Page 27 of Tess, Property of Blaze

Blaze

Parking my bike in front of Ink Me, I notice all the lights are off, and there’s no sign of movement inside. I get off my bike and walk to the front of Tess’s shop, then put my hands either side of my face on the glass as I peek through the front window. It doesn’t look like anyone is in there, but to make sure, I grab my keys from my pocket, looking for the store’s spare key on my key chain, thankful Tess had given me one for those nights she needed help locking up.

Unlocking the door, I enter the eerily quiet space then close it behind me. “Tess, you in here?”

Silence.

I walk to the rear of the store and open the door to the back room. I flick on the lights and call out again, “Tess, you here?”

Again, silence.

Knowing for sure now that she’s not here, I turn the lights off and head back to the front of the shop, panic now filling me. This just doesn’t make sense. Why would she just leave like that? The blood on the floor, the cracked tile with Tess’s hair stuck to it—it has me wondering what the hell is going on. Even though she texted Luisa back, it still doesn’t lower my anxiety levels, and the worry that she’s been hurt.

Before I exit, I reach for my cell and dial her number once again. “Come on, Tess, answer me, baby,” I whisper into the phone. It goes to voicemail, but this time I leave a message. “Tess, please call back, I need to know you’re okay.”

I hang up just as a call from Rhyder comes through. “Hey, brother, you got any news?” I ask straightaway.

“Nah, man, nothing. I already checked out St. James Hospital, and was just heading down to NYCs to find out if they’ve seen her.”

I sigh and run my hand down my face. I’m exhausted, I haven’t slept, and the stress of the day has me feeling like I’m gonna pass out.

“We’ll find her, brother,” Rhyder mumbles through the phone. “So, no sign of her at Ink Me, then?”

“Nope, she ain’t here. Keep me posted on NYCs.”

“Will do, and Blaze?”

“Yeah?” I respond, staring up at the ceiling.

“We will find her.”

I don’t reply, I just hang up and shove my phone back in my jacket pocket. Something catches my attention as my gaze takes in a picture sitting on the counter. It’s a picture of Tess and Jeff when the store first opened, standing proudly beside their first client, and they both look so happy. I stand there staring at it for a while, and then it hits me…

Jeff.

I grab my phone out again and search for his number. I know I have it in here somewhere because I’ve had to call him a couple of times when Tess was working late and couldn’t answer her phone. Plus, he hangs out with the Blood Brothers some nights, and he’s one of Gunner’s old friends.

Finding his number, I quickly dial it. My heart beats wildly as the phone on the other end starts to ring. Please pick up.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Jeff, it’s Blaze.”

“Blaze, I’ve been waiting on your call.”

“What do you mean? Is Tess there?” I growl, now pissed but not knowing why.

I hear him sigh. “Yeah, man, she’s here.”

I squeeze my eyes shut in relief. “Put her on,” I demand.

“Listen, brother, now’s not the time. She’s okay, she just stayin’ with me for a couple of days.”

My eyes open then. “A couple of days?” I yell through the phone. Fuck that. “Put her on the goddamn phone.”

“She doesn’t want to talk to you.”

I run my hand through my hair, my patience running thin. “Why the fuck not?”

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