Page 103 of Sinful Mates

“No.” My devil would get me drunk if I wasn’t careful, and I had to go home to Mia sensible, not wrecked. When I stared into his eyes the pain lessened, so I kept him in my gaze.

“Take a breather. I’ll be back in five.” Benny patted my shoulder, sneaking the rest of his whisky, then going outside for a smoke.

I lifted my arm to admire the sketched jackal and the contouring. “Benny’s work is incredible.”

“Best in town, sugar. He’s booked out for months.”

“I’m lucky he slotted me in then.” I grinned, taking in the sharp, dark ears of the jackal. Its strength. Beauty. Commanding majesty. In ancient Egypt, jackals guarded tombs and escorted the dead to the Underworld.

“This is the best present ever, sugar.” Slade stroked the hair off my shoulder, lovingly gazing between me and the tattoo depiction of him.

I knew he’d love this and planned the surprise for over a month. Mia coming into the picture put my plans on ice, then the uncertainty with the hygiene complaints ruined it again. For a while there, I thought I wouldn’t be able to get the tattoo done at one of the Jackals’ parlors. Slade would never trust anyone but his men to do the job or let another person’s eyes touch my skin.

Numbness in my arm receded from his melting praise. “What do you think of a bit of fire shooting out of its mouth?”

“It’s perfect the way it is, sugar.” Slade’s eyes filled with a warmth that softened his rugged features. He slid his fingers through my hair and pulled me close. “You’re perfect and mine.”

He kissed me so rough and dominant, my toes curled. The glow in my heart stretched to every crevice. Fingers. Ankles. Head. Spine.

Benny cleared his throat as he entered, breaking up our little moment.

Slade leaned back in his chair, and I crushed his hand, bracing for more stinging.

Needing a distraction, I asked, “Tell me something I don’t know about you, handsome.” Slade and I didn’t get very deep often, but when we did, it was magick.

Slade’s gaze cut to Benny. “This doesn’t leave the room.”

I pumped Slade’s hand. “Your secret dies with Benny and me.”

Benny chuckled. “I value my life too much, President.”

“Good,” Slade grunted, cutting Benny a glare that conveyed lots of blood and guts if he leaked a word. “I developed dyslexia after my mom died. The letters twisted into something unrecognizable. The doctors said it was stress and trauma and I’d eventually be right. It never came back.”

My chest rattled with agony at my mate going through something so horrific and distressing so young.

“Strange,” I said, brushing my thumb over his hand. “I’ve never heard of trauma having that effect on someone.”

A kohl Eye of Horus flashed over Slade’s eye, only visible to me. Signs of the god’s influence. Set had turned Slade into his weapon at age six, way too young for any boy to adopt that level of responsibility. The god shaped him into the perfect soldier of destruction.

“What else?” I bit out as the needle thundered along my sensitive skin. Shit. How the hell was I supposed to get four images of all my mates?

Suck it up, princess. That’s how.

Slade scratched his eyebrow with his thumbnail. “Mom’s favorite flowers were daffodils. I’ve got some planted in my garden for her.”

I wasn’t able to cup his hand, so I tapped my thumb on him instead. “I wondered why you had those.” He didn’t seem the flower type.

“I just thought you were a pussy who liked yellow flowers.” Benny didn’t even look up from his work.

“We should all pay tributes to the fallen soldiers.” Spoken like a true War god. “And I like yellow flowers, asshole.”

Benny raised his eyebrow and shot the president a glance. “Yeah?”

Slade sliced a finger across his neck, making Benny laugh and return to his work.

Three hours went by pretty quickly. Slade held my hand the entire time as I gritted my way through the stinging and numbness.

When Benny put the final touches to my jackal, I turned side on and asked, “What do you think, handsome?”

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