Page 47 of Shattered

I smile, leaning in for a hug and pulling him tight. “I know. Thank you.”

Once Edgar says goodbye to Nash with a sweet hug and a kiss that makes my heart throb, he heads back to work. I offer to help Nash and Bane install the security system, but after doing the other two, they were convinced I’d only slow them down.

Despite the few pages of drawings in my lap, I spend most of my time watching Asher tattoo Jared. There’s no denying he’s an attractive man, and I’ve got to wonder what’s in the fucking water wherever they came from. He’s a bit larger, with some meat on his bones, and his eyes are bright and cheerful. He’s covered in dark facial hair, which matches the messy mop on his head. His tattoos take up most of his skin. Watching Asher add to them only makes him more attractive as he lies there and swallows all that discomfort. There’s something so fascinating about it that makes it addictive to watch, and it almost makes me appreciate my tiger and the pain I went through to get it even more.

I can tell Asher is watching me when I get closer, but he doesn’t protest. Instead, he lets me take a closer look. I kneel so that I can see the machine at eye level and how the needles pierce the skin, sometimes drawing the slightest bead of blood.

As a nurse, watching how precise Asher is in his routine and how clean he keeps everything makes me very happy.

A while after Nash leaves, Bane takes off. He shows us how to use the security systems before he heads back home.

Not long after, I get a text from Neela asking where I am. When I look at my texts, I see I have more from Ian, Allegra, Macy, Gareth, and Juliet, all just checking in, which seems odd. I ignore those and answer Neela’s direct question. When I tell her I’m at the tattoo shop, she doesn’t respond. A few minutes later, I hear a knock on the door, and Asher stops his machine, his posture tensed on red alert.

“Who’s that?” he asks nervously.

I lean in my chair to peek at the door, finding exactly who I expect to see. “It’s Neela.”

“Oh, good.”

I leave Asher with Jared and head to the front of the shop with my sketchpad in my hand. I set it on the desk and disable the code before opening the door.

“Hey, what’re you doing here?” she asks.

“I’m crashing here today. And I’m guessing you knew that.”

She follows me to the desk, and we sit down, out of earshot of the men in the back.

“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” Neela says.

I know where she’s going with this, but I let her get it out. Neela is one of my best friends for a good reason, and there’s a reason I confided in her about Asher. She’s not overbearing. She’s dealt with some pretty crazy stuff in her life, and it’s put a good head on her shoulders. She’ll say her piece but won’t go further than that. She doesn’t push.

“Did you see that Turner removed you from Koa’s chat?”

“Yeah, I noticed.”

She nods, offering her phone to me. “It’ll be easier to show you. You should know.”

I take the phone from her and find the chat open, with a long-winded message from Turner at the top.

Turner: Hey guys, I have some news you all need to know. Lila has been temporarily removed from Koa. The two of us had an argument that went a little sideways. Lila’s been in some war with her new neighbor, Asher. He’s unhinged and potentially dangerous, and I know that because he flipped out at me and broke my car’s side mirror just to be an asshole. I don’t know what’s going on between Lila and this guy, but we need to keep a close eye on her. Ladies, can you check in and see if she’s okay? You’re the closest to her.

Juliet: Yeah, last time I checked in on her, she bit my head off, so someone else can have a turn.

Gareth: What the fuck? Is Lila okay?

Edgar: Lila just called me. I guess the neighbors Asher and Bane had some unwelcome visitors this morning, and they’re concerned they’ll come back. She didn’t tell me what’s happening, but I’m going to cover Bane while he installs some security systems at their houses and tattoo shop.

Nash: Uh, pick me up on your way. I’m at the auto shop, and I’m coming with you.

Gareth: I second that, you shouldn’t go alone. Nash, I’ll get your morning covered.

Nash: Thanks man.

Turner: Girls, see if you can find out anything more from Lila. We need more information on these guys.

Neela: If she tells us anything that’sbetween us.

Ian: Sorry guys, Allegra was giving me a massage, we’re both reading now. What in the world is going on? Is Lila safe!?

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