Page 44 of Christmas with Four Tattoo Artists

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, my body still humming with adrenaline. The police dispersed, the squad cars and SWAT van pulling onto the street, leaving us alone.

"Is it over?" Kai asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"For tonight," I replied, my eyes still on the spot where Klaus had last been. "But this is far from over. He'll be back, and he'll be ready."

"We'll be ready too," Finn said, his voice firm. "We won't let him win."

"We can't," I agreed, my own voice heavy with resolve. "We've come too far, fought too hard to let him take everything away from us. We'll stand together, and we'll fight. No matter what it takes."

The Crimson Devils may have thought they could intimidate us, but they were wrong. We'd face them head-on, and we'd come out on top. We'd protect what was ours, and we'd do it together.

Chapter 18

Julia

Iwas all kinds of frazzled as I strode into the studio the next morning, running late for the emergency meeting the guys had called.

As I stepped through the door, I was expecting the usual bustle and energy, but instead I was greeted by an overwhelming gloom. The lights were dimmed, the laughter absent. Faces were drawn and serious as my four guys huddled together, their voices hushed. The rest of the staff was there along with them, not a smile to be seen. The vibe was beyond grim.

“Sorry for running late,” I said as I stepped inside. “What’s going on?”

"Just finished up our meeting. We're closing the shop for the holidays," James said, his eyes shadowed. "In light of what happened yesterday, we think it's the best move for everyone's safety until things cool down."

Finn and Kai shared a look, their expressions grave. "We're considering reaching out to some relatives," Finn began, his voice heavy.

"Ones with special skills," Kai added, a note of reluctance in his voice.

James' jaw tightened. "No, we'll handle this legally. We don't need to go down that path."

I glanced around the room, noticing Adele, Maddie, and the rest of the artists all wearing expressions of concern. Adele, in particular, was being extra touchy-feely with Finn and Kai. It made my blood boil, but since nobody knew about my situation with the guys, I couldn't exactly call her out on it. Maddie rose and stepped over to me, squeezing my arm.

“You OK?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yeah. Going to take more than some gore to scare me.”

Maddie smiled. Before she could say another word, Adele’s voice broke the silence.

"Kai, baby, you must be so worried after all that's happened!" she cooed, brushing Kai's arm sympathetically. "Why don't you let me make you a relaxing cup of herbal tea? Chamomile is perfect for calming the nerves. I think I saw some in the breakroom, probably from the last time I worked here.”

"Uh, thanks, Addy, but I'm good for now. We've got things under control," Kai replied.

Adele wasn't deterred, turning right to Finn with a simpering smile. "And Finn, sweetheart, you look like you could use a massage. I took a few classes while I was trying to figure out what to do after I quit here. Come on, I know all the right techniques to make you feel better." She placed her hands on his shoulders, but Finn wasted no time moving out from under them.

His response was polite but firm. "I need to focus right now. Thanks, but no thanks.”

Ignoring the refusal, Adele moved on to James, her eyes wide with feigned worry. "How about a nice home-cooked dinner tonight? I could come over and whip something up."

"Not necessary. We've got plans already," James said, his voice firm.

I watched the exchange, seething internally. Adele's concern was obviously nothing but a thinly veiled attempt to worm her way back into their lives. Her over-the-top doting was insincere and irritating.

"Come on, Andy, you'll let me pamper you a bit, right" Adele continued, undeterred. "I could do some shopping for you. You know how much I adore taking care of you guys."

"We’re managing just fine," Andrew firmly stated, not as politely as the others.

My jealousy flared, despite the greater part of me knowing how cloying and irritating Adele was being, and how the guys weren’t even pretending to humor her. All the same, I was suddenly aware of how deeply I'd fallen for these men. Not just one of them—all of them. And there I was, helpless to do anything while our world threatened to unravel.

"I think I'd like to take a couple of weeks away from the studio," I finally said, my voice more strained than I'd intended. “Maybe a little time past the holidays.”

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