INKED 8: A Tattoo Shop Reverse Harem

I've tasted perfection, and now I'm going to have to deal with the fact that no man could ever live up to any of these inked gods. No Mr. Right is going to come along and give me more than they have given me.

"You think I'd leave you out?" I ask, in awe of his sensitivity and selflessness.

"It's not about that," he says, stroking back my sweat-slicked hair from my forehead. "It's about your wellbeing. That will always come first."

Tears burn like white fire in my throat, but I swallow against them, forcing a smile.

"My wellbeing is intact, even though your friends have done their best to dislodge it."

There's a grumbling murmur around us, and Dex shakes his head. "Tell me what you want, sweetie. This whole thing has been about us giving you experiences that we enjoy, but what about you? I can do anything for you. What would you like?"

His words are kind and sweet, but they cut like a blade. He's trying to make the last time as good for me as possible but reminding me that we're so close to the end hurts so bad.

"Just hold me," I whisper. "Let me lose myself in you."

"Okay," Dex says.

As he wraps his arms around me, I wonder if this is hard for him. He likes to watch, but now he's the center of attention. Seven men flank us like guards around royalty. Seven men get to witness the sweet way Dex fucks me, the tender way he touches me, the emotional way he kisses me. Seven men, if they're looking close enough, will see my chest hitch with unshed tears, will notice the single tear that leaks from each of my eyes when I come in Dex's arms, and he comes too.

I bite my lip to suppress my moans, the pain pushing back my tears.

And after, when our sweat has cooled and the night has crept closer, Dex helps me find my coat, and he drives me home, leaving me at the door with a soft kiss, and a whispered goodnight, and a heart that feels like an anchor dropped to the bottom of a foreign sea.

33

CARL

I don't even get a chance to think about the amazing experience with Kyla or consider what Nash might be planning for the next stage, now that the game is over.

At 6 am, I get a call from two of my franchisees, warning me that the cops have raided their shops searching for drugs. I'm out of bed in a flash, throwing on jeans and a hoodie and sliding my feet into my workout sneakers. The drive to the store is quick at this early hour, but all the while, my heart is pounding.

I know I shouldn't take this so seriously. It's work, at the end of the day. No one's life is in danger. It's just business, but we've all worked so hard to make Ink Factor a brand with a good reputation. If news of the raid gets out, the local news could pick up on it. There's no way I want us to be sullied with any connection to drugs.

I'm unlocking the shutters to the store when I hear footsteps behind me.

I don't need to turn to know the cops are turning their sights on our shop now.

"Carl Fury?" The voice is deep and fits the big muscular cop who's taking the lead. With an overhanging brow like a Neanderthal, and huge arms hanging by his sides, he looks like he could play a mafia hitman in a Hollywood movie.

"That's me."

"We have a warrant to search your premises. Do you usually come to work this early?"

"I do when I hear my business is in jeopardy," I say.

The noise of the shutters sliding upward makes the cop squint. I feel awkward unlocking the door, as though I'm about to expose myself. It's stupid because there's nothing to expose. We're up to date with taxes, and I would stake my life on my boys being one hundred percent clean.

I'm not so sure about the cops. "Can I see the warrant and your badges?" I say.

The look the main cop gives me could wither grapes on a vine, but he hands over the paper. It looks legit, and although I wouldn't know a genuine cop badge from a fake, I let them in.

I immediately call Noah, who agrees to mobilize the rest. It'll take them around twenty minutes to get here, and although they can't prevent the search, I'll be glad to have their support.

It takes over two hours for the cops to complete their searches. They're not tidy either, so Lex takes on the job of rescheduling the first couple of hours of appointments to give us time to get the shop back to a functional standard. By the time Kyla arrives, the cops are gone, but my stress levels are through the roof.