Page 73 of Inked Desires

I sigh and let my hand fall, turning to face him.

“I’ve made some dumb choices in my life. Because of them, I almost died twice. Since then, I’ve had dissociative amnesia,” I recite, bracing myself for the usual flood of follow-up questions.

My therapist warned me—people always want more than that sentence lets on.

“Any memories come back?”

I shake my head.

“Do you know who I am?”

“My tattoo artist?” I offer, testing the waters.

He exhales sharply at that.

“More than just your tattoo artist?” I ask, stunned.

“That’s in the past, Andrew. You should go,” he says, turning to leave the room.

Without thinking, I grab his wrist and stop him.

“Youdoknow me,” I say quietly.

He freezes but says nothing.

“Please don’t throw me out. I’ve lost seven years of my life. I just want to know what really happened. All I know is what Robert told me…”

Maybe I can get through to him. He doesn’t want me here, but I can’t leave. Ineedto understand who he is… and what we were.

His brows draw together as he turns his head toward me. He studies me, searching for something in my face.

“I’m going to regret this,” he mutters.

Then he closes his eyes, flips his hand, and laces his fingers with mine. My heart stutters.

“Come with me,” he says, tugging me toward the door.

Oh no. He’s really going to kick me out. My plea didn’t work—I only made things worse.

But instead of opening the door, he locks it. I watch him, confused. The second the door is secured, he leads me to an adjoining room.

Inside, there’s just one tattoo chair that can be converted into a table, a few cabinets, and a stool. Looks like his workspace.

He inserts a key into the mirror—it clicks open, revealing a hidden hallway.

“Whoa. That’s impressive.”

His shoulders twitch. Is he laughing?

Did I just make the grumpy guy smile?

My heart skips again. He’s still quiet, but at least I can see he’s not made of stone.

In the lounge beyond, he stops.

“Sit,” he says, nodding at the couch.

I obey, curious about what’s coming next. He disappears and returns moments later with a bottle of whiskey and two glasses.