Under His Skin (20 page)

“Agreed and understood.” He didn’t know if Kellie knew their history. He assumed she did not, or else she would know what he thought about the son of a bitch. Reaching over, he scratched Gibson behind the ears. “What I understood, reading between the lines with the detectives, is that he’s had some run-ins or something, but this was the worst.”

“God, I hope they catch that fucker.” She shook her head, the charms hanging from the chopsticks holding her hair in place chiming together. “His shop is closed, did you know that?”

Startled, he turned back to Kellie. “No way. When?”

“Closed a few days before he attacked—” She jerked her head around and smiled.

Pandora stopped in front of them, her hands on her hips. “Oh come on, you’re talking about me. My ears are practically burning off.” Bending, she planted a kiss on him.

Kellie chuckled and hoisted Gibson up into her arms. “Why would we waste our time talking about you when we could talk about Gibson coming to live with me?”

Pandora squeezed between him and Kellie on the couch and leaned over to scratch Gibson’s head. He started wiggling out of Kellie’s arms to get to Pandora, which brought on a lot of laughter and jibes between the girls.

“Hey.” Kellie waved Pandora’s client over. “Let’s see the tattoo.”

The young woman approached them and extended her arm. A bright tropical flower twined around her wrist and opened up on the tender inner skin of her forearm.

“That’s nice,” he said. She appeared to be close to tears, and not from the pain. “It looks like it means something.”

She sucked in a deep breath and nodded. Pandora’s hand closed around his knee and squeezed.

“It’s for my sister,” the client replied in a shaky voice.

Pandora pushed up to her feet, slung an arm around the girl’s waist and pulled her in for a hug. The client held on to her for a few seconds before pulling away.

“Sorry,” she mumbled. “She passed away a few months ago. Cancer.” Again she flashed the new tattoo. “It was her favorite flower.”

Pandora glanced at him and smiled, the warmth there made his heart swell in his chest.

“That’s really nice,” he said. “Pandora did a great job.”

The client smiled and darted a look at her shyly.

“Let’s get you bandaged up, and you are done, girl.” She led her client back to her station and finished the job.

Watching her with the girl, he could only imagine the kind of bond she created with people. It was a lot like going to see his shrink, except then he was scrutinized and analyzed from every angle. With Pandora, she listened. And she wasn’t afraid to say “That sucks balls” when something was bad. It took a special kind of person to listen to the stories she must hear every day and still come back for more.

He smiled and took Gibson back from Kellie, who went to direct some new arrivals bringing food and drinks for the party. The little dog sat in his lap, his ears perked up, and watched Pandora.

Though he already loved her, his respect for her grew. Sure, she was a badass and didn’t need him, but she wanted him and he loved her.

“Hey, dead weight,” Kellie called from across the shop.

“I’m guessing you mean me?”

She put a hand on her hip. “I don’t see anyone else around here not doing anything.”

He laughed and pushed to his feet. Being part of her world wasn’t so bad.

Chapter Twelve

Cover-up: Covering a pre-existing tattoo with a new one.

Pandora wrapped her arm around Brian’s waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. She’d been nervous about Carly’s party. She felt guilty that it had begun as her responsibility and the other girls had to take it over, but they’d all said they didn’t mind. And in truth, they didn’t have to do much. Turn the Open sign off, move some folding chairs from a truck inside and set out some trash cans. The setup had been easier than she’d imagined, for which she was thankful.

Cake and drinks sat untouched on top of the display case, waiting for Carly’s big arrival. Her friends and the rest of the shop girls milled around chatting and admiring the art on the walls. While she’d been away, the girls had taken it as a chance to finally pull down some of the laminated flash art pages and hang a few of the canvases she’d painted on the walls. She’d always meant to pick one, but when it came time to choose, she never could. It was like trying to pick which child was her favorite.

She glanced up at Brian looking over his shoulder at her. He’d have beautiful kids, with gorgeous smiles and loads of talent. She didn’t doubt he’d make a terrific dad, always worried about his kids, but would she be a good mother?

That was an idea she’d never anticipated having. Children had always been something she thought of as happening many years from now, not a near possibility. They hadn’t discussed the reality of kids, but since they had taken the step to forgo condoms, it was a chance they took. And one that didn’t scare her as badly as she expected it might.

“Hey, you two love birds.” Autumn stopped in front of them, a plastic cup in hand and a man in tow who looked suspiciously like her new flavor. “Aren’t you two cute?”

“Hi, Autumn,” Brian said, taking one of her hands as she stepped around him.

“This is my boyfriend, Jake.” Autumn smiled up at the blond-haired, blue-eyed pretty boy. “Jake, this is Pandora and her boyfriend Brian.”

Pandora kept her smile firmly in place, even as Jake’s eyes went to her tits before her face. Sure, she’d tattooed her cleavage, but this wasn’t even a surprised look. It was a stare. Brian wrapped his hand around her waist and tugged her against him possessively.

“Hi, Jake,” Brian said with a snap in his voice and offered his other hand to the guy.

“Hey,” she said to throw her greeting in, for what it was worth. She pitied Autumn. She could see how this relationship would end, like too many others had for her. She gave the girl props for putting herself out there. It was more than she had been able to do.

They chatted for a few moments before Autumn dragged him over to talk to Mary and Sam. As soon as the other couple had their backs turned, Brian pulled her against him and buzzed her lips with a quick kiss.

“I’m buying you turtlenecks,” he muttered under his breath.

She rolled her eyes. “You are not.”

“I’m the only one allowed to stare at your boobs.”

Laughing, she swatted at him and laid her head against his shoulder.

“God, get a room, you two. Do me a favor and if I ever look like you guys, shoot me.” Kellie sipped from a Dr Pepper can and leaned against the display.

Brian laughed. “Hey now.”

She chuckled. Kellie was all hard edges and responsibility. Someday she hoped Kellie would find someone to care for her. “Thanks for letting Carly do this.”

Kellie shrugged. “It’s nice. A kid like her deserves this.”

Pandora was surprised by how anxious she was about the party, and how much she wanted it to go well. When Carly first walked into the shop, Pandora had chalked her up to another shop fly. In a lot of ways she always would be, but Carly had grown on her. Kind of like a fungus, but she didn’t mind. The more she got to know Carly’s story, the more important the party became.

“Here she is,” someone called out from the front of the shop.

Scooping Gibson up as he trotted by, she handed him to Brian. Her arm still ached, especially after the detail work she’d done on the memorial tattoo, but it was getting better.

Out in the parking lot, three people got out of a car, one of them clearly Carly, wearing a strappy dress and sandals. She bounded to the door and pulled it open, a huge grin on her face. Despite being the force behind her own party, she squealed and launched herself into the arms of the nearest guests. People crowded around her, slapping her on the back and giving her hugs.

Pushing through the crowd, she waited her turn. She loved the way Carly’s face lit up and how big her grin got when she saw her.

“Pandora.” Carly handled her with more care, embracing her gently.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?” she groused. Landing a light punch on the girl’s ribs, she squeezed her back, ignoring the way her shoulder protested. “Come meet Brian.” Taking Carly by the arm, she hauled her through the crowd, over to where he stood holding Gibson.

The shop was packed full of bodies. They’d pushed the display cases as far back as they could without having to move the stations to give them more room for the guests. It had seemed like more than enough room before the party.

“Oh my god,” Carly whispered, going wide eyed.

Pandora could understand the sentiment. He’d broken out one of his Sucker Punch Sunday shirts from the old days. An ice cream sundae struck out with a fist, surrounded by large, comic
Ka-Pows
. The print was cracked and faded, and could easily have gone for over five hundred bucks on eBay.

“Carly,” Pandora said, trying to keep a straight face and failing. “I’d like you to meet Brian. Brian, this is Carly.”

“Oh my god.” She covered her mouth with both hands, staring at him with wide eyes. “Hi.”

“Hey there,” Brian said, smiling. He glanced at her and back to Carly. Gibson watched all three of them as if it was a ping pong match.

Pandora laughed and elbowed Carly. “Show him your tattoo.”

“Oh, right.” Spinning around, she flexed her shoulder and the ship took sail.

She watched Brian’s face as he edged closer to examine it better. She knew that the Good Ship Clementine was a popular tattoo. There were even forums devoted to people posting pictures of their SPS tattoos, but this was her contribution. It was special.

He looked as if someone had punched him in the gut. He stooped, almost pressing his face to her shoulder, and grinned. He lifted his hand as if to touch it but pulled back. His gaze transferred to her. The look of wonder blindsided her. It was just a tattoo, not even something original, yet he acted as if it were the greatest thing ever.

“You did this, Pandy?”

“She did,” Carly replied. She turned and smiled shyly at Brian.

Pandora couldn’t believe she was blushing, but she was.

“It’s great,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m flattered you got it as a tattoo. It rocks.” His gaze swept back to her and set off a round of warm fuzzies that threatened to strangle her.

“Do you think I could, you know, get an autograph?” Carly’s eyes had gone round and hopeful.

Pandora already knew she was about to say something she’d never anticipated uttering in her life. “You know.” She licked her lips and darted a glance at Brian. “If Brian is up to it, he could sign the tattoo and I could go over it with ink, make it part of the tattoo. Would you be interested in that?”

“Oh my god. No way. Shut up.” Carly bounced from foot to foot. “You can do that?”

Pandora couldn’t help laughing at Carly’s giddy delight. It was refreshing. If she could bottle and sell whatever it was that made Carly so delightful, she would. That much happiness would go a long way in the world.

“Yeah, it’s easy,” Pandora said with a shrug. “You just—”

“Holy shit!”

“Look out!”

Something boomed, metal screeched and she was hit from behind. Pain blossomed up her back and spread to the rest of her body. She hit the ground and something else as screams ripped through the air. As if from a great distance, she could hear a dog barking and people yelling. The world faded in and out of darkness, everything hazy. Exhaust and the sugary sweet smell of Coke perfumed the air.

Everything hurt.

That was her first coherent thought. Confused about how she’d ended up on the floor in a darkened shop, she told herself to move, get up, but her body felt as if it were mired in molasses.

Creaking broke through the disoriented hush, and Pandora tried to lift herself, but her left arm ached worse than before. Whimpering in pain, she held still and waited for the wave to pass. Her stomach churned and she dry heaved, her face pressed against the tiles. Weight pressed against her and her head spun on an out-of-control carousel. What had happened?

“Pandora,” a deep male voice called in a sing-song voice, cutting through the fog of pain. “Pandora, where are you?”

It was the voice from her nightmares.

Prying her eyes open, she stared into the vacant gaze of a boy she didn’t recognize, lying partially in one of the display cases. Glass clung to his eyelashes. He had to be one of Carly’s friends who had come for the party. Blood spilled from one side of his head onto the floor and his chest didn’t move.

Someone coughed. The musical chimes of glass tinkling against glass sounded as if it came from all around her.

“There you are,” the voice said with manic glee.

A weight rolled off her, freeing her lungs to suck in a deep breath. She was dizzy and nauseous all at once. In her peripheral vision, she saw an unconscious person tossed aside seconds before hands grasped her by the hair. She screamed as she was forced to her feet. Sharp pieces of glass and metal bit at her toes in the flimsy sandals she’d worn to work. She was slammed up against the hood of a truck that was sitting in the middle of So Inked. Gripping the grille, she further sliced her hands on debris caught in the front of the truck.

“I couldn’t let you leave me, Pandora. You’re mine. I own you. I gave you my name.” Warm breath perfumed with liquor fanned her neck, triggering her gag reflexes all over again. “Ever since you left, things have been bad. Juan quit, and I’m making shit for cash.”

Though her legs threatened to buckle from under her, Pandora turned. Holding on to the truck, she faced Robert. He stomped away from her, over the bodies strewn around the shop like bowling pins. Frantically, she searched for Brian among the prone figures. Several of the kids who weren’t hurt huddled against the walls and watched him. Her brain tried to process it, the blood and glass everywhere, but it all seemed like a bad dream. This couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be happening.

The truck was all the way into the shop. The display cases had been forced out of the way. Pandora had been thrown at least ten feet.