Page 43 of Only The Strong

“Yup.” Callum reaches out and grabs my hand, pulling me towards the bed to sit next to him. After I'm seated he tucks his hand under his forehead and lays his head down on the table..

“Do you do this often?” I ask Saint as he starts pulling things out of a metal case on the floor.

Saint pauses his movements with his head still down and moves his eyes between me and Callum. “Tattooing?” He asks when I continue staring at him. I nod my head and he lets out a laugh and continues his setup. “Yeah, quite a lot actually.”

“Saint owns SINdicate with a really talented guy named Rich,” Cale says.

I try to place the name for a moment and then remember the tattoo shop in The District. “Oh. Cool!” I nod. I've passed the place several times when going to restaurants or bars, and the place has always looked cool with the exposed black brick and neon lights inside. I never knew it was affiliated with the club though, or that Saint was a tattoo artist. The shop is always busy though, and I've heard people talking about how long the wait time is to get an appointment.

Cale and Saint both laugh at me. “In fact, I’ve done all of your man’s ink.”

“You’re really talented,” I say honestly because he is. I love every single one of Cale’s tattoos, they're beautiful and creative. The lines are perfect and clean, they flow and just overall look like an art piece.

“I know.” Saint winks and I laugh at his confidence. Or arrogance, Saint has both in spades.

I watch in silence as Saint readies everything for the tattoo on a little rolling table next to him. He dips the tattoo gun into a little tub full of red ink and then he starts drawing a line on the back of Callum’s neck, above the mural I love so much on his back.

The tattoo is quick, only about five minutes, and when it's done Saint wipes it with a paper towel to get rid of the excess ink and leans back. “What do you think, Princess?” I look down at the mountain range outline that Saint freehanded in red ink.

I reach out and hover my hand above the fresh tattoo, confused. “It’s beautiful,” I say to Saint, then I look down at Callum. “But why?”

He stays laying down while Saint cleans the tattoo and starts on the aftercare. His head turned to look at me. “It’s you. Simple, to the point.” He breathes a laugh. “Red.”

Tears prick my eyes and I blink to clear them. “Me?”

“I’d never seen such peace or beauty in a person until I saw you look out over those mountains. You changed me. I never thought I would open myself up to anyone again except for my brothers, but you came along and you changed everything for me. So for better or worse. With or without you. I wanted to remember the way you looked out over the mountains and a reminder that there's real beauty and peace in this world.” Callum’s eyes have always portrayed his feelings, whether his face was schooled or not, I can always read him through his eyes, and right now they are giant pools of every emotion. Grief, relief, love, lust, even a little anger, but mostly sincerity. I know he means everything he’s said, I can read it clear as day in his eyes.

Before my mind can catch up with my mouth and I almost blurt out that I love him, Saint claps a hand on Callum’s shoulder. “All done, Cale.” I break eye contact with Callum and stand up.

Callum sits on the side of the table, giving Saint a quick hug and quietly slipping a few folded up bills under a clean paper towel on the cart next to him. Instead of putting his shirt back on, Callum slings his heathered gray tee shirt over his shoulder. “Come on,” He says and holds his hand out to me. I walk to his side of the bed and put my hand in his. His big hand envelopes mine and he pulls me towards the stairs leading to the rooms upstairs.

Right before we make it to the stairs, Saint yells behind us. “Motherfucker, you know I don't take money for small pieces, especially from brothers!”

Callum turns and shrugs his shoulders. “I don't know what you’re talking about, that's not mine.” He smirks slightly as he keeps ahold of my hand.

“Come get your fucking money, Callum.” Saint glares at him.

Cale turns around and pulls me up the stairs, yelling behind us. “Not mine.”

43

REESE

“Slow Down”by Chase Atlantic starts playing downstairs, louder than the music that was playing when I walked in so I guess they decided to start partying. Callum pulls me down the hallway and into a door at the end of the hall. He closes the door and pushes me against it, the only light is the streetlamp peeking through a gap in the curtains and the light from the hallway slipping in under the door. He falls into me before my eyes have had time to adjust. His mouth devours me like I was his source of oxygen and he hasn't taken a breath since we last kissed.

I press my hands to his bare chest and push him away. “Wait.” I breathe.

“What?” He asks, pushing his hands under my shirt and slowly sliding them up my stomach.

“I'm sorry for hurting you.” I grab his face and force him to see the truth in my eyes. “I'm so sorry, Callum.” I can see the wall starting to build behind his eyes, he's trying to shut me out again. So I push on, hoping I can save this. Us. Because nothing feels better than being in his arms. “I was trying to save your life, he was coming after you because of me and I can't be selfish. Not with you.”

He sneers. “Be selfish, Reese. I am. I’m choosing to love you over anything else because you are the most important thing in my life. I love you no matter what it does to me, Red. I love you whether you hate me or it gets me killed. I would bleed out on the floor for you and it still wouldn’t be enough, so stop fighting it and tell me you love me too.”

“I love you.” I breathe, tears welling in my eyes.

Callum throws his head back. “Fucking finally!” He pushes my mouth open for him and his hands come up to palm my breasts under my shirt, sliding his thumb over one nipple.

He pulls away, pulling my bottom lip between his teeth. “Where are you?” Callum breathes, his eyes searching mine.

---