Chapter 32
AGift
Ciara
A month later …
It’s been a month since Ciarán was kidnapped. I still can’t bring myself to let him out of my sight when he’s not at school. I have rearranged my schedule to be the one who picks him up. On days when I can’t, there’s always someone I trust waiting for him to arrive at the gym for the handoff.
Booker has started to hang around a bit to make sure Ciarán gets settled in with his trainer before he takes off. Corey is still training Ciarán since Dylan has been spending more time outside of the gym, busy with some project.
I’m surprised he’s been around so much today. To be honest, I’m starting to get suspicious. He hasn’t stopped smiling and he insisted on taking me and Ciarán out once we arrived from Ciarán’s school.
He won’t tell us where we’re going or what we’re going to do. He just told us we were leaving, now we’re off to who knows where. Since Dylan has been brooding for the last four weeks up until earlier this week, I’m going to give him a pass.
“You’re not even going to give me a hint?” I ask as I look up at him while walking at his side.
“Nope. Besides, we’ll be there soon enough. It’s not that far away,” he croons and glances at me with that gorgeous smile on his face.
“This better be good, O’Brien.”
He chuckles and squeezes my waist as he keeps his arm around me. We’re about a block and a half away from the gym when he turns into a shop that has the windows covered.
Dylan waves for Ciarán to head inside ahead of us. My brother bounces through the doorway with a huge smile on his face. I walk in next and stop in my tracks.
“Dylan?” I call out as I stumble back and bump into his chest. “What have you done?”
“I told you to trust me and give me time. This is my gift to you.”
“A freaking tattoo shop? Are you kidding me?”
“Not kidding at all. This place is all yours. I placed the deed in your name.”
I look around with my mouth open. There is a huge sign on the wall that reads C&D Irish Ink. There’s black-and-white art on the black and gray walls that have graffiti painted on them.
The reception area is sleek and welcoming, with a cute waiting area off to the right of it. A pretty dark-skinned woman with bright brown eyes steps forward and offers me her hand. I take it and shake it, not knowing what else to do.
“This is Kary. She will run the place for now. You will be her apprentice.”
“Congratulations. It’s so nice to meet you. I signed on for two years to get this place up and running for you and help out with getting you your hours and license.
“I’ll get you through the paperwork and exam. Any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them for you. I’ve managed three shops in the last ten years. One in Chicago, another in LA, and Dylan poached me from right here in Brooklyn,” she says.
“I … I …wow.” I turn to look at Dylan with my brows knit. “A hole-ass tattoo shop. Really?
“Like, when, how? You did this right under my nose. This is only like two blocks from the gym. How didn’t I know about this?”
“Because he threatened us all with bodily harm. Not to mention the man is crazy about ya and worked us all into the ground to get this done for ya,” Taegan sings as she and Daliah appear with a cake in their hands that has the shop’s name and Congratulations on it. “Congrats, love.”
“Congratulations,” Daliah gushes as she bounces on her toes.
“Oh my God. Thank you. Kary, I’m so sorry. It’s nice to meet you. I didn’t mean to be so rude. I’m a bit in shock at the moment.”
“Girl, you’re fine. I wish I had a man this in love with me. Come on back and I’ll show you the suites.”
“Suites?”
“This place is so cool, Cee. Wait until you see it all,” Ciarán croons.
“Wait a minute, you knew about this?”
His cheeks start to glow, and he looks away, turning his gaze anywhere but toward me. I fold my arms across my chest as I look at everyone around me. They were all in on this.
It hits me what this all means and tears fill my eyes. I love working at the gym now that there’s no drama. I feel like it has helped Dylan and me grow closer. However, this.
I used to dream of being a tattoo artist. For Dylan to create a place of my own for me where I can learn and grow means more than he could ever know.
I’ve been looking into the idea and have found a whole culture and community of ex-fighters who are now tattoo artists. This is something I’ve been thinking can become a real thing. However, this man has gone above and beyond to ensure it is a real thing without a doubt.
As the shock wears off, I run into his arms and wrap myself around him. He places his hands on my butt as he buries his face in my neck. I don’t think I can love him more than I do right now.
“Thank you,” I breathe. “Thank you so much. I love you.”
“I love you too, baby. Do you like it?”
“I love it. Why C&D Irish Ink?”
He releases a laugh. “Ciarán thought I should name it after you and me. Taegan chimed in and said I should add my nickname since she calls you Tiny Irish behind your back.”
“Ciara and Dylan Irish Ink. It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”
“Come on. Let’s show you to your suite so I can tell you what I want you to ink for me as your first client.”
I look him in his eyes and beam at him. “You’re going to allow me to put ink on you?”
“I’m your blank canvas. Do as you want with me. I’ll even let you touch up my gloves.”
“That piece is amazing. I don’t think I’m ready to touch that one.”
He pecks my lips. “When you’re ready.” He winks at me and starts to walk farther into the shop with me still wrapped around him.
I’m in complete awe. By the time we’re finished with the tour, I’m stunned into silence all over again. I will never forget this day.
I wish I could put into words how this has made me feel.
Dylan
“Yeah, you can call the guys off. I’m going to use another way to find her. Taegan is sure she skipped town at this point,” I say into the phone as I walk out of the bathroom with a towel around my waist and sit on the side of the bed.
“Got it, boss. I’ll call you back if I have any updates. Oh, I meant to tell you. Hanson wants to talk.”
I grunt. “Set it up. I’m gone,” I say and hang up.
Nothing can ruin my mood after today. Not even that crazy bitch Cadlha. I knew four weeks ago that she was going to run for it. Around three weeks ago, I was pretty sure she was already gone.
However, I was banking on her arrogance to bring her back to her place—one more time—where my guys have been sitting.
What Cadlha doesn’t know is that we’re not going to risk reporting her to the cops and putting Ciarán’s custody at risk.
This is a situation I’m going to deal with directly, so there’s nowhere for her to run that I won’t find her eventually.
I push all thoughts of that shit aside. I haven’t been able to stop smiling all day. Dinner with Ciara and Ciarán was the icing on the cake. I took them to this place Ma and Da used to take us for special events or to celebrate certain occasions.
It felt good to have my little family there with me. It felt right, like they’ve always belonged in my life. I couldn’t have asked for a better reaction from Ciara.
The place came out way better than I had planned. Once I hired Kary, I was able to put on the finishing touches and make it the kind of shop I thought would fit Ciara.
Seeing her so happy made my day. I’m going to miss having her as an assistant. Taegan and Ciara have worked together to make my life flow better than it ever has.
It’s become so much easier to stand in when Brooklyn needs me to and also run my own businesses and handle my responsibilities.
The two have a way of finishing my thoughts and getting things done before I can ask.
If not for Taegan working with Ciara the last few months, I wouldn’t have been able to pull off the opening of Ciara’s shop.
I never thought about how my best friend and Ciara would get along once I found my girl. However, now that Ciara is here, I know I don’t have to worry about that. Taegan loves Ciara and I get the feeling Ciara feels the same way.
“Hey, what’s on your mind?”
I come out of my thoughts and look up. Ciara is standing before me naked as she studies me closely. We had been in the shower together when I noticed my phone lighting up on the counter.
I stepped out to see what Aidan wanted. If not for business, I’m sure we would still be in the shower. Ciarán has some new thing he’s working on, so I’m sure we’re not going to see him for the rest of the night.
“I was thinking about how happy you were when I gave you your gift,” I reply.
“You didn’t think I would be?”
I reach to glide my hands up her sides. Her skin is always so smooth and soft. It’s no wonder that I always want to have my hands on her.
“I wasn’t sure, to be honest. I hoped you would.”
Cupping my face, she leans in to kiss me. I capture her lips and devour her. As I take the kiss deeper, I pull her to straddle my lap.
She breaks the kiss. “I’ve been trying all day to put my feelings into words. I want to tell you how your gift made me feel and what it means to me.”
She pauses and searches my eyes with her gaze as she runs her fingers through the front of my hair. I give her waist a gentle squeeze of encouragement. She takes in a sharp breath before she continues.
“Dylan, all my life I’ve wanted to feel safe and loved. To have a loving family. I mean, I’ve always had this feeling, like once upon a time I had that.
“Then I came here, and I found you and you’re proving that I did have all of that. The shop isn’t just a gift. It’s a gift that says so much.
“I know you see me, and you want me to be happy. I get that this is your love language. You mean it from the heart.
“It’s not a carrot you’re dangling for my trust to be pulled away the moment I don’t do as you want. You asked me to trust you and I do. You’ve shown me over and over that I can.