Hidden Ink (Montgomery Ink #4.5)(31)

With her in his arms, in his heart, he knew the answer. Life. And she was it. He wouldn’t run from her anymore. He couldn’t. She’d seen the heart of him and hadn’t run, hadn’t shied away.

He’d been wrong before, but now he was all too right.

He had his life, his future in his arms.

He didn’t need anything else.

He’d found his future in the one person he’d hidden from.

He’d found his Hailey.





Epilogue



Hailey winced as the needle dug into her skin, but she didn’t call out. Tattoos were not for wimps, that was for sure. Yeah, the nice adrenaline rush that came from long-term sessions under the needle were nice, but hell, it hurt.

But it would be worth it in the end.

Plus, her tattoo artist was sexy as hell and pretty damn gentle, all things considered.

They were on the final session for her ink and she had the routine down by now. Sloane had curtained off his station so it was only the two of them, though she’d allowed Autumn, Maya, Callie, and even Austin to come in and look. The latter hadn’t made Sloane happy at first, but he’d relented. They’d wanted to make sure she had support during not only the long and painful sessions but also during the emotional waves that came with it.

Sloane wasn’t tattooing nipples on her skin.

He was tattooing memories.

With each new detail, she saw the strength she’d needed, saw the pain and agony she’d faced, saw the tears she’d let fall. It wasn’t easy to let the others see what had become of her chest, but they hadn’t treated her any differently. She wasn’t made of glass, but of hardcore power and woman.

And that she was okay with.

They’d embarked on a journey she hadn’t thought possible. She’d hidden her scars, her past from him, from the world, and yet now, everything was out in the open and she didn’t feel any less.

In fact, she felt like she had more.

Every time she looked in the mirror now, she wouldn’t see a survivor—but a woman with a future, a woman with a past, a woman with a man she loved who’d inked her skin with such tender care, she knew he’d put part of himself into each stroke.

“It’s magnificent,” Maya said softly, unlike how the other woman usually spoke. Of course, Maya was going through her own hell right then—not that she’d talk about it with Hailey. Now that Hailey had found her future, though, she knew she was steady enough to help Maya. If and when the other woman let her in, she’d be there for her.

“I do good ink,” Sloane said simply as he finished up part of the color shading on the inside of the trunk.

She winced when he went over the same area for the fourth time, but didn’t call out. She was getting the hang of this tattoo thing. Maybe next time she’d go a bit smaller, though.

“You do better than good ink,” Maya said. “It’s a f*cking masterpiece. I have to say I was a bit jealous at first that he was the one to do this for you, but hell, I don’t think I could have done this justice. Not in the way he’s doing it.”

Hailey let a single tear fall. “He’s amazing.”

“I am,” Sloane said with a smile.

Maya snorted. “He’s putting his love for you in the ink, so yeah, it’s perfect. I can’t wait to see it when it’s all healed.” She leaned down and brushed a kiss to Hailey’s temple, surprising them both. “I’ll leave you two alone for the last bit. Thanks for letting me watch.”

Hailey frowned as the other woman left them, but Sloane clucked his tongue. “When Maya is ready to talk, she will.” He wiped down Hailey’s side, then patted her thigh. “I’m all done, baby. I don’t want you to stand yet since I want you to drink some juice first, but I can bring the mirror over.”

She smiled and held out her hand. “Kiss me before you do. I want your lips on mine before I look.”

Sloane moved around to the front of the bench then lowered his head to hers. She kept her eyes open so she could watch his face.

“I love you, Sloane. Every inch of you.”

“Same goes, Hails. Same goes. Love you, baby.”

She’d look at her new tattoo in full later when she could breathe, but first she’d look at the man she’d fallen for, the man who had fallen for her.

Hailey had been so scared to move forward with him, so scared to do more than survive, but now, with Sloane in her life and her own head on straight, she had more than she could ever hope for.

The two of them had been through their own hells and had come out the other side stronger than ever—scarred, broken, but alive.

They’d hidden their pasts, yet opened up to one another to ensure that they’d move on together. Her ink would be hidden from most, but not from him, not from the man she loved.

He was inked on her skin, on her soul, on her heart.

He was hers.

Forever.