Temporary (Indelibly Marked #2) (5 page)

“Emily.” He crossed his arms. “Now what?”

“It’s not even you.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose and
tried to move past him. “I’m so stupid. I just need to grow up.”

“What?” He caught her by the shoulders. “I thought—”

“I know what you thought!” She cut him off. “I even knew
what you thought before you thought it. I’m the idiot who wanted it to be
different. Just let me go home.”

He let go of her. “What about the shop?”

In the world’s shortest but most humiliating walk of shame,
she made her way to the door, pushing her skirt down her hips.

“Emily.”

Even with her faith fading, she still managed to turn.
They’d made a mess of themselves and the storeroom.

“Who’s going to take care of your tattoo?” He stepped toward
her.

“I shouldn’t touch it for the next twenty four hours.” She
recited the rules she knew by heart.

“I suppose you would know how to take care of it.” He bent
down and slipped on his jeans.

“I’m my brother’s sister.” She threw those words at him. Her
last name cursed her when it came to Ivan. “The youngest of the Elliotts. Never
forget, the first time you slept with me I wasn’t old enough to gamble and you
were rounding the big three-oh. Most men would kill to be you.”

“Now what?” He lifted his shirt off the floor.

“We have two businesses to run.” She put her hand on the
doorknob.

“I’ll call you later.”

“Please don’t.” For the first time she wouldn’t wait like a
dog by the phone. Ivan was right. Things were back to normal. She opened the
door, the cool air of the shop evaporating her last bit of hope into nothing.

Chapter
Four

“I set up the accounting office’s phone in here and I
brought in the rolling chair Emily likes.” Ivan put the cordless phone on the
counter, patted the piece of furniture and motioned toward Tam to take a look.

She pursed her lips.

“I made sure the bathroom is fully stocked with toilet paper
and put a fine of five dollars for anyone who leaves the seat in its full and
upright position.” He grinned using all his teeth, deciding not to tell Tam
that he also made sure to use the aftershave Emily loved and spent extra time
grooming…everything in the event make-up sex was in order.

She exhaled.

“Look!” He held up a finger and bent down to the fridge
where they kept water and juice for their customers. “I ran down to the corner
and got the iced tea she likes and I already pre-sweetened it.” He lifted a
bottle and shook it. “I even got straws so she doesn’t wreck her lipstick.”
Later he would lick the pigment off.

Tam didn’t as much as blink.

“I got her favorite cinnamon cookies from Koslowski’s
bakery,” he said and glanced at her. “Girls like when we pay attention to
detail, right?”

She shrugged.

He straightened up to show off the shirt Emily gave him for
his last birthday. “How do I look?”

“Like you pissed off Emily.” She shook her head.

“Well, you don’t have to be so blunt about it.” As he kicked
the refrigerator closed the bell on the front door rang and his muse, sweeter
than pink cotton candy, strolled through the door.

“Good morning!” The vision swirled around the front counter.

Pink, yes. Sweet, no. “Emily?”

“Good morning, Ivan.” She hugged Tam and put her purse down
on the chair.

“May I ask what you’re doing?” He tapped his foot and
assessed her ensemble for the day. Her normal attire of a short but appropriate
skirt and frilly little top somehow morphed into short shorts and a loose shirt
that appeared to be see-through.

She leaned around to Tamsin and cupped her hand over her
mouth. “I’m going to work with Billy today.”

“Not dressed like that you’re not.” He stopped and looked up
at the ceiling not sure if he sounded like a jealous person, a parent, or
Shane.

“You have no say in what I wear Mr. Harlow. My outfit is
perfectly fine for a tattoo shop. Isn’t it Tam?” With her hands on her hips she
posed in front of Tamsin.

Tamsin tilted her head and gave her a thumbs up. “The girls look
good.”

“I was going for that look.” Emily thrust her chest out.

“It worked.” Tamsin nodded and reached into her jeans
pocket. “Seeing you now, I think these belong to you.” She handed Emily back
her pink thong from the night before and walked away.

“I got your favorite cookies.” Ivan held up the little
bakery box.

“You can’t ply me with calories.” Before Emily faced him she
shoved the undergarment into the trash. “Twisted Tattoo is blogging today at
Pins and Needles blog. I think you need to work on some media.”

“Why don’t you be in charge of media?” The Elliotts loved
being on display.

“Because I’m not a tattoo artist.” She eyed the box then
reached in her bag and handed him a print out of the blog. “I need to get to
work, or did you forget my brother’s shop is being threatened?”

“Not for one second.” He stepped forward. “I am thinking
about that now.”

“Well I’ve been thinking about it all night.” She lifted her
chin. “I am going to go help Billy and see if we can make some headway.”

“I can do that.” He met her lifted chin with a narrowed eye.

“No, you’re not nice to him, and I am the perfect
candidate.” She motioned toward her girls. “Go re-read the papers. They are all
full of mumbo jumbo.”

“You can’t talk to him wearing the necklace I gave you.” He pointed
at her girls and lifted his finger to the little amethyst pendant. “That’s real
gold.”

“Get over yourself. You have given me a necklace every year
since you met me.” She snatched the box of cookies away, spun on her heel and
sashayed to the back.

He ground his teeth and watched her approach Billy. The man
stood the moment she came over. Of course he got up, no one should miss taking
in his muscles or his height.

Emily giggled and Billy flashed one of those smiles that
should have a little gleaming starburst of light on his tooth.

Ivan tapped his foot while they chitted and chatted. Emily
might want to handle Billy, but he was the man in charge of the shop. Even that
man who served him papers thought he was Shane. Nice or not, no one except for
one Mr. Elliot knew more about Permanent and he deserved, no, he demanded to be
part of the powwow. He only needed to wait until Emily begged for his help.

Yes, any second now, she would turn, summon him to her and
he would take over the investigation.

Emily flipped her hair over her shoulder and sat down on
Billy’s table.

The tick tock of the seconds counting down seemed to echo
over the rock music, and he strummed his fingers on the counter watching Emily
share his cookies with their traitor. At last he gave in, sat down and read the
papers, page by page.

Every word.

He didn’t skim or scan. Instead, he made sure to take it
line by line. “Oh, no.”

The consents didn’t matter.

He needed to tell Emily and he needed to kill Billy. What
had the man done?

Emily’s hands flitted around as they continued their
conversation and she lifted up her shirt revealing not only her freshly inked
tattoo but a bit of side boob, and there was the sign, the indication…the end.

“Hold up!” He rushed toward them, actually, toward Emily and
returned her shirt into its rightful position.

“What are you doing?” Emily shooed his hand away. “I was not
exposing my body to people I barely know.”

He turned his back to bad boy Billy.

“Shane says we’re all family, and I just wanted to show
Billy my tattoo,” Emily shouted then stared him down.

“I will take care of the tattoo and you can reveal it when
it is ready to be shown to an appropriate audience.” Namely himself.

“You put the tattoo near my breast and you are no different
than Billy. If I want him, or Tam, or anyone else to see my boob, then I will
very well show it.”

Behind him Billy chuckled.

He clutched his hand into a fist. “What do you want me to
do?” She knew the drill, and he never lied to her about their status.

Color rose in her cheeks. She shifted her focus to Billy and
back to him. “I was speaking to Billy about the consents. I thought we could
try to scour the shop, hopefully they only got misfiled.”

“I would have come in early, but I don’t have a key to the
shop.” Billy’s tone came out laced with a bit of sarcasm.

Ivan turned to him. “Maybe we should go to your place, I’m
sure the consents are there, though they’re not needed.”

“Ivan?” Emily tapped him.

“I told you yesterday I put the consents on the front desk.”
The ass squared his jaw, providing Ivan the perfect plane to give him a punch.

 “Whatever game you’re playing, it doesn’t matter.” Ivan met
him nose to nose. “We don’t need them, though isn’t it convenient that the only
customer who ever threatened to take us to court has missing consents?”

“What’s going on?” Emily slid off the table and moved
between them.

“We never had one problem until Mr. New York came here with
his portraits.” He inched closer.

“They can sue anyone with or without consents.” Billy lifted
his chin.

“You seem to know a lot about what people can do.”

“Funny, it was the owner’s sister who just told me that.”

Both he and Billy looked at her.

“I did a lot of research last night.” She put her hands on
her hips. “I’m more concerned about the publicity than the lawsuit.” Under her
precision applied makeup, she paled.

Ivan took a breath. His initial strategy of finding the
consents was gone. In fact, the shop lay with its underbelly exposed, courts
and bad publicity right on the horizon. Their infected customer could talk any
time, and they could do nothing to stop him.

As if they shared one mind, he and Billy looked at each
other.

“I’m tearing the shop apart.” Billy ran both hands through
his hair. “I’ll find the consents.”

“It doesn’t matter.” What were they going to do?

“What are you talking about?” Emily yanked him.

He unclenched his jaw enough to get the words out. “Mr.
Lipson went to the emergency room six hours after he left the shop. The
aftercare, the consents, they don’t matter, in that timeframe the infection
happened here.”

“I have never had a problem before. My work is perfect.”
Billy lifted his chin.

Ivan ached to ram his fist into the guy’s face, especially
with the way Emily covered her mouth.

“Billy?” Emily’s voice came out broken, draped in anxiety,
hurt and worry.

“Yes.”

She cleared her throat. “I was thinking you should collect
some testimonials and such from past customers.”

Billy didn’t as much as acknowledge her, but he did turned
as pale as Emily.

“Did you hear her?” Ivan waved his hand in front of the
jerk’s face, stopping short of slapping him.

“Yeah,” Billy said, but his tone said something else
entirely.

“Then get to work.” Not wanting to deal with the douche,
Ivan snapped his fingers.

Without another word, Billy walked to the front filing
cabinet.

“Don’t mess up our system!” He wished he owned a bullhorn
and whip, he would get the ass into shape, all the while showing Emily he had
it covered.

“Ivan.”

He turned to her, sure their reunion was right around the
corner. All the grooming and aftershave would definitely pay off. “I got you
some of that iced tea you like, and I thought in a bit we could go down to the
deli and get some lunch.”

She shook her head.

“I was nice.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “The
situation will get fixed.”

“We need help.”

“What?” He bent down to hear her.

“All we need is that guy talking to the press. We have to do
something.” She mimicked his action and balled her hand in a fist. “We have no
plan. Nothing.”

“He needs to get on this and figure out what happened.” He
motioned toward Billy digging through paperwork.

“No.” She shook her head. “We need Shane, but we can’t have
him, and we can’t have him come back to a wrecked business with a baby. For
once I need to be smart. There’s someone who can help us.”

“We both agreed we can’t go to Shane and Lindsay.” He took
her by the shoulders.

“I have another big brother.” She didn’t meet his eyes.

At the mention, or strategic non-mention, of Dillon, his jaw
tightened to the point he could barely open his mouth. “No.”

“I’ll be back.” She pushed him away.

“Emily.” He moved in front of her. “How do you even know
he’ll help us?”

“Do you have a better solution?”

Anything had to be better than Dillon. Without an answer he
stepped aside.

She rushed away, the bell on the door ringing after her
exit.

While he spent the last night thinking about how he would
get sex tonight, Emily had spent the night worrying about her family’s
business. “Damn it!” He pounded his fist onto the counter. “Tamsin!”

“Stop yelling and hitting things like a moron.” She stood up
at her station.

He pressed his palms together and took a breath, setting his
plan in motion. “Watch the shop, and especially watch him.” He tilted his head
in Billy’s direction.

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t know.” All he knew was he should be the one with
the answers, not Dillon. Hell, not even Shane.

~~*~~

“Emily!” Dillon’s voice echoed through the little private
alcove in Beachwood Canyon.

“I didn’t think you would come.” Wind blew through the
clearing and Emily turned, clenching her jaw to stop her teeth from chattering.

“It’s like 67 degrees, you’re going to freeze dressed like
that. It’s also see-through.” Her oldest brother approached. Without Shane’s
savvy style or Carson’s gorgeous good looks, Dillon possessed something all his
own. While the three younger Elliotts chose the alternative route, Dillon
stayed true to himself, conservative and handsome, his looks pure without the
extra hair dye and flair the rest of them preferred. Any mainstream girl would
positively swoon over him with his big blue eyes and brown wavy hair. “Why
didn’t you think I’d come when you called?”

“Gee, I don’t know.” She shivered. “Maybe because one day I
went looking for you to find out you left for New York without a word, and with
our money.” Even two years later the memory stung.

“There’s more to the story than you think.” He took off his
suit jacket and held it out to her, leaving him in a white button down shirt
and green tie.

“That’s not what our bank accounts say.” She might as well
get a knife out and cut open the scab that formed over the wounds.

“Did you want my help or not?” He shook the jacket at her.
“Maybe if I try to help, we can move beyond what happened?”

“Are you going to try? Or are you going to help?” She put
her hand on the jacket but didn’t take it.

Before he answered, the deep, vibrating rumble of a
motorcycle intruded on them. In a cloud of dust, Ivan pulled in. He got off the
bike, took off his helmet, and stomped in their direction.

Her chest tightened, though not sure if she wanted him there
or not, she would have given him hell later if he remained absent. No wonder
she drove him crazy.

“I can’t believe you actually showed for your own sister.”
He pushed Dillon’s jacket away, thrust himself between them and put his own
jacket around her. “Your outfit is see-through.”