Chapter 29
KNIGHT
Things slowly got back to normal. I spent Sunday in bed, with Aiden attending my every need—well, except the one I’d most like attended. He’d insisted I needed to rest, and my bruised and battered body seemed to agree.
I slept and ate and tried not to snap when Aiden checked my condition every few hours. He’d seen me at my worst, and he still loved me. His love manifested as caretaking, and I’d be a huge hypocrite to complain about that.
Finally, I’d given my love to someone who loved me just as much. It made those years with Puck look even more toxic than they had before.
On Monday, the guys all stopped in to see how I was doing, and we had a few beers. By Tuesday, I was okay to go to work.
Angela looked horrified when I walked in the door. “Not again!”
I smiled wryly as everyone looked up, eyes wide. All but Cyrus. I’d warned him about what was happening in case I needed some extra time off to heal. I’d gotten off easy, though, and I could live with some lingering soreness.
“Last time,” I said. Then, not wanting to jinx myself, I added, “I hope.”
Emory came over. “Are you okay? Do I need to call Dalton?”
Emory’s connection to the sheriff had its uses, but not even he could stop a biker club from carrying out the punishment they saw fit. It would have only inspired the Serpents to terrorize Riverton.
“Not necessary, but thanks,” I said. “I’m mostly just bruised.”
Cyrus gave me a considering look. “You’re free and clear of the Serpents now?”
“Yeah. There’s only one thing left to do.” I shrugged out of my jacket and pointed to the chain of snakes tattooed on my arm. “I need this covered. I don’t care what it costs. I need it off me. I want to erase all my connections to them for good.”
“You don’t need to pay anything,” Emory said. “It’s on the house. I’ll do it if Cyrus won’t.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“We do,” Cyrus said. “Get in the chair. I don’t have anyone coming in for an hour.”
I hadn’t expected such a quick response, but I didn’t argue. “Just let me set up everyone’s stations first.”
I went through the opening routine, so all the artists could get to work once their clients came in. When I finished, Cyrus waved me into his chair.
“Any idea what you’d like to be tattooed in its place?” Cyrus asked. “Keep in mind, we’ll have some limits if we want to cover it effectively.”
I didn’t even have to think about it.
“I’d like to have Angel tattooed on my arm.” At Angela’s eyebrow raise, I added, “For Aiden. It’s what I call him.”
“Ah, that’s why you always insist on calling me Angela,” she said with a laugh. “It all makes sense now.”
I shrugged. “Guilty.”
“We’ll need more than just the word to cover this,” Cyrus said thoughtfully.
“Maybe something to represent healing?” I suggested. “He’s a doctor, and he’s healed me in ways I didn’t see coming.”
Emory pulled up Google on his phone and showed me and Cyrus an image of a symbol I’d seen before to represent healthcare, apparently called a caduceus. It featured two serpents wrapped around a staff with wings, which would make it easier to incorporate some of my original artwork.
“That should work,” Cyrus murmured.
Emory glanced at me. “Unless you want to lose all signs of serpents?”
“No, this is good.”
Better than good, really. It represented my past and my future.
“I’ll have to do some additional work around it,” Cyrus warned. “A floral pattern with different shapes and sizes to disguise what’s underneath would work.”
“I trust you. Do whatever you need to do.”
They got to work. Emory drew the design while Cyrus gave him input from studying the ink already on my arm.
Once finished, Cyrus transferred the design to my skin.
“So, you’re pretty serious with Aiden, huh?” Emory asked.
“Yeah.”
“We don’t want to cover this up again in a few months,” Cyrus added with a chuckle.
“It’s serious. I love him. I, uh, couldn’t have gotten through all this”—I pointed to my black eye—“if it weren’t for his support. His and the other guys at Redemption Road.”
Emory beamed. “I’m so happy for you guys. We need to have you both over for another cookout. Maybe it’ll be less tense this time?”
I laughed. “Uh, yeah, we were still reaching boiling point last time.”
Cyrus turned on the tattoo machine and placed the needle against my skin. I clenched my teeth as a stinging spread through my bicep.
“Fuck,” I gritted out. “I forgot what a bitch these were.”
Cyrus chuckled. “Just relax and wait for the endorphin rush.”
I closed my eyes, riding out the tingling pinpricks of the needle.
“So what kind of guy is Aiden?” Cyrus asked, probably to distract me from the pain. “Fine dining or outdoor picnic?”
“Uh, I don’t know,” I said. “We haven’t been on a date.”
“You’re getting inked for a guy and you haven’t even gone on a date?” Cyrus asked. “You might be doing this backwards.”
I laughed, and he tightened his free hand on my arm to keep me still.
“We did everything backwards,” I agreed. “That’s just how it is with us, I guess. But you’re right. I should, uh, start thinking about doing things the right way now.”
“There’s no right way,” Emory said before the door chimed. “Shoot, that’s my eleven a.m. Good luck. Holler if you need me for anything.”
He hurried to the front of the shop to greet an older woman who’d highlighted her short silvery hair with teal streaks. “Hey, Ava. Come on back.”
Cyrus worked quietly, letting me get lost in my thoughts as he continued inking over my older tattoo.
“How’s it going?” I asked after a while. “Is it working?”
“Yeah. The old ink was faded, so that helps. Not too difficult to cover as long as I shade right.”
I nodded and chewed my lip. “I want to take Aiden on a date, but I’ve never done that sort of thing before.”
“Ah.” Cyrus nodded. “Well, it’s not so hard. What does Aiden enjoy?”
“Well, he’s a kick-ass doctor. He loves taking care of people. He’s sweet, but he hates showing it. He’s always trying to be strong, even when he doesn’t have to be. But none of that says anything about what kind of date he’d like, does it?”
Cyrus chuckled. “Not really. But it tells me what kind of man he is. Knowing that is more important.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Aiden poured all his energy into his work. The only time he really let go was when we became intimate, and even then, he sometimes held back.
There was only one time I’d seen him totally free. I smiled to myself as an idea took shape in my mind.
As soon as these bruises healed, I was taking Aiden on a date. Maybe it should have come before the I love you. Some would say it should come before all the sex and intimacy. But the fact it was happening at all was a minor miracle.
Not because I’d survived my fight. I had higher odds of doing that than landing a guy like Aiden Donovan.
Dr. Donovan, at that.
I was the luckiest guy to have found him, and I intended to show Aiden just how much I appreciated that fact.
When I got home that night, Aiden was packing up Waffles’ belongings.
“Is he going home?” I asked, heart sinking.
Aiden gave me a sympathetic smile. “Sorry. I know you got a little attached while he was here.”
“Attached? Nah. He healed my soul and reminded me of all the good things in the world, but I’m not attached.”
I scooped up Waffles, only wincing a little as my new ink—only partially done and covered in cellophane—twinged. Luckily, I’d recently been in a brutal fight and Aiden would assume I was flinching from all my other aches and pains.
I didn’t want him to see the tattoo until it was finished. I wanted to show him at the right time, so he’d see how much he’d come to mean to me.
Not while blinking back tears over a silly dog.
“Aw, you big softie,” Aiden said, leaning in over Waffle’s wiggly body to peck a kiss to my lips. “Come with us. We can pick up some takeout on the way home.”
“You don’t want my chili mac?” I asked, pretending to be offended.
He laughed. “I could use a break from all the heartburn. I’m a doctor. Please listen when I say that how you eat is not right.” He shuddered.
I lowered my cheek to nuzzle at Waffles. “Don’t listen to him, Waffles. I make the best food. I make it taste sooo good.”
“What taste?” Aiden mumbled. “You’ve fried all your tastebuds off.”
“Yeah, love you too, Doc.”
That got a smile from him. “Fine. We’ll get takeout from Zacos. I’m sure you can add enough hot sauce to enjoy your toxic waste.”
I grinned. “Aw, you can just say you love me too, you know.”
He laughed as he bagged up Waffles’ bowls. When Waffles saw Aiden pick up the leash, he squirmed right out of my arms and hit the floor with an excited yip.
“Yes, we’re going out,” Aiden said. “Back to see your daddy.”
I was sad to see Waffles go. I hadn’t been exaggerating.
Aiden had comforted me with cuddles and movie marathons—Pirates of the Caribbean was good mindless action with a side of a dishy Johnny Depp to heal what ailed me—but when Aiden was busy doing all those normal things like showering and cooking and laundry, Waffles had been a reassuring warmth against my side.
He’d looked at me with his big brown doggie eyes and licked my hand, reassuring me that I was still his number one guy.
Except I wasn’t.
That would be Larry. No wonder the old guy wanted him back. Waffles was the bestest boy.
I followed Aiden to the car. “Hear me out. Maybe…Waffles just ran off, and we say, we’re so sad, Larry, but we brought you this new puppy from the animal shelter to keep you company.”
Aiden laughed. “Will! No dognapping.”
“Is it dognapping if Waffles wants to stay? We could let him choose.”
Aiden opened the back door and urged Waffles inside, securing him safely, ignoring my words as if my idea wasn’t reasonable. With a huff, I climbed into the passenger seat.
Aiden got in and started the car. I buckled up, and he reversed out of the driveway and started toward the highway.
“I know you really like Waffles,” he said. “Larry’s really grateful we took such good care of him.”
I grunted. Yes, I was sulking.
“Maybe instead of Larry getting a puppy, we should get you one,” Aiden said tentatively.
I glanced over. “He wouldn’t be Waffles.”
“I know, but Waffles has a home. I’m sure Axel’s got some really great dogs, too. You could try fostering one first.”
“We.”
“What?”
I squeezed his hand. “We could foster one. I wouldn’t want to do it without you.”
He smiled, eyes soft, before glancing back to the road. “Yeah. We could foster another dog.”
Cyrus’s words came back to me. We were doing things in the wrong order again. Surely fostering a pet came after dating.
I cleared my throat. “I’ll entertain this idea of dog ownership on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You let me take you on a date first.”
Aiden grinned. “You want to take me on a date?”
“Yep. I’ve got it all planned.”
“You do, huh? Do I get any say in where we have this date?”
“None,” I said. “You just have to relax and enjoy.”
“That’s a tall order for me,” Aiden admitted. “But I’ll try.”
Aiden turned down a dirt road and as Larry’s house came into view, Waffles pressed his nose to the window, tail wagging up a storm.
“Looks like he’s happy to be home,” I said, only a little disappointed.
Aiden patted my thigh as he parked. “You made what could have been a very sad period of his life much better. I’m sure Waffles is grateful.”
Okay, enough. I wasn’t a seven-year-old boy sulking over the stray he’d gotten attached to. I got out of the car and opened the back door, setting Waffles free.
He launched out of the car and raced toward Larry, who’d stepped out onto the porch.
Larry crouched down and Waffles leaped into his arms, licking his face and whining.
My heart clenched. Damn. Bringing him home had been the right move. I’d always known it was, of course. But seeing how happy Larry was—the tears spilling down his cheeks as he greeted Waffles, who had probably thought he’d lost his owner forever—made it a lot easier to let him go.
Aiden wrapped his arm around my waist. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, voice a little hoarser than it should be. “Waffles is where he belongs. He never would have chosen me over his one true daddy.”
“Well, I choose you.” Aiden paused with an impish look on his face. “You can be my daddy.”
I laughed. “Yeah? Do I get to spank you when you’re bad?”
“Only if you spank me when I’m good.”
I grinned. “I think that can be arranged.”
He nudged me. “Let me go speak to Larry a minute. Then we’ll go home. You can feed me and give me all the pets you want.”
I kissed his forehead. “You know what this means, right?”
“What?” he asked, still smiling, half-expecting a joke.
“You have to love me unconditionally.”
His smile faded, his face shifting to a more serious expression. “I already do.”
“Yeah?” I gave him a squeeze. “Good. Me too.”
Maybe we had done everything in the wrong order, but as I watched Aiden shoot me a warm look over his shoulder as he walked over to Larry, I realized it didn’t matter.
We were both exactly where we wanted to be.