phone at me and looks at me like I’m wearing lingerie, his eyes hot as they drag over me. I feel self-conscious but not uncomfortable.
I know exactly what to expect from him.
“Get your ass over here, I’m hungry and I don’t know which type you want.”
I shrug and stumble a little over my own feet as I make my way over to him and I pick up a piece of the pepperoni. He grunts and shoves half a slice in his face at once. “Pick a movie, I’ll text Rue and make sure he’s coming tomorrow to help out.”
I nod and mess around on Netflix until I put something on. Jurassic Park is an old favorite of mine, something my dad used to watch with me because he loved it and he’d make me swear not to tell my mom about it. I haven’t been able to watch it since he died but… sitting around at the clubhouse with Tomi, eating takeout and drinking a little whiskey, this is kind of my safe place now.
I can’t believe that is even possible but here I am.
“Stop with that face, Angel.”
I smile at him and kneel on the bed to fix the pillows, to make a nice little cocoon for us both. He watches me carefully and when we’re finally tucked up together I pull off the last plaster from my heart.
“My name isn’t Angel. Not really. My dad used to call me that so when Derrick made the ID I asked him to use that name.”
Tomi’s chest rumbles under my ear and he moves the empty plate to the floor, flicking the lamp off and leaving us in the dark. “It suits you.”
I think it’s precisely because he doesn’t ask me what my name is that I tell him, even though he heard my mom call out to me I want him to hear it from me.. “It’s Jazmin. Jazmin Vaughn. I… don’t want to go back to being called that.”
He nods and strokes back my hair, his fingers trailing over my shoulder. “Nothing has to change, sweetness.”
I fall asleep on him before the movie ends and I don’t have my nightmares, as if the steady thump of his heart beneath my ear is enough to keep my demons at bay.
I never want anything to change.
When we leave that night, the bikers all tip their heads at me or clap Tomi on the back as we pass but none of the girls try to talk to me. It’s not exactly a bad thing but they all stare at me with hatred. I ignore it.
It’s not like it’s new.
“I’m about to gouge some eyeballs the fuck out,” Tomi growls and I squeeze his hand a little.
“Please don’t. I’m fine.”
There’s a scrape of boots on the carpet behind us and then Rue says, “Fine never means fine. Tomi, you better lay down the law before it bites you in the ass. Shoulda done it months ago.”
I glance back at him with a smile and he smirks back, the type he gives Tomi and Trink all the time.
The type he gives his family.
“Fuck them. We’ll meet you back at the house tomorrow morning. We have something to do tonight.”
The tattoo shop is sleek and clean, lots of black marble surfaces and gothic art on the walls. I feel extremely uncomfortable even walking in but Tomi is as relaxed as ever. I guess with all of his tattoos he's spent a lot of time here before, and when I thread my fingers through his he gives them a squeeze.
"What the fuck are you doing here? I didn't think there was an inch of you left to tattoo."
I peer around Tomi to look at where the voice has come from only to find the tattoo artist standing a few feet away from us and snapping off a pair of black gloves.
I gulp.
He's huge. Like, freaking huge and his body is even more densely covered than Tomi's. His eyes are... weird, too intense for his face and the smile on his face makes me feel super uncomfortable.
"My old lady needs a patch and I need her name on me. Clear your evening."
The tattoo guy laughs and when Tomi doesn't join him he finally notices me standing behind him. "You're serious? Fuck. I didn't think I'd see the day. 'Struck or just the regular sort of romance."
Am I the only one who didn't know about this curse?
Doesn't matter, Tomi answers, "'Struck. Just know that if you try your