Flame Read online

  She shakes her head. “I love my parents, but there was no way I could ever live under their roof again. I knew once I left for college, I’d never go back.”

  “Even if they were great parents, could you have gone backward after having a taste of freedom?”

  She slides onto the chair next to me and places her cup on the table. “I don’t think I could’ve gone back.” Her lips pull downward because she realizes where I’m coming from, and no matter what she says, I won’t change my mind. “Maybe we could build a guesthouse out back for you.”

  “Mom, come on now. I already signed my lease. And I’m sorry, I love you both, but living in the backyard won’t work for me.”

  It’s a sweet gesture and completely my mom, but in no way, shape, or form will that type of living arrangement ever work for me. I’m already going to be spending all day working with my dad. The last thing I want is to see him every night, checking up on me, and living under the Gallo microscope.

  “I worry about you living alone.”

  “I’ll be fine, Ma. Tamara is going to live with me for the summer, and when she’s home on break too. If all goes well, when she graduates next year, she’ll move in with me too. Where’s Dad?” I change the subject because there’s no way I’m living at home, and I know the mention of my cousin’s name will get Mom off my back…at least for a little while.

  She wraps her hand around her coffee mug and stares out the window overlooking the backyard. “He went in early. There’s a new artist starting today, and he wants to train him before everyone gets there.”

  “Maybe I should be there too. Why didn’t Dad ask me to go?”

  Mom laughs. “Baby, you grew up in that place, and you’ve been working there for four summers. I’d hardly call you a new employee.” She laughs and brings her gaze back to me. “I’m pretty sure you could train this boy yourself.”

  I push away from the table, about to stand, when she covers my hand with hers.

  “Stay a little longer. You don’t have to be there for thirty minutes, and I feel like we never have quiet time like this together.”

  “I don’t want to be the last one there on my first day, Mom. How about we go shopping on my day off and buy some stuff for my new apartment?”

  I’m grasping at straws here, but the last thing I want to do is sit here another twenty minutes, listening to my mother hem and haw about how I shouldn’t move out. I figure if I ask her to help decorate my new place, she’ll feel more invested, or at the very least, like she helped me.

  That’s the thing about Suzy Gallo. She’s not one to sit idly by when her loved ones are in need. It doesn’t matter that I only need help to pick out the perfect throw pillow or the best pots and pans, she wants to be included.

  Right on cue, her face lights up. “I would love that. I know all the best places we can go too. We’ll make a day of it.”

  “It’s a date, Mom. I’m off Friday, if that works. But if not, I completely understand.”

  “Luna and Rosie have cheerleading camp starting on Wednesday,” Mom says, looking pained and moderately horrified that her two daughters are cheerleaders. “So, I have all day on Friday to be with you.”

  “Perfect.” I push away from the table and walk toward the sink. “I better run. The landlord is probably waiting for me, and I want to make a good impression.”

  Mom follows me, leaving her coffee mug where it was sitting on the table. She leans against the counter, staring at me as I rinse and place my mug in the dishwasher. “I’m proud of you, sweetheart. I’m proud of the independent woman you’ve become.”

  My insides warm. “That’s because I had two kick-ass parents.”

  Her smile falters.

  I know she wants to chastise me for my crude language, because she’s never been one for cussing.

  “We want nothing but the best for you.”

  I lean over and kiss her cheek because, hell, I love my mother. “I couldn’t have asked for a better mother. I mean it, Mom.”

  She wraps her arms around me, hauling me close. “I love you, baby. I can’t believe you’re old enough to move out. I never wanted this day to come, but now that it has, I couldn’t be prouder.”

  That’s my mom. She’s full of all the goodness in the world. She never has a mean thing to say about anyone or anything. She wears rose-colored glasses when it comes to life. There are times where she’s a little overprotective and worried about everything for no good reason, but I wouldn’t change a thing about her.

  “I have to run, Mom.” I pull away from her embrace even though she tries to squeeze me tighter. “I don’t want to be late on my first day.”

  Mom laughs. “Well, at least you know the owners. I’m pretty sure they won’t fire you if you’re a few minutes late.”

  “Mom, I don’t want to be treated any different.”

  “Different from whom, baby girl? Besides Kat, everyone is family and works by their own rules.”

  I shrug. “The new guy. I don’t want to set a bad example, ya know?”

  She nods. “Go and have a great first day at work.”

  It’s all silly. I’d worked at Inked for four summers, but interning is entirely different from earning my seat at the shop. Today feels like the first day of my adult life. No more school. No more classes. No more homework. Only freedom and time lie before me.

  I had the same feeling the day my parents dropped me off at college. I watched their SUV pull away, and I waved at them frantically, filled with excitement and possibility. I had so much freedom, I didn’t know what to do with myself the first few days. I didn’t have a schedule. No curfew. No reporting my whereabouts to anyone. The only rigidity I had in my day were classes, but they were a breeze and mildly interesting.

  But this, my first job and new place, will be the first time I get to make all the rules. I set my own hours at Inked, have my own place, and don’t have to walk around my apartment in anything at all if I don’t feel like getting dressed.

  By the time I make it to the leasing office, Mr. McNamara is waiting at his desk, paperwork ready and keys lying right next to the pen. “Are you ready to sign, Miss Gallo?” he asks as I slide into the seat across from him.

  “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life, sir.”

  Five minutes and a dozen signatures later, I have the keys in my hand. I thought graduation was the sweetest moment of my life, but I have to admit, being officially handed the keys to my new place tops even that.

  “Shoot me over an email of any issues you find in the apartment. I’ll get them fixed right away and add them to your paperwork, just in case. I did a walk-through this morning and found everything to be in working order, but it’s still important you do the same in case you spot something I didn’t.”

  “I’ll be back after work later and will check everything out. I won’t be staying here for a few days, though.”

  He smiles, but I know I’m rambling, and this man couldn’t care less if I am going to use the apartment or not. The only thing he cares about is getting his rent check on time every month.

  “Whatever you’d like, Miss Gallo.”

  I thank him with a firm handshake, something my dad taught me to always do, and excuse myself because I only have a few minutes to make it to the shop and not be late.

  I blast the radio as I drive to Inked, weaving in and out of traffic, belting out the lyrics to “Truth Hurts.”

  The day just started, but it can’t possibly get any freaking better. I have the keys to my new place, and I am headed to my new job. I’ve dreamed about this moment for so many years, it feels surreal to finally be living it.

  6

  Pike

  “Any questions?” my new boss asks after giving me the rundown on how he likes shit to go.

  I can’t blame the man. He is the owner. He spent years with his family building up Inked to be the most sought-after tattoo parlor in the state of Florida. Their reputation is what drew me to this place. Well, that
and starting over after shit went south in the last place I settled down.

  “Nothing yet.”

  “My kid is starting today too. She’s been interning during her summer breaks, but today, she officially has a chair. So, you won’t be the only newbie in the place.”

  “Cool.”

  Fucking great. The first week at any new place is hard, but add in the owner’s kid, and shit can become a whole lot more complicated in a hurry.

  “She’s bossy as fuck, but just remember she’s not your boss, I am.”

  I nod because what he’s saying is technically true, but I’m pretty sure the kid will have his ear. If I fuck up and get off on the wrong foot with her, she can and probably will make my life miserable. I have to decide if I want to make friends with her, whoever the hell she is, or if I want to steer clear of her entirely to lessen the chances I’ll get my ass canned in a heartbeat.

  “I put you and her next to each other. I figure you two can help each other out. I know you’re not new to this business and the craft, but sometimes people become intimidated working with so many family members.”

  I rub the back of my neck and try to pull on a smile. “It won’t be a problem,” I mutter, but nothing about the way I say the words is convincing.

  “I’ll be right next to you two, so I can be close if you have issues or questions.”

  Maybe I’m in over my head here. Working at a place like this, one with a crazy-good reputation, has always been a goal. No one wants to work at a run-down shop, scraping by and waiting for new clients to walk in the door. Inked has a two-month wait before someone can plop their ass in a chair and get the tat they’ve been craving.

  The front door opens, and a beautiful woman steps inside, carrying a box of donuts and talking so fast on her phone, I can barely make out the words she’s saying.

  “That’s Izzy, my sister. She’s a ballbuster, so watch out for that one.” Joe, my boss, laughs. “She may look small and weak, but the girl will no sooner have your balls in her hands, making you wish you could black out from the pain.”

  My eyes widen. “I’ll steer clear of her, then.”

  I can’t stop looking at her, though. There’s something familiar in the way she talks, hand moving through the air like the person on the other end can actually see her. She’s wearing a skintight white skirt, a pair of kick-ass boots with a heel long and pointy enough, she could do some damage with the fucking thing if she wanted. For an older woman, she’s smoking hot.

  Joe laughs louder. “There’s no such thing. Once you’re on her radar, you’re on it. There’s no hiding. So, prepare for that because, guarantee, she’ll have her sights set on you at some point. I just hope, for your sake, she lets you get your feet wet before she decides to make a pet project out of you.”

  “Sounds great,” I mumble, finally tearing my gaze away from the person who’s going on my list of people to avoid while working here. “I’m sure we’ll be great friends.”

  “Just don’t get too chummy. She’ll have you on the ground, begging for mercy, but it’s her husband who will have you pleading for your very life.”

  Sounds fantastic. “Got it.”

  Izzy places the donuts on the front counter before telling the person on the phone she’ll talk to him later. As soon as she ends the call and tosses her phone next to the donuts, her eyes are on me. “Well, well. I see the new kid finally showed.”

  “Ma’am,” I greet and avoid correcting her on the fact that I’m nowhere near close to being a kid.

  I’m twenty-seven and have been on my own for over a decade, with no one around to look out for me even longer than that. But I do the smart thing and keep my mouth shut.

  “Ma’am?” Her mouth gapes open. “For real? What do I look like, your mama?”

  I can’t hold back the smirk as I run my fingers through my hair, trying to do something…anything…not to put my goddamn foot in my mouth. “No, ma’am. My mama looks nothing like you.”

  I can feel the judgment in them as she tries to make a decision if she likes me or wants to rip out my throat already with her blood-red fingernails.

  “He just had to poke that bear,” Joe mumbles behind me.

  “I brought donuts for you assholes. That goes for you too, kid.” She smiles.

  I know she’s going to call me that forever, just like she’ll always be ma’am to me because that’s how I was raised. As a Southern man, you don’t have good manners unless you call a lady a proper name out of respect. I may have shit parents, but my grandmother taught me to be a gentleman. Because if I didn’t, she’d smack me right upside the head.

  I glance back at my boss, but he only shakes his head slowly like I need to let the conversation die and take what she’s saying like a man. I make a quick note that Izzy, who’s also Joe’s sister, is the one who rules the roost.

  “Where’s my baby girl?” Izzy asks as she walks by us. “I thought she’d be early.”

  “She had to pick up the keys to her new place before work, but I’m sure she’ll be here any minute.”

  I head to my station, unpacking a few personal items and the tools I brought with me that I’ve carried from place to place for the last nine years.

  “She’s really moving out?”

  “Yep. I can’t convince her to stay.”

  I keep my head down and do my best not to listen, but I also want to know the family dynamics so I can figure out which land mines to avoid in the future. Plus, I never had a family that could stand one another in even small doses, let alone work together every day. The entire thing is fascinating and completely foreign.

  “She’s independent and grown, Joe. You had to know this was coming. Once she had a taste of freedom, how could she ever move back?” Izzy says, grabbing the only donut with sprinkles and then proceeding to pick one off and throw the pink sugar into her mouth.

  Joe sighs. “I know, but she’s my little girl. I thought I had a few more years of waking up to see that beautiful face.” He leans back in his chair, crossing his arms. “You know what I miss the most?”

  “Her attitude?” Izzy laughs.

  “Hell no. I blame you for all her piss and vinegar, sister. I miss sitting with her at the kitchen table, drawing together and talking about life.”

  Izzy leans against the counter, still picking apart the donut and eating it in small bites. “You can still have those moments. They just won’t be random.”

  Their gazes move toward the front of the shop as an engine roars, and a sleek black pickup pulls into a parking spot out front.

  “She’s here,” Izzy says, tossing the massacred donut into the trash can and brushing her hands together. “Finally, some new life in this place. The kid here—” she tips her head to me “—and the other kid are just what we need to liven things up around here.”

  I grumble under my breath, busying myself again. I have my first client booked in thirty minutes, and it’s a piece that’ll take me all day plus another session to finish. My back’s already aching thinking about the hours upon hours I’ll be hunched over the woman’s back, giving her the angel wings she’s requested.

  “Sorry I’m late,” the female voice says, coming through the front door.

  “No problem, doll,” Izzy, her aunt, says.

  I doubt I’d get the same response if I’d shown up late today too. But that’s what you get for being family. Special privileges are the way it goes. Who knows if this girl has any real talent or if she rode on the coattails of her father, not earning the chair based on her skills.

  “Thanks, Auntie,” the girl says as she makes her way toward her father and me. “Hey, Daddy.”

  Joe rises from his chair as I watch his boots move across the floor in front of me toward a pair of sexy boots much like Izzy’s. “Are you ready for your first day?” he asks her.

  “I’ve been ready for this day since I was a little girl.”

  I’m sure she has. Most kids dream of following in their father’s footsteps. I, f
or one, did not. My dad was the only attorney in a small town. He was also a bastard and not someone I ever wanted to be like. As soon as I could, I got out and as far away from him and my mother as possible.

  “I have someone I’d like you to meet,” Joe says, and I know it’s my cue.

  I stand slowly, running my hands down the front of my jeans before I finally lift my gaze upward.

  No fucking way.

  My eyes widen, and so do hers.

  “Gigi, this is Pike.” Joe motions toward me with his hand. “Pike, this is my little girl, Gigi.”

  Fuck me.

  She looks like a deer in headlights as her mouth opens and closes, but no words come out.

  She can’t be here.

  I run my fingers through my hair, staring at the beautiful girl I’d tasted and fucked more than once, but then she vanished without even leaving me a phone number. All I had was a first name and memories after Daytona last year. Hell, they were some great fucking memories too.

  I narrow my eyes as I sweep my gaze from her face and down her body, remembering exactly how perfect her skin is underneath the scraps of cloth she’s wearing. I don’t linger on her body too long before I bring my eyes back to hers. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Gigi.”

  “Mm-hmm. You too, Pike,” she says like the words are acid, stinging her tongue. She’s staring at me as the shock wears off and the reality of what we’ve done in the past is hitting her square in the face.

  “Do you two know each other?” Izzy asks as she walks to our side, staring at us, but neither of us looks at her because we’re too busy gawking at each other.

  “Don’t be silly,” Joe says, wrapping an arm around his little girl. “Pike isn’t from around here. He’s new in town.”

  I fucked the boss’s daughter. Way to go, big man.

  “Are you sure you don’t know him?” Izzy asks Gigi.

  Gigi shakes her head, eyes still locked on me. “Never met the gentleman,” she says easily, lying without hesitation.

  She doesn’t know Pike the gentleman. She’s well acquainted with Pike the man. She’d spent days in my bed, pleasuring me and taking what she wanted without apology.