Page 69 of Ink

“Nope. Heard them come in, but by the time I made it out of the storage room no one was here.” He shrugs. “Probably just some kids who accidentally walked into the wrong building. It happens.”

I shrug in agreement.

I’ve never seen a kid walk in here, but okay. If they aren’t worried about it, I won’t be either.

Bending down, I help Tommy finish the restock. It takes me twice the amount of time to put a piece away because each one I pull out I ooh and awe over. Specifically, a pair of nipple barbells that are stainless steel with a sparkly black raven decorating each end.

Tommy eyes me as he throws the empty boxes into the bigger one he brought everything out in. “You thinking about getting them pierced?” I quickly put the jewelry back in the case, like I was caught doing something bad in the act. Tommy laughs. “It’s not going to bite ya.”

“I know,” I mumble, unable to meet his eye because I’m pretty sure I’m about to die a slow, painful death caused by embarrassment.

“So… are you thinking about it?”

“A piercing? Ah, I don’t know. I think maybe I should start out with something small like an ear piercing or something.”

It would be weird for my first piercing to be my nipples, right?

“Go big or go home.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Let me know. It’ll take ten minutes, tops. We can do it when there’s some downtime.”

“Ink will murder you in broad daylight if you try. Hell, he might do it just for you thinking about it.” Gage butts in as he walks his client up. “He’s all set. He just needs an aftercare sheet.”

Gage’s client is looking right at my boobs as I try to hand him the pamphlet, completely unaware that I’m holding my hand out, waiting for him to take it.

Clearing my throat, he breaks his trance, not even looking the least bit sorry he was caught.

“Thanks.” He smirks. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon.” He tips his head as he finally takes the pamphlet from me and leaves, the bell chiming on his way out.

A shiver runs through me from how cringe he was.

Ew.

I start helping Tommy pick up the last bits of packaging from the jewelry when a piece of paper with a letterhead on it that I would recognise anywhere stops me dead in my tracks.

Steel & Cage Law Firm

My fingers lightly trace the letters printed in thick black letters on the fancy crisp paper that has faint designs etched into it as my brain tries to catch up.

“You okay?” Tommy asks, pausing what he’s doing as he looks at me with concern.

“Uh, yeah.” I give him a tight smile, sliding the paper off the desk and stuffing it into my pocket without him noticing.

That letterhead can only mean one thing.

He’s back.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

SUTTON

Gage took me back to Evan’s in his speed racer after we closed the shop, claiming it was on his way home. Something tells me Ink asked him to do that even though I still haven’t heard a word from him since this morning.

Evan isn’t home by the time Gage drops me off, so I let myself in with the key she gave me. He waits until I’m fully in the house with the door shut behind me until he backs out of the driveway.