. The tortured look in his eyes would have brought me to my knees if I were standing. It debilitated me.

  “It’s not your fault, Damien,” I said each word deliberately and clearly to emphasize my point. “You didn’t know William was being abused. And when you did find out when he came to you in the middle of the night, you immediately stepped in to help both him and his mother.”

  “I should have made contact with William sooner. Maybe I could have—”

  I hushed him by placing my index finger over his mouth. “You didn’t know what was happening to William, so please don’t carry this burden of guilt. Drake is the only evil coward in this scenario. You were the one who opened your arms and your home to a scared, mistreated sweet boy. You are his hero.”

  I settled my lips over his and kissed him with a gentle tenderness in hopes of sending a soothing warmth to his soul. His mouth was firm at first, but it quickly softened, surrendering to the love I was offering.

  After a moment, Damien tipped his head forward until our foreheads were resting along one another. I opened my eyes and saw that his eyes were lighter, appearing more silvery gray. The unwelcomed darkness was gone, but there was still a slight heaviness that remained.

  “I hate that my past keeps clashing into my future. I wish that I could make Drake move to another fucking continent so that he’d stay out of our lives.” His jaw jumped. “He’s going to do everything in his power to take you from me, just as I’ve taken his family from him.”

  “You didn’t take Drake’s family from him,” I corrected him. “William and Suzanne left him for his own wrongdoings.”

  “That might be.” He chewed on the corner of his lip before gradually releasing it. “But that will only fuel him to make sure you’re aware of all of my mistakes.”

  “Why won’t you tell me them yourself then?” My gaze traveled all over his handsome face, wishing I had some kind of superpower to either force him to confess his sins or to read his mind. Either would work, for I was desperate for him to completely open up to me.

  “I just can’t.” Agony slashed through his voice as well as his features. It was heartbreaking. “I only hope, if and when the truth comes out, that you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me. Promise me that you won’t leave me.”

  His persistence to keep me out of the loop should have warned me off. But, for some reason, it didn’t. I clung to my love for this man and his troubled past, hoping and praying that he was exaggerating his own practically self-proclaimed conviction here.

  Damien had a heart of gold. He donated millions and millions of dollars from his own hard-earned money to fund a highly respected charity for abused children. Without hesitation, regardless of the consequences, Damien had housed his battered nephew after he appeared at his own home. He’d spared my accounting firm when Cale had betrayed him by embezzling nearly seventy grand from him when he could have forced me out of business.

  I weaved my fingers through his hair and gave it a light tug. “You are a compassionate, loving, giving man. Nothing will ever convince me otherwise,” I said reverently. “You’re stuck with me, Damien. I even have the tattoo to prove it.” I lifted my right leg to prove my point and grinned in an effort to ease his mood.

  It worked like a charm. The corner of his mouth twitched, and my pulse leaped at my being responsible for the cause of it.

  A boyish smile fully revealed itself at last, wooing me with its intensity.

  “That’s right,” he virtually growled. “You’re permanently stuck with me now, and I love you all the more for it.” Sincerity washed over his features as he exhaled a long breath. “You’ll never know just how much I love you, Raelyn, because there is nothing I can do to show what you mean to me. You are my gorgeous, green-eyed beauty. You walked into my life and brought light, you healed a darkness in my heart, and you’ve given me a happiness that, sometimes, I just can’t believe is real. You are my saving grace.”

  “You’ve done the same for me.” I stroked my hands along his face, feeling his day-old stubble. “Now, wash me up, so you can take me to bed,” I said playfully, slapping one palm down on the center of
his collarbone. It backfired when water splashed in both of our faces.

  His eyes went all wide, obviously stunned by my little speech. “Are you making demands?”

  My heart skipped a beat at the challenge in his voice. The Damien I knew and loved beyond measure was back in full force.

  “I am.” I firmly held my ground. I would not cave on this.

  His eyes darkened with unmistakable heat, causing sparks to ignite within me. “I guess it’s been too long since I reminded you who holds the power in this relationship, gorgeous girl, and I’m about to remedy that right now.”

  “I hold the power. Bath and then bed,” I countered swiftly, stunned with my own bravery, well aware I’d ignored his threat.

  He wasn’t going to remedy anything until I’d shampooed and conditioned my hair and soaped my body—not that I needed it because I’d showered this morning, but I was operating solely on principle here.

  “Bed. Sex. Shower tomorrow,” he stated each word low and deep, as if delivering a promise.

  I wasn’t left with any room to argue.

  My arms flew around his neck on a squeal, and I was rapidly swooped up in his arms. Water violently splashed around the tub as he skillfully climbed out of the Jacuzzi. He dried his feet on the mat before sauntering across the tiled floor, stark naked and unashamed.

  The elegant master bedroom came into view. It was all a mixture of pastel blues and bright whites. I didn’t get to soak in its beautiful setting for long before I went sailing weightlessly through the air.

  “Damien!” I cried out. Laughing, I sank into the plush mattress.

  I propped myself up onto my elbows and inched myself backward on the bed until I reached the pillows, feeling the divine silk bedding beneath me. Folding my arms behind my head, I admired the view before me.

  Droplets of water glistened down his chiseled chest and ripped abdomen. My eyes continued skipping down his remarkable body, finding him solid. A bolt of lust struck my groin, and I pressed my thighs together to lessen my ache for him.