Key to Hell (Hell Night Series Book 4), page 31
“You’re not going to lose her, Ella. You know she’s too damn stubborn for anything to happen to her. Besides, you losing her means she loses you, and you know damn good and well she won’t let that happen. The woman it too crazy about you to go anywhere.”
She laughs, and although it’s a tearful one, I’ll take it. “Well, I am a pretty good catch, so I can’t really blame her.”
When she pulls back, I cup her cheeks and wipe away her tears with my thumbs. “Why don’t you take the day off? I’ll call your appointments and reschedule. Jazz will be here in a couple of hours, and it’ll be fine with just the two of us.”
She’s shaking her head before I finish with my suggestion. “No. I need to be here. Vicki’s at work until three and the last thing I need is to be home alone thinking about the possibilities. You were right, I don’t need to assume the worst, and if I’m home, I will. Working will help keep my mind off it.”
I jerk my chin up. “Okay. But the offer stands.”
With a smile, she leans up and kisses my cheek. “Thanks, big brother,” she says in my ear.
I leave her and head toward the front. A glance at my phone says we have thirty minutes before the doors open, and I decide to get things ready for my first client. I grab out some transfer paper and a pen. Sitting at the small table in my station, I get to work on putting the design down on paper. It’s a simple design of an hourglass. Instead of falling sand, it’s dripping blood, representing life and how eventually we all run out of it.
Twenty minutes later, I slip on a pair of gloves and pull out all the materials I need. I hear Ella moving around out front and know she’s getting the register ready for the day. The ding from the front door indicates she’s already unlocked it, and that’s probably my customer.
Tugging off the gloves, I toss them in the trash and walk out of the small room and behind the front counter. Ella’s there handing Kyle a clipboard with our standard safety and permission form that has to be completed before all work is done.
“You ready for me?” Kyle asks when he spots me walk in.
“Yes. Once you get done with that, I’ll have you look over the design, then we’ll get started.”
While he fills out the paperwork, Ella gets a copy of his ID. It only takes him a minute before he’s handing the clipboard back to Ella and he’s stuffing his ID back into his wallet. He follows me down the short hallway into my sectioned-off area, where I hand him the design.
I’ve done several pieces for him, so he knows what I can do. I’m not being arrogant when it comes as no surprise that he whistles low in appreciation. I just know my skills.
“Damn, Luca, this shit is tight!” he remarks, still looking down at the drawing.
“Thanks.” I turn and grab out another pair of gloves. “Wait ‘til you see it once it’s done. The 3D effect I have planned for the blood splashes is going to look amazing.”
“I have no doubt.”
After peeling his shirt over his head, Kyle takes a seat in the chair. Before I take my own seat, I pull up a playlist on my phone and connect it to the Bluetooth stereo on the counter behind me. Linkin Park starts playing, and now I feel I can really get down to work.
I sit on my stool beside Kyle and pull on my gloves. Everything I need is on a small cart beside me. I break open a package of lining needles and insert one through the tube on the tattoo machine, then wrap a couple of rubber bands around the frame and needle to help keep it secure and steady while I work. I set the machine down and grab the disposable razor. Kyle, knowing the drill, lifts his arm, and I run the razor over his ribs where the tattoo will go to rid it of any hairs, then spray the skin with the bottle of green soap solution and thoroughly clean the area.
“Up,” I instruct, and he does so. Grabbing the transfer paper with the design, I press the top of the paper to the top of his ribs and slowly smooth my hand down the center of the sheet. Starting in the middle and working outward, I make sure there’s no wrinkles. I peel the paper away from the skin, leaving behind a blue-lined design, and damn if I don’t get a jolt of adrenaline, knowing I’ll be permanently inking this onto Kyle. This part of him will forever be mine. Each tattoo I do, I get to leave my mark behind. It’s a heady feeling knowing everyone that leaves here with new ink will always carry a piece of me with them.
“How’s that?” I ask Kyle to make sure everything’s up to par with his vision.
He turns and faces a big mirror, lifting his arm higher and inspecting the design. A slow grin forms on his face, and his eyes meet mine in the mirror.
“It looks fucking great!”
He sits back in his seat and we get down to business. As usual, every time I pick up a tattoo machine, my mind blanks of everything else except the design in front of me. I pride myself on my steady hands and the neatness of my lines. How each section of the image flows into the next, like it wasn’t pieces that we put together, but ones that were naturally part of a whole.
An hour passes, and I’ve just finished up the outline and am getting ready to take a short break, when raised voices come from the front. I set the machine down, tug off my gloves, and pause the music.
“Take ten,” I tell Kyle. “Grab a drink, a smoke, use the bathroom, whatever. I’ll be back.” Before he has a chance to answer, I leave the room and head toward the front where I can hear Ella yelling at someone. I get two steps into the hallway when another voice starts yelling back. I smash my molars together when I realize who it is.
I walk up behind Ella, who’s standing at the end of the counter that’s open to allow people to walk behind it, just in time to hear her say, “Leave, bitch, before I drag you out by your skanky-ass hair.”
Hardass Ella at her best.
Acting like she didn’t hear the threat, Cora’s eyes land on me and she gives what most men would deem a sexy smile. At one time, I thought the same thing. Cora and I slept together a total of three times, and while she was good, she wasn’t good enough for me to overlook the white shit I saw under her nose once I left the bathroom after cleaning up the last time we were together. Or the fact that she’ll sell her body to anyone that will provide her with the drug.
I don’t do drugs, and I damn sure won’t be with anyone who does them. I’ve seen what the shit can do to a person. My best friend since middle school ODed on heroin ten years back. I watched it eat away at him until there was nothing left except a shell of his former self. Derek was one of the strongest men I knew, and we always swore to each other growing up that we wouldn’t be like half the people around here. We wouldn’t let the harsh realities of life take us under. We were better than that and determined to keep it that way. Then shit got worse with his dad, who’d beat him, his sister, and his mom. One night, he walked in on his dad raping his little sister while his mom was at work. When he tried prying him off, his dad pulled out a gun and held it to the girl’s head. Derek was made to watch as he continued to rape her. When he was finished, he pulled the trigger, then turned the gun on himself. Derek was never the same after that.
I wrap my arm around Ella’s stomach when she makes a move toward Cora.
“What are you doing here, Cora?” I ask, not bothering to hide my distaste of having to look at her.
She puts her hands on the glass case in front of her, no doubt leaving oily palm prints. Leaning up on her toes, she purposely squishes her tits together with her arms, knowing they’ll pop out of her tight top. I’m not even tempted to look down to see if I’m right.
“I came to see you, Luca, baby,” she purrs. “To finalize our plans for tonight.”
“Plans?” Ella snarls, twisting in my arms to glare up at me. “What in the hell is she talking about?”
I should mention that Ella can’t stand the sight of Cora and would probably yank out every hair on her head given the chance. That happens when you catch a person bent over being fucked into the mattress by your best friend’s boyfriend, in their own fucking bed. I didn’t know about that when I got with Cora. Had I known, I wouldn’t have.
I barely glance at Ella—she should know me better than that—before I look back to Cora. “We don’t have plans. You wanted to meet up, and I told you to fuck off. Now it’s time for you to leave, and don’t come back.”
Her lips jut out into a pout, and it only makes her look ridiculous, not seductive like she’s aiming for.
“Come on, Luca. You know you want to play with me,” she whines.
Actually, the thought makes me sick. Before I get a chance to tell her that, Ella, much stronger than her small frame suggests, pushes my arm aside and jumps at her. She grabs a handful of Cora’s bleach-blonde hair and yanks down, forcing the woman to bend over or have her hair yanked out. She screeches and starts prying at Ella’s fist.
“You bitch!” she yells. “Let me go!”
“I’ll let go when you’re out the fucking door,” Ella spews, bending and getting in Cora’s face. “Luca said leave. Are you hard of fucking hearing or are you just so damn desperate you refuse to listen?”
“Fuck you, cunt!”
“Not even in your dreams, hussy.”
I give Ella her moment of fun, but then sensing the mounting rage in her form, I stalk over to the women before it goes too far. I’m not the only one in my family who took classes at Abe’s.
“Let her go, Ella,” I demand.
“No,” she snarls without looking my way.
Like me and Theo, Ella is protective of her family, even when it’s not needed.
“Ella,” I warn and grab her hand. She finally lifts her head and looks at me, showing the ire in her eyes. “Let her go. She’s leaving.”
She bares her teeth, but eventually unwraps her fingers from Cora’s hair, then shoves her head away from her. Cora stumbles back a step and straightens. She looks like she’s ready to go after Ella, so I step between them. This shit ends now.
I point a finger at Cora. “I’ve told you a dozen times, we’re through. I see you in here again, Cora, and it won’t end pretty for you. Now leave. Or I’ll throw you out.”
She tosses her now ratty hair over her shoulder and curls up her red painted lips. “You’ll regret this, Luca.”
“I doubt that,” I deadpan.
Ella snorts out a laugh and Cora’s eyes flick to her. “Watch your back, bitch.”
And with that, she stomps to the door, flings it open so hard it bangs against the wall, and walks out without closing it behind her.
“I’ll never know what in the hell you saw in her,” Ella mutters.
I shoot her a look. “Don’t start.”
Walking to the door, I look out and make sure she’s gone before closing it.
“You need to learn to curb your temper.” I walk past her to the hallway. “It’s going to get you in trouble one day.”
She scoffs. “My temper is just fine when it comes to that woman.”
Ignoring her, because she won’t listen anyway, I go back to the room Kyle’s in. He’s back in the chair doing something on his phone.
“Everything cool?”
His question comes as no surprise. Neither does the fact that he didn’t come out to investigate what was going on. Living on this side of the tracks, you expect shit like that to happen. It’s our normal everyday lives.
“Yeah,” I grunt, grabbing my phone to start my music again.
“It was Cora, wasn’t it?”
I tip my chin as my answer.
“Better watch that one. She’s fucking crazy. She jacked up my brother’s junk big time when he refused to let her go down on him. Ended up in the emergency room to make sure she didn’t do permanent damage.”
“I’ve got my eyes peeled.”
I’m not worried about myself. I’m worried about Ella. She’s strong and can pretty much take care of herself, but there’s no telling what that crazy bitch will do.
I make a mental to note to put a word out on the street that if anyone fucks with Ella, the consequences will be harsh. People already know my reputation and that extends to my family, but if I put out a warning specifically aimed toward Cora or anyone pertaining to Cora, the word will spread fast, and I know she’ll hear it. I just hope she’s smart enough to heed it.
I pull up my playlist, press play, grab a fresh pair of gloves, and get back to work on Kyle’s tattoo.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This has always been one of the hardest parts of completing a book. I’m always so worried I’m going to miss someone and offend them.
Instead of acknowledging people by name, I’m doing one massive thank you to anyone and everyone who took part in Key to Hell’s creation. Even in the smallest of ways. Thank you a million times. Every part played is appreciated more than you could ever know.
Love you all!
OTHER BOOKS BY ALEX GRAYSON
The Jaded Series
Shatter Me
Reclaim Me
Unveil Me
Awaken Me
The Jaded Series: The Complete Collection
The Consumed Series
Always Wanting
Bare Yourself
Watching Mine
Hell Night Series
Trouble in Hell
Bitter Sweet Hell
Judge of Hell
Key to Hell
Standalones
Endless Obsession
Whispered Prayers of a Girl
Pitch Dark
The Sinister Silhouette
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex Grayson is the bestselling author of heart pounding, emotionally gripping contemporary romances including the Jaded Series, the Consumed Series, and three standalone novels. Her passion for books was reignited by a gift from her sister-in-law. After spending several years as a devoted reader and blogger, Alex decided to write and independently publish her first novel in 2014 (an endeavor that took a little longer than expected). The rest, as they say, is history.
Originally a southern girl, Alex now lives in Ohio with her husband, two children, two cats and dog. She loves the color blue, homemade lasagna, casually browsing real estate, and interacting with her readers. Visit her website, www.alexgraysonbooks.com, or find her on social media!
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Alex Grayson, Key to Hell (Hell Night Series Book 4)
