Page 6 of Hidden Ink

Jesus, his head hurt from going back and forth. He wanted her, he ached for her, but he wasn’t good enough for her. He’d never be pure for her. But at some point he may have to let that go. Realize that while he wasn’t light—instead, darkness—he was still hers. And that would have to be sufficient.

Sloane might not be good enough for Hailey, but damn it, nobody was. This Brody, with his too-gelled hair, wasn’t even close to being what she needed.

“Are we taking a break?” Brody asked as he looked over his shoulder. “Everything looking good back there?”

Maya cleared her throat, and Sloane forced his attention away from Brody and toward the other tattoo station. His other boss and friend pressed her lips together, surprising him. He’d have thought Maya would have a sarcastic quip or something to say about what the hell had just happened. Even Callie stood by Maya’s side, wide-eyed and a little surprised. He didn’t blame the younger woman. For as long as he’d known her, she’d been trying to figure out why he wasn’t with Hailey.

How was he supposed to tell them he wasn’t worthy of the blonde bombshell with secrets of her own? That if he was with her, he’d taint the beauty of her soul, the exquisiteness of her smile. That’s what he did. He brought in the shadows, carved deep inside, and rotted the core of someone because of what he’d done, what he’d seen.

But he was a selfish bastard. He knew that. Sloane knew it might be time for him to stand up and actually do something about what he’d been hiding from for years. To do that, however, he needed to make sure this kid knew his place.

“Shit,” Brody mumbled under his breath. “I stepped in it, didn’t I?” The younger man turned slightly in his chair and grimaced. “I didn’t know she was yours, bro. I just saw a pretty girl with no ring on her finger and thought she was fair game. I’m sorry. I didn’t know she was taken.”

Sloane let out a breath, his rage over this kid backing down slightly, though the swirl of self-pity was well on the rise. Lovely.

“She’s not…”

Brody shook his head. “Yeah, she is. I saw the way you looked at her, and I know you’re about this close to knocking my head right off my shoulders. So you might not be dating her officially, but I stepped in it. I’ll go in there and then back off. I’d just leave, but that wouldn’t be right, and I don’t want to hurt her feelings. You know?” He shrugged. “If you don’t want to finish my ink, I get it.”

Sloane was aware that the others were staring at him, waiting for him to confirm or deny his so-called relationship with Hailey. They were waiting for him to say something. Anything.

“I’m not going to fuck up your ink, kid.”

Brody raised a brow. “I know I’m taking my life in my hands, but I’m not that much younger than you. No need to call me kid.”

Maya muttered something under her breath about insolent fools while Austin groaned.

“You’re asking for me to punch you in the face, aren’t you?” Sloane growled out, his voice low and deep. Though in reality, his voice was always low and deep.

“Not really. I just figured if you’re calling me kid and Hailey looked to be about the same age as me, then maybe you’re calling her kid, as well.”

“Jesus Christ,” Austin growled. The man also coughed out what suspiciously sounded like a chuckle.

“How about you shut up and let me finish your ink?” Sloane asked casually, though he felt anything but casual. “Then you can head on out of here and we’ll call it a day.”

Brody sighed then turned so Sloane could work on the last shading of the tattoo. “Whatever, Sloane. But I’ve got to say, if Hailey smiled at me like that, maybe you need to step up your game and actually do something about her. Because if you’re saying that you’re not with her but act like no one else can be with her either, that might cause problems. Just saying.”

“Brody, for the love of God, stop talking,” Maya snapped. “He has a tattoo gun like two inches from your skin. Do you really want to piss him off?”

“He’s not going to mess up my ink,” Brody said back slowly. “He already said that.”

“I might change my mind,” Sloane said. He wouldn’t. None of the crew at Montgomery Ink would. Even pissed off, they wouldn’t fuck up ink. That was their income, their passion, their life. Fucking up ink was not an option.

“You wouldn’t,” Brody said calmly. “You like me, even if you want to punch me in the face right now.”

Sloane chuckled slowly and he saw Austin’s shoulders relax at the sound. “Hell, kid, you have an ego on you.”

“Helps with the ladies. Though not your lady. I won’t poach.”

If Sloane hadn’t wanted to kick this kid’s ass for daring to come near Hailey, he might have become friends with the idiot. As it was, he was withholding judgment on that until he could figure out what the hell he was going to do about Hailey at all. He couldn’t keep doing this, couldn’t keep freaking out if another man came near her. Of course, he hadn’t actually freaked out physically before. This was a first.

She’d smiled at Brody.

She’d given him one of Sloane’s smiles.

Hell. He needed to get his head out of his ass.

He finished up Brody’s work in silence then stretched his back as the other guy stood up and ran a hand through his hair.