Masquerade

It’s like they’re one fucking person and even though I hate it, I can’t help studying it too.

Bee washes her hands and snaps on her gloves. That steady buzz of the tattoo gun fires up. I flinch when it comes down on Laney’s skin. She doesn’t. Not when Adrian is sitting in front of her, holding her.

How? I don’t get how they can trust someone like that.

As Bee works, I can’t help moving forward until I’m standing next to her and watching as she puts a permanent mark on Laney’s neck.

The top symbol—love—is red and the other in black. It takes Bee longer than I thought it would since it’s not that in-depth. When she’s done, leaving behind the tattoo and red, puffy skin, she looks up at me and I know—I fucking know she took her time, made it perfect to keep her word. To take care of my sister.

Thank you.

Chapter Eleven ~Bee~

Cheye

My mind isn’t much on that, though. It’s stupid. I see couples in here all the time and don’t really pay it any attention, but I can’t help but study the way Maddox’s four friends are. Though maybe friends isn’t the right word. He obviously doesn’t get along well with Adrian and he’s only said a couple words to Colt.

There’s something about them that catches my attention. It’s the way each couple is with each other, like they’ve fought the world to be where they are, and I kind of envy that. It’s not as though I’m looking for a partner or I haven’t been through stuff, because I have, but for the first time, I wish I dealt with it differently. Not because of my family like I usually do, but for me.

“All done,” I tell Cheye

Maddox steps up next to me. “I like the font.”

“Yeah, it’s one of my favorites.” It’s sort of old-fashioned-looking, almost medieval, yet thin, feminine. “It fits your art style, actually,” I tell him. “It’s almost like there’s knowledge to it.”

Maddox glances over at me, those gray eyes that have the same knowledgeable quality. “Yeah?” he asks, with a hit of vulnerability I’m not used to from him.

“Yep.” And then I turn away, because he suddenly feels too close. “You like it?” I ask Cheye

“Absolutely. It’s gorgeous.” She’s still looking in the mirror while Colt traces a tattoo on his wrist that says Mom. Yeah, these people have definitely been through more than most.

“You do great work.” Laney steps up next to her brother.

“Thanks. I’m glad you guys like them.”

“How much do we owe you?”

Without thinking, I shake my head. “Don’t worry about it. You’re with Scratch, so—”

“No,” Maddox interrupts.

I almost argue with him that I don’t usually do things like that and not to look a gift horse in the mouth when I realize what his answer’s about. He thinks he’ll owe me if we do that. I’m not sure I want him to owe me either. Luckily, Adrian jumps in and speaks. “He’s right. This is your business. It’s not a big deal.” Nodding, I head over to the desk to check the time. After I tell them how much they owe, and they pay, Laney says, “You should hang out with us sometime.”

Maddox tenses and a small smile curves Adrian’s lips. The two guys obviously feel differently about what she asked, which tells me it has a deeper meaning than saying hi to the new girl in town.

Not a good idea, but it’s not like I can be rude to her either. “Cool. Thanks. I don’t have much extra time right now since I’m trying to get Masquerade off the ground, but maybe we can figure something out sometime.”

The little downturn of her lips says she realizes the answer is no. It’s not smart to entangle my life any more with Maddox’s. I’ve already slept with him twice and he’s here with me practically every day.

“Okay. Sure. You can get a hold of me through Maddy if you’re interested.”

“Maddy, huh?” I lift my eyebrows at Maddox, but he shakes his head.

Laney gives him a hug. He quickly pats her on the back and pulls away. Then the four of them walk out, leaving Maddox and I alone again. He leans against the front of my desk and I move over to stand next to him. I’m not sure why I do.

“You’re protective,” I say.

“She’s all I have.” The words have to squeeze past his lips his mouth is so tight.

I’ve never been one to pry in other people’s business because I’ve never let myself really care enough to do it, but everything inside of me is begging to ask him why. Why is it only two of them? What are their secrets? Why does Maddox think it’s his job to take care of her?

Even though I want to, I don’t. Wondering about him shouldn’t be something I’m trying to keep myself from doing. It usually happens automatically.

So instead of asking, something equally as crazy falls out of my mouth. “You do a good job.”

A blast of heat seems to shoot off Maddox and slam right into me. Anger? Pain? I’m not sure.

“Not really. You don’t know anything about us.”

Moving over, I stand in front of him and cross my arms. “I do have eyes. She’s happy, you care about her, and she cares about you. Feels like about as close to success as a person can get.”

And she does love him. Even if she hadn’t come in here begging me to give him a chance, I would have been able to see that today.

“Looks can be deceiving.”

A little jolt hits me in the chest. He’s right. People assume my life was horrible because I was kidnapped. They think it was automatically perfect when I went home. Feeling and situations behind the scenes often make things look like something other than what they are. “You need to stop saying things like that to me.” My voice is low. When Maddox raises his eyes to me, I know he sees what I mean. Words like that make me feel close to him.

Instead of taking them back, he continues to stare at me, this smoldering look in his eyes that threatens to burn me alive. I welcome the forbidden flames.

His finger hooks through the belt loop on my jeans. His tug is gentle, but I come easily, the whole time yelling at myself, Back up! It’s too much. You can’t do this with him again.

“Stop making me want you.” The same heat from his eyes is now in his words.

“Stop letting me have you,” I reply, and it seems to inflame him more.

He pulls me closer again, right between his legs, as the other hand moves up to cup my cheek. His stare alone is burning me alive. Neither of us are smiling, both torn by this wild desire and the need to push the other away.

“Pretty soon we’re going to hate each other if we keep doing this.” The knowledge makes me a little sad, but I fight to bury it beneath my craving for him.

“I know.” And yet, he still leans forward and I do too. Our lips are close, so so close, that I smell him and feel him and almost taste him when—“Oh my God! Told you they’re open! I knew I saw someone inside.”

My body jerks away from Maddox as two girls laugh while they’re stepping inside. Neither of them are looking at us, so I don’t think we were caught.

“Hey! You’re open, right? The sign says closed, but we saw you in here and the door is unlocked,” the perky blonde says.

The girl standing next to her is dark-ski

“Are we interrupting?” she asks.

“Nope.” I head toward them. “Yeah, we’re open. I forgot to change the sign.” Total lie, but it’ll keep Maddox and I away from each other, something we need.