Page 44 of Tiny's Law

Brenna and Flame chat over the music while I lean my head back and do everything I can not to pop a stiffy as the events of last night play through my head like a fucking pornographic movie.

Sometime later, Brenna cleans off my arm for the hundredth time today. I can’t get a good visual of our progress from this angle, but what I can see is fucking sick.

“This is coming out so much better than I ever thought it would,” Brenna squeaks excitedly.

“I can’t wait to see it all done. You’re doing fucking great, babe.”

“Thanks, Tiny. You have no idea what it means to me that you have enough faith in my art to put it on you, let alone cover your entire arm.”

“One day, I hope you realize how talented you are.”

Brenna blushes while looking over towards Flame wistfully, who now has his own client laid out on his table. “If not for him, I would never even have considered this a possibility in my lifetime. I’m so thankful I met him.”

“Even without his guidance, though, Brenna, the art is yours. The talent is yours.”

“Maybe one day I’ll believe you. Until then, I will forever suffer from imposter syndrome.” A small, sad smile lifts the side of her lips.

Her confession tugs at my heart. I’m not afraid to admit it. I have a soft spot for women who think they aren’t good enough or don’t deserve the praise they so clearly do.

I blame it on my mom. After my pops ran off when I was a kid, it was just me and her. She blamed herself for years that she wasn’t good enough of a woman to keep a man around, so she never tried.

What she will never accept is that, to me, she is the best woman there is. She is an angel in my eyes, and no fucker on Earth deserves her love. I also miss the fuck out of her. After I left for the Marines at 18, the age she was when she had me, she moved to Phoenix to be near her sister, and I don’t get to see her nearly enough.

“I like her,” Brenna admits after a lull in conversation.

“Who?”

After rolling her eyes, Brenna stares at me like I’m an idiot. “Who do you think?”

“Well, considering my mom was just on my mind, and you’ve never met my mom, I have no clue.”

“Kourtney.”

“Ahh.” The corner of my mouth turns up in a grin at the thought of her.

“She’s really nice. Gorgeous, too.”

I chuckle. “You can say that again.”

“Do you like her?”

I search Brenna’s face and find curiosity, as well as hopefulness, in her eyes. I nod. “I do.”

“Like, like her like her? Or do you just like her enough to get in her pants?”

I let out a loud laugh at that. Brenna has definitely come a long fucking way out of her shell. The Brenna from a year ago would never ask anyone something like that. This new Brenna? Her newfound curiosity is going to get her into trouble one of these days.

“Wanna know a secret about me, Bren?”

Her voice lowers into a whisper that makes me smile. “I’m learning I love secrets.”

“I don’t usually care to be around any woman more than once, and if I do, it’s more of a means to an end. A need if you will.”

Brenna’s brows furrow now, not catching what I’m throwing at her. “Okay? What does that have to do with Kourtney?”

I lick my lips and run my hand along my beard. “I want to be around her all the time.”

“You mean until you sleep with her? Then you get tired of them and don't want her around anymore?”

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