Ink Enduring (Montgomery Ink #5)(19)

She was Maya Montgomery, and damn it, she’d be okay.

She’d dry herself off, and she’d find the life she needed.

Tomorrow.

Today, she’d wallow and cry.

Tomorrow, she’d be Maya again.

Tomorrow.




Later that day, Maya rubbed the back of her neck and looked down at the resume of one Blake Brennen. She and Austin had put out the call for a piercer two days prior and had already had three-dozen people put in for the job. Apparently, people wanted to work for Montgomery Ink. While that might have—and would later—made Maya happy as all hell, right now, she just wanted to get to drawing up her latest design and not deal with paperwork.

Blake sat out in the waiting area while Maya frowned over the woman’s details. She had about a decade’s experience and was the same age as Maya, actually. Apparently, Blake wanted a change of scenery, and Montgomery Ink was it. Austin had called her references and said that as long as she fit into the family, he’d hire her. He hadn’t even seen the woman, and Maya was glad about it.

Because if Austin were single, she knew her brother would have drooled over the chick. Hell, Maya was salivating a little, and she didn’t swing that way. All dark hair and curves plus wide eyes filled with an attitude Maya could appreciate.

Other than the curves, she and Blake didn’t look alike, but Maya had felt a kinship the first moment she saw Blake. While Maya’s eyes were blue, Blake’s were a honey brown. While Maya had dark hair with blunt bangs, Blake’s was a little lighter and a little wavier. She figured Blake to be an inch or two taller, as well, even though it was hard to tell with the high-heeled boots the other woman wore. Blake had as much ink as Maya, but just as everyone was unique, so was their artwork.

Either way, Maya liked the woman on sight, and that pissed her off some. Blake had the resume and the skills according to her former employers, but just because she looked like a badass, didn’t mean she’d fit in with the Montgomery Ink crew. They may joke that the family collected strays easily, but that was just a fa?ade. They only let in those who worked well with them as a whole. But once a Montgomery had that connection, there was no getting out of the web that was the family.

Maya set down the resume and rolled her neck. Time to see what this woman could do. Not that they’d be piercing anyone today since they didn’t have the shop set up, but that would come in a couple of weeks. Her family was fast when it came to a small project like this. They’d built the place years ago to accommodate changes like this so it wouldn’t be that long before their new piercer could start.

Maya just needed to make sure Blake could be it.

She came out of her office and strolled toward the front of the shop, her eyes on Blake. The other woman had her attention on Sloane, or rather, Sloane’s work, and Maya had to appreciate that.

“Blake?” Maya asked.

Blake shifted her attention to Maya and stood up. She didn’t smile, but she didn’t frown either. Maya wasn’t quite sure what to make of this other woman, but hopefully, she’d figure it out because there was no way she’d hire Blake without finding out what made her tick.

“Yes? Did you need more references or something?”

Maya shook her head. “No, we have what we need.” She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re qualified for sure, and everyone we’ve talked to says you know your shit, but I’m not convinced yet.”

Blake snorted, her gaze going to Maya’s eyebrow ring. “You’re pretty pierced already. Brow and tongue? What else?”

Maya smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Sloane let out a deep chuckle even as he worked on the back piece in front of him.

“Got a problem, Sloane?” Maya asked even as she kept her gaze on the other woman.

“Not at all,” he drawled. “Though watching you two size each other up is sure interesting.”

Blake met Maya’s gaze and raised a brow of her own before she turned to Sloane. “Is that because we’re women? Are you thinking we should strip down to our bras and panties and find some pudding to wrestle in?”

Sloane met both of their gazes and snorted. “Never get pudding or sweet things near any area a man—or woman—might need for later. Make it mud. That’ll wash off pretty easily.”

Maya threw her head back and laughed, Blake joining in. “We take no shit here,” Maya said once she could breathe again. “But, from what I see, you don’t take shit either.”

Blake shrugged. “I like to poke at things so I figure I’d better get used to being poked at.”

Sloane laughed again. Maya glared at him, and he held up both hands, a tattoo gun in one of them. His client laughed silently, and Maya held back the urge to roll her eyes. “I’m not touching that one,” Sloane said finally.

Hailey, the café owner next door and Sloane’s girlfriend, walked in at that moment and tilted her head. “Maya Montgomery, are you being mean to my man?”

She edged up to Sloane and kissed the top of his bald head. He grinned at her before leaning to her front and sighing. The change in his demeanor was so drastic it caught Maya off guard for a moment. She was so damned happy for her two friends. They’d spent far too long away from each other, and now here they were, together and adorable. And Maya didn’t use the word adorable lightly.