Page 44 of Whips and Chains (Saint View Murder Squad #2)

VIOLET

W hen it hit midmorning and I hadn’t heard from either X or Whip, I started to get worried.

I paced the length of Levi’s bedroom and tried calling, but both their phones went straight to voicemail. Whip’s was very professional, clearly stating his legal name and he’d get back to me promptly.

X’s personal phone didn’t give his name but did say: Hey, I can’t come to the phone right now because I’m duct taped to a ceiling fan. I’ll call you back when I stop spinning.

I glanced at Levi hopefully. “Can I call their squad phones? Grayson gave me the numbers last night.” Admittedly, it had been grudgingly, but he had eventually handed them over. “I’m worried. And I really think we need to talk about the plan.”

He shook his head and kissed me instead. “You want to call their squad phones because their girlfriend hasn’t heard from them in a few hours and wants to discuss making herself bait for a psychopath? I don’t think that counts as an emergency.”

I sighed because he was right. He’d explained to me how their group phones were sacred and that using them meant business.

But I kind of liked the sound of him calling me their girlfriend.

Which of course was actually ridiculous when I’d just spent half the night whispering I love yous to Levi.

I couldn’t be doing that with him, and then in the space of hours, preening on the inside over being Whip’s and X’s girlfriend too.

But Bliss did. Kara did. Rebel did. All three of them had multiple partners, and not one of them seemed to be questioning their life choices like I was. They were just enjoying the benefits.

But I couldn’t imagine walking down the street with three men. What would date night look like? Me, sandwiched between the three of them in a café booth, or making out with all of them in the back row of the movies?

And why did the idea of both seem so appealing?

At least it did until I started thinking about what the people outside these clubhouse walls would think.

I knew exactly what my foster mother would have said.

Slut.

Whore.

Any other derogatory word she could have come up with.

Hell, she’d called me those things when I was a virgin too. Every time I’d even turned in the direction of my foster dad, she’d called me a little ho. It was where I’d learned to keep my eyes on the floor.

Levi watched me pace from the bed, and on what was probably my hundredth lap, he caught my hand. He leaned over and found a motorcycle helmet beneath his bedframe and pushed it toward me. “Put that on. Let’s go for a ride.”

I hesitated. “We should wait for them to get back. The plan—”

“You’re going to wear a hole in the already pretty threadbare carpet if you keep pacing like that. Us sitting here isn’t going to get them back any faster. And we can’t talk about any sort of plan without them.”

I still hesitated.

He raised an eyebrow. “It’s either that or I spend the rest of the day going down on you.”

I laughed. “You say that like it’s a punishment.”

“It will be when I don’t let you come.” He smirked, but it settled into something gentler. “Put the helmet on. I fucked you so many times last night and this morning, you have gotta be sore.”

I had to admit, I was. But I didn’t regret a single thing I’d done. The two of them…the things they’d done to my body, and then Levi again this morning, telling me he loved me…I was going to remember every second of that for the rest of my life.

The gentle throb of my pussy, reminding me how well it had been used, was nothing to complain about.

But maybe it could use a break.

Though straddling a vibrating motorcycle and wrapping my arms around Levi’s thick midsection to feel up his abs while we rode didn’t exactly seem like giving the old vajajay a breather, but whatever.

I took the helmet and tugged it on. “Let’s go.”

W hen I’d gotten on the back of Levi’s bike, I’d expected a cruise down the bluff road that ran along the beach and connected Saint View to Providence. Or maybe in the other direction, to the city.

But Levi took the road that led into the center of Saint View.

It wasn’t exactly much of a drive, and it certainly wasn’t picturesque. The main strip that ran through Saint View was as dingy as it ever was.

But Levi stopped the bike outside Saint View Tattoo, and a tiny bit of smug satisfaction curled through me. I waited until he’d turned the engine off and then said in his ear, “You changed your mind about Dax tattooing me then?”

He twisted and pulled me forward by the chin strap on my open-face helmet. He kissed my mouth. “Not a fucking chance is that man looking at your pussy after I spent all morning pounding it.”

I laughed. “Charming. Why are we here, then?”

Levi sucked in a breath. “I’m going to ask him for a job.”

I widened my eyes. “Really?”

He nodded, even though he looked a little green. “Apparently.” He stared up at the tattoo shop like it might suddenly grow teeth and snatch a bite out of him. “Shit. This seemed like a good idea at the time.”

I shoved him toward the door. “It’s a great idea. The worst he can say is no, right? But what if he says yes?” Excitement lit up inside me for him. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I doubted I wanted to clean for the rest of my days.

But Levi knew.

At least his heart did. He’d sent me hundreds of drawings over the last year, each one better than the last. Art was his calling, and watching him realize that, and now actually follow through filled me with a pride and joy I’d really only felt for Toby in the past.

But I liked the way it felt. And it made me want to find that thing that lit me up the way art did with Levi.

I pulled him toward the door, my heart racing, suddenly as nervous as if I was asking for my dream job.

I wanted this for him so bad.

A bell above the door tinkled when we went in, and it was probably a good thing, because if it hadn’t I wasn’t sure Dax, with Nyah grinding on his lap, would have even noticed. The two of them both looked up guiltily.

I raised an eyebrow. “Well, well, well. What’s going on here?”

Levi grinned. “Taking a little personal time in the middle of the day, huh?”

Nyah’s pretty face flushed pink, and her eyes sparkled. She went to get up off Dax’s lap, but he banded an arm around her middle, holding her there.

I practically saw the love hearts form in her eyes as she watched him reach his free hand out to Levi so they could shake.

When she finally dragged her gaze back up to me, she was so full of happiness it was impossible not to feel it as well.

Dax glanced between me and Levi. “What brings you two in here today? Want some new ink? Maybe a piercing?”

“No,” Levi answered quickly before I could say a word.

I hid a laugh.

Levi shifted his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably, the tension radiating off him.

I wanted to reach out and squeeze his fingers for reassurance, but I didn’t want Dax to think Levi needed me for emotional support either.

So I made out like I was really interested in the art on the walls instead.

Levi cleared his throat. “I wanted to ask for a job.”

Dax paused. “Here?”

Levi nodded. “I don’t care what I’m doing. I’ll sweep floors or answer the phone or go on lunch runs. Whatever you need. You don’t need to pay me much. I just need the bare minimum to survive.”

Dax shook his head. “Levi…”

I squeezed my eyes shut, my stomach dropping. Shit. I didn’t want him to say no.

Levi shoved his hands deep in his pockets. “Yeah, sorry. Right. I knew it was a long shot. Don’t worry about it.”

He reached for my hand, and this time I was there, wrapping my fingers around his and squeezing them reassuringly.

I was sure I was just as disappointed as he was.

It hit me hard that this was what it felt like to love someone. That it wasn’t all tummy butterflies and hot sex. But feeling their sadness and disappointment as if it were my own. Sharing that burden and lightening the load just a bit by being there for him.

God, I loved him.

In that moment, I was surer than I ever had been.

Dax untangled himself from Nyah, lifting her off his lap and setting her down next to him so he could stand.

“Christ, Levi. The first thing we’re going to have to work on is your listening skills.

Or maybe your confidence. You didn’t even let me get a word out before you’d written yourself off and were walking back out the door. ”

He wasn’t wrong.

Levi stopped and faced Dax.

He smiled. “What I was going to say is you’re too fucking talented to be sweeping my freaking floors. I don’t need a cleaner.” He eyed Levi. “But if the rest of your drawings are as good as the one you brought me a few weeks back then, brother, you need an apprenticeship.”

Levi lifted his head. “Seriously?”

Dax shrugged a shoulder. “Pay is shit. Hours are shit. Yeah, you probably will end up cleaning and doing lunch runs, but when I see someone with talent like yours, I’d much prefer to train them up and have them as a part of my team than have them go work for someone else and then kick myself in a few years when they’re making bank for another store.

” He glanced around the empty room. “I know it doesn’t seem it right now, at ten in the morning, but it does get pretty busy around here. So we could use the help.”

“I’ll take whatever you’re offering,” Levi said quickly.

Dax nodded. “I’m offering you a career. Work hard. Practice your skills. And we’ll let you get a gun on some real skin in no time.”

“He already tattooed himself,” I couldn’t help but add proudly. “It’s really good.”

Dax raised an eyebrow. “Let’s see it then.”

Levi hesitated then let go of my hand to pull off his shirt.

“Oh wow,” Nyah squeaked, staring up at my name on Levi’s chest. “That’s so pretty.” She shot a look at me and mouthed, “Oh my God.”

I couldn’t help but grin.

I felt the same way every time I remembered he had my name permanently etched in his skin.

Dax leaned in and inspected the fresh ink in a much more clinical manner.