Miles (Highway Reapers MC): Inked Hearts

by West, Heather

  “She’s…um…” Miles nervously shoved his hands in to his pockets. How could he deter the guys from Brea without revealing they were dating? It was too risky to let them know about his relationship with her, as it put her in danger. He was about to let Brea become collateral damage for anything that went down between the Reapers and the Blood Pact in Colridge while he was there.

  “She likes girls,” he said with a shrug.

  “Doesn’t put me off,” Hank grinned.

  “She’s involved with a woman at the parlor. I think her name is Gina.”

  “Ah,” Hank’s interest seemed to wane. He pushed up the sleeve of his jacket to show a grisly tattoo of a pack of wolves ripping apart a man. “I’m thinking of adding to this,” he told the other two men.

  “What would you add?” Colin frowned. “An apology? That’s an awful tat, man.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Hank gave a haughty gruff. “You’re the one who has your Mama’s name on your chest.”

  “Hey,” Colin looked wounded by his friend’s words. “She died. It’s a tribute.”

  “Still makes you a pussy,” Hank shrugged. “The only women’s names you should have inked on to you are those who fucked your brains out. Plain and simple. No other women are worth remembering.”

  Miles turned away from them so that they wouldn’t see him smiling to himself. By their logic he should have Brea’s name boldly tattooed on himself. He was still grinning to himself when the two men got up and headed for the door to their motel room.

  “Where are you going?” Miles sharply turned to face them.

  “I’m in the mood for some new ink now,” Colin admitted as he pulled on his jacket.

  “Me too,” Hank agreed solemnly. “Plus is beats sitting around here all day. You coming?”

  Miles hesitated. If he went with them they’d surely see how he was with Brea and realize that they were a couple. No, as much as it pained him he needed to hang back at the motel, protect the secrecy of his relationship a little longer.

  “I’ll stay here in case Deacon calls.”

  Both Colin and Hank looked confused.

  “You know how he hates cell phones,” Miles explained with a roll of his eyes.

  “Oh, yeah, man,” Hank gave him a consolation pat on the shoulder. “The old dog really can’t learn new tricks, can he?”

  “Let us know if he hits you up,” Colin was stepping out in to the gloom of the late morning. Heavy clouds hung in the sky preventing the sun from shining.

  “Will do,” Miles promised as he watched his friends leave, envying them for being able to go and see Brea, his Brea.

  Chapter 35

  Gina entered the reception area upon hearing the gentle chime of the front door. She stopped abruptly when she stopped the two heavy set guys glancing at the designs adorning the walls. They were both over six foot in oil stained jeans, leather jackets and the one had a red bandana around his head while the other had shaggy blonde hair which hung past his shoulders and clenched a half smoked cigar between his teeth, the end still lit.

  “There’s no smoking in here,” Gina told him firmly.

  “Whatever you say, sweetheart,” the blonde dramatically removed the stub from his mouth and stepped back outside to dispose of it.

  “Is Brea working today?” the other man asked, removing his bandana and raking a hand through his jet black hair which was streaked with silver.

  “Brea?” Gina felt her heart hammer in her chest. What did they want with Brea? She thought of Sylar and his gang connections and instantly felt uneasy. “What do you want with Brea?”

  “Hey, lady, no need to get all touchy.” The man raised his hands up, smirking to himself. “We’re just here to get inked up and heard she was good, that’s all.”

  “She’s in, yes,” Gina gave a curt nod, trying to hide how annoyed she was that they were asking for her assistant instead of her. It was her name over the door, she was the main artist in residence. Strangers were supposed to come in and demand to have Gina work on them, not Brea.

  “But she won’t be able to do both of you today.” Gina folded her arms across her chest. She was hoping she could deter the men from getting a tattoo done in her parlor in case they were interested in something gang related.

  “Could you do me?” the black haired man asked with a cheeky grin. Gina sighed and reminded herself to maintain professional.

  “I can fit you in for a tattoo, yes. But only if you’re ready in the next twenty minutes. I’m booked up the rest of the day.”

  The blonde haired man came back inside, sans cigar. He clapped his hands together eagerly.

  “So are we in business?” he asked his friend.

  “I think so,” the other man confirmed. “Though I’ll be with Gina over here. She’s sweet talked me into going with her.”

  “Oh, has she?” the blonde man’s eyes sparkled with menace. Gina shuddered but remained composed.

  “So what sort of design were you guys thinking about?” she asked. As long as they wanted nothing that resembled a scythe or a reaper she’d be willing to do it.

  “I want a black rose on my left shoulder,” the black haired man stated.

  “Sounds good.” Gina nodded.

  “They were my mother’s favorite flower,” he added softly. While Gina smiled the other man coughed the word ‘pussy’.

  “And what about you?” Gina crossed her arms across her chest as she addressed the blonde.

  “I’m thinking something tribal,” he grinned. “An entire sleeve.”

  “That’ll take a couple of sessions,” Gina advised.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got the time to kill.”

  Chapter 36

  Brea pulled on her gloves and tried to ignore the invasive stare from the man in the treatment room, sitting in her chair, waiting to be tattooed. He was leaned on his side, the arm she was about to work on angled towards her.

  “You been living in Colridge long?” he asked, not bothering to hide the fact that he was staring at her backside. Brea wished she’d worn something a little less revealing than her denim hot pants and plain black t-shirt. Her hair was up in a high bun and she was wearing her favorite pair of Vans.

  “A while,” she told him vaguely. She approached his arm and studied the transfer which had been placed upon it. He was having a large tribal design which went from his shoulder right down to his wrist. It would be the biggest piece that Brea had done so far and she was giddy just thinking about telling Miles all about it. She knew he’d be excited for her. He was always really supportive of her career.

  “For a tattoo artist your skin is pretty clear,” he commented, his eyes wandering up and down her bare legs. “Or maybe I just can’t see the ones you’ve got,” he added smugly.

  “Hold still, this will sting,” Brea prepared the tattoo gun and lowered it towards his skin which she held taut with her other hand. She had to remind herself not to apply undue pressure even if the guy was a sleeze.

  “Oooh,” he released a tense breath as she commenced work on him. “Darling, usually when a woman makes me feel that much pain it’s followed by a bit of pleasure.”

  “It will be worth it when it’s done,” Brea used her go-to line for clients in pain. She focused in on the design and got to work.

  Chapter 37

  Miles paced the room of the motel. He felt like a caged animal. As glad as he was to be back in Colridge it wasn’t the same having Hank and Colin in tow. He could only imagine what they’d been like with Brea and Gina. They were the kind of guys who didn’t care if they offended anyone, especially Hank. He had a reputation for being cruel with women yet still they were drawn to his bad boy demeanor and cavalier attitude.

  It made no sense to keep them all holed up in town. His Uncle had to be planning something big, like a raid on a business owned by the Reapers or something of the same caliber. Miles knew how those sort of jobs went. Skulls got cracked, blood spilled. He’d seen men take such a beating that they�
��re never again able to eat solid food.

  When he’d first joined the Blood Pact he reveled in the opportunity to unleash some of his pent up anger. He finally felt like he was a part of something. The violence he experienced in his life no longer felt needless. But that feeling didn’t last long. The more blood that was spilled by his hand, the heavier the toll on Miles became. This wasn’t who he was supposed to be. He didn’t want to grow up like his Uncle Deacon, wheezing away in the corner of some dingy bar. Miles had dreams. He wanted to own a big house with a yard that he could play in with his kids. And he wanted a wife. But how could he have those things when he was terrified to even admit that he had a girlfriend?

  Frustrated he dropped down onto the bed, his head in his hands. Everything in his life felt like it was part of a vicious, violent cycle. But he sensed that Brea might offer him a way out of all that. When he thought of her it was like the clouds parted and the sun finally shone. And she brought out the best in him, he felt it each time they were together. When he was with Brea he felt like he was becoming the kind of man he could be proud of being.

  Chapter 38

  “Okay, I think we’re all done here,” Brea moved back from her client and grabbed a sterilized cloth to wipe down the work on his arm she’d done so far.

  “Is that it?” he croaked with a chuckle. “But honey, I didn’t even finish.”

  Brea rolled her eyes and placed cellophane over the developing design on his arm.

  “You need to keep this on for at least forty eight hours,” she instructed sternly. “You can make your next appointment at the front desk.”

  As the man got up he reached for her and slapped her on the ass. It was a playful, flirtatious gesture but Brea saw red.

  “I’ll ask you to keep your hands to yourself,” she spun around to face him, seething.

  “Sorry, sweetheart,” he raised his hands defensively, smiling. “I was just having a bit of fun.”

  “I don’t find sexual harassment very funny.” Brea frowned, wishing Miles or Sylar were there. She knew they’d quickly wipe the smug smile off the guy’s face.

  “Look, I’m sorry,” he let his hands fall to his side and actually sounded genuinely apologetic. Brea let some of her anger thaw.

  “Let me make it up to you,” he suggested, tilting his head. “How about you let me take you out for a drink tonight?”

  “No thanks.”

  “Is it because of your girlfriend? Is she the possessive type?”

  Brea blinked at him, wondering what one Earth he was talking about. Did he think that she and Gina were dating? She chewed her lip. If he did then it was a good enough excuse to get out of going for a drink with him and might make him think twice about being inappropriate during his next session.

  “Yeah, she’s real possessive,” Brea widened her eyes and nodded at him.

  “I got that vibe,” the blonde guy nodded also. “She the dominate one?”

  Brea groaned in annoyance.

  “Sweetheart, I’m sorry. I know I’m an acquired taste,” he stuck out his hand towards her. “Names Hank.”

  “Brea,” she politely accepted the handshake.

  “Oh, I know your name,” he gave her a cheeky wink. It was as if he actually couldn’t turn off his desire to flirt.

  “Buddy of mine was raving about your work. Said I had to come here and get inked by you.”

  “They did?” Brea had worked on quite a few people since she’d been working at the parlor. Any of them could have pointed the guy in her direction but something stirred in her gut, telling her that it was Miles. It made sense. Hank seemed like a roughened character, the sort of guy she’d expect her boyfriend to hang around with. But she wasn’t sure she liked the idea of the two of them going out drinking together in bars since Hank seemed liable to chase after anything in a skirt like a dog with a bone.

  “And I’m glad they did,” Hank was smiling as sincerity crept into his voice. “That’s some mighty fine work you’ve done there sweetheart. Same time next week?” he winked and Brea inwardly cringed.

  “You can make your next appointment out front,” she directed him again, eager to move on to her next client.

  “Darling, you don’t need an excuse to see me again,” he chuckled as he sauntered out of the room. He carried himself with a cool confidence, like an old cowboy. That sort of silent self assurance reminded Brea of Miles. When he walked in to a room he didn’t care if all eyes were on him or not at all. But of course when he walked in everyone did stare because he was so devastatingly handsome. And while Hank was handsome in his own way his features were weathered, his skin turning thick and leathery. In his heyday he’d surely been a sight to behold but now he was like a Monet painting. From a distance he looked good but up close you saw all the fraught brush strokes which didn’t look quite so nice.

  Chapter 39

  Gina smiled to herself as she cashed up that evening.

  “Those guys were creepy but they sure were generous tippers,” she mused as she shuffled the dollars between her hands.

  “They were definitely creepy,” Brea agreed as she folded her arms and leaned against the reception counter.

  “Mmm,” Gina pursed her lips and continued counting under her breath. Brea glanced at the front door, the sign on which had been turned around to read ‘closed’. She’d concluded another day at her job. Her first month in Colridge was almost at an end and the weekend was approaching.

  After saying goodbye to Gina, Brea stepped outside and began heading back the short route to her apartment. There was a chill in the air thanks to the dense cloud cover which hadn’t lifted all day. Brea rubbed her upper arms, trying to get warm. She was tired from her long day and for the first time in ages she felt a stab of homesickness pierce at her chest. She wondered what Sylar was doing. She imagined him cooking himself some pizza for dinner before heading out on his motorcycle, thundering out into the night.

  Brea gave a forlorn sigh. She wished she’d spent more time with her brother when he’d been in Colridge. But he’d seemed keen to leave, disappearing the next day before the sun even had chance to rise. She also didn’t like keeping secrets from Sylar. Things were getting serious with Miles but her sole relative, her brother, still knew nothing about him and she knew she needed to rectify that.

  By the time Brea was climbing the steps up to her apartment she’d made a decision. Reaching for her phone she hastily typed the message before she had a chance to change her mind.

  Missed you today. I won’t be around this weekend, I’m going to visit my brother back home but I’ll be back early Sunday. xxx

  She thoughtfully bit her lip as she pushed open her front door. She’d barely seen Miles in the last few days but he surely wouldn’t begrudge her a trip home to reconnect with her brother. Brea hoped that with Gina not around Sylar might pay her a bit more attention and give them a chance to actually catch up. She was desperate to tell him all about her new job, about the repeat work she was getting and how much people loved her art.

  After turning on the kettle Brea quickly sent a second message, this time to Sylar –

  I’m coming home this weekend for a visit. It’s not up for discussion I’m owed some quality time with my brother x

  Brea stared at the phone after she’d pressed send. It was strange to want to go back to visit Sylar after she’d been so desperate to leave. Aside from his overbearing nature, she missed his sense of humour and the way he was always so fiercely protective of her. Being out in the world could be scary, even with Miles to have her back.

  Comforted by the impending trip back home Brea made herself a camomile tea and settled down on her sofa to enjoy a quiet evening of girly movies and snacks.

  Chapter 40

  Miles read his message from Brea in secret while he was in the bathroom and groaned. She’d be away all weekend. That meant he was stuck with only Colin and Hank for company and no way to get away from them.

  A selfish part of him wanted to ask her
to stay in Colridge, to not go. But the more reasonable part of him, which knew it was safer for her to keep her distance while his pack friends were in town, made him keep his silence. A trip home would be good for her.

  Staring at his weary expression, Miles wondered how long he could cope being cooped up with Colin and Hank. This wasn’t how he’d envisioned his mission in Colridge going down. For too long he was sat idle awaiting orders. He felt restless. And he knew if he felt bad then the other two guys felt far worse. They paced around the small room like caged tigers, bouncing off the walls. They needed some sort of release and quick. What was it people said? ‘The devil makes work for idle hands.’ That was certainly going to be the case with Colin and Hank and Miles knew it wasn’t worth letting them get in trouble. If their cover was blown in Colridge, they risked an uprising from the Reapers which would get extremely messy. No, it was up to him to keep them happy and occupied.