The Tattoo Artist (La Petite Mort #1)

26. Chapter 26

twenty-six

Quinn

M y obsession with Deimos was either going to get me killed or kidnapped, maybe even both.I shouldn't have escaped in the middle of the night, leaving pillows on my bed just in case my parents checked on me. I was currently going down the street; Deimos had gone down the night I was following him. There were only two potential possibilities he could have gone to after getting to that last alleyway.Deciding to turn left, I headed for the abandoned house.The moment the house came into view, I noticed it might not be abandoned since there was security at the front gate.

My phone suddenly rang as I was about to cross the street to approach the gate. I jumped, thinking my parents had discovered I was not home. Pulling my phone out in a hurry, I noticed it was Sophie calling me. I rushed to answer the phone, cutting the ringtone that had pierced the silent night air, hoping the guards didn't hear me.

"Hello," I answered, a little frustrated with her for interrupting my plan.

"Qui–Quinn, my best friend in the whole wide world. I—" She didn't finish her sentence as her hiccups cut her off. "Sophie, please tell me you're not drunk?" I looked towards the house, watching one of the guards looking in my direction, and that was when I saw the gate open and a motorcycle slow down.The guy on the motorcycle stopped before taking off his helmet. I gasped, snapping my head back behind the wall so that I wasn't made out.

It was Deimos. The same skull mask he wears was currently in front of me. "No! I'm–oh God. I'm–," Sophie whimpered, bringing me out of my trance.

"Sophia Renee Sutton," I warned her, using her full name. "Tell me where you are. Are you with anyone?" I started firing questions, trying to get her to tell me where she was—getting worried by the second.

"I–I don't feel s–so good," she mumbled. I started picking up my pace, almost jogging down to the nearest metro. I heard her breathing a little too hard. "Can you come and get me, please," she added, and I could hear the emotion in her voice. She began to cry. She was rambling, and that was when I heard someone in the background mention the club we went to a couple of weeks ago. My legs picked up their pace, and I was full-on running now. I held the phone tightly against my ear, listening for anything. "Sophie, I need you to stay by security, okay?" I cried, my voice laced with worry.

I couldn't let anything bad happen to her, especially after what happened to me. I dashed for the metro, making it in time before the doors closed, making my way to that part of town. Breathing heavily, I pulled the phone away, and that was when I saw we'd been disconnected. I tried calling her back, but it went straight to voicemail.I started having flashbacks about what happened to me in that very club. Ten minutes later, I got off the metro and walked toward the club.

Seeing the long line of people, I made my way toward the front of the line, hoping the bouncer would allow me inside. I approached him, and as I got ready to show my ID and beg him to let me in, he turned his attention to me. His arms were crossed against his chest, and the tight black T-shirt looked snug around his muscles. He gave me a menacing look and scrutinized me from head to toe. When his eyes landed on my pendant, his hand immediately detached the velvet rope—allowing me to enter.

The music was loud, and the smell of sweat and alcohol clinged around me. Walking around almost frantically looking for her, I bumped into sweaty bodies. I yelled her name over the blaring music as I made my way toward the restrooms, spotting a glimpse of her. She was slumped against the booth. I then noticed a bouncer a few feet from where she was.

Oh, thank God.

"Sophie? Sophie?" I whispered her name, moving her gently. She didn't respond, so I moved her with a little more force, but there was still no response. I checked her pulse and felt it. She was breathing.

I sighed.

Leaning forward, I threw her arm over my neck and grabbed her waist. With all the strength I could muster, I pushed her up. Grabbing a hold of her arm that was hanging around my neck and with my other hand around her waist tightly, we made our way towards the exit. I pushed the exit door open, and the dark alley where I almost got raped stood before us. Fuck my life! I should have used the main exit. We walked a few steps towards the exit, where the street lights started illuminating, and we could see the line of people. As we turned the corner, Sophie stopped walking .

"Hey, wake up, Sophie. Come on, Sophie!" I urged, slapping her cheeks gently.

She moaned and whimpered, obviously not feeling well. What the hell were you thinking, Sophie? She opened her eyes and pulled out of my grasp, leaning forward and throwing up on the side of the sidewalk. I covered my nose as the smell of vomit lingered in the air, turning around to give her privacy. I rubbed her back in soothing circles, making sure she was okay.

"I don't feel good. I feel sick," she moaned.

Sophie then returned to throwing up. I grabbed her hair so that she wouldn't vomit all over it. It only lasted less than a few minutes. I grabbed onto her just as our Uber driver arrived, and I shoved her inside. The ride was silent since Sophie had fallen asleep, and the driver wasn't into making small talk. I was annoyed on the drive back to my house since I had the opportunity to find out more about Deimos, but my best friend needed me. I wasn't sure what caused her to go out and get completely hammered, but I was happy that she was now safe.

After a thirty-minute drive back, I led a half-asleep and half-awake Sophie up the stairs and towards my room. I thanked the lord above that my parents were heavy sleepers and that Sophie wasn't resisting. Once inside my room, she fell on my bed while I went to fill the bathtub for her to soak in since her clothes had some vomit on them.

I made my way over to where she lay and started to undress her as she slurred how much she hated him, and she didn't feel good. I didn't know who he was, but I didn't like him for breaking my best friend's heart. "Come on, I need to get you into the bathtub and get these clothes off you," I said, my voice laced with urgency. She helped me undress herself. I forced her into the water and let her swallow her sorrows as she looked up at me. Her eyes showed sadness, and it broke my heart to see her like this. I didn't fill the tub too much, so there was no way she could drown. "I'll be right back. I'm getting you a few crackers and some water—" I paused to help her adjust. "Don't get out until I come back, okay?" I warned her. She mumbled something, and I took that as confirmation.

I closed the door behind me. I shuffled through my clothes and grabbed a T-shirt and underwear. I set her new clothes on my bed and went downstairs for her water and crackers. Ten minutes later, I returned to my room and checked on Sophie.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" I questioned. From what I saw, she seemed more alert now but still very drunk. I fed her some crackers and helped her drink water. Once she finished at least six crackers and drank a whole bottle of water, I told her that her clothes were on the counter and to call me if she needed help changing. As I went to stand, Sophie grabbed my wrist, stopping me from going any further.

"Thank you! And you know I love you, right?" She said with so much sincerity. I nodded my head. She pulled me in for a hug, wetting me in the process.

Once I got Sophie into bed and cleaned up the mess from the tub, I allowed myself to have a quick shower. I changed myself inside the en-suite, slipping on my underwear and bra. And that's when I realized that I forgot my T-shirt. I opened the door to the en-suite, and my eyes widened. I gasped for a moment, scared for my life, until my body recognized and took in the person in front of me.

Deimos.

My hand instantly went up to cover myself as my eyes linked with his, and at that moment, I didn't care that I was half-naked—dropping my hands. "W—what are you doing here?" I whispered. His eyes analyzed my body, taking in my bra and panties. My hand yanked the T-shirt I forgot and quickly slipped it on. Unsure of how to feel right now. He made his way over to me and towered over my petite frame. His fingers grazed my neck until his finger was purposely hooked on the necklace he gave me. He tugged it, causing me to get closer to him. Deimos pulled the mask over his mouth, and before I knew what was happening, he grabbed the back of my neck and crashed his lips against mine.

The kiss was possessive and intense. He pressed his mouth against my neck and tilted my jaw with his hands as he pushed me against him. Unaware of his next move, I just stood there, unsure what to do next. I gasped, feeling his teeth scraping my skin before he pressed down—leaving a bite mark on my neck. His mouth ravaged my neck hungrily, almost as if he were a vampire.

I softly groaned. My fingers were itching to pull and grab his hair, but I couldn't. He slammed me against the wall and proceeded to suck my skin harder for sure, leaving a hickey.

The sensations I was currently feeling were overwhelming. My stomach fluttered, as did my pussy. "Deimos," I moaned, completely forgetting that Sophie was currently sleeping across from me. But the feeling he was giving me was too good to be true. This was new to me, and I was greedy for more. He pulled away and licked my neck before admiring the damage done to my skin.He ran his fingers across my neck and jaw, brushing my swollen lips. His eyes were greener than ever, reminding me of life.

The trees were green.

The grass was green.

Green implied new beginnings— growth.

Green was life.

I crushed my lips against his almost desperately. I wanted to feel alive, and Deimos did just that. "I–I want to pull your hair?" I mumbled against his lips. I needed to touch him, feel him against my skin. He pulled away and smirked.

Gently taking my hands with him, he lifted the back of his mask and allowed my hands to rest on his hair. One of my hands brushed through his locks. Not taking the chance for him to change his mind, I grabbed a handful of hair and tugged him towards me. Just as I was about to kiss him, Sophie spoke. "I hate you," she mumbled. My heart quickened. I immediately removed my hand from his hair and rushed over.

Relief took over when I noticed that she was still sleeping. She must have been having a nightmare or something. Once I made sure she was still asleep and okay, I made my way back towards Deimos. My eyes took in every inch of his body. I paused, tilted my head to the side, and noticed his knuckles were bruised.

"What happened?" I asked him, motioning to his bruised knuckles. He didn't say anything. Okay, I could play this game. "Did you kill someone?" I asked him, closing the gap between us, and my thumb brushed over his bruises.

He once again chose to ignore me instead of answering the stupid question. He leaned his head forward and mumbled into my ear. "Put on some shoes," he demanded. Walking away too quickly, I slipped on my shoes and followed him down the balcony. He helped me jump three feet to the ground by grabbing my waist and carrying me. I didn't ask questions—the excitement and adrenaline took over. We walked a few steps, and I saw a motorcycle against the wall of the alleyway.

It was huge and beautiful.

Demois grabbed a helmet and turned to face me. "Where are we going?" I questioned. He didn't respond. Instead, he lowered the helmet over my head and secured it. He snatched the jacket off the back seat and slipped it on me. He pushed his helmet over his face, put his leg over, and straddled the bike. He reached his hand out for me to grab. I placed my hand in his and threw my leg over with his support.

"Hold on," Deimos instructed. Wait what? But he took off before I could even think about those two words. I screamed from shock and grabbed onto his waist tightly, closing my eyes and tightening my grip around him. The wind pushed my hair back, and the breeze felt nice against my skin, cooling me during the process. "Open your eyes, butterfly."

I took a deep breath and decided to open them while I breathed out. Oh my God! It was beautiful. I smiled, glad he pushed me to open my eyes because the view was amazing. The city lights looked almost magical, and the wind hit my bare legs. I sat up straighter and glanced around–taking in the view. My hands rested on his hard stomach before gliding up to his neck as I raised myself, and both my arms popped out, almost like the ionic sunset scene from the Titanic where Jack was behind Rose.

This felt fantastic.

Deimos slid his face shield up and looked up at me as we came to a halt at a red light. He grabbed my hand and motioned for me to sit in front of him. In less than two seconds, Deimos had me seated in front of him—my chest plastered against his, and my legs were draped across his thighs. He removed my helmet along with his own and hung both helmets on the hooks located at the back of the bike. The light turned green, and he accelerated the bike and started to drive. I grabbed onto him tighter as he picked up speed and mumbled his name "Deimos,"

My arms tightened around his neck, and my eyes widened as he started to drive faster.

But I wasn't scared, nor did I fear what could happen. I trusted Deimos with my life, and I knew he'd die before anything happened to me. We drove for another ten minutes, and he slowed down, taking in the view. I realized we were in Primrose Hill, and the view of London was breathtaking, especially at night.He turned off the bike, and his gaze immediately turned to me. We stared at each other for what seemed like the longest time—taking each other in.

I wanted to kiss him.

I wanted him to touch me.

I didn't have to wait long, almost as if he could read my thoughts. His green eyes traveled from my lips down my body, and they locked on the wet patch I had on my panties. I was soaked down there, and the cool air didn't help with my need to have his mouth on me again.His hands touched my bare thighs, caressing them as he moved his hands further up, his fingers centimeters away from touching me where I needed him the most. Deimos teased me as he clutched my thighs and squeezed them. I could feel the wetness pooling and the patch of wetness getting bigger. I was desperate for his touch. My breathing got heavier with every touch and squeeze he gave me. I watched his every move like a hawk. Deimos removed one hand from my thigh and lifted his mask over his lips.

I bit my lip, anticipating his next move, when suddenly, his thumb brushed against my clit. My hips thrust against his hand, wanting to feel any friction. He leaned forward, his lips brushing against my earlobe.He didn't say anything, but his hot breath caused tingles to arise.

"Ple–please, Deimos," I murmured, breathlessly being driven by a need within me.

That was all it took for him to pull my panties to the side and run his finger down my wet slit. My head rolled back, exposing my neck even further. He licked his previous mark before sucking slightly, causing me to moan. I gripped his biceps, digging my fingernails, using him to support my back-and-forth motion. His fingers continued to play with my pussy–rubbing soft circles against my swollen clit.I arched my back even further before he moved even further back, taking me with him. He created enough space to gently push me down so I was almost lying on his bike.

His mouth lowered, hovering over my pussy–I was wet. So damn wet.He pushed my shirt higher up, exposing my cloth-covered pussy even more. The heat that radiated from my pussy warmed my entire body. Deimos ran his tongue up my slit licking the juices that ran. Agasp escaped my lips as he traced my opening–feeling his tongue on me had me soaring.

"Deimos," I moaned, getting lost in the fog he provoked inside me.

"You feel—please don't stop," I begged.

He gently sucked on my sensitive clit, licking the juice that had trickled out from my pussy. His mouth gently nipped my labia before sucking on it. Soon, he was trailing kisses along the inside of my thigh before his mouth reached the apex of my thighs—sucking that spot roughly, leaving his mark there too. After a few more seconds of sucking, biting, kissing, and licking, he returned his full attention to my swollen clit lapping at my juices with so much gusto.

I whimpered and moaned, feeling closer and closer to my climax. Deimos had the potential to take me to heaven and hell all at once. I wrapped my legs around him, crossing them at my ankles, preventing him from lifting his head. My hand went down to grab a handful of hair as I fisted the mask, grinding myself harder.Deimos bit down on my clit gently, and that was all it took to send me over the edge.

"Deimos," I screamed my release–feeling my juices flow out of me with vigor. My eyes were closed, and for a minute, I seriously thought I was in heaven. My breathing was ragged, and the cool night air did nothing to settle the inferno inside me. It felt like a dream—having his mouth on me.

I unlocked my legs and allowed Deimos to breathe, hoping he didn't suffocate because of me. He raised his head from between my thighs, and the image before me almost made me come a second time. His chin was fully glistening with my juices. His gaze met mine, and at that moment, I knew he was doing his hardest to contain the devil inside him. Deimos licked the juices that were running down his chin before using the back of his hand to clean himself up.

I lifted myself so that I was now sitting on his bike instead of lying down. Deimos had grabbed a rag from one of the compartments and cleaned me up. His hand moved gently between my folds, carefully making sure to get all of my juices cleaned. He then made sure my panties were back in place. I watched him as he cleaned me up and threw the rag back inside the compartment.

I pressed my hands against his chest, slowly moving them up, allowing him to stop me. His eyes watched my hands move up, cupping his face between my hands. I rested my forehead against his—breathing him in. I didn't know if it was the voice inside me that gave me the courage or what, but I licked the corner of his lips, tasting myself in the process before devouring his lips against mine.His tongue brushed against my bottom lip, and I opened, granting him permission to explore my mouth.

A few minutes later, Deimos pushed away and lowered his mask, covering himself up again. My lips were swollen, and I could feel my face flush even more because of the way he looked at me. Deimos placed his hands around my waist, lifting me and settling me closer to the front of the bike. He then settled himself before pulling me closer to him so that my legs straddle his thighs.I placed my head on his shoulder and wrapped my hands and legs around him. He placed a kiss on the top of my head and whispered, "θυμ?σου με ?γγελ? μου."("Remember me, my angel.")

I had fallen asleep on the drive back to my house, and now he was trying to nudge me to wake up. I didn't open my eyes. Instead, my grip on him tightened, making it almost impossible to pull me off of him. I didn't know how he did it, but I heard him sigh in defeat as he carried me off the bike and into my room.

Deimos settled me down on the bed next to Sophie, taking off my shoes in the process before covering me up with a blanket.I kept my eyes closed, not wanting him to know I was awake, but I could feel him approaching the bed once again.

I felt his lips on my mouth. Opening my eyes, I saw he was no longer there. I lifted myself from the bed and turned to see Sophie sleeping peacefully, and the balcony doors closed. I sighed, upset that he hadn't stayed.