Page 7 of Devilish Ink

And it had been working. Sort of. Even I could see how suspicious she was of me. How she kept her distance, moving aside depending on where I stood in the room, angling her body to face me the whole time to make sure her back was never turned.

Someone had hurt her, I realised.

That realisation made anger flare through me. I had to look away, staring at the art on the wall, my face turned away in order to hide my reaction from her. The last thing I wanted to do was spook her.

Although it seemed that I did that already.

Which is how I ended up face down on her tattoo table with her tattoo needle in my neck.

“Now you’re going to tell me the fucking truth…” she said, her voice curling with anger.

Shit.

Now what? I couldn’t exactly admit that I’d followed her. That I was the brother that her boyfriend hated. That I’d come in here to get a tattoo from her just to get to know her.

I’d ruin any chance before I’d even started.

I flashed back to my father, his breath sour with cheap whiskey, one hand fisted in my collar, the other one held high. “Tell me the fuckin’ truth, boy!”

I learned then never to admit anything.

RY

Ipromised myself I’d never be a victim again. Despite my constant moving the only constant was my self-defense classes. Krav Maga. Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Muay Thai kickboxing. Judo. Whatever I could sign up to, I did.

It made me feel stronger, made me feel like I had armour enough to chase the shadows away.

It also meant I knew exactly where this fucker’s jugular was.If he moved an inch, I’d make him regret it.

“Answer me,” I said through gritted teeth as I pressed the needle hard enough against his neck to draw a prick of blood.

I stood in a fighting stance, ready for him to lash out in response. For his face to turn ugly and cruel. For his true colours to show.

To my surprise, he smiled and showed me his palms as best as he could in his stomach-down position.

“Okay, you got me.” A hint of humour in his voice. “I’ve never gotten a tat before and I’m low-key shitting myself.”

I scowled and jabbed the needle at him, making him wince.

“Wise guy. Who are you?”

“My name is Li—Lee,” he said slowly, as if to not startle me. “Ijust moved here from a farm in County Cork and it’s a big deal for me cause I know…barely anyone in Dublin. I just thought I’d get a tattoo to mark the milestone.”

There was a sincerity in his words that I didn’t want to trust. But there was something else as well. He was hiding something.

“Bullshite,” I said with a growl. I wasn’t going to let him get away with it that easily.

“You were watching me. Following me. Isawyou outside Rian’s apartment.”

He frowned. “Who?”

“Don’t play dumb with me.”

“I get it,” he said softly. “You’re a pretty girl working late and here alone. You don’t know me from Adam. I wouldn’t trust me either.”

I flushed. I wasnotcrazy. I saw him outside the apartment. I did. He was standing there in his hoodie…

Although, it was dark. His face was shadowed. The guy outside Rian’s apartment had looked like him…but then again don’t all monsters look the same in the dark?

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