Page 31 of Hurricane's House

“When did you say you were opening?” Mace asked.

“In two days,” Ink grumbled. “I know the place looks a mess, but there is a method to my chaos.”

“Good to know,” Mace said. “How about you tell us how we can help, and we’ll get to work.” Ink wasn’t sure what he had done to earn their help, but he was sure thankful to have it.

“Thanks, guys, I appreciate the help,” Ink said.

“Let’s get to work,” Mace ordered. Ink couldn’t help his smile as they all scattered to get his shop ready for his first client in two days. Joining his new club was honestly one of the best decisions he had made in a damn long time.

Ink was thrilled that his clients were lining up around the corner to get a tattoo from him. It had only been two weeks since he opened his doors and if things kept up this way, he’d have to hire one or two more artists to help him keep up with his clients.

He usually closed the shop for a half-hour lunch break at noon, but today, he was working on finishing up a big project. He was drafting a tat for Mace, and he really hoped his club’s Prez would like it. Giving Mace a tattoo was the least he could do for all the help that he and the club had given him to open his place.

The bell rang over the door, and he looked up to find a woman with strawberry blond hair standing in his shop, crying. God, he hated when women cried. It was the one time that he never knew what to do. His ex-wife, Lena used to cry, and he felt helpless when it came to trying to soothe her. She said it was one of the things she hated the most about him—and there was a long list. Lena claimed that he was uncaring and even cold to her when she was upset, and looking back now, maybe he was. He was just never comfortable with a crying woman, and now, he had one standing in his shop.

“We’re closing for lunch,” he grumbled. Yeah—maybe he could work on his charm and compassion, but right now, he wanted to concentrate on Mace’s tattoo.

“Um, I’m not here for a tattoo,” the woman said. She wiped the tears from her bright green eyes and tried to smile at him. The whole scene was almost comical, but even he knew not to laugh at a woman in tears.

“Then, what can I help you with, Miss?” he asked.

“I’m not sure if you can help me,” she insisted. “I’m in trouble and I need someplace to hide.”

Ink walked to the front of the store and pulled down the shade that let everyone know that he was out to lunch, and locked the door. “What kind of trouble are you in?” he almost whispered. The young woman had a few bruises on her face that he hadn’t noticed when she walked in. And he completely missed her busted lip. Yeah—she was in trouble all right and judging from the bruises on her face, she was in a lot of it.

“My ex-husband is looking for me. He found me in the parking lot over at the grocery store and I can’t go home with him,” she insisted.

“Did he do that to your face?” Ink asked. She nodded as a sob escaped her chest and he worried that he had asked too many questions.

“He did, and there are more bruises that aren’t on my face. That’s usually where he would hit me so that no one would see, but two nights ago, he did this to me. I left in the middle of the night, while he was sleeping and went to stay with my sister, but I’m afraid that I’m putting her in danger.” Ink had known guys like her ex. They were bullies who didn’t deserve to draw breath, but playing God wasn’t his style.

“How can I help?” Ink asked.

“Um, can I stay here for a bit—you know, until the coast is clear? I’m not sure that I should go back to my car, in case he’s waiting there for me,” she said.

“I’m good with you staying here while you wait your ex out, but there is one thing that I need to know first,” he insisted.

“What’s that,” she hesitantly asked.

“What’s your name?” he asked. She smiled and grimaced when her lip cracked open, and blood ran down her chin.

“Sorry,” she whispered, taking the cloth he gave her.

“It’s clean, and you have nothing to be sorry for,” Ink insisted.

“Thank you,” she breathed, “my name is Charlotte, but everyone calls me Charlie, and yes, I know it’s a boy’s name. It’s a long story, and I really don’t want to bore you with it.”

“Well, Charlotte, I’m not doing anything for the next hour, and I don’t think that it will be as boring as you claim,” he said. “I’m Ink, by the way.” She giggled again and he thought that it might be the most magical sound he had ever heard. Ink was always a sucker for a damsel in distress and from the look of it, Charlie was in a good deal of distress.

“Your name is very fitting, Ink,” she said. “I guess that’s why you named your shop Ink, right?” he nodded and started walking to the back of his place.

“Come on, Charlie. I have a sub that I can share with you, and I’ll even throw in a few chips if you agree to tell me about how you got stuck with a boy’s name.” She followed him to the back of his shop, and he wasn’t sure how he was going to help Charlie, but he was sure of one thing—there was no way that he’d let her go back to her abusive ex.

Charlotte

Charlotte Blue was supposed to be a boy. Her father liked to point that out to her at every turn. Hell, her mother gave her a perfectly good girl name and her dad changed it to Charlie. Everyone started calling her that and before she knew it, the name stuck. It grew on her over time, but she still hated that her father wanted her to be the son he never had.

She seemed to be a disappointment to all the men in her life. Her ex-husband liked to tell her just that while he beat her black and blue. For some crazy reason, she kept going back to him, even after their divorce was final. Honestly, she had nowhere else to go. Her sister let her stay with her for a few days, but then, she’d tell Charlie that she had to go because she didn’t want Zeb to show up at her place, asking where she was. She couldn’t blame Ella. She was in danger just by letting Charlie stay with her for a few days. Zeb knew that Charlie had limited resources as to where she could stay, and he found her every time she ran. That’s when she’d promised to go back home with him, trying to keep her sister safe all the while knowing what kind of beating would be waiting for her at home.

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