“Thank you.”
He slid back inside of me, and since my body was already primed, already on the the brink of going over, it didn’t take much to have me hollering his name into the ceiling and digging my heels into his back. He curled my legs up high on his sides, rose up a little on one knee, and powered into my compliant body until he found his own release and collapsed on top of me in a heavy heap.
The ring in the center of his nose was a tactical thrill against my shoulder as he kissed my collarbone and muttered drily, “I’m done trying to have sex on that couch. It never ends well for me.”
I had to laugh as I wrapped my arms across his wide shoulders. “I think it ended just fine.”
“I love you, Saint.”
“I love you, too, Nash.”
Nash wanted to live a life with no regrets, I wanted to live a life that was fulfilled. We needed each other to accomplish that, and now that we had each other there was no then versus now, there was just this life we had together.
I got the promotion. It was awesome and I was really proud of myself, but what made it even better was how proud Nash was of me. My job didn’t have to be important to him, but because it was so much of who I was, the fact that he inherently knew what a big deal it was made me love him even more.
Our schedules were still crazy and all over the place, even more so now that I was trying to learn the different parts of my new job. It didn’t matter, though, we never spent a night apart. My place, his place, one of us was always in the other’s bed, and as long as I woke up next to him in the morning, I didn’t care where I put my head at night.
I was also branching out my social skills. I went out with Sunny, tried to join Nash’s friends on their Thursday girls’ night out if it didn’t conflict with work, and had taken to having coffee with Royal every morning I stayed at Nash’s place. I enjoyed the time spent with all of them, but there was something about Royal, something about watching another young woman struggle with a selfless, emotionally taxing job, that drew me to her. I didn’t have to try and be her friend anymore, I was just her friend … period.
I was running late. Nash had called on my lunch break and asked me to meet him at the new tattoo shop when I got off of work. I had a late admission and ended up having to stay an extra half hour until the doctor could get to them. I knew the contractor had just finished with everything in the new space and all they had left to do was get the final members of the staff in place so they could open up for business in a few weeks. It had been a labor of love, cost a pretty penny, but all of the Marked family was super excited for the new adventure to begin. I figured he just wanted to show his baby off, and I felt bad I was holding him up, so I reminded myself to oooh and awww with appropriate vigor. I was really proud of him.
I had to park around the corner and make my way through the typical after-work, LoDo crowd to get to the shop. The location was dynamite; he wasn’t going to know what to do with himself when it took off like I knew it would. Nash was leaning against the glass storefront talking on his phone. He caught sight of me and gave me a wink. He couldn’t really stand around waiting without finding something to do with his hands. I think that’s how he avoided reaching for a cigarette. He was doing a great job quitting and every time he was tempted I reminded him he had made it all the way through the ordeal with Phil without lighting up, so there was no way he needed one now.
When I got to him he scooped me up in a rib-crushing hug and kissed me like we hadn’t had wild shower sex just that morning. I would be the luckiest girl in the world if he was always going to be that happy to see me.
“Did you get my text that I was going to be late?”
“Yep. It gave me time to wrap up the surprise.”
I gave him a funny look and noticed that the huge pane of glass that was the front of the store was covered in brown butcher’s paper.
“I thought you were just going to show me the new shop.”
He laughed and pulled on one of the pigtails I had been rocking at work.
“I am. It’s amazing, but I want to show you something first. We went round and round, tossed idea after idea back and forth about what the new shop should be called.”
I was starting to get a little anxious. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and looked up at him from under my pale lashes.
“What did you do, Nash?”
“This new shop is the future for the Marked, but you’re my future. I figured I might as well tie the two of them together because you are both my life.”
He reached behind him and pulled all the brown paper down off the glass, and I had to cover my mouth with my hands. All I could do was stare at him and back at the painted glass in stunned disbelief.
In old-fashioned lettering like one would find on an old curio shop or an old apothecary window was the name of the new shop: THE SAINTS OF DENVER TATTOO. It blew my mind and made me want to cry.
“Cora and the guys loved it. It’s different and goes with our retro theme we have going on.”
“Nash …” I couldn’t even think of what to say to him. It was an honor, but more than that, it was a testament as to how important I was always going to be to him.
“I hope you’re all right with it.”
He was gloating and I wanted to equal parts kiss him and kick him. I just tilted my head to the side and looked at him like he had lost his mind.
I asked him, “You’re amazing, you know that, right?”
He picked me up and swung me around until I was laughing so hard that I had tears running down my face.
He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t ever want you to regret giving me another chance, Saint.”
“You gave me another chance as well, Nash. I think when you’re in love that’s what you do, give chances and take chances. Now let’s go inside and you can show me your new baby.”
He pushed open the door to the shop that he had named after me and I followed him into our future. I didn’t need to look back anymore, to hold on to hurtful and damaging memories. I had Nash to always move toward, and more importantly I now had myself and all the things about me that made me who I was to hold on to. I loved a good man, a nice man, but more than that, I loved myself, and that fulfilled me in a way nothing else could because I knew I deserved the best and Nash Donovan was the best thing for me … ever.
EPILOGUE
“So what’s the verdict?”
Cora sent her gaze dancing between me and Rule like I was an idiot for even asking the question.
“I think that if you two boneheads don’t hire her, I might just murder you both.”
I snickered and Rule looked up from the little pink bundle he was holding in his tattooed hands with a frown.
“I’m the favorite uncle, you can’t murder me.” The baby cooed like she was totally in agreement with that statement even if Rule was her only uncle.
I didn’t tell either of them that I was going to hire her regardless of her qualifications because Phil had asked me to. He had some kind of plan and he had only been gone a few weeks, so I was still feeling the resonating loss and paying forward his crazy scheme seemed necessary.
The “she” in question had quite frankly knocked all three of us on our collective asses. I mean, I knew she was probably going to be easy on the eyes being a pinup model and all, but in person she was something else.
Salem Cruz was without a doubt the prettiest rock-and-roll chick I had ever laid eyes on and I could tell Rule agreed. She had a full sleeve tattooed on each arm, one classic Catholic images mixed with riotous Day of the Dead artwork and the other all old-school, Sailor Jerry–inspired work. She had long, caramel-colored hair that had a bloodred streak in the front of it, complete with swooping curls on top and long waves hanging down the back. Her eyes were as dark as the midnight sky, and I liked the way they twinkled like she knew something the rest of us didn’t. She was average height, but there was nothing average about the curves she was rocking, and
all her retro glamour was topped off by a face that men in classic literature went to war for. She was the perfect blend of fifties pinup, rockabilly cool, and Latina sex goddess. She was just all-around impressive.
If her looks alone hadn’t been enough to convince me that she would get people in the door, her credentials were. It was her résumé and sassy, take-no-shit demeanor that sold Cora. Salem wasn’t just a pretty face, she had been tied to some of the most successful tattoo shops on the West Coast, and the shop she left in Vegas wasn’t just some hole in the wall, it was one of those big-deal chain shops that operated in a casino and was helmed by a famous Xtreme sports guy. In all actuality the stuff we were starting in D-town was small and totally new compared to where she came from, and I think Phil knew it. She also had a hand in designing and marketing her own clothing label, so really there was no way we couldn’t offer her the job.
The three of us walked out of the office Cora had commandeered and Rule handed baby R.J. back to her mom. The baby looked around the still-work-in-progress retail space and made a noise. I totally agreed with her. Expanding was a lot harder than I had initially thought and I couldn’t wait until it was all said and done.
The brunette was wandering around, taking stock, sizing things up, and I had to wonder why she was willing to come somewhere so different, somewhere that was just starting up, when obviously she could write her own ticket anywhere she wanted in the tattooing world. She turned and watched us approach, her dark eyes dancing.
“How did it go?”
Cora laughed and kissed Remy on the forehead. “At this point I’m ready to hire a stranger off the street. We are too busy, need the help, and the fact you can run circles around anyone else we’ve seen makes it a no-brainer. Plus this place could use another female in the mix.”
Salem’s bright red lips quirked up in a smile. She had a ruby-red Monroe piercing that lifted with her full lips. “I think it’s going to be a good time. The shop is beautiful. I think with a few little touches you are sitting on a gold mine up here in the clouds. There is a lot of opportunity sitting right at your fingertips.”
Cora rolled her eyes and jiggled the baby, who started to holler just a little bit. She was going to give her mom a run for her money in the loud and bossy department down the road.
“Trust me, the old carnival theme totally fits. These guys are all clowns and half the time it really is like being part of a sideshow.” I gave Cora a dirty look, but didn’t disagree with her statement.
I nodded at Salem and extended the offer. “As long as you’re okay with the pay and think you can handle working hand in hand with us, the job is yours. I think we’d be lucky to have you, and Phil thought you would be a perfect fit, so that matters to me. We’re a family, though, so be prepared to deal with the nonsense that comes with that.”
Rule grunted and reached out to shake her hand. “Welcome aboard. The crazy train is always looking for new passengers.” He bent and kissed the baby much like Cora had done, and straightened back up. “I gotta head home. Shaw’s been under the weather for the last few days. I need to check on her. She was green when I left.”
Cora looked up at him and lifted her eyebrow that had the pink crystal piercing in it.
“I don’t think there’s any stomach things going around. I pay attention now because of the baby.”
He lifted his shoulders and shrugged. “I dunno. She’s miserable, though.”
Cora looked speculative, but we were all interrupted by the thud of heavy boots on the stairs that led up from the shop floor. The only other person that had a key was Rowdy, so I wasn’t surprised when his blond pompadour cleared the second floor.
“Hey, Zeb called and had an awesome idea about putting old fun-house mirrors up here when we get around to having the store open. You know to tie everything together …”
His voice trailed off and his ocean-blue eyes popped open so wide they nearly took up his entire face. His jaw unhinged and all he could do was gape at the Spanish beauty standing with us. I looked back and forth between the two of them. She was smiling like a huge secret had been revealed and he looked like he had just seen a ghost.
Salem’s high heels tapped a sexy little beat as she walked toward the stairs. Rowdy was stuck, like he was glued to the spot with industrial adhesive. I saw Cora give Rule a questioning look, and when they both turned to me, all I could do was shrug helplessly. I didn’t have a clue what was happening either.
“Hello, Rowland. It’s been a long time.” She trailed her bloodred fingertip across the bridge of his nose. “You sure did grow up nice.”
Rowdy gulped so loud that it was actually audible and stayed stuck to the floor.
“Who in the hell is Rowland?” It was a valid question but no one seemed in a hurry to answer Rule when he asked it.
Salem stopped in front of Rowdy so they were eye to eye, only because she was clad in some serious heels and he was still down a step. She put a hand on his cheek and gave it a little tap, which had him rearing back and blinking like an owl.
“Salem?” The question sounded strangled and forced out. I had never seen Rowdy so dumbfounded. He was the charmer, the jokester. He always had something to say. What in the hell was happening here? And why did I think this was exactly what my dad had been orchestrating all along?
The brunette looked back over her shoulder, her sleek fall of hair moving like something out of a movie. She winked, actually winked at us, and started down the stairs.
“Strike that, it’s going to be a great time. See you guys at work on Monday. E-mail me whatever forms you need me to fill out.”
Her shoes clicked and tapped on the way down the stairs while the rest of us just stood there in silence. After a long minute, Rowdy shook his head like he was coming out of a daze and walked the rest of the way into the loft.
“Rowland?” He glared at me.
“Like you have room to talk, Nashville.”
Good point, but I was still going to give him shit every chance I got.
Cora’s mix-and-match eyes were practically glowing as she shifted the baby to one arm and grabbed Rowdy’s shirtfront with her free hand.
“Is that her? Is that the one?”
I didn’t know what “the one” meant, but when Rowdy shook his head in the negative, Cora looked super disappointed.
“No, not her … but that is her sister.”
Cora gasped and Rule and I just looked at each other in confusion.
“Someone want to fill us in?”
Rowdy sighed and lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck.
“When I was in foster care growing up in Texas, Salem and her little sister, Poppy, lived next door. Their dad was the minister in the town that we lived in. He was really, really strict with both the girls. They were very different, turned out opposite. Salem got out as soon as she could and Poppy broke my heart when I tried to give it to her. What in the hell is she doing here?”
I sent a sideways look at Rule and he just bit his lip ring.
“She’s the new shop manager. We just hired her.”
The big blond man looked like he was going to either pass out or throw up.
“Are you serious?”
Cora nodded solemnly and patted him on the shoulder. “Nash offered her the job. It’s legally binding. Are you going to be okay with that?”
He rubbed one of his sideburns and looked around at all of us like he was kind of lost.
“Do I have a choice?”
“Not really.” I hated to break it to him.
“I think I just need a minute to get over the shock. I haven’t seen her since I was eighteen and getting ready to start college. That was when everything went to shit with Poppy. I can’t believe Salem is here.”
“She’s very beautiful.” Cora’s tone was gentle and placating.
Rowdy’s blond eyebrows shot up and he sarcastically drawled, “I didn’t notice.”
Rule barked out a laugh. “Then you’re blind.”
r /> I cleared my throat and everyone turned to look at me. “Phil wanted her here. He set it all in motion. How much do you want to bet he knew all along your tie to her? He didn’t just pick her name out of a hat.”
Rowdy swore. “Why would he do that to me?”
“He had his reasons.” Love couldn’t be negotiated with, I would remember that forever.
Rowdy frowned at me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
All I could do was grin. He would find out soon enough.
“You’ll see. Now I want to go home to my girlfriend and love all up on her.” Nothing had ever made me happier than being able to say that anytime I wanted. Saint was the person I was always going to want at the end of the day, I just knew it.
Cora held up R.J., who held her little arms out as she tried to grab on to my nose ring. That damn thing was a tiny hand magnet.
“Be careful, this is what that results in.” She cut a sideways look to Rule, who completely missed it.
“By the way, tell Zeb yes to the fun-house mirrors. That guy is a goddamn genius.” I really was in awe of the contractor’s immense talent.
Rowdy muttered his agreement to pass the news along to his friend as we all made our way out of the shop.
I wanted to feel bad for him, to tell him that it would all be okay, but just like the rest of us, he was going to have to get there on his own. The journey to the one wasn’t always easy. The baggage from the past could be heavy and totally unwieldy, and the drop-offs and curves could make a man ready to get off the road at any second, but there was no better destination, no better end point than the love and the woman offering it that waited at the end.
The Marked Men return in October 2014 with …
ROWDY
After the only girl he ever loved told him he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and decided he was going to do everything in his power to live up to his nickname. Life was all about a good time, good friends and never taking much too seriously. Rowdy learned his lesson early on, when you care that much about anything it can destroy you, and he never wants to risk feeling like that again. Only now he has a new coworker, a ghost from the past who’s making him question every lesson he ever learned.