by Zoey Parker
“Oh indeed,” his Uncle chided. “She’s engaged to Knuckles. Bet she didn’t tell you that.”
“We didn’t do much talking,” Max said with a cheeky grin.
“Boy, you are going to learn some respect!” His Uncle pointed a podgy finger at him. “You’re going to Colridge and you’re going to do this job for me, and you’re going to do it right. No trouble. You hear?”
“And if I refuse?”
His Uncle’s expression darkened.
“Fine,” Max released an exasperated sigh. “I’ll do the damn job. But am I seriously being exiled because of some lousy lay?”
“You watch your mouth in here,” his Uncle berated him. “Knuckles is enamored with that skinny girl. He thinks the sun shines out of her ass.”
“Well, I’ve been up there, and I can assure him it doesn’t.”
Max pushed back his chair, ignoring his Uncle’s thunderous expression and headed for the door. He was beyond pissed about his new assignment. Weatherly, he could handle. It was far from home, but he could still go to clubs there and party. In Colridge, he’d need to keep a low profile if he wanted to avoid getting one hell of a beating.
Back on his bike Max turned on the engine, savoring how the power felt between his legs. He put on his aviators and maneuvered his motorcycle out of the parking lot, towards the open road. Colridge was South, away from the familiar sights and sounds of his hometown. But he wasn’t heading there just yet. He had one more stop to make, one more point to prove. He made a right and headed in the direction of Sherri Godman’s trailer, determined to have one last proper send off before he left town, just to piss people off.
Chapter Eight
It felt strange being in Colridge. Even though it was just one town over, it felt like a foreign country. Brittany couldn’t help but gawk around at the bustling streets and bright neon signs over the stores as the cab pulled up outside what would be her new home.
Everything had happened so fast over the last few weeks. She’d secured the position as the tattoo artist’s apprentice, and Zack had helped her find an apartment close by. Though he was obviously worried about her leaving, he was doing his best to be supportive. Brittany appreciated that.
But now as the cab slowed, and she looked up at the front door of the apartment building, she suddenly felt sick with nerves. She’d never before been this far away from Zack. Since their parents died it had always been the two of them against the world, and now they were separated by miles. She was starting to think that moving over to Colridge had been a mistake.
“You ready then, sweetheart?” the kind-faced driver asked as he turned in his seat to look at her.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Brittany admitted, forcing herself to open the door and step outside.
It was a sunny day with warm light bathing the street and warming Brittany’s bare legs. She was wearing a simple sundress with her hair tied up in a neat bun at the nape of her neck.
“Let me help you,” the driver got out and bustled around to the trunk. He hauled out Brittany’s suitcase and the two garbage bags she’d filled with the rest of her belongings. And that was it. She glanced sadly down at her entire world bundled up beside her. All that was missing was Zack. But he’d promised to visit regularly. She just hoped that it was a promise he intended to keep.
“This your new place?” the driver nodded up at the door.
“Yep,” Brittany nodded. She’d only seen her new apartment online at the library back in her hometown. She had no idea what to actually expect now that she was there.
“It’s a nice part of town,” the driver smiled kindly. “You’ll do well here.”
“Thanks,” Brittany nodded gratefully at him. According to Google Maps the tattoo parlor where she’d be working was just two blocks away. She’d be able to walk to work every day.
“New starts are never easy,” the driver empathized. “But they are always worth it.”
“I hope so,” Brittany sighed. “I really hope so.”
Chapter Nine
Max woke up as the bright sunlight seared against the back of his eyelids. Groaning he sat up, his back stiff from having spent the night on a hard mattress in a cheap motel. Raking his hands through his hair he did his best to wake up. The whiskey he’d downed the night before had left his throat feeling raw. Awkwardly, he got up and stumbled towards the bathroom. He had a brief glance back at the bed and was relieved to see that it was empty, which meant no awkward removal of someone he didn’t want around now that he was sober.
Turning on the faucet, Max splashed cold water against his face. It washed away some of his fatigue, allowing him to take a good look at himself in the cloudy bathroom mirror, which hung above the sink. He looked a little tired but other than that he was okay. Things could have been far worse, he smirked at the thought. Last night he’d completed his first Colridge-based job. He’d had to walk to the outskirts of town, find a member of the rival gang, the Red Riders, and break a pool cue in half over their back. He’d been expecting trouble. When he left the motel he’d hidden three small blades in various places on himself; one in each boot and the other tucked under his belt. He hoped he wouldn’t have to use them, but sometimes, during turf wars, things went really bad, really quick.
Now that Max was in Colridge, he understood why he was actually there. His Uncle was looking for him to stir up enough trouble for the Red Riders to make a move against them. And when they did, because they inevitably would, the streets would run red with blood and only one victor would remain standing. Whoever that was would own all the nearby territories. His old Uncle was doing his best to strengthen the Skeleton Kings. He was a crotchety old man but he was ambitious. Max admired that.
“Come on, man, wake up,” Max splashed more water on his face but it didn’t give him any further release. He decided instead to take an icy shower. Despite his raging hangover, he didn’t want to spend all day cooped up in a tiny, shitty, motel room. He knew he wasn’t supposed to be seen around Colridge, but he was sure a quick look up and down the neighboring few blocks wouldn’t hurt. After all he was meant to be there for the better part of a month, if he didn’t find something to occupy himself during that time he would surely go crazy.
Chapter Ten
Brittany liked her apartment. It was modest but with shiny, modern amenities and a pleasant view over the rooftops of Colridge. With the back drop of a clear blue sky, the town had its own urban beauty which Brittany enjoyed. She pulled out the cell phone from her pocket and took a picture of the vista to send to Zack. The phone had been his final parting gift to her.
“If you need me,” he’d said sternly, his eyes wide and intense, “any time, day or night, just call, and I’ll be there. You got it?”
“I got it.”
Standing in her apartment Brittany looked at the phone which was more than just a device, it was a life-line. With it she could be in touch with Zack every day. With her few belongings unpacked in the furnished bedroom, Brittany didn’t have much else to do. She didn’t start work until the next morning. The night stretched before her, cold and alone. Though she was used to spending every night alone at her parents’ old house, this felt different. Here, no one would be coming back in the morning. It was just her. Brittany sadly lowered herself against the apartment’s sofa in the open plan living area. A sad lump formed in her throat as she realized that independence wasn’t as liberating as she’d hoped it would be. She was so used to having someone else around. Now she would be cooking for one, coming home to an empty apartment.
On the verge of tears Brittany called the one number she had entered into her phone. Zack swiftly answered.
“You okay?” he demanded briskly.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Brittany did her best to sound convincing. “I was just wondering what you were doing?”
“I’m heading out to work.” In the background, she could hear the locking of the front door and Zack’s heavy footsteps approaching his motorcycle.
/> “Oh, okay,” Brittany said softly.
“There’s been some issue…at the factory.”
“Oh?”
“Someone else got hurt,” Zack explained gruffly. “And now I’m expected to sort it all out. As if I don’t have enough going on at the moment.”
“Maybe you could just call in sick?” Brittany suggested sweetly, thinking that if Zack did that he could drive over to Colridge, and they could order in a pizza and watch a movie together, like they used to do when they were younger. Back then they lived on take-out food and watched countless movies together. It was easier to sit side by side and watch something than to talk about losing their parents.
“Mine isn’t the kind of job you call in sick to.”
Brittany frowned. Surely every job would permit you to call in sick when you had to?
“Good luck for tomorrow,” she heard Zack climb on to his bike and start the engine. “I know you’ll do great.”
He ended the call and Brittany was once more alone in her apartment. She didn’t want to dwell on the emptiness, so she got up and headed for the bedroom, pulling her sketch pad out of a drawer. She decided she’d spend the evening drawing in readiness for her first day at her new job.
Chapter Eleven
After a brisk ten-minute walk, Brittany was standing in her new place of work. The walls of the tattoo parlor were lined floor to ceiling with intricate images, each of them beautiful and breathtaking and probably already inked onto someone’s body. The air smelled of disinfectant and nail polish. Nervously, Brittany introduced herself to the heavyset man on the desk. He had piercings in his nose and running the length of his ears, and a large stud in the center of his chin. He looked fearful, but when Brittany spoke to him, he gave her a warm smile and ushered her through to the back.
Art was everywhere. On every wall, on the arms of the artists in the back area. It was beautiful to behold. Brittany took a deep, steadying breath certain that this was where she belonged. The fear she’d felt the previous night evaporated leaving only giddy excitement in its place.
Chapter Twelve
Max shoved his hands deep into his pockets as he walked. He wished that his Uncle hadn’t sent him to Colridge alone. With someone else, it would be easier to occupy his time while he waited for more assignments to come in. As he wandered down the streets, he idly glanced at the boutique shops that sprung up around him. There was a bakery, a coffee house, which was already pretty full, and a gothic art gallery. Colridge felt like a surprisingly progressive place, and he felt strangely at home there, even though it wasn’t his gang’s territory.
He was wearing dark jeans and a loose-fitting white T-shirt. He hadn’t pulled on his leather jacket, knowing it would be foolish to do so. Even though the sun was shining and the people he passed seemed to be in good spirits, he knew that if they saw a Skeleton Kings’ logo that would all change. He’d be picking up his teeth from the curb after receiving one hell of a beating. But without the jacket, he looked like anyone else. His T-shirt exposed the sleeved tattoo he had on one arm. It was an homage to his late grandfather who had served in the navy, full of battleships, large anchors, and stormy seas. He barely remembered his grandfather, just the stories he used to tell him on cold evenings about his life at sea. When Max listened, he imagined this vast, magical ocean on which his grandfather sailed. The stories captivated him. Had Max not been enrolled into the Kings, he would surely have gone into the service himself. Although it was doubtful that they’d have him, considering his illustrious police record.
Max had reached a small tattoo parlor. The dark interior was obscured by all the images up in the window. He stopped to look at them. There were ornate dragons, floral skulls and proud eagles with their wings spread. From what he could see there must be a very talented tattoo artist working there. Max rubbed at his naval sleeve. It had been a few years since he’d had it completed and ever since then, he’d been eager to have something new inked on himself. Getting tattooed was like an itch that constantly needed to be scratched. Deciding that a new tattoo would be a great way to kill some time, Max stepped inside the parlor as the chime above the door tinkled to announce his arrival.
After half an hour he’d decided to get the lyrics to his favorite song inked in ornate lettering across his chest.
“We’re pretty busy,” the guy at the desk said apologetically as he glanced at his laptop screen. Given the quality of the work on display, this didn’t surprise Max.
“I was hoping to get it done sooner rather than later,” he admitted.
“Well,” the guy pressed his lips together thoughtfully. “We can fit you in if you don’t mind an apprentice working on your tattoo? We’ve just had a new girl start with us.”
For a moment Max was apprehensive. He wasn’t sure he wanted someone with little experience making a permanent mark upon his body. But then he reasoned that they needed to start somewhere and how hard could some ornate text be?
“Sure,” Max nodded and gave a soft smile. “That sounds fine.”
Chapter Thirteen
Brittany nodded nervously.
“I know it’s only your second week here,” Nancy explained, her expression kind, “but you’ve been making some great progress, and text is relatively easy to work on. It’s a big piece though so you’ll probably need a few sessions with the client.”
Brittany nodded again. She’d worked on a few small tattoos since the start of her apprenticeship but always under the watchful gaze of her mentor, Nancy. But if Nancy thought that Brittany was ready to handle a client on her own, then she trusted her judgment. And the thought of working alone on someone was as scary as it was exciting.
“If you have any problems, I’ll be in the next room so you can just give me a shout, okay?”
“Okay.”
Nancy placed her hands firmly on Brittany’s shoulders and looked down at her, which was easy for her to do since she was an impressive 6ft 2in. With her bright blue hair, she looked like some sort of ethereal Goddess whenever she walked down the street. Her arms were adorned with ornate snake tattoos that curled up towards her shoulders and licked at her neck. Brittany hoped that one day she’d be able to look as fiercely beautiful as Nancy always did.
“I have faith in you,” Nancy gave Brittany’s shoulders a gentle squeeze.
“Thanks.”
“And if that brother of yours wants to pop round again, he’s welcome anytime,” Nancy added with a playful wink. Brittany squirmed awkwardly. She got that Zack had the whole brooding thing going on, but it was still embarrassing every time Nancy talked about how hot she thought he was.
“The client is through there,” Nancy pointed to a closed door and Brittany took a deep breath. She hoped that whoever was behind the door would be patient enough to allow her to work on them over the next few weeks. Progress would be slow thanks to her inexperience, but she hoped that Nancy had taught her enough in a short time to let her at least be competent.
Chapter Fourteen
With his shirt off Max waited for the apprentice to arrive. Thankfully, it was warm in the room so he didn’t mind being half dressed. His naval-themed sleeve was in stark contrast to the rest of his pale, muscular upper torso. Dark ridges of old scars criss-crossed over his chest, scars which Max hoped to one day hide completely with tattoos. He wasn’t one for showing his scars. It made him feel oddly vulnerable.
Whenever women saw his scars, they wrongly assumed that he’d acquired them during his time riding with the King. But the stab wounds and cigarette burns had all been souvenirs he picked up during his years living rough. It was a time he was keen to forget altogether.
The door creaked open, pulling Max away from the dark memories of his past. He felt his breath catch in his throat when he saw her walk into the room and hoped she hadn’t noticed. She was a vision. Wearing dark skinny jeans and a loose-fitting black tee she was effortlessly beautiful. Dark hair bordered an angelic, elfin face. She was so unlike all the woman Max usually e
ncountered who’d plastered on makeup over craggy faces to try and look halfway decent. This woman was a natural beauty. She didn’t look like she belonged in some small tattoo parlor in Colridge. She looked like she belonged in the pages of some fairy tale book.
“Hi,” she greeted him softly, her voice as sweet as her pure, beautiful features. “My name is Brittany, and I’m going to be your artist.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Brittany.” He liked the way her name felt in his mouth when he said it – exotic yet oddly familiar. It was a name he could say a thousand times and never grow tired of it.
“I’m Max.”