I sat at the table and looked at the massive spread of food.
I looked at Mara.
She lifted her gaze from her coffee and nodded.
“Up all night cooking?” I asked her.
“Not even close,” she said. “Hil ordered food and had it delivered.”
“Oh, come on,” Hil said. “That was supposed to be a secret. I wanted Ash to feel guilty that I cooked for him.”
“Why would I feel guilty about that?” I asked.
Hil shrugged his shoulders.
Vera hugged him from the side.
Uly stood next to Mara at the table as she stayed seated.
I grabbed for Belle and pulled her to my lap.
There was silence.
But it was a comfortable silence.
“I just have to think this one out,” Uly said. “We have Belle gluing a guy to a car and making him piss himself. And then we have Ash tying a guy to a chair. Can we just all agree that these two are the crazy ones and not Hil and Vera?”
“Who said I was crazy?” Vera asked.
“Everyone knows you’re crazy, beauty,” Hil said.
“Hey, we had good reasons to do what we did,” I said. “There was a purpose to it. And it all worked out.”
“Did it?” Hil asked.
His face looked pretty damn serious.
I couldn’t answer his question.
I had no idea what Vanessa did. Or if she called my father to get involved.
“Can we just eat now?” Mara asked.
“She’s a grump without food,” Uly said.
Mara elbowed Uly.
“I’m starving,” Hil said. “This crazy one wears me out.”
He nodded to Vera.
She shook her head.
Everyone attacked the food on the table, except Belle and I.
I touched her face and made her look at me.
I pulled her down and savored her lips. That was better than the best coffee and the crispiest bacon.
Both of those did sound good though too.
Everyone ate, Uly and Hil smoked, the girls told stories and laughed.
And I just kind of hung back and observed it all happening.
Taking it all in.
Realizing everything Vanessa said was right.
And damn even in a sense what Mac had said was right.
Just let everything go.
Let fate handle it.
Know that the past could never be opened up and changed.
From across the kitchen, I watched Belle pour herself some more coffee. Then her eyes caught mine. Just by looking at her, it made me smile. And when I winked, her cheeks turned red.
That was perfection right there.
I took a step toward her when my phone beeped with a text.
I stopped to look and sucked in a deep breath.
Hey, kid, it’s Iggy … get your ass to the shop NOW.
* * *
Hil opened the door to my truck and climbed up.
“I’ll fucking hit you, bro,” I said to him.
“Then hit me. You’re not going down there alone. No fucking way.”
“This is my business,” I said.
“You needed us before,” Hil said.
“Not now.”
“You’re not facing it alone.”
The passenger door opened and Uly climbed up into the seat.
“Not a fucking chance,” he said. He lit a cigarette and blew smoke at me.
“I fucking hate you two assholes,” I said.
“Hate us all you want,” Uly said. “We’re all going down there.”
“We’ll sit in the SUV and wait,” Hil said. “I swear on my life. You just shoot a text if something goes wrong.”
I looked back and forth between Uly and Hil.
Behind Hil, Belle was with Mara and Vera.
Belle had that look in her eyes again.
That sad and quiet look.
I hated that so much of my life caused her pain.
All I wanted was to love her. To fix everything and just live life.
“Get in the SUV,” Uly said.
“I’m driving,” I said.
“Done,” Hil said.
I got out of the truck and grabbed Hil’s shoulder. “Keep your ass in your pants, okay? Or I will throw you out of the moving vehicle.”
“I bet that would mess up my ass big time,” Hil said.
I walked toward Belle and took her hand. I pressed my body to hers and put my mouth down to her ear.
“Everyone wants to be there,” I whispered. “Sitting in the SUV while I finish this up. Are you okay with that?”
“Yes,” Belle said. “But I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I won’t get hurt,” I said. “I’m just facing the truth, angel. That’s what everyone needs to do right now.”
I looked into Belle’s eyes.
She nodded.
We all walked to the SUV and I drove.
Hil tried to keep up the humor.
Uly yelled at him when he got out of line.
Mara got annoyed too easily.
Vera flirted with Belle.
And Belle was just lost in it all as the perfect distraction.
All I did was think.
Trying to forget about what happened with Liam, Vanessa, my father, and my mother.
Focusing on what Rocco did. And what was going to happen when I faced off with Iggy.
Iggy was dangerous.
He may not have the loudmouth attitude like Tin did, but Iggy was way more dangerous than Tin could ever be.
Each time I looked over at Belle, I knew I had made the right decision.
I would beat the shit out of Rocco every day for the rest of my life if I could for what he did to Belle. The tattoo shop was supposed to be my place. My secret hideaway. And I let Belle in there to experience it. Just like us working together. Her poetry. My sketches. It was all part of that.
And Rocco took the innocence away and ruined it.
I parked across the street from the shop and leaned over to kiss Belle.
“Do I get a kiss too, bro?” Hil asked.
He kissed the air over and over.
“Kiss Uly’s ass,” I said.
“I’m not taking my ass out anywhere near Hil,” Uly said.
“You’re all fucking gross with the ass thing,” Mara said.
I got out of the truck and looked at the sign above the shop.
Ink-a-tat.
“What a fucking dumb name,” I said.
I was willing to bet Rocco came up with the name too.
When I opened the door to the shop, Lark looked at me and stood up.
Her faced turned white.
I looked to my left and saw Hae near the couches.
She looked just as white as Lark.
The beads that separated the front and back moved and out came Tin and Iggy.
They looked pissed.
Tin pointed at me.
“Ready to handle this like a man?”
* * *
“Let’s go, kid,” Iggy said.
Tin led the way toward his office.
Kyan, Ale, and Shuffle came from the back and stood shoulder to shoulder, staring at me.
It was a strange feeling.
I waited for someone to hit me.
Or maybe they were taking me out back to have Rocco beat the hell out of me.
Whatever they needed to do…
We entered the office and Iggy shut the door.
Tin walked around his desk but didn’t sit.
He folded his arms.
His forearms were the size of tree trunks.
But I was more worried about Iggy behind me.
I took a few steps to the side and turned so I could see both Tin and Iggy.
“You get one minute to talk,” Iggy said. “So go.”
“I have nothing to say,” I said.
“Nothing?” Tin asked.
“No,” I said. “I said
it then. You heard what I said.”
“That’s it?” Iggy asked.
“That’s it,” I said.
“That’s not it,” Tin said. “What did he do, Ash?”
“What I fucking said he did,” I said. “He touched her. He locked her in my room. While I was helping Iggy. He said shit to her. Showed her his tattoos. Touched her hand. Leaned in and tried kissing her. Then when she tried to get away, he warned her not to say anything because of what it would do to me.”
“And she didn’t tell you?” Iggy asked.
“Not right away,” I said. “She didn’t want to ruin this for me. She knows what this means to me here.”
“Is she worth losing this for?” Tin asked.
I laughed. “Yeah. She’s worth everything in my life. And you know what, Tin? Fuck this place. And fuck everyone in it. Okay? I’ll open another shop. I’ll spend more than you can ever make. First order of business, pick a name that isn’t fucking stupid. Second order of business, make sure guys like Rocco never come near the shop. So do what you have to do here. Okay? I don’t care. I know what’s right and wrong.”
“Hey, kid,” Iggy said.
“What?”
“Shut the fuck up.”
I closed my mouth.
“That was an awful lot of talking for someone who had nothing to say,” Tin said.
He nodded to Iggy.
Iggy moved away from the door and looked at me.
He frowned and opened the door.
I curled up my fists, ready for whatever was going to happen next.
In walked Lark and Hae.
And they were holding hands.
They both looked ready to cry.
Lark’s eyes were glossy.
“What the hell is this?” I asked.
Hae took her hand from Lark and hurried toward me and hugged me.
She damn near jumped into my arms.
“Thank you for doing what you did, Ash,” Hae said.
“What I did?” I asked.
Lark grabbed for my left hand and squeezed it.
“Us too,” she whispered.
“What?”
Hae broke away from me.
“We didn’t know what to say,” Lark said. “Or how to say it. It was just… he was just so mean about it. And he and Tin…”
“No offense to you, Tin,” Hae said.
“No, don’t say that,” Tin said. “My heart is broken right now. For both of you.” Tin looked at me. “And Belle.”
His eyes welled up with tears.
Tin was going to cry?
I looked at Iggy.
He reached for me and grabbed my face. “That was bold what you did, kid. But I would have done the same.”
“Wait a second,” I said. “Rocco did this…”
“Yes,” Hae said. “I’ve tried to clear my chakra of it for so long. His energy was so dark and bad. But my family is here in this shop.”
“I was just scared,” Lark admitted. “That’s it. Scared and confused. He did the same thing. He tried to kiss me and then said if I said anything, he’d ruin my life. He just wanted that power over us.”
“It’s done now,” Tin said. “You two are so important to me. And this shop. We all will protect you with our lives. You never should have to come here and feel unsafe or scared.”
“Holy shit,” I said. “I had no idea this was going on… Tin… I’m sorry for what I said…”
“Don’t be,” Tin said.
“Wait a second,” Iggy said. “Before we talk business. Can Belle come in here too?”
“Yes,” Hae said. “Please. I need to see my pretty Belle.”
“I can try…,” I said.
I texted Belle.
Come inside… you need to see what’s happening…
* * *
I met Belle at the door.
She looked afraid to come inside.
I took her by the hand and kissed her hand.
I pulled her toward me.
“It’s over,” I whispered. “Trust me. He’s not here.”
Belle nodded.
Everyone else was right behind her. “Don’t say a word,” Uly warned. “This is all of us.”
“If I fucking see that asshole, I’ll kill him,” Vera said.
“I think we’re good,” I said.
We all piled into the front of the tattoo shop.
Tin and everyone came from the back.
It was literally both parts of my life colliding together at once.
“Thought it was just Belle?” Tin asked.
“No, this is my family,” I said. “This is everyone.”
“You two were the other ones going after Rocco,” Shuffle said.
“Problem with that?” Hil asked.
“No,” Shuffle said. “Just wish I would have known so I could have gotten my hands on him.”
“It’s okay, Belle,” Hae said.
She damn near floated to Belle and took her other hand.
“What’s going on?” Belle asked.
“He did it to us too,” Lark said. “Hae and I. We were too afraid to say anything.”
“But you weren’t, Belle,” Tin said. He stepped forward. “And I am sorry for what happened. This is my shop. This is my business. This is my life. And to think that Rocco did something like that here… more than once… I’m ashamed.”
“You didn’t know, Tin,” Lark said.
“Doesn’t matter,” Tin said. “I should have done more. And I will do better for all of you. But this isn’t about me. This is about Belle’s strength and bravery.”
“And it’s so we can tell you all that Rocco is gone,” Iggy said. “Believe me, he is not coming back here.”
When Iggy said that, chills went through my body.
Iggy’s eyes paused at mine and he gently nodded.
I knew what that meant.
He called in for some assistance to make sure the message to Rocco was sent clearly.
“I think this makes us best friends,” Hae said to Belle.
“Yeah?”
“And sometimes best friends kiss each other, right?” Hil asked.
Vera punched Hil in the chest.
Her face was flustered.
Which meant she was probably jealous of Hae.
“This has been crazy,” Ale said.
“Fucking crazy,” Kyan said.
“But we’re still here,” Tin said.
“Are we?” I asked Tin.
“Yeah,” Tin said. “I had no idea what was going on when I walked into that room and saw you pounding on Rocco. And you had your boys here too. It was a little tense.”
I looked at Lark. At Hae.
It made sense now how they reacted the way they did to seeing me hitting Rocco.
“That took some balls, kid,” Iggy said.
“I was just doing what was right,” I said.
“Thinking with your heart,” Lark said.
“Fuck that,” Hil said. “Thinking with his-”
“Whatever it was, it worked,” Tin said. “And, again, Belle, Lark, Hae… I am sorry this happened. And however you want to handle this, I support you.”
Hae looked at Iggy. “I trust Iggy.”
“Me too,” Lark said.
“Belle?” I asked her.
“I just wanted everyone to know the truth and be happy I guess,” she said.
“Listen to me,” Iggy said, setting his eyes on Belle.
She gripped my hand tighter.
“Okay,” Belle said.
“What happened to Rocco is more than any cop could have ever done. If you ever want to see proof, I can show you.”
“I saw the proof,” Hae whispered. “Trust me…”
“He’s gone,” Tin said. “Out of this shop. Out of this town. I want everyone to move forward. And I’d like for Ash to be part of this place too. Unless he does open his own shop.”
“You’re opening your own shop?” Uly asked.
“Wait, what?” Bel
le asked.
“Ash hates the name of this place,” Tin said.
“Damn, kid, you’re just cutting into everything,” Iggy said.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“I fucking hate the name of this place too,” Kyan said.
“Me too,” Lark said. “It sounds kidish. It’s stupid, Tin.”
“The name totally messes with the vibe and energy,” Hae said.
“Ink-a-Tat blows,” Hil said.
“I get the point,” Tin said. “The name isn’t good. Fine. Then let’s change the name.”
“How about we call it… Ash’s Big Balls and Ink?” Hil offered.
“Is this guy serious?” Shuffle asked.
“He kind of gets on my nerves,” Iggy said.
“Wait until you get to know him,” Uly said.
“That won’t happen,” Iggy said. Then Iggy grabbed my shoulder. “Good job, kid. Stick to what you believe. Defend your girl. I’m proud of you.”
Iggy walked away.
“Fuck me,” Ale said. “I’ve never heard Iggy say anything like that before.”
“I think Ash owns the shop now,” Hae said. “Which means pretty Belle can be here all the time with me.”
“Uhhh…” Belle said with a laugh.
I stared at Tin.
He stuck his hand out.
“What do you think, Ash? You want to be part of this place now?”
I shook his hand. “Sure. Just change the name.”
“Let me make a quick call,” Tin said. “I’ll have my buddy here with his truck and we’ll take the sign down and beat the shit out of it with some baseball bats, okay?”
“You have baseball bats in a tattoo shop?” Hil asked.
“Iggy does,” Lark said with a laugh.
I shook my head.
Belle pulled herself closer to me.
She slowly turned, getting distance from Hae.
I looked at her and touched her face.
I kissed her cheek. “I love you, angel.”
“I love you too, Ash,” she said.
“Oh, this is good,” Hae said. “Now kiss her. Share that energy. Can I touch both of you while you kiss? I want some of that energy too.”
We both looked at Hae.
She smiled and showed her hands, backing away.
Belle and I looked at each other again.
And we started to laugh.
Chapter 20
“You look nice,” Belle said to me.
She put her hands to my chest and pretended to push wrinkles out of my shirt.
ASH: a bay falls high novel Page 19