Perfect Collision (35 page)

“You okay, Katze?” She nodded. “Want me to give you a moment?” She nodded again, and he laughed and gave her a kiss. “I think you'll be just fine without me.”

“No, but at least I'll be able to get off.” She threw her arms around him. “I love you.”

They didn't manage to go at it all night. Around four, they fell asleep, and when they woke up they had sex one last time. No toys, just the two of them— slowly, and he made sure to watch her as she came.

-o0o-

Bear was waiting for it, and the second Mac left the lot outside the clubhouse, Vi fell into his arms and bawled her eyes out. They stood there for a long time, and she wasn't the only one crying.

When she finally seemed to calm down a little, he started them towards the truck.

“Come on, Katze,” he said. “I'll take you home.”

He'd known the bike would be a bad idea, and he knew she just wanted to go home. She wouldn't want to stay with the others at the clubhouse. There really wasn't much to say. She knew exactly how long Mac would be away and there wasn't anything changing it. While they were on their way home, her sobbing subsided into random hiccups. He took her hand.

“I know it sounds like forever, but he'll be back before you know it.”

“You do realize he's gonna be gone for longer than we've been together?”

He really tried. He bit down on his cheeks really hard, but there was no use. She knew he was laughing the second he started, and she gave his arm a hard punch.

“I'm sorry, sweetheart.”

“I know.” Then she moved closer, and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I'm just glad
he
never mentioned it.”

“Are you going to stay at home?”

She turned her head and gave him a crooked smile. “As long as I'm not in the way.”

“She's got a house.”

He'd been seeing April a lot the past months, since Vi and Mac had been with each other whenever they could. When he warned April he might have less time once Mac went inside, she'd once again pointed out she had two boys of her own, and she understood. She'd be there when he had time for her for a while.

“How long till I can visit him?”

“A month, maybe. He'll send you the papers as soon as he can. It might take a while until you're approved, but it shouldn't be more than a month.”

“He told me to write.” She wrinkled nose. “I told him he'd have to make do with drawings.”

“You
can
write, Vi! Not like you're illiterate.” He wished she'd stop pulling herself down when it came to that. “Besides, those fucking letters mean a lot.”

“I'll send him naked pics instead. They'll probably mean a lot, too”

Bear turned his head and stared at her. It took her a few moments, and then she started laughing.

“Do
not
do that to your dad!”

“That face totally cheered me up.”

“Guess it was worth it, then.”

Naked pics! His girl would
not
send Mac any jerk-off pics. Those got stolen and spread all over the place with everyone commenting on them. He knew it for a fact, because he used to steal them from others while he was inside.

“Send him pics, but keep the clothes on,” he muttered.

“I'll do my best.” She gave his cheek a quick kiss. “And just let me know if you want me out of the apartment. He asked me to keep an eye on his place, so I can stay nights there sometimes.”

'Keep an eye on his place.' Sometimes his daughter really was naïve. Mac obviously wanted her to get used to his place, and used to being there alone, so she'd come and live with him there once he got out.

When they came home, Vi went to her room, and he thought it was better to give her some time. He went into the kitchen, opened the window, and lit a smoke. He'd give her a couple of weeks, and if she still seemed on pause, only waiting for Mac to come back, he'd do something about it.

This was her shot at doing things she might've missed out on if the relationship between her and Mac had continued on the
very
serious track it'd been on. He needed to make sure she used Mac's time inside as an opportunity to grow and not just to sit around and wait for him. He had no fucking idea how he'd do that, but he was definitely going to give it some thought.

-o0o-

That first night I cried—a lot. Eventually, I gave up on even trying to sleep and instead started writing the first letter to Mac. I hated writing, really hated it, and I'd warned him about it. Not only that I hated it, but that I wasn't very good at it. I wasn't even certain he'd understand what I was trying to tell him.

He'd still insisted and had promised to write to me as well. I'd seen his handwriting, and it was pretty shit. I had no idea how I'd be able to read his letters. It would've been hard even without the dyslexia, and I doubted they would be the kind of letters I could ask Dad to read to me. Or rather, I hoped they'd be letters I couldn't ask Dad to read to me.

I'd told Mom about Mac. Surprisingly, she hadn't gloated about it or even rubbed it in my face. At least not much; there was a remark about how it was best I got used to it. She'd suggested I come and live with her in California for a while, which wasn't going to happen, but I'd simply said I didn't want to leave Wicked Ink.

Lisa'd been great. She'd initially planned to come and stay with me here for a few weeks, but she couldn't get the time off. It meant a lot that she'd even tried. She was coming for Christmas instead and had been planning the entire thing along with Mitch. The plan was apparently to get me drunk. She'd promised she and Mitch would take care of me and make sure I stayed out of trouble. I didn't like the idea. I hadn't liked being drunk the last time I was, and I definitely didn't like the day after. It had been horrible. Also, Mitch wasn't exactly the kind of person who kept you
out
of trouble.

Once the letter to Mac was finished, I sealed it in an envelope, wrote the address, and added postage. I thought it was best to do it before I changed my mind or got the chance to reread it.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:

People Move On

-o0o-

I WALKED INTO WICKED
Ink, and it was instant relief. It felt like the only place where things were just as usual even with Mac gone. Like the only place I could properly breathe.

It was just before Christmas, and Mac'd been away for just over two months. I'd been to visit him twice and it sucked pretty bad, since I wasn't allowed to kiss him or touch his face. We could only hold hands and share a quick hug at the beginning and end of the visit. But it was still nice to see him, and he looked okay. Not beat up or anything like that. He said Bull was on top of things, and I'd known he would be. I was feeling better, and as much as the visits sucked, they were something to look forward to.

I'd had my nineteenth birthday, and Dad had pointed out it was the first hurdle. The first bigger thing I had to do without Mac. I'd turn twenty before he came out, so it was the first birthday hurdle out of two.

The next hurdle was Christmas. Mac would only be away for one Christmas, so it was the only Christmas hurdle. Another hurdle down and the rest to come...

The job was basically the only thing getting better. I had a three customers I was doing big work on, two full sleeves and a back. The kind of tattoos that meant they had to come back several times. Each time, I stared at the ink I'd done and was a little impressed. Even I thought I was getting good at it. Sami still supervised for the bigger or more complicated tattoos, and I discussed every step of the way with him. I was practicing a lot on realistic stuff; Dad was eagerly awaiting his first portrait.

“Hey, JB,” Sami said when he came out from his room. “Got something to ask you.”

“Okay?” I said and sat down.

“I was thinking about you and me doing a tour.”

“A tour?”

“Tattoo conventions. Maybe do some guest work at other studios. Things like that.”

I knew what a tour meant, but I was still an apprentice. “I doubt all that many studios would invite me.”

“No. Not yet. But they'll invite me.” Sami sat down on the couch next to me. “Thought we'd take the chance now, and it would be something for you to do instead of just sitting at home, waiting.”

If he suggested it, it was because he thought it was a good idea, but I still needed to ask.

“Think I'm ready for it?”

“I don't 'think,' kiddo,” Sami said with a smile. “I know.”

“Wow!” I thought about it for a while. “When?”

“I've been checking and there's some stuff coming up already in January I think I can get us into. I thought we'd start with conventions and see what happens.”

I liked the idea, and he was right. It was something to do rather than just sit and wait, and a great way to get some practice. It was also a good thing to do
now
while Mac was away. Not that he wouldn't let me go, but this way we could do a lot of them in a short time. It would get my name out there, if...

“Think I'd do well? I mean, it would be stupid to—”

He didn't even let me finish. “You will. No doubt about it. I know you won't like to hear this part, but the fact that you're eighteen—”

My turn to interrupt. “I'm nineteen.”

“Yeah,” Trixie butted in. She was obviously feeling overlooked, and she hated when people didn't include her in conversations. “Because nineteen is practically middle-aged when it comes to tattoo artists.”

“Just pointing it out.”

“Well, still, the fact that you're nineteen, and you're a girl,” Sami waved towards me, “looking the way you do, it's gonna make people notice you, and your work can stand scrutiny.”

That was probably the best compliment I'd ever get from him, but I was fine with that. I gave him a hug.

“What about licenses and things like that?”

“Hun',” Sami laughed. “I've done a few tours. I know what we need, and I'll handle it. All you'll have to do is sign the papers.”

“Okay.” I hugged him again. “I need to talk to Dad.”

“Yeah. Get him on board.”

“I will.” I was beaming. I knew it, but I didn't care. This was big! “I'm sure he'll let me go. Besides, I'm nineteen. What's he gonna do?”

“Break my fingers,” Sami deadpanned. “So please get him on board.”

“Yeah. He might actually break your fingers,” I agreed with a nod. “I'll talk to him. He'll probably like the idea. He doesn't want me to just sit and wait, so I'm guessing this is something he'll like.”

I honestly didn't think it would be a problem. He trusted Sami, he knew he'd keep an eye on me, and he'd be happy for me.

I finished one of the sleeves during the evening, and the guy was so fucking pleased. He kept looking at it in the mirror, and I had some trouble to even convince him to let me wrap it up for him. I took some pictures of it for my portfolio.

“Think you could come back once it's healed?” I asked him. “I'd like some pictures then, too.”

“Sure.” He'd done enough tattoos to know why I was asking. A healed tattoo looked better on picture than still-fresh ink. The swelling would disappear, it would heal up, fade a little, and be less shiny.

Once I'd cleaned up, I said goodbye to the others, and hoped Dad would be in a good mood, because I wanted to ask him immediately. I wanted something other than prison visits to look forward to.

-o0o-

It'd only been two months, but it was noticeable when four members went inside. To make matters worse, Wolf had come up to Bear and Brick earlier that day telling them he wanted out. He'd wait for the other members to be released, but then he wanted them to vote him out.

He was old, and if he'd managed to stay alive until he was almost seventy, he wanted to die next to a woman—preferably while inside a woman—and not by a bullet.

Wolf might not have been in the Greenville club for as long as Bear had, but he'd been a Marauder for longer than him. Even during the early years he'd seen Wolf a lot, since he'd been a Nomad. It would be odd to not have him in the club, and he hated Wolf leaving, but he wouldn't dream of denying him. They'd all vote for him to leave in good standing. Especially when he asked in the way he did. Putting the club first, and making sure they'd be able to handle him leaving.

He'd asked for one more favor. He wanted Vi to be the one who tattooed the 'out' on him. He wanted his country-girl to do it.

Bear promised him to ask her that night, and while he waited for her to come home, he was talking to April.

She stayed at his place a few nights a week, and he made sure they didn't fuck while Vi was at home. The apartment wasn't big enough for it. April was getting along well with Vi. She wasn't trying to be her mother or anything like that, but they got along.

When Vi came home, she looked nervous. She kept eyeing April, which made him think there was something she wanted to talk about, and she didn't want to do it in front of April. He sat down by the window—studying Vi—waiting for her to get it off her chest.

“How was work?”

“Fine. Finished that sleeve. The black and white with Hellsing stuff.”

“The Japanese shit?”

“Manga, Dad. It's manga.”

“Wow! Remind me to have a look at that, asap.”

“Very funny!” She gave April another glance and took a deep breath. “Sami had sort of a suggestion today.”

He nodded and looked at April. “Go wait in the bedroom for me.”

“Sure,” she said, stood up, and gave him a kiss. When she leaned closer, she whispered. “Go easy on her.” Then she turned to Vi. “Night, Violet.”

“Night,” Vi answered and looked embarrassed. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be,” April said and winked at her. “Make sure he doesn't smoke too much.”

“Yeah, because he always listens to what I say,” she mumbled. Once April was gone, she turned to him. It looked like she was about to tell him he'd been rude to April, but probably figured it was better to be nice to him. She was a smart girl. “He wants us to go on a tour. Conventions, and maybe some guest spots at other shops if I'm invited along with him.”