"I miss you. I wish I could hit rewind and pause it on that day you bought me a hamburger while we were doing our counterpoint a.s.signment. As hard as life was back then, at least it all made sense."

"No," he replied again.

I wiped the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand. "Please, just say something else to me, anything else."

He looked at me, his eyes bloodshot from crying, and then he said, "Goodbye."

I watched in horror as slowly the peachy color of his flesh turned dark grey, like a piece of meat cooking over a flame. His entire body slowly transformed into ash. It wasn't until I unleashed a scream, that Justin broke apart into smoky dust.

I woke up on the couch, my heart racing, and my throat dry. How long had I been out for?

Suddenly from inside the room of the tattoo parlor, I heard the m.u.f.fled screams of someone.

Was Lincoln in danger? f.u.c.k, I should have known. I knew the hussy couldn't be trusted the second I laid eyes on her.

I grabbed the closest weapon I could find-a mop-and crept slowly towards the room. I had no idea what I was going to do if she was a.s.saulting Lincoln. Maybe I'd scrub the b.i.t.c.hiness out of Juno's face?

The door was slightly ajar and I peered in.

Juno wasn't hurting Lincoln.

Quite the opposite actually-they were having s.e.x on the tattoo table.

Lincoln's sinewy arms, now decorated with breathtakingly intricate tattoos, were bulging as he propped the upper half of his body up while he thrust in and out of Juno. She clung onto his decorated arms, running her hands up and down the chorded muscle, while she begged for more.

"You're f.u.c.king tight," he said between breaths. The sight of Lincoln's lower region-the muscular v-thing that made girls like me go stupid-and the sound of it smacking into Juno's naked body sparked a fire deep within me.

I felt dirty, spying on their private encounter, but at the same time I was enthralled by it.

The intensity of Lincoln's eyes as he watched Juno being ravaged by his c.o.c.k was hypnotizing.

"Oh f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k," Juno moaned with each powerful thrust. "Don't f.u.c.king stop."

"I won't until I have completely ruined you," Lincoln hissed. He lifted himself off the table and turned Juno around so she was facing me now.

I took one step back, concealing myself deeper within the darkness of the hallway. Juno's eyes were closed, enjoying every moment of Lincoln's dominance.

I was wet. I had the urge to slip two fingers within me and satisfy my longing desire, while hiding in the darkness, watching these two f.u.c.k each other with reckless abandon.

Lincoln's hands found her b.r.e.a.s.t.s while he slammed into her from behind. I watched as his fingers pulled lightly on her pierced nipples, sending her into a fit of ecstasy. I closed my eyes and envisioned hands touching me in the same way, though I couldn't tell whose hands they were.

My hand trembled as I loosened the top b.u.t.ton of my jeans.

I needed to feel something else besides the pain lingering in my heart. Perhaps some pleasure would make me forget everything.

I slipped my hand downwards as my finger grazed my c.l.i.t.

"You're so d.a.m.n hard," Juno gasped.

"And you're my filthy girl," he said. "Aren't you?"

"Yes. f.u.c.k yes."

I opened my eyes and watched hungrily as Lincoln pulled harder on her nipples, causing her to scream. Her body bobbed up and down over his flesh, her movements rhythmic, the beautiful tattoos of flowers and birds on her body suddenly taking on new life from her organic movements.

"You're going to come for me," Lincoln instructed.

"I want you to come too," she moaned.

My fingers traced circles around my s.e.x, illuminating my body with a warm, desirable glow while I pictured myself in Juno's flesh.

"You don't tell me what to do. I'll come whenever and wherever I please. I'll come all over-Aria?...s.h.i.t..." Realizing he just mentioned my real name, Lincoln paused and composed himself. "I mean areola. I'll come all over your areola."

I was busted. Instinctively I pulled my hand out of my pants and felt immediate shame, like a child caught by their parents.

Lincoln's eyes locked with mine and for a moment, I couldn't look away. Juno opened her eyes and stared in my direction as well.

Well this was awkward.

My eyes. .h.i.t the floor instantly and I began scrubbing with the mop in my hands. I pretended to clean the grimy floors of the tattoo parlor, hoping it served as a good excuse as to why I was outside their door.

I backed away from the scene slowly.

I could only imagine how weird things were going to get with Lincoln after.

Once you've seen someone naked, you could never look at them in the same light again.

Juno was laughing, but that quickly changed into moans.

I took a seat on the couch and knocked my fist against my forehead, while the words 'stupid, stupid, stupid,' played in my head on repeat.

Five minutes later, I heard a chorus of moans that signaled the climax of their tattoo parlor s.e.x session.

It wasn't long before Lincoln strolled out of the room, topless, and staring at the tattoos on his arms. He stood in front of one of the mirrors and examined the southern inspired artwork inked on his chiseled body, the Fleur-de-lis displayed predominantly above his right pec. Over the left one, there was a large tattoo that practically radiated, one displaying a crescent moon with a face in it. The moon was frowning like he had his heart broken. There were symbols written underneath it that I couldn't make out.

I'd have to ask Lincoln about it later.

"What do you think?" he asked, pretending like I didn't just witness him s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g Juno's brains out on her tattoo table. I guess he was going to play this one cool, like it never happened.

Juno strolled out of the room, fully clothed, with a wide grin on her face.

"That was great, Dorian," she exclaimed, shooting me a joyous look. "You really hit the right spot." Her eyes never left me while she spoke.

"I a.s.sume you just broke over fifty health violations," I stated.

Juno shrugged as she wrapped herself around Lincoln's body, like a snake coiled around a tree branch.

"You going to report me?" she asked.

I was about to retaliate, but Lincoln was quick to hush us both.

"Relax you two," he said. "I have a lot to do already. The last thing I want to add onto my list is babysitting. Juno, stop hara.s.sing Lucy. It was part of the agreement."

"Whatever you say," she said, scowling at me.

I rolled my eyes and plopped myself back down onto the couch.

"Are we done here?" I asked.

Lincoln shook his head. "The piercings, and then we're done."

It took another ten minutes for Juno to pierce both his ears with the needle. When she was finished, Lincoln wet his hair, and slicked it back.

He observed himself in the mirror.

"A bit of tr.i.m.m.i.n.g off the sides, and a five o' clock shadow and I think I'm set," he said as he turned to me. "What do you think Lucy?"

"You definitely look different," I replied. "More edgy looking, if that's what you're going for."

Lincoln turned his attention back into the mirror, rubbed his chin, and grinned.

"Good," he said, "Sometimes a bit of change is just what we need to continue living."

Chapter Seven.

Shadow "I want you to give me Elena Zhao," I stated bluntly. "I want you to put me in a room with her. In exchange, I will give the Triad an empire."

"It is funny how things changed so quickly in a matter of weeks, Mr. Tremaine," Tsung said, raising the steaming noodles to his mouth with a pair of wooden chopsticks. He slurped them like a heathen, the translucent grease dripping from his fat lips.

"Nothing's changed, Tsung," I said as I sipped my tea.

It was a cold night. It usually was in Hong Kong, after an evening storm. The air was cool and damp and I felt a wet chill that soaked right down into my bones.

I placed my hands in my pockets and watched as the fat man devoured his large bowl of wonton soup. He had the physique of an overstuffed turkey and his greasy long hair and paper thin moustache added to his unsavory appearance.

We sat in the center of one of Kwonloon's many outdoor street vendors. I felt exposed.

The thought of being double-crossed during my meeting with the Triad wasn't too far-fetched. However, I had no other choice but to take my chances with them.

Tsung had brought an entourage of eight men, all sitting at adjacent tables, their eyes focused on me. They were anxiously waiting for orders to be given, their hands buried within their coats, clutching weapons no doubt.

I hoped the offer I made to the Triad was one that was too good to pa.s.s up-one that would keep me alive.

This was the dark side of the Midnight Society's business. These were the types of people we had to deal with at times.

Tsung polished off the last of the noodles and let out a gluttonous sigh of satisfaction. Just as I thought he was finished eating, he raised the bowl to his mouth and chugged down the leftover soup in one remaining gulp.

"Best noodles in town," he said when he was finished, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve. "Are you sure you didn't want some?"

"I'll pa.s.s," I said. "Watching you eat made me lose my appet.i.te."

Tsung snorted. "You always were c.o.c.ky, Shadow. No respect for your elders."

"You met me only once," I stated. "Let's not pretend you know me."

The fat man leaned back in the plastic chair and rested his left hand on the table, tapping it with his fingers.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"To do business."

"I must admit, I was surprised to hear from you," Tsung said. "Usually your people get one of your errand boys to come speak to me."

"I can't trust them anymore."

"Of course you can't," Tsung said with a grin. "Your offer is very intriguing Shadow, but there is one fundamental flaw to it."

He paused, looking at me with his cat-like eyes, waiting for a response from me.

I decided to take another sip of my tea instead.

"You're not curious to know what that flaw is?" Tsung asked.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well I'll tell you then," he said.

"Okay."

"The Triad does not work for the Midnight Society anymore," he stated. "Your organization has no power to implement what you proposed."

I set the cup of tea down, rose from my seat and walked behind Tsung. He eyed me suspiciously.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Cutting through the bulls.h.i.t," I replied as I kicked the seat out from under him. He crashed to the ground like the sack of MSG he was. His goons immediately rose from their chairs but made no move to approach me.