Indelible Read Online Free

better remember that.
    She focused on the wall behind Luna’s head, blocking out the nausea-inducing noise of the tattoo gun. If she didn’t look, she could convince herself it wasn’t really happening.
    “Almost done.” Luna’s low voice held a soft reverence and Angie glanced over despite her best intentions to resist. The mix of dark ink and blood smeared across Tori’s shoulder made her stomach lurch. Luna wiped it away with a gauze square. “What do you think?”
    The completed design—a small black-lined triquetra, filled in with purple—was red and puffy, and not nearly as bad as Angie expected.
    Luna spun the chair so Tori could see her shoulder in the wall mirror with the aid of a hand-held mirror. “Nice.” Tori looked completely pleased, unlike Angie, who still wasn’t convinced it was a good thing.
    Luna covered the new ink with a bandage, gave Tori directions for care, and escorted them to the front of the store. Tori slipped her shirt into place as she went, moving with careful deference to her sore shoulder.
    “Work should be fun until that heals,” Angie teased.
    “Shit.” Tori grimaced. “Totally didn’t think about that.”
    With their transaction completed, Tori zeroed in on Perez, leaving Angie alone with Luna.
    “It was nice meeting you.” Angie wasn’t convinced but saw no reason to be rude.
    “I enjoyed it, Angie.” Luna grasped her hand with the same intimate familiarity she had displayed earlier, before Ruby arrived. “Maybe we could do it again some time.”
    Ruby smiled over Luna’s shoulder, all predator and sex and not at all friendly. Luna obviously had no idea Ruby was there. Angie shifted, her palm sweaty in Luna’s hand, and watched as Ruby slipped out the front door. She didn’t know if Luna was hitting on her or trolling for more business. Either way, she needed Luna to let go, but she desperately wanted her to continue holding her hand. “Right.” She cleared her throat. “Um—”
    “Ang, you ready?” Tori stood by the door, jacket in her hand. Angie would bet money that she had Perez’s number in her pocket.
    “Yes.” She tugged on her hand, forcing Luna to release it. Luna resisted, then finally eased her grip. “Bye, then.”
    Tori grabbed Angie’s hand and dragged her out of the shop, similar to how she’d dragged her in. As they exited Coraggio they ran into Ruby, who stood against the wall to the right of the door, exhaling plumes of cigarette smoke out her nose like a dragon.
    “You can’t have her, you know.” Ruby didn’t look at Angie as she spoke.
    Angie straightened her shoulders and did her best to appear indignant. “She’s all yours.” She led Tori away from Coraggio—and Luna—and hoped she didn’t sound as disappointed as she felt.

Chapter Two

    Tuesday, July 14

    It felt odd to Angie, sitting at the kitchen table doing homework again just like she did in high school. Except this time around it was all on her laptop, and this fall her son would be sitting next to her while she did it. She’d started her first—in what appeared to be an endless line—college course about a month ago. She hadn’t gotten used to the idea of being a student again. Still, unless she wanted to wait tables forever, she had to do something. A business degree seemed a good place to start.
    “Taste this.” Her dad, Jack, held a wooden spoon to her lips. Angie had to sample what he offered or possibly choke on it. Thankfully, it was usually good. For a while he had decided chocolate should go in literally everything, but he blamed that on a bad case of the munchies. He hadn’t done it since, so Angie was willing to forgive.
    Marinara, like nothing available in the store, but still lacking something . “Basil?”
    Jack snapped his fingers, set the spoon on the counter, and wiped his hands on his apron. “I’ll be right back.” He rushed out to the back deck, his skirt swishing around his calves, and returned with a single basil leaf from his