Page 76 of Poison Pen
“The fuck it’s not,” Javier shouted, whipping the gun back and forth between us, like he couldn’t decide who he’d rather threaten, me or Asher. “It’s all her fault. She was fucking it up on purpose, making me look like a bitch when she’s the one who doesn’t know how to do a proper tattoo. I’m not a bitch!” he shouted again, face reddening. “She’s the bitch!”
“I am,” I said, drawing his attention to me. The last thing any of us needed was for Javier to accidentally shoot one of us as he had his little temper tantrum. “You’re right, Javier. I am a bitch. I always have been.” Asher opened his mouth, but I sent him a look, and he smartly closed it again. “But I’m a bitch who can finish your tattoo, so how about we focus on the matter at hand and stop with all the bullshit.” I shot another pointed look at Asher, who was less than pleased with being told to wait.
Well, get in line, buddy.
“How about you pick a chair, and I’ll get set up. We can finish up and move on and everyone will be happy, right?”
“Yeah. Good,” Javier agreed, his head nodding like it had all been his idea to begin with. “Go get what you need and be quick about it. And no funny business, you get me? Or I’ll end this lumberjack you call a boyfriend. Knock his ass the fuck over again.Timber!” Javier cackled at his own joke, shaking his shoulders as he pushed Asher over on the chair.
I could see Asher gearing up to fight back, but I couldn’t have him messing this up. If he took a shot at Javier before it was time, then we’d be fucked. I had a plan; I just needed time to execute it.
“Hey!” I said, interrupting Javier as he tried to push Asher over again. “Which chair, Javier? I need to get my shit set up, and I don’t want to wait all night.” The truth was, I was actively trying to stall, but he didn’t need to know that.
“I said we’d be back where we started, didn’t I?” Javier called, moving over to what was my apprentice chair. The vile word he’d sprayed on it was still there, and he caressed the letters lovingly before he climbed on, sitting with his legs dangling over the side and pointing the gun back at Asher where he sat on the next chair over. “So this is where we’ll be.”
“Fine. I’ll be right back.”
“The fuck you goin’?”
“I have to get the supplies, and they are in the supply closet,” I said, speaking slowly, like I was talking to a child. “I’ll be right back.” Without waiting for permission, I stomped my way down the back hall, opening the supply closet and taking stock of what was there. It looked exactly as it had the last time I’d been inside, so I found everything I needed quickly, gathering the needles, ink cups, and other things almost by memory. Heading back to the main room, I set it all down on the table at my old station and began assembling everything I would be using. I surreptitiously glanced at the door, wondering exactly how much longer I’d need to wait, and if I was going to have to take matters into my own hands.
“Let’s go, woman,” Javier called, and I ground my teeth. “I have plans for you after this, so quit wasting time and get it going.”
“Plans?” I asked, unscrewing one of the ink bottles and filling a cup. When he didn’t immediately respond, I glanced over my shoulder to see Javier leering at me in a way that made my skin crawl.
“Don’t you worry about that yet. Just to your job and we’ll figure out the rest later.”
Yeah, no. That wasn’t gonna work for me.
Glancing again at the door, willing it to open, I reached one more time for the necklace I wore around my neck. The necklace that I hadn’t taken off in ten years.
When the door didn’t open, when no one else came to relieve me of this burden, I knew I’d have to take matters into my own hands, whether I liked it or not.
Grasping the pendant firmly, I gave a solid tug, feeling the chain break at the back of my neck and come away in my hand. Trying not to draw attention to myself, I quickly slid the pendant off the chain, which I put into my jeans pocket, before opening the delicate silver cage that comprised the outside of the pendant. Looking again to make sure that Javier was still preoccupied with Asher, I pulled out the small tube from inside the silver cage and unscrewed the top.
Drawing in a deep breath, I paused, wondering if this was really necessary, if I was actually going to do what I intended here. Because once I did, there would be no going back.
This one small action would change me fundamentally. I would never be the same person again.
Lifting my eyes, I could see Asher staring at me in the cracked mirror above my station, his face serious and solemn as he watched me. He had no idea what I was doing, no clue as to what I was considering, but he nodded anyway.
Asher held my gaze and gave me a single, confident nod, letting me know that whatever happened, whatever the outcome, we were in this together.
I couldn’t let him down.
I wouldn’t. I was stronger than that. Stronger than anyone had ever given me credit for.
Except for Asher; he had known it from the beginning, and he had just been waiting for me to catch up.
Resolved, I gave him a nod back before taking the small vial I’d extracted from my pendant and pouring the contents into the tiny cup of black ink. I watched as the liquid pooled on the surface before seeping slowly into the more viscous ink and disappearing as though it had never been there at all.
Now that it was done, I quickly reassembled the necklace, tucking it into my pocket with the broken chain before gathering the last of what I needed and making my way over to where Javier sat, gun still trained on Asher. Snapping on a pair of black gloves, I turned to Javier and nodded.
“Alright. Let’s finish this.”
Chapter forty-two
Ricki