Page 61 of Christmas with Four Tattoo Artists

Finn's face was contorted in a scowl, his hands flexing as if itching to punch something. "So, what the hell was that about, Kai? Adele half-naked in your office?"

I exhaled deeply, rubbing my temples. "Fuckin’ Adele came in without knocking, started rambling about some new tattoo, and next thing I know, she's taking off her shirt to show me and jumping onto my lap. I was so in my own damn world that I was barely aware of what the fuck was going on. I tried pushing her away, but she was relentless."

Finn's jaw tightened, his eyes flaring with anger. "You could've called one of us. You could've thrown her out."

"It's not like I wanted her there, Finn!" I shot back, my frustration evident. "I've got enough on my plate dealing with the shop and the shit with Klaus. The last thing I need is Adele playing her mind games!”

After relaying the events to the guys, a sinking feeling settled heavily in my chest. The more I talked, the clearer the picture became. I had let the moment, and the shock of Adele’s intrusion, cloud my judgment. My dismissal of Julia, someone I deeply cared for, now stood stark in my mind, a glaring fuckup that gnawed at my insides.

She’d come to me stating she had something important to discuss and no doubt I’d seen it in her eyes. But I’d brushed her off, casting her feelings aside. I replayed the scene, the hurt etched onto her face, and it felt like a punch to the gut. How could I have been so blinded by the moment that I'd mistreated her so? An overwhelming need to make things right consumed me.

Andrew stepped in between Finn and I, sensing the rising tension. "Guys, let's keep our focus. Adele is a small problem compared to everything else that we're dealing with."

James, his stern expression unchanged, chimed in. "Kai, I get that things are tense right now, but you've got to be smarter. We can't afford distractions, especially not with Klaus out for blood."

I raked my fingers through my hair, feeling distant. "I know. I messed up. I let my guard down with her, and I shouldn't have. She's clearly trying to worm her way back into our lives, and I played right into her hands."

Finn's stance softened slightly, the raw fury in his eyes replaced by concern. "Just promise me you won't let her pull this shit again. I can't stand seeing her trying to get between us."

I nodded. "I promise. I'll deal with Adele, and I won't let her antics jeopardize what we have."

Andrew clapped me on the back. "We've got bigger fish to fry. Let's keep our heads in the game. If we let Adele or Klaus split us apart, we've already lost."

The air in the room began to clear, the group pulling together, unified in our determination to protect what was dear to us. There was a silent understanding—distractions and mistakes had no place in our fight for survival.

The weight of it all bore down on me, oppressive and suffocating. The studio, once a symbol of ambition and camaraderie, felt desolate. The grief I felt wasn't about the charred walls or the lingering stench of smoke; it was the realization that someone wanted to destroy something we'd poured our souls into.

I glanced at James, Andrew, and Finn, reading the same story in their faces that I felt in my chest. Pain. Resolve. Fight. Determination.

"We need a plan," I spoke, breaking the silence. "A patch-up job on the shop isn't enough. Klaus won't stop until he's taken everything."

Finn's eyes flashed. "We've stood up to gangster shitheads like Klaus before, but this feels different. This feels like a personal vendetta against us."

Andrew was already a step ahead. "We have to think differently. Maybe it's time to change things up, become less predictable."

James nodded, the gears in his mind turning. "I've been talking to a few folks, thinking about upping our security. We can't get blindsided like that again."

Thinking of the studio was one thing, but another thought gnawed at me, raw and painful. "It's not just the shop. It's our lives. Julia's life. We can replace property, but we can't replace people."

Feeling a warm, firm grip on my shoulder, I turned to see Andrew. His eyes, steady and reassuring, met mine. "We're in this together. We won't let him win."

We sat in silence, the weight of the conversation pressing on us. The road ahead was treacherous, but our bond was unwavering.

Breaking our silence, Finn voiced what we all felt. "This studio is more than brick and mortar. It's us. Klaus thinks he can tear through it, tear through us. But every man has a breaking point."

Meeting each of their gazes, I spoke. "We find his, and we use it. We make him wish he'd never fucked with us.”

James leaned in, a fire kindling in his eyes. "I've got contacts, people in places he won't expect. We pool everything we've got."

Drawing strength from the men around me, I once again realized what an unbreakable force we were.

As the night deepened, the four of us plotted and planned. Klaus had thrown down the gauntlet, but he was about to discover the true grit of the men he'd challenged.

The harsh ring of the front bell jolted me from my thoughts. The four of us turned to the entrance. A shadow of a man stepped into the dim light of the studio, his eyes cold and calculating.

The Devil himself.

“Evening, boys. Mind if we have a little impromptu pow-wow?”

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