Burn: Men of Inked Heatwave #2

by Chelle Bliss

  Not the first guy we’ve carried. My mouth falls open. Those words make me look at my badass uncles in a whole new light. I always knew they’d done things, but I never put much thought into what exactly that meant…until now.

  “What are you going to do with him?” I ask, watching my uncles as they glance at each other.

  “We’re not going to make him disappear or anything.” Thomas laughs like the very thought is absurd, and for a moment, I’m relieved.

  “Yeah, that would be illegal,” James adds, dropping his voice in a weird way, causing me to blink.

  My mind may not be working right, but I don’t miss the awkwardness. Are my uncles really the type of men who could make a person disappear?

  “What?” I blurt out because they are truly scary right now. I don’t know how I’ve never seen this side of them before, but now it’s slapping me right in the face.

  Holy shit.

  “Everyone’s living, sweetheart,” Thomas says gently, trying to calm my fears. “We’re going to haul his ass down to the FBI headquarters and drop him. They can sort his shit out.”

  Maybe I overreacted, jumping to conclusions and taking their words a little too literally. I never really thought they had bad in them, but then again…they were well acquainted with men like Tiny.

  “I know. I didn’t really think you were going to throw his ass in the swamp for the alligators to eat.” I snort, knowing I sounded like an idiot.

  “We’d never do such a thing.” James gives Thomas the side-eye as he reaches down to grab the guy’s arms. “Thomas, legs, man. Let’s get this shit done and over so I can get home before the sun comes up.”

  Thomas groans as he grabs ahold of the asshole’s ankles. “I fucking hate the FBI. They’re going to have a million questions. Can’t we just drop him at the sheriff’s office and be done?”

  James grunts. “I already told the Feds I don’t have time for their shit. They just want him and said they could give two fucks what we had to say.”

  I gaze up at Pike as they carry his father toward the hallway. “Do you want to go with them?”

  Pike wraps his arm around me, moving our bodies to follow them. “No way, darlin’. I’m not leaving your side tonight.”

  “I’m okay,” I whisper even though I feel the weight of the last half hour starting to press down on me like a wet blanket.

  Pike stops, places his fingers under my chin, and brings my eyes to his. “I’m not leaving you. I don’t want to say it again. I’m right where I want to be.” He ticks his chin toward my uncles. “Plus, they officially scare the shit out of me. They’re good men, Gigi. You’re lucky they have your back.”

  “I know,” I whisper and want to remind him they have his too, but I don’t have a chance before Thomas’s groan has us turning our heads.

  “I forgot how dead weight is so fucking hard to carry,” James groans.

  Pike and I watch in sheer fascination as they carry him through the doorway, almost knocking his head against the frame.

  “Are you done moaning, or do you want to draw the neighbors’ attention while we carry him out of our niece’s apartment?” Thomas lurches to a stop, Colton’s feet in his hands.

  James glares at Thomas, muttering something under his breath. “I’m done, old fucker. Get moving.”

  Thomas grunts, trying to get a better hold on the guy’s ankles and almost dropping him as they clear the doorway. “You’re chattering on like a lonely old woman.”

  “Are they always like this?” Pike asks as we follow them outside, keeping our distance.

  “Sometimes, they’re worse,” I tell him, tucking my thumb into the waistband of his pants as we walk.

  “We don’t need you two watching over us. Take her to your place, Pike.” James moves his head toward Pike’s apartment. “Get settled and get some rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  “Fucking great,” Pike mutters, glancing down at me. “That should be fun.”

  “They’re all bark and no bite, baby.” I smile up at him, hoping my words are true. “They’re gentle giants.”

  “Who have carried bodies before,” he reminds me as if I could actually forget their earlier words, which I haven’t.

  I place my hand on Pike’s chest. “Don’t worry about them. You’re one of us now.”

  Pike’s eyes flash, but whatever my words stir in him is instantly hidden. Like it or not, Pike is now in the fold. My family is just as wrapped up as he is in whatever his father brought to our doorstep.

  “Let’s get you to bed,” he says, skipping over my statement.

  I sigh but nod, because nothing sounds better. “This evening was supposed to end like that, but way sexier.”

  “There’s always tomorrow, darlin’.” He stops near his doorway, his gaze trained on James and Thomas as they carry the asshole toward the car. “And I’m not sure about being one of you, especially after your father hears about tonight.”

  I stare at my uncles as my stomach tightens. “You let me handle my father.”

  “I need to be a man and deal with him myself, Gigi. It’s the only way I have any hope of earning his respect.”

  “Fine,” I whisper. My dad’s liable to pop a freaking vein when he hears about tonight, but so be it. “But just so you know, it’s going to suck.”

  “I never thought it would be easy.”

  2

  Pike

  “Say that again.” Gigi’s father turns his head, giving me his ear like he didn’t hear every word I’d just spoken.

  I cross my arms, standing on the other side of his desk, and look him straight in the eyes. “My father was in Gigi’s apartment last night,” I repeat, giving him what he wants.

  Joe pinches the bridge of his nose and grimaces like he’s just eaten a steamy pile of horseshit. “And…” His jaw ticks.

  This isn’t going to go down the way I’d hoped. I don’t know what I was thinking. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but fuck, I’m not sure I’ve ever had a tougher conversation.

  I remind myself I’m talking to Gigi’s father and not my boss. He’s worried about his little girl, which is understandable and expected.

  “He attacked Gigi, but she was able to fight him off. I knocked him out before he could do anything worse.” I swallow hard, trying not to think about what could’ve happened if I hadn’t…

  He closes his eyes and grits his teeth. “And…”

  Jesus Christ.

  Almost-silent Joe is far scarier than ranting-and-raving Joe. I know how to handle men with bad tempers and loud mouths, but the silent types…those are wild cards.

  “And we called Thomas and James afterward. They took him to the FBI, where he is now, and where he will stay for the foreseeable future.”

  Joe stares up at me, his blue eyes burning with nothing short of rage. He closes his hand into a tight fist against the armrest of his chair and flexes. “So, my kid was attacked because…” His voice trails off.

  I’m sure he’s fighting the urge to beat my face to a bloody pulp. He wants me to say it’s my fault. He wants me to tell him I brought this trouble to her doorstep.

  And, in all honesty, I did.

  “Because my father’s an asshole,” I blurt out, giving him what I can but not what he wants. “I don’t know why he was at her place, but he was, and I handled it.”

  “Giovanna!” Joe yells so loudly, my ears ring. “Get your ass in here.”

  “I don’t think…” My words die in my mouth from the murderous look he throws my way.

  He stands quickly, leaning over his desk with his knuckles against the wood, coming eye-to-eye with me. “That’s the problem, Pike. You don’t think. My kid could’ve been killed last night because of you. No. Scratch that.” He shakes his head, grinding his teeth together until they squeak. “She could’ve been killed twice since you walked into her life.”

  I jerk back my head like he punched me in the face. His words sting, but they’re true.

  “Daddy,”
Gigi hisses like he’s gone off the rails. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  He turns his head toward the doorway but doesn’t back away from my space. “What’s wrong with me?”

  She nods.

  He lifts a hand and touches his chest. “What’s wrong with me?” he repeats in a deeper and scarier than shit tone.

  She pushes her long brown hair behind her shoulder before crossing her arms, giving him the same look he’s giving her. “Yeah, Dad. You’re in here freaking out so loud the entire shop—which is full of customers, by the way—can hear you. You’re like a raving lunatic.”

  Joe stiffens and gawks at Gigi. “I’m a lunatic?”

  She nods again, pinching her lips as her glare holds steady. “You’re acting like one.”

  I scrub my hand down my face, muttering to myself. “Fuck me.”

  Joe takes a step back, hands balled at his sides, chest heaving like he’s about to blow a gasket. “I’m sorry I’m losing my shit, but you were almost killed twice because of—” he turns his gaze toward me and snarls “—him.”

  “Give us a few minutes, darlin’,” I tell her when she’s about to open her mouth and probably say something she’ll regret later.

  Her icy gaze sweeps over me, searching my face like she’s not sure it’s a good idea. This conversation needs to be handled man-to-man. Joe and I need to have a straight and to the point conversation about what went down and my feelings for his daughter.

  Gigi shakes her head as her eyes go back to her dad. “I can’t deal with this.” She throws her arm out, waving her hand at us. “You two work it out. I don’t want to hear any more yelling, and, Dad…” She waits, cocking her head at him until he finally looks at her. “Don’t walk out of this room until you’ve calmed down and have started acting like a rational human being again.”

  We gawk at her as she stalks out of the room, high heels clicking down the hallway toward the shop, showing just how badass she is.

  “Fuck, I liked her so much better when she was five,” he groans and collapses back in the chair.

  I try to imagine Gigi as a little thing all full of sass and sweetness. God, she had to have this man wrapped around her little finger from the moment she was born.

  “Someday, when you have children of your own, you’ll understand how I’m feeling, Pike. From the moment you walked into her life, you’ve brought nothing but danger and misery.” He shakes his head slowly, eyes narrowed on me like a hawk. “I can’t give my blessing for whatever you two have going on. I just can’t do it.”

  I suck in a deep breath, figuring there’s no better time than now to lay it all out for him. “We’ve seen a lot of shit in the last week. We’ve lived even more, Joe.” I take the seat across from him, leaning back, trying to be chill as fuck. “I can’t stop bad things from happening, but I can promise to keep her safe. I’d do anything in my power to protect her. Hell, I’d take a bullet for her without even blinking.”

  “You know most men don’t have to worry about taking a bullet for their girl? Normal people don’t worry about being gunned down.” He raises an eyebrow.

  He’s right, but I can’t change the cards I’ve been dealt. I can’t change the past I was born into. All I can do is try to control the damage from the insane shitshow I tried to leave behind me.

  “Would you rather see Gigi with some stiff suit who goes to an office all day, working long hours, probably fucking his secretary because he’s a sleazy asshole? You’d want her with someone who doesn’t have a loyal bone in his body?”

  Joe studies me, not speaking for what seems like forever. “Of course I don’t want that for my daughter, but I also want someone who doesn’t have his past chasing him into his future.”

  I run my fingers through my hair, keeping my voice calm and low. “It’s my father’s past. Not mine,” I correct him. “You’re judging me for things outside of my control. Things that happened when I was a kid. A goddamn kid, Joe!”

  He flinches as I bark out the last statement, but that doesn’t stop me. I have to hold my ground now or risk being run over for the rest of my life.

  “I don’t know what it’s like to grow up Gallo, surrounded by people who love you. People who are only looking out for your well-being all the goddamn time. People who will always have your back.” I run my sweaty palms down the front of my jeans and take a deep breath. “I never had anyone besides my gran who gave two shits about me. Do you know what it’s like to be that alone? Not knowing love or safety, even as a child?”

  I pause for only a second, and when he starts to open his mouth, I continue.

  “I do. I never had anyone but myself to fall back on. I never had Sunday dinners, big family Christmases, birthday parties, or things most people get to experience in life. I had shit and I came from shit, but now, I’m trying to break free. Start over. Become someone better than my past. Someone different.”

  I hold up my hand because I want him to hear it all, and the last thing I want is him interrupting me.

  “The fact that you’d hold their sins against me, telling me to stay away from your daughter because of things outside my control, is pure and utter bullshit. I thought you were a better man. I thought you were a fair man. I thought you were…”

  “Stop,” he growls.

  “I’m not finished.” I raise my chin defiantly.

  “You spoke. Now, it’s my turn,” he argues, rubbing his face. “Kids never stop giving stress and heartache. I don’t care how old she is, I’ll always worry about her.” He twists his hands together, eyes trained on me. “Am I just supposed to turn that off?”

  I lift a shoulder and shake my head. “She never should have been wrapped up in my father’s business. All I can say is I’m sorry.” I glance down as I grip my knee, trying to stop it from shaking. “No matter how much I try to leave them behind, all their hate and bullshit—somehow, it follows me.” I gaze at him again. “You worry about Gigi constantly. There’s never been a day when my parents have worried about me. Never been a day when they gave two shits if I was alive and breathing. Never been a moment when they wondered how something would affect me and my brother. They are vile, worthless, and selfish people, but no matter how hard I try to break free, their bullshit follows.”

  Joe passes his hand over his lips, his fingers rubbing the stubble along his jaw. “You had a bad life.”

  “I have a great life now, but I had a shit childhood,” I correct him.

  “No one should have the sins of their father follow them. No one should have to worry about whether or not they’ll be able to take their next breath because of a deal their father made.”

  I hold Joe’s gaze. “With him in FBI custody, DiSantis dead, and my mother not breathing, I’m hoping it’s all behind me.”

  A shadow passes across Joe’s features as he shakes his head. “I’m sorry about your mom.”

  I want to say I’m not sorry because, well, I’m not. It’s cold, callous, and a shitty thing to think, but the woman never gave a damn about me. Why should I give a single shit about her?

  “Will you be heading up to Tennessee to handle her affairs?” he asks when I don’t reply.

  I blink a few times, eyebrows drawn down, wondering if that’s what I’m supposed to do? Is that what a person does in my situation?

  “Possibly,” I tell him because I have no idea what someone does after a family member dies.

  “Take as much time as you need,” he offers with so much kindness in his voice, I’m completely thrown off.

  Then it clicks.

  He’s trying to get rid of me.

  “I have to talk to my gran, but I’m sure I’ll only be gone a couple of days. My brother and Gran should be able to handle everything without me. They’ve been getting by without me for years.”

  Joe leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “Does he live with your grandmother?”

  I nod. “He does since my mother…”

  “Gotcha. Well, let me clue you in on
a few things. As a man with a few brothers, I can tell you your brother is not okay. Your brother needs you more than anyone else has ever needed you.”

  He does? I haven’t given much thought to Austin since hearing about my mother. “You think?”

  “Death has a way of changing someone. Especially when it’s the death of someone you love. You may not have any good feelings for your parents, but maybe Austin does. He’s trying to work through those feelings, and it’s not easy for him at his age. Hell, it’s not easy at any age. He’ll need your strength to help him through this time.”

  “We haven’t been tight in years.” Ten years, to be exact. I hadn’t seen Austin since I’d blown town, leaving my parents and everything else in my life behind.

  “You’re blood. Tight or not, he’s going to need you. This is going to give him a reality check. Don’t you remember when you were his age and you thought you were untouchable? This is going to have him facing his mortality.”

  I lean back, exhaling and coming to terms with shit I hadn’t thought about. “Yeah,” I whisper.

  Their darkness clung to me, became part of me. I’d spent ten years trying to break free from that time in my life. From the hate they gave freely and only showed to me.

  Why? I have no fucking clue. But at this point in my life, I don’t give a fuck anymore.

  But at Austin’s age, I was angry. I wanted the world to feel the pain I felt.

  “You’re going to need more than a few days to sort him out. Don’t rush back on our account. We’ll handle your appointments. Izzy will reschedule your clients, so you don’t have to worry about anything except spending time with your family.”

  “Thanks.” I dip my head, trying to be gracious but knowing he’s not going to all this trouble out of the goodness of his heart. “Now, can we talk about the giant elephant in the room?”

  Joe lifts his chin, twisting his lips as he pulls at the collar of his black T-shirt. “I’m not happy about it.”

  “About us being together?”

  “About everything,” he answers in a flat tone. “About what happened in Daytona. About the bullets and your father. About everything,” he repeats.