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Seven Tattoo Artists and A Single Mom - Nicole Casey

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Seven Tattoo Artists and a Single

Mom
A Reverse Harem Romance

Love by Numbers 2
Book 6

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Nicole Casey

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© Copyright 2023 – Nicole Casey All rights reserved.
It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means
or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this
document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher except for the use of brief
quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or
locations is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner
whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief
quotations in a book review.

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Contents

1. Madison
2. Marlo
3. Madison
4. Bryce
5. Madison
6. Madison
7. Madison
8. Marcus
9. Madison
10. Ti
11. Bryce
12. Madison
13. Marlo
14. Madison
15. Ti
16. Madison
17. Madison
18. Madison
19. Marlo
20. Madison
21. Gus
22. Madison
23. Madison
24. Marlo
25. Baker
26. Taj
27. Madison
28. Madison

Epilogue: Madison
Coming Soon: Eight Bikers’ Heir

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About this book

Who would've thought my life as a single mom could get tangled up


with seven rugged tattoo artists?

My focus has always been on raising my daughter, shielding her from the
scars of my past.
Love life? Non-existent.
Until my adventurous friend dragged me into Swan and Rose, a tattoo
parlor that screamed trouble and temptation.
In a heart beat, I'm thrust into a world of art, redemption, and seven sinfully
alluring artists.
Yeah, you read that right—seven.
Each guy's got a past as colorful as their tattoos. And despite their rugged
looks, they're hiding something more.
These guys aren't your typical next-door neighbors. They are ex-cons, each
with a story that'll have you on the edge of your seat.
Yet, the connection I feel with them is electric.

Just when things couldn't get more complicated, my toxic ex reappears,


threatening everything.
Suddenly, those inked bad boys turn into knights in shining armor, ready to
protect me and my daughter.
Secrets unravel, desire ignites, and the intensity skyrockets.
Can a single mom like me find her place in this world of ink, attraction, and
unexpected surprises?
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Chapter 1

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Madison

A cloud of flour billowed over the white laminate countertops and


matching tile flooring of my small kitchen, followed by an excited
shriek.
“Do it again!” my endlessly cheery six-year-old daughter, Chloe, exclaimed
as she stood right by my side.
Despite the mess I would have to pick up later, I couldn’t help but smile and
look down at her, placing my hand on top of her head over her shoulder-
length, chestnut hair that matched mine. She looked so much like me, which
I was so grateful for. I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to look into
her little face and see the familiar features of …well, him.
“You’re silly,” I joked with her, making her giggle. I handed her the whisk
and helped her step up on her stool so that she could reach the counter.
“Whisk together all of the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, okay?”
Chloe nodded and clumsily mixed everything together, having the time of
her life as some of it splattered on the counter. Oh, well. What was one
more little mess to clean up, if it made her happy?
I had been a single mom for years, so everything came down to me. Taking
care of Chloe. Picking up waitressing shifts at a local sports bar. Cleaning
up the house. Shopping for groceries. And anything and everything in
between.
However, I’d rather do all of that by myself than be stuck in a relationship
with someone who didn’t care about me or Chloe. Because of that fear that
someone would have love both of us, my dating life had been as dry as the
desert lately. At least I had some of the best company, though.
“Done!” Chloe said, only having a few splotches of flour on her pink shirt.
“Good job!” I told her as I peered down at the smooth mix. There were
actually only a few chunks that needed to be whisked out, but she was a
natural.
Honestly, her natural intelligence reminded me a lot of my sister, Leah, who
was currently taking Harvard by storm as an incredible hockey player. I
couldn’t have been prouder of her for succeeding in not only academia but
sports too. Who else could say their sister had the potential to go pro?
Despite the doubt and pushback she received from countless people,
including our own father, Leah was chasing her dreams and blowing people
away. I never doubted her, no matter how big her dreams were. I wished our
father felt the same, as a parent should, but Leah already proved she didn’t
need an ounce of his approval or support to be successful.
Then, there was me. Single mom. Waitress. Baking hobbyist.
My hidden jealousy of my sister and my guilt for feeling that way were
intertwined. We both had our own strengths and weaknesses, and I tried to
pride myself on the fact that I had a happy kid, and I doubled down and
fought hard to get away from my ex.
That counted for something, right?
“Tonight, we should FaceTime your Aunt Leah,” I said to Chloe as I
showed her how to spoon the mixture into a circular cake pan.
Chloe nodded enthusiastically.
“I want to play hockey too!” she told me.
I laughed softly and placed the cake pan in my preheated oven, the door
squeaking loudly as I pushed it shut. Chloe seemed to be determined to try
every hobby and activity known to man. If she saw me bake, she wanted to
bake. If she saw her grandmother gardening, she wanted to garden. She
loved learning new things.
“Maybe she can show you how to ice skate when she comes home for
winter break,” I told her before checking the time on the stove. “It’ll take
around thirty minutes, okay? Why don’t you go watch cartoons until it’s
done?”
“Okay, Mommy,” Chloe quipped before bounding into the living room, her
hair bouncing as she went.
I released a slow breath as I leaned my back against the kitchen counter,
taking a moment to close my eyes and rest. My life was so go-go-go, and I
was constantly doing things. For once, it would be nice to step back and let
someone else do some of the work.
I didn’t get to rest for too long because my phone started ringing. I glanced
over at the screen to see my best friend Aisling’s smiling face, and I could
only imagine what she was calling me about. She had been texting me all
day.
“I know what you’re going to ask, and it’s still a no. I’m not getting a
tattoo,” I said once I answered the call.
“Aw, come on! You haven’t even heard me out yet,” Aisling said, and I
could picture her pouting over the phone.
I cracked a smile and shook my head.
“The hundreds of texts you’ve sent me today isn’t you trying to convince
me?” I asked her.
“Exaggerator. Just think about it. A tattoo can be something special!”
Aisling told me.
“What are you getting again?” I teased her. “A pretty flower or a butterfly?”
“You can’t shame me, Madison Carney!” Aisling defended herself before
laughing. “I’m actually getting a dagger with vines and roses around the
handle.”
My eyebrows lifted out of interest. I honestly didn’t expect something like
that. She was the type to cringe at gore or tense up from violence, so a
dagger was certainly a surprising element for her to choose.
“Really?” I asked.
Aisling laughed a little before launching into her explanation.
“So, you know how my favorite romance book is Love Kills? Well, the
main male lead, Jax, uses this awesome obsidian dagger to protect June, the
main female lead. The roses are to symbolize their steamy hot romance,”
Aisling told me with pure excitement lacing her voice.
Aisling lived and breathed romance books, even attending a weekly book
club to discuss whatever they were reading that month. It did sound fun, but
I barely had time to even nap, much less read a whole book.
“Okay, that actually sounds really cool. I just don’t really have an obsession
or something to get a tattoo of,” I replied. I couldn’t think of anything to
get. Plus, the thought of getting something permanent on my body was
pretty daunting.
And the needle. Maybe I was being a baby at twenty-five, but that was what
held me back from committing to Aisling’s request to get tattoos together.
“It doesn’t have to be an obsession. It can be something that means a lot to
you. Or someone,” Aisling pointed out.
Someone.
Now, that caught my interest. There were only a handful of people in my
life that I was close to, but the one I was closest to was Chloe. My daughter
was my world, and if I was going to commemorate any relationship with a
tattoo, it would be my love for Chloe.
“I don’t know. Maybe. I’ll think about it,” I replied, not wanting to fully
commit to anything yet until I was a hundred percent sure about what I
wanted to get. It would be on my body forever after all.
“Well, while you’re thinking about it, I’m going to call and book a time slot
for us. You’re free to show up or you can ditch your best friend,” Aisling
quipped with a light, playful laugh.
I smirked and shook my head. That was Aisling. She could be persistent,
but she was the best friend that I had besides Leah. Throughout the tough
years with my ex, Aisling had been there for me, letting me cry into her
shoulder or watching Chloe so that I could take a late-night drive to clear
my head and get away for a second.
“Hm, that’s a tough choice,” I joked with her.
“Uh huh. I’ll text you the time slot and tattoo shop in case you do change
your mind,” Aisling told me.
“Alright,” I agreed, figuring I could at least consider it a little more before
making a final decision. I only had one life, so maybe doing something new
for a change would be good for me. I could think of it like a mini adventure.
“Love you.”
“Love you,” Aisling said before the call ended.
I sighed and checked the time on the stove, seeing that there was still quite
a few minutes left until the cake was done. Then, we had to frost it and
decorate it however Chloe wanted, and I already knew that she would want
to do something wild. Just the thought of all those steps, even if they were
fun, created a weight on my shoulders that made me want to lie down.
The days were so long and busy, and I fought to get through each one of
them, trying desperately not to fall into the hole of poverty that I grew up
in. I wanted Chloe to have a different childhood and to be able to
experience more than I did at her age, but it would take a miracle for me to
break out of this rut. I couldn’t snap my fingers and have a better job or a
nicer house.
I had to work for that, and I planned to do exactly that until we were living
the life I had always hoped we would have.

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Chapter 2

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Marlo

T he blue and red, neon ‘OPEN’ sign hanging in the front window of
Swan and Rose flickered off on the stroke of eight o’clock at night,
bringing an end to yet another busy day for my famed tattoo shop.
After years of hard work, I finally took all of the bad in my life and turned
it into something good. Life was a slippery slope, and I dug my heels in by
making something of my own.
“And that’s a wrap!” Bryce, one of the six tattoo artists I employed, shouted
as he finished cleaning up his station.
His voice echoed throughout the old Victorian building that was updated for
modern business, but its charming features were still intact, like its brick
exterior and cozy attic. “Did you see that dragon I did earlier? It was so
badass.”
“Did you take into account those notes I sent you about getting the wings
anatomically correct?” Baker asked from the station next door, giving his
twin brother a pointed look. They might’ve been twins, but they looked and
acted completely different. While Baker kept his natural short, dark hair,
Bryce went a completely different path and had a head full of colorful
dreadlocks. At least it was easy to tell them apart.
Bryce chuckled and playfully swung at Baker’s side to nudge him.
“Yeah, yeah. I did,” he replied, absentmindedly tracing the smooth metal of
his lip ring with the tip of his tongue as he grinned.
“Are you sure? I could’ve sworn the webbing wasn’t properly attached to
the body,” Taj spoke up from across the room as he perched on the edge of
his table with a sketchbook in his lap. A smirk played out on his face as
Bryce threw up his middle finger in his direction.
“All that matters is if the client loved it,” Ti said as he slung his leather
messenger back onto his shoulder, making his white t-shirt pull tight against
his slim build. He glanced behind him at the station farther from the door in
its own little corner. “Right, Gus?”
Gus merely grunted as he cleaned off his tray, not letting his naturally
narrowed eyes stray from his task. He towered over his station with his
broad body, casting shadows over anything and anyone below him. He
wasn’t much of a talker, but he was damn good at tattooing realistic pieces.
“See? He agrees,” Ti told the others.
“Gus will agree with anything to get you to shut up,” Taj laughed, reaching
up to adjust the strap of his loose, black tank top. His fingertips brushed
over the highly detailed, colorful peacock tattoo that wrapped around his
upper right arm, adding a pop of color among the light brown tone of his
skin.
I smirked a little as I stood at the front desk, watching everyone gather their
things and double check their stations. Everyone was very organized and
particular, which would’ve been surprising to anyone who took a look at me
and my crew. We didn’t have that artistic, hipster look like so many tattoo
artists around town looked like.
It was safe to say we were a little rougher around the edges.
I didn’t nab any of them from art schools or anything like that. I snagged
them right out of prison. They were nervous and unsure about their futures
once they were released, and they would face all sorts of stigma and
discrimination because they were ex-cons. I wasn’t a saint myself, and I
knew how hard it was to keep it together when surrounded by a hostile
environment.
I helped them make this tattoo shop a home. We didn’t judge each other. We
looked after each other. Essentially, we were our own messed up family,
and I wouldn’t trade these guys for the world.
Marcus, my own cousin, joined me at the front desk and pushed his tablet
over to me.
“We’ve got Friday the 13th coming up. We really need to do a flash sheet
sale,” he told me.
I grabbed his tablet and looked at some of the sketches he did, which ranged
from skulls to intricate spider webs. It sucked seeing my own flesh and
blood be dragged through the prison system, but no one here had excuses
for what they did. They’d messed up. We all had. So, we paid the
consequences and moved forward.
It was obvious that Marcus was interested in helping me run the shop,
which I wasn’t entirely opposed to. He had a military background, so he
was one of the more disciplined and determined people I knew. However,
he didn’t like being told what to do. If I was going to train him, that could
be an issue.
“These look good. I’ve got something planned for tonight, but let’s all talk
about it tomorrow,” I told him.
Marcus nodded and shut off his tablet, seeming satisfied enough.
I breathed in and ran my hand over my shaved head, preparing myself for
an announcement that I had been dying to give all day.
“Before we all head out, I wanted to share something with you guys,” I said
as I walked out from behind the front desk.
Everyone paused and gave me perplexed looks.
“Are we getting fired?” Bryce chuckled, immediately getting sharply
nudged by Baker.
I crossed my arms over my broad chest, making the muscle of my left bicep
shift under the large rose tattoo that adorned my skin.
“No, you’re not getting fired. Whether you like it or not, we’re all stuck
together,” I said with a small smirk, sparking some laughter among the
guys.
I was the oldest at fifty-one, while the twins were the youngest at twenty-
nine, but we all shared the same sense of humor. Honestly, all of these guys
and their banter and liveliness helped me feel younger than I actually was. I
didn’t feel like I was wasting away with other old, miserable men who acted
like it was too late to do anything important with their lives. It felt like I
was just getting started.
“Hey, at least we have fun,” Taj pointed out with a sly grin on his face.
Fun could mean a lot of things to our group. That could mean hanging out
at a bar together or tattooing each other. It could even mean group sex with
women we met online or in clubs throughout the city. We were… flexible.
And we thrived on the philosophy that we only had one life to live, so we’d
better make the most of it.
“Well, we’ll have some extra funds to have more fun because the mortgage
for the tattoo shop has been paid off,” I announced.
At first, there was shocked silence as the guys stared at me with wide eyes.
I didn’t bring up the finances much around them, letting them focus on shop
upkeep and just doing their jobs. The only person I talked to about business
stuff was Marcus because he was interested in it, but I kept that secret from
him so that I could surprise everyone.
“No shit. Really?” Baker asked. “I thought it would take longer.”
I shrugged before some of the guys came up to me to slap hands with me
and pat me on the back. This had been a big goal of mine for a while.
“We’ve been busting our asses. Now, this place is really ours,” I said as I
gestured to our golden-lit, vintage-styled tattoo shop that had pieces of each
of us interwoven in its warm atmosphere. It certainly differed from the vibe
we probably gave off to others in public, but everyone who walked in here
left with a smile on their face.
“We wouldn’t be here without you,” Ti said as he walked up to me, giving
me a small nod. He wasn’t the most expressive, coming off more stoic and
sophisticated than anything else, but I knew who he was deep down. He had
a lot buried underneath that straight-lipped expression, but I could sense his
gratitude.
“I wouldn’t be here without all of you,” I pointed out, patting his shoulder
before heading toward the glass front door. “Well, what are you guys
waiting for? We should go celebrate.”
“Ice House, here we come,” Bryce said before throwing his arm around
Marcus’s shoulders, drawing a smirk onto my cousin’s face as he was
dragged out the door.
The Ice House was a rough dive bar around the corner from the tattoo shop.
Honestly, it was full of criminals who just hadn’t been caught yet, but we
didn’t let a shady crowd scare us away from good drinks. When we walked
inside, there were a few hard stares, but my guys continued laughing and
chatting as they took a seat at the two tables we always sat at in the back.
I headed to the bar, stopping between two burly guys in leather vests who
were probably bikers. A lot of them came through here, and I heard of quite
a few of them getting mixed up in the local drug trade.
“Six beers and a soda,” I told the bartender, who was a gruff man himself
with a goatee and short, greying hair.
“We don’t care for kids up in here,” the bald biker to my right huffed, his
words slurring slightly. An almost empty glass of beer sat in front of him.
“Kids?” I questioned him with a steady stare.
“Who the hell is ordering a soda at a bar?” the other biker with dark hair
scoffed.
Footsteps sounded behind me just as our drinks were placed on the bar.
“People with more self-control than you drunks,” Baker bit out.
Both bikers jumped to their feet, nearly knocking their stools over as I held
my arm out, keeping Baker from getting even closer. He had already
sparked their aggression with his smart comment. We were all protective of
each other, but sometimes, that got us into even more trouble.
“Alright, alright. Calm down,” I gritted out as I looked between everyone,
staring the bikers down until they huffed and sat back down to finish their
drinks. I handed four beers over to Baker and motioned for him to go before
he started a fight. When I grabbed the other two beers and the soda, I
glanced at the dark-haired biker. “Soda is for me.”
I carried the drinks back to my guys and took a seat between Taj and Gus,
watching everyone clink their glasses and chug their beers. I steadily drank
my soda, enjoying the sugar and the fact that I was no longer a drunk mess
who nearly screwed up my life hundreds of times. All I wanted to do was
maintain my sobriety and look after my guys.
Well, maybe there was one more thing. Our flings with other women were
fun, but they were always so short and impersonal. When we were
inevitably left behind after the truth about our criminal backgrounds were
revealed, it stung. It hurt everyone. We had become a family with each
other, but we wanted more. A loving partner. A child.
It just didn’t seem likely for us to get those things. Our mistakes and dark
pasts followed us like shadows. We could move forward toward the light,
but from our viewpoint, it was miles and miles away.

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Chapter 3

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Madison

“A ctually, I changed my mind. I can’t do this. I really can’t do this. I


think I’m going to pass out!”
Aisling stopped us from walking another foot down the sidewalk toward the
tattoo shop, grabbing my hands and making me face her.
“Madi, breathe,” she told me with a firm voice.
I sucked in a deep, shaky breath, holding it for a few seconds before
releasing it. I still felt my hands tremble slightly as I gave her a nervous
look.
“What if I actually pass out and embarrass myself?” I asked her.
I looked up tattoo videos last night after finally cracking and agreeing to
attend the appointment, and it only made me more nervous seeing that
quick needle hitting the skin over and over again. How did that not hurt?
Aisling gave me a comforting smile.
“You’re not going to pass out and embarrass yourself. You don’t even have
to get the tattoo today, but you should talk to one of the artists and get your
idea sketched out at least!” she told me.
I nodded as I listened to her. She was right. At the end of the day, it was my
decision whether or not I wanted a needle stabbing me in the skin over and
over again today.
“Alright, I’m okay. Let’s go,” I said.
I’d already dropped Chloe off at school and cleared my schedule for the
day, so I needed to commit to my plans. Plus, I didn’t want to be the type to
back out or let go of my obligations. I regretted dropping out of high
school, but I had to commit to taking care of my daughter instead.
Aisling led me to the front of an old Victorian building where ‘Swan and
Rose’ was carved into a wooden panel above the door. There was some
glass shattered on the sidewalk and a spray of graffiti here and there on the
corners and sides of the building, which gave me an uneasy feeling. The
place was a bit shady looking, but it was too to back out now. She pulled
open the glass front door, making a bell ding overhead.
I followed her closely, my eyes widening as they swept over the busy and
surprisingly nice interior of the tattoo shop. There were six artist stations
with trays, kits, and tables, and I noticed the walls next to them had shelves
with various trinkets or decorations that varied between the artists. The
floor was made of sleek wood, old and new pieces of framed art hung on
the white walls, and there were plenty of shelves full of vintage vinyl
records, figurines, and… spiders?
“Is that a spider?” I whispered as I grabbed Aisling’s arm and pointed
toward one of the artists’ areas where there was a glass tank with a tarantula
inside of it.
“Holy shit, he’s hot,” Aisling muttered as she ignored the spider and looked
at the tattoo artist sitting next to the tank and peering into it with a grin on
his face.
I took a look at the slender but fit man and felt my heart skip a little. She
was right. His light brown hair was cut into a quiff hairstyle, airy and
dynamic. He wore a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his
elbows and black pants. He looked like any guy who worked in an office,
but I could make out the legs of a spider tattoo on his lower neck just below
his collar.
“Woah,” I said, sharing an impressed look with her.
Like he could hear us, the man looked up at us, his eyes centering in on me.
The side of his mouth curled up slightly as his eyes swept over me, making
my face warm up in surprise. Was he checking me out?
“Ladies, welcome to Swan and Rose! Do you have an appointment or are
you just walking in?” a handsome man with dark features greeted us with a
playful half-smile on his face, making my eyes dart over to him and away
from the other man. He wasn’t dressed up as much as the other artist, but in
just jeans and a white t-shirt with a black jacket over it, he still looked good.
“Hi! Yes, we have an appointment. It’s under Aisling. This is my friend,
Madison, that I mentioned was coming with me,” Aisling told him as she
twisted a lock of her long, blonde hair around her forefinger with a dopey
look on her face.
I was mentally twirling a lock of my hair as I smiled at the man.
“Nice to meet you two. I’m Taj. I understand you two have some ideas you
want to discuss today. Then, we can move onto the fun part,” he said with
an eager look on his face.
“The needle part?” I asked with a wary look on my face.
Taj chuckled and touched my arm briefly in a comforting manner, making
goosebumps flare up along the back of my arm as my heart skipped.
“I promise it’s not as scary as it seems. We’ll walk you through everything,
and you’ll have a great piece of art on your body at the end of it all,” he
replied.
Warmth immediately bloomed through my body just at his touch. Just like
that, he made me feel a decent bit better. So far, I really liked this place, and
it wasn’t just because of the cool décor and warm atmosphere.
“Aisling, I’m going to have you talk to Ti over there. He’s going to sketch
up your idea. Madison, you’ll be with me,” Taj said.
Gladly.
Aisling gave my arm a squeeze as she secretly shot me a wink.
“Have fun,” she told me before heading off to the hot spider man.
“Follow me,” Taj said, leading me over to his area where there were worn
notebooks with scribbles on the cover, a small ceramic lotus, and a few
packs of both sketching pencils and colored pencils. He hopped up on the
black, portable table made of PVC vinyl and patted the spot next to him.
“Let’s talk about this tattoo idea of yours.”
A wave of nervousness washed over me as I sat down next to him,
accidentally hopping up too close to where our shoulders and thighs
touched.
“Oh, sorry,” I apologized, feeling my face burn.
Taj smiled and shook his head.
“It’s totally fine. I need you to get a good look at the sketch anyway,” he
replied before shrugging off his jacket and reaching over to grab a
sketchbook and a pencil.
My eyes immediately zeroed in on the beautiful peacock tattoo on his arm.
“Wow, that’s really cool,” I told him, refraining from reaching out and
touching it. The muscle of his bicep made it even harder to resist, and I
couldn’t remember a time when I felt so drawn to someone. Dying to touch
them. Wanting to get closer.
Taj looked down at his tattoo.
“Thank you. It means a lot to me,” he said, his vague words leaving me
feeling even more curious.
“What do peacocks represent? Boldness? Creativity?” I asked him.
Taj let out a small chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes
shifting to his tattoo.
“You’re actually pretty close,” he replied before looking back up at me.
When he saw the curiosity written all over my face, he smirked a little,
realizing just how much I wanted to know. “It symbolizes my Indian
heritage and my love for art.”
My eyebrows popped up in interest.
“That’s amazing,” I said as a smile crossed my face, our eyes locking. He
had the most beautiful brown eyes that caught the vintage-styled lights up
above just right.
“So, what are you wanting, Madison?” he asked as the tip of his pencil
hovered above the blank page of his sketchbook.
It was hard for me to put my thoughts into words. I hadn’t ever been good
at art, which was why I desperately needed a professional like Taj to help
me out.
“I have a daughter. Her name is Chloe, and she’s my world. I want
something done for her,” I told him.
A warm look crossed Taj’s face.
“That’s sweet. Tell me more about her. Tell me how you feel about her,” he
said.
Where did I even begin?
“She’s the smartest, sweetest kid ever born,” I replied with a laugh that he
shared. “She loves trying new things. Like baking, gardening, and painting.
Being her mom has been the best thing ever. Without her… I don’t know
what I’d do. It’s like she keeps me rooted to the earth and doesn’t let me
float away into nothing,” I told him, surprising myself with how much I
revealed. That was a bit deeper than I expected to get.
Taj started sketching as I talked, his brow furrowing in concentration.
“She sounds amazing. I bet you and her father are very proud,” he said,
almost like he was testing the waters.
“Oh, he’s not in the picture. It’s just me and her,” I told him.
Taj paused for a second to look over at me.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said.
I shook my head.
“It’s for the best,” I assured him with a small smile.
“I’m glad you did what’s best for your daughter,” he replied before
sketching again. “And I’m going to make sure that she loves this.”
“She loves everything,” I laughed softly as I watched the light, practised
motions of his hand. I couldn’t exactly make out what he was sketching, but
he seemed to know exactly what he was doing. I was putting a lot of faith in
him, but I hardly felt a speck of worry as we sat close to each other,
listening to “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd play over the shop’s
speakers.
Taj suddenly drew his hand away from the sketchbook and angled his body
where I couldn’t see the page. A coy look spread across his face.
“Ready?” he asked.
I nodded excitedly.
Taj flipped the notebook around, and I couldn’t help the widening of my
eyes and the dropping of my jaw. He had taken what I said about Chloe
rooting me to the ground seriously and had drawn two figures, a taller one
and shorter one, made of thin, delicate roots with their hands joined.
I found myself reaching out to take his sketchbook from him, feeling the
crispness of the new pages as I pulled it closer to me.
“Oh… it’s perfect,” I murmured as I gazed down at it, able to picture it
being me and Chloe.
Taj smiled and leaned closer, his body coming so close to mine. The air
between us seemed to thicken, and I started to notice how good his citrusy
cologne smelled. He didn’t even have to get that close to show me his
sketch, which made me wonder if he just wanted to be that close to me. I
certainly didn’t mind.
“What do you think? Good enough to put on your body?” he asked before a
cheeky look filled his handsome face. “Not that it needs any improvement
in the slightest.”
A bashful laugh broke from me as I lowered my head to hide my face
momentarily. What was up with these charming, handsome tattoo artists?
My eyes eventually shifted up to meet his over the top edge of the
sketchbook.
“Absolutely,” I told him, feeling a lot of my wariness melt away. This was
even better than what I pictured in my head.
Taj patted my knee and hopped off the table.
“I’d love to tattoo you myself, but I have another appointment soon. Don’t
worry, you’ll be in good hands, though,” he said as he reached his hand out
to me.
I took it and let him help me off the table, my skin warming up from his
touch and kindness.
“Thank you so much, Taj,” I said sincerely.
Taj grinned in a manner that made heat churn in my lower stomach.
“Trust me, the pleasure was all mine,” he replied, his gaze lingering on
mine for a few seconds before he looked across the shop. “Bryce! Come
here.”
I turned to see a tall man with colorful dreadlocks and piercings on his nose
and lip, wearing black cargo shorts with a chain attached to the right side, a
black hoodie, beat up Vans, and white crew socks with slot machine
cherries on them. By far, he was the most interesting looking man I had
ever seen, but all of the unique details just made his clean-shaven face and
green eyes look even better.
“This is Bryce. He’s great at what he does. Maybe not as good as me,
but…” Taj joked, being cut off by Bryce giving him a playful push. “Bryce,
this is Madison. She’s getting this tattoo to symbolize her relationship with
her daughter.”
Bryce held his fist out for me to fist-bump, drawing a laugh from me.
“You have the best laugh,” he told me with a cheeky grin.
My cheeks immediately burned as I looked down, not expecting such a nice
compliment. Honestly, they had both been so incredibly sweet to me, and
they were both so attractive. I must’ve been dreaming.
“Thank you,” I said, fidgeting with the bottom of black, ribbed knit tank top
I wore. Now that I knew how hot the tattoo artists were, I wished I had
subbed out the tank top and denim shorts I wore with something nicer.
“I’ll leave you to it. It was nice meeting you, Madison,” Taj told me as his
hand rested on the back of my shoulder. Before he walked off, he flashed
me a wink that I swore I made up in my head.
“Nice meeting you,” I said, my voice coming out weaker than I intended.
These guys took my breath away.
Bryce gestured to his station with an eager look on his face.
“Ready to start?” he asked me.
My heart rate spiked when I realized that this was actually going to happen.
I was actually getting a tattoo today. I expected to feel more fear, but
Bryce’s encouraging smile calmed me.
“I’m ready.”

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 4

OceanofPDF.com
Bryce

I was so glad I had a pretty light schedule today. When Taj introduced me
to Madison and I saw that radiant smile of hers, it was like looking at the
sun. But in a less painful way.
I could tell Taj wasn’t the happiest about directing her over to me, but losers
weepers.
As I got my area set up and prepared to make a stencil of Taj’s sketch,
Madison fidgeted a little as she sat on the edge of my table, crossing and
uncrossing her legs as she glanced around.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
Madison’s eyes widened like she didn’t realize she was externalizing her
emotions as much as she thought she was.
“It’s my first time getting a tattoo,” she admitted. “I’m just a little nervous.”
I walked closer to her and placed my hand on the table a few inches away
from her leg, leaning my weight against it a little.
“Don’t worry. I get a lot of first timers, and I can promise you they always
say it’s not as bad as they thought it would be,” I assured her. Telling from
her smooth, flawless skin that her tank top and shorts exposed, it was easy
for me to tell that she hadn’t been tattooed before.
I was honored to be her first, and maybe I was a freak, but it made this
whole situation pretty hot. No one had touched her or marked her the way I
was about to.
Madison smiled a little and nodded, pushing her fingers through the subtle,
long waves of her chestnut-colored hair. She had these blue eyes that were
intense, but they didn’t seem cold or piercing. They looked inviting like
gentle waves out in the ocean.
I got her stencil ready and was on the way back over when I crossed paths
with my brother, who seemed to be milling around with a crossword puzzle
book in his hand until his next client showed up.
“Hey, look who’s at my station,” I murmured as I subtly nodded in that
direction.
Baker followed my gaze, his eyebrows lifting slightly.
“Wow, she’s cute,” he said.
“Yeah, she’s sweet too. Pretty nervous, though,” I replied, hoping that I
could get her to relax a little more. The process would only be more
uncomfortable if her nerves spiked.
“I could talk to her a little,” Baker offered, the side of his mouth turning up
slightly.
I gave him a pointed look, but I didn’t stop him from following me back
over to my station.
“Hey, Madison. This is my brother, Baker,” I introduced them.
Baker shook Madison’s hand as she looked back and forth between us.
“Oh, you’re brothers!” she said with slightly narrowed eyes as she observed
our basic features. We had the same nose, eyes, and height, while
everything else was different.
“Yeah, twins, actually,” I replied with a chuckle, nudging her knee playfully
before showing her the stencil. “Now, where are we thinking about putting
this?”
A sheepish look filled Madison’s face.
“I’m not sure. I was hoping you guys could give me some suggestions,” she
said.
“That’s what we’re here for,” Baker replied before taking the stencil from
me. He gestured to the space in front of me. “Let me take a better look at
you.”
Madison hopped off the table and stayed still as Baker hovered the stencil
over different parts of her body. Her eyes met mine for a brief second, and I
couldn’t help but admire the pink glow of her cheeks. My gaze shifted away
and followed Baker’s hands, taking in the sight of her petite figure and the
delicate, graceful way she carried herself. Her hips had a slight angle to
them as she stood still, putting her notable curves on display.
“You know, I think your forearm would be a good spot. It’s one of the least
painful spots, and it’s a good area for the shape of the tattoo,” I spoke up as
I gestured for Baker to place the stencil on her inner forearm as she rested
her hand on her upper thigh.
Baker nodded in agreement.
“What do you think?” he asked her.
Madison inspected it for a second before nodding.
“I think that’d be nice,” she said.
“Alright, you can just lie back on the table, and I’ll situate your arm on an
armrest,” I explained, figuring she would want all the details to put her
mind at ease.
“So, what tattoos do you guys have?” Madison asked once she’d laid down
and had her arm resting on an armrest I extended from the table. She gazed
up at the ceiling, rubbing her scuffed white sneakers together nervously.
I motioned for Baker to take her mind off things while I set up my ink.
“I’ve got quite a few on my chest, but you can see these small ones on my
hand,” Baker said as he stood by Madison’s side, leaning over her slightly
so that he could show her a few symbols that were tattooed near his
knuckles and wrist.
Madison reached up and ran her forefinger over the black numbers ‘0327’
that were tattooed along the top of his thumb.
“What’s that stand for?” she asked.
Baker’s eyes immediately darted to mine as I scooted my rolling stool
closer to her arm. I knew what it meant, but was he actually going to tell her
the truth or lie about it like he did to so many other people?
“It stands for March 27th,” he explained in a slightly cautious voice.
“Oh, okay. Is that someone’s birthday? Or when someone…passed?”
Madison asked, looking concerned by her last guess.
Baker rubbed the back of his neck before looking down at his tattoo.
“It’s… when I was released from prison. It’s a reminder to be mindful of
what I do and to do what I can to be a better person,” he told her.
I paused with a surprised look on my face, wondering what coaxed him to
tell a girl we just met something that was hard to bring up around family
and friends.
Madison’s expression wavered a little, switching between shock and
confusion and a hint of nervousness.
“Oh, I’ve never known anyone who’s been in prison before,” she admitted,
seeming tenser than before as her heels pressed into the table. It was like
she was positioning herself to jump up and run.
I could sense the nervousness radiating off her. She seemed like a controlled
person, so she wouldn’t hang out with people who messed around and got
in trouble. I couldn’t blame her for being wary, but I wanted her to know
me for me. Not what I did in the past.
“Actually, we’re all ex-cons here. The owner, Marlo, came from a rough
background, improved his life, and wanted to help people like us get
integrated back into society doing something good and productive,” I spoke
up, hoping that I could get her to relax.
Madison looked between us, her body going tense for a few seconds before
relaxing. She glanced over at me.
“You can start,” she told me before looking back up at the ceiling. “Well, I
think that’s very good of him. I think it’s great that all of you are here
getting to do something you enjoy.”
I could feel Baker’s relief coming off him in waves, clashing with my own.
I thought she would leave the shop at first, but she was totally cool.
“We like making people leave here with a smile on their face,” I replied as I
hovered the tattoo machine over the stencil I carefully placed on her right
forearm. “Alright, I’m about to start. It’ll be a little pinch, and then it’ll feel
like a hot thumbtack is scraping your skin. That’s pretty much all there is to
it.”
Madison nodded and automatically sucked in a breath.
Baker placed his hand over her wrist.
“Breathe. If you hold your breath, you’ll pass out,” he warned her.
Madison let out a nervous laugh.
“I told my friend that I was terrified of passing out,” she admitted.
I chuckled and started tattooing one of the main lines, going slow and
precise but remaining light with the pressure.
Madison gripped Baker’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut for a few
seconds before slowly opening them.
“Oh… it’s… not too bad,” she replied before grimacing slightly. “I mean, it
kinda stings, but it’s bearable.”
“See? Not as bad as you thought,” I chuckled as I continued my work,
resting my free hand on hers and feeling her fingers slightly wrap around
mine. I wasn’t sure if she meant to do that or not, but it made my heart
randomly skip.
Baker looked down at her.
“Bryce has a tattoo of a unicorn on his calf,” he said, distracting her from
the rapid tapping of the needle against her skin.
Madison gasped a little.
“Really? If I had Chloe pick out a tattoo for me, she would probably choose
a unicorn,” she said with a laugh.
“She has good taste,” I told her, shooting her a playful grin. Chloe must’ve
been her daughter. Madison looked pretty young, so I assumed her daughter
was still small.
“Why a unicorn?” Madison asked me.
“I’m a fantasy nerd. A lot of people get serious tattoos, but I wanted
something that felt like me. Something crazy and mystical seemed like a
good fit,” I explained as I moved onto another line. “You’re doing really
good by the way.”
“I am?” Madison asked, sounding unsure. Since this was all new to her, she
wouldn’t know the standards at a tattoo shop, and I had dealt with a lot of
squirming first timers before. However, she remained perfectly still, only
slightly turning her head to look between me and my brother.
“Very good,” Baker praised her, their hands remaining joined.
“I will say you two have been very… comforting,” Madison commented
with a light blush on her face.
My eyes shifted to the left to watch her legs press together for a brief
moment, making something stir inside of me as I took a second to admire
her smooth legs. Her shorts and tank top hugged her petite figure, showing
off some curves that were hard to keep my eyes off of.
“Getting a tattoo is supposed to be a fun experience,” I replied once I tore
my eyes away and started approaching the halfway mark of getting her
tattoo done.
“It’s definitely not what I expected,” Madison said, tightening her grip on
Baker’s hand when I started tattooing on a more sensitive area of her
forearm.
“You don’t like surprises?” I teased her.
Madison laughed.
“Well, I do. Especially when…” Madison trailed off as she glanced away
from either of us.
“When?” Baker coaxed her to finish.
“When… very attractive men are involved,” Madison finished as her eyes
shifted back to his.
Baker chuckled and brushed his thumb over the side of his hand as he
continued to hold it.
“Well, you’re definitely the most beautiful woman who’s walked in our
shop before,” Baker replied, using his casual charm that he always relied on
when talking to women. Then again, I couldn’t remember him saying
something like that before.
“Your brother is quite the sweet talker,” Madison told me with that glowing,
angelic smile of hers on her face.
“He’s also the most honest person I know,” I pointed out as I wiped away
some excess ink on her skin. “And he’s right.”
Madison didn’t reply, but her smile remained on her face as Baker asked her
about what she did for a living.
It took me another ten minutes to finish up, and once I wiped away the
excess ink and checked my lines, I leaned back to fully admire my work.
And my canvas.
“You’re done, sweetheart,” I said.
With an excited look on her face, Madison lifted her arm to take a look at
her tattoo before I wrapped it up, her jaw dropping.
“It’s amazing!” she told me, turning her arm every which way so that she
could admire every bit and angle of her piece.
It always felt good to complete a tattoo that a client loved, but something
about seeing her happily freak out made a warm feeling erupt in my chest.
Damn, today turned out to be a pretty good day. I shared a small grin with
my brother before I stood up and grabbed my phone.
“I’ll post it to the shop’s Instagram page,” I said.
Madison held her arm out so that I could snap a quick picture, her hand
shaking slightly.
Something prompted me to reach out and cover her hand with mine, giving
it a comforting squeeze.
“You okay?” I asked.
Madison smiled and nodded.
“Yeah, I’m just really excited to show my daughter. You know… it was
actually kind of therapeutic,” she admitted.
“Now, you’re going to get tattoo fever,” Baker said as he helped her off the
table, both of us hovering close to her.
Madison didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, looking between us with
bright eyes.
“Guess I’ll just have to come back and see you guys,” she replied, her
eyebrow lifting in a playful manner.
I hoped her joke didn’t stay as just a joke.
I didn’t realize just how much she would affect my day when she first
walked into the shop. Now, there was a chance she might walk out of here
and never come back.
“I’m sure Marlo wouldn’t mind giving you a discount for your next piece,”
I commented before I could even think about my words.
“Oh, that’s too kind,” Madison insisted. “You did such beautiful work. It’s
worth the full price.”
A beautiful girl and a perfect client. Yeah, it would be a mistake to let her
slip away, but the tattoo was finished. The session was over.
Or was it?

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 5

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

W ith a lingering smile and flushed cheeks, I followed Baker and Bryce
over to the front desk to pay for my tattoo and have all aftercare
instructions explained to me.
I never expected my tattoo experience to be like this, and I hadn’t ever
received so much attention and attraction from men before.
I had a guy or two flirt with me at a bar, but this was different.
This was so much more intense, and I was actually drawn to these guys,
wanting them to admire me. Touch me. Flirt with me.
On the outside without any insight into who they were, they looked like big,
scary, tattooed and pierced guys. Who were also ridiculously hot too.
However, just from the three I had spoken to so far, I had come to find out
that there were definitely more layers beneath the surface.
When I learned that they were ex-cons, I did feel a tinge of nervousness at
first, but when I realized that they had given me no reason to feel scared, I
quickly relaxed. Honestly, I felt pretty guilty about judging them so quickly
when they had been nothing but kind and respectful to me. There was just
such a stigma around people going to prison and wondering if they could
truly change or not.
Regardless of whether they had or not, they acted nicer to me than some of
the self-proclaimed “nice guys” I had met, including my ex-boyfriend,
Michael, who had well-off parents, a great education, and a respectable,
well-paying job as a local government employee. He appeared to be a good
guy to people who didn’t truly know him, but I knew him deep down. He
was a monster who should’ve been behind bars instead of behind a fancy
desk.
Before we reached the front desk, my phone shrilly ringed from the back
pocket of my shorts. My hand flew to it to check who was calling out of
habit since I was a mom, and sure enough, it was my daughter’s school
calling.
“Sorry, my daughter’s school is calling,” I told Bryce and Baker as I
stopped walking. I hit the answer button and pressed the phone against my
ear. “Hello?”
“Hello, Ms. Carney, this is Andrea from Leeland Elementary. We have
Chloe here in the office, and she’s running a low fever. Are you able to
come pick her up?”
My heart ached just at the thought of Chloe sitting in the office not feeling
good. She seemed fine this morning! But I knew how it was with kids. They
got sick at the drop of a hat.
“I’m so sorry. My daughter is running a fever, and I have to go pick her up
from school,” I apologized as I looked between Bryce and Baker. I started
digging around in my purse quickly, looking for my cash that I pulled out
for my appointment. Meanwhile, my mind was racing with worried
thoughts.
What exactly was Chloe’s temperature? Did she have any symptoms? Did
she catch something from another classmate?
I ended up dropping a tube of lipstick and a few quarters on the floor
because I wasn’t paying attention, making my face burn from
embarrassment as I crouched down to pick up everything.
“I’m sorry,” I said again, feeling flustered.
Bryce and Baker were already on the floor grabbing my things.
“It’s okay,” Bryce assured me as he placed his hand on my back, coaxing
me to look over at him. He gave me a comforting look. “I’m sure it’s just a
little cold. Kids get them all the time.”
“Breathe,” Baker told me.
I didn’t even realize that I had been holding my breath. I sucked in a breath
and nodded, telling myself to take it one thing at a time.
“Everything okay over here?”
I looked up from the ground, seeing three tall men looming over me. The
one who asked was a man with a shaved head but a full, dark beard with a
few streaks of grey. He was the oldest guy I had seen in the shop, but his
body still had great muscle tone that I could make out through his white t-
shirt and black jeans. A rose tattoo peeked out from under his shirt sleeve as
well.
“I… uh… yes,” I said, stumbling over my words as my brain became
briefly fried.
Another man who had some of the same features as the older man, like his
intense, dark eyes and lightly tanned skin, held his hand out to me. My eyes
darted up his forearm where there was a tattoo of a lioness and her cubs,
making me wonder what that stood for.
“Thank you,” I told him before taking my things from Bryce and Baker.
“My daughter is sick at school. I just had this amazing piece done, and my
ride is still getting her tattoo worked on.”
The man who’d helped me up crossed his arms over his broad chest,
making the black and grey flannel shirt he had on stretch over his muscular
build. He had to be in his early forties, but he looked like he could out-
muscle and outrun anyone around my age.
“Do you want a ride? I’m sure all she wants right now is her mom,” he
offered.
My eyes grew big at his offer.
“Oh, I can’t ask that of you,” I told him.
The man shook his head dismissively, his light brown eyes holding my
surprised gaze.
“It wouldn’t be a problem. I have a clear schedule today,” he replied before
holding his large hand out to me. “I’m Marcus by the way.”
“Madison. Thank you so much,” I told him sincerely as I shook his hand,
noting how strong he was. I then glanced at the older man and the large,
gruff-looking man who hadn’t spoken yet. “I can pay real quick, and then
we can go.”
The older man held his hand up to stop me.
“We can settle that another time,” he assured me before extending his hand
out as well. “I’m Marlo, the shop owner.”
I shook his hand as he towered over me, my stomach flipping. He had a
naturally stern look on his face like Marcus, and I wondered if they were
related.
“Are you sure?” I asked him.
Marlo nodded as the corner of his mouth curled up a little. It was hard to
tell from his beard, but I could make out the crease in his cheek.
“Go get your daughter,” he said, radiating natural authority that even the
other tough guys seemed to fall in line with. What was this guy’s story?
I smiled at him gratefully before looking down at my tattoo, which had
been carefully wrapped up with a Saniderm bandage.
“When can I take this off?” I asked, realizing I had no idea how to even
take care of this amazing tattoo.
The gruff man who looked like one of those intimidating mountain men
approached me, wearing a dark green, long sleeve shirt and khakis.
“Keep this on overnight. Tomorrow, carefully remove the bandage and use
warm water and antibacterial soap with no fragrances to wash your tattoo.
You might see some blood and extra ink, but that’s normal. Pat your tattoo
dry with a paper towel. Apply a little bit of Aquaphor or put plastic wrap
around it,” he told me, looking me in the eyes the entire time. He looked
intimidating as all get out, but his pale green eyes were actually really
comforting, along with his deep, rolling voice. “After two to four days, your
tattoo will be dry. That’s when you can stop wrapping your tattoo up or
putting Aquaphor on it and put unscented lotion on it instead a few times a
day for the next two weeks. No direct sun. No soaking your tattoo. If it
peels, it’s okay.”
It was a lot of information, but he explained it so slowly and thoroughly,
that it was all locked in my brain at the end.
“Thank you…” I trailed off, not knowing his name.
“Gus,” he said, shaking my hand. “It’s a beautiful tattoo. It suits you
perfectly.”
Was he flirting? It seemed like a lot of chemistry had been circulating
throughout this tattoo shop today between me and some of the artists, and I
wasn’t complaining in the slightest. I couldn’t remember the last time I had
caught so many handsome men’s eyes before.
“I’m sure I’ll be back for more,” I told him before turning to Marcus. “I’m
ready if you still want to take me.”
“Of course,” Marcus said with a faint smile on his face. He led me out of
the tattoo shop, and I swore I felt all of their eyes on me. He led me over to
a black Mustang and pulled open the passenger’s door for me.
I got inside, feeling his fingertips brush my back as he guided me. A shiver
nearly went down my spine, but it melted away at the loss of his touch.
With a warm face, I focused on the alluring smell of leather and a black ice
fragrance tag that lingered in his clean car. While Marcus rounded the front
of the car to get to his side, I quickly gave my hair a quick fluff and checked
my makeup in the mirror visor, my heart pounding heavily. Not only was I
concerned about my daughter, but I was worried about saying something
stupid during the car ride with a kind, hot tattoo artist.
Marcus got inside and backed out of his parking spot, placing his hand on
the back of my seat in a manner that made me feel hot all over. He seemed
to lean toward me, and when he braked to switch gears, his eyes briefly met
mine, the side of his mouth curling up.
“What school?” he asked once he went forward on the road.
“Leeland Elementary,” I told him as I looked over at him, noticing how his
movements were sharp and direct. Like he was professionally trained. That
was when I noticed the dog tags hanging from his rearview mirror. “You
were in the military?”
Marcus glanced over at me, the sunlight hitting his defined jaw covered by
dark stubble.
“Marines,” he replied. “I stayed for a while, but my life sort of got off track
for a little while.”
“Prison?” I asked in a soft voice, not wanting him to think that I was
judging him.
Marcus seemed to tense slightly, but he nodded.
“Yeah, I got into some trouble with some people I shouldn’t have been
around in the first place. But Marlo—he’s my cousin—threw me a lifeline
and hired me at the shop,” he explained.
So, they were related. My interest piqued even more.
“From what I’ve heard, he seems really nice. He looks kind of
intimidating,” I admitted with a light laugh.
Marcus cracked a smile.
“He can look like a hard ass, but he has a good heart. He’s taken in six
strays and given us a home,” he told me as he glanced over at me. “I’m sure
we weren’t what you were expecting.”
That sounded like a good man to me. All of them seemed to be good deep
down, despite whatever trouble they got mixed up with in the past. I didn’t
want to pry, though.
“Actually, you all exceeded my expectations,” I replied as we shared a
small laugh. “I think that was the most interesting tattoo session I could’ve
ever experienced.”
“A bunch of ex-cons fighting over you?” Marcus joked.
“Everyone is a winner,” I replied, flashing him a playful wink before I
could even process the move. They all caught my eye today, and I had a
feeling I wouldn’t ever forget the experience of getting my first tattoo.
When we arrived at the school, and he pulled up in front of the office, I
reached out and placed my hand on his arm.
“Thank you again for bringing me here. I’ll be right back,” I promised him,
not wanting to waste any more of his time.
Marcus shook his head as he reached out to pat my leg.
“No need to thank me. I’ll be right here,” he told me.
Warmth bloomed in my chest as our eyes locked for a few seconds. He
didn’t even know me, and he went out of his way for me. I finally broke
away from him and hurried into the office, my white sneakers thudding
against the white linoleum flooring.
“Mommy!”
I turned and saw Chloe sitting in one of the seats across from the front
lady’s desk, looking tired and miserable. I crouched down in front of her
and placed my hand on her forehead, feeling how warm she was. Her
temperature had to have gone up since they called me.
“Come on. Let’s go home. I’ll fix you some soup,” I told her as I picked her
up, nodding to the front desk lady before walking outside.
“Where is our car?” Chloe asked as I approached the Mustang.
“Um… I’m with a friend. His name is Marcus,” I said as he stepped out of
the car to open the door to the backseat. “Say hi, Chloe.”
“Hi,” Chloe said as she gripped my tank top strap, peering at Marcus with
wide eyes.
“Sorry you don’t feel good, Chloe. Is there any music you like to listen to?”
he asked as he held the door open while I securely buckled Chloe in.
Chloe chewed on her bottom lip for a second.
“Hello, hello, hello,” she replied.
Marcus pitched me a confused look.
I laughed a little as I straightened back up and let him close the door.
“She’s talking about Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana,” I explained. “I’ve
been playing the Nevermind album in the car on the way to school.”
Marcus gazed at me like he was starstruck.
“No shit. You’ve got great taste,” he said with a chuckle. “And so does
she.”
With a raging blush, I got back into my seat, my heart rate doing a sprint as
Marcus played Nirvana for Chloe on the ride to my house. During the drive,
he glanced over at me, our elbows brushing as we rested them on the center
console.
“You’re a good mom,” he told me. “I’m guessing the dad isn’t in the
picture?”
I shook my head.
“Just me and her,” I replied before glancing over my shoulder to see that
Chloe was dozing off. Whatever she was sick with was wearing her down.
“I left her dad a while ago.”
“I grew up with a single mom. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for
me, and I know it was the toughest thing in the world for her to raise me
alone. But she did. And she never complained,” Marcus told me. “You guys
don’t get nearly as much credit as you should.”
My chest ached. His words touched me, especially since they were true. I
had quite a few guys turn their nose up at the prospect of being with me
because I had a child, which stung, but I would only want to be with
someone who also wanted to be a dad to Chloe.
“Do you have kids?” I asked.
Marcus’s mouth turned down a little.
“No, I don’t. I’ve always wanted a daughter, though,” he replied, his eyes
shifting to the rearview mirror for a second to peer at Chloe. “I hope she
feels better.”
I sighed and nodded, chewing on the inside of my cheek as I started
planning what to do first when I got home. She needed food, medicine, and
something to drink so that she stayed hydrated. If she was infectious, I had
to clean all of the sheets and pillowcases, switch out her toothbrush, and
wipe down the counters. Among a million other things.
Once Marcus pulled into the driveway of my small house made of grey
vinyl with little windows and a tiny porch, he put his car in park and dug
around in his pocket, pulling out a shop business card. He grabbed a pen
from his center console and wrote a number down on the back before
handing it to me.
“If you need anything at all, call me,” he told me.
I took the card from him, our fingertips brushing and sending a spark
through me.
“You’re amazing,” I said sincerely as our eyes met. I realized just how close
we were since we were both leaning on the center console, only inches
separating us. His smoky-sweet cologne rolled over me, threatening to draw
me in closer and closer.
Marcus’s eyes slipped down to my lips, his head starting to tilt slightly.
Any remnant of control or common sense I had evaporated just from that
motion. I started to lean forward to close the distance, lost in the trance of
his kindness and sexiness, until I heard Chloe stir in the backseat. I pulled
back, my heart skipping when I realized I’d almost kissed him.
“Thank you,” I told Marcus again before getting out of the car and grabbing
Chloe and her backpack from the backseat. I shut the door behind me and
headed up to the porch, holding Chloe with one hand and unlocking the
front door with the other.
By the time I got the door open and glanced over my shoulder, Marcus was
gone.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 6

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

D espite a week passing, Chloe was still sick with the flu, and I was barely
dragging myself through the days.
I had been swamped at work, being thrown on shifts that I wasn’t used to
working and having to deal with grumpy, rude customers on top of being
exhausted and stressed about my sick child and money.
No matter what, I would make sure that my daughter was cared for, even if
the medicine she needed cost more than I expected.
As a mother, I had to make things work. Half the time, I felt like some sort
of magician, having to beat the odds and play cards from under my sleeve
to get by some weeks. I loved Chloe enough to do it over and over again,
but I hoped that I could make our lives easier and better. It seemed like an
uphill battle, but I was ready for the climb.
“Mom,” a groan sounded from Chloe’s bedroom.
I stopped wiping down the kitchen counter and quickly headed down the
hallway to her bedroom, my socked feet gliding along the hardwood floor.
“What is it, baby?” I asked as I stepped into her bedroom, which was a
testament to her love of various hobbies or obsessions. Her bedsheets were
white with an array of different colored unicorns spread across it, her desk
was full of art supplies, her toy box was overfilling with animal figurines
and dolls, and her light pink walls were covered with a range of posters
from Powerpuff Girls to a map of the world.
Chloe laid under her sheets with a pitiful pout on her face, which had less
color than usual, especially her usually rosy cheeks. She squished her
stuffed llama doll against her side as her hair rested on her shoulder in a
side braid.
“My throat hurts,” she whined, her voice sounding hoarse.
Seeing her like this and having done all I could for her made my heart ache.
There was no worse feeling as a mother than feeling useless.
“I know, baby. I can give you some more medicine in an hour, okay? Do
you want some chicken noodle soup?” I asked as I approached her bedside,
reaching out to place my hand on her forehead to feel how warm and
clammy her skin felt. Last I checked, she was running a temperature of
100.5, and I checked every hour to monitor her.
Thankfully, my mom was able to come over and look after her while I was
at work, and she made sure to come in with a mask and gloves on to keep
herself from getting sick and spreading it to any of her friends she met up
with for coffee or mimosas. There was honestly no telling where Chloe
caught the flu from in the first place, but if I had to guess, I would bet it was
one of the kids in her class. Kids were cute, but they could be pretty gross
too.
Chloe nodded her head before tugging her blanket up to her chin, her
eyelids fluttering in a tired manner.
I brushed my fingers through her hair, wanting to bundle her up in my arms
and hold her. I hated seeing her like this.
“Get some rest. I’ll come back when the soup is ready,” I told her, hoping
that I had at least the bare bone ingredients for soup in the cupboard.
Chloe closed her eyes before breaking into a light cough.
This was torture. I headed to the kitchen to dig around in my pantry and
fridge, pulling out whatever I could find to go into the soup. I didn’t have
any chicken, but I had chicken broth, which would have to do. Honestly, the
healing magic was in the broth with lots of garlic and ginger, which I
thankfully had.
As I hunched over the stove to throw all of my ingredients into a pot, a
sudden rush of hot tears filled my eyes. All of my stress kept piling onto my
shoulders, and my mind slipped to the comfort and happiness I felt around
the tattoo artists I had the pleasure of meeting last week. I blinked my eyes
rapidly as my eyebrows knitted, surprised that my mind had darted to them.
Granted, they had been on my mind late at night and in brief moments when
I wasn’t worried about Chloe or work. They were so good at making sure I
was relaxed and comfortable, and I couldn’t help but wish that they were
with me right now, murmuring comforting words to me or even holding me
as I took a breather.
I just wanted them here, but that was ridiculous, right? We’d only just met!
The tension I felt between them was… fleeting. I didn’t even know if I was
going to see them again, even if I desperately wanted to. By the time Chloe
was better and my life sort of went back to normal, they would’ve forgotten
about me.
The thought of that made my heart ache, the pain echoing throughout my
chest. I almost put my hand over my heart, but I kept my hand on my spoon
and slowly stirred the steadily boiling chicken broth. Its warm, nurturing
smell filled my nose as the steam rose from the pot, allowing me to relax
somewhat.
But those rugged yet kind tattoo artists still lingered in the back of my
mind.

Chicken noodle soup was good enough for one evening, but when the next
day arrived, I realized that there was really nothing left to cook for Chloe. I
had been so busy working and looking after her as she slowly healed that I
hadn’t found time to go to the grocery store yet. I couldn’t put it off any
longer.
When my mom arrived to watch Chloe, I nearly threw myself into her arms,
burying my face in her shoulder. I didn’t even care if I was twenty-five, I
still needed my mom when I sank into these dark, daunting moments.
“Her fever has gone down, but her throat is still sore. She has a light
cough,” I blurted to my mom as I held her thin body tightly, able to smell
her jasmine-scented shampoo in her shoulder-length, straight hair that was
garnering a few white streaks within the dark brown color.
My mom rubbed my back.
“She’ll be just fine, Madison. You’re doing everything you can,” she
assured me, already knowing why I basically collapsed in her arms.
I sighed, my body shuddering slightly as I did my best to keep myself
together. It was just so tiring doing all of this by myself. Running the house.
Raising my daughter. Working to make all of the money. It was so much.
“It never feels like enough,” I told her.
My mom put her hands on my upper arms and pulled back so that she could
peer at me. She gave me a small smile.
“That’s just what being a mother feels like. You’d do anything for your
babies. Anything,” she replied. “But we’re still human. We can only do so
much. Luckily, we’re also pretty durable. She’ll get through this just fine.”
I breathed in deeply and nodded as I listened to her. She was one of the few
people who could ground me during moments like these because she had
been in my position before raising me and Leah. She understood exactly
where I was coming from.
“I know. I just hope she gets better soon. I hate seeing her like this,” I said
as my shoulders sagged slightly.
My mom gave my arms a squeeze before giving me a light shake.
“Come on. Take a breath. One thing at a time,” she told me, getting me to
straighten up and blink my tears away. “Go get a few groceries. I’ll be
here.”
“Thank you,” I told her sincerely, hoping she knew how much it meant to
me that she helped me out during these tough moments. It stung to know
that she had to go through the same thing while raising and Leah on her
own, but I believed things turned out okay in the end.
My mom smiled and headed toward Chloe’s bedroom as I grabbed my
things and walked out the front door. Today was an overcast day, light gray
clouds crowding the sky and casting a hazy atmosphere over me as I went
to my car.
That was when I heard a familiar voice.
“Madison.”
Chills rushed down my spine as I froze in place, hoping that I made that
voice up in my head. He couldn’t possibly be here. I told him not to come
within a mile of me or Chloe. Swallowing hard, I slowly turned to see
Michael walking toward me in a dark blue suit with a small American flag
pin stuck to the left lapel. When we were in late high school, he was built
slim and had short brown hair and a clean-shaven face. Now, he was built
large with slicked back hair and a trimmed beard, playing the part of a
respectable, intelligent records management specialist in the local
government.
“What do you want?” I asked, my voice coming out sharp and direct despite
the nervous tension gripping my body.
Michael didn’t stop his pace, crossing the street in long strides until he was
only two feet away from me. He towered over me, the strong, thick smell of
his amber and leather cologne rolling off him in waves. It nearly burned my
nose.
“We need to talk about Chloe,” he stated.
My eyes immediately narrowed, a rush of fiery anger overtaking any tremor
of nervousness that I felt. I didn’t care if he wanted to come after me, but he
wouldn’t come anywhere near my daughter. Not after I knew how he
treated women.
“No, we won’t. I told you stay away from both of us,” I gritted out as I
tightened my fingers into fists.
Air puffed out of Michael’s nose in an amused manner as he shook his head
at me.
“Are you still hung up about our last argument?” he scoffed.
My jaw tensed as flashes of memories blinded my mind. His bruising grip
on my arm. His loud voice making my ears ring. The taste of metallic blood
from a cut on my lip. It all came back to me in a tsunami of emotion that
nearly knocked the breath out of my lungs, but I stood my ground and held
his dark gaze.
“What are you doing here, Michael?” I asked him.
Michael crossed his arms over his chest, the corner of his mouth curling up
ever so slightly.
“I want custody of Chloe,” he said.
It felt like the ground fell out from beneath my feet, nearly making my
knees buckle. My chest became so tight that I couldn’t even take a breath,
allowing me to only stare at him in shock for a few agonizing seconds.
“What? Absolutely not! You haven’t had anything to do with Chloe since
you left six whole years ago!” I snapped at him, finally able to find my
voice.
“So? I’m here now!” Michael shouted back as he stepped closer, yelling
down into my face like he used to do before.
I didn’t cower this time, feeling too angry that he was trying to take my
daughter away to back down. If there was any fear, I couldn’t feel it through
my rage.
“I don’t care! You won’t see her. You won’t talk to her. You will never get
custody of her!” I yelled at him, my face starting to turn red.
Michael seemed to bare his teeth as he glared down at me.
“I tried to do this the easy way, Madison. But you’re so damn stubborn,” he
gritted out as he took a step back. “This isn’t over. I’ll be back, and I’m
taking my daughter with me.”
“Over my dead body!” I shouted as he walked back to a black Lexus, my
stomach twisting and turning with anger and fear that kept clashing.
When he drove away, I had to lean against my car for support, hardly able
to breathe. I thought Michael wouldn’t be a problem after our last fight
when I told him that we were done for good, but he was back with a
vengeance. He was here to hurt me, and he knew my ultimate weak spot.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 7

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

A nhands
intense warmth enveloped my body in a pleasurable wave as four
moved over what felt like every inch of me, caressing and
gripping possessively.
My eyelids immediately fluttered shut as I sank into my mattress, arching
and writhing to chase those talented hands as they squeezed my thighs,
teased my breasts, and settled over my neck.
“Open your eyes, Madison.”
Marlo’s deep, slightly raspy voice sent a thrum of heat right between my
thighs as I opened my eyes to look at him. He hovered above me, tracing
his fingers up between my breasts to the base of my neck where he rested
his hand.
“Keep your eyes on me,” he told me.
I nearly shuddered from the order, more heat rolling through my body as his
fingers tightened around my throat.
It was so possessive and sudden, but I reveled in every touch he left on my
body. Then, I felt someone grabbing my thighs and pulling them around
their waist, making my eyes dart downward just as Marcus lined his cock
up with my entrance and pushed inside.
I choked out a shocked moan, my body lighting up with bliss. It wasn’t long
before Marlo’s grip tightened, making my wide eyes shift right back up to
his.
“What did I say?” Marlo asked as he leaned down closer to me. His tone
was serious, but I didn’t miss the slight smirk playing out on his lips as he
watched me nearly rolling my eyes back from the pleasure.
“Eyes on you,” I breathed out, my chest shaking with more moans as
Marcus increased his pace.
“God, you feel so good,” Marcus gritted out before smacking the inside of
my thigh.
My back arched as the jolt of pain melted right into my pleasure. I gave
Marlo a pleading look, feeling myself quickly approaching the edge
already. Sex hadn’t ever felt so intense, and it made my head spin from how
good it felt.
Marlo chuckled as he watched me, enjoying the show. He was shirtless with
his dark jeans still on, which had an evident ridge in them.
“You’re so good,” he praised me before leaning down to briefly press his
lips against mine, muffling my moans as Marcus drove into me harder and
faster. There was no way I was going to last much longer at this point. “We
could all watch you all day long.”
“We?” I asked.
Marlo let go of my throat to press his forefinger against my cheek, turning
my head to the right so that I could see through the darkness of the
unfamiliar room. Along the wall was a loveseat and a cushioned chair, and
it soon became clear to me that there weren’t only three people in the room.
The twins were on the loveseat, and Gus was stretched out in the cushioned
chair. All of them either had their jeans pushed off their hips or had their
hands shoved beneath the material, stroking themselves to the sight of me.
A weak, aroused sound broke from me as I watched them, able to make out
faint features as shadows fell upon them. The only way I was drawn out of
that trance was feeling fingertips against my clit, a surge of euphoria
capturing me.
“Oh… please…” I gasped out as Marlo rubbed circles against my clit,
stimulating me even more as Marcus slipped his hand under my back to lift
my hips slightly. That change in angle was the last push I needed, and the
beginning crackles of my orgasm just started lighting me up in a blissful
surge.
Before I woke up.
Sweat brimmed my forehead as I sat upright in bed, my skin buzzing with
warmth and subtle tingles. I raked my fingers through my hair as I took in a
deep breath, the memory of my intense dream lingering in the back of my
mind as it slowly started to fade away. There was no way that I could forget
that I had a sex dream of the tattoo artists, though. No way.
It had been weeks since I last saw them! My cheeks flared up with heat as I
shook my head at myself, embarrassment flushing through me. What in the
world was my mind doing conjuring up something so dirty and kinky about
guys I’d only met once?
“Get it together,” I muttered as I hastily dragged myself out of bed to get
ready for work, unable to dwell on my intense dream for too long.
Chloe had thankfully recovered from the flu, but bills still had to be paid,
which meant shifts had to be picked up. After slipping on my black shorts
and fitted, black-collared shirt, I slathered some lotion over my tattoo,
which was now fully healed. As expected, it looked incredible.
Chloe often grabbed my wrist and looked at it closely, tracing the lines with
her forefinger and even drawing it with crayons on a sheet of paper. She
was too young to fully realize how much she meant to me, but at least she
knew that she was deeply loved. I hoped she knew that forever, even in the
stressful times.
Since Chloe had already been dropped off at school, all I had to do was grab
my things and get in the car, but I was wary every single time I left the
house now. Where was Michael lurking around now? What was he up to? It
had been radio silence so far, but I wasn’t naive. He was up to something,
but I couldn’t hide in my house biting my fingernails. I had to keep going
for my daughter, which was dedication that Michael didn’t understand.
I went through my shift with quick feet and fake smiles, trying to earn tips
where I could, which meant a flirty comment or touch here and there when
cocky guys came in. I had been asked out or asked for my number quite a
few times, but I managed to dodge around pushy guys without any issues.
Until tonight.
On the way home, I couldn’t help but notice that a dark car was making
every single turn that I was making. As I got closer and closer to my
neighborhood, the unsettling weight on my chest got even heavier. It didn’t
look like any of my neighbors’ cars, so why were they following me? Were
they following me? Was I being paranoid?
Wanting to get home where I felt safest as soon as possible, I pressed down
on the gas and sped down the road to my neighborhood, white-knuckling
the steering wheel even as I pulled into my driveway. By the time I reached
my house, the car was gone, but that didn’t put me at ease. They still knew
the general vicinity where I lived, and all I could do was double lock my
front door when my mom headed home.
“Just a coincidence,” I murmured to myself as I crawled into my bed that
night, tension creeping up my spine between my shoulders in an
uncontrollable chill. As a mother, I could blow some things out of
proportion because I would rather be safe than sorry, so I hoped that this
was another one of those instances.
My life was crazy, but it wasn’t that crazy.
Swallowing hard, I pulled my white sheets up to my chin and tried to settle
in, listening to the trill and chirp of frogs and insects outside of my bedroom
window. It sounded like any normal night, and slowly, I let that thought
comfort me, allowing my body and my eyelids to grow heavier and heavier
with each passing minute.
Right before I fell back into the dark throes of sleep, the sound of a thud
from the front of my house made me sit straight up in bed. The hammering
of my heartbeat throbbed in my head as I stared at the doorway of my
bedroom with wide, scared eyes, listening and hoping that I’d just made up
that noise in my head.
But it happened again. I could distinctly hear the squeaking and clicking of
someone trying to open my front door as they turned the handle. Someone
was trying to break in here, and the only person around to protect me and
Chloe was… myself.
As fearsome as I could be for my child, I knew that I wouldn’t be much of a
match for some huge, armed intruder. I needed help from someone who
could face off with whoever was trying to come in here and probably hurt
me and Chloe. Only one person came to mind who I could actually reach
and who could get here in time.
I scrambled for my phone on my nightstand, snatching it up and scrolling
through my contacts until I found the name I was looking for. It was around
midnight, but I was desperate at this point. I hit the call button and listened
to each ring, my heart racing faster and faster as I faced the possibility that
he might not pick up.
Then, he did.
“Hello?” Marcus’s sleepy voice sounded over the phone.
“Marcus, it’s Madison. I don’t know if you remember me, but I came into
the tattoo shop a few weeks ago,” I said, my words speeding past my lips.
“Of course, I remember you. Everything okay?” Marcus asked, already
sounding concerned.
“I think someone is trying to break into my house,” I told him in a hushed
voice, fearing that whoever was outside might hear me. I didn’t hear any
other thumps, but what if the person was searching for another way inside?
“I need you to hide. I’ll get some of the guys, and we’ll be there soon. I
promise,” Marcus told me in a firm voice, the noise of shuffling sounding in
the background.
His words sent a gentle wave of comfort through me, but the sound of
another thud made my blood run cold. I managed to breathe out two more
words before my throat closed up from fear.
“Please hurry.”

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 8

OceanofPDF.com
Marcus

B right headlights glowed behind my Mustang as I raced down the road to


Madison’s house, going off memory from the first and only time I went
there.
My jaw was tensed so tight that my teeth ached, but I was too focused on
getting to Madison and her daughter as fast as I could. Who knew what had
happened between the time she hung up and now?
Gus drove close behind me, making every turn and accelerating whenever I
did. When I pulled up behind Madison’s car, he parked alongside the street,
shut his white truck off, and hopped out, his brown boots hitting the asphalt
with a loud thump.
I slung myself out of my car and glanced around, peering through the dim
area that was only illuminated by a few, orange-hued streetlights. The
neighborhood was eerily still and quiet as a half-moon hung up over us in
the dark sky. It seemed like whoever was here was gone, but I turned to Gus
regardless.
“Check around the house. I’ll go find her,” I told him, a plan already
unfolding in my mind. I was particular and precise about every move I
made, especially when it came to Madison’s safety.
We’d only had one interaction, but it lingered in the back of my mind like a
shadow for the past few weeks. I waited for her to call or walk through the
door of the tattoo shop, but she never did. Until now. Until she needed me
the most, and I promised her that I’d be there.
Gus nodded curtly and jogged around the side of the house.
I approached the front door and paused, deciding to text her and let her
know that I was there instead of knocking and scaring her some more. By
the time she answered the door, Gus rounded the house and met me on the
front porch, shaking his head. Whoever was here was gone.
Madison unlocked the door and pulled it open by a few inches so that she
could peer out at us. Her hands were visibly shaking as she opened the door
the rest of the way and stepped back, wrapping her arms around herself as
she wore a large, white t-shirt and short, black shorts with fuzzy socks.
My first instinct was to hug her, but I stood rigid as I gazed down at her,
wanting to assess the level of threat first.
“Are you okay?” I asked her. “Gus checked around the house and he didn’t
see anyone.”
Madison’s eyes started glistening. “I swear someone was trying to get in. I
heard them!” she said, her voice cracking as she shook her head fervently.
I immediately reached out and cupped her face, drawing her teary eyes up
to mine.
“I believe you. I promise,” I told her. “Even if they’re not around now, we’ll
stay here with you.”
Madison released a slow breath as she nodded, seeming to lean into my
hold.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
I gazed into her eyes for a few more seconds, my heart rate etching upward
just from being so close to her. I couldn’t deny the tremor of anger I felt
over the fact that someone tried to break in here, though. If only I could get
my hands on them.
“Where’s Chloe?” I asked her as I drew my hands away.
“In her bedroom. The noise woke her up, but I didn’t tell her what it was. I
don’t want to scare her,” Madison explained.
Gus moved to stand beside me, his shadow falling over Madison’s smaller
figure.
“I’ll stand watch outside,” he offered.
Madison’s eyes widened as she looked between us, shaking her head.
“I… I couldn’t ask you to do that. To stay overnight,” she replied, sounding
guilty.
Gus waved his hand dismissively before placing it on her shoulder, making
her chest still and not exhale.
“Least we can do. We can call Marlo or any of the other guys to swap out
with us in the morning,” he assured her before turning and walking out to
the porch, shutting the front door behind him.
Tears formed in Madison’s eyes as her fingertips touched her trembling
bottom lip.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know who else to call,” she said.
The last thing I wanted was for her to feel guilty for calling me. I was glad
that she had called me because I would kick any ass she needed me to. I
wrapped my arms around her in an instant, one hand finding the back of her
head and one resting on the small of her back.
Madison buried her face in my black t-shirt beneath the faded red and black
flannel shirt that I didn’t even get around to buttoning up before rushing out
of my front door. She gripped the soft material, her back rising and falling
slowly and shakily as she tried to calm down.
I brushed my fingers through her hair, giving her a few moments to relax
before she drew back slightly to gaze at me.
“You did the right thing calling me,” I told her.
When I first saw her name pop up on my phone screen as I lay in bed for
another restless night of sleep, I remembered my heart stopping. I didn’t
think that I would hear from her again after weeks of her haunting my mind.
Hearing her laugh in my head. Seeing her perfect body in my dreams. I
didn’t expect our reunion to be anything like this.
“I wanted to call you before all of this, but things have been so busy—”
Madison started to explain.
I shook my head and brushed my fingertips over her cheek.
“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re okay,” I replied.
Madison rested her hands on my biceps, gazing up at me with her big eyes
and full lips. She really had no idea the radiating effect she had on me and
the others. She was a topic of conversation more than she probably
expected, and I didn’t know what to expect now that we would all be
together again.
I knew what I wanted, though.
“Want to check on Chloe?” I asked her, figuring that would make her feel a
little better. It could at least distract her while Gus kept an eye out for
anything or anyone suspicious.
Madison nodded before leaning her head back to peer up at me.
“She’s asked about you a few times,” she said.
There was no way in hell that I could control the small smile that crossed
my face. I didn’t expect to hear that at all.
“Really?” I asked, my surprise sounding evident.
Madison smiled a little and nodded before taking my hand and leading me
down a hallway into a room on the right. She let go of my hand right before
she entered, stepping into a room lit up by a projector night light that cast
bright stars on the ceiling. She sat on the edge of a small bed and reached
out to stroke her daughter’s brown hair.
“Chloe, remember Mommy’s friend, Marcus?” she asked in a soft voice that
was mesmerizing.
Chloe sat up with a surprised look on her face.
“You’re back,” she stated like it was the most shocking thing ever.
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I slowly approached her bedside, my black
sneakers lightly thudding against the beige carpeting in her room.
“It’s nice to see you again, Chloe. I’m glad you’re feeling better,” I told her
before stopping at her bedside and peering down at her.
Chloe was one of those fearless, endlessly curious kids, and they were
definitely the coolest.
“Why are you here?” she asked as she tilted her head.
A nervous look briefly crossed Madison’s face as she rubbed Chloe’s back.
“Honey, it’s time for you to go back to bed. It’s late,” she said.
“I can’t sleep.” Chloe pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“That’s actually why I’m here,” I told Chloe before grabbing the wooden
chair at her cluttered desk and dragging it next to her bed. I took a seat and
relaxed back in it. “I’m here to tell you a bedtime story.”
Madison’s eyes widened in surprise as Chloe gasped excitedly and snuggled
her way under her sheets. She peered up at me with eager eyes, waiting for
me to start.
I looked over at Madison and gave her a sure smile.
“I’ll put her to bed. Everything is okay,” I said.
Pure awe filled Madison’s face as she nodded. She lingered for a few
seconds, gazing at me like she wanted to say something. Or kiss me. Maybe
both. Instead, she got to her feet and brushed her hand along my shoulder
before moving to stand in the doorway.
While I told Chloe a story that my mom used to tell me about a magical
frog finding his way back home, I could feel Madison’s eyes on me the
entire time. Part of it was probably her being protective over her child. At
the end of the day, we still only just met, but I could feel the appreciation
coming off her in waves.
It felt good doing this for her. For Chloe. If I hadn’t messed up and landed
myself in prison, I could’ve already been telling bedtime stories to kids of
my own, but at least I had this moment to enjoy now. Granted, I only got
halfway through the story before Chloe dozed off, prompting me to chuckle
under my breath and get to my feet. Carefully, I brushed away a loose
strand of hair that was on Chloe’s forehead before joining Madison out in
the hallway.
“Don’t worry. Lily finds her way back to her family in the end,” I told
Madison as she led me to the kitchen.
Madison laughed softly as she fixed me a glass of water, her fingers
brushing mine as she handed it to me.
“Thank you for doing that. It means a lot,” she said sincerely, leaning her
hip against the counter as she faced me.
I shook my head, not wanting her to thank me or worry about bothering me.
I could tell she was a good, hard-working person, and I believed those
people deserved a break the most, especially during the hard times.
“It was nice,” I told her before sipping on my water and then setting the
glass down on the kitchen counter.
A knowing smile crossed her lips as she shifted a little closer to me.
“I think Chloe really likes you,” she stated. “You know, you’d be a really
good dad.”
Honestly, that was probably one of the best compliments I could ever
receive. All I wanted was to be a good influence or a source of
encouragement, whether that was for my friends, people in the prison
system that needed some motivation, or kids. I wanted to be better than my
past self.
“That’s what I strive to be,” I replied as I moved my hand on the kitchen
counter just a few centimeters away from hers.
Madison glanced at my hand for a second before looking away.
“I really appreciate all you’ve done for me tonight. I don’t know how to
even begin to thank you properly,” she said as her fingertips slowly brushed
over mine.
I turned my hand over to take hers, hearing her breathing stop for a second.
She felt so warm and soft to the touch, and it took everything in me not to
let my hand trail farther up her body. It would be so easy to pull her closer,
to claim her like that dark, possessive side of my mind wanted to. But I let
her go. Protecting her and Chloe came first, and I would have been an
asshole to push for more when she had asked for my help.
“You should try to get some sleep. I’m going to check in with Gus,” I told
her as I stepped away from the counter.
A faint look of disappointment flashed across Madison’s face, but she gave
me a small smile before leaving the kitchen.
My eyes trailed her until she disappeared, finally able to get my heart to
stop racing at what felt like a hundred miles per hour. It was hard to explain
the hold this woman had on me, but I knew that it was something I hadn’t
ever encountered before.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 9

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

D espite the discomfort of last night, I still had to move on like normal the
next morning with regards to Chloe.
I didn’t want her to know that anything scary was going on and worry her,
so Gus and Marcus hid around the side of the house while I brought Chloe
to my car to take her to school. With a forced smile on my face, I leaned
into the backseat and buckled her in.
“Did you sleep okay when you went back to bed last night?” I asked her.
Chloe smiled and nodded.
“I want Marcus to tell me the frog story again,” she said with hopeful eyes.
I felt my heart skip as I thought about watching Marcus murmuring a sweet
bedtime story to my daughter. He didn’t have to do that. He didn’t even
have to show up at my house to make me feel safer. But he did. He did so
much for me, and evidently, the others were going to come and help too.
I knew that I wanted to see them all again, but I didn’t think that such an
intense situation would lead to our reunion. I still didn’t know who was
trying to get into my house. Michael could be aggressive, but I didn’t know
what breaking into my house would gain him. He wouldn’t just steal Chloe
or something crazy like that. He was too smart to get caught.
Then again, a big reason why I didn’t call the police was because he had
friends in the force. I was sure those friends had been informed about our
messy break-up, and I doubted they would rush to help me. Plus, I didn’t
want them reporting anything back to Michael that could hurt me in the
long run. What if he claimed my residence wasn’t safe for Chloe?
“Maybe another day,” I told her before getting into the driver’s seat,
blinking away my tears quickly.
The level of stress and pressure on me was crushing, making my body and
my heart ache as I forged on like nothing was wrong. I had a bunch of ex-
cons protecting me because my ex-boyfriend could’ve corrupted some of
the police force! It was crazy, and I hoped that I made the right move by
turning to Marcus and his friends for help.
They hadn’t given me any reason to fear them or doubt them, but this
situation was too crazy to fully grasp. The lines between right and wrong
and smart and reckless were so blurry that it was hard to differentiate
between the two. All I could do was go with my gut, and I knew that I felt
comforted whenever I saw any of the guys from the tattoo shop.
After dropping Chloe off and getting back home, I found Marlo standing on
my front porch. As surprised as I was to see him, I also felt that same wave
of comfort overtake me, knowing that he was here to keep me safe. But it
also occurred to me that we were probably going to be alone together. I
sucked in a shaky breath to steady myself, already feeling my heart start to
race.
“Morning,” Marlo greeted me as I walked toward the porch. He pushed
himself off the side of my house and stepped toward me, his eyebrows
furrowing slightly. “Are you okay?”
They all seemed genuinely concerned about me, which made me feel lighter
than a cloud, but it also confused me. We all just met. Why was there
something so intense being shared between us? Was it just… desire?
“Hanging in,” I replied with a weak smile before glancing around. “You’re
relieving Marcus and Gus?”
Marlo nodded as he came closer, looming over me in a zipped-up black
jacket and black pants. I didn’t miss the mix of bold cologne and laundry
detergent that rolled off him either. Intoxicating.
“We want to keep an eye on the house for a little while just to be sure,” he
told me. “So, you can go about your day and at least one of us will be
nearby.”
I found myself reaching out to place my hand on his strong upper arm, able
to feel the groove of muscle from his bicep under his jacket sleeve.
“I can’t ask you guys to put your lives on hold for me. What about the
tattoo shop? Your families?” I asked.
Marlo shook his head as he took my hand, clasping it between his bigger
ones.
“Whoever isn’t watching you is watching the tattoo shop. And we don’t
have families to go home to. No wives. We’re our own family here,” he
explained to me. “And trust me, you’re our number one priority right now.”
Part of me was sad that none of them were married or had kids because they
deserved that happiness, but there was a twisted side of me that reveled in
the fact that none of them were taken. Not that I could have all of them
because that was insane to think all of those men would want me in return,
but at least slates were clean. No cheating. No secrets. No scandals. I didn’t
have time in my life for any of that.
“Come in for coffee at least,” I said, needing a cup myself.
Marlo smiled and gave my hand a squeeze before releasing me. Our eyes
met and lingered for a second as we stood a few inches apart. I thought he
might close the distance until he opened my front door for me and followed
me inside.
“You have a nice home,” he remarked as he trailed me into the kitchen.
I laughed a little and shrugged.
“It’s not much,” I assured him. It was one of the smallest houses in the
neighborhood and probably one of the oldest too, but it wasn’t falling apart
on me yet.
“A home is a home,” Marlo said. “And it feels homey.”
I smiled to myself as I turned on my bargain coffee machine and got it
started brewing a pot.
“It’s where I get to raise my daughter and make memories with my family,”
I said as I looked over my shoulder at him. “Where my little sister stays
during some of her college breaks. Where my mom brings dinner every
Wednesday night. I found this place when I needed it the most.”
An interested expression filled Marlo’s face.
“And your father?” he asked.
I turned back forward and grabbed two mugs out of the cabinet above the
coffee machine. It didn’t sting all that much thinking about my father now
since I had gotten older and realized that I truly didn’t need him in my life
to begin with. He missed out on raising an amazing family, so the only
person who lost was him.
“He left early on. My mom raised me and Leah,” I told him, hearing his
footsteps sound behind me. I didn’t feel tense, though. All I felt was an
excited tingle go up my spine. “Now, I’m doing the same thing. Being a
single mom.”
Marlo placed his hand on the middle of my back.
“I’m a single parent as well,” he admitted.
With wide eyes, I turned to face him.
“You have kids?” I asked.
Marlo nodded, the expression on his face looking somewhat bittersweet.
“They’re grown and live out in Europe. I see them once a year when they’re
not busy with their careers,” he told me. “I’m really proud of them. I always
have been. But the death of their mother when they were about to turn teens
hurt them. Hurt me. It was hard for all of us, and they both jumped on an
exchange student program to get away from here. I couldn’t even blame
them, so I let them go to heal.”
An ache gripped my chest as I took his hand, hoping he could feel my
sympathy through the hold. I didn’t want to push too hard for more
information because I could see the glint of pain in his eyes, but all they had
done was make sure that I was okay. I wanted to do the same for them.
“Did you get a chance to heal too?” I asked.
Marlo’s expression softened.
“It took a while. I fell into my own family’s way of healing and dealing
with stuff. Alcohol. Drugs. I saw both my parents go through that, and it
took hitting rock bottom for me to get sober. I plan to remain that way for
the rest of my life,” he told me.
Despite his past, he was a good man. I could see it in his warm eyes. His
actions. He fought to change, and that was more than I could ever say for
Michael. He didn’t go to prison, but he deserved to be behind bars for what
he had done to me.
“I’m happy for you. I know getting sober is really hard,” I said sincerely as
I gave him a little smile.
Marlo nodded in a grateful manner.
“Some days are harder than others, but I just try to stay focused on my
goals,” he replied. “Running the shop. Helping people who hit rock bottom
like me and just need a chance. Building the life I want. Protecting beautiful
women from creeps.”
A warm feeling graced my cheeks and filled my chest at his flirty words but
also because I admired him. Deeply. He helped out all of those guys at the
tattoo shop, giving them a chance when no one else would. If that didn’t say
enough about Marlo’s character, I didn’t know what did.
“I hit rock bottom a while ago,” I admitted as I looked down at our joined
hands. “I dated my ex-boyfriend, Chloe’s father, since high school. I
thought he was the one, but… he started getting angry. Aggressive. He
wanted to control me and my life, and I didn’t feel comfortable with him
around Chloe. So, I prepared to move out of the place we were staying at
together and find somewhere of my own. When I broke up with him, we
had a terrible fight. He…”
Marlo’s eyes narrowed as he put his free hand on my shoulder, drawing my
gaze to his.
“Did he put his hands on you?” he asked.
I frowned, feeling my eyes burn slightly as memories flooded back into my
mind. The sting of his hand against my face. The taste of blood on my lip.
The ringing in my ears.
“During that fight… yes,” I replied. “But I didn’t see him for a long time
after that until the other day. He came up to me and told me that he wanted
custody of Chloe. I told him no, but I don’t know what he’s going to do
next.”
“Do you think he’s the one who tried to get into your house last night?”
Marlo asked, still looking angry as he glanced toward the front door.
“I don’t know. Maybe,” I said, unable to answer that question with
certainty. Anything was possible. I didn’t want him to be upset, so I placed
my hand on his cheek over the thick hair of his dark beard, wanting him to
peer at me again. “But he’s not going to touch me again.”
“Damn right he’s not,” Marlo replied, his eyes seeming darker than before
as his grip tightened. He was one not to be messed with, and it was because
of me.
I forgot how to breathe for a few seconds as our eyes locked, every fiber of
my being yearning to get closer to him, to fall into his comfort. I hadn’t
been cared for like this before. Felt desire like this before. But no man so
rugged and controlled had ever treated me like this before, and maybe part
of my yearning was because of his starkly older age and the maturity he
showed that put guys my age to shame.
Whenever Marlo walked in a room with his broad shoulders and steady,
dark gaze, he controlled the energy. He demanded attention that he didn’t
even have to verbally ask for, and I was a goner for that. It was like a warm,
foggy haze rolled over me, and the next words left my mouth before I could
even process them.
“But you can,” I said as I took his hand and placed it on my side.
Marlo seemed to search my eyes, trying to make sure I meant the desirous
tone of my words. When my eyes slid down to his mouth, he finally let go
and pulled my body flush against his, our lips colliding in a kiss that had
been yearned for since the day we met.
I slid my hand around to the back of his neck, lifting up on my toes to keep
our lips connected. His lips were warm and inviting, heat rolling through
me and working its way farther downward as he caressed the small of my
back. It felt so good having his lips against mine and his hands on my body.
Marlo’s fingertips teased the bare skin above the waist of my jeans as my
shirt rode up slightly, nearly sending a shiver through me. His muscular
body felt so firm against mine, allowing me to feel the strong plane of his
chest and the strength of his arms. When his teeth teasingly grazed my
bottom lip, I couldn’t stop the soft moan that broke from me, making him
grin a little.
My fingers found the zipper of his jacket and worked it downward until I
could push the material off his shoulders and down his arms. Every move I
made felt so quick, so desperate, racing closer and closer to what I wanted.
The heat and desire taking hold of me was nearly dizzying.
Marlo slid one hand up my back beneath my light blue shirt with Chloe’s
school name written across the front. His other hand grabbed the bottom of
my shirt, starting to work it up my body.
Just as the material reached my bra, a jolt of reality struck me like a punch
to the stomach. What about the other guys? What about Chloe? What was I
really doing kissing this man I just met? How did things go from here?
All of that pent up anxiety dragged me out of the kiss, making me take a
step back from Marlo as I caught my breath. The warmth all over my body
soon gathered in my face out of embarrassment as a worried look filled
Marlo’s face.
“I’m sorry. I just… I should stop,” I said, unable to form a coherent
sentence to explain my actions.
Marlo gave me a comforting smile and nodded.
“I’m going to check around the house,” he told me before leaving the
kitchen.
I slumped back against the kitchen counter with a sigh just as the coffee
machine shut off, leaving me with a full pot of coffee and more confusing
thoughts than I could ever begin to sift through. But I already knew that I
regretted stopping things with Marlo.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 10

OceanofPDF.com
Ti

A dmittedly, I was a bit wary of getting caught in someone else’s spider


web of drama, but according to all the guys, this Madison girl was
worth it. Very much worth it.
I hadn’t met her officially like the others, but I did see her and her friend
come into the tattoo shop a few weeks ago.
Petite figure. Long brown hair. Bright smile. Who could’ve possibly
ignored her?
Now, I got to meet her for the first time today so that I could also tap Marlo
out and look after her. Evidently, someone was after her and maybe her
daughter. If the guys wanted her protected, I would keep her safe. And I was
curious about her anyway.
I bumped the side of my fist against Marlo’s as we met on Madison’s porch.
“Go home, boss. I’ll keep an eye on her,” I told him as my eyes swept the
quiet neighborhood doused in early morning sunlight.
Marlo nodded.
“She just got back from dropping Chloe off at school,” he said.
“See anything suspicious?” I asked.
Marlo shook his head.
“Not yet. Probably for the best. Maybe we’ll scare this bastard away,” he
replied.
I cocked my eyebrow slightly, able to hear the anger in his voice. I hadn’t
heard him sound so aggressive in a while, but it seemed like this woman
had dug her way under his skin. The others too.
“Let’s hope,” I said before heading inside, hearing the sound of a television
playing past the kitchen. I reached up and adjusted the collar of my black
button-down shirt, a few silver rings adorning my fingers. Even after seeing
her once before, I wasn’t sure what to expect when my eyes finally fell
upon her again.
It didn’t take me long to find a small living space with a beige, polyester
couch, wooden coffee table, and a 32-inch flatscreen on a small
entertainment center with a few picture frames on it as well. However, my
eyes didn’t focus on the décor too long because the brunette beauty in
question was curled up on the couch with a red and white Christmas blanket
draped over her smooth legs where her white lounge shorts didn’t cover.
“Madison?” I spoke.
Madison’s head immediately snapped to the side as she sat up straight, her
wide eyes finding me.
“Oh, hi! Sorry, I was expecting you, but I zoned out,” she said as she got off
the couch to approach me with a sheepish smile on her face.
Since she was only wearing a ribbed, black tank top, it was easy for me to
spot the tattoo that she got in all of its healed glory. It suited her.
“Deep in thought?” I asked as I tilted my head at her.
Madison’s face seemed to flush a little as she nodded.
“Yeah, you could say that,” she replied.
I held my hand out to her, prompting her to take it without much hesitation.
I pressed my lips against her knuckles before smoothing over my touch
with my thumb.
“What’s on your mind, doll?” I asked before leading her back over to the
couch. I truly was curious.
Madison sat down next to me, our knees angled toward each other as we
huddled close.
“My life is just crazy right now,” she said with a light, pitiful laugh. “My ex
wants custody of my daughter. Someone followed me the other night and
then might’ve been the same person who tried to break into my house.
And…”
I cocked my eyebrow at her.
“And?” I asked.
Madison chewed on her bottom lip for a second in a manner that made fire
churn in the pit of my stomach. Her lips were tantalizing. Soft and full.
What I would give to see them in action. Feel them in action.
“I’ve now met seven guys at a tattoo shop who make me feel more
confused and excited than I’ve ever felt before in my life,” she blurted out,
glancing away from me as she spoke.
“What’s confusing you?” I replied as I rested my hand on her knee, the cool
metal of my rings making her tense slightly.
Out of bashfulness, Madison laughed and shook her head.
“I just… you guys are amazing. I don’t want to scare my mom or my little
sister all the way at Yale, so you guys are the only people I’ve been able to
turn to. What you’ve all done for me means so much, and you’re also all
very… handsome,” she said, looking even pinker than before.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. Damn it, she was cute. I could see what the
guys were talking about.
“Oh, you’re a sweet thing,” I told her as my thumb stroked little circles
against the outside of her knee. “I’ve just met you and I’m already fond of
you. I’m sure the others are hooked as well.”
Madison’s eyes widened slightly like she didn’t expect my forward
response.
“Well, it’s nice to know I’m not alone in the feeling,” she replied.
I clicked my tongue at her as I reached out with my other hand to hook a
finger under her chin, pulling her eyes to mine.
“You shouldn’t have doubted that for a second,” I said, feeling a strong
pulling sensation in my chest. I wanted to get closer. I wanted to smell the
sweetness of her shampoo in her soft hair. Feel the warmth of her mouth
against mine. “Let me take you out for dinner sometime.”
A surprised look filled her face.
“You want to take me out on a date?” she asked like she wanted to make
sure I wasn’t fooling her.
Something told me that idiotic ex-boyfriend diminished some of her self-
worth. I was surprised the others hadn’t asked her out yet, but I supposed I
could be one of the more impulsive ones of the bunch.
“Of course,” I replied.
Madison smiled.
“I’d love to,” she said.
I hummed under my breath, pleased by her answer. My thumb then brushed
over her bottom lip, making her breath hitch. What a sweet sound.
“Good,” I told her. “I’m glad I finally met you, Madison.”
Madison placed her hand on my wrist, wrapping her fingers around until
they rested over my pulse point.
“Your heart is racing,” she murmured, looking up at me.
I smirked a little. Tricky little minx. I could keep a cool, calm demeanour
all I wanted, but my heart always betrayed me. It got me locked up in the
first place because I couldn’t stand hurting people more than I already had.
“Because all I can think about is kissing you,” I told her.
Madison paused for a second before her eyebrows shifted closer in a
determined look.
“What’s stopping you?” she asked me.
Oh, I liked her. I liked her a lot. I gripped her chin and drew her forward,
my lips finding hers in an instant. Just as expected, she was warm and sweet
like she could melt in my mouth. I soon felt her hand rest on the back of my
head, her fingertips brushing over the closely shaved part of my haircut.
Madison didn’t push back as I dominated the kiss, my tongue easily
breaking past her lips. She seemed to revel in it, letting out a faint moan as
her tongue brushed mine. She drifted her fingers up my chest, moving over
the buttons of my shirt like she wanted to tear at them.
I wouldn’t mind if she did, but there was so much I wanted to do to her that
I didn’t even know where to begin. I supposed I needed to see where her
boundaries were before I continued because I was far from a vanilla guy.
“We should talk first, doll,” I told her as I rested my forehead against hers
for a second, latching onto what brief sense of control I had left.
A worried look filled her face.
“We’re probably moving too fast,” she said as she leaned away from me.
I grabbed her hand and shook my head.
“The pace is great,” I assured her, not wanting her to think that I was
pumping the brakes because I was uncomfortable. Quite the opposite. “But
I have some questions for you.”
Madison still looked a bit wary, but she nodded.
“How do you feel about having sex with more than one guy at a time?” I
asked, getting right to the point because when it came to being with her, I
was incredibly impatient.
Madison’s eyes grew big and large as a furious blush crossed her cheeks.
She most likely wasn’t expecting me to ask something so risqué.
“Oh… I…” she trailed off with an embarrassed smile on her face. “I’ve
actually been dreaming about it lately.”
I lifted my eyebrows in interest as the corner of my mouth turned upward.
“Really?” I replied.
Madison nodded, her eyes darting down to our joined hands.
“I can’t control them or anything, but they’re pretty… intense,” she said.
I could hear the bashfulness in her voice and feel the tension gripping her
body, prompting me to lean back into her couch and put her arm around her
shoulders to drag her back with me. I wanted her to relax and feel
comfortable around me. Our conversation was about to get pretty intense.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Madison. Anything you want or desire… you
could have,” I told her as I gazed down into her eyes. “Would it make you
feel better if I admitted something too?”
Madison smiled a little, already starting to relax against my side.
“I know for a fact that Baker and Bryce are very interested in having some
fun with you,” I said as my fingertips grazed her bare outer arm. I then
leaned closer to her ear. “And I’d want to join them.”
“All three of you… and me?” Madison asked, her voice sounding full of
disbelief.
I nodded, feeling warmth build in my lower stomach just from the thought
of that.
“What do you think about that? And you can say no. I’m just curious about
what you do and don’t like,” I replied, not wanting her to feel any pressure.
Sex was supposed to be fun and enjoyable for everyone, and I wanted it to
be mind-blowing for her.
“I’d like that,” Madison told me, answering quicker than I expected.
“Honestly, being with multiple people is one of the fantasies I’ve been
thinking about lately.”
Dirty girl. That drove me crazy.
“Feels like you’re teasing me, doll,” I chuckled as I leaned closer to her.
“You know, me and the guys would be more than happy to check those dirty
little fantasies of yours off your list.”
“Well, there’s quite a few,” Madison replied with a small laugh. “I’ve never
told anyone about them. Not even my ex.”
I turned to face her better, our eyes locking.
“Tell me,” I told her as I took her hand, giving her enough comfort to smile
more boldly.
“So… I want to feel like I lose control. Like I can stop everything, but I
don’t have any control. Sorry, it’s hard to describe,” Madison said, sounding
a bit flustered.
I gave her hand a squeeze.
“So you can completely let go. I understand,” I assured her, already feeling
my cock start to harden just from thinking about pinning her down and
having my way with her while she cried out in ecstasy. “What else?”
Madison pressed her teeth into her bottom lip for a second before replying.
“Um… I want to try… anal sex,” she admitted, her cheeks nearly turning
cherry red.
I could make her ass look the exact same way with one hand, restlessness
gripping me as every fantasy she told me filled my mind with dirty
thoughts.
“And?” I coaxed her.
“And I want to see myself in a mirror,” Madison replied. “Those are the
ones I’ve been thinking of. And dreaming of.”
I reached up and gently brushed my fingertips along her warm, flushed
cheeks.
“And what do you think about me and the twins fulfilling a fantasy or two
of yours today at the tattoo shop?” I asked her, knowing that would be the
ultimate surprise for Baker and Bryce.
Madison thought for a moment before sitting up straighter, her dark,
manicured nails resting on her soft thighs.
“I think I have an idea.”

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 11

OceanofPDF.com
Bryce

T oday was an off day for the tattoo shop. Usually, a few of us hung
around the shop and cleaned up the building or prepared for the next
day, and it was just me and Baker today.
Ti was looking after Madison, and the others were resting from their shifts.
I had been looking forward to seeing her again after so many weeks, but I
was worried for her too.
What asshole would scare someone like her?
I hoped one of us found the guy and scared him back to within an inch of
his life. Since Baker and I were taking the next shift, maybe that would be
us. I didn’t care if my life was put in danger or if I could get hurt. She didn’t
deserve a single ounce of all this trouble. Not when she was one of the
kindest souls I had ever met.
I had done reckless things and hurt people in my past for stupid reasons, but
tapping into my take-no-shit attitude was necessary when it came to making
sure that she and Chloe would be okay.
As I drew myself out of my thoughts, I lifted my eyes to see my twin
brother sitting on the stool at his station with his drawing pad in his hands,
probably sketching something up for a client.
“You finish cleaning up the back room?” I called out to him from the front
desk as I did a few appointment confirmations.
Baker lifted his middle finger in response, making me smirk and shake my
head. That was a yes. Tidying up was definitely the most boring part of the
job, but we liked this little art oasis. We were going to keep it in tip top
shape, or Marlo would have our asses.
I put the computer to sleep and wandered over to him, nodding my head to
“You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC as it played over the shop’s
speakers. I mindlessly fidgeted with my lip ring with the tip of my tongue
as I stopped near Baker’s side, peering over his shoulder at this drawing pad
to see a sketch of a dragon.
“I’m guessing that’s for that biker dude that came in the other day?” I
asked.
Baker parted his lips to answer, but the sound of the front door being
opened made our eyes shoot up. The blinds on the front window and the
door were closed, and our outdoor neon sign was off, so it was obvious that
the store was closed. We tensed and prepared for maybe a robber to come
barging in until we saw Ti and Madison walk inside.
“Damn, I was about to start wielding that baseball bat Marlo keeps in the
back,” I warned Ti as they approached. My eyes shot to Madison who had
her gaze locked on me and my brother. That bubbly demeanour she had
before didn’t seem to be as prevalent this time for some reason. “Hey, Madi
—”
I didn’t even get to finish her name before she strode right up to me and
crashed her lips against mine, knocking the breath right out of my lungs. I
nearly stumbled back, but I planted my feet and placed my hand on her
cheek.
After a moment, Madison pulled back with a lingering smile on her lips.
She glanced back at Ti, who took a seat on Baker’s tattoo table and grinned
at her.
“What’s going on?” Baker asked as he remained still on his stool, unsure of
what to do or what was happening.
“I finally met this angel, and we had a very compelling conversation,” Ti
replied. “Including the fact that she’s particularly interested in having some
dirty, submissive fun with multiple partners. I figured you two would be
game.”
Ti had to be fucking with us. Come on. Baker and I hadn’t exactly been shy
about admitting how attracted we were to Madison, but we didn’t expect
this to actually happen. Right now.
“She doesn’t sound like much of an innocent angel then,” Baker
commented, already rolling with this fantasy come to life. His eyes swept
over Madison as she stood in front of us with a maroon skater skirt on and a
fitted white top tucked into the waist. Simple. Sexy.
Ti clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“I never said anything about innocent,” he pointed out before giving
Madison a pat on her ass. “Why don’t you show Baker how far from
innocent you are?”
Madison breathed in deeply through her nose, but the excitement in her
eyes was far stronger than her nervousness. She walked over to Baker and
grabbed his shoulders, using her grip to pull herself up to straddle his lap.
Baker grabbed her ass under her skirt, dragging her over his lap before
burying his face in her neck.
Madison let out a shaky breath as she curled her fingers in his short hair, her
eyes fluttering shut. As he kissed her and caressed her, her hips did a slow
roll, grinding herself down and drawing a sound from him that bordered on
a growl and a groan.
Seeing the swell of her ass under her skirt made my cock start to harden.
She sounded so sexy moaning and gasping from each touch, and I swore I
was in some sort of wet dream or something.
“Gonna let your brother have all the fun?” Ti asked as he slowly started
unbuttoning his shirt.
Hell no. I walked up behind Madison, and Baker moved his hands away to
tug on Madison’s shirt. I helped him strip it off before unclasping her white
bra, letting it fall to the ground with her shirt. Baker’s hands went for her
breasts, squeezing the soft flesh and twisting her nipples to make her gasp. I
wrapped her hair around my fist to move it out of the way, adopting a firm
grip before pressing a light kiss between her shoulder blades.
“Oh…” Madison moaned as she tilted her head back, pushing her chest
forward just as Baker leaned down to take one of her nipples between his
lips.
I let the back of her head fall against my shoulder as my hand trailed down
her back, skimming past the back of her skirt before pushing beneath the
soft fabric. I squeezed her ass as I turned my head to drag my teeth across
her earlobe, making her shudder in bliss.
Madison licked her lips with her eyes closed, reveling in every touch me
and Baker placed on her body. When I moved my hand lower and brushed
my fingertips over her clothed center, her hips jerked a little in surprise and
need.
“You have no idea how badly I want to bury my cock inside of you right
now,” I murmured near her ear, my cock throbbing just from being so close
to her. She was magic.
“Please,” Madison breathed out.
“I don’t think you deserve that yet,” Ti commented from the table as he
rubbed his hand over the hard ridge in the front of his jeans, watching
Madison with darkening eyes.
“I don’t think so either,” Baker added before twisting one of her nipples
between his fingertips sharply.
Madison nearly yelped in pain, but the sound dissolved into a broken moan.
She rocked her hips again, silently begging for the friction and pressure that
she desperately needed.
Unable to hold myself back any longer, I pulled her light gray panties to the
side and stroked her clit and folds with my fingertips. Just feeling how wet
she already was nearly broke any sense of control I had right then and there.
I had to fight to keep my composure.
Baker grabbed Madison’s hips to keep her steady as I rubbed light circles
against her clit. His lips went right back to her neck, kissing and leaving
teasing bites on all of her sensitive places to drive her crazy.
A whimper broke from Madison as she writhed on Baker’s lap, pushing
herself down on my fingers and reaching down to pull at the button and
zipper of Baker’s jeans. She pushed her hand inside, slipping her fingers
past the band of his black briefs to wrap them around his erection. She
started pumping him in time with my fingers, making Baker’s jaw tighten.
“Fuck,” Baker breathed out as he watched her hand move on his cock.
Madison leaned forward and crashed her lips against his, kissing him
deeply as her hand sped up its motions. The faster she got, the closer she
was to her own orgasm.
“Close…” she breathed out.
“Already?” I asked with a smirk as I tightened my grip on her hair, making
her tilt her head to break the kiss. I wanted to hear her sweet noises. “You
can’t come yet.”
Madison released a shaky exhale.
“It feels too good,” she said with a moan.
“Don’t care,” Baker said in a slightly breathy voice as his hand slid up her
chest to rest on her throat. “Don’t you do it.”
I grinned to myself as I moved two fingers down to her entrance, pushing
them inside slowly and drawing a chorus of pleased noises from her. I
started thrusting them in and out, working them deep and curling them just
right to make her thighs quiver.
“Oh, that’s it. You feel so nice and tight, baby,” I told her, feeling how she
squeezed my fingers.
Baker tightened his grip on her throat.
“Fuck, I’m right there,” he gritted out.
I felt Madison’s body tense just from his words, which pushed her even
closer to orgasm.
“Not you,” I warned her.
Madison let out a frustrated noise, but she didn’t stop stroking Baker’s cock
until he came with a faint groan, spilling all over her breasts and the top of
her hand.
Baker caught his breath with a small grin. He swept up the white lines on
her chest with two fingers before slipping them past her lips, making her
lick them clean.
“Good girl,” he praised her as he gripped her chin. “Next time, I’ll be deep
inside of you.”
Before Madison could even moan in response, I grabbed her waist and
pulled her off my brother’s lap. Ti was already waiting to help me and
stripped off the rest of her clothes before guiding her onto her hands and
knees on the tattoo table near one of the ends.
Ti already had his shirt discarded as I started pulling off my clothes. He
worked his belt off and grabbed Madison’s arms, pulling them behind her
back and making her fall on her cheek on the cushioned table. He tied her
arms together by wrapping the belt right above her elbows, immobilizing
her for the most part as she lay there folded over her knees.
“What a beautiful sight,” he chuckled before guiding her closer to the edge
of the table. He then grabbed her forearm and pulled her up enough for her
to come face-to-face with my cock as I stood in front of her. “Open your
mouth.”
Madison peered up at me with her big eyes as she parted her lips, sticking
her tongue out to drift along the underside of my cock as I pushed into her
warm mouth. She took me inch-by-inch, her eyes already starting to tear up.
Ti knelt behind her and nudged her knees farther apart. He kept a strong
grip on her right forearm to keep her elevated.
“If you need to tap, squeeze my arm. Otherwise, be good while we use
you,” Ti told her before rocking his cock between her folds from behind.
Madison moaned around me at the friction, her eyes shutting.
“Open your eyes,” I said, wanting to watch the tears fall from her eyes as I
shoved myself down her throat. I was already going deeper, getting a little
choke from her every other thrust. “Relax. Let me in.”
Madison breathed in and out through her nose steadily, letting her jaw relax
more as her eyes continued to tear up. When Ti pushed inside of her, she
moaned around me again, two tears streaking from her eyes.
“Oh, shit. You feel so fucking good,” Ti murmured as he slowly thrusted in
and out of her, watching his cock disappear inside of her.
“Yes, she does,” I agreed as I brushed a strand of her hair away from her
face. My fingertips grazed her flushed cheek as I grinned down at her.
“You’re doing so good.”
Madison hummed around my cock, seeming pleased from the praise. When
I pulled out of her mouth to give her a breather and hear her moans, she
didn’t disappoint, letting out a string of broken breaths and gasps as Ti
started pounding into her from behind. She couldn’t move an inch because
of how he’d positioned her, and she was reveling in it.
“Ti… Bryce…” she moaned, her inner thighs already slick from arousal.
Ti’s hand flew down and struck her ass, the sound echoing throughout the
tattoo shop and mingling with her surprised gasp. He chuckled and spanked
her again, thrusting into her harder.
“Get to work. You can’t come until he does,” he told her.
I smirked and buried my cock in her mouth again, shallowly thrusting past
her lips until she was nearly taking me whole. Every little choke and
whimper I could hear just drove me on, and a sensation of pure fire and
pleasure ramped up more and more with each passing second.
“That’s it,” I said as I watched her, entranced by how beautiful she looked
with teary eyes and kiss swollen lips. I couldn’t think of a woman like her.
Not any of the women we took back here for some fun had me on the verge
of finishing so fast. “Oh, fuck.”
Madison let out a little hum as I spilled into her mouth, her eyes rolling up
to mine as she took it all. Her lips slowly slid back up my cock until she
released me, her lips glistening with spit and my release.
“You’re like a pretty portrait,” I chuckled as I cupped her chin, watching her
tongue drift over her lips to lick everything up.
“Look ahead, Madison,” Ti told her.
I stepped to the side so that Madison could tilt her head up more, staring
straight ahead at the large mirror on the wall in front of her. In its reflection,
she could see herself getting fucked from behind, her parted lips and bound
body on display.
“Keep your eyes on yourself,” Ti ordered, tightening his grip on her
forearm before continuing to hammer into her. His thrusts were hard and
deep, hardly even giving her a moment to breathe from the previous one,
but she drank it all up.
“I can’t… I have to…” Madison babbled as she struggled to even string a
sentence together, her mind being blown.
Ti didn’t say anything at first, leaving her hanging for ten torturous seconds
until he finally spoke.
“Come for us,” he told her before snapping his hips against her.
Madison threw her head back as much as she could in her contorted
position, her entire body shaking and shuddering as she gave in to the
pleasure. Only when Ti finished and stilled inside of her did he undo his
belt and release her to lay on her stomach normally.
“Woah…” Madison murmured before a bright smile crossed her face,
accompanied by a sing-song laugh that made the side of my mouth turn up.
“That was amazing!”
“Trust me, baby. You’re amazing,” I assured her as I crouched in front of
her to share a warm look with her. She was something else. Something none
of us were expecting.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 12

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

I twas
felt like I was floating, suspended in so much warmth and bliss that it
nearly overwhelming.
But I reveled in it.
What just happened… was the best sex I ever had in my life. All of the
boring, vanilla sex I had with my ex didn’t come close to the pleasure I felt
with Ti and the twins. They actually made me finish.
“She’s a little walking list of kinks,” Ti told Baker and Bryce as they peered
at me with intrigued, amused eyes. “Don’t worry, doll. We’ll get to all of
them. Just wanted to break you in first.”
The way he talked set me on fire, my skin tingling as I sat upright on the
edge of the table with my legs hanging off. It felt good being restrained and
ordered around, and seeing myself in the reflection of the mirror with Ti
thrusting into me from behind made me a goner. I wanted to do it all over
again, prompting me to subtly press my thighs together to try and contain
myself.
“Seems like she’s pretty insatiable,” Baker commented, having noticed the
small motion. Damn! I thought I was being subtle.
“Who says we have to stop now? We could get some of the other guys here
in minutes. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to get that call,” Bryce said.
“I was going to give you two a warning, but this little minx wanted to
surprise you,” Ti told the twins, who smirked and chuckled.
When I was with them, I was constantly forced to face the edges of my
comfort zone. I was hanging out with ex-cons after all. That was risky, but I
had grown to trust them. So, when I came across my boundaries, I felt
comfortable enough to cross them if they were waiting on the other side.
That unlocked so many new possibilities for me that I was excited to try.
“It was fun, though, right?” I asked, hoping it was as good for them as it
was for me. According to Ti, they all had slept with women together before.
Their experience comforted me, but I also couldn’t help but want to stand
out.
Bryce walked over to me, his lip ring glistening in the light as his lips
pulled up in a smile.
“It was a blast,” he told me as he placed his hand on the back of my neck as
he leaned close. “You’re mind-blowing.”
His words warmed me, seeping all the way between my thighs as he
lingered so close to me. I couldn’t believe I was already wanting another
round, but they did offer it to me. Chloe would still be at school for a while,
so if I wanted to take this opportunity and continue this crazy streak, I had
to accept it now.
“Call the others,” I said to Bryce.
Bryce grinned and turned to the others.
“She wants to play,” he told them.
Ti smirked as he took out his phone.
“Let’s see which of the lucky bastards pick up the phone,” he replied before
dialing the first number.
While Ti called the others, Baker and Bryce took me to the restroom to help
me clean up, gently running a wet cloth over my skin and drying me off
until I was ready to go. They stole a few deep, lingering kisses behind that
closed door, but they’d had their turn. And it was a hell of a good one.
Three out of the four men left answered Ti’s call, and within twenty
minutes, Gus, Marcus, and Marlo steadily walked into the shop to find me
seated on the tattoo table where I was instructed to wait for them.
“Is this really happening?” Marcus chuckled as his eyes swept over me.
I tilted my head at him, my heart already racing as Marcus moved closer to
me. His eyes trailed over my bare figure, taking in every inch of skin. Who
knew what all he wanted to do to me? That was the exciting part.
Letting them all have their way with me, testing my limits and pushing me
to the edge, wasn’t what I was used to. Given the circumstances, doing this
right now was crazy and reckless, but my heart was racing. The fear that my
ex was determined to make me feel had melted into pure adrenaline, and I
wanted to do something to my benefit with it. Something that made me feel
like I had an ounce of control.
Because choosing to give myself over to them was the most power that I
had in a long time.
“What do you want to happen?” I asked, shifting my eyes to see Marlo take
a seat on a stool across from me. I felt a hint of disappointment that he
wasn’t going to join in, but I could already see that he was starting to grow
hard. If he wanted to watch with the others, I wouldn’t mind the audience.
Honestly, I was already getting turned on just thinking about it.
Marcus reached into his back pocket and pulled out a black tube, waving it
in front of me in an enticing manner. It didn’t take my eyes long to latch
onto the white words on the front and realize that it was lube.
“Cross something off your kink list, naughty girl,” he replied.
I suddenly heard heavy footsteps behind me, prompting me to look over my
shoulder as Gus approached the other side of the tattoo table. He wore a
black gym tank top and army green khakis, showing off an array of
traditional style tattoos that adorned his shoulders and arms. The one that
caught my eye the most was the heart with a dagger through it on his left
forearm.
Gus wordlessly wrapped his arm around me to place his hand on the base of
my throat, pulling me into a deep kiss that drew a weak moan from me. The
scrape of his dark brown facial hair against my face added to the heat
gathering between my thighs.
It wasn’t long before Marcus wanted to join in on our fun, but he was far
more direct. He reached up and grabbed my ass, pulling me to the edge of
the tattoo table as he knelt in front of me. My legs went over his shoulders,
and his mouth was on me before I could even register what he was doing.
“Oh…” I gasped as Marcus’s tongue drifted up my folds to my clit, a jolt of
pleasure striking me.
“You taste so fucking good,” Marcus groaned before lapping at me again
like he couldn’t get enough.
Gus’s lips muffled my responding moans as his hand slid down my throat to
one of my breasts. His hand was so large that he easily cupped me fully,
squeezing and caressing as our mouths stayed melded together.
I was already so sensitive to the touch after being with Ti and the twins, so
every kiss, lick, and caress felt incredible. I reached down and threaded my
fingers through Marcus’s dark hair, subtly rolling my hips to grind against
his tongue as he flattened it against my clit. Suddenly, I heard the click of a
cap opening, making me break from the kiss briefly to look down.
Marcus showed me the bottle of lube again.
“I’ll go slow, angel. Just relax,” he encouraged me.
I trusted him. I trusted all of them. So, I busied myself by turning my head
and leaning back into a heated kiss with Gus, letting him twist and pinch
my nipples to stimulate me even more. It wasn’t long before I felt one of
Marcus’s fingers slowly push into my ass as his tongue kept up its slow,
pleasing motions on my clit.
“Relax,” Gus murmured when he felt me automatically tense. When I
struggled to, he buried his face in the crook of my neck, sucking a mark
where my shoulder and neck met.
I gasped in surprise as a hint of pain clashed with the bliss, my mind jolting
in a whole other direction as Marcus fit his entire finger inside.
“That’s it,” Marcus praised me before lubing up another finger to add with
the first. He moved slowly, pushing them deep and dragging them out. Over
and over. Until I started to push myself down on his fingers, enjoying the
added pressure along with the friction on my clit. “See? It’s going to feel
amazing.”
My eyes shifted past Marcus, sweeping over Ti, the twins, and Marlo, who
watched with one hand resting over the erection his pants were doing a poor
job of hiding. Knowing that they were enjoying the show just made the knot
in my stomach twist even tighter, my entire body humming with heat.
“More,” I breathed out.
Marcus added a third finger, stretching me even more. The sensation was
odd and new, but there was a tingle of pleasure that intensified with every
rock of his fingers. It was a taste of how good it could be.
“Good,” Gus murmured as he cupped my chin, tilting my head back for
another kiss. He was a man of few words, but the ones he spoke made me
want this even more.
After another minute of preparing me, I was about to explode, needing
Marcus to give me everything. I needed it all.
“I want it, Marcus. Please, fuck me,” I begged him, nearly writhing between
the effective work of his tongue and fingers.
Marcus drew away from me and stripped off his white T-shirt, a satisfied
grin playing out on his lips.
“Look at you. Sounding like a good little slut,” he teased, sharing a chuckle
with the others. “Do you know how badly I’ve been wanting to fuck you?
Now, I get to fuck your ass too? Must be my lucky day.”
My face burned a little from how dirty his words were, but I loved every
single one of them. I let him lay me on my back across the tattoo table, my
head hanging off slightly and my feet planted on the other edge as he
moved between my legs.
Gus stepped close to me, having already shed his tank top, and undid his
pants to free his thick cock. He was as big as I imagined, making my eyes
widen a little as he offered himself to me.
I reached up and ran my hand over his length, my fingers barely able to
touch around him. When I felt the head of Marcus’s thoroughly lubed-up
cock press against my entrance, I automatically tensed as I peered up at
Gus, silently asking for him to take my mind off the initial entry.
Gus crouched down so that we were eye-level as I tilted my head back. He
brushed a few strands of hair out of my face and stroked my flushed cheeks.
“Breathe,” he told me.
Marcus caressed my inner thighs with his free hand before rubbing his
thumb in slow circles against my clit, drawing a low moan from me as he
slowly started to push his cock inside of me. The feeling was hard to
describe, but I could feel the stretch, the burn, and the faint thrum of bliss
that was soon to come.
“You’re doing so good, baby. You’re taking my cock so well,” he praised
me as he watched his cock start to slowly disappear.
It was all almost overwhelming, but it felt indescribably amazing. I turned
my head to watch the others as they kept their eyes on me, admiring how I
took Marcus and probably wishing it was them instead. A dull pulse of
pleasure throbbed between my thighs at the thought, and I was sure that
they would have their turn soon.
“Good girl,” Gus murmured as a whimper broke from me.
Before I knew it, Marcus was fully buried in my ass, a confusing mixture of
discomfort and pleasure taking hold of me. He started slowly rocking in and
out of me, starting with shallow thrusts and gradually going deeper. His
thumb continued its motions on my clit, and the pleasure started to
intensify.
“Oh… woah…” I moaned as my body started to warm up, a fluttering
sensation erupting between my thighs. The more he moved, the less
discomfort I felt, and it started to feel really good. Better than I imagined.
“Marcus…”
“There you go. Feels good, huh?” Marcus said as he increased his pace.
Once Gus was sure that I was more than okay, he straightened up and
pressed the head of his cock against my lips. When I took him into my
mouth and started sucking, he groaned and tilted his head back.
“Fuck,” he breathed out, shallowly thrusting past my lips.
I moaned around his cock, already feeling how slick my thighs were as I got
wetter and wetter. Feeling Gus’s fingers roll my nipple made another wave
of pleasure crash down on me, nudging me closer and closer to my peak.
Pleased sounds poured from the three of us, filling the tattoo shop with
obscene noise. I could hear murmurs from the others as they watched the
show, commenting on how sexy I looked and how good I took them. I was
surprised by my own limits, and I was glad I took risks with them. They
blew my mind every single time.
“You’re making it hard to last. Do you know how hot this is?” Marcus told
me.
I could only let out a muffled moan in response as Gus rocked into my
mouth, thrusting himself deeper and deeper. I knew how dirty the scene
looked, but it only turned me on even more, and I found myself digging my
nails into the tattoo table as my orgasm started to approach.
“Just a little more,” Gus grunted, managing a few more thrusts before
finishing with a groan.
I took in all of him before he pulled out, my lips glistening as they parted in
a blissful gasp. I tilted my head up, watching Marcus fuck me without
holding back. His toned body flexed with each thrust, and all I had to do
was meet his dark eyes before succumbing to the pure euphoria that
ravaged me. With a violent shudder, my orgasm struck me like a train,
knocking the breath from me and making my eyes squeeze shut.
Marcus grabbed my thighs and pulled me closer as he slammed into me one
more time, spilling inside of me with a breathless curse. He let his head
hang for a few moments as he pulled out and caught his breath, reeling from
the intensity.
“You perfect, perfect woman,” he murmured before running his hands over
my thighs. “All used up. Filled up.”
I suddenly sat up with a worried look on my face. My eyes darted to Bryce,
remembering that he finished inside of me.
“We didn’t use protection,” I blurted out, not even thinking about that in the
heat of the moment. Telling from the lifted eyebrows and wide eyes from
the others, they hadn’t thought of it either. We were so focused on what we
wanted to do that we forgot what we needed to do. “I can’t raise another
child on my own.”
“Woah, woah. It’s okay,” Marcus said as he cupped my face, making me
look him in the eyes. “First off, you wouldn’t raise the baby on your own.”
“No way,” Baker spoke up as the others started gravitating toward me, soon
surrounding me and reaching out to brush my face, my hair, my back, and
my hands in comforting touches.
Marlo placed his hand on my thigh.
“If you ever got pregnant from one of us, we’d all be right there with you to
raise the baby and Chloe. We’d never leave you all alone,” he promised me
with a serious look on his face.
Gradually, my stress started to melt away as I looked between all of them,
seeing that they were all on the same page. I couldn’t remember a time
when I felt so much support from so many people, and it was relieving to
know that I wasn’t alone. I was more cared for than ever before by men I
never saw coming.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 13

OceanofPDF.com
Marlo

A mix of light chatter, friendly laughter, and soft rock music filled the
tattoo shop as excited clients had ink permanently put on their bodies.
I stood at the front desk looking over the schedule for the next few days,
glancing up every so often to witness the magic of art and trust.
Perhaps, that was one of the most rewarding parts of being a tattoo artist.
Our work became a permanent part of these people’s lives. It was a huge
change and risk, and I was facing that myself.
Despite how happy I felt about having Madison back in me and the other
guys’ lives, I couldn’t shake the wary feeling that lingered in the back of my
mind. I hadn’t been looking to get seriously involved with someone any
time soon as I continued focusing on my sobriety and supporting the guys,
who had become part of my family. When it came to Madison, I wasn’t a
fool. I knew there was something going on between us and her that was
more than just lust like it had been with other women.
We did whatever we could to protect her and to show her how beautiful and
cared for she was, and I hadn’t ever seen such deep, emotional behaviours
from the others before. She unlocked a whole other side to us, and it was
clear to me that it would be impossible to remain professional and casual
with her. Things had gotten too personal.
In the week we had watched over her and Chloe, we had gotten closer to
both of them. We took turns telling Chloe bedtime stories and showed her
some of our various hobbies since she had a fascination for trying anything
and everything. We learned Madison’s and Chloe’s routines, and everything
worked like a well-oiled machine. Gradually, things started becoming less
about just providing security and more about fitting in with each other’s
lives.
When did that transition happen? How deep would these feelings get? I
didn’t have any clear answers for myself, which worried me even more. I
couldn’t prepare for what came next, and I couldn’t help but worry that my
past mistakes and my struggles with addiction would somehow come back
and haunt me. I worried it would ruin the great thing I had going with
Madison and her happy daughter.
Madison and Chloe were so innocent and happy and pure, and me and the
guys had dark, complicated pasts. We’d committed crimes, hurt other
people, and made selfish decisions. We had nearly ruined our own lives, and
I didn’t want any of us to have any sort of bad influence on the two of them.
I could tell I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, but when Madison
called, we still answered.
“Hey, are you guys busy tonight?” Madison’s voice sounded from my
phone speaker once I picked up the phone when her call came through,
stealing my attention away from the others.
“I don’t think so. Why?” I replied, feeling the distinct heavy thump of my
heart as I listened to her speak. It was hard to shake this woman. Even if it
was probably for the best for her, I couldn’t bring myself to get away from
her, especially when there might still be a threat after her and Chloe.
“Well, Chloe is going to Aisling’s place for dinner because Aisling
promised to teach her how to make sushi, so I was thinking about making
dinner for you and the guys. As a thank you,” Madison said, sounding
hopeful.
I lifted an eyebrow out of curiosity.
“A thank you?” I asked.
“For taking care of me the other day. Really good care of me,” Madison
said with a bashful laugh.
I couldn’t help but smile as that very fond memory entered my head. It was
mind-blowing watching her with the others, listening to her beautiful moans
and watching her body writhe in pleasure. I held myself back that day, but I
didn’t know if I could do it again.
“It was our pleasure,” I assured her.
“And mine,” Madison laughed. “So, what do you say? Dinner at my place
at seven?”
“We’ll be there,” I said, knowing that the guys would drop any plans they
happened to have if they knew that Madison wanted us to be with her.
“Great! See you soon,” Madison told me before hanging up.
As expected, all of the guys were on board to go after work, and we arrived
right on time. Madison opened the door, dressed in a flowy, dark blue dress
with her hair fixed into a high ponytail.
“Thanks for coming,” she told us as she took a few steps back to let us pour
into the house.
Really, there was no point in making room because each of us greeted her in
some way. An embrace. A kiss on the cheek. A peck on the top of the hand.
By the time the seven of us piled up at the oval-shaped dining table right
next to the kitchen, she had a light blush on her cheeks.
“Smells awesome,” Bryce said as he leaned forward to admire the spread of
roasted chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, and rolls fresh from the
oven. It was so fresh that steam was still rolling off the food, filling the
house with a delicious, savory scent.
“Looks awesome,” Baker added with an eager look on his face.
As Madison went to sit between Taj and Ti, Taj reached out to take
Madison’s hand, guiding her down into her seat before giving her hand a
squeeze.
“You didn’t have to do all this for us, princess,” he told her with a grateful
smile.
Madison smiled back and shook her head before looking between all of us.
“I wanted to. You guys have done so much for me and Chloe, and I’m really
grateful,” she expressed sincerely.
“Didn’t you say something about her being in a play soon?” Marcus asked
from across the table.
Madison perked up and nodded.
“It’s so cute. It’s about a forest full of animals finding a magical tree, and
she’ll play a little mouse,” she gushed.
Chuckles sounded around the table, and a warm sensation filled my chest at
the thought of Chloe with whiskers drawn on her face and a set of ears on
top of her head. She was so much like her mother in so many ways, and I
felt honored that Madison let us interact with her so much. I knew how
protective she could be.
“Well, she’ll obviously be the most talented kid up on that stage,” Ti
pointed out as he flashed her a wink.
Madison pressed her teeth into her bottom lip shyly before glancing down
and shrugging.
“If any of you wanted to come, I know she’d be so excited. She always asks
when you guys are coming back over,” she said.
“We’ll come,” I assured her. Maybe I shouldn’t be inserting myself into
their lives so much, but I wanted to be there for both of them. There was
nothing I wanted more than that. “We’ll cheer the loudest.”
“Oh, I bet,” Madison laughed before gesturing to the food. “Dig in. I baked
an apple pie too.”
“Holy shit, you’re the best,” Bryce told her before grabbing a roll from the
large wooden bowl full of them.
“You could be a chef,” Taj pointed out.
Madison waved her hands dismissively with a blushing face.
“I’m just a waitress,” she replied.
“How’s that going? No creepy guys are bothering you, right?” Baker asked
as he lifted an eyebrow.
Madison laughed softly and shook her head.
“No creepy guys. I’ve been making some good tips lately, so it’s been going
well,” she replied, sounding cheerful.
“Because you’re amazing at what you do,” Bryce told her with a wink.
Ti nodded in agreement.
“Waitresses have to deal with a lot. If they’re tipping well, they really like
you,” he said before smirking a little. “I don’t blame them.”
Madison smiled in a bashful manner before gesturing to the food.
“Let’s eat before it gets cold. I know you guys are starving,” she
encouraged us. She didn’t have to tell us twice.
Between the eight of us, all of the food was quickly claimed, and she was a
hell of a cook. The chicken was tender and moist, the sides complemented
the main course well, and even the rolls were perfectly baked. I couldn’t
remember the last time I had what felt like a family dinner.
A sudden swell of emotion filled my chest as I looked around at everyone,
realizing that almost all of the most important people in my life were in this
room. I couldn’t imagine living without them, and I wanted more moments
like this. I could live the rest of my life immersed in this warm, comfortable
atmosphere.
“We should do this more often,” I spoke up. “But we’ll help you out. This is
a lot of work for one person.”
“You guys are always welcome here,” Madison reminded us. “Feels more
like home with you here.”
“Well, I can’t think of anywhere I like to be more,” Gus commented before
biting into his roll, leaning back in his chair like he lived here.
“Good,” Madison said with a joyful expression on her face. She went back
to eating, listening to us chat about our days before talking about what she
had been up to. She worked a lot and spent most of her time with Chloe, but
we all made time for each other. It helped that we still took shifts to watch
over her, but instead of standing on the porch, we crashed at the house to
keep a close eye on things.
Madison split her sweet apple pie into eight pieces, and it was so warm and
sugary that it melted in my mouth. She had a proud look on her face as she
watched us thoroughly enjoy her cooking, and I realized that as the days
went on, she seemed to glow more and more.
Maybe me and the guys weren’t the only ones experiencing growing
feelings. Maybe there really was something deep and meaningful happening
between us, but could that spark survive? Could we keep the darkness of
our pasts from overtaking this good thing we had? As much as I wanted to
choose my own answer, I very much knew that life just didn’t work that
way.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 14

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

W ith a slow inhale, I reveled in the crisp morning air as Chloe and I
roamed down the main street of our neighborhood.
With the sun shining and only a few clouds in the light blue sky, I felt like
today was going to be a good day. The last two weeks had been uneventful
regarding danger and threats, and I felt safer than ever because of the guys.
Only people with a death wish would mess with seven ex-cons.
“I want to paint today,” Chloe told me as she held my hand, her pink
sneakers thumping against the sidewalk.
“Oh, yeah? What do you want to paint?” I asked her. I was used to her
telling me what activity she wanted to do each day. Sometimes, she did the
same activity for a week or two. Other weeks, she did something new each
day.
Chloe hummed in wonder before perking up.
“A peacock! Like the one Taj has,” she replied.
I smiled and nodded, warmth blooming in my chest. She seemed pretty
fond of all the guys, who never ignored her and always went out of their
way to talk to her or compliment her on something she made or did. The
fact that they were tattoo artists had inspired her to do a lot of art-driven
activities lately like drawing and painting.
“That sounds awesome. I think he’s coming by tomorrow if you want to
show him,” I told her. Ti left early this morning, and the next shift of guys
would arrive soon.
Chloe nodded enthusiastically as I took her around the corner down a
quieter street. It seemed like most people were asleep on this quiet Saturday
morning.
“Can Ti bring Shadow?” she asked.
Spiders still sort of freaked me out, but Ti loved his tarantula, Shadow, and
Chloe was fearless when it came to animals or insects. As much as I feared
having a spider loose in the house, I knew how particular and disciplined Ti
was about his beloved creatures. I parted my lips to answer, but the sound
of tires squealing to a stop and quick, heavy footsteps behind me made the
words die in my throat.
Suddenly, I was grabbed and shoved to the side, my body hitting the street
and knocking a pained cry from me. I lifted my head to see a masked man
lunge at Chloe, grabbing her arms and trying to yank her close to pick her
up.
“No! Chloe!” I screamed as I started pushing myself up to my feet, my
adrenaline masking the pain that shot through my body. I didn’t care if I
broke bones or put my life on the line against this dangerous person. I was
going to get to my daughter one way or another. With gritted teeth and
teary, narrowed eyes, I managed to take a few pained steps toward the man.
“Let my daughter go!”
“Mommy!” Chloe shouted as she struggled against the man, frightened
tears filling her eyes.
The sound of her cry made my stomach twist, nearly making me choke on
my tears, but I still pushed myself forward another few steps. My legs
threatened to give out under me, but I slammed my palms down on the
asphalt to push myself back upright, sheer determination driving me.
The man grunted in exertion and managed to throw Chloe over his shoulder.
He started running to a black car with tinted windows parked in the middle
of the street, but he didn’t even make it off the sidewalk before he faced off
with Marcus and Gus, who were panting from sprinting.
“Put her down, or I swear I’ll make you regret laying a finger on her!”
Marcus demanded, seething with anger.
Gus narrowed his eyes, tightening his hands into fists.
The man made the bad move of trying to dart around Marcus and Gus, and
he was quickly intercepted.
Marcus wrapped his arms around the man’s torso, dragging him to a stop,
while Gus pried Chloe out of the man’s arms. Gus cradled Chloe against his
large chest, her cries muffled against his shirt.
The man swung at Marcus, who easily ducked and dealt a harsh punch to
the man’s stomach. He advanced to deal even more damage, but the man
spun around and raced around to the driver’s seat of the car, locking himself
in and tearing off down the street.
“Chloe!” I cried as I ran over to Gus, who gently gave Chloe over to me.
“She’s okay,” Gus promised me, having already checked over Chloe for
injuries.
“I’m so sorry, baby. I won’t let anyone take you ever again,” I told her as
tears rolled down my cheeks, a sense of defeat crushing me. She had almost
been taken. What if I never saw her again? How could I fail like that? It all
happened so fast!
Chloe buried her face in my shoulder, crying and whimpering into my shirt.
She grabbed the material in tight handfuls like she was afraid of being torn
away from me, but I didn’t even care if she ended up stretching or ripping
the fabric. I just wanted her to feel safe again.
“Come on. Let’s get back to the shop in case he comes back with others,”
Marcus said as he hurried over to me, wrapping his arm around my back
and guiding me to Gus’s Ford truck that they both arrived in. He opened the
back door for me and helped me buckle Chloe in since my hands were
shaking so badly. “It’s okay. You’re both okay.”
I sniffled and shook my head as he buckled me in too.
“He almost took her from me. And I don’t even know who he is!” I told
him, panic rising in my chest.
Marcus cupped my face.
“We’re going to figure it out. I promise,” he swore to me before kissing me
on the forehead and getting into the passenger’s seat. He looked over at
Gus, who hit the gas right when Marcus shut the door. “We need to tell the
others. We have to figure this out for real.”
Gus nodded.
“Motherf—” Gus cut himself off as he glanced in the rearview mirror at
Chloe. “Dude is going down.”
The drive to the tattoo shop felt like it went by in a blink, my head feeling
spacey and heavy. My eyes shifted to the rearview mirror to watch Chloe.
She was jarringly quiet as tears continued to roll down her cheek, her
bottom lip trembling. It was like she was too exhausted to sob, swept up in
the traumatic feelings that were probably hitting her now that she had a
moment to process what had just happened.
I kept thinking about the moment I watched that man take off running with
my crying daughter over his shoulder. I thought it was over. That I wouldn’t
ever see her again. That feeling made my stomach twist and my heart sink. I
never wanted to experience it again.
When Gus shut off his truck, he and Marcus stayed right by my side,
knowing I’d want to keep Chloe in my arms right now. She was visibly
exhausted with dried tear trails on her cheeks, being quieter than usual. Her
eyelids drooped slightly as she rested her head on my shoulder.
“Hey, look who it is,” Bryce called out from his table as the others either
did work at the front desk or tidied up their stations.
The guys started to perk up until they noticed the grave looks on Marcus’s
and Gus’s faces and the traumatized look on mine as I held my daughter
protectively.
“What happened?” Marlo asked as he strode over, his authoritative presence
seeming to take over the entire shop.
“Someone attacked Madison and Chloe and tried to take Chloe,” Marcus
said in a quiet voice once everyone gathered around.
“What?” Marlo nearly hissed the word as his eyes narrowed. His jaw
visibly tensed, his nose flaring as pure rage filled his face.
“Let me take her,” Taj offered as he stepped closer to me, sensing that
things were about to get intense.
I tensed at first, but when I saw Taj’s gentle expression and felt his hand on
my arm, I relented and handed Chloe over to him. My eyes trailed them all
the way to Taj’s station until Taj set Chloe on his table and pulled some
washable markers out of his drawer to entertain her with. I released a shaky
breath, trying to relax now that Chloe was extra safe.
“I don’t understand what’s going on. This person… I don’t know why he’s
doing this to me and my daughter,” I said as more tears filled my eyes.
Marlo stepped away for a moment, running his hand over his shaved hand.
He shook his head, anger still radiating off him. He then took in a breath
and walked back over to me, tilting my chin up to press a lingering kiss
against my lips that took me by surprise.
However, it didn’t take me long to melt into the comforting touch. When we
broke apart, I gave him a grateful look.
“We’re going to get to the bottom of this. You and Chloe will be safe,” he
promised me.
With every fiber of my being, I believed him. I nodded and let the other
guys come forward and embrace me, telling me comforting things and
making promises only lovers would make. I was grateful for every single
one of them.
“There’s an attic right above the shop. It’s been cleaned out and renovated
as an extra room in case any of us need to crash here. I think you and Chloe
should stay there until we figure out who’s after you,” Marlo suggested
once I pulled away from Baker.
It would be a big change, but it was temporary, and I could be comforted by
the fact that the guys would be around a lot. Chloe would be safer here, and
that sold me.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely before looking over at Chloe, my fear
clashing with my hope. Maybe we could get this all figured out soon.
Hopefully.
While Taj stayed with Chloe, Marlo, Gus, and the twins left the tattoo shop
to grab some things at my house, leaving me with Marcus and Ti, who
showed me up to the attic.
“Woah,” I gasped once my foot left the last slightly creak step on the stairs
leading up to the attic. My eyes swept around the cozy, little haven with its
soft, golden lighting, vintage furniture, and quirky art pieces plastered on
the light gray walls. A fuzzy, black, circular rug occupied the middle of the
room between the queen-sized bed covered with blue-gray sheets, a wooden
writing desk, a velvet loveseat, and an old armoire. It felt like I was
transported to another time period, separating me from reality for a second.
“This is… unexpected.”
“Marlo likes collecting vintage stuff. Furniture, records, you name it. He’ll
spend an hour or two at thrift stores or flea markets trying to hunt down this
kind of stuff that people just want to get rid of for newer things,” Ti
explained.
“Definitely the old soul out of all of us,” Marcus replied with a wry grin.
I couldn’t help but smile a little. I loved all the little unique things about
them. Their hobbies. Their interests. Their pasts.
“It’s amazing,” I said as I continued to admire the comforting, dated space.
Silence lingered in the attic for a few seconds before Marcus spoke.
“If you need anything, just let us know,” Marcus told me.
Ti nodded and took my hand, guiding me to sit on the edge of the bed. He
stood in front of me, peering down at me with even more intense eyes than
usual. His eyebrows furrowed as he thought to himself.
“Do you think you personally know the person coming after you and
Chloe?” he asked.
I swallowed hard as I shrugged, wishing I knew a definite answer.
“I don’t know. Maybe,” I said. “But he wears a mask and black clothes. I
can’t make out any features.”
“What are you thinking, Ti?” Marcus asked as he walked over to his friend.
Ti crossed his arms and shook his head.
“I just want to get to the bottom of this. I don’t think this is some random
stalker. This is something… darker,” he murmured.
Tears started filling my eyes because I believed that he was right. We were
really in trouble, and I felt so helpless because I couldn’t protect my
daughter myself like I wished I could.
“I’m really scared,” I admitted.
Ti moved forward and crouched in front of me, placing his hands on my
knees as he gazed up at me.
“Don’t be. I’m going to get to the bottom of this,” he promised me. They
were all smart in their own ways, but Ti was sharp. “I used to dig around for
information to hurt other people for money. Before I knew it, I was being
charged for white collar crime and being yet another criminal that came out
of the foster care system. I don’t want to be that person anymore. I’m going
to do what I do best to help instead.”
His genuine honesty touched me, prompting me to nod and press my
forehead against his.
“Thank you,” I said, feeling Marcus sit down next to me.
We sat there for a while, thinking quietly to ourselves as we grasped the
direness and danger of this situation. This was unlike anything we had ever
been through before, and all I hoped was that we made it out on the other
side in one piece.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 15

OceanofPDF.com
Ti

T he full moon glowed up in the dark sky above me as I walked toward a


cement tunnel under a quiet bridge, only hearing the faint thuds of my
black boots against the gravel beneath my feet.
I didn’t expect to call in a favor from someone from my past, but I was a
better man now. And I wanted to make sure I could keep Madison and
Chloe safe.
As I entered the tunnel, which was full of dust, stray leaves, and random
puddles, I saw a shadow appear at the other end, making me pause as the
dark features became familiar ones. Relaxing my shoulders, I approached
the tall, lean man that used to be my friend in crime. We hadn’t spoken
since I’d been arrested, but I could trust him for this.
“Nick,” I greeted him with a quick handshake.
“Ti. Thought I’d never hear from you again,” Nick said as he tilted his head
at me. He had cut his curly, dark hair, his skinny build tucked away in a
black trench coat.
“Me either,” I replied honestly. “Did you find what I was asking about?”
Nick nodded as he tucked his hands in his pockets, looking up and down the
tunnel before turning back to me. Over the past week, I had been doing a lot
of digging and research, waking up early and staying up late to do a deep
dive in Madison’s past and anyone who she ever had problems with. I kept
her in the loop the entire time, wanting her to know that I was doing
everything in my power to keep her and her daughter safe.
“I looked into that ex-boyfriend of hers. You’re right that he’s up to
something,” Nick told me, making my jaw tighten. “He’s planning to run
for city councilor.”
My eyebrows lifted in surprise.
“Seriously? He’s about to run a campaign?” I asked, making sure I heard
him right. The tricky bastard!
Nick smirked a little and nodded.
“Oh, yeah. I got some info on some of the ads they’re preparing to publish,
and he’s painting himself as the typical patriotic family man,” he replied.
“Family man… that son of a bitch. He’s trying to get Chloe back to make
him look better!” I bit out, heated anger etching up my neck to my face. I
knew that something dark and twisted was going on, but I didn’t expect
this. I didn’t expect that Chloe was going to be used as a pawn.
“Whatever you plan on doing, I’d recommend doing it fast. He’s planning
on announcing his campaign soon, so you know he’ll push harder to get the
kid,” Nick pointed out.
I took in a deep breath to calm myself before nodding and slapping hands
with Nick.
“Thank you,” I told him. I would’ve done the close snooping myself, but
that was too risky since I was… involved with Madison.
I didn’t know what to call the relationship between me, the other guys, and
Madison. It was loving, familial, supportive, and intimate, but there wasn’t
a clear title yet. What I did know was that my feelings for her deepened by
the day, and there was nothing that I could do to stop that.
Hell, I didn’t want to.
When I got back to the tattoo shop, it was around two in the morning, but I
didn’t go to sleep. Gus was asleep on the loveseat upstairs to watch over
Chloe and Madison as they slept, so I lay down on my tattoo table, peering
up at the dark ceiling with a million thoughts in my mind. I didn’t know
what to do next about Madison’s ex.
I knew what I wanted to do, but I wasn’t a violent man. I refused to stoop
that low, especially when a smart, curious little girl watched my every
move. Chloe would learn a lot from me and the others, so we were on our
best behavior so that she learned right from wrong correctly early on.
It was ironic to me that Chloe would learn more about right from wrong
from a bunch of ex-cons rather than from her own father. He was one of the
worst types of human beings, using his own child for his political and
financial benefit. I had stooped low before during my darkest moments, but
I would never even think about going that low.
When the sun started to rise, I heard quiet steps from the staircase,
prompting me to sit up as Madison walked into the tattoo shop with her hair
in a bun. I gave her a hint of a smile, inviting her to come over to me. Once
she was close enough, I got off the table and cupped her face, pulling her
into a deep kiss.
Madison leaned into me, her fingertips trailing down my neck to brush over
the spider tattoo. The touch sent a flare of heat through me, but I had too
much on my mind to tease her.
I pulled back and stroked her cheeks with my thumbs.
“I’m going to call the guys. We need to talk, doll,” I murmured in a quiet
voice.
Worry immediately filled Madison’s eyes, but she swallowed hard and
nodded. While she went to fix herself a cup of coffee, I reached out to the
other five guys, telling them to get to the shop as soon as they could.
Luckily, all I had to do was nudge Gus awake and have him join all of us
downstairs while Chloe still slept.
“As you guys know, I’ve been doing some digging around to try to figure
out who is threatening Madison and Chloe,” I said as I stood in front of
them in the middle of the shop, joining my hands together in a serious
motion. “And I figured it out. Madison’s ex-boyfriend and Chloe’s father,
Michael Ladnier, is planning on running for city councilor, and he’s going
to use Chloe to make his image look better to voters.”
“That bastard,” Baker gritted out.
“He’s not going to get away with this,” Marcus spoke up next, tensions
rising as the guys bit out sharp comments of defiance. There wasn’t a calm
soul in the room.
Madison hadn’t said anything yet, only able to stare off in the distance with
wide, troubled eyes. She placed her hand over her mouth slowly, taking a
tiny step back and nearly stumbling from that as her legs threatened to give
out.
Bryce wrapped his arm around her to keep upright.
“It’s okay. We’ve got you,” he assured her.
Madison’s breathing started getting quicker and weaker as she shook her
head.
“No, you don’t understand. He has friends in the police force. He has more
connections than I can even imagine, and he’ll use them against me!” she
said as tears started breaking from her eyes. She pulled away from Bryce
abruptly only to crash into Marcus.
Marcus grabbed her upper arms and leaned close to her.
“Madison, look at me,” he said in a firm voice.
Madison sniffled as her gleaming eyes lifted to his.
“Years ago, my sister was with an abusive man. He did everything in her
power to break her down,” Marcus told her before his expression darkened.
“But I broke him instead. I made sure he never stepped foot near my sister
again, and I can promise you that you have me and six other guys who will
do the same to your ex if he even thinks about getting too close to you and
Chloe.”
Madison peered into Marcus’s eyes for a few seconds in silence before
looking around at the rest of us. As if she was looking for confirmation.
“He’s right,” I told her. “We’re not letting you out of our sight.”
Madison looked upward where Chloe was still sleeping.
“I don’t care about me. I care about her. Please, help me protect her,” she
begged us.
“No one is going to hurt her or take her,” Marlo assured her as Marcus
released her. “In fact, protecting both of you will be easier now that we
know what we’re up against. We’re not in the dark anymore.”
Madison still looked wary, but she nodded and took a seat on my stool.
“I wish my ex was just some regular guy with an attitude, but he’s not going
to give up. He’s going to throw everything he can at us, especially when he
figures out you guys are helping me,” she warned us. “I don’t want
anything bad happening to you guys.”
I walked closer to her and shook my head.
“Bad things have already happened to us. Mostly due to our own mistakes.
If we can do something good with ourselves, we’ll do it for you and Chloe,”
I replied, needing her to let go and let us help her. She worried so much
about other people, and her caring nature was admirable, but she had to let
us run into the fire with her.
Madison ran her fingers through her hair as her tears dried on her cheeks.
She slowly nodded, and her jaw tightened as she clenched her teeth. Now,
she looked like a lioness about to kill for her cub.
“Then, it’s war.”

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 16

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

I tMichael
felt like my world was rocked the moment it was confirmed that
was the one behind this insane situation that endangered both me
and my child.
I had my suspicions, but I didn’t think that he would stoop to such a low
level of taking an interest in his daughter for the first time in her life just to
use her for political gain. That still blew my mind.
He was so different when we first started dating, but he got a taste of power
and money, and he became addicted to it. He loved towering above others
and abusing his authority, and he was going to do the same thing as city
councilor. He had a talent for tricking people into seeing him in a better
light.
When we were together, he obviously made more money than I did, and if
he could find a way to hold that over my head, he did. He made it clear to
me that I couldn’t survive without him and that Chloe would suffer if only I
was providing for her. It made me wary about leaving for a while, but I
knew that I could do it.
I ignored his claims that I wouldn’t make it as a single mom. That he was
the college-educated one and that I wasn’t, so he would always have an
advantage. I stopped listening when he shamed me for buying things for
myself instead of getting things for him since he worked so long and hard at
the office. It was all manipulation.
Despite my worries about him and what he was up to, I tried to go about my
life as normally as I could for Chloe’s sake. It was already a big adjustment
temporarily moving to the attic of the tattoo shop, but Chloe saw it as an
adventure and an excuse to pester the guys as much as she could. I knew it
was risky letting her get so attached to the seven of them, but it was hard to
keep her away from them when they were doing everything in their power
to protect us.
My feelings for them continued to get more and more complicated,
especially as our relationship became more romantic and sexual. They made
me experience things and feelings that I hadn’t experienced before, and
when I forgot about my troubles, I was happier than ever with them. With
each of them.
Marlo was comforting and level-headed, and he grounded me in a way that
made me feel like I had some sort of control over my life. Having him by
my side made the world feel easier to face. With Marcus, I knew that no
harm would ever come to me and Chloe. He was a protector, disciplined
and persistent. He made me feel so safe. And Gus was strong and sweet at
the same time, even if he looked pretty intimidating. He always made sure I
was okay.
Despite being twins, my relationships with Baker and Bryce were different.
Bryce was a master at humor, and he made me laugh to the point of crying.
He always lifted my spirits. Baker was honest and smart, and I loved brains
in a guy. Watching him work on crossword puzzles or sudoku never failed
to put a smile on my face.
Taj brought out creativity in me, helping me see the world in so many hues
of color, so many shades of emotion. He was a hard worker with something
to prove, and I endlessly admired his work ethic and dedication. Ti, with all
of his little critters and cool, calm demeanor, always kept me on my toes.
With his sense of fashion and effortless charm, he never failed to make me
swoon.
They were all so different, but the strong feeling I had for all of them was
the same. It was deep, intense, and serious, and that scared part of me.
How could I have feelings for all of them? How could that work without me
messing up the dynamic they had between them for years now? I didn’t
want to drive a wedge between them from jealousy, so I didn’t say anything
about my feelings. I just tried to focus on keeping my life somewhat
together for my daughter.
Though, I couldn’t stop the fantasies of having a happy life with the seven
of them from breaking into my mind from time to time. Leah had ended up
with six great guys who loved her and treated her right, so I couldn’t help
but wonder if I could have something like that with the seven tattoo artists I
had feelings for. Even if that still sounded crazy.
While Chloe was at school today, I decided to hang out with Taj at the
tattoo shop rather than hide out in my room. Per the guys’ request, I took
some time off work and told my mom and Aisling that I was sick to lower
suspicions.
“What’s all this stuff?” I asked Taj as I peered down into one of the open
drawers at his station.
Taj spun his stool around to face me, his loose, white tank top hanging off
his lean but muscular body.
“My piercing equipment,” he replied.
I cocked an eyebrow at him out of interest.
“You do piercings?” I asked.
Taj grinned with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Sure do. Want to get one?” he replied playfully.
I didn’t answer immediately and shrugged before motioning to my ears.
“I’ve only had my ears done. I haven’t really considered getting anything
else done,” I admitted. It took me forever to get a tattoo!
Taj patted his tattoo table, motioning for me to take a seat as he pushed his
stool closer.
“If you could get any piercing, what would you get?” he questioned me
with a genuinely curious look on his face.
My face immediately burned red as an embarrassed laugh broke from me.
“Okay, I did have this rebellious thought once when I was like nineteen,” I
admitted before looking away from him. “I wanted to get my nipples
pierced.”
Taj feigned a shocked look before patting the side of my thigh.
“You naughty girl,” he teased me with a chuckle. “You’d look sexy with
nipple piercings, baby. You should get them!”
I smirked and shook my head.
“You’re a bad influence, Taj,” I said.
“A bad influence with the right equipment to make your dreams come true,”
Taj pointed out as he lifted his eyebrows.
I couldn’t exactly think of any reasons to say no besides being nervous.
They would be hidden. I could take them out if I didn’t like them. Plus, the
thought of him piercing my nipples strangely turned me on a little.
“You’re terrible,” I teased him before pulling my T-shirt off and unclasping
my bra, leaving myself in jean shorts and sneakers.
Taj let his eyes rest on me for a few moments, shamelessly checking me
out.
“I’ll be as terrible as possible if it still leads to you shirtless on my table,”
he chuckled as he started taking his supplies out to put on his tray.
I laughed and brushed my hair behind my shoulders.
“Look at me… getting my nipples pierced amidst the pure chaos going on
in my life,” I sighed. “And my little sister is winning hockey tournaments
around the world and passing her classes at Yale with flying colors.”
“Uh oh. You sound like me with my older brothers,” Taj said as he pulled
black, latex gloves on.
“Are you the jealous sibling who thinks you didn’t succeed as much as the
others?” I asked.
Taj nodded after a few moments, his energetic glow fading slightly.
“You hit that right on the head. My eldest brother is an accountant. The
other is in medical school,” Taj told me as he arranged the piercings on his
tray. “And I get arrested for theft in college for stealing a school laptop.”
“A school laptop?” I replied.
“I got plenty of scholarships for tuition, but I didn’t have enough money for
a laptop. Nowadays, you need some sort of computer or laptop to do half of
your schoolwork. They had these old ones they were switching out for new
ones in the business study lounges, and I stole one because I figured they
were just going to throw them out,” Taj told me before shaking his head in
shame. “I was tired of spending hours in those study lounges using the
school-provided ones. Everyone knew I couldn’t afford one, and I just
wanted to study with friends or do work wherever I wanted. It was…
idiotic.”
I reached out and grabbed his arm, drawing his eyes to mine.
“You just made a bad decision. Everyone makes bad decisions,” I assured
him. “You’re not a bad person for wanting a comfortable college
experience.”
“My parents pretty much outcasted me after that. We’re second generation,
but my family still feels like we have something to prove to belong here,”
Taj said. “All I can do is not mess up again. That’s why I focus on art.”
“Well, I’m your canvas today. Specifically my nipples,” I replied as I gave
him a smile to cheer him up.
Taj lightened up and chuckled.
“Best canvas,” he said before cleaning my left nipple and marking it with a
purple marker. He then positioned the clamp and held the needle on one
side between his forefinger and thumb. “Just don’t forget to breathe.”
I subtly nodded and kept my eyes over his head, not wanting to look at the
needle. My body automatically wanted to tense up, but I did my best not to
be as stiff as a statue.
“I’m ready,” I told him, reminding myself that it was going to be quick.
“One, two, three. Small pinch,” Taj said before pushing the needle through,
moving swiftly to pull the barbell through next. “Hell yeah. Took that like a
champ.”
I released a shaky breath as he secured the ball on the other end of the
barbell, my nipple feeling hot and sore already.
“Ouch,” I squeaked out as I looked down at my pierced nipple, my eyes
widening in surprise. I knew that it happened, but woah!
“Piece of cake, baby,” Taj chuckled, looking like he was having the time of
his life as he prepared my right nipple.
“For you,” I laughed, heat rolling through me as he touched me. Even if he
was being professional, he was still turning me on, especially with him
being so close to me. I could smell his citrusy cologne, and I had to keep
myself from hooking my legs around his waist and pulling him closer.
“One more,” Taj said as he positioned the clamp again. He counted down
again before piercing my right nipple, adjusting the barbell afterward before
stepping back to admire his work. “Beautiful.”
I smiled in an amused manner when he kissed the tips of his fingers.
“That was pretty intense,” I told him as I crossed my legs.
Taj cocked an eyebrow at me before grinning in a devilish manner.
“Let me get some ice. It’ll help with the pain,” he replied before walking
toward the back room.
While he was gone, I took a moment to turn my body toward the mirror on
the wall, admiring the silver barbells that now adorned my hard nipples.
Honestly, they suited me, and I felt a jolt of confidence.
Taj walked back toward me with an ice cube between his fingertips. When
he reached me, he slipped between my legs and gently swirled the ice cube
around my left nipple.
“You did really good,” he murmured as his free hand settled on my upper
thigh.
“Maybe I should be rewarded,” I replied as our eyes met.
Taj shot me an amused but intrigued look as his fingers etched up my thigh.
“Oh, really?” he said as he leaned closer. The ice on my nipple started to
slowly melt, cold water coursing down my breast and stomach and
stimulating me even more. “I think so too.”
I nearly sighed in relief when his lips finally met mine. I could taste the
peppermint he had in his mouth earlier, my tongue brushing his. My body
started warming up all over as his hand teasingly brushed between my
thighs before undoing my jean shorts. I parted my legs more, leaning back
to let him slip his hand into my panties.
“Oh…” I moaned as his fingers sought out my clit, rubbing slow circles as
he moved the ice cube to the other nipple.
“Already so wet for me,” Taj murmured, sliding his fingers through my
wetness before returning to my clit.
I gripped his tank top in two tight handfuls, arching my back and pushing
my hips forward needily.
“Feels so good,” I told him. Between his fingers on my clit and the ice on
my nipples, I was so sensitive to the touch, on the verge of writhing.
“I bet it does, baby,” Taj said, watching the water from the ice cube glide
down my body. “I want you to ride me. How does that sound?”
I nodded eagerly before feeling two of his fingers push inside of me, curling
deep to prepare me. I tugged at his tank top until he stripped it off, leaving
him in his black jeans.
“I don’t want to wait any longer,” I nearly whined the words, wanting him
to replace his fingers with his cock.
Taj drew away once the ice cube had fully melted. He grabbed the waist of
my shorts and panties and tugged them off in one smooth motion before
undoing his belt and jeans. He sat on his tattoo table and helped me straddle
him, positioning my knees on the table.
“Oh, yes. That’s it,” he said as he dragged the head of his cock through my
folds. He found my entrance and slowly pushed inside of me.
I tilted my head back in pure pleasure, prompting him to lean forward and
kiss my neck. He was careful of my nipples, grabbing my ass and my hips
instead of my breasts. Gradually, I started lifting myself before sinking right
back down. I repeated the motion over and over, bouncing on his lap as he
guided his movements with his hands.
Taj gazed up at me as my fingers roamed over his light brown skin, tracing
over his peacock tattoo and the lean muscle of his chest and arms.
“What a fucking masterpiece,” he murmured as he admired me. “I could
fuck you all day long.”
Fire ravaged my body as I listened to his dirty words. I moved my hands
into his dark hair, drawing him into a deep kiss as I moved faster. A tense
feeling intensified in my lower stomach, creating a throbbing sensation
between my thighs. I was right there.
“Taj… I’m so close,” I told him.
Taj wrapped his arm around my waist and started thrusting up into me,
slamming in hard and rough just like I needed.
With an echoing moan, I fell apart on top of him, my body tensing to its
max. I sank my nails into his shoulders as he shoved me down on his cock
right before spilling inside of me. Another jolt of bliss hit me as I dropped
my forehead down to his shoulder, enjoying how full I felt.
“I should’ve known getting my nipples pierced would lead to this,” I
laughed.
“They do look sexy,” Taj chuckled as he ran his hands up my back.
I lifted my head and gave him a mischievous look.
“I’d bet the others would like them too,” I commented.
Taj grinned, knowing exactly what I was hinting at.
“Only one way to find out.”
OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 17

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

O nce the other six guys arrived, we finally moved to the attic to have
some fun in an actual bed. It was fun messing around in the tattoo shop
and giving them some hot memories to look back on while they were
working on clients, but a bed would accommodate more of us.
I wasn’t even nervous at the thought of being with all seven of them
anymore, knowing that everything would be at my pace.
Still spent from his orgasm, Taj sat at the desk, leaning back in the wooden
chair to watch me as Marlo, Baker, and Marcus knelt on the bed around me.
Baker and Marcus were on either side of me, groaning and admiring the
view of me naked below them as I stroked their cocks.
“Oh…” I gasped as Marlo buried his head between my legs, sucking on my
clit before dragging the flat of his tongue over it.
Ti and Bryce watched me from the loveseat with their hands down their
pants, while Gus leaned against the doorway to quietly admire me. The
atmosphere felt hot and heavy, my body feeling like a warm blanket was
cloaking it. With their eyes on me, I drank in the attention.
“Just like that, beautiful,” Baker praised me as he rocked into my fist.
Marcus hummed in pleasure, closing his eyes and leaning his head back.
Marlo explored every inch of me with his tongue, dipping the tip inside of
me and flicking against my clit. He then pushed his thumb inside of me,
keeping his tongue on my clit.
“Yes…” I moaned, my eyes fluttering shut.
“Uh uh. Open your eyes,” Baker told me. When my eyes found his, he
nodded in satisfaction and started pumping into my fist. “Stick your tongue
out.”
I did as he asked, offering the flat of my tongue as he came closer and
released. Warmth swirled in my stomach as he coated my tongue, and I felt
Marcus push his fingers into my hair to direct me to face him as he did the
same thing. A few spots tainted my lips and cheeks, but a blissful smile
crossed my face.
Marcus patted my cheek.
“Good girl,” he praised me.
“She’s about to be rewarded,” Marlo replied before replacing his thumb
with his cock. He thrusted into me, making a pleased cry break from my
lips.
I gripped the sheets on either side of me, throwing my head back as he
pounded into me. He didn’t hold back in the slightest, and I reveled in every
deep, fast thrust that made the pressure in the pit of my stomach intensify.
Between all of the teasing, I was already right on the verge of falling off the
edge.
“Don’t stop,” I begged Marlo.
Marlo cracked a grin that made me want to melt, shaking his head.
“Not until you come for me,” he replied before pressing his thumb against
my clit.
Bliss struck me like lightning, and I nearly writhed beneath him as I got
closer and closer to orgasm. My nails dug into his forearms as his free hand
gripped my waist, keeping me right where he wanted me. I met his eyes, a
whimper breaking from me when I saw how much darker his eyes looked.
“Come on, sweetheart. Fall apart for me,” Marlo told me before snapping
his hips hard.
I didn’t stand a chance. My orgasm tore through me the next second,
making my body tighten and tremble. My cries echoed throughout the attic,
my pleasure being drawn out when he finished with a muffled grunt. My
skin was hot to the touch, sweat threatening to line the crown of my head.
“Woah,” I breathed out with a pleased laugh, feeling like I was glowing.
Marlo leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss against my lips before my
ankles were suddenly grabbed, and I was flipped over onto my stomach.
With a gasp, I was pulled onto my hands and knees, my eyes darting around
as Gus, Bryce, and Ti moved around me. I let them position me how they
wanted me, leading me to straddle Gus as Bryce stood in front of me, and Ti
stood behind me. When I felt Ti’s hand strike my ass, I already knew what
was about to happen.
“Both of you?” I asked as I looked down at Gus.
“If you think you can handle it,” Gus replied, the corner of his mouth
turning up.
I did mention to them that I was interested. I looked over my shoulder at Ti
as he applied some lube to his fingers, a tremor of heat moving between my
thighs.
This was going to be fun.
While Ti prepared me, Gus rocked his cock through my folds, teasing my
clit as I stroked Bryce’s cock.
“I can’t believe I ever thought you were innocent,” Bryce chuckled as he
watched my hand move over his length.
“Can’t judge a book by its cover,” I pointed out before drawing in a deep
breath as Ti worked two fingers inside of my ass. It was a little easier to
relax now, but it was certainly a learning curve. Once he could fit three in, I
nodded. “I’m ready.”
Ti smirked and swatted at my ass again.
“Impatient girl,” he said before teasingly pressing the head of his cock
against my ass. “You might not even be able to handle us.”
I didn’t have the voice to reply because Gus slowly pushed himself inside
of me from below. An unsteady moan droned from me, my eyes briefly
fluttering shut as Bryce brushed his fingers through my hair. I then gazed up
at him as Ti worked himself inside, making me feel fuller than ever before.
My thighs threatened to shake as I screwed my eyes shut.
“You’re doing so good. Just breathe,” Bryce told me before leaning closer
to capture my lips in a searing kiss.
I focused on the cold metal of his lip ring against my lips as Gus and Ti
started to slowly move in and out of me, thrusting at different paces so that I
wasn’t left without a second of deep pressure and pleasure. I dug my
fingernails into Gus’s broad shoulders, moaning into Bryce’s mouth as the
discomfort started to melt into pure bliss.
“There you go,” Bryce said as his lips curled up in a smile. He pressed one
more peck against my lips before straightening up and sliding the head of
his cock past my lips. His fingers pulled my hair back from my face as he
gazed down at me. “Beautiful girl.”
I hummed around him as he slowly rocked into my mouth, pushing himself
deeper and deeper with each thrust. The back-and-forth movement from
Gus and Ti made me feel so warm that it was nearly dizzying, but I reveled
in the pleasure.
“So fucking good,” Ti groaned as he watched his cock disappear inside of
me. He gripped each side of my ass, digging his nails in to make me moan.
A low chuckle broke from him as he rocked himself deeper. “That’s it. Take
me.”
Gus moved his big hands up my torso, caressing my breasts and twisting
my nipples between his fingertips. He slowly thrusted up into me, but my
body naturally sank down on his cock as Ti took me from behind. We set up
a perfect system, and the room was full of pleased noises and the sound of
skin hitting skin.
“Feels good, huh? I love seeing you like this,” Bryce told me as he
tightened his grip in my hair, thrusting deeper into my mouth and making
tears form in my eyes.
I moaned around him, making him groan.
“That’s going to make me come. That and watching you take them at the
same time,” Bryce murmured as his eyes moved over me, enjoying the
show until he couldn’t take it anymore. He released with a grunt, holding
me steady with a hand in my hair until I took him all. He moved back and
collapsed at the head of the bed, resting his back against the headboard as
he caught this breath.
I dropped my head down to Gus’s shoulder, already feeling my own orgasm
ramp up. There was so much pressure, friction, and heat that I felt like I was
going to explode.
“Please… please…” I breathed out, unable to form another word. I just
needed to fall over the edge, to give in.
“You’re so close. I can feel it,” Ti murmured, before grabbing my hips and
slamming me back on his cock. He started pounding into me at the same
time as Gus, both of them determined to make me fall apart.
Hot tingles started to break across my entire body, the pressure finally
shattering. A broken moan burst from me as I collapsed on Gus’s chest,
unable to move besides shaking as they finished their last few thrusts before
spilling inside of me. When they pulled out of me, I didn’t think that I could
move, my head feeling light.
“I don’t think I can get up,” I told them.
Gus wrapped his arms around me and eased himself to the edge of the bed
before rising to his feet.
“We’ve got you,” he replied before carrying me toward the bathroom as I
heard someone turn the tub on.
With a smile on my face, I relaxed in his hold, knowing that no one else had
me like they did.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 18

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

T he soft sound of water moving filled the attic’s quaint bathroom as I


settled deeper into the clawfoot tub, letting the warm water envelop me
like a comforting blanket while Taj and Marlo crouched on either side of
me to keep me company.
The heat soothed all of my soreness and started making me feel drowsy, but
my thoughts were racing.
The dynamic I had with the guys now was so much more intense and
deeper than what it was when we first met. Back then, it was raw attraction,
nervousness, and excitement.
Now, my heart raced so much around them that it nearly ached because I
loved being around them so much. I… I was falling for them.
What else could it be? I missed them when we weren’t around each other,
which was rare. When I thought about the future, I saw them in it. Trying to
think of a future where they weren’t in my life made my stomach twist. And
not in a good way. I didn’t like thinking about that.
I glanced between Taj and Marlo, sharing smiles with them. I wondered if
they felt the same way about me. When they thought about their futures, did
they see me in it? Did they see Chloe?
I wished that I was brave enough to ask, but my throat tightened when I
even thought about asking them.
I supposed I just didn’t want to be rejected and heartbroken. I felt so safe
with them, and if they broke my heart, it would be a pain that I didn’t know
if I could handle.
“Marlo! Taj!” Marcus’s voice sounded from down in the tattoo shop.
Taj and Marlo shared a confused look with each other before rising to their
feet.
“We’ll be right back,” Marlo told me as he caressed the back of my head.
He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against my lips before heading
out of the bathroom.
“Probably just someone trying to do a walk-in,” Taj assured me before
kissing me briefly. He shot me a wink that slightly comforted me before
leaving me alone in the tub.
Slowly, my smile melted into a frown as I strained my ears, trying to hear
what was going on. I could hear muffled voices downstairs, but I didn’t
hear anyone unfamiliar. I doubted it was someone trying to get a tattoo
without booking an appointment, so I pulled the plug out of the drain and
grabbed a white towel hanging on a nearby rack so that I could go see what
was going on.
When I reached the tattoo shop, I saw the guys in a huddle, looking at
something in Marlo’s hands with grave looks on their faces. The
atmosphere was completely different down here than it was upstairs.
Intense. Angry. Stressed.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I approached them.
The guys moved to the side so that I could reach Marlo, who extended his
hand out to give me the piece of white paper with scratchy handwriting in
black ink on it that I immediately recognized.
My stomach twisted in knots as I looked down at the paper, the sound of my
heartbeat thudding in my ears as I read what Michael had written down.

Hand over Madison and Chloe or you’ll pay. Ask Madison. She knows I
don’t bluff. I’ll ruin all of you.
“Is he right? Does he not bluff?” Baker asked me with narrowed eyes.
I could feel the protective energy radiating off them, which comforted me,
but Michael’s threat hit me like a punch to the stomach. I knew what he was
like, and he could get scary when he didn’t get his way. He would
absolutely wage war if I didn’t go to him with Chloe.
“He doesn’t bluff,” I said quietly, my eyes sweeping over all of them.
“It doesn’t matter. There are seven of us. I don’t care if we need to have
eyes on her and Chloe 24/7. We’ll protect them,” Marcus replied as he
shook his head, his jaw tensing in determination.
Taj stepped closer to me and placed his hand on my back.
“He’s right. I know he makes you nervous, but we’re here for you now. You
don’t have to face him alone anymore,” he pointed out.
“I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you guys,” I said as my chest
grew tight. What if everything fell apart? What if Michael picked away at
everything good in my life until there was nothing left?
Ti moved to stand in front of me, his hands resting on my upper arms.
“Don’t worry about us. We’ve faced worse threats,” he replied in a steady
voice that made me feel like I could breathe again.
I looked around at the others, who seemed to share Ti’s opinion. They were
tough guys who had faced all sorts of demons. If they believed they could
help me push back against Michael, I believed them too. There was no one
else I wanted to turn to but them.
“Just be careful. He’s capable of more than you think,” I told them, needing
them to heed my warning. Michael was sneaky and would hit them in a way
they would least expect it, and I was sure he had some cards up his sleeve to
play. We had to be ready. We had to be smarter.
“We’ll be careful,” Gus assured me with his arms crossed over his chest.
I let out a long exhale, trying to keep myself from spiraling. Keeping calm
and having a clear head would help me out more than overthinking and
panicking. I checked the time on my phone and sighed.
“I promised Aisling I’d meet up with her for coffee before picking up
Chloe. I’ll be back soon,” I promised them, saying goodbye to each of them
with an embrace, a kiss, or a hand squeeze. I could tell they were wary to
have me leave, but they knew when to give me some space.
I headed out of the tattoo shop with sharp eyes, checking every corner and
behind my back until I got in my car.
I hated living this way, fearing for my life, the men I was falling for, and my
daughter. I just wanted this nightmare to be over, but something told me
that it had only just begun.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 19

OceanofPDF.com
Marlo

A fter Madison left, the guys and I busied ourselves with cleaning up the
tattoo shop, silence ringing throughout the building besides the scraping
of chairs across the floor or the light spraying sound of cleaner.
There was no easy approach to the situation at hand, and I probably
mindlessly sorted through my box of old records five times because I kept
trying to come up with solutions. I was sure the others were trapped in their
own busy minds as well.
We wanted to do everything in our power to protect Madison and Chloe.
Within the bounds of the law. We couldn’t allow ourselves to stray back
into that dangerous territory, but we were also willing to do anything for
Madison and Chloe if it came down to it in the moment. That was the issue.
We truly didn’t know what to expect.
When I heard the door of the tattoo shop swing open, the heavy feeling in
my chest lightened as I turned, expecting to see Madison and Chloe walking
inside.
But that wasn’t the case. At all.
The guys and I had looked up Madison’s ex enough to know what he
looked like. Every feature.
The cold eyes. The smug smile. The casual posture under his expensive
blazer, button-down shirt, and khaki pants. There were also two uniformed
officers behind him as they strode into the store.
“You have a lot of nerve coming in here,” Baker nearly barked out the
words as he let his bottle of cleaner hit the ground.
Me and the others quickly intercepted him, keeping him from getting too
close to Michael and the two officers, who had their hands resting on the
grips of their handguns. I put my arm out, making the others stand back
with a firm look on my face. I turned to face Michael and the officers,
feeling anger rattle up my spine.
“What do you want?” I demanded with narrowed eyes. I knew it wasn’t
anything good.
“Where is Madison?” Michael asked with an even voice.
I glanced between the two officers, unable to believe that they were in on
this twisted scheme. Did they not have any integrity? How could they be
corrupted so easily?
“It’s none of your business,” I stated, feeling glad that Madison wasn’t here
right now.
“Are you sure you want that to be your answer?” Michael replied as an
agitated look filled his face.
I held his gaze, refusing to back down and let this evil son of a bitch
intimidate me. I didn’t care what he tried to pull. I was taking him down in
the end.
“I’m sure as hell not changing it,” I told him.
Michael laughed in a cold manner.
“Well, that’s unfortunate. You see, there have been some anonymous
complaints about your shop and some of your employees. I’m afraid your
shop could be shut down for some of the infractions that have been
reported,” he stated.
I tightened my fingers into fists, hearing sharp breaths behind me. The guys
wanted to argue, but I fixed them with another hard look to make sure they
didn’t blow up and cause more trouble.
“What infractions?” I questioned Michael, knowing that he was about to
make up a bunch of bullshit.
“Some health code violations. A minor being tattooed. You know, that sort
of stuff,” Michael replied with a light smirk.
“None of that is true, and you know it. You can’t just make up claims for
your own personal gain,” I bit out as I took a threatening step forward.
The police officers immediately mirrored my motion, stepping in front of
Michael to put a barrier between me and him.
“I actually heard a few of your employees have been dabbling in some
suspicious, possibly illegal activities. This one was seen sneaking around
and talking to a known criminal we’re trying to pin down,” Michael said as
he pointed at Ti. He then turned to Gus. “And this one was seen in the
vicinity of a stabbing incident, which we haven’t caught the violent criminal
for yet. Suspicious. We might have to take them down to the station for
questioning.”
“Like hell you will,” Marcus gritted out as he, the twins, and Taj moved in
front of Gus and Ti.
“Don’t try it,” I told Michael with a stern glare. “You and me, let’s go
outside and talk. Don’t bring them into this.”
Michael cocked an eyebrow at me, obviously interested.
“Let’s talk shop,” he replied as he clasped his hands together. He then
patted the officers on the back. “Keep an eye on these delinquents.”
I couldn’t lie. I wanted to strangle the guy, but I breathed in deeply to keep
my cool as I walked out of the tattoo shop with him. I didn’t expect to strike
some kind of deal with him, but I was trying to buy us some time and keep
the other guys safe.
“You don’t have to campaign as some family man. Leave Chloe and
Madison out of this, and just move on,” I told him.
Michael chuckled and shook his head at me.
“It’s so much more than the campaign. Madison screwed me over and left
with my daughter. And then shacked up with a bunch of criminals. It’s
laughable, but she should know that actions have consequences,” he replied.
“Are you that evil? You’re doing this to your own daughter and the mother
of your child,” I said, unable to believe that he was such a cold, heartless
person.
“Don’t start with me about morals, criminal,” Michael scoffed in a
dismissive manner that made me grind my teeth. “I’m going to tell you this
once. Hand Madison and Chloe over, or I’ll pull every string I have to
throw all of you back behind bars and to shut down your tattoo shop.”
Coldness washed through my entire body, my head filling with a shrill,
ringing sound.
He was trying to tear everything down, to strip away my hard work and my
family. If he could make cops corrupt, he could make his words reality,
which meant that I and everyone else was possibly very, very fucked.
Michael put his fingers in the corners of his mouth and whistled, the sound
ringing loud enough for the cops to hear and head outside.
“Good talking to you. Hope I hear from you soon, or you’ll hear from me,”
Michael told me before walking down the sidewalk with the police officers
trailing him, their eyes repeatedly flickering to me to make sure I didn’t try
anything funny.
“Fuck,” I gritted out before storming back into the tattoo shop, immediately
being swarmed by questions from the guys.
“What did he say?” Baker asked.
“What are we going to do now? He’s got cops at his beck and call!” Taj
joined in.
“That doesn’t change anything. We still need to put this guy down before he
fucks everything up!” Marcus argued.
“It changes everything. We’re not dealing with one person. We’re dealing
with all of the people he’s paying off,” Ti replied.
“All of you, quiet,” I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose, an ache
gripping my head. What the hell were we going to do? “He told me that if
we don’t hand over Madison and Chloe, he’ll have us all arrested and shut
down the tattoo shop.”
At first, silence rang out through the shop as the guys stared at me with
shocked looks on their faces. All of our lives were at jeopardy, and the
solution wasn’t clear in the slightest. We either lost a future with Madison
or we let go of the shop we worked so hard to get off the ground.
Something would be taken away from us no matter what.
“Well, we can’t just give Madison up. We know how dangerous and
manipulative this asshole is!” Baker said as he crossed his arms over his
chest.
“What if he double crosses us? What if he somehow gets Madison and ruins
our lives on top of it all?” Taj pointed out. “How can we trust anything he
says?”
“You heard Madison. He isn’t the type to bluff. He will come after us and
rip apart our lives if we don’t do what he says,” Gus replied as he looked
between everyone.
“What the hell do we do?” Bryce asked as he threw up his hands in a
frustrated manner, tension starting to rise even more. “If we protect her
from him, he’ll just have us arrested, and she’ll be vulnerable for him to get
to her.”
“There’s no good answer,” Ti muttered as he shook his head. “He’s trapped
us in a corner and hung over our head what we care about the most.”
“Well, we can’t just sit here and accept defeat,” Marcus scoffed. “We
promised Madison we would protect her.”
“How the hell do we protect anything or anyone from someone like him?”
Baker bit out.
“Alright, alright! This isn’t getting anywhere,” I snapped at all of them,
hardly able to hear myself think. “Everyone, go get some air. We’ll talk
about this later with Madison. She should know what’s going on.
Bitter mutters and grumbles surrounded me as the guys steadily filed out of
the tattoo shop, leaving me there alone with a huge weight on my chest and
shoulders. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t even know what to say to them
or Madison. How had things gone so wrong?

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 20

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

M ythebody went numb as I stared at Marlo and Michael standing outside of


tattoo shop together, talking about who knew what.
I was parked across the street with Chloe in the backseat, reading one of her
children’s books about dinosaurs. She had no idea that her father was right
across the road, plotting the downfall of me and the men who had come to
truly care for us. She had no idea how much of a monster he was.
But why were Marlo and Michael having a conversation?
I curled my fingers around my steering wheel tightly, my breath coming out
shakily. My skin started burning warm, cold sweat threatening to break out
on my forehead.
Michael was a master manipulator, able to back people into corners and get
whatever he wanted. He had pulled that move on me so many times, and it
was hell getting to a point where I could escape.
What if Michael got to Marlo? What if Michael convinced Marlo to turn
against me? Michael could find weak points easily, and there were a
number of things that he could hold over Marlo’s head. Or he could
convince Marlo that I wasn’t worth the trouble of protecting.
I knew that Michael would strip everything away from the guys if they
didn’t hand me and Chloe over. I couldn’t possibly ask them to protect me,
even if they swore that they would. They worked so hard to get to where
they were at, but I cared for them too much to let them go down with me.
I would have to figure something out on my own, even if that terrified me.
My eyes started to glisten as I watched Michael leave with two cops, while
Marlo headed back into the tattoo shop. My instinct was to run in there after
him and fall into the comfort of all the guys, letting them convince me that
everything was going to be fine.
I needed that right now, but my mind kept going back to that tense
conversation Marlo and Michael was having and how conflicted Marlo
looked.
Michael was hanging something over his head, and whatever it was, I
couldn’t ask Marlo and the guys to choose me. I wanted to be with them so
badly, but I wouldn’t jeopardize their lives. Not when this was my problem
to begin with. They only let themselves get swept up in it because they
cared about me and Chloe, which meant so much to me.
But I had to walk away before their lives were destroyed because of me.
They were doing so well before I walked through those doors and got to
know them. Before I fell in love with every single one of them.
“I want to go inside,” Chloe whispered from the backseat as she set her
book down in her lap.
A tear broke from my eye as I sucked in a deep breath, trying to steady
myself. I reached up and wiped the tear away, quickly blinking my eyes so
that she didn’t see that I was upset. She still had nightmares from when she
was almost taken away from me, and I didn’t want to scare her even more.
“What do you think about spending the night with Aunt Aisling?” I asked
her as I looked over my shoulder with a forced smile.
“Okay!” Chloe replied with a toothy grin.
“Awesome. We’re going to go back home real quick and pack some things,
and then we’ll go see her,” I told her in the best fake cheery voice that I
could muster before turning back forward. My face immediately fell the
moment she couldn’t see my expression, a deep-set frown crossing my lips
as my mind raced.
I would call Aisling and let her know what was going on while Chloe was
packing her backpack. I knew that Aisling would take us in for however
long we needed, which I was eternally grateful for because I didn’t feel safe
staying in the house by myself. How did I feel like I was on the run and
trapped in a corner at the same time?
“Can I pack my animals?” Chloe asked in a hopeful voice as she joined her
small hands together in a pleading motion, referring to her small animal
figurines that she liked to collect.
My eyes shifted up to the rearview mirror to see the puppy dog look on her
face, making an ache echo in my chest. I wished overpacking toys was our
biggest problem right now.
“Of course. You can take anything you want,” I told her with a small smile,
wanting her to be as happy and carefree as possible. All I wanted to do was
protect the people I cared about, which meant facing off with the worst
person I had ever known. I never expected the darkest part of my past to
come back and haunt me, but he was too malicious to ever leave me alone. I
should’ve known that.
I pulled back onto the street and drove away from the tattoo shop, my eyes
shifting to the rearview mirror just as some of the guys walked out of the
front door. My heart ached as I tore my eyes away, knowing that I couldn’t
go back. If I truly cared for them, I would handle this on my own, even if
this was the hardest battle I ever had to fight.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 21

OceanofPDF.com
Gus

I returned to the tattoo shop first. I just didn’t feel right walking in circles
around the block because it felt like I was running away from the
problem. Running away from Madison.
None of this was fair, but life was seldom fair. It was just worse when good
people were screwed over by the bad, and Michael was one of the worst
people I had ever come across.
How did someone as sweet as Chloe come from a monster like Michael?
Thankfully, she was so much like her mother, the woman I had let my guard
down for and fallen in love with.
My boots hit the sleek wooden floor of the shop with a loud thump as I
headed toward the stairs that led up to the attic. Marlo had already left to
get some air, but Madison and Chloe should’ve been back by now. She
didn’t say anything about going anywhere else after going to the elementary
school.
Strangely, I didn’t hear a single bit of noise as I walked through the shop
besides the air conditioner running. An unsettling feeling settled on my
shoulders like a fifty-pound weight, prompting me to take the steps two at a
time until I reached the attic.
Dead silent. Nothing.
With a confused grunt, I grabbed my phone and called Madison, listening to
my phone ring over and over again until it went to her voicemail.
Hey, this is Madison! I can’t come to the phone right now, so just leave a
message!

The sound of her cheery voice warmed me, but that feeling quickly turned
cold when I realized that I had no idea where she was. After that tense
interaction with her ex and those cops, the last thing I wanted to deal with
was not knowing where she was. What if Michael found her and Chloe
before me or the guys could?
I called a few more times, but she didn’t pick up. Maybe she went back
home. Most likely, she took Chloe to a park or got something to eat, but
with everything going on, things just didn’t feel right to me. I wouldn’t be
able to relax until I knew she and Chloe were okay, so I grabbed my things
and headed out to my truck.
My engine revved as I quickly pulled out of my parking spot and drove to
Madison’s house, making sure my phone’s ringer was turned up all the way
so that I could hear in case she called me back. I hoped she did, but as the
minutes ticked by and the closer I got to her house, the more worried I felt.
This woman had me wrapped around her finger. Me and the others had
fooled around with women before, but Madison stuck in a way none of the
others did. Maybe they were nice and fun, but Madison was… everything
we ever wanted in a life partner.
I didn’t know what our next move was, but I wanted her to be with us when
we made the final decision.
When I reached her house, I frowned, seeing that her car wasn’t in her
driveway. She wasn’t even home.
“Damn it,” I muttered beneath my breath as my anxiety started to peak.
Where the hell was she? I grabbed my phone and called Marlo, my teeth
automatically gritting from tension.
“Hey,” Marlo answered, his voice bordering on a sigh.
“I can’t find Madison,” I told him.
“What?” Marlo asked immediately. “What do you mean?”
“She’s not at the shop or her house. And she’s not answering her phone,” I
replied. “Michael just left. You don’t think he already got to her, do you?”
Marlo was quiet for a few seconds.
“No, I don’t think so. Do you think… she’s ignoring us?” he asked.
Of course, I didn’t want to think that. All I wanted to do was protect her,
and if she pulled away from us, that would make things ten times more
difficult. Ten times more devastating.
“I think we all need to talk about this,” I told him, wanting to hear from the
others.
“I’ll call them back to the shop. Maybe she’s there,” Marlo said, trying to
sound hopeful but failing.
“I’ll meet you there,” I replied before hanging up and driving back to the
shop.
Luckily, the others weren’t too far away. None of them felt like going home
just yet, so they were either around the corner or at a nearby store or café to
blow off some steam. Once we all gathered back in the shop, I crossed my
arms and looked around at them.
“I haven’t been able to find Madison. She’s not here or at her house. Have
any of you heard from her since she left to pick up Chloe?” I asked them.
They all checked their phones and shook their heads.
“Maybe her phone is dead?” Taj suggested.
“Nah, I doubt it. She checked the time on it before she left,” Bryce replied,
silence following his words for a few seconds.
“It wouldn’t make sense for her to be ignoring us on purpose,” Baker spoke
up with furrowed eyebrows.
“Yes, it does. You read that note. It probably spooked her because Michael
was pissed that we were hiding her and Chloe from him,” Ti said with a
shrug. “She’s a wonderful mother, so she’s going to do what she can to
protect her child. We may be trying to help her, but we’ve just stirred the
pot even more.”
“We can’t just step away. We can keep her safe from him,” Marcus argued
with narrowed eyes.
“I think Ti is right,” Marlo said in a quiet, defeated voice. He lowered his
eyes, unable to look at any of us. “It makes sense. He’ll punish her even
more for turning to us, so she made a decision. We… we have to respect
that.”
“And just let her go?” I asked as my arms dropped to my sides. I couldn’t
imagine just letting her step out of our lives like that, but it wasn’t like we
could force her.
“If she wants us to be in her life, she’ll reach out. If not, we have our
answer too,” Marlo told us before running his hand over his head. He
cleared his throat and put his back to us. “We’re closing up shop for the day.
If she does come back, she has a key.”
The rest of us lingered where we were for a few more seconds, but the
sense of finality that was in the air grew heavier. Even if I didn’t want to
believe it, Marlo was right. Whatever decision she made, we had to abide
by it, even if that felt like my heart was being ripped out. Like I was losing
a piece of myself.
Something told me that I wouldn’t ever feel completely whole again.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 22

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

T he pale blue bedsheets in Aisling’s guest bedroom laid tangled around


me as I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling, my eyes feeling
heavy and achy.
Early morning sunlight filled the minimalistic, pastel-inspired room, falling
on the queen-sized bed that Chloe and I had been sharing for the past few
nights. Restless nights at that.
All I could think about was the guys and how badly I missed them.
Having to ignore their calls killed me, and I had been feeling sick to my
stomach with my guilt and worry ever since the last time I saw them. I even
had to tell Chloe that they went out of town on a trip because she kept
wondering why we weren’t going to the tattoo shop to see them.
They had become so intertwined in my life and tearing them out of it made
my heart ache so badly that it nearly brought tears to my eyes. I couldn’t
even count how many times I had cried since leaving them behind. This
wasn’t how things were supposed to turn out.
Michael had to barge back into my life and ruin everything, and he
wouldn’t stop until I had nothing left. Nothing.
I hadn’t told Leah or my mom the truth yet because I didn’t want them to
worry or be dragged into my mess. I already almost ruined the guys’ lives
by bringing them into my chaotic life, and I didn’t want to risk putting
anyone else in Michael’s sights. There was no telling what he was doing
right now, but I was sure that he was still looking for me and Chloe.
He wouldn’t ever stop.
A sudden wave of nausea hit me, making me stumble out of bed as quietly
as I could to not wake Chloe. I hurried through Aisling’s apartment to the
small guest bathroom and closed the door behind me with one hand, my
other hand clamping over my mouth as the nausea rose up the back of my
throat.
I barely dropped down to my knees in front of the toilet in time before
everything I ate yesterday came rushing up.
I shuddered afterward as a weak feeling settled over my body, making me
slump forward slightly. My stomach churned in an uncomfortable manner
as I sat there for a moment, waiting to see if I was going to be sick again.
The last thing I needed was to deal with a stomach bug or food poisoning.
After making sure I wasn’t going to be sick again, I slowly rose to my feet,
feeling a bit dizzy as I walked over to the sink to wash my mouth out. I felt
so exhausted and sick to my stomach lately. If I wasn’t so stressed about
everything, I would’ve chalked all of that up to me being on my period.
My eyes shot wide open as I remembered my period. When was the last
time I had it? I gripped the bathroom counter as I stared down into the sink
as the water drained, straining my mind to figure out what week I had my
last period. According to my usual cycle, I should’ve had it last week, but I
was already at the end of this week with no sign of it.
“No…” I murmured as I placed my hand over my mouth.
A rush of panic surged through me as I stepped away from the sink.
I couldn’t be pregnant!
But I remembered all of those times I slept with the guys. The rush. The
heat. The lack of protection from being in the moment.
There was very likely a chance that I was pregnant.
More nausea hit me, but I swallowed hard and headed out of the guest
bathroom, down the hallway, and into the main bathroom of Aisling’s small
but aesthetically decorated apartment that she put so much work into. I shut
the door and pulled open the gray wooden cabinets until I found a few
pregnancy tests that she stashed in a small wicker basket. She was the
paranoid type who checked every month, but she was certainly smart about
that.
As I used one of the tests, my mind spun in circles as I wondered what in
the world I was going to do if I was pregnant. It was definitely one of them.
It didn’t matter which one to me, but something told me that I had to tell
Marlo first. He was the one who guided the group, so he would know what
to do. He would know how to break the news.
But that meant reaching back out to them after ignoring them for the past
few days. What if they were upset and didn’t want anything to do with me?
I couldn’t even blame them if they were bitter with me.
The best case scenario would be that they were happy, and if I was honest,
the thought of having a baby with them made my heart flutter. They were
already so wonderful with Chloe that I knew they would be wonderful dads.
We would be the big, happy family that I always wanted to have, but that
reality wasn’t guaranteed, especially given the circumstances.
I didn’t know what to do!
I couldn’t stand still, resorting to pacing back and forth across the bathroom
and continually checking the test. My entire future could be changed in an
instant depending on what that test said, and I could either end up happier
than ever or more broken than I was even before I met the guys. Everything
would change.
After one more nervous lap around the bathroom, I finally had the answer
to my initial question in just a few minutes when I saw two blue lines on the
pregnancy test.
I was pregnant, and I might become a single mother of two.
Worried tears filled my eyes and spilled down my red cheeks as I sniffled,
my back leaning against the edge of the bathroom counter. I stared down at
the test for what felt like an eternity, feeling frozen on the spot. I must’ve
been in there for a while because a knock on the bathroom door drew me
out of my thoughts.
“Madison, are you okay?” Aisling asked from the other side of the door.
There was no point in hiding from her. I looked like a wreck with a red face
and teary eyes, so I opened the door and held up the pregnancy test.
“I didn’t plan this,” I told her. “But it happened.”
Aisling’s eyes widened in shock as she took a step closer, seeing the two
blue lines that were clear as day.
“Oh, honey, it’s okay,” she said, wrapping her arms with me after I set the
pregnancy test down.
I hugged her back, burying my face in her shoulder with a light sniffle.
“I don’t know what to do,” I admitted.
Aisling rubbed my back.
“You should tell them. Or at least tell one of them and figure out what to do
next,” she said. From the day me and Chloe showed up on her doorstep, I
told her everything that had been going on. Being with the guys. The near
kidnapping. Michael’s motive and threats. My entire crazy life. She was as
supportive as I predicted she would be.
“I was thinking about telling Marlo first, but what if he’s mad that I left?
What if he doesn’t hear me out? Michael threatened them, and Marlo might
not want anything to do with me anymore,” I told her once I broke away
from her to meet her sympathetic gaze.
“You don’t know that. You won’t know until you talk to him,” Aisling
pointed out. “All they’ve wanted to do is help you, and they’re part of this
pregnancy regardless of what happens with Michael.”
I released a faint sigh, knowing that she was exactly right. It wouldn’t be
right to not tell them, which meant casting my fears aside and doing what
needed to be done.
“I’m just nervous,” I admitted, feeling my stomach churn again. I wasn’t
ready to deal with all of the pregnancy symptoms again, especially alone.
Aisling rested her hands on my shoulders and gave me a comforting smile.
“Because you care about them. You want a happy life with them, and you
might get a happy family too,” she pointed out. “I’ll watch Chloe. Go talk
to Marlo.”
I managed a small smile out of gratitude and nodded. No matter what, I had
to try. A baby was a huge deal, and I needed an answer to know what my
future was going to look like. Whether I was ready or not, it would come
faster than I could ever be properly prepared for.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 23

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

I arrived at the tattoo shop an hour earlier than opening, my heart pounding
heavily as I approached the front door.
I knew that Marlo always arrived the earliest so that he could look over the
books and pick what music he wanted to play that day. As I expected, the
lights were on, and I could hear the faint muffle of nineties R&B playing
from inside.
At first, I couldn’t bring myself to reach out for the door handle, my
muscles locking up. I hoped for the best, but that was all that I could do.
Hope. Because I had no idea what was going to happen when I walked
through that door.
I breathed in deeply before pulling open the door and stepping inside of the
tattoo shop, hearing the light swishing of papers as Marlo stood at the front
desk. I didn’t even take two steps forward before he looked up, his eyes
widening at the sight of me.
Marlo immediately strode over to me with a straight look on his face. At
first, I thought he was going to berate me, but he pulled me into his arms
instead, enveloping me in the smell of laundry detergent and intoxicating
cologne.
“Where the hell have you been? We’ve been worried sick,” Marlo asked as
he kept his arms wrapped around me like he was afraid of letting go.
I sank into his hold for a few seconds, having missed this so damn much. I
gripped his black jacket as a surge of emotion hit me, my eyes immediately
watering.
“Oh, damn it,” I whimpered as the tears started pouring again.
Marlo pulled away with a worried look on his face as I cried on the spot. He
cupped my face, his thumbs brushing away my tears.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” he asked.
Between everything going on and my hormones, I was going to be a crying
mess for days.
“I’m sorry for disappearing, but there’s something important I have to tell
you,” I told him as I gripped his forearms, my eyes meeting his.
Marlo’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
“What is it?” he asked.
I parted my lips to speak, but my throat grew so tight that I couldn’t force a
single word out. A few more tears spilled down my cheeks as I swallowed
hard, knowing that I couldn’t back out now.
“I’m pregnant,” I blurted out before I could chicken out.
Marlo’s hands slipped off my face as a look of pure shock rang across his
face, his breath seeming to stop. He didn’t say anything at first, and I
couldn’t even breathe.
“And it’s…” he trailed off.
“It’s one of yours,” I told him, trying my best not to break down because I
wasn’t even sure what he was thinking right now. “I’m not sure which one.”
Marlo stared at me in silence for a few more seconds before shaking his
head as a grin crossed his face.
“It doesn’t matter,” he replied as he took my hands and pulled me closer.
“We’re a family. I want to be a part of your life and the baby’s life, and I’m
sure the others will want the same thing too.”
I released a shaky breath as more tears broke from my eyes, but they were
happy ones this time. I gave his hands a squeeze before he let go to place
one hand on my stomach. There wasn’t a bump yet, but I knew that it would
be coming soon.
“So, you’re happy about this? Truly happy? Even with the circumstances of
everything going on?” I asked him with hope in my eyes.
Marlo nodded as he lifted his eyes to mine.
“Happier than I’ve ever been before,” he told me. “This baby will be loved.
I promise you. Nothing that could ever happen will change that.”
That was the best thing that he could’ve said, and I couldn’t help but throw
my arms around his neck and press my lips against his.
Marlo smiled into the kiss and placed his hand on the back of my neck,
sweetly caressing me as our kiss started to deepen.
I melted into him, letting go of my worries for just a moment as I focused
on the good. He was happy about the baby, and he wanted to be with me no
matter what. I wanted to hear directly from the other guys about how they
felt too, but for now, I reveled in the passion of Marlo’s kiss.
Marlo slipped his hand into my hair, his fingers diving through my brown
locks. Our lips parted at the same time, our tongues brushing as my hands
moved up his chest.
Desire and need burned through me like fire, and I found myself wanting
more. So much more.
“I need you,” I whispered.
“You have me. Always,” Marlo assured me before taking my hand and
leading me up the stairs to the attic. He picked me up by the back of my
thighs and laid me down on the bed before helping me slip my black, flowy
tank top off, followed by my black bra. “You’re so beautiful.”
His sweet words made my face warm up as I smiled up at him. The look in
his felt like pure love to me, but I was too nervous to ask him how deep his
feelings were for me. All I could do was show how I felt through movement
because I was also too nervous to speak on my own emotions.
Our clothes steadily hit the floor, a pile growing until we were both bare
under the soft sheets. I wrapped my arms around Marlo’s neck as he
hovered above me, his hand disappearing between my thighs to caress me.
His fingers rubbed slow circles against my clit as he kissed my jaw.
All of our movements felt so much slower than usual. As great as our kinky
sex was, something about going slow and being patient to explore each
other’s bodies was amazing in its own right. It was surreal.
“I don’t want to be without you. Not for a day. A minute,” I murmured
before my voice was broken up by a moan as two of his fingers pushed
inside of me. I lifted my hips, rocking myself against them.
“I’m right here,” Marlo promised before capturing my lips in a slow, sweet
kiss.
Desire burned through every inch of me, and there was nothing I wanted
more than to be with this man and the other guys. To belong to them and
have them as mine and only mine. Could that really be my reality?
When Marlo replaced his fingers with his cock, thrusting inside of me deep
and slow, I moaned into our kiss, his lips muffling the sound. My nails dug
into the back of his shoulders as he rocked into me, focusing on going deep
and hitting that spot that made me whimper.
“Marlo,” I said, my cheeks flushing as heat kept coursing through me.
“I know, baby,” Marlo replied, knowing what I needed. He thrusted into me
harder, making me hold onto him tightly. I didn’t want to let go to begin
with. “God, you make it hard to last. You feel perfect.”
To me, he was perfect. He was the type of man, selfless and brave, that I
wanted in my life, Chloe’s life, and our new baby’s life.
“Please, I’m so close,” I breathed out, feeling pressure thrum between my
thighs. I was right on the edge.
Marlo covered my mouth with his and snaked a hand down to press his
fingertips against my clit as he continued pounding into me over and over.
He didn’t stop until I trembled beneath him, weak cries breaking from me.
He clenched his jaw and released inside of me with a groan, his body soon
stilling.
I caught my breath and embraced him, letting my eyes flutter shut as I sank
into the brief moment of peace where everything felt okay. Everything felt
safe and perfect. But that was not my reality, not until Michael was finally
taken down.
If that was even possible.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 24

OceanofPDF.com
Marlo

S ince Madison had incredible news to share, the guys were called to the
shop, and Madison’s friend dropped Chloe off so that we could all be
together. We were all family, and our family was about to get a little bigger.
I could tell that Madison was nervous as we all stood in the middle of the
quiet tattoo shop, so I moved to her side and placed my arm around her
waist.
“It’s the best news we could ever hear right now,” I assured her, not wanting
her to be scared of the guys’ reactions. They were just as hooked on her as I
was, and they all wanted families and children of their own. They just
hadn’t found the right woman until now.
The fact that Madison was pregnant didn’t take away an ounce of love that I
had for the children I already had, and I was looking forward to introducing
them to Madison, Chloe, and our baby whenever they were born. It would
take a lot of explaining since this was far from a conventional relationship
situation, but it made me happier than ever.
Me and the guys shared so much together. We kept each other in line and
were there for each other when times were dark and when they were
amazing. This was one of those amazing moments that I was glad to share
with them, and I knew that they would be happy to share Madison among
all of us. We all offered her something unique, and as long as she was
happy, we would be happy.
“Okay,” Madison said before reaching her hand out to take Chloe’s, pulling
her closer. She breathed in deeply before her eyes swept over the guys. “I’m
pregnant.”
The guys only needed a second to process her words. The next second, the
shop was full of excited voices as they all came over to her to fawn over
her. A look of relief crossed her face as she accepted warm embraces and
kisses on her forehead.
“You have no idea how happy this makes me,” Marcus told her as he
cupped her face.
“Me too,” Madison replied as happy tears streamed down her face. “I was
so scared at first, but I shouldn’t have been. I know you guys.”
Marcus smiled and nodded.
“Yes, you do,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers for a brief second
before stepping away so that Gus could embrace her.
“There’s nothing I want more than this,” Gus murmured to her as he cupped
the back of her head in a protective manner. “This baby will be loved and
protected like none other.”
Madison visibly relaxed as she listened to his comforting words. She
gripped his upper arms as she gave him a grateful look.
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted for my children,” she said. “I want them safe
and happy.”
Bryce scooped Chloe up.
“What do you think, Chloe? How do you feel about having a baby brother
or sister?” he asked her.
“Yes! I can’t wait!” Chloe exclaimed as she clapped her hands together, her
happy laughter ringing throughout the tattoo shop.
“Me either,” Bryce chuckled as Baker came over to give Chloe’s hand an
affectionate squeeze.
I stood back and watched the scene with a proud warmth on my face, my
chest feeling squeezed from a surge of happiness. I couldn’t believe this
was the life I got to have. After struggling for so many years through
addiction and then getting sober, I thought I was doomed to live in a cycle
fighting for my life and my sobriety.
But I made something good out of my life. I fought for more, and I couldn’t
be happier for what I got out of that. A full family. A wonderful woman by
my side. A baby on the way.
However, the only thing standing in between me and being able to enjoy
that life in peace was Michael. He would still try to strip it all away, to
crush everything I had worked so hard to achieve. Somehow, we had to stop
him.
Ti put his arm around Madison’s shoulders, pulling her close to his side.
“Congratulations, doll. I already know how damn good of a mom you are,
so this is quite the lucky baby,” he told her with a small grin on his face.
“They’re lucky to have all of you too. So am I,” Madison pointed out as she
smiled up at him, leaning into his side.
Ti gazed at her for a few seconds, and I swore I saw his eyes glisten
slightly. Ti was one of the most guarded people I knew, and if that wasn’t
proof enough that Madison was special to us, I didn’t know what was. He
chuckled and blinked a few times.
“We’ll have to introduce them to my little creatures early on so that they’re
not petrified of them like Gus,” he said as he flashed a smirk at the large
man.
“They’re creepy,” Gus replied as he screwed his face up.
Madison gave Ti a sheepish look.
“They are a little creepy, baby,” she admitted, making the others laugh.
Ti clicked his tongue in disappointment and swiped Chloe from Bryce.
“Well, this brave little lady isn’t afraid of Shadow,” he replied before
carrying Chloe off so that she could ogle at his creatures he obsessively
cared for. There was no one else I trusted to have Chloe around spiders,
little snakes, and other creatures.
“Him and his creatures,” Taj chuckled as he stepped closer to Madison.
“We’ll go out and pick up whatever you need to make you comfortable.
Weird foods. Fluffy socks. Whatever.”
Madison laughed softly.
“I’m sure I’ll let you know when I start getting cravings. Thank you,” she
assured him as she rested her hand on his arm over his peacock tattoo. Her
eyes fluttered shut for a second as he kissed her forehead.
It had been a minute since I had seen her look so happy and carefree, and
the last thing I wanted to do was ruin this incredible moment that I would
treasure forever.
But trouble was coming, and we needed to be prepared, especially since
there was a baby on the way.
“Madison,” I said, making her turn and look at me. When she saw the
serious look on her face, her smile melted into a frown as she nodded a
little, knowing what I wanted to talk about. I looked at the others as they
gravitated closer so that Chloe didn’t overhear from Ti’s station. “We need
to go after Michael. We can’t wait for him to come to us.”
“What are we going to do?” Madison asked with a worried look on her face,
her hand instinctively resting on her stomach.
My gaze followed her hand, and anger started to burn through me when I
thought about what all Michael wanted to take away and destroy. He was
the one who deserved to go down, which meant me and the guys had to
shift our moral stance for the time being. We all tried to be good, kind
upstanding citizens, but Michael was forcing our hands.
“I have some ideas, and you guys probably won’t like them.”

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 25

OceanofPDF.com
Baker

W ith my teeth grinding, I hovered over my laptop in the living room of


Marlo’s house.
I sat on the edge of his leather couch, my eyebrows knitting as my fingers
flew over my keyboard. I could hear the guys and Madison laughing in the
kitchen as they worked on baking a chocolate cake for Chloe’s birthday
with green frosting, as requested by the soon-to-be seven-year-old at three
o’clock today.
I wanted to be there with them right now, but Marlo enlisted me with a very
important task that forced me to tap into some of my past behavior. I
graduated college with a computer science major, and I even took extra
classes to have a minor in finance.
When it came to numbers and computers, I knew them like the back of my
hand, but I was an idiot back then. I used my knowledge to help bad people
acquire a range of illegal substances because they jumped on the poor,
smart kid who was struggling to find a job after graduation to pay off his
student debt.
I regretted the path I took every single day, and I was a bit wary of hacking
into Michael’s email account to go digging around for dirt. Marlo was right
about me not liking this plan, but if it helped Madison, I would do it
because I would do anything for my family.
“Let’s see what you’re hiding,” I muttered beneath my breath as I went to
Michael’s sent emails to see what he had been up to lately.
At first, I didn’t find anything that had much value. Political planning.
Responses to his assistant. Nothing that we could use.
Until I found an email that contained a list of donors, whether they donated
to him in the past or for his present campaign. There were a lot of names,
but I skimmed through them anyway just in case something caught my eye.
As I reached the middle of the list, I started to lose hope that I’d actually
find something, but one name caught my eye.
Armand Deviau.
I shot up straight, my eyes widening at my shocking discovery. Deviau was
a known criminal in the city, running drugs and various other criminal
enterprises. He was highly connected and hadn’t ever been arrested before.
There was one time he was almost apprehended by some woman’s four
bodyguards, but he ended up getting away.
I couldn’t believe he was funding Michael!
I kept looking through the list and found the names of a few other shady
people, even a few I had personally worked with in the past. Shame started
to flood my mind, but I focused on the task at hand, needing this
information to get out to someone who had the authority to enforce
punishment on Michael. That just left the police.
I worked on an anonymous online report detailing what I found, hoping that
the cop who read over this wasn’t as corrupt as the rest. Bad money was
funding Michael’s campaign, and he needed to be shut down quickly before
he ripped this city to shreds, starting with me, the guys, and Madison.
I shut off my laptop once I submitted the report and headed into the kitchen
to see the guys hovering around Madison and the kitchen counter, trying to
take over simple duties for her. Gradually, the tension in my shoulders
faded, and I get swept up in the warm, light-hearted atmosphere that filled
the kitchen.
I could stay there forever, laughing and joking like all was right in the
world. Like danger didn’t possibly lurk just outside. This was the kind of
life I had always wanted to live.
“You’ve already measured out all the ingredients. We can mix everything
together,” Bryce assured her as he took the whisk from her and pecked her
on the lips.
Madison smiled in an amused manner and leaned back against Marcus, who
wrapped his arms around her waist.
“You’re making a mess,” Ti chastised Bryce as he stirred together the dry
ingredients, flour littering the kitchen counter.
“I’d like to see you do better,” Bryce scoffed.
“Give it to me,” Taj said, taking the whisk and the bowl. He held the bowl
against his side and whisked far more efficiently than Bryce, who had flour
all down the front of his black shirt.
I smiled a little as I shuffled closer to Marlo, who was laughing as he
watched the scene.
“Deviau is funding Michael’s campaign,” I murmured to him, not wanting
to take anyone else away from the moment. I needed Marlo to know so that
we could decide next steps.
“Are you serious?” Marlo asked.
I nodded with a grave look on my face. I should’ve known this campaign
was even dirtier than I initially thought, but Michael kept proving that he
was the worst son of a bitch I had ever come across.
“I submitted an anonymous report to the police. Hopefully, they’ll do
something,” I muttered, not having as much faith as I should’ve been able
to.
Marlo scoffed a little.
“Yeah, we’ll see how many cops are on his payroll,” he replied.
“Everything okay?” Madison asked as she looked over at us.
Marlo grinned and nodded.
“We were thinking about picking up Chloe and meeting you guys at the
park. We could make it a surprise party for her,” he suggested.
Madison gasped and nodded as she clasped her hands together.
“Would you? She’d love that!” she said.
“Of course, sweetheart,” Marlo replied as he walked over to her, placing his
hand on the small of her back as he leaned in to press a brief kiss to her lips.
“We should head out soon anyway to get in line.”
Since it was Chloe’s birthday, I kept my mouth shut about what I found.
Tomorrow, we could break the news instead of ruining the birthday magic
today. I pecked Madison on the cheek and gave her hand an affectionate
squeeze before following Marlo out to his black SUV.
“What do we do if the police ignore my report? I’m only going to give them
a few days,” I asked him once we pulled out of the driveway.
“I’ll think of something. We need to get Michael arrested, even if we need
to get pushy,” Marlo replied with slightly narrowed eyes. He then released a
slow breath. “I want this to be over with. All I want to worry about is
making sure Madison is getting enough rest and Chloe is doing good in
school.”
“Sounding like a true dad,” I said with a small grin.
Marlo glanced over at me, visibly relaxing.
“Don’t you feel the same way?” he asked.
I didn’t even have to think about my answer. From the first day I saw
Madison, I knew that I wanted a woman like her in my life. She was so
bright and hopeful, and that made me feel more optimistic about my own
life.
“Of course. I think we all do,” I replied.
Marlo smiled a little and nodded.
“Good,” he said.
I looked back forward and tried to remain relaxed on the outside, but my
mind was a whirlwind. I couldn’t rely on just an online report to take
Michael down. We would have to do something bigger, but what could that
be? Anything we did was risky, but we were all willing to take that risk for
the future we all desperately wanted.
After we picked up Chloe, who was happily surprised to see us, we headed
to the park, making her think we were just going back to the tattoo shop.
“Did the other kids tell you happy birthday?” I asked as I turned to smile at
her, distracting her while Marlo approached the parking lot of the park.
Chloe smiled happily and nodded, wearing a princess tiara on her head and
a pin on her white shirt that said “It’s my birthday!” on it.
“They sang to me,” she said.
I put an awed look on my face.
“Really? That’s awesome!” I told her before reaching back to give her a
high-five, a warm feeling filling my chest. I had always thought about
having kids, but I didn’t think about it so much until I started getting closer
to Madison and being around Chloe. This was the life I wanted. Surprise
birthday parties. Seeing her smile when I picked her up from school.
Sharing special moments with Madison and the guys.
I was going to fight like hell to not have it taken away.
“Alright, we’re here,” Marlo said once he parked the truck.
Chloe’s face contorted in confusion as she peered out of the back windows.
“We’re not at the shop,” she replied.
I chuckled as I looked through the windshield to see the guys and Madison
in a gazebo in the middle of the park. I could already see green balloons and
streamers to accommodate the magic forest theme that Chloe wanted.
“Let’s see what’s going on,” I told her before Marlo and I hopped out of the
SUV and got Chloe out of the car. I held her against my side as I carried her
toward the gazebo.
When we got close enough for her to see her mom and the others, Chloe
gasped and clung onto me tighter.
“A party!” she exclaimed.
“Just for you,” I said as I stepped into the gazebo, letting her get showered
with love from the others. A two-layer cake with trees and a smiling
monkey drawn on top with icing occupied the middle of the long picnic
table, along with chips, sodas, juice boxes, and a few boxes of pizza. There
was also a notable pile of gifts on the left side of the table.
“Happy birthday, baby,” Madison told her as she hugged Chloe close. “I
can’t believe you’re already seven!”
Chloe threw her arms around her mom’s neck and squeezed her tightly with
a gleeful look on her face.
Madison looked over Chloe’s shoulder at Marlo and me, mouthing a thank
you.
“How about we blow out some candles and open some presents?” Taj
suggested as Bryce and Ti carefully arranged seven candles on top of the
cake.
Chloe nodded eagerly as Madison set her down on the bench in front of the
table.
We all crowded around the table and sang happy birthday to Chloe, who
smiled with pink cheeks and bright eyes. She blew out the candles with
only two tries, beaming happily as everyone clapped for her. I wanted her to
be this happy every single day, but I knew what that meant we had to do.
We had to take down her dad. One day, when she was older, we would tell
her what happened during this time in her life.
Given all the things we had done in our pasts, I just hoped she saw us as
heroes rather than villains.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 26

OceanofPDF.com
Taj

M ytheboots thumped against the old steps of the staircase as I headed up to


attic, taking advantage of my downtime after my last client to
check on Madison, who stayed upstairs whenever she wasn’t picking up
waitressing shifts. We encouraged her to take a break and let us help
support her during this time since she was carrying our baby and having to
deal with all of the physical and hormonal consequences, but she insisted
she could still handle a few shifts a week.
So, when she wasn’t working, we were adamant about taking care of her,
along with helping out with Chloe. Ti and Gus would pick her up today
when they were finished with their last clients. The guys and I all rotated
duties, forming our own system to keep things running as smoothly as
possible.
When I reached the top of the stairs, I frowned when I didn’t see her
relaxing in bed. I turned toward the bathroom to see that the door was shut,
the sound of groans and the sink running coming from inside. I lightly
knocked on the door.
“Babe, you okay?” I asked, figuring she had another bout of morning
sickness. Despite the name, she felt sick throughout the day, and it sucked
seeing her suffer through it so much. All I could do was make sure she
stayed hydrated, had something in her stomach to keep her nutrition up, and
got some rest.
“No,” Madison groaned.
“I’ll get you some water, okay?” I told her before bounding down the stairs
and to the back room to grab a bottle of cold water out of the fridge. By the
time I reached the attic, she shuffled out of the bathroom, looking a bit pale.
I gently placed my hand on her back and handed her the bottle of water.
“Let’s get back in bed.”
“I didn’t get sick this much with Chloe,” Madison said as she crawled back
in bed, letting me pull the covers over her.
“Hopefully, this morning sickness phase won’t last too long,” I replied as I
brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. Despite the light purple
crescents beneath her eyes from restless nights and the loss of some of the
color in her face, she still looked beautiful.
Madison smiled a little as she took my hand.
“Thank you for being here with me,” she said. “You and the guys have been
so nice.”
I tilted my head at her.
“Of course, we’d be here for you. You’re going to be the mother of our
child,” I replied as I gave her hand a squeeze. “And we care about you a lot.
We want to make sure you’re okay.”
Madison’s eyes started glistening with tears. I wondered if I said something
wrong, but she warned me that she would have random crying bouts.
“Sorry, it just means a lot. Michael never did any of this for me,” she
admitted with a light sniffle. “I pretty much went through my pregnancy
with Chloe all alone because he was always out of the house for work or
whatever else he was up to.”
That dude was a major asshole. I hated hearing about him because all he’d
done was hurt Madison. Now, he was trying to make her life hell all over
again.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with him. I promise that he’ll be long gone from
your life soon,” I assured her as our eyes met. I wished that I could comfort
her better with details, but Marlo wanted to talk soon about our next move.
Hopefully, it moved us closer to where we wanted to be because Baker’s
anonymous police report didn’t get us anywhere. Who knew how many
corrupt cops were in the local police station?
Madison smiled and nodded before resting her forehead against mine.
“I just want things to go back to normal. I want a new kind of normal with
you guys,” she replied.
That sounded like paradise to me, and we were so close to achieving it. I
kissed her on the nose and cupped her cheek, making her laugh softly.
“It’ll be crazy and fun and incredible,” I promised her.
“Talking about our sex lives?” Bryce’s voice came from the top of the
staircase.
I smirked as I turned to see Bryce and Baker approaching the bed.
“I guess that’s pretty accurate,” I replied before shooting a wink at Madison
that made her cheeks regain some of their flushed color.
“We figured you’d be hungry in about an hour or so. What do you want us
to pick up?” Baker asked Madison.
“Basically, what are you craving today?” Bryce chuckled.
A grateful look filled Madison’s face before she shook her head.
“I couldn’t make you guys go out of your way for it,” she replied.
Baker crossed his arms over his chest as he gave her a pointed look.
“I’d go to a different state if it made you happy,” he said.
Madison glanced over at me, prompting me to nod.
“That’s true,” I told her. Baker was as determined and stubborn as a person
could possibly be.
“You know that tamale place across town? I can’t stop thinking about their
spicy tamale pie. Oh! With extra sour cream,” Madison said with an almost
dreamy look on her face.
“Tamales it is,” Bryce said as he clapped his hands together. “Sounds pretty
damn good anyway.”
“Oh, Taj, Marlo needs you downstairs,” Baker told me before he and Bryce
headed down to the tattoo shop.
My eyebrows furrowed slightly as I wondered what Marlo needed me for. I
turned to Madison and kissed her warm cheek.
“I’ll be back later. Marcus was finishing up before I came up here, so I’m
sure he’ll be by in a minute,” I said.
Madison nodded and shot me a smile before I met Marlo at the front desk.
“What’s up?” I asked Marlo, keeping my voice lowered since there was still
one more customer left in the shop.
“I remembered there’s a cop that always goes to the Ice House. We should
go have a chat with him. Maybe escalate that report Marcus left,” Marlo
murmured, acting like he was looking at the desktop computer screen.
I kept my eyebrows from lifting, maintaining a nonchalant face. I didn’t
even realize a cop went to a rough place like that. He never tried to stop any
of the fights that broke out there, but I supposed he was off his shift and
stuck by that.
“Ready when you are,” I replied.
Marlo nodded and looked up toward Marcus.
“Shop is yours, Marcus. We’ll be back,” he called out.
Marcus gave a thumbs-up before turning back to his work.
I followed Marlo out of the shop and got in his SUV, my adrenaline starting
to spike. Maybe we could finish things tonight by getting that cop to arrest
Michael. Or at least look into the report. Any step forward was a win to me,
and we really needed a win at this point. Michael could strike at any
moment.
“You think this could work?” I asked him.
Marlo glanced over at me and shrugged, a sigh drifting from him.
“We have to try everything. We’re at that point,” he replied.
I nodded and curled my fingers into fists, preparing myself in case things
went sideways. Lately, I was more on edge than usual. I had faced off with
the law before, but this was different. I was trying to be a good guy, and I
hoped I didn’t lose sight of that in the moment.
My old black Converse hit the ground as I got out of the SUV. The Ice
House was already packed, and I followed Marlo’s lead as he went inside. I
didn’t know what the cop looked like until Marlo pointed him out on the
right side of the bar.
Stocky, average height, shaved head, sharp nose. I had seen him around
here before, but I had no idea that he was a cop.
“Let’s go,” I said, wanting to get this done with.
Marlo headed over to the cop and tapped his shoulder.
“We need to have a chat with you outside real quick, Officer,” Marlo told
him with a firm tone and a serious expression on his face.
The cop narrowed his eyes as he looked between us.
“I think I’ll stay right where I’m at,” he said as he turned himself on the
barstool to face us. “What do you want?”
“Do you work with Michael Ladnier?” I demanded as I stepped forward,
both me and Marlo looming over him.
The cop didn’t move an inch, merely staring us down.
“I know of the guy,” he said.
His snide tone spoke volumes to me, making me share a knowing look with
Marlo.
“He’s being funded by Deviau. You know, the known criminal and owner of
a huge drug running business,” I told him.
The cop didn’t even look fazed in the slightest.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
“You’re lying!” Marlo gritted out. “You have a duty to this city and its
citizens to protect them. Locking Michael up will help keep them safe. You
know that he’s done and will do terrible things!”
“He’ll do great things for this city, and I like the thought of having an ally at
the top,” the cop replied with a smirk before starting to turn around.
Marlo snapped and gripped the front of the cop’s collared shirt.
“You’re a disgrace to this city! If you don’t do this, I’ll make sure people
know how corrupt all of you are!” he spat.
When the cop swung at Marlo, I slammed my palm against his chest to
knock him back against the bar and make him fall off the barstool.
“Stop it! You two, get out!” the bar owner shouted from behind the bar,
pointing toward the door.
“Son of a bitch,” I gritted out as I grabbed Marlo’s arm and led him out of
the Ice House before we did any more damage. I sure as hell wanted to.
“We’ll have to figure something else out. We have to be smarter.”
Marlo huffed as he got back into his SUV, his jaw tensing to its max. He
shook his head, staring ahead through the windshield.
“I have another idea, but I’ve been putting it off because it’s too risky. We
could lose…” he trailed off.
My eyes narrowed slightly. In the back of my mind, I believed I knew what
he meant by that, but I needed to hear him say it.
“Lose what?” I asked him.
Marlo stared out of the windshield for a few more seconds, gathering up the
courage he needed to turn to me and speak.
“Madison and Chloe.”

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 27

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

M ystanding
heart rate doubled as I stood outside of my house with Chloe
next to me, our hands joined. It had been so long since we had
been back home, and it was odd being here again. All I could think about
was the worry and danger I experienced here and how I felt so much safer
with the guys.
I glanced up and down the street, my body on edge. I was on the verge of
danger right now, putting me and Chloe out in the open for anyone to see.
For a certain someone to see. Today, either Michael stopped being a
problem in our lives, or he would pin us down under his thumb for as long
as we lived. I didn’t think I could succeed at escaping him all over again.
So, this was all or nothing.
“What are we doing here?” Chloe asked as she looked up at me with a
confused look on her face.
I breathed in deeply through my nose before looking down at her.
“We’re seeing your father,” I told her.
Chloe’s eyes widened. She probably didn’t have many memories of him at
all since I left him early on in her life. That was for the best.
“Really?” she asked.
I nodded and brushed my fingers through her hair.
“We’re saying goodbye to him, okay?” I replied as I crouched down to be
eye-level with her.
“Why?” Chloe asked, looking a bit sad.
I sighed, wishing I didn’t have to do this, but she deserved to know some of
the truth. I couldn’t hide her from this any longer.
“Because he’s not a nice man, baby,” I said, my throat growing tight. This
wasn’t fair. She didn’t deserve this.
Chloe frowned.
“What did he do?” she replied.
I couldn’t get into the details of that. Michael had done so many terrible
things to me. Screamed at me. Put his hands on me. Threatened me.
“He’s mean. He doesn’t care about us,” I told her as I blinked my eyes a
few times, trying to stop my tears. “That’s why we’re saying goodbye. So
that we can be with Marlo, Taj, Marcus, Ti, Bryce, Baker, and Gus, okay?”
Chloe’s eyes brightened at the mention of the guys.
“We can stay with them?” she asked.
I smiled and nodded. All of the details hadn’t been worked out yet, and I
still hadn’t told them the extent of my feelings, but I would when this was
over. When we were safe.
“Let’s go into the house and grab some more things to bring to the shop,
okay?” I said, trying to distract her from the heaviness of that conversation.
I was sure that she would have questions later, but it was time to go inside.
Chloe nodded and let me lead her into the house. She peered around like it
was a new place, her fingers brushing along the wall as she headed out of
the foyer.
I froze in place when I heard a car stop in front of my house, my blood
running ice cold. I knew that he would show up soon.
“Chloe, go to your room,” I told her. “Pack up some toys.”
Chloe bounded off to her room where she would be safe, leaving me to turn
and face the front door as footsteps sounded on my porch.
I swallowed hard as my heart started pounding, my fear clashing with my
determination to end this now. I took a few steps back before the door flew
open, and Michael stood in the doorway with narrowed eyes and a smirk on
his face. Just his expression made my stomach twist nervously.
“I knew you’d come home eventually,” Michael said as he stepped toward
me.
I put my hands up in an innocent manner.
“We need to talk,” I told him, tightening every muscle in my body to try to
keep my hands from shaking. It only worked a little bit.
Michael eyed me for a moment.
“Oh, you want to talk now? You’ve been running like a scared little girl for
weeks!” he bit out, clenching his jaw in annoyance.
I grounded myself, not moving from the spot as I stood between the living
room and the kitchen.
“What exactly do you want from us, Michael? You want to show Chloe off
for political points? What are you going to do with me?” I questioned him,
not even knowing the full extent of his sick plan. Honestly, part of me
didn’t want to know.
Michael scoffed.
“You’ll be a good little housewife. You think I’m going to take care of
Chloe outside of bringing her to debates and photo ops? I’ve got better
things to do than play house with the two of you,” he replied.
I grinded my teeth as I glared at him, hating every cell in his body for what
he wanted to do. He didn’t care about anything but himself, and even prison
wasn’t good enough for a monster like him. I wanted him to be scared for
his life. To have nothing left.
“After all you’ve done to me. Grabbed me. Hit me. Threatened me. You
think I’m going to bend to your every will?” I bit out, anger burning
through me like wildfire.
Michael stepped closer to me.
“You will bend. You’ll bend, or you’ll break,” he threatened me.
Despite my fear starting to spark, I stood my ground.
“When did you get this way? When we first got together, I thought you
were so different,” I told him. “What changed?”
Michael smirked at me like I asked him a stupid question.
“Everything changed. I saw all the money that could be made. All the
power I could have. All I had to do was make some contacts and do a few
favors,” he replied.
“Contacts like Deviau?” I questioned him.
Michael’s eyes narrowed slightly. He didn’t expect me to know that.
“I couldn’t miss the chance to have a drug lord in my pocket. Do you
realize all the favors we could grant each other? Money, power, pardons,
connections. It’s all business, baby,” he said in a snide manner.
“And you’re going to lose all of it. Everything,” I told him with narrowed
eyes.
A dark look passed over Michael’s face as he towered over me.
“Are you threatening me, bitch?” he snapped. He started to lift his hand to
reach for my arm like he used to, pressing his fingers into my skin so hard
that they left bruises.
But he didn’t get that far this time. Not when Marlo, Baker, and Marcus
stepped out into the foyer from the kitchen, and Taj, Ti, and Gus walked out
of the living room from the other side. Bryce remained with Chloe in her
bedroom, shielding her from what was about to happen.
“What the hell is this?” Michael snapped as he stepped back, looking
between all of the guys as they put themselves between me and him.
“The last time you’ll ever see Madison and Chloe,” Ti said as he waved the
audio recording device he had in his hand. “We’ll be sure to release this to
every local news outlet. Hell, we might go regional.”
Michael turned red in the face as he gritted his teeth.
“You can’t do this. You won’t! I’ll shut down your tattoo shop. I’ll throw all
of you in jail!” he shouted.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to leave town. No, you’re
going to leave this side of the United States. We’re going to torch your
career and your existence here anyway, so you might as well leave. You will
never return. You will never reach out to Madison or Chloe for the rest of
your miserable, pathetic life,” Marlo demanded as he moved closer to
Michael.
Michael backed up until his back hit the door. His forehead started to
glisten as he broke out into a nervous sweat. His eyes met mine as I glared
at him from between Baker and Ti.
“Damn you,” he spat before whirling around to try to throw open the door
and escape.
The guys were on him in a second, throwing him to the ground and dealing
blows that had Michael groaning and crying out in pain.
I wasn’t one for violence, but I didn’t move from the spot as I watched the
guys deal to Michael everything he deserved to get. He deserved even
worse than this, but I was happy with him being banished. Being left with
nothing.
Marcus dealt one more punch to Michael’s cheek, his knuckles already red.
He leaned close to Michael, who was on the verge of tears with blood
dripping from his nose.
“Run,” he spat before yanking Michael to his feet.
Michael stumbled out of the house, and Gus stepped out on the porch to
make sure Michael took off.
I released a heavy breath, my hands reaching out to Taj and Marlo as they
hurried over to me.
“Are you okay?” Marlo asked as worry filled his eyes.
I nodded as I collected myself, nearly feeling lightheaded as the adrenaline
started to wean. I couldn’t believe that just happened. He was gone. Finally.
“Better than ever,” I said as a smile crossed my face.
Marlo smiled back and pulled me into his arms, holding me close as a few
relieved tears slipped from my eyes.
I felt different hands brush over my back and through my hair, filling me
with comfort and hope that everything was going to be okay. It was all over
at last.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 28

OceanofPDF.com
Madison

“G uys, look!”
My voice echoed throughout the tattoo shop that had just been closed for
the night, followed by the sound of footsteps as the guys left their stations
to join me at the front desk.
“What is it?” Gus asked as he reached me first, his breathing sounding a bit
heavy from rushing there.
I smiled and placed my hand on his arm, not meaning to worry him.
“This news article,” I told him as I pointed at the computer screen. I stepped
to the side to let the guys crowd in front of the computer to read the
headline displayed at the top of the screen.

Corrupt Candidate Exposed and Removed from Local Ballot

“No way,” Bryce chuckled as he read through the rest of the article, which
cited from the long, detailed blog I posted online with all of the evidence I
had about Michael and how he attempted to destroy my life and use Chloe
for his own political gain. The recording that Ti took really helped nail
Michael down to all of the horrible things that he did because people could
hear for themselves what Michael planned to do. There was no way for him
to defend himself, especially since he had already fled town without a word
or a trace.
Since an investigation was done on Michael, there were extra leads to
Deviau and a few other corrupt donors. The police gathered all of that
evidence and finally arrested them. Trial hadn’t started yet, but I knew that
they’d be put away for years.
“Yes way,” I said with a bright smile, feeling lighter and safer than ever
before. My horrible ex was gone in the wind, and I finally had the
opportunity to be happy with the men I loved. The men I was ready to
reveal my feelings to in a unique way that I had been planning during the
last two weeks.
“This is incredible,” Marlo told me before kissing my temple. “I’m glad it
worked out. I was worried about putting you in the line of fire.”
“It was a good plan,” I assured him. “It was nice standing up to him one last
time.”
Taj put his arms around me from behind, his hands carefully settling on my
stomach. I wasn’t showing yet, but I expected to in a few weeks.
“You were so brave,” he said. “We’re proud of you.”
His words hit me hard, prompting me to place my hands over his.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you guys about something important,” I told
them as I glanced around at all of them, my heart fluttering slightly in
nervousness. I had been planning this for so long, but I was still nervous to
execute it.
Taj let go of me so that I could lean against the edge of the desk and face
them.
I bit the inside of my cheek for a second as I breathed in deeply to calm
myself. I knew these men cared about me, so I had nothing to fear. No
matter what, I would have them, and they would have me.
“All of you mean the world to me, and I want to be with you for the rest of
my life,” I said, seeing them smile. “I haven’t told you yet, but I want you
to know that I love you. I love you with everything that I have.”
My words hung in the air for a few seconds as they processed them, my
heart pounding even faster. Had they fallen in love with me too?
Ti looked between all of the guys before smiling at me. Probably the
biggest smile I had ever seen on him.
“I can speak for all of us, doll. We’ve been in love with you for a while
now,” he said. “Deeply. Intensely. In love with you.”
My breath hitched as he came close to me, his forefinger tilting my chin up.
“There’s one more thing,” I told him.
Ti tilted his head.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I want all of you to tattoo me,” I replied, making his eyebrows lift in
interest as he stepped back so that I could look at the others too. I had been
thinking about it a lot lately, and I even talked to my doctor to make sure it
was safe to be done. “I want it to be symbolic. Maybe how you guys see me
or something like that.”
“Give us, like, ten minutes, baby. I’ve already got an idea,” Bryce said,
excitement lacing his voice.
I smiled in amusement before heading to Bryce’s tattoo table, my fingers
brushing over the material. I remembered being here for the first time
getting my first tattoo done, which I still adored. I was excited to get
another one done by all of them.
As promised, the guys came up with a sketch in around ten minutes and
joined me at Bryce’s workstation. Taj had his sketchpad in his hand, holding
the page against his chest where I couldn’t see.
“So, we came up with a design that we feel represents you,” he told me
before flipping the sketchbook around.
My jaw nearly dropped as he presented me with an elegant dagger with
vines and beautiful flowers wrapped around the blade and hilt. It was
beautiful and bold at the same time, and it made my heart race. If this was
how they saw me, I was touched.
“The dagger represents your strength and how fiercely you protect the ones
you love,” Gus said with a glint of admiration in his eyes.
“The flowers represent your beauty and liveliness,” Marlo added.
“Double threat,” Ti said with a little smirk. “There’s so much more to you,
but it’s hard to describe. Even with art.”
I didn’t even realize that I was crying tears of awe until I felt them roll
down my cheeks.
“I love it so much. Can we do it tonight?” I asked.
Marcus chuckled a little as he wiped my tears away like he had done quite a
few times already.
“Hop up, baby,” he replied as he patted the tattoo table.
I let him help me up onto the table, and I got comfortable on my back once
I decided to get the dagger and flowers done on my other forearm. I laid my
arm on the armrest that Bryce pulled out for me, a shudder of excitement
running through me from head to toe.
Marlo carefully applied the stencil to my arm, the smooth drag of his
fingertips making the hair on my arms stand up. Even when they were just
preparing me for a tattoo, their touches worked me up.
“Restless?” Marlo murmured with a slight smirk.
I tried to hide my smile by pressing my teeth into my bottom lip, but I failed
and shrugged in a playful manner.
“We’ll take care of that too,” Marlo assured me, patting my thigh through
my jeans before letting Bryce get to his stool to begin.
I subtly rubbed my thighs together, almost forgetting about my tattoo for a
second until Bryce rested his gloved hand on my arm.
“Ready?” Bryce asked.
I nodded, my adrenaline ramping up. As the guys surrounded me,
occasionally touching me or murmuring something to me, my desire shot
up as well. They split up the tattoo in parts so that each of them had a turn,
carefully covering my forearm with straight, clear lines and smooth
shading. Whenever I grimaced when they started tattooing on a sensitive
part of my arm, I felt someone’s hand on mine or fingers stroking through
my hair. They were there for me every second of the way until Gus wiped
off the excess ink one last time.
“Done,” he said, having just finished up the shading on the hilt of the
dagger.
I immediately popped up in a sitting position so that I could look down at
my finished tattoo, my eyes growing wide.
“It’s amazing!” I gasped, keeping myself from touching the fresh ink. It
looked so beautiful and professionally done that I almost wanted to get
more added to it right then and there. However, it was perfect just how it
was. “Thank you so much.”
“Our pleasure,” Ti murmured next to my ear from behind me.
Having them surround me and watch me, even while just getting a tattoo
done, turned me on, and it only worked me up even more to know that they
were marking me as theirs with each line they tattooed on my body.
“It could be,” I replied as I looked over my shoulder at him while Taj
wrapped my tattoo up with a Saniderm bandage.
Ti slid his fingers into my hair, adopting a firm grip as he leaned forward to
crash his lips against mine. It was easy to tell that he had been penting up
his desire while watching me and tattooing one of the flowers on my arm.
I moaned against his lips, feeling Taj release my arm. I held my forearm
close to my chest, making sure to keep it safe as my kiss deepened. It
wasn’t long before I felt two hands slide up my legs toward my inner
thighs. When someone put pressure near my clit through my jeans, I
released a shaky breath.
“Fuck…” I gasped as Ti broke the kiss.
However, Ti didn’t let go of my hair. He guided me down onto my back
only for Marcus to grab my hips and pull me closer to the bottom of the
tattoo table.
“I was dying to take these clothes off,” Marcus said as he undid my jeans
and stripped them off with my panties.
“We should’ve tattooed her naked,” Baker replied with a smirk as he
carefully helped me out of my shirt and bra, being mindful of my fresh ink.
No fun time was worth a messed-up tattoo.
“What do you think about that? I bet you’d like that,” Taj asked me as he
stood at the head of the tattoo table, leaning over to peer down at me.
I immediately nodded, goosebumps covering my skin as the cool air hit it.
“Yes,” I said, desire pulsing through me like a heartbeat.
“Of course, she would.” Marcus chuckled before leaning down to drag his
tongue through my folds in one quick swipe.
I tilted my head back with a moan, blissful fire raging through me. I then
shifted my eyes to the right to see Gus, Marlo, and Bryce either sitting or
standing, watching the show with pleased looks on their faces. Being with
all of them made me realize just how much I liked being watched.
Baker took a seat on Bryce’s stool and pushed himself to the side, a
noticeable ridge already showing through his jeans.
Ti grabbed my upper arm on my other arm and pulled me closer to the edge
of the tattoo table where he stood. He leaned down and pressed his lips
against mine, his hand moving to grip my jaw in a possessive manner.
“Think you can handle all of us for the rest of your life?” he asked after
breaking the kiss, keeping his hand on my flushed face.
I didn’t even have to think about my answer. I immediately nodded, giving
him pleading eyes and letting out a whimper when Marcus’s tongue ran
over my clit.
“Tell me,” Ti replied, crouching down so that we were eye-to-eye.
“I can handle all of you for the rest of my life,” I told him.
The corner of Ti’s mouth curled up.
“Good. Fucking. Girl,” he praised me, patting my cheek in a manner that
nudged me even closer to finishing. He straightened up and undid his belt
and his black jeans, freeing his hard cock and cupping the back of my head
with his other hand.
I already knew the drill and wrapped my lips around him, breathing in
through my nose as he thrusted his cock deeper into my mouth. The feeling
of Taj’s hand on my breast made my back arch to chase his touch, making
him twist my nipple between his fingertips. Between his fingers and
Marcus’s tongue, I was already primed for my first orgasm.
Marcus wasn’t letting me get to that point that easily, though. He swiped his
tongue over my clit one more time before lining his cock up with my
entrance and thrusting into me.
I moaned around Ti’s cock, my body tensing as pleasure crackled through
me. Deep and intense. Marcus wasn’t holding back either, and the table
rattled from his hard thrusts. A tense feeling grew in the pit of my stomach
like a knot being tightened. I was dying for it to snap.
“Oh, no. You can’t come yet,” Marcus told me with a breathless chuckle.
“Good things come to those who wait.”
If Ti wasn’t rocking in and out of my mouth, I would’ve whimpered in
disappointment. It was hot that he wanted to edge me, but I wanted to
orgasm so badly that it could’ve brought me to tears.
Taj continued teasing my nipples, even leaning down and circling the tip of
his tongue around them.
I hummed around Ti, writhing a little as I got closer and closer.
“Don’t you dare,” Marcus said as he slammed into me hard. “Wait.”
Ti gripped my hair and shoved his cock even deeper, finishing with a grunt
that melted into a shaky exhale.
“Fuck,” he said before pulling away from me.
Moans finally poured from my glistening lips with each deep thrust, my
entire body tensing. I was so achingly close, but Marcus knew that.
Marcus suddenly pulled out of me, releasing on my stomach instead of
inside me where he knew I wanted him to finish. He chuckled at the pout on
my face, stroking himself and catching his breath.
“Sorry, baby. I promise you it’ll be worth it, though,” he replied before
nodding to Taj.
I gasped as they grabbed me and flipped me over onto my side, my head
nearly spinning. My ass was pulled closer to the edge, my head angled
toward the other edge. I almost felt like a doll being played with, but my
stomach twisted in desire at the thought. I loved giving myself over to them,
and I was already so sensitive and ready for what was to come next.
After stripping off his clothes, Bryce stood behind me, grabbing the
underside of my top thigh and lifting it slightly as he positioned his cock at
my entrance. He pushed inside slowly, a groan sounding from him.
“Damn, you feel so good,” he told me.
“I won’t last long,” I said, already feeling the bliss start to crest as he slowly
rocked in and out of me.
“You’ll last as long as we want you to,” Marlo corrected me as he and Gus
stood near my head.
It didn’t matter if I pouted or whined in defiance. I was at their mercy, so I
behaved and reached out to stroke their cocks. My body thrummed from
sensitivity as Bryce started pounding into me, hitting an angle that nearly
made my eyes roll back.
“Oh… fuck…” I breathed out.
“Eyes up here,” Gus said.
I lifted my eyes to his, giving him a pleading look. I just needed one of
them to take mercy on me. Just one at least. My breaths started coming out
in pants as Bryce’s thrusts got rougher, pushing me closer and closer to the
edge.
Gus and Marlo started rocking into my grip, thrusting into my hands and
wrapping their fingers around mine. Their gaze floated over my body,
watching me arch and moan as Bryce fucked me from behind.
“Things might get a little harder for you,” Bryce told me.
I looked over my shoulder as Baker handed Bryce a small thing of lube.
“That’s not fair,” I whimpered, already knowing what was coming next.
Bryce chuckled as he squeezed some on his fingers. As he continued
fucking into me, he slowly pushed one lubed finger into my ass, making
him groan at the added pressure.
“Holy fuck, that feels good,” he said.
If he didn’t have such a tight grip on my inner thigh, I would’ve rubbed my
thighs together for some much-needed friction. The pressure felt so good,
making me feel like I was about to explode, but I fought off the feeling as
much as I could.
Bryce pushed in another finger, breathing out slowly to control himself.
“You’re something amazing, you know? You take us so damn well,” he told
me.
“So well,” Gus repeated as he leaned his head back, increasing my strokes
on his cock.
Marlo tensed his jaw and closed his eyes, unable to speak as his orgasm
struck him hard. He grunted as he spilled on the top of my hand.
Gus tightened his grip on my hand and stilled as he came, a few splashes
hitting my cheek. He grabbed the edge of the table to steady himself,
releasing a sharp exhale and a breathy curse.
I smiled a little in satisfaction as I gazed up at them, but when Bryce
worked in a third finger, I shuddered in pleasure.
“Please. Please let me come. I can’t take it anymore,” I begged, the tense
sensation threatening to break. I could already feel the heat starting to build.
“What do you think?” Bryce asked Marlo with a smirk on his face.
Marlo answered by pushing my thighs apart and circling his fingers against
my clit.
I gasped in bliss, my head tilting back as the wave of heat and pleasure
finally crashed down on me. I came apart with a cry, trembling from the
intensity that left me breathless and tingling afterward.
Bryce slammed home one more time before spilling inside of me, keeping
his fingers deep inside. He lowered his head for a few seconds before
chuckling.
“Can’t get enough of your sexy ass,” he told me as he leaned over me to
peck my cheek.
I smiled weakly, reveling in the warmth that settled over me. I knew that I
wasn’t done yet, so I took a second to catch my breath before Baker and Taj
carefully helped me sit up. I reached out and placed my hands on their
upper arms.
“Woah,” I murmured.
“Are you okay?” Taj asked as he tucked my hair behind my ear.
“We can stop,” Baker added before leaning close to my ear to tease me.
“We have forever to make you scream for us.”
His words fired me back up in an instant.
“Let’s get back to it now,” I replied as I lifted my eyebrows at them in a
flirty manner.
“That’s our girl,” Taj chuckled before grabbing the back of my thighs and
picking me up.
My eyes widened when I felt Baker’s chest hit my back as he stood behind
me. Baker’s hands grabbed my ass, while Taj’s hands moved underneath my
mid-thigh, keeping me elevated. I parted my lips to ask them how the hell
they were going to do this, but my words morphed into a surprised moan
when I felt Taj slowly push his cock inside of me.
Baker hoisted me up a little more, keeping me leaned against his chest so
that he could free a hand to guide his cock into my ass at a slow, patient
pace. He pressed his forehead against the back of my head as he sucked in a
deep breath, forcing himself to go slow as he pushed me down on his and
Taj’s cocks.
I wrapped my arms around Taj’s neck since he was in front of me, my head
spinning as I got used to the feeling of both of them.
“Breathe,” Taj told me.
Oh, right. I forgot to do that. I breathed in deeply, steadying myself before
nodding. All of the movement was down to them as they held me up in the
air, pinned between their strong bodies.
“Go, please,” I said.
Baker tightened his grip on my ass and started lifting me and pulling me
down, matching his pace with Taj’s. They subtly thrusted up into me, going
deep and slow at first to set a good rhythm.
All I could do was enjoy the ride, my moans filling the tattoo shop as the
others watched me. I reached back with one hand and threaded my fingers
through Baker’s hair, adopting a tight grip when he thrusted into me harder.
“Oh…” I gasped out, digging the nails of my other hand into Taj’s shoulder.
“There you go. You’re taking us so well,” Taj praised me as his eyes swept
over me.
“You feel amazing,” Baker told me. “I think you deserve to come again.”
“Please,” I begged, already feeling close again from all of the pressure and
friction. I was a goner being fucked by both of them.
“Can’t resist when you beg like that,” Taj chuckled breathlessly before
nodding to Baker.
That set them off. They got a better grip on me and started rocking in and
out. Harder. Deeper. Faster. I clawed at them and held on for dear life, every
muscle of my body tightening until I shattered. My vision went black for a
second as I succumbed to pure euphoria, only able to feel their last few
thrusts and the heat rolling through me in waves.
“Madison. Madison?”
I blinked a few times and came back to reality, feeling like I was floating.
Maybe that was because Baker and Taj were still holding me, but I still felt
completely filled with bliss.
“That was… amazing,” I laughed weakly.
Baker kissed the back of my shoulder before he and Taj carefully set me
down. My knees immediately tried to buckle, so Baker picked me up bridal
style and carried me to the bathroom upstairs.
I leaned my cheek against his bare chest as the others followed. Before I
knew it, I was in a warm bath with all of them surrounding me, a blissful
smile playing out on my lips.
“I love you. All of you,” I told them as I looked at all of them. I was lucky
to have every single one of them in my life, and I was excited to see the life
we all built together. I already knew a big, happy family was in store.
Marlo leaned down and cupped the back of my head, his lips pressing
against my forehead.
“We love you. Always,” he murmured.
That was a promise I knew would never be broken.

OceanofPDF.com
Epilogue: Madison

Seven months later

“Move! We have a baby on the way!”


Despite the deep ache of my contractions, I couldn’t help but crack an
amused smile as Marlo impatiently waved at the cars in front of us from the
driver’s seat.
When another contraction gripped me, making me slowly double over, I
squeezed Gus’s and Taj’s hands as they sat on either side of me in the
backseat.
“Ouch,” I breathed out, trying to remember the inhale and exhale so that I
didn’t pass out.
“The contractions are definitely getting closer and closer together,” Baker
said from the passenger’s seat of Marlo’s SUV as he turned to look back at
me. His eyebrows furrowed together slightly in worry. “We’re going to
make it, right?”
“We’re going to make it,” Marlo assured him before pulling into the next
lane and rushing down the street toward the hospital.
I glanced over my shoulder through the back window, seeing Ti’s black
sedan speeding behind us with Ti, Bryce, and Marcus piled inside. My
water had broken while I was at the front desk of the tattoo shop, and the
guys quickly ushered me into the closest car to take me to the hospital. All I
had time to do was ask Aisling to pick up Chloe and bring her to the
hospital because there was a baby on the way!
“I can’t believe this is already happening. I wasn’t supposed to give birth
for another two days!” I said, shaking my head in disbelief.
“The baby isn’t waiting,” Taj chuckled before kissing the back of my hand.
“We’re almost there,” Gus told me, threading his fingers with mine.
I breathed in deeply and nodded, listening to their comforting words until
Marlo pulled to a stop in front of the hospital’s entrance.
“Let’s go,” I said with pure determination in my voice. They got me here
safely. Now, it was my turn to bring our baby into the world, and I was
more ready than ever.
With a shared smile, the guys helped me out of the car with gentle but firm
hands and assured me inside, flagging down a few nurses who quickly
admitted me and took me into a labor and delivery room. So much of it was
a blur, but at least one of the guys was with me the entire time, making sure
that I was okay.
When the doctor came in, one of the nurses smiled at me.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
I breathed in deeply and nodded, gathering every bit of strength I had. A lot
had tested me during the beginning of my pregnancy, and I was stronger
than ever before, especially with the men I loved by my side.
“More than ever.”

The beautiful sound of a baby’s first cries filled the room a little over thirty
minutes later, sighs of relief following. The tension lingering in the air
finally settled, and I let myself relax for the first time since my water broke.
I did it. Our son was here.
“Hello, Nicholas.”
A wide-eyed, brown-haired baby boy gazed up at me as I finally got to hold
him against my chest. Giving birth to my second child and only son was
exhausting, but the moment the nurse handed him to me, it was like all of
my strength flooded back. I smiled down at him and stroked his tiny hand
with my finger.
“He’s beautiful,” Marlo told me as he stood next to my bedside, gazing
down at his son with gleaming eyes. He held my hand the entire time,
murmuring encouraging words to me when I needed to hear them the most.
“You did amazing,” Ti said from the other side as he stroked his fingers
through my hair. He kissed me on the top of my head. “He’s perfect.”
I shared a warm look with both of them.
“Can you get the others?” I asked them. Only so many were allowed in the
delivery room, so the others stayed with Chloe in the waiting room.
“Of course,” Ti replied, volunteering to go. He smiled down at me as he
placed his hand on my shoulder. “I love you.”
“Love you,” I said as a dreamy look filled my face, feeling proud of myself
and grateful for their support.
My pregnancy with Nicholas, whose name meant victory and symbolized
how me and the guys could overcome any obstacle, was harder than my
pregnancy with Chloe. I ended up quitting my waitressing job when I was
four months along because the nausea and soreness of my feet and back
were difficult to handle while on the job. I didn’t like not doing some sort of
work, so the guys offered me the role of “office manager,” where I basically
ran the shop’s social media accounts and did some admin stuff.
Honestly, it was way more fun than waitressing, and I got to spend more
time with Chloe, the guys, Aisling, and my mom, who was surprised but
supportive of my relationship with the guys. She only cared that they
treated me right, and she quickly saw how in love they were with me. I was
happier than ever before.
When the rest of the guys poured into the room with Chloe and Aisling, I
smiled and showed Nicholas off to all of them, feeling surges of happiness
when I saw how emotional they all were over their new son.
“Chloe, do you want to hold your baby brother?” I asked her.
Chloe nodded, nearly bouncing out of her skin because she was so excited.
“Yes!” she said as she lifted up on her toes to try to get a better look at
Nicholas.
Marcus took her hand and guided her to sit down on one of the padded
chairs in the room. He walked over to me, leaning down and pressing a
gentle kiss against my lips.
“Missed you,” he told me.
“I missed you,” I said before looking at the others. “I’m glad you’re here
now.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Gus promised me as they all surrounded my
bed.
I smiled and carefully handed Nicholas, who was comfortably swaddled in
a white hospital blanket, to Marcus. It felt weird at first not having Nicholas
pressed to my chest, but I loved and trusted these men. Gradually, I relaxed
into my pillows.
“He’s so cute!” Aisling told me as she moved to my side, taking my hand in
both of hers and giving it a proud squeeze.
“The cutest,” I agreed with a look of awe on my face as I gazed at the guys
and how they fawned over their son. It was one of the most beautiful sights.
Aisling followed my gaze and let out a soft sigh.
“You really scored big, Madi. You’re more loved than most people,” she
said.
I gave her hand a squeeze.
“Hey, you’ll get your own happily ever after. Just like one of your romance
books,” I told her with a cheeky smile. She dreamed of being swept off her
feet and taken on some grand adventure like she’d read about in her books,
and I hoped she felt the love that I did from the guys.
Aisling laughed a little.
“Yeah, let’s see if a biker gang full of hot guys shows up and woos me,” she
replied.
I shrugged and lifted my eyebrows at her.
“Life surprises you in the craziest ways,” I pointed out. I never expected the
life that I had now, but I was eternally grateful for it.
Aisling smiled and gave me a gentle hug before stepping away to let Taj
check on me.
“Is my mom and Leah on the way?” I asked Taj.
Taj checked his phone where he had been giving my mom updates and
nodded.
“She just picked up Leah from the airport. On their way now,” he said.
I motioned to my phone, excitement glowing in my chest. I finally got to
see my sister and have her meet the men who made me happier than I had
ever felt before in my life. We had some major catching up to do.
“Can you hand me my phone? I want to call Leah real quick. She’s
probably freaking out,” I laughed softly.
Taj chuckled and placed my phone in my hand.
I looked over at Chloe, my chest warming at the sight of her carefully
holding her little brother. She gazed down at him with pure awe written all
over her face, and I took a mental picture of that moment. I would treasure
this day forever. Surrounded by the people I loved with my new baby
finally out in the world.
What an incredible day. What an amazing life.
“Niko will be the most amazing tattoo artist in the world,” Bryce cooed to
his son as he knelt next to Chloe.
Baker chuckled and gently touched Nicholas’s soft head, feeling the gentle
wisps of brown hair.
“Yes, he will,” he replied, his voice full of awe.
“I’ll be an archaeologist!” Chloe quipped.
Gus rubbed her back in an affectionate manner.
“Absolutely, honey,” he replied, making her beam from ear to ear.
I could’ve cried at the scene, but I decided to save my happy crying for
later. I tapped on my sister’s contact and pressed my phone against my ear,
only hearing it ring once before Leah picked up.
“Are you okay? Did everything go okay?” Leah’s voice immediately filled
my ear.
I smiled and tilted my head away for a second.
“Everything is great. We’ve got a healthy baby boy,” I told her.
“And seven happy dads,” Leah laughed.
I joined in on her laughter, shaking my head out how crazy my life was. I
couldn’t believe my children had seven dads, but they were so loved and
cherished. They were going to live very happy lives, and that was all I
wanted for them.
“Between your six hockey players and my seven tattoo artists, family
holidays are going to be packed,” I said.
“We received more love in our lives than we ever expected,” Leah pointed
out.
I looked over at the guys as they surrounded Chloe and Nicholas, fawning
over both of them. My heart throbbed in awe, and I could see the bright,
happy future that awaited all of us. We overcame the odds stacked against
us, and we came out stronger, more in love, and happier than ever before.
This life was unexpected, but it was better than I ever could’ve asked for.
So, I watched my family laugh and joke while more family was on the way,
reveling in the fact that this wasn’t a dream. It was my reality.
“I wouldn’t change a single thing.”

THE END
OceanofPDF.com
Coming Soon: Eight Bikers’
Heir

Hold on tight for a tale that weaves love and thrilling surprises.
Meet Aisling, a spirited woman who unexpectedly meets the Iron Serpents
—a group of daring bikers led by the grumpy yet enigmatic Kai.
Their audacious plan? To make Aisling the mother of their child, as she's
carrying their unexpected heir.
Amidst the roar of motorcycles and a sense of adventure, Aisling's life takes
an electrifying turn. Each biker—like Auden, the charming smooth-talker,
and Bradley, the fiercely protective one—leaves a unique mark.
Then there's Kai, strong, mysterious, and adorned with intricate tattoos,
with a pull she can't ignore.
But there's more beneath the surface. Aisling feels pulled between her free
spirit and the new feelings these bikers spark. Their glances blur the lines
between what's known and what's thrilling.
As emotions swirl, Aisling navigates love and loyalty. The open road
beckons, but the Iron Serpents tug at her heart. Secrets unravel, and Aisling
and the bikers dive into a journey of feelings.
Yet, a shadow looms—a rival gang not pleased with Aisling and the Iron
Serpents. Danger could be on the horizon, and Aisling might be right in the
middle of it.
"Eight Bikers' Heir" is more than a love story; it's a heart-racing
adventure. With motorcycle engines revving and heart-pounding moments,
Aisling faces choices that could change everything.
Will she embrace the unknown or stick to her comfort zone?

Follow Nicole Casey on Bookbub to be notified of her new release!

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