Page 47 of Ink

I didn’t even see the fucking dog come in. Hades made himself right at home on my bed.

“Alright,” I reluctantly agree. “I’ll be back up in a few. If she needs anything, come find me.”

“Go.” Evan rolls her eyes, clearly done entertaining my shit.

Cain slaps me on the shoulder, giving me a shove toward the door, giving me no choice but to leave.

“We got an hour before people start showing up,” Cain says as he relaxes back in his chair. A bottle of Jameson and glasses are already waiting on the table for us. Cain unscrews the top and pours us a few fingers each. “Tell me what the fuck is going on.”

Picking up the glass Cain had just slid my way, I down it all in one swoop.

“She has burns covering her entire spine.”

“What?” Hash pauses with his glass to his lips.

“She hasn’t talked yet, so I don’t know the story, but it looked intentional. Every burn is the same fuckin’ shape, brother.”

“You think someone burned her?”

“That’s exactly what I fuckin’ think.”

What other explanation is there? Sutton isn’t the type to want any sort of self-inflicting pain. Besides, they’re too evenly placed for her to have done that herself. Someone else did that shit.

I’d bet my left nut that it’s the same piece of shit that was in her room last night.

“How do you want to play this?”

“I’m goin’ huntin’.”

The room grows heavy, both Cain and Hash knowing what that means.

After a long moment, Cain asks, “What if that’s not what Sutton wants?”

Is he, of all people, seriously asking me this right now? Like he didn’t lose his ever-loving mind with Evan’s shit.

“After seein’ all of this shit in the last few hours, I don’t know if I got it in me to honor what she wants,” I admit. “Not with somethin’ like this.” Not after I failed on my last promise.

“Find out what’s going on first. I don’t want you jumpin’ the gun and going in blind with no brother at your back. Don’t be stupid about this.”

I grunt in agreement as I pour another drink, downing this one as well before slamming my glass down on the table.

I have a feeling this is about to be a long fucking night.

Chapter

Eighteen

SUTTON

Iwake up on my side to a dimly lit room with music bumping off in the distance. It’s faint enough where I can’t hear the lyrics but close enough to feel the bass. The basic, plain off-white wall definitely isn’t the same wall I have gotten used to seeing.

The last thing I remember is Zach leaving my motel room. Everything I worked so hard for is gone in the blink of an eye. He was always good at kicking me when I’m down. I don’t know why I expected this time to be any different.

A body moves next to me, making me tense, scared to move another inch.

Where the heck am I?

These aren’t the motel sheets.