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“Deadly serious.” Riot’s gaze latches onto mine as the last two words... my name... my full name... appears. Owned by Kelsey Peterson.

What was he thinking?

I take another step and another until I’m next to him. He put my name on his cock, like it only belongs to me. That’s... How am I supposed to feel about that? There’s something about it... that makes me breathless. I want to run my fingers over the new marks because this can’t be real. “Are you crazy?”

“Yeah, maybe.” He reaches out and touches my wrist with the back of a knuckle while the artist starts to clean up. He grimaces when the man wipes the ink down with antiseptic. “But if I am, it’s in the fact that I broke your heart. It’s in how much I hurt you. It’s not because I have your name inked on my cock.”

“My full name. Where every groupie from here on out will find herself up close and personal with it?” I shake my head and turn away. He said he was going to do whatever it takes, but I just don’t know. It’s too much, but not enough at the same time.

His whole hand closes around my wrist before I can back up. “No other woman will ever see it.”

“Yeah, right.” I blink back the burn in my eyes.

“I mean it, Kelsey. I’m not interested in being with anyone else. You’re—”

“I’m not yours.”

“No, but I am yours. When, and if, you’re ever ready to let me back in. I’m not going to take it for granted that you will. Either way, I mean it.”

I lick my lips and try to dislodge this lump in my throat. What is there I can possibly say? It’s not enough to eradicate all the bad between us, but maybe... it’s a step. One step that shows me he’s serious.

But if he’s serious enough to get his cock permanently marked, why the hell did he propose to her? Why is he not standing up to her when she’s pushing her way onto the tour? When he knows how much I hate her.

That’s the part that isn’t right. That makes me not want to risk the tender shreds of my heart to him in any way. That keeps me from believing any of this is about me at all. If he can’t understand that... “A man who cares about me... really cares... would tell her to go to hell.”

“I can’t do that,” he says. “Not yet. She’s—”

“Carmine’s daughter.” Pressing my lips together, I bite down on the emotions bursting on my tongue. He doesn’t deserve that much energy from me as long as he’s with her. I don’t care how many times he says it’s for publicity.

“No, that’s not it.” He clocks the change in me. His gaze fills with worry. He slips off the tattoo chair and drags up his pants, wincing as he does. “Kelsey, she—”

“I don’t want to hear it.” Not one word until he tells me he’s done with her. Whipping around, I sprint past Bronx and Golden.

“Kelsey,” Riot calls after me, his voice gritty and pained as it follows me through the shop. His expression is a mixture of pain, queasiness, and fear as he hobbles after me.

I burst out onto the street. Away from Riot and his excuses and the damage he causes.

He’s bent over in pain, but his gaze locks with mine. He mouths, “Don’t.”

Shit. Marco could be anywhere.

But it’s too late. The foot traffic swells around me, then swallows me up. I’m swept along.

9

Riot

“Iwouldn’t recommend running with a fresh tattoo on your dick. You’re at risk of slowing down the healing time,” Felix tells me as he walks past me toward the desk. “Give me a minute, and I’ll run you through aftercare.”

“Thanks.” I grind my teeth. My cock is throbbing and not in a good way. I hobble back to the cubicle where my bandmates are all standing around with their mouths hanging open. “Is not one of you going to go after her? She was almost kidnapped last night!”

My voice has risen, but that’s nothing compared to what is happening in my chest. She has every right to be mad about Sonatina. But she can’t be out on the street alone. What if Marco didn’t go far? What if his plan is to try again? What if he’s just waiting for her to be alone again?

Kodiak is the first to shake off his shock. He puts the trash can down. “I’ll go.”

He marches through the shop and disappears in the direction she went.

“Rook, you go with them,” I order. “Keep her safe.”