took the bank bag from me and I frowned when I noticed that his fingers were shaking. Something
was off here and I didn’t have a good feeling about it at all. He gave his head a little shake and pushed up
from the chair. It looked like it took far more effort than such a simple act should have taken.
“No. Rule was busy getting a house and settling down with his girl. Nash would ask too many
questions, want to be too involved, and I haven’t made enough firm decisions about anything yet. Jet ran
off and got married, so we know where his head is at, and Rowdy …” A little grin tugged at his goatee.
“Rowdy will just go with the flow. The others won’t be affected by it one way or the other, so I don’t think
anyone needs in on it until I know for sure what I’m dealing with.”
I had the very distinct impression we were talking about something other than a second tattoo shop, but
I had no clue what that might be, so I just stared at him hoping he would clue me in. When he didn’t I
sighed and ran my hands through my short hair. I decided to change the subject.
“How well do you know Rome?”
He gave me a strange look. “That’s an odd question, Cora. Why do you ask?”
I tried to shrug nonchalantly but I wasn’t sure I pulled it off.
“Now that he’s back from Afghanistan, he’s around a lot. We don’t exactly click. I poured a beer over
his head at the barbecue on the Fourth. I thought he would be pissed about it forever but then he showed
up here today all contrite and conciliatory. I’m just trying to figure him out.”
He started to answer me but broke into a cough so loud and hacking that I thought maybe I was going
to have to catch his lung if it flew out of his mouth. I settled for patting him on the back until he waved me
away.
“Stop it. I’m fine.”
“You sound the opposite of fine.”
“I think I’m just coming down with a cold or something.” He cleared his throat and rubbed the center of
his chest like it hurt. “I don’t know Rome as well as the rest of the boys. He had it okay at home, his
relationship with his folks was nowhere near as contentious as Rule’s was. I know he loved those brothers
of his and took care of them like it was his God-given mission from birth. They were a solid unit and I was
glad when he took Nash into that fold. It didn’t surprise me when he enlisted, or that things got rough when
the folks let the truth out about Remy. Rome was always going out of his way to play hero for his little
brothers, I’m sure it stung something fierce to find out one of them was protecting him all along.”
“I don’t get it. Why would anyone have cared if Remy was gay if they all loved him so damn much?”
“It wasn’t that. Rome would have tried to stand between Remy and the rest of the world, he wouldn’t
have tolerated anyone trying to say anything bad about his baby brother, regardless if Remy needed the help
or not. I think he was saving Rome from himself by not telling him the truth, but knowing someone you
loved so fiercely kept such a huge secret from you is rough. You know that, Tink.”
I did know that, but I was so used to fighting my battles alone that the idea of having someone love me
as unconditionally as that was pretty foreign. I mean my dad loved me, but he didn’t necessarily protect me.
I knew my friends here would die for me, would stand between me and anything that wanted to hurt me,
but I was always the one that charged headfirst into most situations, regardless of the blowback that tended
to end up on me. There were times when I wondered if I was going to be too much for them to take.
“He comes across very intense.”
“He’s a guy that has been at war for too long. I’m sure that’s left its mark.”
I thought about that scar that cut across his forehead, marring an otherwise beautiful example of
masculine perfection. The marks that had been left on him from that life weren’t just the ones on
was off here and I didn’t have a good feeling about it at all. He gave his head a little shake and pushed up
from the chair. It looked like it took far more effort than such a simple act should have taken.
“No. Rule was busy getting a house and settling down with his girl. Nash would ask too many
questions, want to be too involved, and I haven’t made enough firm decisions about anything yet. Jet ran
off and got married, so we know where his head is at, and Rowdy …” A little grin tugged at his goatee.
“Rowdy will just go with the flow. The others won’t be affected by it one way or the other, so I don’t think
anyone needs in on it until I know for sure what I’m dealing with.”
I had the very distinct impression we were talking about something other than a second tattoo shop, but
I had no clue what that might be, so I just stared at him hoping he would clue me in. When he didn’t I
sighed and ran my hands through my short hair. I decided to change the subject.
“How well do you know Rome?”
He gave me a strange look. “That’s an odd question, Cora. Why do you ask?”
I tried to shrug nonchalantly but I wasn’t sure I pulled it off.
“Now that he’s back from Afghanistan, he’s around a lot. We don’t exactly click. I poured a beer over
his head at the barbecue on the Fourth. I thought he would be pissed about it forever but then he showed
up here today all contrite and conciliatory. I’m just trying to figure him out.”
He started to answer me but broke into a cough so loud and hacking that I thought maybe I was going
to have to catch his lung if it flew out of his mouth. I settled for patting him on the back until he waved me
away.
“Stop it. I’m fine.”
“You sound the opposite of fine.”
“I think I’m just coming down with a cold or something.” He cleared his throat and rubbed the center of
his chest like it hurt. “I don’t know Rome as well as the rest of the boys. He had it okay at home, his
relationship with his folks was nowhere near as contentious as Rule’s was. I know he loved those brothers
of his and took care of them like it was his God-given mission from birth. They were a solid unit and I was
glad when he took Nash into that fold. It didn’t surprise me when he enlisted, or that things got rough when
the folks let the truth out about Remy. Rome was always going out of his way to play hero for his little
brothers, I’m sure it stung something fierce to find out one of them was protecting him all along.”
“I don’t get it. Why would anyone have cared if Remy was gay if they all loved him so damn much?”
“It wasn’t that. Rome would have tried to stand between Remy and the rest of the world, he wouldn’t
have tolerated anyone trying to say anything bad about his baby brother, regardless if Remy needed the help
or not. I think he was saving Rome from himself by not telling him the truth, but knowing someone you
loved so fiercely kept such a huge secret from you is rough. You know that, Tink.”
I did know that, but I was so used to fighting my battles alone that the idea of having someone love me
as unconditionally as that was pretty foreign. I mean my dad loved me, but he didn’t necessarily protect me.
I knew my friends here would die for me, would stand between me and anything that wanted to hurt me,
but I was always the one that charged headfirst into most situations, regardless of the blowback that tended
to end up on me. There were times when I wondered if I was going to be too much for them to take.
“He comes across very intense.”
“He’s a guy that has been at war for too long. I’m sure that’s left its mark.”
I thought about that scar that cut across his forehead, marring an otherwise beautiful example of
masculine perfection. The marks that had been left on him from that life weren’t just the ones on
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