Free Inked Fighter: Book One (BBW New Adult Romance) by E.E. Griffin Page A

here?”
    “Your dad was like a brother to me. I made a promise to him I’d look after you like my own kid.”
    “And this is how you would treat your own kid?”
    “I needed to see what kind of man you are. I needed to know if you’d keep your mouth shut or if you’d pussy out and run off. You’ve shown me you’re the kind of man I want in my club.”
    “Why would I stay? I had a good life in LA until you fucked it up.”
    “It was what your father wanted, Damien.”
    “My father was an idiot con-man criminal who had me doing felonies before I could legally drink.”
    “Give it some time. You’re off tat duty, and we’ll get you a room upstairs. A clean one. We can even set you up with a shop in town. I think you will find it quite lucrative to work for me. I’ve also heard you’ve been hanging around a little girl named Claire Parker. Sweet kid.”
    “What do you know about her?” I felt a surge of anger that he would even say her name.
    “This is a small town. Everyone knows everyone. I know she’s got a baby and two sisters she takes care of. She’s a nice girl. A good girl. A woman worth staying for.”
    “This isn’t over,” I said, standing up. I’d lost my cool and couldn’t talk to him anymore. Rubbing my jaw like I’d been punched, I left the room without another word.
    That night, some of the flunkies helped take my things upstairs. I felt indifferent. There wasn’t anywhere to go, really. I might as well take the room. Being taken off on-demand tattoo duty was a nice change of pace, and my new digs weren’t bad at all.
    I had a big bed, a flat screen, and a bathroom of my own. Martel wasn’t lying when he said he’d hook me up. The bed was almost nicer than the one I had back in LA.
    I lay on my new black sheets and stared at the television screen. A wilderness survival program played vividly in HD video. The more I thought about it, the more I was willing to consider taking Martel up on his offer.
    I didn’t know if I wanted to be a member of his gang. I didn’t know anything about the inner workings of the club. I didn’t know if they were criminals. All I knew for sure was that they owned businesses in town and rode Harleys.
    Maybe Leggetville would be a nice change from LA. The area was starting to grow on me. I didn’t have a lot to go back to in LA. I had no place to stay, only a few hundred dollars in the bank, and no other prospects.
    And there was Claire. I thought about her sweet round face and gorgeous almond-shaped eyes. She was so damn cute and so damn sexy at the same time that it was an unbearable combination. I wanted to go to her right then, but I knew I needed to wait until Monday. Showing up on her porch again probably would give her the wrong idea.
     
     

Chapter Eleven: Claire
    I felt so nervous I thought my heart would fly out of my chest and flutter away. Damien would be at my house in a few minutes to give me a tattoo.  I’d considered putting on something sexy, but changed my mind. I didn’t want to give him any ideas. Instead, I wore a pair of jeans and a tank top under a hoodie that zipped in front.
    I trotted down the stairs. Zoe played with Rose in the living room. It made me happy to see them enjoying each other’s company.
    “What time will he be here?” Zoe asked. Was she trying to make me more nervous?
    “Six.”
    I could feel my stomach turning in knots.
    There was a knock at the door. I looked at Zoe with huge eyes and my cheeks puffed out.
    “Answer it!”
    I let out the breath and opened the door. There he stood. He wore a leather jacket and had a backpack slung over his shoulder. His blue eyes gazed down at me like the sun on water. I vaporized. My knees almost buckled. I hoped my face didn’t reveal my emotions.
    I could smell the spicy musk of his cologne mixed with the smooth scent of leather. It made my heart crash against my ribs and my mouth salivate. I felt the tiny pinpoint between my legs swell. We stood in the doorway