Page 1 of Marked by the Scarred Orc (Heat & Ink #6)

Chapter One

Corrine

I ’m drunk off my ass.

Yes, it’s true.

My co-workers and I, at the agency, decided to celebrate a job well done, so the group of us ended up at our favorite downtown place for happy hour.

And, um, I might’ve had a few too many margaritas.

Usually, I’m a one-drink-only kinda gal, but it was a beautiful spring evening so when Jenna mentioned that new bar had opened a block away it sounded fun.

The six of us walked over for another drink.

This basically turned into a full-on bar crawl.

We decided to try our other favorite place across the street with a great patio out front.

Then we ended up at another bar down the street that Iris suggested.

The others kept offering me free drinks because I was the one who’d led our group to that new client that got us all work bonuses.

What was a girl to do? “Sure,” I kept saying.

I’m starting to think I’m the one that ended up the most drunk.

One more drink and I’ll be throwing up in my toilet tonight.

Margaret challenged us to shots and whoever lost had to get a tattoo at the new orc tattoo shop, Heat & Ink.

The bet was stupid, really. We’d been arguing about who was tougher.

Margaret has a CrossFit obsession, Jenna likes rock climbing, and I’m all into yoga.

I said yes because I get teased for my daily yoga practice, as if it’s something weird, so I guess I thought I had something to prove.

Somehow, we agreed that whichever team lost the arm-wrestling tournament, they had to get a tattoo.

Tonight. At the scariest place any of us could think of.

Heat & Ink it was.

And dammit, I lost the arm wrestle challenge so here I am, getting a tattoo.

At 2 am the bar closed and we called for a large Uber. All six of us climbed inside for the trip to Heat & Ink because the three that won wanted to make sure those of us that lost actually got the tattoo.

“I don’t wanna go to that place,” I whine. “My sister is married to an orc and now my life is wall-to-wall orcs. It’s cray.”

Don’t get me wrong, my orc brother-in-law Kavin is a great guy. He’s sweet to Mia, excellent with their baby orc son, and he’s genuinely become like family to me. But the idea of voluntarily walking into a building full of orcs when I’m this drunk? Not my smartest moment.

“This is why it’s the best choice,” Margaret grins. “You agreed to a tattoo if you lost and…you lost.”

The next thing I know I’m stumbling out of the Uber and looking up at Heat & Ink, a place I’d hoped to never enter. A large group of hulking orcs mingle out front and more are inside the shop. “Oh shit, this place is busy,” I groan.

“I’ve never seen so many orcs in one place,” Jenna whispers.

The Uber drives away, and the crowd of orcs turn and eye the six of us up and down.

We’re a group of single females, all in our twenties, dressed reasonably sexy for a night on the town.

I suddenly feel way too exposed. All of them are green-skinned, bare chested, with black horns and gleaming white tusks jutting up from their lower teeth.

But they appear different in height, width and there is variation in their rough features.

“Oooh. They look scary but handsome,” Iris remarks.

“Come on, don’t tell me you haven’t wondered what it would be like to ride one of those,” Margaret says with a giggle.

“Whatever. I heard they sometimes kidnap women off the street,” Paige adds.

“That’s not true…anymore.”

“Didn’t you say your sister is married to an orc?” Jenna asks me.

“Yeah. And he’s the only orc I trust,” I blurt out, a little too loud.

A few of the nearby orcs give me hard looks.

I stride forward with head held high because I did lose that bet, so I will get this done. I’d never planned on getting a tattoo because I figured it would hurt like hell and I can’t handle pain. But a bet is a bet, and I’m not backing down now.

As we move forward, the orcs quiet down and move back, allowing all six of us to walk in between them to enter the store.

They’re not eyeing us in a lascivious way, or making rude comments, as I’d expect might happen with a group of human men.

They just quietly look us up and down in appreciation.

I don’t make eye contact with any of them because I have to concentrate on keeping one foot in front of the other.

Heat & Ink is at the end of a strip mall and bigger than I expected, with rustic wooden floors and walls covered in incredible tattoo art.

The scent of antiseptic and something earthy, maybe the traditional inks I’ve heard about, fills the air.

There’s a low hum of conversation and the buzz of tattoo guns from the back rooms.

“Is this the end of the line to wait for a tattoo?” Margaret questions a massive orc with intricate arm tattoos.

“Human females can go to the front of the line,” he gruffly responds.

“Oh, thank you.”

I get to the counter with the others and hold on tightly to the edge to remain upright. The room is beginning to spin slightly, and I have to work hard to pay attention to what is happening around me. An orc behind the counter looks at all of us, but I swear his gaze lands on me in particular.

He’s freaking scary. There’s a huge scar on his face that mars it from the corner of his eye down to his lip.

It causes the side of his eye to downturn and it lifts the corner of his lip in a permanent sneer.

His tusks are huge and his horns are so tall they almost scrape the ceiling.

I’ve never seen this orc before, which is strange because I’ve actually met all the orcs who work here, because they’ve been invited to barbecues at Mia and Kavin’s house before.

But this one? This one looks like he could snap me in half without breaking a sweat. And for some reason, that thought sends an unexpected shiver down my spine that has nothing to do with fear.

“Who are you?” I blurt.

“Harken Overlord.”

His voice is a deep rumble that I feel in my chest. The scar pulls at his lip when he speaks, giving his words a husky quality that’s kind of…sexy? God, I really am drunk.

“You work here?”

“I started last week.”

“Heh. I want a small tattoo of a cat on my ass,” I tell him, proud that I managed to get the words out properly.

I look over and see Doril, one of the orcs I recognize from family gatherings.

“I want Doril.” But then I realize Olivia and Paige are both being led away by the other two orcs I know, Doril and Oreg.

Darn it. They’re giggling as they follow the tattoo artists to their stations. “Where are Talon and Krissy?”

“They don’t work this late. What is your name, female?”

I put my hands on my hips and lift my chin. “I’m Corrine Martin, Kavin Irontree’s sister-in-law.”

“Heh. You’re with me,” the big, scary orc says. “I will give you that tattoo.”

His dark eyes bore into mine, and I feel trapped, like prey being studied by a predator. But instead of running, I find myself nodding. And my eyes keep darting to the perfect muscular contours of his bare chest.

There’s something different about this orc from any other I’ve ever met.

I drop my stance and wave a hand. “Fine. But I’m serious about the cat. Small. Cute. Nothing weird.”

Harken’s unscarred eyebrow rises. “I make the final decision as to what goes on your skin, female.”

“Excuse me?” My temper flares through the alcohol haze. Who does this guy think he is? “It’s my body and my money. I want a tiny cat.”

He comes around the counter, towering over me. “Orcs don’t do ‘cute.’ We do permanent. Meaningful. Marks that matter.”

Oh wow, he’s even sexier up close. I want to reach up and touch his skin. What is wrong with me? I take a step back. “Then maybe I should wait for one of the other guys?—”

“They’re busy. I’m not.” His massive hand settles on my lower back, steering me toward a hallway. “Unless you’re too scared?”

The challenge in his voice pisses me off. I’ve never backed down from anything in my life, and I’m not starting now. Even after a few too many drinks, while facing down the most intimidating male I’ve ever encountered.

But the feel of his hand on my back doesn’t bother me like it should. It feels…right.

I look back toward my three other co-workers who are totally ignoring me, busy flirting with orcs in the waiting area.

“I’m not scared of anything,” I tell this bare-chested orc with the highly lickable neck. “Especially not some orc with an attitude problem.”

His laugh is dark and sends another shiver through me. “We’ll see about that.”

I can’t help but like the fact that he’s willing to do a bit of banter with the drunk girl.

As he guides me down the hallway, I also catch sight of my two friends already in their tattoo chairs, chattering excitedly with their not-so-scary orc tattoo artists. Meanwhile, I’m being led into what feels like a lion’s den by a male who looks like he could eat me alive.

And the worst part? Some twisted part of me is excited to find out if he will.

The door closes behind us with a soft click, and I realize I’m completely alone with Harken Overlord. The room smells like leather and that earthy ink scent, and I can hear my heart hammering in my chest.

“Strip,” he orders, already moving to prepare his tools.

“What?”

“Your pants. If you want ink on your ass, you need to show me your ass.”

Heat floods my cheeks. “I…I thought you’d just work around my clothes or something.”

He turns to look at me, those dark eyes amused. “First tattoo?”

“Yes.”

“It shows.” He gestures to a leather chair that looks more like a medieval torture device than furniture. “Pants down, female. Unless you’ve changed your mind?”

“I haven’t,” I respond. But standing here, faced with the reality of showing skin to this intimidating orc, I’m starting to question my life choices. Still, I’m not backing down.

With as much dignity as I can muster, I start fumbling with my jeans.