The Irish Tattooist

Chapter 4

The man shook his head, smiling even though what he had revealed to me was fucking me up. I was a role model? Did the kid get knocked around one too many?

"If you don't want him, let him down easy okay?" The man ran a hand through his own grey, white blonde hair. "And also, thank you for saving my boy"

I nodded quickly, and walked to the kitchen, fixing myself a cup of coffee to think things over. Too much had happened in such a short period of time. I felt rather than saw two pairs of eyes on my back, one anxious and the other a blank stare. Sighing, I turned around, meeting the gaze of my father.

"How was your day?" Hugh started, searching my face for any sign of resentment. "It was alright." My tone was clipped, and I leaned back against the couch, wincing when it brought a new pang of pain through my back. Forgot about the tattoo.

"You shouldn't have stepped in" Ripper spoke up, cigarette dangling from his lips. I scoffed, taking a sip of my coffee. "Why, because I could get hurt?"

Ripper nodded, hands clenched on the table. I turned away, trying to control the anger that ran through me, clicking my neck.

"I've been through worse."

I could feel Hugh start to say something but the door slammed open again, this time Slater walked in, the exact opposite to the Adonis that was Ripper. He nodded to Hugh and Ripper, eyes brightening when he saw me.

"You decided yet girl?" His tone was still as husky as before, but had a new note of suggestion in it. A suggestion that heated my blood almost as much as Ripper's stare did. Hugh looked from Slater to me, sensing the double meaning. "What decision?"

Ripper stared too, eyes narrowed on my face. Slater folded his lean arms, flexing in the thin top he wore despite the cold. "Offered her a job at my place. The girl's got some heavy ink Pres. Looks real fine"

I grinned, then punched him lightly on the shoulder- hurting me more than anything. "My name is Corin deaf ears. And I just got back, so haven't had time to think"

Slater frowned, then threw an arm over my shoulder. We had known each other for what, a day? "But, you had that 30 minute walk home, so that's plenty of time to think Cor-Rin" He dragged out my name and I shook my head, chugging down the rest of my coffee.

Hugh cleared his throat, eyes hard on the arm that was over my shoulders. "Do you think getting a job there is wise Corin?"

Frowning, I slipped out of Slater's grip. "I don't think you can suggest what is wise and what isn't wise right now." Hugh's eyes flicked to the comatose Seamus, who lay completely still- black and blue- on the sofa.

Ripper snarled, slamming a large fist on the table. "Don't talk to your father that way"

I snarled right back, the animosity coming out so quickly I felt a slight shock. "Don't tell me what to do"

Too many people had tried to do that, and it didn't work out so well. Ripper stood, his chair falling on the ground behind him.

"You think, just because you're his daughter I won't hurt-"

I stepped closer to him, looking up at his piercing brown eyes. He was much larger than me, and I was tall. His presence shrouded me, but the anger was still hot in my body; not only from this morning, but from him knowing nothing about me.

"You don't know shit about what I think. So get your head out of your assuming ass and back the fuck up" The atmosphere was too tight, too tense and I struggled to calm my breathing. Hugh placed a hand on my shoulder, jerking me back to reality. Slater stood between me and Ripper, a wall of muscle between two angry forces.

Hugh's voice was low, tentative when he spoke. "What did you mean when you said I've been through worse?"

So now is the time he chose to bring it up.I sat down on the bench, pulling my knees up under my chin. "I've lived in a lot of countries. Some have been harder to stay alive in than others"

That shut them all up. All except for Ripper- who seemed to bring out the worst in me. "And this morning was a reminder of that." He said it like a statement instead of a question, cursing lowly as he remembered my tear stricken face. I tightened my grip around my knees, blinking hard at the memory of the boy-Seamus being beaten.

"My friend was kidnapped by a gang in L.A when I was there. She was beaten everyday, and they tied me to a chair and made me watch. Sometimes it would last for hours, other times they let me in on the fun too"

Hugh ran a hand through his hair, the gesture to familiar to my own, and clenched his fists. "Where were your adoptive parents?"
I shrugged, turning my eyes away from him. He looked too angry, and I was tired of remembering. "Wherever. They gave me money every week, and didn't contact me in any other way."

Slater held a hand up, stopping Hugh from asking anymore questions. "Sorry Pres, but she looks tired. And if I was her, I wouldn't want to be remembering any of this again"

Hugh nodded, strong face tight, and apologized.

"We did go too far this morning-even if we do this a lot. This is a form of punishment that is used in most MC's Corin. This is the way it is, and I can't stop that, even if I am the president"

I scoffed, standing up. "I'm staying in the lounge tonight, someone needs to look after Seamus" Slater and Ripper watched me closely, trying to see if anything was wrong. "Slater, I'll take the job."

Then I walked away, not before stopping to say "I was the only one there for Bianca when she was being beaten. And I went through hell to save her life. One person can change things, we just spend too long living in our own cowardice that we grow comfortable"

No one said anything.