Inked Expressions

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  “I’m good,” Storm said honestly. Things were a little off-kilter, but he’d figure it out.

  “You’d tell me if you needed to,” Austin said, and it wasn’t a question. His big brother took care of the lot of them and even tried to take care of all the cousins, too. He was the eldest of the twenty-one cousins, and he acted like it. “Okay, Clay, let’s get you up so you can see your new ink.”

  Clay had been straddling the chair since he’d wanted the knot on his shoulder. He rolled up easily. Storm still couldn’t quite believe that Clay hadn’t even gotten a bruise during the accident that had claimed his father’s life and given Storm back problems for so much of his life, but he was damn grateful for it.

  Jax, Brandon, and Derek—the three other tattoo artists on duty at the time—came over to see the new tattoo, as well. Storm didn’t know the three of them as well as he knew the other artists who weren’t his family, but he liked them. Jax was so new that Storm didn’t even know the man’s last name, but if Maya and Austin had him working here, they obviously trusted him, and that was all that mattered.

  “Dude.” Clay’s eyes went wide as he turned in the mirror. “That’s fucking perfect.”

  Storm rolled his eyes and took a quick photo of the kid’s reaction. He’d taken a few during the process so Clay would have them for later once Storm forwarded them with his phone. He may not be the kid’s father, but he’d be there for the moments he could.

  “You do good work,” he said to Austin as the other artists moved in on Clay to get a closer look.

  Austin grinned and rubbed that big beard of his. “Yeah, I do. Speaking of, you coming in to get more ink at some point, or are you good with what you have?”

  Storm had a few pieces but not as many as some of his family. And unlike the rest of the Montgomerys, he only had Austin do his ink. Maya would have gotten too close to his scars and asked too many questions. But that might change, he thought.

  “I have an idea, but I might get Maya to do it.”

  Austin’s brows rose. “You stepping out on me?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Maybe it’s time I don’t hide everything for so long.”

  His big brother nodded before punching him in the shoulder. “Good. It’s about time. You heading over to Everly’s after this? Or back to work?”

  Storm shook his head. “I have a few things to do at home, and she’s coming over later. Tabby and Alex are playing house with the kids tonight.” Storm had a feeling it was because the couple wanted him and Everly to have privacy, and if it helped Alex and Tabby as a couple as well, then he’d take it.

  “Things are getting serious between you two.” Again, it wasn’t a question, but Storm answered anyway.

  “Yeah, I think so.” He blew out a breath. “Not that I know what I’m going to do about it.”

  Austin smiled wide. “You’ll figure it out. We always do. Just don’t do anything stupid.”

  Storm laughed since, yeah, they all tended to do stupid things when it mattered, but he’d figure it out. Everly was worth that and more.

  After Clay had settled up and they parted ways, promising lunch soon, Storm went back to his house to finish up a few things for work. He had a home office set up and worked at home some days when his brain couldn’t function with the noise that came with the open floor plan at Montgomery Inc. If Tabby needed him for something, she’d call in a hurry, and it wasn’t a big deal. Plus, this way, he could let Randy out of the crate since he hadn’t been able to take him to Montgomery Ink even though he’d started bringing him to the office.

  But as soon as he pulled into the driveway, he knew things weren’t going to go as smoothly as he’d have liked. He sighed, turned off his engine, and gave Wes’s truck parked beside his one last look before making his way into his house.

  Wes sat on Storm’s couch with Randy on his lap and a frown on his face. When Wes looked up, Storm knew he’d waited far too long by being a coward.

  “Hey,” Storm said, his voice rough.

  Wes was silent a moment before he set Randy down on the floor and stood up. “I’ve gone through what I needed to say twenty times and even wrote some of it down, but it doesn’t seem right. I don’t know what I need to say because I don’t know what’s wrong. All I know is that something is wrong and you don’t trust me enough to tell me. We’re fucking twins, Storm. We’re not just brothers. We’re more than that. And yet you’ve been hiding something and acting weird and pushing me away. I thought maybe it had something to do with Everly, but that’s not it because it happened way before that. And fuck, it happened way before Jillian, too, though I tried to put the blame on her.”

  Wes raked his hands through his hair, making himself look even more disheveled, even though the man usually looked more put-together than anyone. Storm didn’t speak, knowing Wes needed to get everything out first. That’s how they worked…or at least how they used to work.

  “I don’t know why things are off, but fuck it, Storm, you’re not working like you used to, you don’t come to jobsites as much to help out, you’re in your head more often than not, and you’re keeping secrets.” He blew out a breath. “If you don’t want to work with the family company anymore, then fine, but tell me. I won’t tell you that I get it and that everything will be okay, I’d be fucking lying, but I can’t stand back and watch you do this to yourself, do this to us because you’re not letting me know what’s going on in your head.”

  Storm’s brows rose. “The fuck? I’m not leaving the company. Mom and Dad left it to us when they retired. It’s ours. All of ours. Just because I don’t spend as much time doing your job, doesn’t mean I don’t want to be part of what our family built.”

  “Then why don’t you do what you used to? Why aren’t you here?”

  “Because my back can’t handle it!” Storm shouted back.

  Wes frowned. “What? What’s wrong with your back? You never mentioned that you hurt your back. Was it on the jobsite? At home?”

  Storm ran a hand over his face and tried to calm down. Nothing could get his blood pumping for a fight like his twin. They were so much alike, even though they had stark differences, as well.

  “You should sit down, Wes. I have something to tell you.” Dread filled his belly, but he pushed through it. He had to get everything off his chest, and damn it, he should have done it years ago and not when everything was about to blow up in their faces.

  Wes frowned at him and sat. Randy came up to Storm and nuzzled his legs, and he rubbed the puppy’s head, needing the comfort.

  “I got in a car accident twenty years ago,” Storm blurted, then told the whole story of the accident and Clay—without mentioning Rachel as that wasn’t his story to tell—while Wes sat there and listened with wide eyes and a look of hurt on his face.

  “Jesus Christ, Storm. You know it wasn’t your fault, right? It was an accident. But you blamed yourself this entire damn time, didn’t you?”

  Storm hung his head and gripped it with his hands. “A man died, Wes. Clay’s dad died, and my car was the one to hit him.” Bile coated his tongue, and he tried to focus, but he couldn’t get the sounds of metal clashing against metal out of his head. He counted to ten, and Randy pressed against his legs.

  With the weight of that small body along his calf, he was able to breathe again. This was why he had Randy, and why he’d trained those other dogs.

  “His car hit you.” Wes’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. “It was a tragic accident, and I’m so sorry that you went through it, but it wasn’t your fault.” He paused. “I…how could I not have figured something like this had happened? How did I not know? Damn it, I wish you had told me. You told Dad, Austin, and Jackson, but not me.”

  Storm looked up, an old weight off his shoulders now replaced by a new one. Guilt. Even more guilt. Damn it, he could do this and be an adult and own up to his mistakes. He might not have been the cause of the accident, but he’d hidden it from Wes for so long. That was on him.

&nbs
p; “Jackson was an asshole,” he ground out. “I can’t tell you everything about that. Not yet. It’s not my secret to tell, but I will regret having him part of my life at that point for a long fucking time. As for not telling you? I was so fucking scared, man. I was a damn coward. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you and that I hid it for so long. I shouldn’t have, but it kept snowballing, and somehow, twenty years passed, and I had this big thing…yet I didn’t know how to tell you.”

  “Would you have if I hadn’t come here like this?” Wes asked. “I don’t agree with why you kept your secret, but I get it. It was a big thing, and it’s not about me. I’m just glad you had Austin to talk to if you needed to.”

  Storm sighed. “I was going to.” He paused, his hands tensing. “I told Everly. Recently. And I guess that just opened the vault and I found it harder and harder to keep it to myself.”

  “I’m glad you have her,” Wes said after a moment before letting out a groan. “I can’t believe how much of an asshole I’ve been about you working on-site when you’ve been in pain. You were hurting, and I didn’t see.”

  “I hid it well. It’s not your fault.”

  Wes sighed. “It wasn’t yours either.” He looked up and met Storm’s eyes. “This isn’t over, and I want to talk about it more, but I need to let it all sink in. I don’t want any more secrets between us. I hate that we used to be best friends and that we aren’t anymore.”

  They each stood up and gave each other a hard hug, Storm’s chest and shoulders finally holding a bit less tension. Twenty years. Twenty freaking years of holding everything in, and now his twin knew.

  It hadn’t hurt as much as he thought it would…and yet he knew it could have been so much worse. They had a long way to go, but he’d taken the first step. Being a Montgomery wasn’t easy, but when things got tough, they were there for each other. He’d forgotten that, and he prayed he didn’t forget again.

  By the time Wes left, and Storm had Randy fed, the doorbell rang and he went to let Everly in. He was still shaking a bit, but he hoped the worst was over.

  She took one look at his face and stepped into his arms. “I thought I was going to be the pale one tonight. What’s wrong?”

  He kissed her, needing her taste to breathe, to be. “I told Wes,” he whispered, the weight on his chest once again feeling lighter.

  She pulled back, her eyes wide. “About the accident?”

  He tucked her hair behind her ear, needing to touch her. “Yeah. It went…well, better than I thought, but it’s not over. I should have told him before this.”

  She played with the pocket on the front of his shirt, a frown on her face. “You weren’t ready. I hated that you were hurting yourself by keeping it all in, but now you can talk about it more if you’re able.”

  He kissed her again, feeling far younger and freer than he had in years. “You helped. How are you doing?”

  She shrugged, and he pulled her over to the couch where Randy proceeded to jump on their laps to cuddle with them. The sight brought a smile to her face that made it hard for him to pull Randy off the couch, but he had to since Randy was still in training. The little guy might be small now, but he wouldn’t always be.

  “Talk to me.”

  “I just feel a little off. The final arson report should be back soon, and they’re saying I can do a walkthrough, but I’m scared.”

  He gripped her hand. “Do you want me to go with you?”

  She nodded as he spoke. “I’d hoped. I mean, before you…” She took a deep breath. “Before you and I started this thing, I would have done it on my own, but I want you with me. Is that okay?”

  He leaned forward and cupped her face. “It’s more than okay.” Then he kissed her, first soft and slow, then a little hotter, a little deeper. “I want you,” he growled out. “I know we have so many things to talk about, but I need you.”

  “Make love to me?” she asked, her voice breathy.

  In answer, he tipped her head back and kissed her again.

  Storm pulled her closer, and she straddled his lap. His dick pressed against his zipper and her heat, and he groaned when she rocked into him. “You’re so fucking sexy, Ev.”

  She tossed her hair over her shoulder and reached around to take off her top. “You make me feel this way. I’ve always been a sex-in-bed-on-my-back sort of woman, but apparently, I’m in an exploring mood.”

  “And I’m one lucky bastard.” He kissed her again, and slowly, they began to strip off the rest of their clothes. He slid his hands over her and then inside her. She was soft, wet, and oh so hot. If he weren’t careful, he’d bend her over the couch and pound into her until they were both sated and exhausted, but that wasn’t what either of them needed right then.

  They both ended up lying on their sides, her back to his front, as he lifted her thigh and slid his condom-covered cock into her heat. She tilted her head back and kissed her hard, at the same time playing with her nipples and sliding in and out of her.

  “Holy God, you go so deep at this angle.”

  He kissed her shoulder and lowered her thigh, pressing down with the palm of his hand. “Let’s try this, too.”

  “Oh?” She moaned. “Oh…” She drew out the last word as he slid into her hard and fast from behind with her legs pressed tightly together. He was so close to coming that all it would take would be a slight squeeze of her inner muscles and he’d blow. And because he didn’t want to come without her going first, he let go of her thigh and slid his hand around the front to slide his fingers over her clit.

  “Oh God,” she moaned as she came. “Storm.”

  He thrust hard two more times before he came with her, his body shaking and his back burning. He’d ache later, but it would be worth it. His woman was worth everything.

  Afterward, they lay in a tangle of limbs, their breathing coming in pants. He was trying to put his thoughts in order when she blurted, “I love you.”

  He froze then turned her in his arms so he could look down at her.

  “Oh my God. I can’t believe I just said that out loud.”

  His heart beat faster, and he tried to take in every nuance, every taste, every sound. He’d never loved a woman, not as he should, but everything was different with Everly. Always had been. And he figured, always would.

  “I love you, too,” he said softly.

  Her eyes filled, and she blinked the tears back. “What are we going to do about it? I was wrong the last time, and I don’t want to be again.”

  He ran his thumb over her cheek, knowing there were important words he had to say, and yet he came up blank. “I don’t know what’s to come, but we’ve both spent so long looking back, maybe it’s time to look at the now and what might be. I’m not going anywhere, Ev.” He kissed her again. “But we don’t have to make every plan right now.” He kissed her once more. “I love you.”

  She smiled softly. “I love you, too.”

  He grinned and rolled on top of her. “Let me show you how much.”

  She laughed, arching into him. “I thought you were an old man who needed time to recover.”

  “Hush your mouth.” He lowered his head to kiss her again, but her phone rang. With a sigh, he reached for it since his arms were longer. He handed it over to her and helped her cover up with a throw blanket so she wouldn’t have to talk on the phone while naked.

  When she stiffened after she answered the call, he put his arm around her. Randy pressed himself against her legs and nuzzled as if to comfort.

  “Can you repeat that?” she gasped. “Are you sure? No, thank you. Yes, I realize. Thank you.” She hung up, her hands shaking as she turned to him.

  “What is it?”

  She blew out a breath, her eyes wide. “It’s Rachel.”

  “What? She called? What did she want?” Everly still hadn’t made her mind up about the other woman, and Storm hadn’t blamed her with everything going on. Her kids and store came first. Now and always.

  “It wasn’t her on the phone. It was
the arson investigator. Apparently, it took so long to get back to me because they found DNA but needed to process it.” She looked at Storm, her face pale. “It was Rachel. She was the one who set the fire. I don’t know how they know, but they do. She was in the system because of an assault charge when she was younger or something. God, Storm. Rachel burned down my bookstore. I don’t know why, but it all has to do with Jackson, doesn’t it? How could she do that?” Tears slid down her cheeks, and he pulled her into his arms.

  “They’ll find her,” he promised, his brain slowly processing everything. “We’ll make sure everyone is safe.

  Everly pulled back. “The kids! I need to call Tabby and Alex. What if Rachel comes by the house again?”

  He nodded, trying to remain calm. Let’s get dressed and call to warn them. Then we’ll head over to your place and bring Randy with us. We won’t let anyone else get hurt, babe.”

  Everly pulled on her clothes even as she shook her head. “It all comes back to Jackson’s lying. All of it. I…I can’t believe this.”

  He couldn’t either, but it was their reality. Somehow, they’d figure it all out. Everything was snapping into place like a puzzle he couldn’t quite see, but in the end, it didn’t matter. As long as he kept Everly and the boys safe, they’d figure it out.

  They had to.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Everly tried to take a deep breath, but the air wouldn’t come. The authorities had let her walk into Beneath the Cover that morning, and with the boys hanging with some of the Montgomerys who now knew the entire Rachel situation—and wasn’t that a fun conversation—she and Storm could do a walkthrough.

  She’d been expecting the worst.

  She hadn’t been expecting this.

  It was so much worse than she’d thought.

  “Everything’s gone,” she whispered into the darkness. “Nothing’s left.”

  Storm wrapped his arms around her from behind, but she didn’t lean into him. She couldn’t. But the idea that he was there if she were to fall let her stand up straighter. Everything had a black tinge to it with streaks and burn marks covering what was left of the walls. By some mercy, the fire hadn’t spread to any of the connecting buildings. Though the alarms hadn’t gone off to warn her or the fire department, people had called the emergency lines right away, and the fire had been contained easily.