Ruthless Hold (Back Down Devil MC #9)(47)

“Never had a reason to get ink,” Eden said.

The needle whirred behind her. She flinched and shut her eyes, swallowing.

“This is what needs to be done,” Trev said. “A guy like Rocky ever comes near you, you have my ink. He thinks about talking to you or touching you, I’ll f*cking have every right to kill him. Not fight him, Eden, but kill him.”

Eden nodded.

The needle kept whirring for another few minutes.

“Okay,” Smith said. “All done, darling.”

“Turn around,” Trev said. “Let me see.”

Eden turned, holding her shirt up.

The ink was fresh and perfect. The white and blue of the wings and the black and purple of the skull were so contrasting. Exactly what Trev wanted for her.

When Eden saw the tattoo, she let out a gasp and actually started to cry.

Trev rose up and slipped an arm around her. “Hey. Don’t cry.”

“No. It’s… perfect, Trev. It’s beautiful. I can’t believe it.”

“Believe it,” Trev said. He looked at Smith. “Give us the room, okay? Go take a break and have a few drinks. Make sure nobody comes in.”

“Okay. Sure.”

Smith left the room.

Trev locked the door and walked to a table. He watched as Eden held a mirror up and continued to look at her fresh ink. The smile on her face proved she really did like it.

Trev took his leather cut off and placed it on the table. He then lifted his t-shirt up over his head. He climbed up on the table and cleared his throat.

When Eden saw him, her eyes went wide. “Again?”

“Oh, beautiful, I’d f*ck that sweet * of yours every hour, every day for the rest of my life. But it’s your turn now.”

“My turn?”

Trev touched his chest, right at his heart. “I’ve saved this spot for you. Ink it up.”

“Trev…” Eden shook her head. “I haven’t…”

“No. Right now.”

“I have no designs.”

“Use your mind. You can do it.”

“No. You don’t get it. I haven’t tattooed since what happened…”

“Can’t let that ruin your life, right?”

Eden looked at the tattoo gun, then at Trev. “You’re sure about this?”

Trev put a hand out and then pulled Eden right to him. “Eden, I’ve never been so sure of anything in my wild life. When it comes to you…”

Goddammit, beautiful, I’m falling in love with you.

*

Watching her was maybe one of the sexiest and most beautiful things Trev had ever seen in his life. The way her eyes were intense. The way her hair kept falling from behind her ears. The way she approached him so delicately.

The way she just tattooed him without a design at all.

And it turned out to be f*cking perfect.

It was a tattoo of a heart with chains, barbed wire, and thorns.

When she finished, Eden looked at Trev. “Be honest. There’s nothing I can do about it if you don’t like it.”

“I love it,” Trev said. “Tell me the story behind it.”

“You know, it’s usually the people getting the tattoos that have the stories.”

“Not this time. You’re the storyteller.”

Eden smiled and blushed. “Okay. It’s your heart. I know you have a heart. I’ve sort of seen it. The way you look at me sometimes. The way you make me feel when you look at me. You could have killed me or tossed me aside, but from day one you believed me and asked me to trust you.”

“And all this shit around the heart?” Trev asked.

“That’s your life. The MC. The guys that want you dead. The people you’ve hurt and killed. It all squeezes on your heart. It all matters to you but you can hide it.”

“Christ,” Trev said. “You could have tattooed a set of lips on my chest or ass… that would have been good too.”

Eden touched Trev’s shoulder. “I only do stuff that matters, Trev.”

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Well, I hope you know that you matter. What happened here was needed. I have to find out the truth, beautiful. Accept that.”

“I do. It just hurts like death right now that my mother is out there and I can’t talk to her.”

Trev pulled Eden close.

This is why I don’t get involved… too many feelings…

“I know,” Trev whispered. “I promise you though, you will be able to talk to her. We just have to do this the right way. I don’t know what Ripper actually knows. I don’t know how Miller wants to handle it. There’s more to this than meets the eye. I don’t think Giovanni died in some kind of ambush. If we were ever ambushed, the prize is the President of the MC. Why would someone kill Giovanni and not Ripper?”

“I don’t know, Trev. Is this something you should be asking me?”

“No, it’s not. But I want you to understand my actions.”

“I trust you. I’m not lying when I say that.”

“Good.”

Trev kissed Eden. He turned and pushed her against the table.

“Careful,” she whispered. “I can’t be on my back right now.”