Second Chance Ink
A Montgomery Ink Short Story
Carrie Ann Ryan
Contents
Praise for Carrie Ann Ryan….
Second Chance Ink
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Epilogue
A Note from Carrie Ann
About Carrie Ann
More from Carrie Ann
Excerpt: Whiskey Secrets
Fallen Ink
Love Restored
Second Chance Ink
A Montgomery Ink Short Story
By: Carrie Ann Ryan
© 2017 Carrie Ann Ryan
ISBN: 978-1-947007-56-7
Cover Art by Charity Hendry
Photo by Sara Eirew
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This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person or use proper retail channels to lend a copy. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.
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Praise for Carrie Ann Ryan….
“Carrie Ann Ryan knows how to pull your heartstrings and make your pulse pound! Her wonderful Redwood Pack series will draw you in and keep you reading long into the night. I can’t wait to see what comes next with the new generation, the Talons. Keep them coming, Carrie Ann!” –Lara Adrian, New York Times bestselling author of CRAVE THE NIGHT
“Carrie Ann Ryan never fails to draw readers in with passion, raw sensuality, and characters that pop off the page. Any book by Carrie Ann is an absolute treat.” – New York Times Bestselling Author J. Kenner
"With snarky humor, sizzling love scenes, and brilliant, imaginative worldbuilding, The Dante's Circle series reads as if Carrie Ann Ryan peeked at my personal wish list!" – NYT Bestselling Author, Larissa Ione
"Carrie Ann Ryan writes sexy shifters in a world full of passionate happily-ever-afters." – New York Times Bestselling Author Vivian Arend
“Carrie Ann’s books are sexy with characters you can’t help but love from page one. They are heat and heart blended to perfection.” New York Times Bestselling Author Jayne Rylon
Carrie Ann Ryan's books are wickedly funny and deliciously hot, with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. They'll keep you up all night!” USA Today Bestselling Author Cari Quinn
"Once again, Carrie Ann Ryan knocks the Dante's Circle series out of the park. The queen of hot, sexy, enthralling paranormal romance, Carrie Ann is an author not to miss!" New York Times bestselling Author Marie Harte
Second Chance Ink
From NYT bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan comes a new romance in her Montgomery Ink series…
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Tattoo artist Brandon never thought he’d see her again. He’d trained himself never to think of her or what they’d had together. It was the only way he’d been able to survive but now she’s standing right in front of him and he can hardly breathe.
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Lauren hadn’t known he’d be part of her plans until it was too late. She’d thought he was gone from her life and memories forever. Now he’s in her orbit once more and she’ll have to fight to remember the girl she once was and the woman she’s become.
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Author Note: Second Chance Ink is a Montgomery Ink short story and a little different than what you’re used to from me. It’s shorter than my other novellas at only ~12,000 words. It has a complete HEA, and is perfect for a steamy evening, one-sitting read.
Chapter 1
Brandon
I was having a damn fantastic day, and it had everything to do with the lovely curves in front of me. There was nothing better in life than a blank canvas of perfect, supple flesh that begged for a needle. I had prime, virgin skin laid out before me on a woman who had a high pain tolerance—one who never even moved when I had to dig a little deeper to finish shading the edges.
Yes, today was one of the good days, and the sweet mom of four who lay on her side on my table as I worked on her ribs and hips was the sole reason. She wanted a full piece that was seriously detailed and would take me more than a couple of sessions. But considering that I really liked working on her, and the art that we came up with together was pretty fantastic, I didn’t mind the long hours. This is what I’d trained for, what I loved about working at Montgomery Ink.
My client, Kim, had come in with the idea of putting some of her favorite book series together in a long and complicated array that would all fit into one big piece. She was an avid romance reader and had asked every single author she wanted to be tattooed with if it was okay if she used their series logos or objects that represented them. Apparently, the authors either replied happily “yes” or had cried and said “yes.” If I had the talent to be an author and someone wanted to use my work in that way, I’d have probably said yes, as well. Kim was essentially putting part of their souls on her body, and that work would remain there until the day she died. If that wasn’t a symbol of her dedication and love for the authors and their work, I didn’t know what was.
“How you doing, Kim?” I asked as I leaned back, stretching a bit. She might be the one with a needle in her skin, but with how much I was bending over today, I’d probably end up just as sore. There was a reason one of my favorite artists outside of the shop wore corsets while he worked.
“I’m okay.” She smiled sleepily at me, and I couldn’t help but grin. She was seriously the perfect client. Getting a tattoo didn’t always put people in their unique subspace or give them a high, but Kim dropped right in after only a few minutes of wincing. If I could do that, I’d probably have a lot more ink than I did.
As it was, my entire left arm and side were ink-free, as was most of my right arm. I had a full back piece, and most of my chest and thighs were covered, but I hadn’t figured out exactly what I wanted to do for my sleeves yet. Considering that the old adage of never trusting a tattoo artist without ink was something most people listened to, I ended up showing off my back a lot. My boss, Maya, said I should just tattoo shirtless at this point, even if it wasn’t exactly up to code. But I assumed that was just a joke. At least I hoped it was since if I actually showed up without a shirt, she’d probably kick my ass.
Not that I ever really knew with Maya or her brother Austin, who also owned the shop. They tended to take sarcasm to the next level—just one more reason why I loved working here. I fit right in. I figured it would take another few years before I reached the level of sarcasm the Montgomerys and their ilk had attained, though. I didn't mind. I’d spent the past few years being a journeyman of sorts, going from shop to shop, honing my craft and learning from some of the best artists out there. I wanted to learn exactly what it meant to be a tattoo artist beyond the craze that the media seemed to show these days. I loved drawing and figuring out exactly what I wanted my character sketches to turn into in the end. But it wasn't until I got my first tattoo at the tender age of seventeen—after lying and saying that I was actually twenty—that I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. It took over ten years of honing my craft and going from place to place until I finally found my home at Montgomery Ink.
“If you’re sure,” I finally said after letting Kim relax a bit. “Then let’s ke
ep going.” The others around us were talking and working, but I focused my attention solely on Kim and her ink. I wanted to do a damn good job for her, and to do that, I had to put any distractions and worries from my mind.
Another hour passed, and I knew I was done for the day, at least with Kim. I needed to refill my energy, and I could tell that Kim was starting to feel it. She’d been lying in the same position for hours now, and while she might be a trooper, everyone had his or her limit. We’d found hers.
“Okay, that’s it for the day,” I said, sitting up and trying not to wince at my own aches and pains. I wasn’t even thirty yet, but my body was feeling it. I’d have to do some yoga and stretching when I got home to make sure I didn’t end up hurting myself like some of the other artists I knew. Thankfully, the crew at Montgomery Ink was good about taking care of their bodies and their skills. Maya had even been talking about doing group yoga sessions, but I was pretty sure Austin would nix that idea. There was group bonding, and then there was group stretching and groaning. That might be a little too much for us.
“I think you’re right,” Kim said, wincing a little. “I wish we could have done it in one go, but I’m pretty sure I want a bath.”
I raised a brow. “No baths. You know that.” We went over aftercare instructions as I helped her stand so she could see how much we’d gotten done. The fact that she had happy tears in her eyes told me that no matter how much pain a tattoo caused or how many stretches I’d have to do later, I was doing exactly what I should be.
Kim scheduled her next appointment with me, and I went back to my station to clean up. My brain was still on her ink rather than anything around me, so it took me a few minutes to realize that Callie and Derek were trying to get my attention.
I blinked then rolled my eyes since the two of them appeared to be doing some weird version of an Irish jig. Callie had the leg movements down but was waving her arms in the air like one of those dudes in front of a car dealership. Derek was sort of moving his feet, but it was almost a mix of a two-step and a jig. I knew they could dance when they actually tried, but whatever the hell they were doing now was so ridiculous, I couldn’t help but crack up.
“I thought you were going to zone out forever,” Callie said, adding emphasis to the last word so she sounded like a teenager instead of the mother of two she was. I still couldn’t quite believe the woman in front of me already had two kids and was married to a very big and powerful man. She was around my age, but how she had so much energy…I had no idea.
“It wasn’t forever,” I said, rolling my eyes before going back to cleaning up. I could focus on the conversation and finish up at the same time but, apparently, my mind had been a little too into the latter when they were trying to get my attention.
“Just a little bit of forever.” Callie came to my side and helped me with the last of the sanitizing while Derek leaned over the half wall that separated each station. “I saw what you did for Kim. It’s freaking amazing. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when you’re finished.”
“Yeah, you’re pretty good,” Derek said, laughter in his eyes. “I mean, I guess you qualify as talented or some shit. But, whatever.”
“Don’t you dare throw that, Brandon,” Maya shouted as she walked into the building. “I have no idea what it is since I can’t see your hand, but I know you.” She winked as she said it, and I grinned back.
“I only throw things when you’re not looking,” I said, stepping out of my station. “I thought you were staying home today.”
She shrugged. “Jake and Border wanted a guys’ day with the kids, even though I explained that the baby is a girl even if her big brother isn’t. But they didn’t care what I said. So instead of staying home and hiding in the office while they do whatever they do, I figured I’d come here and get some paperwork done.”
“So maternity leave is a bust, then?” Derek said, opening his arms so Maya could give him a hug. I did the same, and she leaned into my hold. We were a pretty tight-knit group and were constantly hugging. To the outside world, a bunch of big, tattooed and pierced guys being affectionate with each other probably sounded like fiction, but they didn’t know my friends. It helped that the women who worked at Montgomery Ink never let the guys forget that hugging was okay.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
I gave Maya a look, and she sighed. “Maya. Talk to Uncle Brandon.”
Derek snorted, and Callie just laughed, but both of them stayed silent otherwise. I could see the worry on their faces for their friend, as well. Maya wrapped her arms around her middle, looking far more vulnerable than I’d ever seen her. She was one of the toughest women I knew and took no shit from anyone. She was married to two men and faced the world as if anyone who came at them could fuck right off. Yet, right now, she didn’t have that strength I was used to in her eyes. It worried me.
“I just hate being away from the babies. And I hate being away from my shop. And if it made sense to have children constantly around needles and people coming in to get tattoos and piercings, I would bring them in. Hell, there’s so many kids attached to the crew here, we should just open up a daycare.”
Callie wrapped her arm around Maya’s waist. “Didn’t some of your other family create daycare for their business?”
Maya nodded, and Brandon remembered that of Maya’s seven siblings, a few of them worked in the construction arm of the Montgomery businesses. And because every single Montgomery in the area seemed to have procreated at least once in the past three years—sometimes twice—there were a lot of babies who needed a safe place to stay during the day while Mom and Dad worked.
“It works for them because they have the space in their building for a full-on Montgomery daycare center. And I know I can just bring my kids there. I have in the past when Jake or Border couldn’t be with them because of their jobs, but it isn’t the same. I can’t see my kids, and I want to, but I have to work. I can’t even say ‘have to’ at this point because I love my job. I love working here. I need to draw and work on other people’s dreams, but I’m having a typical mommy moment where I feel guilty that I’m not home with my babies. It’s silly, even though I know it’s not.”
We did our best to soothe Maya and told her that no matter how many times she left her children with very qualified babysitters or her cousins and the children of close friends, it didn’t make her any less of a mother. Even as I said the words, I wished there was something I could do to make it better. Other than Derek and me, every other artist at the shop had at least one child. There’d been a huge boom of marriages and babies recently. Somehow, Derek and I had ducked the blast.
I didn’t have kids…hadn’t been blessed with that yet. I’d spent the past decade or so hopping from bed to bed—man or woman—because I hadn’t found the one person for me. I’d been enjoying living my life where my only commitment was work. I wasn’t ready to settle down. I suppose it’s the typical life of a bisexual man who isn’t quite ready for the next stage of his life.
“Why can’t you have your kids here every once in a while?” My voice cut into the others’ conversations, and they turned to look at me.
“What?” Maya asked.
“It’s not like you work on tattoos day in and day out when you’re in this building. None of us do. Some days, we’re just here to sketch or work the front if Autumn isn’t here.” Autumn was one of Maya’s sisters-in-law who worked the front desk for them and scheduled appointments when the rest of them were too busy. “And I’m not saying everyone should bring in their kids, but, Maya, you own this place. On days when you’re here to just do paperwork and feel like you can actually do that and hold your baby at the same time…why not bring the newborn? I know your oldest probably needs a little more room to spread out, and the daycare situation with the rest of your family is probably the better option there. But I, for one, am not going to hold you back if you want to bring your kid in. And if you ever need a moment and can’t hold your child, I’m prett
y sure there are enough arms in here open to holding that very adorable baby of yours.”
Maya’s eyes filled with tears, and I stiffened, worried that I’d somehow upset her. Not only was it dangerous for me if I upset Maya because she could kick my ass, but she was also married to two very big men that could take me without blinking. And not in a fun way.
“That is so sweet, Brandon. Maybe I will bring the baby in. It’s not like we need to open up a whole daycare center or anything. Not only do we not have the space, but having the kids at Montgomery Inc. is actually a better deal in the long run. That way, they won’t grow up alone. I just suck at this whole separation thing.”
“You are not alone,” Callie said, hugging her friend close.
“You do realize how many times Hailey and I have wanted to bring Oliver in with us, right?” Sloane was married to the café owner next door, and they had recently adopted their son, Oliver. “The fact that he can hang out with your kids during the day makes the idea that he’s not in our arms while we’re both working okay.”
The rest of them started talking about various milestones in their children’s lives, and I zoned out slightly. Before long, Derek and I went back to our stations to get to work. It was weird to think that I was somehow falling behind when it came to my friends’ lives and the steps they were taking in them. When I first started at the tattoo shop, everyone was single. Then Austin married Sierra, Maya married Jake and Border, Callie married Morgan, Sloane married Hailey, Blake married Jake’s brother Graham, and even our newest hire, Jax, just married his girl, Ashlynn.
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