Ink
Was this how all the other men felt with their women? He was starting to regret ever teasing them. It was distracting as hell. How did they function?
Even now, he could taste Naomi on his tongue, and he craved her again. A hot and sweaty round on the garage desk wasn’t enough. His body was already aching for more.
And he didn’t give a damn that all his brothers knew exactly what they’d been up to. Mostly because Karissa explained to everyone to avoid the shop and why, but he refused to be embarrassed.
Not a single one of them was any better.
“Ink, how’s the shop? And Tom? He’s coming along?”
He forced himself to pay attention. Daydreaming about his woman in Church was not something he needed to be caught doing.
“Everything’s great. Business is still climbing, and Tom is making excellent progress. He’s even got a small list of steady clients himself. He’s been keeping up with his prospecting duties as well. Don’t know how the kid is sleeping, but he hasn’t given a single complaint.”
“I heard one of the other prospects say that he only catnaps,” Razor said, a slight frown marring his face. “I’m all for keeping the prospects on their toes, but I don’t think we should be burning any of them out either. Especially not one that we want to eventually have as a brother.”
“He’s up for a patch vote next month,” Ice reminded them. “Think he’ll make it another month?”
“He’s never complained, and none of his work has slacked.
He seems to enjoy tattooing.” Ink frowned.
Shit, was he so distracted with everything else that he wasn’t paying enough attention to putting too much on Tom?
“I’ll talk to him, make sure. If it’s too much, we can cut back on the hours at the shop until he’s patched, and pick back up then.
Assuming that’s the direction we’re going.
” He glared at Savage, whose expression remained blank.
“Talk to him,” Savage finally ordered. “Tom’s earning his patch, you’re right.
I think we need to see this through to the end.
This is the time when he’ll prove himself.
If he’s burning out, we need to know, but shit isn’t going to get easier when he gets his patch.
We’re preparing him for this. It’s been a long time since we’ve patched anyone in, but with the shit happening with Naomi, we need every available brother we can.
” He glanced at Code. “Any updates on that?”
“The cartel is still looking for her. There have been searches and contracts listed on the dark web for her whereabouts.” He glanced at Ink before adding, “And there’s an additional contract out for Asher. He’s to be brought to Diego alive. No exceptions.”
“He doesn’t want to risk damaging a money maker,” Ink spat, infuriated. He wanted to kill the fucker.
“The contracts on Naomi are that she’s to be brought back to him or killed on sight if she makes it to the courthouse to testify,” Code added.
“With every day they’re not finding her, they’re going to get more desperate.
Glitch and I have been working overtime to make sure that every camera, sensor, and digital alert is set up to catch anything.
There are reports that they’ve tried to intimidate other witnesses and the federal prosecutors to find out where she is.
Since none of them know, they haven’t gotten far. ”
“What about the Devil’s Predators?” Rogue asked. Taz and Glitch were kept out of this meeting, still on protection duty for Naomi and Asher. “Anything connecting them to sneaking them out?”
“Nothing that we can find. Glitch has been very careful to hide any traces of them. On paper, they don’t exist, and on the web, they’re known as something else.
And I don’t even know what that is,” he added before anyone could ask.
“When they say they’re ghosts, they mean it.
There is nothing that traces them back to us. ”
“We still have months until the trial, so we need to stay alert,” Ice warned.
“Now isn’t the time when we need to worry about them finding her.
It’s at the halfway point. That’s when people get comfortable and screw up.
They’ll know this. The people taking these contracts know this.
Right now, everything is heightened. Everyone is on the lookout.
Two months, one careless moment, and they’ll be taking down the gates. ”
“And Naomi is content here now, but I imagine she’s going to get antsy and want to be out in the real world,” Fury agreed, frowning.
He glanced at Rogue then Savage. “And in a couple of months the kids will all be in school. Ronin and Gabe especially will have to be told not to mention her. The twins are good, but they’re not perfect and could slip up. ”
Ink tensed. He’d never considered the kids saying anything.
“I’ll have a talk with Ronin, but we have to prepare and have a cover story.” Savage looked at Code.
“Already on it,” Code said, fingers flying over his keyboard. “I’ve sent a note to Glitch to get on making a foolproof background for her. Fake picture, fake everything. If one of the kids mentions her, it’ll just be a coincidence that they have the same name.”
“We’ll worry about that problem later,” Savage agreed. He smirked at Ink. “You finally pulled your head out of your ass and claimed her, Mr. I-don’t-want-a-relationship?”
Ink flipped him off, snickers sounding around the table.
He’d known it was coming, and he didn’t care.
“Yes, I’ve claimed her. She’s not so sure about that yet, but we’re going to work on it.
But for all intents and purposes, she and Asher are under my protection.
Once all of this is behind her, then I’ll ask her to wear my patch. ”
“You sure she’s going to stay?” Jax held up his hand when Ink glared at him. “I’m just playing devil’s advocate, brother. Being with someone when your life is in danger is one thing, but choosing to stay after it’s over, is another. We’ve all dealt with that one way or another.”
“He just needs to keep from fucking it all up and they’ll be building a house on the grounds too with a few more genius babies running around,” Razor pointed out with a grin.
Ink flipped him off too. “I’m not going to fuck anything up. I’ve already seen what all you idiots did, so I’ll know exactly what not to do.”
“He has a point.” Savage smiled smugly. “Nothing like already having the hard shit done for you.”
Ink rolled his eyes. “Not my fault you all went about getting with your women with heads up your asses. As for Naomi leaving, I’ve already told her I’ll go Nomad if I have to, to stay with her.”
The tension in the room shifted. Silence met his statement, and Savage’s expression sharpened. Ink held his stare. He wanted them to understand just how far he was willing to go with this woman.
“Holy shit, he’s actually fallen in love with her,” Jax breathed, gaping at him. “You’d be willing to walk away from everything you love, including your shop, for her?”
Was he already in love with her? The thought didn’t scare the shit out of him. If he wasn’t, he was falling. It was something he’d need to think on later.
“If that’s what it takes to keep her with me.
Her and Asher. I can do tattooing anywhere, and she’s spent her entire adult life hidden away by the cartel.
She’s never lived or experienced things.
Even now, she’s trapped here. She can’t just leave and do whatever she wants.
She has to stay behind lock and key, even with some freedom to move around the grounds.
Asher’s the same. He can’t just go to the park or have a playdate with kids that aren’t from the club. ”
“And you think she can’t do that here when everything is all over?” Savage asked, tone tight but curious.
Ink shrugged. “She can, but I won’t restrict her here. Do I want to leave? No, but you all made sacrifices for your women, and I’m prepared to do it for mine.”
“Has she said she’s unhappy here?”
“No, she enjoys the other women being around, and she’s excited that Asher has other kids to play with and learn from.”
“Then maybe she won’t want to leave,” Razor stated. “Hell, get her pregnant and she won’t be able to go anywhere.”
A few agreements and chuckles went around the room. He froze, and the coldness that swept through him was new. He’d never felt that kind of anger before. It didn’t take long for everyone to realize he was not agreeing, and the anger he kept tightly gripped was slipping. Razor’s eyes widened.
“Do not ever suggest that again,” Ink demanded. Then he turned his gaze around the entire room. “You have no fucking clue what she’s been through, and if you ever say such a thing to her, or even insinuate it, I will take her and Asher, and I will walk away. I will strip my patch and leave.”
Shocked silence. Even some horror from Razor and Jax. He’d never laid a line, but he was now. And he realized just how much he meant it. He would leave without hesitation if anyone upset Naomi that much.
“Ink, explain,” Savage ordered. “Because no fucking way am I taking that statement lying down.”
Ink looked at his president—his friend—letting him see just how deep his commitment to this ran. Calmly as he could, he explained what Naomi had been through. How Asher came to be. A part of him felt like he shouldn’t be telling this without Naomi’s permission, but they had to understand.
He needed them to realize how serious this was. He’d already fucked up once; he didn’t know if she would forgive any of them a second time.
When he finished, the room was silent. He read the shock and disgust on their faces.
“Shit, brother, I’m sorry,” Razor rasped. “I … I didn’t know that. Karissa has never said a word, and she would have to know since the Devil’s Predators had the full story.”
“Glitch didn’t either,” Code murmured.