Beneath This Ink (Beneath #2)(75)

Everything I’ve ever wanted. On a silver platter.

“For the low, low bargain price of marrying a man I don’t love?”

He huffed out a humorless chuckle. “Did I mention one of the things I like most about you is your honesty? This whole time, the only thing you’ve ever tried to hide was what was going on between you and Leahy. I’ve never had to guess where I stood with you. That’s not something I get from most people.”

“Yeah, well, I guess I’ve never been worried about impressing you.”

“Which is why I think we could make this work.”

I opened my mouth to decline, but Lucas held up a hand. “Don’t. Don’t answer yet. Just think about it, Vanessa. This doesn’t have an expiration date on it. Like I said before, if you go to him and find you don’t get the reception you’re hoping for, my offer will still be waiting.”

He stood and turned to leave. Pausing at the threshold, he looked back at me. “I know you’ll go. So please, just be careful. A lot of people care about what happens to you.”

I didn’t like what he was insinuating. “He’s not going to hurt me.” Of that I was absolutely certain.

“Maybe not physically. But don’t be surprised when he lashes out.”

I gave a curt nod, and Titan was gone.

I stared down at my desk and the deed that lay upon it.

Could I do this?





I pressed rep after rep, the burn in my chest and biceps fueling my intensity. I was supposed to be at work, at Voodoo, but I couldn’t force myself to go in. I was liable to maim someone in my current state.

My muscles shook as I pushed the bar up and in to the holder above my head. I was lucky that I wasn’t going to be pumping iron in prison.

Hennessy had been by. He’d filled me in on everything he knew. Not a word about me being present. When he’d asked for the gun, I’d told him that it was still at Chains, in the safe. Given that Lord had taken it with him when he’d left the lake house, I assumed it was actually there.

Speaking of Chains, I’d signed it over to Lord this morning. I didn’t need it anymore. Didn’t want anything to do with it. Tassel was going up for sale tomorrow. Voodoo was the only one I was keeping. Because it had been my first, and the only one I’d actually enjoyed. I might take a break from there too, though. I’d had Delilah cancel all of my appointments for the next couple weeks. I’d have to see about getting someone to take my spot. Delilah’s brother was a badass artist at another place in town. I’d seen his work all over her. I wondered if I could steal him away.

I sat up on the bench and flexed my hands. I busied my brain thinking about all of this little shit so I didn’t have to think about the important things.

Because Jesus f*cking Christ—what was I supposed to think? About Archer? About Vanessa? About the fact that because of what Archer had done to my parents, her dream—f*ck, her life—was probably unrecognizable today.

There was no way the foundation would stay intact. Hennessy had been pretty sure about that. Apparently there’d been some fancy meeting of the board, and Lucas Titan hadn’t wasted any time filling in Hennessy.

I thought about what Titan had said to me outside the gym after Lord had taken Vanessa inside.

“Whatever you do, remember this isn’t her fault. She had nothing to do with it. If you don’t see that, then you don’t deserve her. And if you do something stupid, you’re going to lose her. And what’s more, you’re going to lose her to me. Because I can give her what she wants. I can make her dreams come true. I can give her a f*cking foundation to run. And I will. If you walk away, you better believe I’ll make it happen.”

The prick didn’t have to state the obvious. Of course it wasn’t her f*cking fault.

But that hadn’t stopped me from doing something stupid.

I’d never forget the sound of her scream when I’d pulled that trigger.

Fuck.

My need to scare the literal piss out of an old man had changed the way she’d see me for the rest of her life.

Titan was right.

I didn’t deserve her.

I’d known it last night sitting on the dock with Lord.

I knew it today.

I scrubbed both hands through my hair.

It was still too long.

“You need a haircut.” The words were practically stolen out of my brain. I looked up. Vanessa stood beside the ring, only thirty feet away. She was covering her mouth with a hand. “Sorry. I guess that’s not an appropriate opening line in this situation.”

I barked out a laugh. I hadn’t thought I’d find a reason to be laughing any time soon. Leave it to Vanessa.

“I think we’re beyond what’s appropriate, princess.” The nickname slipped out, and the reason for calling her that had never been truer. She was f*cking regal standing there. To this day, the most beautiful woman I’d ever known. That was a fact that wasn’t changing.

Part of that regal look was because her posture was so stiff. I hated that she looked so uncertain of her welcome. I hated that what I’d done had thrown up this wall between us. I hated that she had every right to hate me right now. My gut twisted with the thought. Titan’s words echoed in my brain. Fuck that *. If there was a chance in hell Vanessa could get past what I had done, I wasn’t walking away. I wasn’t good enough for her before, and I wasn’t good enough for her now. I didn’t have it in me to be the better man—but I sure as f*ck could be her man.