Chapter 38
Myles
It had been a while since my last tattoo, and I’d never done a group event.
But this was a lot more fun than I’d expected.
Nash had called our go-to tattooist and asked him to bring in enough artists who were as good as he was to do us all at once.
Cost wasn’t an issue, and it had been worth every cent.
The best part so far had been watching Nash pout like a child when Ren decided to make things fair.
She’d opted to put our names in alphabetical order down her side.
Nash had argued that he should still be first, instead of Blake, because his last name started with a C instead of an O.
She just shook her head at him. Blake had been smiling from ear-to-ear ever since.
Nash did talk her into tattooing a band on her wedding finger with a fancy N in the middle, so now we all had a finger as well. I chose the middle one right next to Nash, so I was longer and always flipping the arse off.
“How ya doin’, Snowflake,” I asked, taking her hand.
The woman working her had managed to weave little vines and flowers throughout the names, with a single item that represented each of us.
I had the snowflake, of course, which also meant I had the most tattoos on her body if you included her neck.
She flicked her eyes toward her left side that now had my name across one of her ribs.
“Alive, but I don’t know how you all talked me into this,” she said, making me laugh. “Can I see yours?”
“Aye.” Pulling up my t-shirt, I showed off the complete outline of the tattoo she’d created for me. “It’ll take a couple more sittings to get it filled in, but it looks feckin’ incredible.”
She smiled. There was nothing better than seeing that smile.
“So, I’m the last one?”
I nodded.
“Only one more name to go,” Trixie said, finishing off a small flower that looked like it was opening up to the sun.
My stomach grumbled, and I opened my mouth to ask about dinner when the roar of motorcycles shifted my attention. It had been warm and sunny all day, and the Lost Souls must have taken full advantage to get out on their bikes.
“Oh crap,” Ren said when the door opened, and six guys came strolling in, led by Merlin.
I recognized two others from previous meetings and drop-offs, and the cleanup after the shooting at Volatile.
One of them was the prez, Snake. The other was Hollywood, but unlike his name suggested, he was always super quiet, built like a brick shithouse, and not showy at all. The other three, I had never met.
Ren had told me what happened the night she was out with Theo, and it didn’t look like Liam had cooled off any about the situation with his sister. He marched across the room before anyone could stop him.
“What the fuck do you want,” Merlin asked when Liam got right into his personal space and blocked his way.
“Just wanted to face the fucking asshole who hurt my sister.”
Merlin’s eyes narrowed.
“You know, at first, I was really pissed,” Liam said, but it sounded more like a snarl. “I’d been telling my sister every day since she dragged you to our family dinner like a lost dog that she needed to dump your sorry ass.”
“Is that so?” Merlin growled.
“Guys, we don’t want any fighting in here,” Julian, the owner of the shop, said.
But no one was listening. We were all focused on the same thing, and that was what was brewing near the door. Even Trixie had stopped tattooing Ren to watch.
“Yeah, it is. But the funny thing is, Nora wouldn’t listen to me.
Kept saying that I didn’t know the real you.
She genuinely thought you were a decent guy and into her, but I knew better.
I knew exactly what a piece of shit you really were.
I saw through your act from the first second you walked through the door. ”
“You’d better watch your mouth,” Merlin said.
“Don’t make me call the cops. I don’t need my place shot up,” Julian tried again, but none of us were afraid.
“No one is shooting anything,” Nash said, giving Julian a stand-the-fuck-down glare.
Ren suddenly hopped off the table, and I knew where she was going. I grabbed her by the arms and kept her back.
“We need to stay out of it,” I whispered.
“But…”
I shook my head.
“Everyone here knows this needs to go down. That’s why none of the Lost Souls have moved in to help either,” I said softly. “Merlin dishonored Liam’s family…his sister. This is a matter of respect. One thing I’ve learned about the MC is you don’t disrespect family.”
Ren disagreed, but she stopped trying to pull away.
Liam smirked.
“Or what? You gonna hit me, big man? Act all tough in front of your friends. It’s a shame you can’t handle hearing the truth?”
Merlin poked Liam in the chest.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. I really liked Nora.”
“You have a funny way of showing it. Sticking your dick in another girl doesn’t usually go over as well as flowers,” Liam said.
“So, it was you who told her.” Merlin stepped closer until the two of them were nose to nose. “Fucking snitch.”
“Naw, man, it wasn’t me. But I really wish it had been, just to get you the fuck out of her life.
You never deserved her, and now…she’ll never take you back.
So, thank you for being so fucking stupid as to bring your slut out in public.
Then again, you’re not so bright. I didn’t expect much from you. ”
The eruption between them was instant. One second, we were standing, holding our breath as the tension filled the room, and the next, they were fighting.
Merlin took a cheap jab at Liam, getting him in the stomach.
The blow only managed to move Liam back a few steps.
There was no hesitation or taking time to recover.
With a jump kick that I didn’t see coming, Liam slammed his foot into the middle of Merlin’s chest. The momentum sent Merlin crashing through the glass door.
He hit the sidewalk hard while glass shattered in all directions.
Liam pulled his gun out of the back of his jeans and handed it to Nash, then he was out the door and hauling a dazed Merlin to his feet.
“You don’t get off that easy,” he snarled and cracked him across the face. “Fucking prick.”
Liam hit him twice before Merlin sobered up from the fall. They circled each other like fighters in a cage match.
“Oh my god,” Ren gasped, and I tightened my hold on her. “Myles, we need to help.”
“Naw, we need to stay out of it. Liam doesn’t want us involved.”
“How do you know?”
“He hasn’t given us the signal,” I said with a shrug.
Ren narrowed her eyes at me in confusion.
“Trust me, you’d know. He needs to do this,” I said as Nash held up his hand, stopping Mr. G’s men, waiting in the parking lot, from getting involved.
Everyone walked outside to watch the show, glued to the action like it was the season finale of Survivor. Fists flew, and both got good, hard shots in, but Liam was faster. For every two shots he landed, Merlin only got one.
“You little fucking prick, you know nothing about me,” Merlin growled as he stumbled back from a punch that I knew broke his nose. Sure enough, blood ran down the front of his face as he looked up, eyes full of rage.
“Wrong, I do, and I’d rather be a prick than a waste of space like you. No idea what my sister saw in your pathetic ass.”
“Shut the fuck up. You have no idea how much I cared for your sister,” Merlin yelled, pointing at Liam.
“And yet you cheated on her, multiple times. Great way to show it,” Liam said, and dodged the punch coming for his face. Dropping low, he did a sweeping roundhouse and took out Merlin’s feet. He landed hard on his back with a groan that obviously knocked the wind out of him.
Liam pounced on Merlin, knees pressed into his chest, fists raining down on his face until he didn’t bother blocking the shots anymore. A sharp whistle pierced the air, and a heaving Liam looked over at Nash.
“That’s enough, you made your point,” Nash said.
Liam glared at Merlin like he was trying to temper his rage, which was not Liam. But he finally stood, and Merlin sagged on the pavement.
“Don’t ever go near her again,” Liam said, pointing at Merlin. “Or I’ll make sure you eat my gun for your next meal. No one disrespects my family, least of all my sister.”
Blood ran from a cut across Liam’s cheekbone and more from the split in his lip and his knuckles.
“I really did care for Nora,” Merlin mumbled as Liam started to walk away.
“And I really don’t give a fuck one way or the other,” he said. “You’ve been warned. Go near her again, and I’ll come for you. And next time I’ll finish the job.”
“Damn, man, you got your ass handed to you,” one of the guys I didn’t know said, laughing hard.
Hollywood walked over and helped Merlin stand.
“Don’t think you’re going to live that one down anytime soon,” Snake said, with an evil smirk.
“Look at my door,” Julian complained, and we all turned to look at him, like he had just appeared out of thin air. “Next time, when I say I don’t have space, believe me,” he growled at Snake.
“I’ll take care of the door, and I’ll throw in a bonus for the emotional damages,” Snake said, rolling his eyes.
“You’re going to pay,” Nash asked.
Snake shrugged. “Fair is fair. Your boy won, mine lost. Besides, we all wanted to do the same thing to him for letting Nora get away. Liam is right. Merlin’s a dumbass. We told him she was old lady material,” Snake said.
“Fuck you,” Merlin grumbled, and limped off to his motorcycle. A minute later, he was peeling out and disappeared down the street. Snake just shrugged.
“I can’t decide if pummeling the shit out of one another is the fastest way to solve an issue or if it is the dumbest,” Ren said, shaking her head and walking back to the bed she’d vacated.
“Probably, both,” I teased, and earned myself a raised eyebrow.
I headed over to Nash, who was talking to Snake.
“So, we’re still good,” Nash asked.
“Course we’re good. Sometimes shit only gets solved with a good old-fashioned fist to the face.
” Snake shook Nash’s hand. “Besides, he was pissing me off. Your boy did me a favor.” His lip pulled up at the corner.
“Raine is all bff with Nora. She was riding my ass about how Merlin treated her.” Snake ran a hand through his hair.
“I’d rather take on my whole damn MC than my old lady. You’ll see what I mean one day.”
Nash and I looked at one another and then over at Ren. Oh, we already knew.
Deciding to check on Liam, I walked over to the sink where Theo was helping clean his face. Liam hissed as Theo used an antiseptic wipe to clean the cut on his forehead.
“Are ya okay?”
“Better now,” Liam said. “That was a long time coming.”
I nodded.
“Remind me not to piss ya off,” I said, walking back to Ren.
This wasn’t the Valentine’s Day I’d envisioned, but it was certainly the most exciting one I’d ever had.
“Liam alright?”
“Aye, a few scratches, nothin’ big.”
Ren’s eyes traveled the room. “Are they all going to be okay in here together,” Ren asked, meaning us and the bikers who stayed.
“Aye, the issue is sorted.” Ren’s phone vibrated. “Want me to grab that for ya?”
“Sure,” she said, through clenched teeth as Trixie worked at filling in the last of the tiny flowers. Grabbing her purse, I pulled her phone out and caught a glimpse of the message.
“Who is it,” Ren asked.
“I’m not sure.”
“I’m all done,” Trixie said, and Ren sat up as I handed her the phone.
I moved around behind her so that I could read the message over her shoulder.
“Oh no, not again,” Ren whispered.
I took the phone from her and reread the series of messages. It was from the same blocked caller as last time.
Unknown: Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,
You froze when friends were in the thick.
Glass like rain, the room went red,
The fight fell quiet under dread.
Hands went still, your courage thin,
I saw the fear crawl under your skin.
Jump now, Snowflake, don’t be slow,
I’m closer than you’ll ever know.
“What the fuck…”
I stomped over to the now-missing door and stared out into the night, scanning the darkness beyond the parking lot, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“Nash?”
“Yeah, man?” He looked over, smiling.
“We got a problem.”