There were certain criteria a prospect had to meet before getting patched. It wasn’t all about putting in your time.
“Anything else?” Venom put out and stared at the room, waiting for objections or further business. No one had anything to add, but I fidgeted in my seat. The stuff they had said to me when I patched weighed heavy on me.
Secrets.
“I have one more thing,” I reluctantly spoke up.
Everyone turned their baffled attention to me. What I told them next was probably the biggest bombshell of all.
All week, Soleil and I had danced around each other. That invisible connection between us pulled until it became nearly impossible to stay away from her. If it wouldn’t have freaked her out, I think I would’ve slept on the floor by her bed. That shows how fucked up my head was over her.
A million times a day, one of us would look up to catch the other staring. I drove her to the tattoo studio because Venom decided that if I was with her, she’d be safe. Okay, I also did it because I was afraid. For the first time in forever, I was actually terrified.
“I feel bad that you have to cart me back and forth every day,” Soleil said as we arrived at the studio on her last day of the week. Since Chains and I were both going to the same place, it worked out for us to travel together. He had backed into his spot behind the building, and I parked next to him.
“Well, it’s not like you can drive,” I muttered. Maybe not the smartest thing to say because as soon as I said it, I knew it came across wrong. But I blamed the way her tits had pressed against my back and how she tightly gripped my abs during the entire ride for my lack of tactful replies. My brain was scrambled, and all my blood had rushed to my dick, so there was that. The rest of my truth was that she wasn’t riding on the back of anyone else’s bike. Chains might’ve been happily taken, but I didn’t care. No way was she riding to the shop with him or anyone else.
“Gee, thanks,” she snapped as she yanked off her helmet—the one I bought specifically for her. “I totally forgot about that. It’s a shame I can’t use an Uber—oh wait, you guys told me not to and that you’d get me to and from work. What’s your deal?”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” I lamely tried to explain, suddenly feeling like a major prick.
Chains quickly unlocked the back door and went inside while we remained by the bikes. Obviously, he didn’t want to stick around for me to shove my foot ankle-deep down my throat again. Faith wouldn’t be there for another hour, so there wasn’t a huge rush to get inside, and I was irritated—and turned the fuck on.
“Well, it doesn’t matter how you meant it—I’ll be finding myself a different way to work from now on. No need for you to bother yourself,” she said contemptuously as she turned to go inside. The thought of not sharing the ride with her made me almost irrational.
Instinctively, I reached out and curled my hand around her arm. She spun around and glared at my fingers. When she grabbed my hand to pull it off her, I kind of lost it. I caught her wrists in my hands and pushed her against the concrete blocks that covered the back of the studio.
Eyes wide, lips parted, and chest heaving against mine, she took my breath away.
“You ride with me,” I practically growled as she blinked up at me.
“You don’t own me,” she whispered, but it wasn’t very convincing. “Mia will come and get me. I don’t need to be here.”
“No, she fucking won’t,” I bit out in frustration at the thought of losing her again. Blood pounded in my ears, and I knew I had to shake off the possessiveness I was showing. Fucking hell, she was absolutely right, I didn’t own her. If anything, she owned me.
Her jaw worked, but she held her tongue as she searched my hard gaze.
“Why do you hate me?” she finally asked.
I closed my eyes and sighed. Then I stared into her vivid green gaze that was full of the hurt I’d dealt her with my stupid caveman behavior.
“Fuck, Soleil, I don’t hate you. Far from it,” I admitted.
She seemed to want to say something but then snapped her lips closed. When she wiggled out of my grip, I let her. As she went into the shop, I stood outside, trying to get my messy emotions under control. Since the day she showed up, my mind had been in a constant state of chaos and confusion thanks to the overload of worry, anger, and unfailing love that I couldn’t seem to express. Almost like it had been so long since I had actually experienced it that the feeling short-circuited my brain.
I pulled out one of the pre-rolled joints I brought with me and lit up. In an attempt to calm my ass down, I burned through the entire thing. Though the desired effect was minimal, it was enough.
Shoulders slumped, I stomped in through the back door and stopped in the break room for some fucking coffee. Thank God Chains had started a pot when he went inside.
“Dude, you need to talk to her,” Chains muttered when he came in to get another cup.
After sucking down the first one, I refilled my mug and went to the waiting area. Faith was going over the appointments for the day with Soleil, and they both glanced up at me. Faith gave me a smile and a wave, but Soleil essentially ignored me, and they continued their task.
Dropping my ass onto one of the leather couches, I sighed in frustration. I didn’t understand why I was such an idiot around Soleil. It was like I wanted to mark my territory, but couldn’t string together a decent sentence with her. It might have something to do with the fact that each time I opened my mouth, I wanted to tell her everything.
Fuck it, maybe I should. What was the worst that could happen? That she’d think I’m crazy?
After I set my drink down, I grabbed one of the tattoo magazines from the coffee table. The bell on the door jingled, and I glanced up. Looked like Chains had his first appointment. The guy ignored me but flirted with the women like crazy until Chains called him back. I was relieved because I was about five seconds away from punching him in the face.