Tattoos & Tears (Complete Collection)

by Amiee Louise

  “Wow! Fuck me.”

  He puffs out his cheeks, lets out a breath, and wipes a stray tear from his overly made up eye.

  “You’ve definitely been through the wringer and then some.”

  He sniffles as he hands me back the bottle of vodka.

  “Take the fucking bottle, you need it more than me, babe!”

  He chuckles, and I manage to laugh right along with him.

  “It sounds like the plot to one of those trashy erotic fiction books that Ruby reads!”

  I sigh.

  “Something tells me this story isn’t going to have a happy ending, Debs. I broke his heart by telling him I couldn’t be with him. I don’t deserve his forgiveness.”

  Danny sighs. He throws his arm around my shoulder, and I snuggle into him.

  "From the moment I met that boy, he had heartbreaker written all over him. It's good you got there first. It might be the old queen in me, but he's got nothing to forgive you for. You were doing what was right for you and your son, who by the way, is the cutest little human I've ever seen!”

  I lay down and curl up on the floor, with my head resting in his lap. He strokes my hair softly, and I suddenly feel exhausted, mentally and emotionally.

  “He would show up here every day without fail. The first few months were the worst. He would show up here with a bottle of vodka every time I left for work, and he was an absolute mess. I would get back from the club, usually in the early hours of the morning, and I would hear him crying; I mean like proper sobbing, it was fucking awful. A few times, I thought about knocking on the door, but I didn’t know how he would react to a six-foot bloke in a dress!”

  We both laugh, and he continues to stroke my hair gently.

  “Things have a habit of working themselves out, baby girl. He wouldn't have knocked into the flat next door if you didn't mean anything to him. He turned up with a team of workmen around a week ago, and they worked all hours of the day, just to get it finished. Besides, if things don’t work out, the way to get over one man is to get under another!”

  He winks, and I sit up. If only he knew. He wipes a tear from my eye with the pad of his thumb.

  “Look, I'm not comfortable leaving you alone, right now. How about I call in sick, and we can catch up some more?”

  I nod, happy he suggested it, because I really don't want to be alone right now.

  “I’d really like that, thanks, Debs.”

  He pulls me in for a hug and kisses my cheek. He pulls me to my feet.

  “You're welcome. Give me five minutes, and I’m all yours.”

  He blows me a kiss and leaves the flat. Twenty minutes pass, and he’s back clutching two bottles of white wine, two glasses, and a corkscrew. He has changed into a purple velour tracksuit, UGG boots, and he is still wearing his full makeup. His dark hair is flat and unstyled after removing his wig. He closes the door with his foot and places the bottle, along with the glasses, down on the floor. He sits down on the floor, in the middle of the bare living room, with his legs crossed and gestures for me to sit down with him. I sit down with Freddie in my lap.

  “I’ve called in sick at work, after an Oscar-worthy performance!"

  He fakes a cough, and I chuckle.

  "I’ve ordered a meat feast pizza with extra mushrooms, cheesy garlic bread, and BBQ chicken wings, your favourite, baby girl.”

  I smile at his thoughtfulness. He knows me so well. We spend the next couple of hours catching up on the past year, filling in the gaps. By the time I have finished, it’s like I was never away. We are both suitably tipsy, and Freddie is asleep in his carrycot. I yawn, and Danny laughs.

  “Fucking lightweight,” he mocks, and I childishly stick my tongue out.

  “Jet lag is a bitch, babe. I think I might head to bed, if that’s ok?”

  He nods, as he finishes his wine.

  “Yeah, of course, baby girl. You look cream crackered. Get some sleep, and I’ll pop back in the morning to check on you; take care.”

  He winks, and I hug him tightly. I have missed him so much.

  “Good to have you back, gorgeous.”

  He turns around, blows me a kiss and leaves. I leave the glasses and the pizza box on the floor. I’m so exhausted; all I want to do is go to sleep. I change Freddie’s nappy and I navigate my way around my flat. I open the door to one of the bedrooms and find it completely furnished. There is even a cot for Freddie, with a guitar-shaped mobile above it next to a king size bed. I have no doubt in my mind that this is Sam’s doing. He really has thought of everything. The mountain of pillows on the bed looks so inviting, that I almost dive headfirst into them. I open the second door and step into the bathroom. I am overwhelmed by the white, black and silver decor, a corner Jacuzzi bath, a large glass, walk-in shower, with what looks like a built-in surround sound system, a glass sink and a large gilded mirror over the counter. The floor has light grey floor tiles, and the walls are adorned with silver, black and white mosaic tiles. I splash some cold water on my face and look at my reflection in the mirror. I have dark circles underneath my eyes, and I look like I feel tired, so fucking tired. I make my way into the bedroom and pick Freddie’s sleeping form up, laying him gently down in the cot. I pull the blackout blind down and collapse fully clothed on the bed. Soon, I am a slave to sleep.

  ***

  I wake the next morning feeling refreshed, and I’m ready to face the day with renewed purpose. I leave Freddie sleeping as I make my way into the bathroom. The flat seems so quiet without Ruby. I take off last night’s clothes and step into the spacious walk-in shower. I let the water sting as it rains down on my body. After I finish my shower, I dry off and check on Freddie. He is wide awake and smiling.

  “Good morning, my handsome boy,” I coo and pick him up, taking him into the kitchen, to explore our newly spacious flat.

  I open the frosted glass cupboards, and I find cups. In the next cupboard, I find bags of coffee and sugar. I open the under counter fridge and find a fresh pint of milk. Thank you, Sam. I take out a cup and a bag of coffee then load up the coffee machine. It takes me a few attempts, but I manage to get it working, and the aroma of fresh coffee, soon fills the flat. My favourite smell in the world. I sit Freddie in his carrycot and set about unpacking some of my stuff from my suitcase. With at least some of my stuff around the place, it starts to feel like home again.

  I style my hair, apply natural makeup, and get dressed. Today I opt for a pair of dark denim cropped jeans, a black t-shirt with the slogan ‘This is my zombie killing shirt’ in white lettering, with red blood splatters all over it. I am just pulling on my black Converse trainers when there is a knock at the door. I open the door apprehensively, and I take in the man mountain that is standing in my doorway, with his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his dress trousers.

  “Cole Benedict sent me, darlin',” he says, in a soft Texan drawl.

  “Who are you?”

  I try to sound confident, but the tremor in my voice betrays me.

  “Like I said, Cole sent me, doll. My name is Kai Hunter, friends call me K,” he says casually, and I shake my head.

  “I don’t believe you.”

  I regard him intently and take him in. He has blonde hair shaved close to his head, deep, piercing indigo eyes, and at least three days’ worth of rough, blonde stubble on his chin. He is at least six feet seven inches tall with broad shoulders, narrow hips, and he is extremely muscular. I think his muscles might have muscles! He is wearing an expensive black suit, tailored perfectly to fit his large frame, consisting of a white shirt, black tie, black trousers and a black jacket that stretches across his impressive ample shoulders.

  "Can I at least come in?"

  I narrow my eyes, and I move warily away from the door to allow him to step inside. He looks around as he coolly takes in his surroundings.

  “I don’t need you here; I can look after myself just fine,” I say flatly and fold my arms defensively across my chest, without taking my eyes off him.r />
  He untucks his hands from his pockets, and as he does, my heart beat starts to quicken. I suddenly feel a panic attack start to threaten. Shit.

  “Please, leave,” I say as calmly as I can manage. Deep breaths, Harper.

  “Look, I’m here under Cole Benedict’s orders, darlin’. It's more than my job's worth, and I’m afraid I’m not going anywhere unless Cole tells me to,” he says sedately.

  I silently count back from ten in my head, and by the time I get to one, I feel a little calmer.

  “Please, just go. I don’t need you here.”

  I scrub my hands down my face, quickly losing my patience at this man, who is built like a brick shit house.

  “No can do, doll.”

  I feel intense anger at this man, who is standing in my flat, intimidating the fuck out of me.

  “PLEASE JUST FUCKING LEAVE!” I scream, and his eyes widen.

  “Calm down, darlin’. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  He holds his hands up defensively.

  “Alright, fine! I’ll get Cole on the phone, he can tell you himself.”

  He takes out his mobile phone, and I swear I hear him mutter "crazy bitch" as he dials a number, putting the phone on speaker so I can hear Cole.

  “Hey, boss, it’s K. I’m at Miss Harper’s, as requested. She doesn’t believe that you sent me.”

  I hear Cole curse.

  “Hey K, thanks for letting me know. I'll deal with it from here, mate. Sugar, are you there? It’s Cole. Look, he isn’t lying. I sent him to help. Sam asked me to arrange some protection for you and Freddie upon your return. He’s the best at what he does. Kai comes highly recommended, and he’s a trusted member of my team. I wouldn’t just have anyone working for me; you should know that, sugar. I only hire the best, and I trust him implicitly.”

  Cole’s deep, rumbling timbre fills my ears, and I instantly feel a little calmer after my almost mini-meltdown.

  “Sugar, I need you to talk to me.”

  Kai looks at me, prompting me to speak. He must think I’m a complete idiot.

  “I’m here,” I say softly.

  “Please tell me you’ll let Kai look after you, sugar. Sam and I need to know you and Freddie are safe. It will put his mind at ease and make my job easier, you know what Sam’s like. At least while Sam’s not there. The boys are doing promotion for their new album and tour, but he’ll be back in London soon. The safety of his son is his number one priority,” he says gruffly.

  “Ok, but I’m doing this for Sam and Freddie,” I say reluctantly, and he chuckles softly.

  “Ok, sugar, thank you,” he says, distracted by a voice in the background.

  “Sugar, Sam wants to talk to you.”

  I hear rustling, and Sam’s husky voice fills my ears.

  “Hey angel, how are you and my little rock star?”

  I smile at his nickname for Freddie, and he sounds as if our harsh words from a week ago never happened.

  “We’re good, thanks. How are you?”

  He chuckles softly.

  “All good, angel, all good. I just wanted to say I hope you don't mind that I knocked into the flat next door, you've got two extra bedrooms. It's bigger for you and Freddie. All of your stuff is in storage at your parents’ house in Brighton, and your car is my garage; none of us could bear to get rid of it, so it’s all still there. I could arrange for it to be picked up and delivered to the flat today, just say the word, babe and it's done.”

  My heart warms at his thoughtfulness.

  “That would be great, thank you.”

  He chuckles softly.

  “Anytime, angel. Consider it done, I'll make some calls. Kai’s there to look after you. His speciality is close protection, so if you need anything at all, let him know, and he’ll take care of it. That includes driving you anywhere you need to go.”

  I look at Kai, and he is casually leaning against the wall with his arms folded, listening intently to our conversation.

  “I have to go, but I’ll be in touch, angel. Give Freddie a big kiss from daddy...bye.”

  He doesn’t give me a chance to say goodbye before he hangs up. I fold my arms and regard Kai intently as I hand his phone back to him. He tucks his phone into his pocket.

  “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to act like a complete psycho bitch, I don't make a habit of it,” I say as he throws his head back and laughs.

  “I’ve dealt with worse, believe me, doll.”

  He shrugs nonchalantly, as if he deals with neurotic, screaming women every day of his life.

  "Should we start again?"

  He smiles and nods as he straightens his jacket, offering me his hand.

  "Kai Hunter, pleasure to meet you, darlin’."

  I laugh and shake his hand.

  "Peyton Harper, pleased to meet you too, Kai."

  I let go of his hand, and we stand in an awkward silence for a few moments.

  “Do you want some coffee?”

  He nods.

  “That would be great, darlin’, thanks.”

  He pulls his phone back out of his pocket. He takes off his suit jacket and hangs it up, on the coat hook that's to the left of the doorway and begins to roll up his sleeves, revealing thick, muscular, corded arms.

  "So, Cole tells me this used to be your place?" he asks curiously, and I nod.

  "Yeah, I used to live here with my best friend, Ruby."

  He smiles.

  "Ah, the little piranha fish. She's a force to be reckoned with!"

  We both laugh at his nickname for Ruby, and he sits down on the floor. He pats the space next to him.

  "We may as well make ourselves comfortable, darlin'. I would run out to get you breakfast, but I've been specifically instructed not to leave you alone, under any circumstances."

  I sit down next to him and pull Freddie's carrycot closer, so I can take him out. I unbuckle the straps and pick him up, cradling him close to me.

  "Hey handsome boy, mummy's here."

  He turns his head and his inquisitive green gaze locks onto Kai.

  "Hey, little buddy."

  I stroke Freddie's cheek.

  "This is Kai; he's going to look after us until daddy gets home," I croon, as Kai starts tapping on his phone.

  "So, tell me about you, Kai Hunter," I ask inquisitively.

  "I'm Kai Hunter, like I said, and my friends call me K. I'm thirty-seven, and I've worked for Cole for...eight or nine years, give or take. Before that, I was in the United States Marine Corps.”

  I nod. Wow, the Marines? That explains the size of him!

  “Are you married?” I ask out of curiosity, and he smirks.

  “Yes, I have a wife, Gabriella. We got together in our junior year, been together ever since. We have a daughter, Brooke, she's almost six years old now."

  He takes out his wallet and shows me a picture of a beautiful brunette woman, with long waist length, poker straight hair and a little girl, who looks like she inherited the best of both parents. I smile.

  "Wow, they're both beautiful. You're a very lucky man."

  I feel inwardly jealous of their happiness. I've lost a whole year with Sam, and he's missed six months of his son's life. I'll never be able to take that back, and that thought causes a lump to form in my throat. He chuckles softly.

  "That I am, doll."

  I hold Freddie close to me, taking in his familiar, unique baby smell. I get up from the floor and go into the kitchen to prepare the coffees. The sound of Kai clearing his throat makes me jump, and I let out a strangled gasp.

  "Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, doll," he says apologetically as I spin round to regard him.

  His sleeves are rolled up, showcasing his thick, bulging muscles and showing his United States Marine Corps tattoo on his left bicep. The top button of his shirt is undone, and his tie is loose around his neck. He has a small silver stud in his ear, and his eyes are piercing blue, complimenting his blonde hair and tanned complexion. I lean against the worktop with Fr
eddie in my arms, waiting for the coffee machine to finish.

  “So, why exactly are you here, Kai Hunter?” I ask, and he smirks at the use of his full name.

  He tucks his hands in his pockets and leans back casually against the breakfast bar.

  “Like I said, darlin’, just doing my job, following orders.”

  With those words, the coffee machine finishes, and I prepare both cups.