Chapter 277 Cat and Mouse 33

Chapter 277 Cat and Mouse 33
Psych

The sting and burn of the needle moving across my chest was a welcome distraction from the pain I had been feeling in my heart for the last two weeks.

Hell it had been longer than that really. I had been torturing myself ever since I had met her. First because I was lying to myself about how things could work out and then afterward because she had finally admitted to her feelings and I had left anyway.

I had left.

So this pain I was feeling, this empty hollow feeling was all of my own doing.

More than once since I had come home had I thought about getting on my bike and going back to her. Begging her for forgiveness on my knees and taking anything she could offer me.

Because even a little of Cat was better than no Cat at all.

Then I would check my phone to see if she had called or text and the hollow feeling would widen in my gut. She hadn’t contacted me. 

And that just went to prove one thing. She wasn’t ready. She was still grieving and until she was ready to let me in, we couldn’t be together. Not even casually.

“Want to tell me why we are tattooing you.” Ink said from the side of me. His skilled hand moving the tattoo gun over my skin.

“Wanted a new tattoo.”

His eyes narrowed but for the next few minutes he didn’t say a word. “Sure you did because you often come to me for tattoos like this.”

“What can I say. I had the urge to -“

The gun moved from my skin. “Has this got anything to do with the girl you met down there.”

I stiffened. “How did you know about that?”

He shrugged. “Everyone knows. Her name was-“ he glanced down at the animal on my chest. Right over my heart. “Cat?”

I stared right ahead. Surveying the almost finished black cat I’d just had tattooed over my heart.

“Yeah.” I muttered.

Ink shook his head. “Subtle.” He chuckled.

“I was going to get her face.” I pointed out and I had thought about it. Only I didn’t have any photos with her. We just hadn’t had that sort of relationship. I’d hoped we would but we hadn’t.

“Well that would be a statement.” Ink chuckled. “You know a few of us were thinking of moving down there.” He said after a few minutes.

My head snapped around to him. “You were?” It was the first I heard about it.

“Yeah since the club house burnt down, things here seem to be up in the air. They have their shit together under Raven. A lot of the younger guys have been talking about going down and talking to Raven.” He met my eyes. “Maybe you should come with us.”

My lips thinned. “Nothing for me there.”

He tapped my freshly inked skin. Making me wince. “She’s there.”

“She doesn’t want me.”

“So you’re just going to give up? Jesus Psych. For someone who can read people so well, you are really shit as working out your own thoughts aren’t you?”

I glowered at him.

“You’re having a tattoo done for her. You are literally branding your body for her. She’s not just some girl. She’s your girl.”

“Technically she’s older than me.”

He rolled his eyes. “All I’m saying is, this is permanent.” Again he tapped my chest. And again I winced back. “Don’t you owe it to yourself to work out if she could be a permanent fixture in your life as well and not just a memory.”

I opened my mouth to say something sarcastic when my phone rang.

Frowning, I answered. “Raven?”

“We have a problem.”

“Ok.” There was a note of panic in his voice that I didn’t like. Fear erupted up my spine. In inks hand the tattoo gun fell to his lap. His eyes searched my face. 

“Tell him I can’t get hold of any of them” I heard Daisy shout in the background.

“So, the women.” Raven sighed. “They had this plan to draw Stella out and ambush her. It was a whole thing.”

I stiffened. There was only one way they could draw out that particular psychopath. Her fake friendship with cat.

Ice ran through my veins.

“They were meant to come here first. They didn’t.” Ravens voice was rough. “And they aren’t where they were meant to be. Daisy told me and I had it checked but there’s no one there.”

I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “When-“

My whole body shook and not just my voice.

“About an hour ago. Everyone is looking for them.”

“I can’t get hold of any of them.” Daisy screamed down the phone forcing me to wince back from the phone. 

“It’s like they had disappeared off the face of the earth.” Raven added quietly. But I could hear the rising panic in his voice. “Everyone is going out of their minds.”

“Has anyone tried Cats phone?” I asked holding out my hand. Ink passed me his and I typed in Cats number from memory. 

It went straight to her voicemail.

“Fuck.” Pinching the skin between my eyebrows I tried and failed to gather my thoughts. Where would they be? “Wait have you checked Cats place?”

“Shit I didn’t even think.” I could hear the surprise in his voice. It would have been the first place I thought of but then again I didn’t have a new born screaming all night.

“I’m on my way. Call me if you have any other news.” Grabbing my cut from the back of my chair I slipped it on. Forgoing the white tshirt. 

“Sorry brother I gotta go.”

Ink fell into step beside me. His own cut already on his back. “I’m coming to. Not going to sit here bored when you’re off being a hero am I?”

“You’re coming.”

“Yeah, I want into that chapter. There’s no better way than helping to save the love of your life is there?”