Epilogue #2
“I want yours on my collarbone, and Gavin’s on my trap muscle. I want us to match. I figured it was only fair since this is technically his idea.”
Both of them nod their heads, moving instinctively.
Atlas parts my legs, caging me in at the same time I feel Gavin press against my back.
The feeling is so intense, so unexpected when they simultaneously bite down on their respective film.
I feel both sets of hands digging into my hips, grounding me as pain explodes across my skin before quickly fading to pure heat at being between them like this.
Atlas presses his hips into me. I can feel the thick ridge of him against my core.
Gavin’s heat at my back and Atlas in front of me, at the same time short circuits my senses.
My body moves on its own accord, trying to get closer to Atlas, chasing more of the sensations they are giving me.
I wrap one leg around his waist, careful to avoid his fresh tattoo.
My own hips try to rock against him but their iron grip keeps me locked in place when they bite down harder.
My head drops back against Gavin, my mouth parted and I can feel how wet I am.
I have to cover my mouth to keep most of my moan from slipping out.
My eyes snap open and widen in surprise at myself.
Of course I would get turned on by being bitten.
The guys release at the same time, quickly stepping back and I wouldn’t put it past them to have been using their eyes to communicate.
I instantly miss the closeness of both of them.
Malik mumbles under his breath and I see him adjust himself in his jeans.
Oops, it looks like we are affecting him as well.
My mind is in a haze as I try to come down from the high I just experienced.
Malik removes the film, snaps on new black gloves then begins tracing my bite mark on my trap muscle first. I watch while he sets up his tattoo gun with a fresh needle.
Once the mark is outlined, he moves to my front and repeats the process.
When he is satisfied that he has the bites good enough, he turns on the gun, filling the needle with ink.
I feel bad making the man hard before he has to tattoo me.
It’s not entirely my fault. I am glad to see that he keeps his professional composure tightly in place.
The first drag of the needle across my trapezoid muscle burns but it’s also soothing in a way.
The shock makes the adrenaline course through me, dulling any pain I thought I would have and I feel like it is a feeling I may become addicted to.
It’s mentally freeing. All the stress and tension from the last few weeks bleed out from my body as he inks Gavin’s and Atlas’ marks onto me forever.
My collarbone hurts slightly worse than my trap, causing me to hiss through my teeth and grip the bed tightly as I adjust to the change in feeling and pressure of the needle grazing my bone.
Once my bites are done with the ointment and the second skin is in place, I hop down.
Atlas pulls me into him when Gavin sits in the chair in the room instead of on the bed like Atlas and I had been.
Malik inspects Gavin’s arm, shaking his head.
“Damn man, what did you do?” After putting on fresh gloves, he leans over Gavin and begins tracing all of the places that need to be redone with a red marker.
“Car accident; the airbags burned me.” Gavin avoids eye contact with all of us as he says it, the melancholy lingering underneath his soft tone.
My chest caves and my own eyes blur with tears as I fight the memory of what he went through.
I know it’s a touchy subject. He feels like he failed us by getting captured and I'm hoping that covering up the scars will help him heal.
“I'm sorry to hear that.” There is genuine remorse in Malik’s voice as he finishes his doodling on Gavin and sits up.
“It's fine. Just tell me if you can fix it.” Gavin says it dismissively, obviously ready for a change in conversation.
“What kind of question is that? You know I can.” Malik’s humor lightens the mood.
“Good, I can't have Atlas' sleeve looking better than mine.”
All three men laugh at that, and it feels real and wholesome. The feeling is something we all could use a little more of lately.
Malik goes through the process of refilling inks and changing to a fresh needle again.
Gavin takes a deep breath and settles back against the chair, relaxing and letting the breath out.
His eyes flutter closed as soon as the needle touches his skin and he remains that way the entire time.
He doesn’t make a sound, only moving when Malik directs him to do so.
I don’t see him this at ease very often.
Gavin’s tattoo takes a little bit longer than Atlas’ and mine did.
We silently watch as Malik works, the moment feeling too heavy for conversation.
Malik works with undivided focus and dedication.
He probably knows how important this touch-up is to Gavin.
He goes back over a few spots, making sure they are perfect before setting the tattoo gun down.
He cleans off the tattoo, applies the same ointment and second skin to Gavin as he did to Atlas and I.
Now that Gavin’s tattoo is complete, Atlas and I both seem to breathe a little easier when Malik leans back to stretch and then moves to clean his station, letting us know that we can pay Sofi at the front counter.
I'm assuming that is the name of the woman with pink hair because I haven’t seen any other person for the entire time we have been here.
I wait until both the boys pay, splitting the amount evenly, before I spring my plan into motion. I grab both of their biceps as we walk towards the car.
“Can we go to Elixirs tonight? It's Saturday.”
“I don't know if that's a good idea, Little Tornado.”
“Please? I promise not to drink and we can invite everyone to go with us.” I hop up and down, squeezing their arms while giving them my best puppy dog eyes.
Gavin and Atlas stare at each other, locked in a silent conversation before Atlas answers through a sigh. “If we go, you have to promise not to drink and that we will leave if you get too tired.”
“Deal! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I kiss both of them on the cheek before skipping the rest of the way to the car.
Elixirs is super busy tonight. This is our first time coming back since Gavin was kidnapped.
Since I was shot. The boys refused to let me leave the house much until I was healed.
I may have convinced the boys to come out tonight by inviting everyone to come with us as some form of celebration, I guess.
I invited Natali and Xeno, as well. They said they had something to take care of first, but that they would try to come.
I got her number from Ramos three days after I got home.
We text here and there. It's nothing crazy, but it's nice to talk to someone who went through what she did.
She has tips for dealing with the P.T.S.D of it all.
I think we all have some form of trauma from everything that happened, but we are getting through it day by day.
Sitting in a new booth we have commandeered at Elixirs, I am sandwiched between Ramos and Atlas, with Gavin on my other side.
It is apparent that even when they are off assignment, they are still always working protective detail.
After my second mocktail, Gavin gestures towards the entrance and my eyes see my new best friend walking into the bar.
I feel the smile grow on my face as I watch Natali stride into Elixirs like she owns the place.
Xeno trails closely behind her, his eyes already scanning for what I assume to be potential threats, the three of us, or possibly Ramos.
Spotting our group, Xeno places his hand at the small of Natali’s back and together, they walk over.
“Thanks for coming. I know y’all are busy.
” I say when they come to a stop in front of us.
Ramos immediately scoots closer to me while maintaining a respectful distance, making room for Natali and then Xeno to slide into the booth alongside him.
I would normally sit between Atlas and Gavin but they are being extra protective lately and decided that placing Ramos alongside me was a good idea.
I disagree because then I am not between my favorite people, but I am trying to let them do what they think is better for all of us as a unit.
Everyone but me chuckles, seeming to be a part of a silent conversation that I'm clueless about and I internally bristle. “What am I missing?” I swing my head as I look at each of them, waiting for an answer.
My eyes snap across the table towards Natali, who is the first one to answer me. “I actually own Elixirs. Well, my husband did before he died.”
“That man is not your husband, not anymore.”
“FINE! Ex-husband. Happy now?”
“Damn right I am.”
Well, that’s a shock. “No way! Are you serious?” The information I just received in the matter of seconds almost makes my head spin.
“Yeah, it's actually how we found out this place existed.” I look up as Atlas explains how they found my favorite place, outside of Pages. “Ramos told us his brother worked with the man who owned it.”
“I came here with Xeno when they first bought the place. Torres Security runs the system here.”
“Yeah, it's one of our biggest accounts. I can’t believe I never told you that.”
I glance up in time to watch Ramos follow something with his eye. Whatever or whoever it was must have disappeared because in the next second, he clears his throat asking, “Can I be excused? I need to run to the bathroom real fast.”
I snicker, knowing damn well that he is only making an excuse to avoid being hounded by questions.