INKED 8: A Tattoo Shop Reverse Harem

Before I have a chance to tell him that, Daimon’s huge friend is heading for Kole like he wants to tear him apart.

Behind us, I can already hear the shouts of the security team mobilizing to disperse the fight that hasn't even started yet. Kole already has his fists raised, and all I can think is that this guy doesn't know who he's messing with. I've seen Kole knock out huge guys before. He fights like a pro, and he doesn't seem to give a shit about self-protection. It's how he got his nose broken and the scars on his cheek and brow. They're the only things that make us look different; the rage he suppresses most of the time surging like a volcano. I go to step in between them but Kole shoves me out of the way, not because he wants to take the credit but because he wants to protect me. He'd suffer horrific pain as long as he could keep it away from me. He's always been that way.

The first crunch to the man's jaw echoes, even though the music is loud enough to make the floor vibrate. Kyla winces, cowering back against the bar as Kole lets loose. The guy doesn't stand a chance. He's too slow and lumbering to even respond. Dex steps in as if he's going to try and pull Kole back, but he realizes there's a chance that the guy will take that moment to get the upper hand. There's no stopping Kole now. Not until security take hold of them both.

"You fucking asshole," he screams. "You put your hands on that woman. You could see she didn't want you to. What the fuck were you doing?"

The man laughs through another punch to his jaw. "Your girl was cheating on you," he says, and it's like a red rag to a bull. Kole hits him so hard on the side of his head that his head jolts on his neck, and his eyes droop momentarily. Even slightly harder, and he would drop like a sack of potatoes but he's still standing. Daimon is already far enough away to not get dragged into the situation, and Dex has turned his attention to Kyla, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her away. Just before the security team arrives, I grab Kole and pull him back. For a moment, it seems as though he hasn't registered that it's me. "We need to get the fuck out of here," I say, dragging him into the dancing crowd. I scan for Dex, and he's already ahead of us, leading Kyla out of the place that I exposed her to. The place where she could have been badly hurt.

The shame that burns inside me is hotter than lava. I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have brought her into my sick fucking fantasies. I could have chosen something less extreme. I should have chosen something less extreme.

"Hey!" A shout from behind spurs me faster. A man staggers into my path and I have to bump him out of the way with my shoulder, spilling his drink all over a girl in front of him. The security team are close on our heels but we're going to get out of here without getting caught. Carl is just outside. We need to reach that vehicle, drive away from this place, and not look back. I need to tell Kyla to never come here again.

Dex is the first to burst through the door, but we're not far behind. He breaks into a run, with Kyla struggling on her high heel shoes behind him. "You shouldn't have stopped me," Kole says. "I wanted to break that guy's head open."

"’Cause that's just what we need. You arrested for smashing someone to pieces."

"Hurry up!" Dex shouts as he waits for Kyla to slide across the seats. As I’m closing the door of the truck, there's a shout behind us, and Carl just manages to pull away before the club security has their feet on the sidewalk.

I exhale a massive breath, turning to get a good look at Kyla sandwiched between Dex and Kole in the backseat. "Are you okay?" I ask her before I have a chance to register the furious scowl that’s twister her pretty face.

"No, I'm not fucking okay," she spits. "Just take me home."

"What the fuck were you doing in that place?" Kole says, cradling his bruised and bloody right fist in his left. "What the fuck were you doing with those two guys?"

"Why the fuck is it any of your business?" Kyla shouts. "We're not dating. I wasn't cheating on anyone. If I want to go out on a date, I will."

"That wasn't a date. That was a fucking setup," Kole yells. "Don't you realize what that guy was about? He didn't give a fuck about you. He just wanted to use you to get off."