29. Roxy
Roxy
I’m officially being babysat.
And not even in a sly, I’ll watch you from the shadows, kind of babysitting. It’s the kind where I’m forced to run errands with one parent because the other one is busy.
At least that’s what I assume normal parents do. My mum chose to get royally high, while our tummies rumbled my brothers scored for her.
Tomahto, tamayto.
My sunshine apparently had to run off for the day, and Kaleb had to go to the club. I insisted I’d be safe in the penthouse, drawing and eating snacks, but he stood there with this broody look until I finally peeled myself from the comfortable bed, grumbling under my breath the whole time.
I mean, it was a good excuse to put on some actual clothes for once. And do my hair. And apply a light coat of makeup.
And yes, maybe I did take longer than what is deemed reasonable to complete the tasks. Something about feeling his angry glare on me the entire time made me giddy. Like if I continued to push him, he’d decide to blow off whatever was happening at the club and bend me over the counter to fuck me.
A girl can dream.
But Mr. Serious was still adamant about dragging me to the club, so I scooped up my drawing pads and my tattoo gear into a bag for him to carry.
But now that I’m here, in the meeting room absent-mindedly drawing in my book, my ears are tuned in to Leon and Kaleb’s conversation. Kaleb still isn’t aware that Leon was the one who helped me drug him and chain him to the St. Andrew’s cross. I’m taking that secret to the grave.
I love the little psychopath. I’d hate to see him die.
He’s tapping away on his laptop, pointing to things I can’t see, while muttering things I can’t quite understand. Arms crossed and eyes shadowed, Kaleb is a dark storm cloud behind him.
God, he’s hot.
I’ve been banished to the other side of the long table. The kid’s corner, Leon dubbed it when Kaleb had set me up, grinning at my scowl.
Because that’s exactly how it feels.
Are they scared I won’t be able to handle whatever they are murmuring about? I’m not that delicate...
I sigh dramatically, and when I look up, Kaleb is staring at me with a raised brow. He only gives me a second of attention until he turns back to the laptop.
Rude.
I know they are probably dealing with super important criminal bullshit. So, for approximately thirty-five seconds, I try to behave. That gets boring really quickly.
Twisting the pen in my hand, I start tapping it against my sketchbook, propping my knees up on the worn table and rocking back on my chair.
It makes an obnoxious creaking sound with every swing.
Leon pauses mid-sentence, but Kaleb doesn’t even glance at me.
“Leon,” Kaleb barks, making the younger boy flinch in his chair. “Ignore her. Keep going.”
Leon clears his throat, continuing to tap against the keys of his laptop. I can’t help but smirk. Adding to the percussion I’ve started, I drum my nails on the armrest of the chair. Tap, tap, tap.
I finally get those dark eyes on me, and a satisfied thrill zaps down my spine. He lets out the faintest exhale through his nose.
“I’m bored,” I whine.
“Should I find you some crayons?” Leon drawls. “Maybe a juice box.”
Flipping him off, I turn pleading eyes on Kaleb. “I haven’t worked in a fortnight now. I’m going stir-crazy and now I have to sit here like a misbehaving child while you discuss, God knows what. For all I know, you guys are planning to overthrow the government, and I’m here... fucking doodling.”
The muscle in Kaleb’s jaw feathers just once, his shoulders drawing back as he regards me.
“You certainly are whining like a misbehaving child,” he replies quietly.
My mouth pops open. He’s not exactly wrong, but that is beside the point.
Leon’s eyes spark with mischief.
“Listen to your daddy,” he whispers loudly. “We are doing adult things.”
“I’m older than you, asshole,” I throw back.
All he gives me is an amused shrug of his shoulder before turning back to his laptop. I sigh, flopping my forehead against the table. I should go find Maddy. Or Kai. Maybe they’d involve me in whatever they are doing.
Scratch that. It’s highly likely Kai is doing something that would make me throw up.
Peeling myself off the table, I reach into my pocket. My new favourite toy weighing heavily.
Of course, the purple butterfly knife can never replace my Kitty. But I’m obsessed with it. Flicking it open, I feel Kaleb’s eyes on me. This time, I ignore him.
The sharp blade glints under the dim lights, and I turn it towards the table. Ash will probably kill me for this. But Kaleb wants me to entertain myself, and I’m doing just that.
Even against the wood, the knife carves away at it easily. The first letter forms quickly.
R.
Leon and Kaleb’s voices taper away as I start working on the O. I start humming one of my favourite David Bowie songs. Under Pressure, of course.
O.
I’m halfway through the X when I hear boots slowly making their way towards me.
“I’ll give you two seconds to hand over the knife,” Kaleb murmurs.
Although he sounds calm and collected, as always, there’s heat behind his words. I’ve never claimed to be very smart. That’s why I continue carving the X.
X.
“One,” he growls.
I start on the Y. I’m so damn close.
He doesn’t bother saying two. A second later I’m being ripped from the chair and thrown onto the table on my back. I didn’t even feel the knife leaving my hand, but now it’s pressed against my throat.
The air leaves my lungs as the steel teases close. He leans over me, his stony face bored.
Biting my lip, I grin.
“Scary,” I purr.
The way his eye twitches makes my lips stretch impossibly wider. Pitch-black eyes dip down to my mouth before sliding back to my eyes.
Without thinking, my hips swivel, searching for him. A soft growl rumbles in his throat.
He leans in until his lips graze my ear. “Are you going to sit here like a good girl, or will I have to tie you to the chair and tape those pretty lips closed?”
I hear a weak squeak, and it takes me a second to realise it came from me. I may be silly, but I’m smart enough to know that he would do just that.
His smirk is victorious.
“That’s what I thought.”
“Wait!” I say. He pauses, a slight line forming between his eyebrows. “If I promise to be quiet, can I tattoo you?”
He stills.
“You can continue all your bogeyman stuff,” I murmur. “It’ll be like I’m not even here. I promise.”
I can’t explain the primal need to mark these men. Now that Kai has one from me, I’ve been dying to put a permanent drawing on Kaleb too. Something that marks him as mine, even though I know he’s not.
“You...” he swallows, easing the knife away from my neck. “You want to tattoo me?”
Rolling my eyes, I nod.
“Yes, I want to tattoo you. I brought everything!”
He stares at the bag tucked beneath my chair with an unreadable expression. It’s almost as if I asked him what the square root of Pi is, and not a simple question. My eyes shoot to where his thumb absently traces the handle of the knife before he slides it shut.
All he gives me is one stiff nod of his head.
My grin breaks free before I can stop it, and I climb off the table ungracefully, rushing to grab my things. I’m practically bouncing on my feet with excitement.
“She just carries that stuff around with her?” Leon mutters.
When I turn over my shoulder to shrug at him, he’s watching us both, not bothering to hide his interest.
“If you’re jealous, I’ll give you one too,” I sing-song, riffling through my things and setting them up on the table.
The cheeky smile on his face lights up as Kaleb stiffly seats himself in the chair beside him. His big body fills the thing sinfully, veined forearms resting on the armrests.
“Where do you want it?”
My eyes scan him up and down. He’s already got so many tattoos, and just like his brother, there isn’t much space for me to sneak my own on there.
He leans back in the chair. “Anywhere.”
I step between his thick thighs with a mischievous grin. “Anywhere?”
All I get is another stiff nod of his head, and I roll my eyes. Impossible men.
I chew on my lip before making my decision. “All right,” I point at him. “Strip off the shirt.”
I swear it isn’t just because I want to see his abs.
When my eyes travel up his powerful torso, I pout. There really isn’t much space at all. Dark skin covered by black ink, everywhere. Even the smattering of hair leading down to his pants and followed by swirls disappearing into his waistband.
He is literally mouthwatering. And the fact that there is another one of him, identical but also so different, is some sort of fever dream.
One that I never want to be woken from.
“Here,” he grunts, bringing his hand up and tapping the small space over his heart.
There is only about the size of my palm of un-inked skin there. But my heart flips a beat at tattooing him right over his.
“R...really?” I whisper.
He nods.
My throat feels dry all of a sudden.
“What do you want?”
He shrugs. It’s an action that looks borderline comical coming from him. “No cocks.”
I throw my head back and choke on a shocked laugh.
“That is literally what Kai said.” I shake my head, biting my lip. “You guys are too cute.”
I get everything set up, buzzing with excitement.
“Cute?” Leon parrots. “More like stabby.”
I don’t turn around, but I can imagine Kaleb glaring at him. All scary and stabby, like Leon said.
When I’m all set up and I snap on a pair of black gloves, I straddle one of his thighs. The muscles tense between my legs and I will my pussy not to get all worked up.
Kaleb’s eyes burn through me, and I glance at him through my lashes.
“As you were,” I murmur, jerking my head toward the laptop.
Maybe now I can hear what they are talking about. Looking at the available skin, an idea pops into my head.
I’m going to be lucky to still have my hands after this.
Dipping the needle into the black ink, I start free handing my design.
“See here,” Leon starts, his voice turning scarily serious. “The Wraiths don’t move like this. Reckless and sloppy.”