“I’m going to do what’s best for my family. For the club.” I grab my leather jacket from where it’s draped over my desk chair. “And you’re going to let me.”
“Bonnie—”
“We’re done here.” I push past him toward the door. “I have to meet up with Snake.”
I don’t wait for his response. I walk out and don’t look back, even though I can feel his eyes on me the whole way down the hall.
Outside, I climb on my Softail and fire up the engine.
I pull out of the lot and head toward Snake’s tattoo shop on the other side of town, letting the wind clear my head.
For a few hours, at least, I can pretend I’m just a normal girl with a regular job, learning a trade I love from a mentor who sees me as more than a bargaining chip.
6
BONNIE
The buzz of Snake’s tattoo machine fills the shop, rhythmic as a heartbeat.
There are four more days until the wedding, and I’m working on a client’s shoulder blade, shading in the petals of a rose that wraps around an old scar. Mrs. Collin, sixty-three years old, is getting her first tattoo to cover up where her ex-husband burned her with a cigarette forty years ago.
“You’re doing great,” I tell her as she winces slightly. “Almost done with this section.”
“Take your time, honey.” Her voice is steady despite the pain. “I’ve waited four decades for this. Another hour won’t kill me.”
Snake glances over from his station, where he’s finishing up a full sleeve on a client. His eyes meet mine, and he nods approval at my work. For three years, he’s been teaching me, and I still get a thrill when he’s pleased with what I do.
The front door chimes, and Louie walks in—Snake’s boyfriend of five years, carrying takeout bags that smell like Chinese food.
“Lunch break,” Louie announces, setting the bags on the front desk. “Got enough for everyone if your clients are hungry.”
“We’re good,” Snake says, wiping down his client’s arm. “Give us twenty minutes to finish up.”
Louie nods and disappears into the back office. I focus on Mrs. Collin’s rose, adding shadows that make the petals look three-dimensional. When I’m done, I clean the area and wrap it carefully.
“Beautiful work, Bonnie.” Mrs. Collin examines it in the mirror, tears in her eyes. “I can finally look at this part of me without seeing him.”
Those words sting me, because in a few days I’ll have marks on my body from a man I don’t want, and no amount of ink will cover up what that means.
“Come back in two weeks so we can check on it,” I tell her, pushing the thought away. “And keep it clean.”
After she leaves, I clean my station while Snake finishes with his client. Louie emerges from the office with plates of food.
“Orange chicken for you,” he says, handing me a plate. “Extra spicy like you like it.”
“Thanks, Louie.”
We eat at the front desk, watching people walk past the windows.
“You’re doing good work,” Snake says quietly. “That rose on Mrs. Collin was some of your best shading yet.”
“Thanks.”
He sets down his fork and looks at me directly. “I meant what I said last week. You’ve got real talent, kid. Don’t let anyone make you forget that.”
He knows this might be the last time I sit in his shop as his apprentice.
“I won’t,” I manage.
