“Girl, with sticks like yours, it’s totally cool. Let’s get started. You gotta go to the bathroom?”
Her abrupt question had Tiana whipping her head around to see if anyone was listening. “Um, I could go, yeah.”
“Go on and do your business, because once I start, we don’t want to have to stop so you can go to the little girls’ room.” Lux made the gun in her hand buzz for emphasis.
Tiana looked down at her leg and the design as she walked, nearly colliding with a solid body. “Oof, sorry.”
“It’s cool. I just came to see if—whoa, that’s some nice art.”
Warmth flooded her as Mick held her at arm’s length. She felt as though he was caressing her while his eyes looked her up and down. “Th...thanks. Um, what did you come in for?”
He released her as quickly as he grabbed her, like she’d burned him. “Yeah, shit, King wanted me to let his ole’ lady know we were posted out back and for you ladies to come out that way if you got done early. From the looks of that though, you’re gonna be a while. You sure you ready for that kind of pain?”
She took a step back, then moved around his tall imposing body. He wasn’t asking because he cared about her, but because he probably didn’t want to be stuck outside the shop for longer than it took for Ayesha’s tattoo. “I’m good. I’ll make sure Ayesha knows where King is.”
Tiana kept her feelings at bay and hidden behind the façade she’d created over the last couple of years. They treated her like a child who didn’t know her own fucking mind. Goddammit, she fucked up once. Okay, it was a major fuck up, one that nearly cost her life, but fuck, it was a long time ago. Years, dammit. Maybe not a lifetime, but she’d been younger, dumber, and a lot more naïve. She’d wanted...she’d wanted someone to love her. She’d wanted someone to want her. She’d fucked up. She’d owned her shit. Why couldn’t they let it go?
Once she was inside the bathroom, she waited until the door shut and the lock was turned before she turned on the water. She then went to the stall in the very back and shut the door, pulled her jean shorts down. Seeing the red lines that cut across her pelvis, centered her. The scars of her past that might’ve healed over time, but she’d made sure to reopen them, time and time again, so that she wouldn’t forget the lessons she’d learned. She didn’t need anyone else bringing up her ignorance, or them throwing up the stupid shit she’d done. She only had to pull her pants down and look to see what the fuck she’d done.
She sat down on the toilet; a shuttering cry wracked her frame. A minute or two was all she’d let herself have to feel sorry for herself. After she was sure nobody outside would notice her mini breakdown, she finished and flushed the toilet. Lux was right in that she wouldn’t want to have to get up in the middle of her inking to go to the bathroom. She winced slightly when the rough denim brushed against the fresh wounds on the opposite side to where she was having the tattoo.
The image staring back at her while she washed her hands didn’t look any different than the one who’d come in. No red-rimmed eyes that looked haunted, no shattered girl, just Tiana, the sister of Ayesha. Perfect.
Pulling the door open, she nearly ran into Mick again. “Shit, Mick, what the hell are you doing standing outside the bathroom?”
“Waiting on you. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” His deep voice and concerned stare gave her the confidence to stare back at him.
She waved her hand down her body. “As you can see, I’m fine.”
“You were in there an awfully long time. You sure you’re alright?”
“What the fuck is this? Do I not look okay? I’m not made of glass, and I’m not a little girl who gets her wittle feelings hurt easily. Trust me, I’m good. Go on out with the others and chill.” She slid past his gorgeous form and left him standing there.
“Girl, that man has it bad for you,” Lux whispered.
Tiana looked back where she’d seen Mick last, finding the hall empty. “Nah, he’s just doing what King told him to do. Trust me, if he had it bad for me, he could’ve had me.”
Lux snorted but indicated her table instead of arguing. “Hop on up. On a scale of one to ten, what’s your pain threshold with one being you’re a total pussy, and ten being you’re a baddass bitch like me?”
“Please, don’t be so modest, Lux,” Tymber called from across the room.
“Hey, when you’re as awesome as I am, it’s a chore to keep it low-key.” Lux began opening up packages.
Tiana laughed and settled down on the bed. She didn’t know how to tell the other woman that pain didn’t faze her. When the needle touched her skin, she sighed. The hard surface beneath her felt like a cloud, embracing her like arms. Tiana lost track of time and place. The scents and sounds allowed her body to relax and enjoy the stabbing sensation.
“Damn, that is fucking crazy. Like, she literally fell asleep while you worked. Hell, I think she might’ve even drooled.”
“Shut the fuck up, or I’ll kick you in the balls, Link.”
Tiana came awake to the sound of Lux threatening another man. She should’ve felt fear, but her body was completely and totally relaxed. “Are you done?” Good lord, was that her scratchy voice?
“Yeah. We’ll still need to do another session to finish up some of the shading and watercolors, but you were like a boss bitch, snoring and all.”
Tiana tried to sit up, but a little dizzy spell had her staying flat.
“Whoa, hold steady. I don’t need you doing a faceplant. Let me get you a bottle of water then we’ll get you up and sitting.”
“Look at Lux. You’d think she’s taken care of a sub or two in her time.” Ember stood across the room; his green eyes narrowed as they locked on her.
“I’m not a sub,” Tiana said, moving to a sitting position.
“What are you then, little girl? You lay there for three hours, sleeping like you didn’t feel a thing. I know grown men who can’t do that shit. You didn’t just sleep, you fucking zoned straight the fuck out like you were in the best motherfucking subspace. If you ain’t a sub, then I ain’t a man with a dick. Newsflash, little girl, I am most assuredly a man, and I definitely got a dick. Care to see for yourself?” Ember asked, moving to stand.
Tiana took her time looking him up and down. “I can see you’re a man, and clearly you have a dick, unless you shove a pair of gym socks down your pants. But I’m gonna let you in on a little secret”—she dropped her voice before continuing—“I don’t give a fuck if you were the last man on earth with a dick. I’d rub my finger raw and use a cactus to get off before I’d let you and your...questionable dick inside me.”
“Oh, our girl isn’t turned on by your lack of charms, Ember. I suggest you zip it, or King will be the one to make you wish you had.” Lux handed Tiana a bottle of water, placing her body between Tiana and Ember.
“You think I want a little slip of a girl, Luxy? Get a clue,” Ember growled.
“Oh, look, do you see that?” Tiana pointed out the window.
“No, what is it?” Lux looked outside.