Page 11 of Marked By The Grouchy Grizzly

“You bet we’re not fucking paying,” Carly snaps. “You’re going to pay us once we’re done with you.”

Lainey is still at the mirror, staring at the tattoo. I can’t tellif she likes it or if she’s furious. This girl has a heck of a poker face.

“It was a lapse of judgment,” Victoria says with her hands out. “But I’m telling you. I can fix it.”

“No,” Carly snaps, glaring at her. “We’re leaving. This is the most fucked up thing I’ve ever seen. You’ll be getting a call from my dad.”

“Thelawyer,” Himari adds.

“Come on,” Carly says as she rushes over and grabs Lainey’s arm. “We’re getting out of here.”

I stand up as she gets pulled to the door. I take a step forward, about to stop them, but Victoria steps in front of me, shaking her head.

“Let them go,” she whispers. “She’ll come back.”

My heart aches as I watch my mate getting pulled out of my shop. I rush to the window and watch with my pulse racing as they push Lainey into the car and make a quick getaway. Himari gives me the middle finger out the back window as they peel away.

My inner grizzly growls, ordering me to go after her.

Fuck off, I snap at it.She’s only leaving because of you.

Victoria steps beside me and puts her hand on my back.

“It’s going to be okay,” she whispers as my whole world comes crumbling down around me. “It will be okay.”

Magnus’ big booming voice rumbles through the shop. “You’re fired.”

I drop my head and sigh as their car disappears around a bend. I had her… She was right here… In my arms…

And I fucked it all up.

“You areneverstepping foot in this place again,” Magnus says, furious. “Do you understand how many lawsuits are about to rain down on us from those girls? You bankrupted us! We’re going to be torched online. Our Google rating is going to plummet. I don’t ever want to see you in here again. I forbid you to even walk onto?—”

“Magnus,” Victoria snaps, interrupting him in a sharp tone. “It was his mate.”

My brother’s face turns from livid to confused. His nostrils stop flaring. His head tilts. His brow furrows.

“Who?”

“The girl he tattooed,” Victoria says. “It was his mate.”

“Lainey,” I whisper, wondering if I’ll ever get to see her face again. Will she come back? She has to come back… I don’t know how long I’ll have to wait, but I’ll never stop waiting for her. I just hope it’s hours rather than days or weeks or years. Oh god. I hope it’s not years…

“That was your mate?” Magnus says, staring at me in shock.

I slowly nod my head. “Yeah.”

He suddenly bursts out laughing.

“Man, I knew you were a screwup, but goddamn.” He slaps his thigh as he bends over, laughing until his eyes water. “Tattooing your name on her shoulder…”

He can’t control his laughter. Maybe it will help if I go over there and slap him.

“You just fucked it up royally,” he says, shaking his head while he busts his gut laughing.

“Magnus,” Victoria snaps. “That’s enough.”

Gotta love older brothers.

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