Hidden Ink (Montgomery Ink #4.5)(7)

Brody raised a brow. “I know I’m taking my life in my hands, but I’m not that much younger than you. No need to call me kid.”

Maya muttered something under her breath about insolent fools while Austin groaned.

“You’re asking for me to punch you in the face, aren’t you?” Sloane growled out, his voice low and deep. Though in reality, his voice was always low and deep.

“Not really. I just figured if you’re calling me kid and Hailey looked to be about the same age as me, then maybe you’re calling her kid, as well.”

“Jesus Christ,” Austin growled. The man also coughed out what suspiciously sounded like a chuckle.

“How about you shut up and let me finish your ink?” Sloane asked casually, though he felt anything but casual. “Then you can head on out of here and we’ll call it a day.”

Brody sighed then turned so Sloane could work on the last shading of the tattoo. “Whatever, Sloane. But I’ve got to say, if Hailey smiled at me like that, maybe you need to step up your game and actually do something about her. Because if you’re saying that you’re not with her but act like no one else can be with her either, that might cause problems. Just saying.”

“Brody, for the love of God, stop talking,” Maya snapped. “He has a tattoo gun like two inches from your skin. Do you really want to piss him off?”

“He’s not going to mess up my ink,” Brody said back slowly. “He already said that.”

“I might change my mind,” Sloane said. He wouldn’t. None of the crew at Montgomery Ink would. Even pissed off, they wouldn’t f*ck up ink. That was their income, their passion, their life. Fucking up ink was not an option.

“You wouldn’t,” Brody said calmly. “You like me, even if you want to punch me in the face right now.”

Sloane chuckled slowly and he saw Austin’s shoulders relax at the sound. “Hell, kid, you have an ego on you.”

“Helps with the ladies. Though not your lady. I won’t poach.”

If Sloane hadn’t wanted to kick this kid’s ass for daring to come near Hailey, he might have become friends with the idiot. As it was, he was withholding judgment on that until he could figure out what the hell he was going to do about Hailey at all. He couldn’t keep doing this, couldn’t keep freaking out if another man came near her. Of course, he hadn’t actually freaked out physically before. This was a first.

She’d smiled at Brody.

She’d given him one of Sloane’s smiles.

Hell. He needed to get his head out of his ass.

He finished up Brody’s work in silence then stretched his back as the other guy stood up and ran a hand through his hair.

“Okay, I’m going to go tell Hailey I won’t be by later. That way I don’t make her feel like shit or something, you know?”

Sloane just raised an eyebrow. “You told her you were going to stop by after you were done with your ink. It’s after your ink, so you stopping by to go in there to tell her you won’t be stopping by seems kind of idiotic.”

Brody just shrugged. “You not doing anything about a woman you clearly have feelings for seems idiotic.”

“Oh, dear God,” Maya mumbled, and Austin let out a rough chuckle.

“Shut it, Montgomerys,” Sloane bit out. Freaking Montgomery clan, always getting in his business.

“The kid’s not wrong,” Austin said quietly. “You’ve been circling around that girl for years. If you’re not going to do something about it, maybe it’s time to back off.”

Sloane let out a low growl and narrowed his eyes at his one-time friend. Austin stared back, unrepentant. Sloane flipped him off then brought his attention back to Brody.

“Why don’t you just go and I’ll deal with Hailey?”

Brody’s brows rose. “And if I choose to go in there so she doesn’t think I’m an *?”

Sloane snarled, and Brody raised his hands in surrender. “Hell, Sloane. Fine, but you better go in there and make sure she doesn’t feel like I didn’t come in because of her. You get me? Because that’s a shitty thing to do.”

“I’ll make sure she understands.” Not that he understood. What the hell was he doing anyway? Now he was pushing men out of Hailey’s way and acting like a complete idiot. He’d have to go over there and talk to her about feelings and shit. Sure, they talked about everything under the sun that had nothing to do with what was important usually, but he had a feeling this would be important.

Why the hell was he changing things?

Why the hell had she said yes to Brody?

Brody tilted his head. “You know what, screw it. I’m going over there to tell her I won’t be by for sugar. I’m not going to be the * here. You are.”

Sloane wanted to reach out and grab the kid by the neck, but he restrained himself. The other man walked through the door connecting Montgomery Ink and Taboo, leaving Sloane feeling like an idiot of epic proportions.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Callie said softly. “I know you and Hailey have this…thing or whatever, but you seriously just stepped in it.”

“Don’t start with me, Callie.”

“Don’t get mad at the pregnant chick,” Maya snapped.