Inked Expressions

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  And he’d fight the world for her.

  Even if she could do it on her own.

  WES

  Wes had never felt more out of place than he did right then, and he had no idea how it had happened. They sat in his favorite café, the one he’d been to countless times. Taboo shared a side door with his family’s tattoo shop, Montgomery Ink, so he was there weekly, if not daily for coffee and food. The place wasn’t local to where he lived or worked, but he liked what he liked and wanted to spend time with his family. So it wasn’t the setting that was off.

  Nor was it the people—not really. They didn’t get to have lunches during the week with family like this since they all had to work, but sometimes, they could schedule a get together. Not all the Montgomerys were present since there were like forty of them in the area, but enough were there that it should have felt familiar to him. His brother-in-law and lead contractor, Decker sat across from him. Decker’s wife, Miranda, was a schoolteacher, so she was at work in the middle of the day, or she’d have been there, too. Meghan and Luc were there, cuddling close as they laughed over a story about one of their kids. They both worked at and owned part of Montgomery Inc. so it made sense they could be there. Maya and Austin owned the tattoo shop, so they had walked over to eat with them, though none of their significant others could join in. Maya’s husbands were in the middle of projects themselves, and Austin’s wife, Sierra, had a random rush at the boutique she owned across the street.

  It wasn’t even that the owner of Taboo, Hailey, wasn’t there that seemed off. She usually served them and would end up eating with them and her husband and tattoo artist, Sloane, but she’d caught a bad cold and was at home resting with Sloane by her side, most likely making soup. The others had smiled sweetly when Hailey’s staff had mentioned it, but Wes had only grinned, knowing it didn’t reach his eyes.

  He just felt…off. Maybe it was because he and Storm were the final two Montgomerys who weren’t married off or on their way to being so. He hadn’t meant to be one of the last ones still single, but everyone else had fallen around him, and he’d been left standing with Storm.

  But from the way Storm leaned into Everly as they shared a secret conversation with one another, Wes had a feeling his brother would fall soon, as well—if he hadn’t already—and Wes would be alone. It was a tricky situation all around since Everly had been married to Storm’s best friend—a man Wes had hated, even though he told himself it hadn’t been jealousy. He’d just disliked Jackson in general. And now Storm was with the man’s widow. Complicated didn’t even begin to cover it.

  And the main complication sat on the other side of the damn table.

  Jillian.

  Storm’s ex. Or not really an ex. Just his friend. Or his fuck buddy. The woman who had led his brother around by the balls and let him waste so much time of his life on a relationship that hadn’t been serious. Yeah, Wes had his own issues and reasons for why he was still single, but it hadn’t been because of an on-again, off-again relationship that amounted to nothing.

  And, somehow, she’d ended up working with them.

  The fact that she was the best goddamn plumber he’d ever seen just made him more annoyed. For some reason, Jillian rubbed him the wrong way, and he couldn’t figure out exactly why. Some people were just like that, and yet Wes usually wasn’t such an asshole from the get-go.

  Apparently, things with Jillian were different.

  He knew he needed to grow up and act like a professional. He’d heard himself when he ranted about her to Storm and had tried to stop it, but there was just something about her that made him act like an idiot.

  And that just pissed him off more.

  Of course, it didn’t help that she acted just like he did. She looked up and over at him and scowled before giving him a wink and continuing her conversation with Maya.

  Jesus, he needed to get a grip. Because he didn’t like the man he was becoming. And if was indeed the last single Montgomery, then he’d better get his life in order. Soon.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Everly would rather take an ice bath and almost freeze to death than do what she was about to do. She would rather wax her entire body than answer her front door when they got to her house. She would rather eat only Brussels sprouts for a week—and not the good kind that was pan fried in a wok with oil and soy sauce. No, the stinky steamed kind with no salt or pepper. That was what she wanted to do rather than deal with the situation at hand.

  But because she was an adult and knew what needed to be done, she’d do it. But she didn’t have to like it.

  “I have James and Nathan watching a movie in the playroom, and I’m going to hang out with them like you asked when you’re talking to your in-laws, but if you need me for more, I’m here,” Storm said as he walked into the living room. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she leaned into him, closing her eyes so she could focus on his touch and not on what needed to happen. The two of them hadn’t slept together, though they’d gotten closer and closer over the past few days. She knew that they would soon, and their relationship would hit a new level. But she couldn’t think about that at the moment, not when she had to focus on one of the other thousand things going on in her life right then.

  “I think I’ll be okay,” Everly said as she pulled away, turning so she could face him. “This isn’t a conversation I want to have with them, and frankly, if I could have found a way around it, I would have. But they need to know that this woman is out there and what might become of it.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, that familiar ache in her brain making her dizzy. “I need to talk to Rachel again. I need to figure out if what she’s saying is even true, even though the evidence is piling up. I need to figure out if and when I’ll tell the boys and how I’m going to deal with the fact that they have half-siblings. I also don’t know what Rachel wants, but I have a feeling since she clearly wasn’t named in the will at all, it must have something to do with money—something I don’t really have other than the house and the boys’ college funds.” She blew out a breath. “So, yes, I have all of that to worry about, and I have no idea what I’m doing, but keeping this a secret from Nancy and Peter will only make everything worse in the end. Even if it all ends up a lie and I’ve spread this horribleness to Jackson’s parents, at least I didn’t hide it from them.”

  Storm’s eyes widened just a bit as she spoke, and she winced. She’d rambled a bit there, but honestly, everything was so far out of her realm of knowledge that she couldn’t quite keep her thoughts in order. She’d tried to practice what she planned to say to her in-laws in the mirror, and all she’d come out with was that their son was a worthless piece of shit. A potential worthless piece of shit.

  Not exactly helpful.

  “Like I said, I want to hit Jackson. And I know that violence doesn’t solve anything but…”

  “It would at least be a little helpful right about now,” Everly finished for him.

  He ran his hand down her back, and though she didn’t want to, she let him take care of her, just this little bit. “I’ll be in the back with the boys so they don’t have to hear what’s going on or deal with this. And so you won’t have to worry about them. But I’ll be out here if you need me. You know that.”

  “I do, but…” She didn’t know how to say this without putting her foot in her mouth, but since that was how the whole night would probably go, she just went with it. “I don’t know if this is the right time to also let them know that you and I are together. I mean, if we are together. Or whatever we are.”

  Foot in mouth.

  Again.

  Storm stiffened before looking down at her. She thought she saw hurt flash in his eyes but she couldn’t be sure. He touched her face, and she wanted to lean into him again, so she didn’t. “We are together. Let’s get that out there in the open. I don’t know what it means beyond that, but you and me? We are a you and me. As for not telling Nancy and Peter? I get it. I don’t like it. But I get it. So I’ll stay
in the back with the kids, and if you need me, I’ll be here, but I won’t let the others know what’s going on between us.”

  She closed her eyes and leaned forward to rest her head on his chest. He slid his hands down her back, and she sighed. “It’s keeping secrets. The one thing I didn’t want to do but I can’t tell them everything all at once. And they are Jackson’s parents. Not mine. They don’t get a say in who I’m with, so they will just have to deal with that. However, right now, I don’t want to give them any more stress since I’m about to tell them their perfect son wasn’t so perfect.”

  And her perfect husband wasn’t the man she’d thought he was.

  No, she thought. He’d never been perfect in her eyes, and that had been fine. She’d thought he was hers. That was the issue. But he’d been Rachel’s, as well…and maybe even others’, since if he could cheat on her with one woman, he could probably do it with more. Apparently, that’s the kind of man he was, and she hadn’t seen it. Maybe she’d chosen not to see it, but she wouldn’t blame herself. She didn’t have the time or energy for that.

  Storm kissed her softly, bringing her out of her thoughts, and for that she was grateful. “They aren’t going to be happy, but they’ve been giving you hell for so long because they don’t know how to grieve without lashing out. I know they aren’t going to take it well, but I have to have hope that they aren’t going to make it messy.”

  “From your lips to God’s ears,” she said quietly. The doorbell rang at that instant, and she sighed. “I’d better get this over with.”

  Storm kissed her again and gave her a tight hug. She didn’t know how she felt about the fact that his support made her feel better. Yes, she was thinking far too much about what he meant to her, but in reality, she had to keep herself from falling in love with him. If she leaned on him too much or let herself feel something she shouldn’t, she’d end up getting hurt again. Her world falling down around her once because of a man was more than enough.

  Storm went back to the kids’ playroom, and Everly straightened her cotton dress before going to open the door.

  “Here goes nothing,” she whispered to herself as she turned the doorknob. The older couple stood on her porch, their standard slightly elitist looks on their faces. “Nancy, Peter, thank you for coming by on such short notice.” She’d asked the day before, so it really wasn’t that short notice, but she didn’t want to annoy Nancy right out of the gate.

  Peter gave her a nod before following Nancy into the house. Nancy didn’t say a thing, but gave Everly her critical eye before looking around the living room. Everly had cleaned up the house well before they had shown up and had kept the kids out of the area so it would stay clean for longer than twenty minutes. Normally, Everly wouldn’t care as much as she did, but she didn’t want to start off fighting. She had to pick her battles.

  “Can I get you both some tea? Soda? Water?”

  Peter shook his head and sat down, his book in his hand. The man seriously didn’t talk much since Nancy could speak enough for both of them.

  Nancy sat down next to her husband and put her purse in her lap. “No, thank you. What is it you wanted to speak to us about? Is it because we want to take care of the children’s needs more and more? I’m sure you understand that with your life in such…disarray with the fire, and even when you were working full-time, young boys need guidance and care. Peter and I are ready and able to help make that happen.” She held up her hand as if to ward off any discussion and gave Everly a small smile.

  Dear God, this was going to be harder than she thought. If Nancy thought she was going to take over parenting because of whatever crazy reason she had, she was going to be in for a rude awakening when she realized just how hard Everly would fight for her boys.

  “We aren’t talking custody, of course. They are your children. But they were also Jackson’s. And since Jackson is no longer with us”—she paused and wiped a tear Everly knew was real—“we want to ensure his legacy lives on.”

  Everly blinked, an odd rage filling her. She’d spent most of her marriage trying to live up to Nancy’s expectations—and failing. She’d learned to live with that even if she tried to make things easier in some cases, but Nancy was off her rocker if she thought that what she was saying was anywhere near the realm of appropriate.

  “Are you going to ensure Jackson’s other children are also taken care of?” Everly blurted, her hands fisted in her lap.

  Peter stared at her, but Nancy’s face went red. “What on earth are you talking about, Everly?”

  Well, she hadn’t meant to say it quite like that, but now she couldn’t seem to stop herself. “Jackson has three other children. Did you know that? He might even have more since I didn’t know about these three, so who knows, he could have twenty more kids out there in different cities waiting for their daddy to come home.”

  Everly stood as she spoke, and Nancy did, as well. Peter looked shell-shocked from his seat, as if he couldn’t even gather up the energy to stand.

  “Stop your lying, Everly,” Nancy bit out. “I don’t know why you think making up lies about my son will help you in any way, but you’re only hurting yourself.” Nancy’s mouth went thin, and her eyebrows pinched. “You shut your mouth. Our son would never have done what you’re saying. He was perfect. He died far too young, and I will not have you tarnishing his name. You weren’t good enough for him when you married him, and you’re clearly not good enough to raise his children now.”

  Everly pulled out the photo of Jackson and Rachel, her hands steady, though her stomach revolted. This was going far worse than she’d expected, but she couldn’t stop now. “This is your perfect son with his arms around a very pregnant woman and his lips on her cheek. This is the man you claim can do no wrong.”

  Everly should have figured that Nancy would lash out, but she didn’t register the slap until the sting in her cheek burned. She put her hand to her face and blinked.

  “Shut your mouth,” Nancy spat.

  “Did you just hit me?” Everly asked slowly, patting her cheek. It was warm to the touch, and she knew there would be a red mark once she lowered her hand.

  “I’ll do it again if I have to. How dare you accuse Jackson of having other children with this woman?”

  “You’re going to want to keep your hands off her,” Storm said from the hallway, and Everly resisted closing her eyes with a groan. This wasn’t going to end well.

  Peter had stood when Nancy slapped Everly and now put his hand on his wife’s arm. “Nancy, calm yourself. I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation.”

  Nancy rounded on her husband. “Oh? She’s a liar. A liar who thinks she can tarnish my son’s legacy.” She turned to Storm. “And just what are you doing here at this time of night? You did nothing but hold our son back when he was alive, and now you’re here, thinking you can tell me what to do? You think you can try and replace him. You wouldn’t even amount to half of what my son was.”

  Everly was done. “Nancy. Shut up and sit down or get out of my home.”

  Nancy turned back to Everly, her eyes wide for a moment before narrowing to slits. “Excuse me?”

  Storm moved closer, but Everly held up her hand to stop him before turning back to her mother-in-law. “This is my house. My family. How dare you speak to me this way? How dare you hit me? You’ve treated me like crap for over ten years, and I took it because it was the easier way out, but no more. If you think you can continue to treat me this way, I will make sure you never see your grandsons again.” Everly’s chest heaved, but she wasn’t done. “And I’m not telling you about Jackson’s other family to hurt you. I’m telling you because you need to know what is out there and what is going on with your son’s past. I don’t know what I’m going to do about the fact that he has three kids outside of our marriage, but what I do know is that I can’t ignore it forever. And you know what? It could all be a lie anyway.” She blew out a breath, still angry. “I don’t think it is, not with my gut feeling, but it
could all be a lie. I’m going to find out because I have to, but I thought tonight I’d give you the courtesy of telling you the truth. But you clearly can’t listen to anything that might fracture the perfect image you have of your golden son. Well, guess what, Nancy. He wasn’t perfect. I never thought he was, even before this came to light. But I thought he was mine. I guess I was wrong. Because even if he isn’t the father of those children, he still has his arm around another woman, and the picture was taken after we were together. I remember that shirt,” she whispered. “I remember buying it for him. I remember when he had that ugly goatee. And that was all after we were together.”

  “You’re lying,” Nancy growled out. “You’re just a low-class whore who seduced my son, and now you’re trying to tarnish his good name for his sons.”

  “Get out.” Storm’s voice was low, full of authority, and Everly was not happy. She could handle this herself and didn’t need a man coming in and taking over. Jackson had done that enough. She didn’t need Storm to do it, as well.

  Peter tugged on Nancy’s arm before looking between Storm and Everly. “We’ll leave for now,” he said softly.

  “Excuse me?” Nancy asked, her voice shrill.

  He bent and handed his wife her purse. “We need to talk this out and let it sink in. Once we’re a bit calmer,”—he gave a pointed look to his wife—“we’ll be in touch.” He paused for a moment as Nancy glared at him, muttering things under her breath that Everly knew weren’t kind. “I…I hope it’s not true.”

  And with that, he pulled his wife out of the house while she screamed and ranted, with Storm following them as if to make sure they didn’t make a run for it in the opposite direction.

  He locked the door behind them and turned, his face set in stone. “I cannot believe she fucking hit you. Let me get you some ice.”