Page 68 of Inked Desires

“Andrew doesn’t remember me,” I say at last.“He’s alive. He made it. And if he wants tostayalive, it’s better if he keeps forgetting.”

“Shit,” my best friend mutters.

Yeah. That about sums it up.

“We could protect him,” Travis says from the backseat.

I meet his eyes in the rearview mirror—he’s dead serious.

“No,” I reply sharply.“Benton knows my shop. He knows we’re connected. No one knows where that psycho is right now. Where do you think he’d look first?”

“At your place,” Kiran admits, nodding.

I turn back to the window. That’s it. End of discussion.

“We’ll have to keep an eye on the shop anyway. Even if Andrew’s not with you, he might come looking,” Kiran adds, not letting go.

“I don’t need babysitters,” I growl.“I can handle that fucker myself. Let him come.”

“We look out for each other, A.C.,” Kiran reminds me—an old promise, long past.

“We’re not at war anymore,” I snap, irritated.“You’ve all rebuilt your lives—go back to them. I’ll handle mine.”

They exchange a look. Great. I lost. No matter what I say, they’ll end up watching me from the shadows. No point in arguing further. I rub my temples, exhausted. All of this is so fucking draining. Sometimes I catch myself wishing someone would just put a bullet in me—just to make it all stop.

“Do whatever the hell you want,” I mutter.“Just so we’re clear—I didn’t ask for it.”

Finally, silence. I take a deep breath, grateful. I focus on the rhythm of my breathing, trying to push all thoughts away. I can’t afford to break down in front of them. I tense the muscles in my neck to force the emotion down. I won’t stop until I’ve dealt with Jace. That’s my only mission. And that bastardwillshow his face again—especially when he finds out Andrew is still alive.

The silence lasts until we reach my studio. I recognize the neighborhood like the back of my hand, but without Andrew, it all feels cold and distant. The studio doesn’t feel like home anymore. It’s just a place.

“Thanks, guys,” I mutter as I step out of the car, desperate to get away from the suffocating atmosphere.

Connor and Travis nod from the back seat. I open the shop door and go inside. Through the glass, I see Kiran still parked, while the others drive off. Of course—they’re probably staking out nearby. No one wants to let me handle this on my own.

And, of course, Kiran doesn’t wait long before walking in after me.

“You’re not going to leave me alone, are you?” I ask, more out of habit than actual curiosity.

“Nope,” he says, shrugging.

I shake my head and hold back a snide comment. As much as it pisses me off, I know a lost cause when I see one. Doesn’t mean I’m giving up the fight.

“How’d you get the guys together so fast?” I ask, changing the subject.

“The moment you asked me for intel on Benton, they were already on standby,” he explains.“They’ve been around from the start. I had a bad feeling.”

I give him a nod. That explains a lot. Probably why Benton hasn’t stormed in yet.

“What are you gonna do now?” Kiran asks.

I drop into the chair behind my desk. My unfinished sketch is still sitting there. Maybe this time I can finally get back to it.

“Wait,” I say, grabbing my pencil.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kiran perch on the edge of the desk. He watches me draw in silence—which doesn’t bother me. He used to do the same thing back when we were deployed.

“You gonna keep bottling it all up, or are you actually gonna talk about it?” he eventually asks, breaking the quiet.