by Chelle Bliss
Kat’s Facebook and Instagram told me everything I needed to know about her. Not only was it filled with her work, but also her family. She had two older brothers and a sister, which put one extra point in her column. If her brothers were anything like mine, I was sure she could handle the Gallo boys without an issue.
Kat had the look too. Long black hair, overdone eye makeup that made her large brown eyes stand out, and the complete rocker chick look that would have the men falling over themselves to get a tattoo from her. As far as I could tell, she was perfect for Inked.
“Izzy. Martin’s here,” Anthony yelled just as I was about to pick up another portfolio.
Martin was going to be my longest and final appointment of the day. We’d been working on a massive back piece for what seemed like months now. We were in the homestretch, filling it with colors out the ying-yang. I was stoked to see the final product, but we still had another session after this one before we could call it done.
I walked back into the shop to find Martin already lying down with his shirt off and ready. “Hey, Martin. Miss me?”
Martin looked over his shoulder as I sat down, giving me the brightest smile. “I always miss your kind of torture, Iz.”
I giggled and patted his back softly. “You love it. You’re a pain slut even if you’ll never admit it. How many hours do you want to go?”
He tucked his hands under his chin and readied himself. “Do it until I say stop.”
Martin Santorini lived about an hour away from Inked, but he said I was worth the drive. He was married with two kids and lived the American dream. He was a Pasco County Sherriff’s deputy and looked every bit the part with his flattop haircut and the badass ink that covered his arms. I knew if he pulled me over, I wouldn’t argue because he looked too mean to fuck with, even for me.
“I have all day.”
“Do your damage, babe.”
I loved clients like Martin. He never bitched or whined about the pain and never complained about a damn thing. He lay there with his eyes closed and sometimes chimed in on our conversation with some witty, smartass comment. He’d been a client for years, and he wore at least a half dozen pieces that I’d created specifically for him.
An hour later, Anthony came strolling out the office. “Who is this chick?”
I glanced up and noticed he was holding Kat’s portfolio. “I pulled her file. I think she’d be a great fit.”
“Her work is amazing.”
“I know,” I told him, dipping my needle into the blood red as I filled in the drops of blood that were running down the dragon’s mouth on Martin’s back. “She has older brothers too, so she’ll be able to put up with your bullshit.”
“Lemme see that.” Joe grabbed the portfolio from Anthony’s hands and flipped through the pages. “I say bring her in for an interview.”
“I’ll call her when I’m done,” Mike said, pointing to his workstation because somehow, he’d been elected keeper of the business. “I don’t want any of you shitheads scaring her off.”
Joey tossed it onto Mike’s workstation and stalked back toward his area. “If she scares that easily, she’s not right.”
No truer words. Whoever filled a seat at Inked needed to be ready to give as good as they got. Working with Anthony, Joe, and Mike sure as fuck wasn’t easy and I was their sister. I wondered how a newcomer would be able to handle their bullshit. It would be nice to see them choke on their male chauvinist attitudes every now and then.
By the time Martin walked out the door, bloodied and sore, my back ached and I was in need of some serious alcohol therapy and a little girl time. I had texted Suzy, Mia, Max, and Angel when I took a break from Martin’s backbreaking tattoo to plan a little something for tonight, and it was the only thing that got me through the day without popping my lid at my brothers.
“Peace out, bitches,” I said over my shoulder as I pushed open the door and walked outside.
They weren’t too happy to hear about the kid-watching duties each of them would be doing tonight since the mommies were going out without them. Since the kids were older, it was easier for the men to handle them and get them to bed without too much of a fight.
By the time I walked into Caliente, the newest and swankiest Mexican place in Spring Hill, the girls already had a table and had downed almost an entire pitcher of margaritas.
“Well, don’t you look like shit today,” Max said before I even had a chance to put my ass on the chair.
“Fuck off, Max. You try leaning over for seven hours and look as wonderful as you do after playing with clothes all day.”
Suzy started to choke, covering her mouth, and looked at me with wide eyes. I said it. I had no problem going there with my sister-in-law. Yes, she always looked flawless, but hell…if I played dress-up Barbie all day, I would too.
“That shit is hard work, Iz. You try making a meaty man look more like a million bucks than an overstuffed sausage.”
I didn’t know why, but an image of a guy wearing a sausage costume flashed through my mind, and I started to laugh uncontrollably. Max pushed an already filled glass of margarita in front of me and smiled. “We’re celebrating.”
“What?” I asked, still laughing and trying to get the drink to my lips without spilling a drop.
“Mia’s been nominated for a prestigious award from the state. Something about helping the needy.” Max rolled her eyes.
“We’re so proud of you, Mia.” Suzy grabbed the pitcher and refilled her glass. Thank God she’d grown into a drinker instead of just the fruity umbrella drinks she used to enjoy. I’d always felt like I was going out with a kid instead of a sister.
I set the glass against my lips, taking a small sip instead of chugging it. Tequila and I had never been friends, but there was something about a margarita that made it more copacetic to my system. “Congrats.”
“Thanks, ladies. I’m excited our little clinic is finally being recognized. Plus,” she said and took a sip of the salty yet sweet drink and winced. “The large grant we’ll receive as part of the award will help tremendously.”
The entire family was proud of Mia. She’d accomplished something important and made a real difference in our community. Her clinic gave families an alternative to going to the emergency room and having to mortgage their houses if they were sick. Every single person in our family had volunteered there, especially in the beginning.
“Another round,” Angel told the waitress as she passed by our table. “We’re not leaving here until we’re shit-faced.”
“I have Uber on standby,” Suzy added with a devilish grin.
I turned to face her with my chin practically on the floor. “You getting drunk, Suz?”
“Tipsy.” She laughed. “I don’t do drunk well.”
I didn’t want to be the one to tell her that she didn’t do tipsy well either, so I kept that to myself. Suzy’s been part of my life for almost fifteen years, and she slowly came over to the dark side, but it wasn’t easy. She couldn’t pretend to be a good girl after marrying my brother. We knew she was as dirty as the rest of us, hidden behind her sweet smile and wholesome beauty. Over the years, the girls—the ones who sat beside me now—had worn away at her shiny exterior and finally pulled her out of her shell, and her badassery had skyrocketed.
My brothers did well when they picked their wives. Not one of them was a cunty asshole I couldn’t stand being around. Each one of them was my friend, probably my best friends, and I was lucky to call them sisters.
“So…” Angel leaned back in her chair. “Izzy, want to tell us about your weekend?”
I placed my drink on the table and smirked. “What did you hear?”
“Not too much. James doesn’t like to discuss your sex life, but I know you went to Taboo.”
Max sat up straighter and rested her head on her hand. “What’s Taboo?”
“Kink club in Miami,” Angel answered instead of letting me field the question.
I leaned back, fingering the
base of my margarita glass. “It’s the club James used to be a member of a long time ago. We were following a lead in one of his cases. No big deal.” I shrugged it off, but I could tell they wanted more, and I hadn’t said anything to deter their interest.
“Ooh. Do tell,” Suzy said, turning toward me. “Did you meet some of James’s old friends?”
“I met some interesting people.” I didn’t want to talk about it. The ladies always had a million questions, and for some odd reason, I figured they were always picturing me naked with James pulling on a leash. “We’re going to hire a new girl at Inked,” I said to change the subject.
The table grew silent, and every set of eyes landed on me.
“Excuse me?” Max said, jolting backward.
“I’m sick of being the old chick. We need new employees, and we’re starting with a woman.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at them as they gawked at me. By the looks on their faces, I could tell they weren’t happy.
“How can we trust someone else around our husbands all day?” Max asked with a little bit of a snarl.
“Yeah,” Suzy joined in, usually the quietest of the bunch.
I held up my hands before the lynch mob started. “Have you all gone mental?”
Never had I know any of them to be the jealous type, but I could see the flashes of insecurity behind their eyes as they thought about a woman starting at Inked that wasn’t a member of the family.
I needed to quash this before they had a chance to whisper in their husband’s ears and we ended up with yet another dick at Inked. “Ladies.” I leaned forward, clasping my hands and keeping a straight face. “Calm your tits, please. Your men love you, so there’s nothing to worry about. Plus, do you think I’m going to hire someone more beautiful than me?” They didn’t look convinced as they glanced at each other and brought their eyes back to mine. “I’ll make sure she’s married, okay?”
“Married women cheat all the time,” Max added with a smug look.
“Oh, please.” I slapped my hands on the table. “I’ll never make everyone happy, but know this, my brothers love you for some odd reasons, and I’ll rip their dicks off if they even flirt with the woman.”
Angel grabbed her drink and lifted it to her lips. “She’s right,” she said before taking a sip.
“Yeah,” Suzy said on a sigh. “We trust you, Izzy.”
“I got you girls, but I can’t deal with another man at Inked. Those three meatheads are enough, and I need a little girl power to even shit up.” The table was entirely too quiet still, and I knew I hadn’t fully convinced them, so I changed back to the topic I knew they wanted to talk about. “I met the Master that trained James.”
They were filled with questions, and all thoughts and insecurities over hiring another female at Inked were forgotten, and we drank until Suzy fell off her chair and it was time to Uber our asses back home.
James
“Finally tracked Victoria down,” Flash said as he breezed into my office just after three in the afternoon.
I peered up from my computer as he slid into the seat across from me. “And?”
“She’s safe. She went to visit her mother in Detroit.”
“You talked to her?” He nodded and started to shake his foot that hung over his other leg as he sat with his ankle propped on his thigh. “What did she say?”
“Matías did spook her. She decided to leave town after they spent an evening together. She knew something was off, so she thought it was best to get as far away from him as possible.”
“I’ll make sure to let the guys at Taboo know she’s safe. I know they’ve been worried.”
Flash didn’t move even though I’d basically dismissed him. He stared at me, which was awkward.
He’d grown on me over the years. His past with Izzy made it a little harder for me to become friends with him. The whole, he fucked my wife bit kind of grated on my nerves. I won in the end, slipping the ring on her finger and making her mine, but it didn’t make it easy to sit across from a man every day who knew exactly how she tasted.
“Something else?”
“I’m going to need to take an extended leave.”
“Why? What’s up?”
He hadn’t taken time off since he started at ALFA. Sure, he’d taken a few days here or there, but extended time meant a long-term absence and one that would leave a hole in our company.
“Fiona’s expecting.”
I jumped up from my chair and rounded the desk to shake his hand. “Congrats, buddy.”
“Thanks, but she’s been put on bed rest. So, until her mother can come down and take care of her, I’m going to be taking a leave.”
“What’s wrong?”
“The doctor said some mumbo jumbo about an incompetent cervix. Whatever the fuck that means.”
“We’re all here to help with anything you two need.”
“Thanks, James.” He gave me a small smile, but I couldn’t imagine what he was going through. “I’m excited about finally being a dad and don’t want anything to happen to Fiona or our baby.”
The last thing I wanted was for Flash to worry about his place here at ALFA while focusing on the birth of his child. We needed him. I needed him. We didn’t run without him, and he’d become an invaluable member of the team.
“I’ll talk to Thomas, and maybe you can work from home. We still need your skills and contacts. Would that work for you?”
His face brightened. “That would be great. It would make everything easier. I can’t sit there all day and do nothing.”
“I get it. I do,” I told him because I wasn’t a sitter either.
Even when it was my day off, I was always doing something. I didn’t like to sit idle with my hand tucked in my pants, watching television. I was a doer. Always had been a workaholic, and it was something I didn’t see changing anytime soon.
“Thanks, man,” Flash said as he climbed to his feet, looking a lot happier than he had when he walked in.
“Anytime.” I waved him off. Although I was doing it for him, it was in the best interest of ALFA to keep him active and working, especially with a case like Matías’s still open.
But then again, there was always an important case we were working on. As soon as a top priority was closed, another one popped up. Our little company Thomas and I started when we finally hit burn-out level after working at the DEA had grown into one of the most well-respected and in-demand investigative companies in Tampa Bay. I never would’ve believed it possible with the ragtag group of guys we had working with us.
Leaving the DEA was one of the hardest decisions of my life. After years of training and climbing the ladder, getting more and more important assignments, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I had been a little hesitant walking away. But having Thomas with me and with the clear goal in mind of opening ALFA Private Investigations, I figured, what the fuck, how could it go wrong?
Every agent had a burn-out point, and I hit it just as Thomas did. Working on the case with the Sun Devils MC was a nightmare. Not only was Thomas’s life at risk every single day, but then Izzy’s life was in danger too after Flash, being the sometimes dumbass that he was, brought her to Daytona for Bike Week. Naturally, she’d caught the eye of the SD vice president. Thank God Thomas was there to work shit out and keep her safe.
After what was almost a clusterfuck of epic proportions, I was ready to tap out when we did. I’d never regretted the decision either. Being my own boss, surrounding myself with the best and most trustworthy people in the business, and living life on my terms gave me a freedom I never knew when I was with the DEA.
“Am I interrupting?” Ret asked, standing in the doorway as Flash stood near my desk.
I waved him in as his eyes moved from Flash to me. “We’re done.”
“Thanks again, James,” Flash said as he walked toward the door. “Hey, Ret. Nice to see you back.”
Ret gave him a chin lift as Flash passed. “Wanted to talk t
o you about Matías.”
“Whatcha got?”
Ret sat in the same chair Flash had just occupied, looking way more relaxed and comfortable in front of me. “I want to help with catching the fucker.”
Ret was our newest addition, although he’d been here longer than a hot minute. He was also Bear’s kid, which added some moments that were funnier than shit. But Ret, just like his father, was a man of honor. In his previous life, he was a bounty hunter. He chased down the bad guys using any means necessary and often put his life in danger while doing it. ALFA gave him more security and less chance of his ass getting popped while on the job, although the pay was significantly less, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“Well, you know I’m like you and have spent more than a few nights inside a BDSM club.”
I nodded. Ret and I had talked more times than I could count about handling our women. “I do.”
“Since he seems to be making the rounds at clubs, I thought I could reach out to my contacts around the country and see if they can help.”
He had my attention. I hadn’t even thought of asking him to help on the case. I should’ve known that he had ears and eyes everywhere that could help track Matías as he hopped around the country. “What kind of contacts?”
“I have memberships in or at least have visited every major BDSM club in the fifty states.” He rubbed his hands on his jeans with a tiny smirk. “I didn’t like to sit in my hotel room at night and watch television, so I filled my downtime with some of the best submissives in the country.”
“Busy man.”
“Happier than a pig in shit.” He laughed, relaxing back into the chair. “I figure I can call my contacts within the clubs and put out an APB to find out where Matías is right now. It may help save us a lot of time and legwork.”
Resting my fingertips against my lips, I thought about what he proposed. Matías seemed to be using BDSM clubs as a means to nab women who were already well-versed in the lifestyle. “Do you trust these people?”