Page 43 of Christmas with Four Tattoo Artists

"I don't know," I admitted, my voice rough. "I never thought I'd be in a situation like this, falling hard for someone we’re all sharing. But fuck if I can’t stop thinking about her.”

"Same here," Finn said. His gray eyes were clouded with uncertainty. "But what happens when she wants more? What if love enters the picture?”

We all fell silent at that word, the weight of the question hanging heavy in the air. It's something we'd all thought about but hadn’t dared to speak aloud. It seemed too intense, too heavy. But damned if it wasn’t clear our minds had all been going in that direction.

"I don't think she's looking for that," Andrew finally said, breaking the silence. "She's independent, focused on her career. But I won't lie, the thought kinda scares the shit out of me. None of us were planning on this to happen, you know?”

"It scares all of us, man" Kai added, his voice somber. "But we need to be honest with ourselves and with her. We can't keep going on like this without knowing where it's leading."

I nodded, my mind reeling with the uncertainty of it all. We were in uncharted territory, navigating a relationship that none of us fully understood. But one thing was clear—we all cared for Julia, more than we’d ever expected.

"We'll talk to her," I said, my voice firm. "During the holidays. We'll figure this out, together."

The others nodded, a sense of determination settling over us. We were in this together, and we’d find a way to make it work, no matter what the future held.

Before we could say anything else, the room was flooded with the bright glare of headlights. We all turned, our eyes widening as we witnessed a sea of lights approaching the studio. Engines roared, growling like hell beasts as they approached.

We all stood, moving toward the window, our minds racing. The headlights were getting closer, the ominous glow growing brighter with each passing second.

"It's Klaus," Kai said, his voice filled with certainty. "He's making his move."

A chill ran down my spine, and I knew that he was right. Klaus was coming for us, and this time, he wasn’t playing games.

"Get ready," I ordered, my voice cold and hard.

We moved into action, running into the back office and grabbing pistols from our strongbox, preparing for a fight. The future with Julia might have been uncertain, but one thing was clear: we'd do whatever it took to protect what was ours.

The headlights became static, the roar of engines filled the air, and I knew that the battle had just begun.

We rushed out of the shop, the growl of engines and the smell of exhaust overwhelming as we came face-to-face with half of the Crimson Devils. Klaus was front and center, his eyes narrowed and filled with malice, his lips twisted into a wicked grin. They revved their engines, the noise deafening as they tried to intimidate us. But I had prepared for this. I’d known this day was coming.

“You like our little gift?” Klaus spoke, his booming voice carrying over the sound of the engines. “An early Christmas present for you!”

I grinned. Klaus caught sight of me, the smirk vanishing from his face.

“What the fuck are you smiling at?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I replied. “Just thinking aboutyourChristmas present.”

It was time. I signaled to my right, toward the patrol car in the alley.

Suddenly, the side streets came alive with the flashing red and blue lights of a group of squad cars. They rolled out, one after another, their sirens wailing, joining us in a show of force. A SWAT van followed, the heavy doors swinging open as uniformed officers poured out, weapons at the ready.

Klaus's smile faltered, his eyes widening as he took in the scene. He clearly hadn’t expected such an ambush. He’d thought he could bully us, threaten us into submission. But he’d underestimated us, and now he was the one on the back foot.

"What's the matter, Klaus?" I called out, my voice dripping with contempt. "Didn't expect us to be ready for you?"

He glared at me, his face twisted with rage, but he didn’t say anything. Swarming us with his crew wasn’t against the law, but no doubt he understood that one wrong move would have MPD on his ass right then and there. No doubt he knew he'd been beaten, for now at least.

The standoff lasted for what felt like an eternity, the tension thick in the air, a powder keg ready to explode. For a moment, I wondered if Klaus was ready to start a war on the spot, damn the consequences.

“Move out, boys!” Klaus finally called out, gesturing for them to turn and leave.

Slowly, reluctantly, the Crimson Devils backed down. One by one, they revved their engines and peeled away, the noise fading into the distance as they retreated.

Klaus was the last to leave, his eyes locked on mine, a promise of revenge in his gaze. But I didn’t flinch, I didn’t back down. I stared him down, letting him know that I was not afraid.

He finally turned away, his bike roaring to life as he joined the others, disappearing into the night.

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