Punctured, Bruised, and Barely Tattooed(62)

Kory was back out in the unrelenting heat, but it was what she needed now. The chill had buried itself in her bones, along with the cold words from the women, and she needed heat.

She needed air.

And, perhaps, she needed to be free.





Chapter Twenty-three



“KORY!” STONE WAS behind her, taking her arm once more, only now it was in the harsh light outside. She sighed, amazed that she still had cool control of herself, in spite of the turmoil she was feeling inside. She knew she had to let him go right now, right this minute, because she could never compete with women like the two who had been draped all over him in the shop.

She tried to lose the look of hurt that was no doubt plastered on her face, hoping to replace it with a look of granite—neutral but firm. “What?”

His eyes were soft and she could see in them that he cared. That didn’t make her feel better, though. “Kory…talk to me.”

She saw no reason not to lay it all out there for him. If this was it, it wouldn’t hurt for him to know why. She was grateful to him for all he’d done, all he’d been for her, but maybe this was a natural end for them. She drew in a deep breath. “Stone…those women were all over you. I couldn’t just stand there and watch it.”

He shook his head. “I don’t blame you. If some guy was cozying up to you, it would take every civilized bone in my body not to try to knock his teeth out.”

Kory almost smiled. “Then you know how I feel.”

“Maybe.” He shrugged. “No, probably not.” He let out a long, slow breath while Kory searched his eyes. “But something you need to know…what you saw in there is not out of the norm. Lots of these women, they remember me from my Spawn days, and that’s why they’re here. It’s not that they want a tattoo done by Stone Bowman. No. They want a tattoo done by Malevolent Disorder. They want to say a drummer of a once-famous metal band touched their arm or their back or, yeah, their tit.”

“And how the hell am I supposed to compete with women like that, Stone?”

He started laughing, and he led her past where she had her bike chained up farther down the sidewalk to the bench under a tree growing out of the circular spot in the concrete. She started feeling a little miffed that he was laughing at something that obviously distressed her, but he said, “Kory…don’t you think if I wanted a woman like that that I would have one already? I’ve had women like her throwing themselves at me since the first time Spawn went on tour.”

He sat down and Kory sat next to him. “Really?”

“Yeah. That chick in there is a sixteen year old boy’s wet dream. I don’t want that. I’ve had that. And they don’t stop coming just ‘cause I’m out of the band.” She looked down at his lips, then his Adam’s apple as he continued talking. “They’re constantly coming in here to gawk at Mal, and I’d be an idiot if I didn’t realize that. In fact, I know that’s why I get a lot of the business I do. It’s not that I’m a renowned tattoo artist.”

“Don’t be so down on yourself, Stone. You’re amazing.”

He chuckled. “I didn’t say I wasn’t good, but I know a lot of people are coming in like tourists. They want to see the guy who used to be in J.C. Gibson’s band. And that’s fine. I can accommodate…especially if they get a tattoo along with their gawking.”

Kory nodded and took a deep breath. “I still don’t get why you’d pick me over them.”

He grinned. “You really don’t see it, do you?” She shook her head. “You know, when you kept coming in the shop, I thought you were one of them.” Kory started laughing. “No, not that you looked like them, but I thought you were a tourist. I thought you just wanted to be around Malevolent Disorder. A couple of times I think I even asked you, but you didn’t know who I was. That’s why I agreed to go out with you the first time. You weren’t just sneaking a date with my alter ego. You liked me for me, not someone you thought I was. Those women back there? They’re in love with the idea of a rock star. They don’t know a thing about me. Nothing.

“And then…we got to know each other. You’re a real person, Kory. And I know for sure you’ve had a shittier life than I have, but we have similar back stories. I feel like I know you, not just now, but like I kind of get the way you were…and I want to make you feel safe…and loved. I don’t want you to ever feel vulnerable like that again.” She kept looking at him. His words were good…but not enough. Not enough for her to be able to deal with all that shit. There was only one thing…