Inked Babies (Inked Brotherhood 6)

Three heads shake in the negative.

Damn.

The blush burns hotter. “Well… There you go.”

Erin squeals and throws herself at me, grabbing me and swinging me around. “I will be an aunt again!”

I laugh, and then it’s Megan’s turn to hug me, and then Dakota gives me a one-armed hug together with baby Emmanuel.

Kayla is grinning at us. “Good feeling, guys. Told you.”

Then I glance down at Tessa again, and heaviness crashes over me. How does that—or Zane’s troubles—fit into this happy picture?

I sit down beside Tess and take her hand. “Want to talk?”

She shakes her head.

“We could go someplace quiet.” I glance up at the other girls, hoping they understand. “Just you and me.”

“I don’t even know what we fought over anymore,” Tess says, wiping at her eyes. “Don’t know what’s happening.”

I put my arm around her and pat her hair. Seems all I do these days is comfort my friends. What the heck is going on with my world?

And how do I fix it?

Chapter Fourteen

Asher

I swing by Damage Control, hauling Scott out of his car seat and into my arms, to check on things. I haven’t seen the guys for a couple of days, not since I went with Zane to the agency, and I need to talk to them about it. See what they think, what’s on their minds.

Need to check on Zane, see if he’s doing all right. Had to be a shock, finding out things might not be as he remembered them.

Hell, it was a shock to me. I’m still reeling.

Scott is babbling something, tugging on my hair, as I push the door open and step into the shop. Faint music is playing over the speakers, something Celtic that reminds me of Audrey. That’s her kind of music, and it relaxes me a little.

I don’t immediately see anyone. The front desk is empty. Where’s Tyler?

“Anyone here?” I call out, and Scott pats my face, leaving drooly imprints on my cheek and making a sad face. “Yeah, buddy, it’s okay. I’m okay.”

Kissing his hand, which results in him pulling it back instantly and laughing, I go around the desk to check inside the

booths.

I find Micah, the one blond tattoo artist of the shop, cleaning his equipment. He turns around, startled, when I knock on the partition. “Asher. Hey, man.”

“Hey. Where’s everyone?”

“At the back, in Rafe’s office. Having a meeting.”

“About what?”

He rolls his shoulders in a sort of shrug, his blue eyes wide. “About Zane, from what I figured out.”

Fuck.

Stalking around the booths, I make my way to the back and throw the door open. A chair screeches on the floor, and Rafe gives me a long, narrow-eyed look from behind the desk. Tyler is there, and Dylan.