Every day that passed as the next couple of weeks went by made me want to pinch myself to see if I was really, truly alive.
Things almost seemed too good to be true.
Not only had Ryker and I settled into our life together easier than I thought it’d be, but things had also been quiet on the club front. With Cain’s death—something I knew had happened but still didn’t want to know how—Penny’s closed down. Black Death had essentially been eradicated from town. The boards on the windows and the shutting off of the lights outside and inside effectively closed down a link to my past that I never wanted to revisit.
Occasionally, I would pass a client on the street. Surprisingly, given the small size of our town, it was infrequent, and when it did occur, the glances were minimal. No man wanted to admit to walking through Penny’s doors, and so it was with silence that my old life as a whore was beginning to fade into the background.
My body still bore the scars, and always would, but when we lay in bed together at night, Ryker would kiss and rub each scarred lash on my back, making me feel as if his hands and his lips contained healing powers I hadn’t known before.
Gone was the shame and remorse. Somehow, between Cain’s death, my mother’s death, and falling in love all over again with Ryker Knight, my regret and anger had dissipated into what could only be described as a dull, flashing memory; like a fading, blinking Christmas tree light. Occasionally, I would sense a glimmer of my past—a memory that flashed before my eyes when I daydreamed or got lost in my own thoughts—but it took a quick blink, a quick look around at my present surroundings, to remember who I was now and who I had the potential to become.
It was freeing.
More than that, with Ryker at my side and us living together and continuing to grow closer together—it was fantastic.
And more than just my relationship with Ryker, I was quickly re-forming friendships with Liv and Jules, two of the girls I had grown up with and then been separated from. I was quickly realizing they were more like sisters to me than I ever could have asked for.
Which is how we found ourselves at Bella Salon, the three of us getting pedicures and manicures for no other reason except we were girls and sometimes we liked that stuff.
The salon had opened over the summer and I had never been inside, but I instantly fell in love with the dark woodwork, the black leather chairs, and the lighting that was both elegant and relaxing. In the background, gentle, soothing music flowed through the speakers. I had felt stress seep from my pores as soon as I walked inside, heard the music, and inhaled a mild eucalyptus scent that seemed so prevalent in high-end salons.
Three, petite blonde women who could have probably passed for triplets immediately whisked Olivia, Jules, and me into out pedicure chairs. They left us alone while they fetched Liv and I coffee and hot tea for Jules.
“Are you and Ryker still going to New Orleans this weekend?” Liv asked, her lips pressed against the edge of her deep red, large coffee mug.
My lip twitched nervously. “We are.” Ryker was taking me to meet Meg and Brayden, who was still having a difficult time with Ryker being gone. A part of me was looking forward to meeting them. I had nothing to fear.
I knew it. Yet the other part of me was nervous as hell at meeting the other woman Ryker had spent the last two years taking care of. He was practically the only father Brayden knew, and my stomach flipped every day wondering what would happen if Brayden didn’t like me.
I had never been around kids that young before with the exception of Sophie. Kids simply made me nervous.
“That’s a pretty big step,” Liv said as her own eyes glanced down at her sparkling diamond.
My eyes followed hers and I huffed. “We’re not there yet.”
“Why not?”
I shot a teasing glare at Jules. “Because we’re just now figuring everything out again. I don’t mind waiting.”
I didn’t, either. We had already screwed up one engagement. The last thing I wanted was for Ryker to feel pressured to propose again.
Not that I’d say no…
I shook the thought out of my head. Ryker and I had officially only been back together for like three weeks. It was way too soon to be imagining matching white dresses with Liv and a simultaneous wedding as we married the brothers we’d always loved.
Because I certainly wasn’t thinking it.
“What happened to your car?” I asked Jules, effectively changing the conversation. Two nights ago, her car had been towed into the Nordic Lords clubhouse, but she had never shown up to check on the work. Apparently Jaden had to go get her and her car when it died on the side of the road. I was dying inside to know how that confrontation happened. All I’d seen of them so far had been fireworks and bombs exploding when Jaden got too close to her.
Her pink cheeks and intense focus on the steam from her hot tea gave me my answers.
“I don’t know what was wrong with it, but my car broke down the other day on my way home from an interview. Jaden came and got me.”
Her voice tightened near the end, and I couldn’t bite back my smile. Someday those two were going to explode, and I couldn’t wait for it to happen. I knew deep down, Jaden didn’t blame her for Scratch’s death, and I’d seen the looks he gave not only Jules, but Sophie too when she wasn’t looking.
“You get the job?” Liv asked.
Jules shook her head. “No… all the jobs around here are filled up since school starts next week. I’ve applied for substitute jobs, but I need to find something more permanent. When I moved back my parents only agreed I could stay with them for a few months until I had to be on my own with Sophie.”
“Harsh,” Liv whispered.
Jules shrugged. “Not really. I’m an adult and I’m able to care for the two of us alone. I just didn’t think I’d have a hard time finding a decent paying job. But we move into our new place next weekend, so I have to find something soon.”
“We have an opening for a receptionist,” one of the perky blondes chirped, smiling wide at Jules. “I mean, it’s not teaching, and I don’t mean to interrupt, but I’m sure if you can teach, you can answer phones and make appointments.”
Jules jaw dropped right as I blinked. The girl was so… happy.
“You’d hire her on the spot?” I asked.
The three girls looked at one another before sharing some secret smile and they all shrugged. At the same time. So strange.
“Yeah, we just opened, but we’re already really busy. Apparently some other salon didn’t have the best reputation and have recently lost a lot of their clientele, so all the other women in town who were going there are coming here instead.”
I felt a warm hand slide over mine. Liv squeezed my hand tightly while I pretended the bubbling water at my feet was fascinating. I knew what salon she meant. The one where Cain sent me and the rest of his girls. A lot of them had left town and I was sure, now that the finer citizens of Jasper Bay had a better option to go to for their salon needs, not many people were willingly gracing the doors of Kelly’s Hair Cuts and Stuff anymore.
Not that it was a great place to go in general. Plus, Bella Salon was ten times classier. Looking around the large and gorgeous spa, I wasn’t the least bit surprised.
“I’ll… I’ll think about it,” Jules said, her voice quiet and her expression uncertain.
The middle girl shrugged as she scrubbed the heel of my foot. It felt divine. “No rush. We can be flexible with your teaching stuff if you need us, too. But we could really use the help around here.”
“Are you related?” I asked, my mouth spurting out the words before I could stop them.
The girl in the middle smiled at me. “Twins,” she said, nodding to the girl at Liv’s feet. “Cassie over there,” her head flipped to the other side, “is our big sister, but we’ve always wanted to be in business together… so we did.”
They said it so matter-of-factly… but still happier than I’d ever heard people sound. But they made it sound so simple as they began telling us of growing up in Duluth but wanting a smaller town to live in. As if it was just so easy to want something and go after it and make it successful.
I listened with rapt attention while they giggled and laughed, while in the meantime, Jules, Liv, and I kept our smirks to ourselves at their exuberance. They seemed so sweet… so innocent… and clearly smart and beautiful, too.
When we were done, Liv paid for all of us because she insisted it was her turn to treat us on a girl’s day. Then, I waved them off and headed to Gunner’s to work at GetInked2.
Liv hadn’t been joking when she had said doing their books was easy. Gunner had hired me based on Liv’s recommendation alone.
I couldn’t help but smile as I walked the few short blocks, throwing on my zip-up hoodie. September quickly ushered in fall in northern Minnesota and the early crunching of falling leaves at my feet told me that we were nearing the end of summer and warm weather. Soon I’d be dressed in wool gloves and parka coats.
Snow would be knee-deep in a couple short months.
A slow breeze blew my hair over my shoulders, making me shiver and thankful I was headed south for the weekend. One last weekend in warmth and humidity was just what I needed.
“Hey, Gunner,” I called out over the pinging door chime as I entered the tattoo parlor.
I was met with complete silence other than the vibrating door chime.
Odd. A tingle moved slowly down my spine until the hair on my arms stood on end. I peeked over the half wall that separated the reception area from the Gunner’s tattoo beds only to find them completely empty.
Hesitantly, I reached for my cell phone, unlocking the code and holding it in case something had happened to him. When I heard nothing coming from the back hall area where my office was, something simply felt off.
Gunner never left the tattoo parlor unattended. He certainly never left the front door unlocked. And every other time I’d been inside in the last week as he and Liv took turns training me on his computer software, ear-piercing music was always blaring from the speakers.
Sensing something wasn’t right, I retreated back to the entry area and dialed Ryker.
It had just rang once when the door chimed and a masculine voice behind me called my name.
I screamed. My phone tumbled to the floor as I spun around, one hand flying to my chest.
“You okay?” Gunner asked, his eyes wide opened. Two paper bags hung from his closed hands at his sides.
I gasped for a breath. “Damn it, Gunner,” I breathed out, reaching down to pick up my phone. From the speaker, I heard Ryker shouting my name. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“What the hell is going on?” Ryker shouted as soon as he heard my voice.
Heat suffused my cheeks as my shaking hand clamped onto the phone for dear life.
“Sorry,” I told Ryker. “I just freaked out, but it was nothing.”
“What happened?” His deep growl calmed my rapidly beating heart. Ryker cared. In my head, I knew he did. But as his voice rumbled, I could practically see his worry lines etched deep between his eyes through the phone line; his concern went straight to my overwhelmed and terrified heart.
“Nothing,” I said, taking another deep breath. My eyes stayed on Gunner as he lifted the bags and mouthed, “I went for lunch.”
I laughed softly. “Sorry to scare you, Ryker. I got to GetInked and Gunner was gone. It just freaked me out, I guess. But he’s back, so I’m sorry.”
“You sure you’re okay?”
I nodded. Then I realized he couldn’t see me. “I’m fine, I swear.”
A few seconds of silence passed where I knew Ryker was debating whether or not he believed me, and whether or not he should drive over and check it out for himself. His protectiveness made me grin.
“I’m fine, Ryker. But I do have to get to work. I’ll see you later.”
He sighed. I closed my eyes and pictured him running his hand through his hair as he continued debating showing up at the shop. “All right… but I’m coming to get you after work.”
I smirked. “I figured you would.”
“And don’t scare the shit out of me like that again.” This time, I knew he was grinning.
“I’ll do my best. Love you.”
His breath hitched and his voice went deeper and softer still. “Love you, too, Faith.”
I clicked the phone off, wanting those words to be the last ones I heard from him. Once I slid my phone back into my pocket, I met Gunner back in the break room.
“Sorry,” I said sheepishly as I leaned against the doorframe and watched him take out two enormous taco salads from their cardboard boxes. Salsa and hot sauce permeated the air, making my stomach rumble. “I got scared when the place was unlocked and no one was here.”
One side of Gunner’s lips hitched into a smirk. He pointed at the boxes. “I went next door for lunch and knew you didn’t have a key.”
“I figured,” I said, pushing off the doorway and joining him at the tiny table in a room that he used as a break room slash storage room. Boxes lined one wall and the table always rocked back and forth on two slightly crooked legs, but it worked. He also had a small fridge installed to keep our drinks cold. It was all we needed.
“Thanks for lunch, though,” I told him and dug into my taco salad.
He eyed me for a few minutes, watching me eat. Just as I was beginning to feel self-conscious under his watchful gaze, he began eating his own salad. “You always that jumpy?”
I chewed the bite in my mouth and wiped my mouth.
“Only in businesses that have had bombs thrown through the front windows.” I watched Gunner’s smirk turn into a full grin.
“Touché.”
Then the room filled with silence as we both dug into our massive, and incredibly delicious, taco salads.
The truth was, I would most likely always be jumpy and scared of some big, bad man coming for me behind a dark corner. I wasn’t naïve enough to be convinced there would be no retaliation from Black Death charters for this local charter’s decimation.
On the other hand, I tried every day to not live my life under that umbrella of fear. I had lived in it for years, and Ryker was helping me feel truly free from it.
But Gunner was boss, not my friend. He did me a favor in giving me a job, and I’m sure he knew what I’d been through via rumor mills and Olivia’s big mouth.
That being said, he didn’t need to know my dark secrets, and I didn’t feel inclined to share them with him.
By the time we finished our lunches, two of his next appointments were waiting in the entry area and the rest of the afternoon flew by in the same manner. For a small town, Gunner was highly recommended, and people drove for over an hour simply to have him do their tattoos. We were constantly busy, so while I worked on his accounting, I also stayed busy cleaning the chairs and equipment and taking appointments for people who phoned in as well as walk-in clients.
When the sun set and we were getting ready to lock up, I wasn’t surprised at all to hear the front door open and see Ryker’s presence immediately fill the space.
I grinned, one hand going to my hip as I stopped what I was doing and stared at him.
His jeans fit his thighs perfectly and draped over his black, scuffed boots. His shirt was pulled tightly over his toned chest; even his leather cut couldn’t hide his ripped muscles. And his eyes, although still covered by his sunglasses, hit my body. His head dipped down as he raked his gaze over me, making me flush, and leaving me feeling naked in the middle of the shop.
He closed the distance between us. Or maybe I did. I didn’t remember moving, but at some point Ryker’s hands were on my hips and we were pressed chest to chest to one another.
“I’m taking my girl home,” he yelled out to Gunner, who had disappeared back to the storage room. Then his lips met mine in a gently, sweeping kiss. My entire body burst into a warm, comforting blaze as Gunner’s muffled, “Okay!” came from the background.
“Miss me?”
“Yes.” I breathed it out on a shaky exhale, still trying to recover from the fleeting but powerful kiss.
“Ready for home?” he asked me when he pulled away.
Home.
With Ryker.
The mere thought made my heart skip a bit.
The fact that it was reality made my heart swell to such a huge size that I felt the pressure in my chest increase.
I couldn’t take my eyes off him or his sexy small grin. “You bet.”