Ink (The Skulls Book 17) Read online

  The jobs that were available were either for a Skulls job, or one closely related to The Skulls.

  Just as she was about to get up and leave, a coffee was placed beside her.

  She turned to see Ink standing there. It was still weird to her to see him walking around without his leather cut.

  “Hey, you,” he said. “You look like you could use a drink.”

  “It’s not the drink I need, but a job, a nice one with a big, fat paycheck.” She took a sip of the coffee. “The coffee is nice though.”

  “I always live to serve.” He took a seat, and she suddenly didn’t wish to be anywhere else.

  “You’re job hunting.”

  “Yep, and it seems not a lot of jobs for inexperienced young people. It’s so wrong.” She spread open the paper, and it was with some effort she didn’t burst into tears. This wasn’t about crying or getting upset. She just wanted to try to make a life for herself now that she was better. “So, erm, you got any bright ideas?”

  “You’ve crossed out all the jobs available that are associated with The Skulls. Why?”

  “I want a clean start. I don’t want people to be looking at me because I’m the daughter of a Skull. I want to earn my living properly. Is that so hard to ask?” She folded the newspaper.

  “In case you didn’t know, The Skulls run this place, and they touch everything. There’s no way you’re going to be able to find a job without at least alerting them first.”

  “Then I’ve got to move.”

  “Darcy?”

  “What?”

  “Don’t you think you’re acting a little rash here?”

  “No. I think I’m acting just right. I want to make a life for myself away from everything.” She sighed before taking a sip of her coffee. Maybe moving away from Fort Wills wouldn’t be a problem. Wherever she went, no one would know her or her past.

  She stared down at the newspaper and knew she had to do some research.

  “You’re a genius, Ink.” She dropped down off her seat, leaving the half-finished coffee as she headed out toward her home.

  “Whoa, wait a minute. I can tell by the look on your face that what I’ve said and what you’re actually going to do are two completely different things,” Ink said.

  “They are. I want a clean start. Away from all of this. The only way I’m going to be able to do that is by leaving Fort Wills behind. It’s a perfect plan.”

  “Wait, wait, wait, you can’t just leave.”

  “Why not?”

  “You’ve got … aftercare and tests.”

  “All of which I can come back down do, but I have to do this. I’ve got to do something. Otherwise I’ll go out of my mind. Why can’t you see that?”

  He gripped her shoulders, stopping her from moving anymore. “Calm down.”

  “I don’t want to calm down, Ink. I want to do this.”

  “You want to completely abandon your family?” he asked.

  She let out a growl. “No. I just want to be able to have a life. You know, some fun. Something where not everyone knows that I’ve just gotten over cancer and want to talk about it.” Her face was heating up, and Ink nodded.

  “I get it.”

  “You do.”

  “Yes, I do. Running away isn’t going to change that though. It’s a part of who you are.”

  She stopped and closed her eyes. “You’re right.” Without thinking about it, she gave Ink a hug before stepping back.

  “You’re not going to go and do something crazy?”

  “Nope. I’m just going to go home and look for jobs, maybe even call a couple of them that I crossed out.”

  She let Ink go, very aware of her body and where he’d touched her. She shook her head, trying to clear the fog that only Ink seemed capable of making her feel.

  Taking the shortest route home, she arrived just as her mother was leaving for work.

  “Hey, honey, how was coffee?”

  “Good, it was good.”

  Her mother kissed her head, telling her how much she loved her before heading out.

  Darcy walked inside and found her dad, Blaine, leaning against the kitchen counter.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” he said. He held open his arms, and she stepped into them, hugging him back. “How was your morning?”

  “Good. Good. I’m looking for a job.”

  “You know you don’t need to worry about those kinds of trivial things, right? We’ll take care of you.”

  “You’re going to take care of me when I’m old and got a husband.” She didn’t mention the kids. There was no point. The doctor had told her there was no chance of her ever having children.

  “Don’t you know, I’ll be taking care of you forever and ever.” He kissed her temple. “So, you don’t have to work too hard to look for a job. Just relax. You’ve been through a lot, and I don’t want you having to worry about that stuff.”

  Again, he was trying to protect her and she totally got it and even liked it, but this was still her life and she needed to be able to have her own space.

  “Thanks, Dad,” she said. She didn’t want to argue with him.

  He kissed her head again. “That’s my girl. I’ve got to head out to work. You’ll be okay on your own?”

  “Yes, I will.”

  She waited for him to go before heading to the laptop. Firing it up, she typed in job searches for locations outside of Fort Wills. She was determined to have a life, even if that didn’t mean it would be in Fort Wills.

  ****

  Ink was putting on the finishing touches of his latest coat of paint. He was determined to completely change his apartment, to give it a new and fresher vibe, when his doorbell rang.

  Blaine was on the other side of the door, and Ink frowned, opening it up.

  “Hey, man, I thought you could do with a housewarming gift.” In his arms was a coffeemaker.

  “Wow, a coffeemaker. What could I possibly need with that?”

  Blaine laughed. “Well, as you know I’m not a drinker, but this stuff is good for you. It’ll keep you up at night.”

  “Come on in.”

  Ink moved out of the way to allow room for Blaine to enter. “The place is pretty empty.”

  “Yeah, the last people I had renting took all of their stuff.”

  “Wow,” he said.

  “It’s not too bad. It means I get to start it all over again.” Ink touched one of the dry walls before turning to Blaine. “This is the first time you’ve ever come to my place, and I can’t help but wonder if you’ve got a reason for that,” Ink said.

  “You got me. I do have a question, or should I say some advice, and I want you to be honest with me,” Blaine said.

  “Okay.”

  “Darcy, do you think she’s happy?”

  Ink paused and gave Blaine his full attention. “I don’t know what is going on here.”

  “Look, all of my life I’ve always been blinded by shit. I’m not pretending to know anything here, but I know Darcy had a thing for you. I told you three years ago I had no hard feelings.”

  “Blaine, I don’t like this. I’m not going to meddle.”

  “I want you to take my daughter out. I want you to befriend her and give her a reason to stay in Fort Wills.”

  At first Ink thought he’d heard incorrectly, but one look at Blaine, and that wasn’t the case.

  “What?”

  “I know my daughter has a thing for you, or at least she used to, and I know she’s going through a lot right now. I want to help her, I do, and I think the only way for me to help her is to let her have some fun at home.”

  “By asking me to help her make this decision for her?” Ink asked.

  “No. I love Darcy. She has been through a lot. Emily and I know she’s wanting a clean start. Something where no one touches her or does anything to hurt her, and we want that as well. But we also know she’s craving her independence, and we want her to have that. Make no doubt about it, we do want her to experience it, but not
like this. Not away from us or away from the club.”

  “You think I can do that?”

  Blaine pulled out an envelope from his back pocket.

  “Dude, I’m not going to take your money.”

  “It’s not money. Inside are keys to an apartment a couple floors above yours. We’ve rented it for Darcy. It’s fully furnished, and there’s also a job at the library. It’s not a lot, but it’s something. I’ve pulled some strings, and I want you to be the one to give this to her. To show it to her.”

  “You want me to lie to your daughter?” Ink asked.

  “For her own good. She thinks Emily and I don’t see a problem happening. We see it. We know she sneaks out at night. That she’s not been the same since she was given the all clear. We see it all, and it’s killing us that we can’t reach her. As parents we want what is best for our daughter, and if it means coming to the guy she had a crush on throughout high school, I’m willing to do it.”

  “She no longer has a crush on me.”

  “You can’t touch her, Ink. You can show her a great time but no touching. Nothing with hands, nothing.”

  “I wouldn’t do something like that.”

  “No falling in love with her either. I don’t want her to be confused by all that bullshit.”

  “What kind of person do you think I am?” Ink asked, taking the envelope from Blaine. It didn’t sit well with him to lie to Darcy, but this did give her a chance where no one else did. “You can’t tell her I’m part of this.”

  “I won’t. Darcy will never find out. I just want her to have a life where she doesn’t think her parents are constantly breathing down her neck.” Blaine held out his hand. “Deal?”

  “Deal.” Ink shook Blaine’s hand.

  “You really need to get your leather cut on. You’re not doing us any favors with those fucking muscles constantly on display.”

  “Fuck off, Blaine.”

  “Remember, she can never know,” Blaine said as way of goodbye.

  Closing the door, Ink leaned against it, pulling out a set of keys from the envelope. He saw the apartment number, and wasting no time, he left his place, taking the elevator to go and check out Darcy’s place.

  Sliding the key into the lock, he opened the door, and lo and behold, there was Darcy’s apartment. It was a small place.

  A tiny sitting room, the shelves were empty, and there was also a television and some furniture. A small sofa, a cute dining room table, a kitchen, and he checked out the bedroom. It was a small one-bedroom apartment that was perfect for a single woman.

  He could imagine Darcy living here, a sense of independence.

  There was a spike of guilt about lying to her, but this was what she wanted, and if he could give her anything back, it would be this. He couldn’t give her what she wanted three years ago. He also didn’t want to hurt her, but at least he could do something now to make up for it. When he got the news she was cancer-free, he’d been so happy for her. He’d not been here in person, but he had hoped and prayed every single night for her.

  Flicking the keys around his finger, he left, making sure to close up behind him, whistling to himself as he made his way back to his place.

  He picked up the paintbrush and finished off where he started. Drawing the brush up and down, he painted over some of the horrible flowered wallpaper. It would have to have a couple of coats of paint to completely cover over everything.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he kept looking at the keys. He’d also seen the application for the library. It wasn’t one from the newspaper but a flier.

  He couldn’t go immediately to her with the news. She’d get suspicious. He’d have to take his time with this one, and make sure she didn’t suspect he was working with her father.

  Once he finished the last coat of paint, he grabbed himself a beer and took a seat to admire his handiwork. He still worked for The Skulls even if he didn’t wear his leather cut anymore. For the past three years he’d kept his head down and worked his ass off for Lexie and her girls. Their company was becoming one of the places to be for fashion, especially for down-to-earth kind of women.

  Women like Darcy.

  Shaking his head, he got back up. That would be his last beer for the night because he had to keep his shit together.

  ****

  Blaine climbed back into the car and glanced over at his wife. To think, all those years ago he could have lost her, and when he finally got her back, he’d never let her go, nor given her a reason to doubt him again.

  Earning back her trust had meant everything to him, and there was no way he’d ever ruin their life together.

  “Is he going to do it?” Emily asked.

  “He took the keys from me. I’ll take that as a pretty good sign. You sure this is the right idea?”

  “Darcy’s wanting to live her own life. We’ve seen this for a long time. It’s only a matter of time before she eventually leaves, and I want her to have a good life. A happy one, and we know we can trust Ink. He’ll protect her when we’re not there.”

  “He’s a lot older than she is.”

  “So. Relationships like that work.”

  “There’s a bigger age gap than you and me.”

  “Are you getting really overprotective again?” she asked.

  “No. Yes. Maybe. She’s our little girl, Emily.”

  “I know, and our little girl wants to grow up, and that doesn’t mean hanging around with her father and mother. This is a good thing.”

  “And if she finds out we meddled she’ll be upset.”

  “She won’t find out, Blaine. Stop worrying about everything. We’ve got this.” Emily leaned over and kissed his cheek.

  “The last time Darcy tried to tell Ink how she felt, he ran.”

  “He’s not going to run now. Besides, it’s not like they’re going to be having sex and a physical relationship. We’re talking about friendship.”

  He snorted. “Like those work.”

  “They have been known to, Mr. Smarty Pants. Come on, let’s go.”

  Blaine started up the car and pulled away from the curb, smiling. He knew he’d done the right thing. He only hoped his daughter, if she ever found out, would see it that way.

  Chapter Seven

  “Ouch!” Darcy hissed as she stared down at her finger. A paper cut, and it stung so damn bad. Sticking the wounded digit into her mouth, she sucked the small droplet of blood and went back to looking over the newspaper job advertisements, and again, she was still crossing out possibilities and when she called, they no longer had any offers on the table. It had been nearly two weeks since she looked online to see if she could find accommodation elsewhere but to no avail.

  Moving away from Fort Wills would have been a huge move for her. She didn’t want to leave her home, but she did want to be independent.

  “Coffee,” Ink said.

  “Thank you.”

  She pulled her finger from her mouth and took a sip.

  “Still got nothing on the whole job front and apartment hunting?”

  “I’ve got nothing. I did check everything out that you told me to, but it’s a dead end. Also, I tried to see what was available outside of Fort Wills and nothing.”

  “So you’re not leaving.”

  “I’m not leaving, and I’m not working. I can be, like, The Skulls’ little princess or something.”

  “And this is really important to you. To have your life back like this?”

  “It is really important to me, yes. I don’t know how to explain it. I just know this is what I want and what I need. Maybe it is foolish of me. I just want to know what it’s like to stand on my own two feet. I want to give my parents space, and I’d like to have my own. I’d also like to just be me, you know.” She shrugged. “I’m sorry. I bet you’ve got more important places to be and what I’m talking about is really silly.”

  “It’s not, and I do have something for you.” She watched him as he pulled out a creased envelope and pushed it across t
he table.

  “Is this one of those bad deals? I don’t want drugs.”

  He chuckled. “It’s not drugs.”

  “Are you wanting me to be a prostitute?” she asked.

  “Just open the envelope.”

  “Is this a way of sealing the deal? I open this and you’ve got to kill me.”

  “I won’t kill you. I won’t even harm you. Please, open the envelope,” he said.

  She picked it up and looked inside. There was a set of keys and a creased, old looking flier. “Keys?”

  “My apartment building happens to have a vacancy. I’ve already rented it out, and it’s a pretty decent size and it’s not overly expensive. Also, a job offer. Not all jobs come in newspapers.”

  “The library.”

  “You love books if I recall. It’s not too taxing, and I don’t think any of The Skulls visit there. You’ll be free.”

  “But, how did you come by this if none of The Skulls go there?”

  “I go there. I needed to get a book for some DIY purpose. I checked out how to do something, and there was the flier.”

  She stared down at the application. She could work around books. She didn’t have any problem with them. Sure, they smelled, but it was the good, used book smell. It was incredible.

  “And you’ve already paid the rent on this place?”

  “Yes. I figured we could stop off at the library. There are a few books I want to take out, and then we can go and see your new place. You can deal with your parents. I’m just helping out. You’ll have your own space, and you won’t be crowding mine.” He held his hands out as if to ward her off. “I just thought this offered an amazing opportunity for you.”

  “It does. It really does.” She giggled. “Oh my, I can’t believe this. Okay, okay. First stop, the library, and then you’re so taking me to this place.”

  She finished her coffee and felt a total buzz. Her life was looking up already, and she could totally handle this.

  “Come on, please, please,” she said.

  Ink finished his coffee, and they both walked together, heading toward the library.

  She went straight up to the receptionist’s desk and he left to go and look for some book. After a twenty-minute interview, she got the job and would be starting the next day. Much to her surprise, Ink came to the desk with a bunch of books and a library card. He actually had a library card.