“They’re in the basement,” he offered. I would have said thanks but he’d already turned back to the television so I left.
When I opened the door I could hear a buzzing sound drift up from the bottom of the stairs and the low rumble of Keiran’s voice. I walked down and found Keiran sitting in a chair with a bottle of alcohol in his hands and Keenan sitting behind him holding a needle gun. They looked up and noticed me as I walked closer.
“What are you guys doing?”
“He finally let me work on him.” Keenan grinned and dipped the needle in ink and brought it to his back. I instinctively stretched my neck to see but couldn’t see what he was drawing from here.
“Keiran?”
“I’m forgiving myself,” he said with sarcasm, holding my gaze and bringing the bottle to his lips again. I didn’t know Keiran to drink heavily but then again I didn’t know much about him still.
“By getting a tattoo?”
“By confessing my sins the only way I can.”
That took me by surprise. “Oh.”
“Come here.” He patted his lap and Keenan scowled at his back.
“Be still, man.” Keenan looked up at me with a sly smile. “Hey, Lake, what’s with all the claw marks? You ruined my canvas.” I ignored Keiran’s offer and Keenan’s comment and pulled up a chair in front of him. As badly as I wanted to see what he was doing I ignored the temptation and rested my hands on my knees.
“Don’t you need a license to do that?” They both snorted and Keenan continued to work. “Is it because of what I said?” I went on, changing questions.
“No,” he answered without hesitation.
“Oh.” I wondered again what sins could an eight-year possibly commit and I once again thought about the girl in the photo. I didn’t know if it was wise to bring it up to him. It would open up a can of worms for sure and I still may not get any answers.
“How bad does it hurt?”
“I’ve felt worse.”
“I should get one –”
“No,” he said vehemently. “I want your body just the way it is. And there is no way in hell anyone is getting their hands on you.”
“Be for real, Keiran.”
“I am. I said no.”
“Shelly’s got one,” Keenan piped in, interrupting our silent stare down.
“Where?” I asked. I haven’t seen one and she never mentioned getting one.
“On her ass. I put my name there a few months ago,” he said cockily. Sheldon was still seventeen so I was sure her parents didn’t allow that.
“Let me guess…her parents don’t know?”
“Nope. Her dad would kill me.”
“So why do it?”
“We were drinking and –”
“Wait, you tattooed her while you guys were drunk?”
He shrugged. “It came out pretty good.”
“That’s not the point and you know it.”
“Ha, all four of us have been drinking since we were thirteen. We can handle our liquor.” I shook my head but didn’t say anything else. They were all crazy. “I promise not to tattoo your ass while I’m drunk.”
“You won’t go anywhere near her ass,” Keiran barked.
Keenan snorted and rolled his eyes. “Guy gets his first girlfriend and suddenly he thinks he’s the boss of everyone.”
“Keenan –” Keiran began.
As much screwing as he did I was sure there had to have been a girlfriend or two, or six so I asked, “What about Anya?”
“That crazy nut? No way! She isn’t even that good of a lay,” Keenan said before Keiran could respond.
“And how would you know? She was Keiran’s girlfriend. You already have a girlfriend.”
“She wasn’t my girlfriend.” Keiran finally answered, cutting Keenan off.
“That’s not what she said.” I crossed my arms over my chest and sat back in my seat.
“Are we really going to do this right now? I fucked her twice. The second time only happened because I was drunk and she hopped on my dick uninvited.”
“Whatever,” I rolled my eyes again. I seem to do that a lot around him. He narrowed his eyes at me and breathed through his nose and I could tell he was getting pissed.
“Why do girls always ask questions they don’t want to know the answer to?” Keenan asked. Keiran ignored him and continued to stare at me.
“They’re hardwired that way,” Dash said appearing from the stairs with Sheldon right behind him. “Aw man, you’re getting tatted? Me next.”
“I haven’t finished your design yet. Why do you have to be so complicated anyway?”
“I’m a deep man. What can I say? This one is special.” He then turned his gaze on me. “Hey, Lake. You talk to your girl yet?”
Shit, Willow! I’d forgotten about her because I was so wrapped up in Keiran. I am such a shitty friend. “No, actually, I haven’t. Excuse Me,” I said standing up and heading for the stairs.
“Hey, I’ll come with,” Sheldon said. I shrugged and made my way up the stairs. When I got to Keiran’s room I pulled my cell phone out of my bag and saw a missed call from her. I dialed Willow and waited for her to pick up.
“Thank God. I thought you abandoned me,” she sniffled.
“Do you have a cold?”
“No. My mom is home.” Willow and her mom didn’t usually get along well. She hated how independent and free Willow was. It only got worse when she found out about Dash. Now all they did was argue. Her mom was always pushing her past hang-ups on her. “Are you home? I want to come over.”
“I’m at Keiran’s but I’ll come now.”
She let out a dry laugh. “We both know that isn’t about to happen. When was the last time you slept in your own bed?”
“His uncle is home.”
“Oh snap. You met him? What’s he like?”
“Intense.”
“Maybe it runs in the family.”
“Yeah, maybe. Anyway I don’t think I’ll be staying over tonight. That would be too weird.” We talked for a few more minutes before I passed the phone to Sheldon who wanted to talk to her. I left the bedroom and went back to the basement. Their low voices instantly put me on alert and I paused on the stairs.
“Arizona, Kentucky, and Wisconsin are battling right now. They’re at the top of my list. I haven’t made a decision.”
“Because of Lake, right? Where is she going?”
“I don’t know. She hasn’t said.”
“So ask her.”
“I’m getting to it, moron. I had to take care of those other two.”
“What did Mario do with them?”
“He’s keeping them on ice for me.”
“He’s a scary motherfucker. How do you know that guy?”
“He used to be a partner with the people who owned me.”
“Shit.”
“Fuck.”
Owned him? Someone owned him? Oh hell no. I needed him to talk. “Who owned you?” I asked, walking the rest of the way down the stairs.
“Lake…”
“No, Keiran. You just said someone owned you.”
“Let it go,” he said through clenched teeth.
“I can’t just let it go. I have a right to know.”
He stomped over to me and pushed me against the wall by the staircase. “You don’t have the right to shit but what I tell you. My past is my own.”
“But you said –”
“I know what I said. It’s none of your business.”
“Why do Dash and Keenan get to know?”
“For fuck sake, girl—“
“Um, guys? As much as this turns me on to watch you fight, we need to go.” Keenan deadpanned.
“Go? Where are you going?”
“We are going to play laser tag,” Keiran emphasized.
“Yeah, it’s Monday Madness. All the food you can eat and my boy Teddy is working tonight so we get drinks too. Let’s roll!” He and Dash ran up the stairs tripping and shoving each other to get to the top first.