The Fire Walker (The Devil's Tattoo)

  "Dee," she exclaimed.

  Curling my fingers through hers, I said, "They want you back."

  "What do you mean?"

  "They want you to go back," I repeated a little more firmly.

  "Did you have something to do with that?"

  "Don't you want to go back and work for them? Isn't that your dream?" I asked, surprised.

  "Yes, but…"

  "You sacrificed your dreams to come find me. The least I could do was have words with Georgie."

  "Dee, you didn't."

  "I did. Seems like your replacements, plural, couldn't hack Cyclone Georgie like you could. They want to give you real money, J."

  "A job?" she breathed, her eyes widening. "A real life, actual job?"

  "Yep." She sighed, her brow creasing into a frown. Before she could argue, I said, "You got this one all on your own, Jessie. I only made the suggestion. Well, Zoe helped, too. A little."

  "I don't want it," she said.

  "What? Why?"

  "I don't want it because that means I can't come to Australia with you."

  My heart did a stupid little flip-flop thing in my chest and I couldn't help grinning. "Jessie, that sounds fucking great and everything, but I can't ask you to leave everything behind. We've got time."

  "I know we've got time," she said, tugging on my hand. "But, having a near death experience kinda lays everything out for you. It makes the unclear pretty fucking clear. And I never want to leave you again. You're stuck with me, Cosgrove. Whether you want me or not."

  Leaning over, I caught her lips with mine, kissing her long and slow. Pulling away, I whispered, "More like, you're stuck with me."

  "I can't wait until I'm out of this hospital."

  "I can't wait to take you home and give you another earth shattering orgasm."

  "I can't wait for you to give it to me," she smiled wickedly, her fingers tracing mine.

  Remembering the other night, I smiled to myself. I thought I'd had intense sex with Jessie that first night. What we'd done in her bed had blown that out of the water. Just thinking about it made me harden and knowing that it would be a while before we could have sex again, just added fuel to the fire. The whole want but can't have thing drove me nuts.

  Closing my eyes, it was so easy to fantasize about those things, but it would take time for the image of the accident to fade away. Seeing her on the road, the way her eyes had unfocused. If I'd lost her, I didn't know what I would do. Probably waste away to nothing and die a sad, lonely old man.

  "Seeing you lying there," I began, my voice cracking. "It was the single most horrible moment of my life." We hadn't talked about that moment, only the short bare minimum details, but it seemed like something I should tell her. We'd never have a secret between us again.

  "You don't have to tell me," she said. "I know."

  "It made me realize that I can't live without you."

  "I can try and find a job anywhere, Dee. The band is more than your life. It's your family and your soul. I can't ask you to leave that behind."

  "Fuck, I love you." I didn't know what else to say to that.

  "I love you, too."

  "If you won't budge, then you have to do something for me." I'd been thinking this over ever since she'd told me her story. Jessie and been alone in the world for far too long. If there was one thing I knew from all those broken hearts and smashed dreams, it was that family mattered. Zoe, Will, Simone, Frank and Chris… they were my family just as much as my parents were.

  "What?" she asked, her voice full of suspicion.

  "When you're better, take me home. Take me to Montreal to see your family."

  She instantly paled, her fingers loosening from mine.

  "I know it's gunna be hard, but family matters, Jessie."

  She didn't answer and I knew I'd probably said the wrong thing making it an ultimatum like that. A nurse came into the room then, any response Jessie was going to give me, evaporating into thin air.

  The nurse clucked her tongue at us. "Out, out, out, Mr. Dee," she scolded me. "Your lady needs her check up."

  Jessie gave me a look.

  "What?" I shrugged giving the nurse a wink. I'd spent the last two days buttering up all the nurses on the floor so I could get Jessie extra pudding. That, and I was just too antsy to sit still for five minutes at a time.

  "You've been busy," Jessie said, squeezing my hand.

  "You know I can make friends with anyone."

  "He's a sweet talker," the nurse shooed me away. "I know you young boys like lady parts, but out. Shoo."

  I stifled a laugh and gave Jesse a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll be right outside."

  When I went out into the hall, I spotted Zoe talking to Will, Ana and Ed down by the nurse’s station.

  "Did you get the flowers from the guys?" Zoe asked, coming to meet me half way.

  "Yeah," I laughed, running a hand through my hair. Simone had sent over a bunch of flowers from her, Frank and Chris. And when I say a bunch of flowers, it also included a giant stuffed monkey with a guitar. I'm sure that was a reference to something. "Jessie loved the monkey, but I think she's gunna drop it off to some kids in pediatrics."

  "Shit, she's so nice," she laughed. "Are you sure she loves you, you big ape?"

  I knocked her shoulder with mine.

  "Any updates from the doctors?"

  "She's getting a check up now, but they said she'll probably be good to come home the day after tomorrow."

  "That's great," Zoe beamed.

  "She said she wants to come with me," I blurted.

  "Move to Melbourne?"

  "Yeah."

  "Dee, that's amazing, but why do you sound so down about it?"

  "Galaxy offered her a permanent job."

  Zoe pushed off the wall and slapped me on the arm. "So, it worked then?"

  Like I told Jessie before, Zoe and I had had words with Georgie and the label about her predicament. We'd told them about the accident and why she'd quit in the first place. Apparently, they had huge plans in the works for The Devil's Tattoo and making us happy made them happy. It wasn't a matter of our say so, getting Jessie her job back. It was more the fact that they'd already gone through two interns in just over a week. Turned out Georgie really was that good at staff turn over.

  "Full time, awesome pay rate with bonus' and holidays. Health care, dental and all of that shit they do here."

  "But, she wants to move to Melbourne with you?”

  "Yep."

  "Maybe it's not as important to her anymore. You know, after the last couple of days."

  "I'll respect her decision, Zo, whatever she wants to do. I'm stoked she wants to come with me, I just don't want her to keep sacrificing what she wants for me. She did it once already, I can't ask her to do it again."

  "Maybe love is what she wanted all along. Just like you."

  "Fuck, you're annoying," I sighed, pulling her in for a hug. She was right in a way, but we still had time to work it all out.

  "One hundred percent."

  "Any word on the album?" I asked. I'd been out of the loop ever since I left LA and felt a little bad about it.

  "Looks like the album is getting a January release."

  "That far away?"

  "Yeah, but the label agreed to let Red Heart be the first single and that'll probably be out before Christmas."

  "Yes," I exclaimed fist-bumping Zoe. "What about a tour?"

  "Simone said they're looking at dates in February and March for a US tour, but there'll probably be a few festival dates in OZ first."

  "Big Day Out?" That festival was the first one I'd ever been to back home. Eighteen, sunburnt and squashed in mosh pits all day and night. I'd been dying to play that circuit ever since.

  "Yep," Zoe smiled. She knew all about it, she'd been there with me on my shoulders. "We've had an offer for Falls Festival as well. Not headlining, but almost up there."

  "It's all coming up Millhouse, huh?" I said, leaning back against the wall. T
he Devil's Tattoo had cracked the big time and I was in love with the most amazing woman in the whole entire world. If the world ended right now, I'd be happy. Well, maybe that could wait a little while.

  "Roses and sunshine and puppy dogs and unicorns," Zoe laughed. "The whirlwind continues."

  Looking back down the hall, I noticed the doctor who had talked to me the day they'd brought Jessie in leaving her room.

  "If they're done, go back," Zoe said, following my gaze. "Will and I are gunna go check out the Empire State Building and MOMA."

  Before she could escape, I wrapped my arms around her, burying my face into her hair. "Thanks for everything, Zo Zo. I love you."

  "Love you too, Dee Dee."

  Watching her walk down the hall and into Will's waiting arms, I couldn't help smiling. Taking a few steps backward, I raised my hand in a wave as they disappeared round a corner. Walking straight back into Jessie's room, my eyes latched onto her. She definitely looked brighter than before.

  "Okay," she said as I stopped by the bed.

  "Okay, what?"

  "Let's go to Canada."

  "Really?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. I kinda thought she'd fight me a little longer.

  "You're right," she sighed as the nurse left. "Family matters. Once I'm well enough, lets go."

  "You can think about it a little more if you want to."

  "No, I don't need to. I can't let go of the past until I've made peace with every part of it. I want to see my parents. I owe them an explanation, no matter how pissed they'll be."

  God, she made my blood boil sometimes, but Jessie Ware was a fucking powerhouse.

  "The police are coming to talk to me tomorrow," she added. "I'm going to tell them everything."

  Pulling the chair back to her bedside, I sat and took her hand in mine. Every time I was near, I had to touch her or I might implode. "The contract and everything?"

  "Yes. I mean, it'll suck and be annoying as hell, but there's more important things."

  "Like what?"

  "Justice. And you," she squeezed my fingers, squashing them together. "And wherever you are, I want to be there."

  "Do you really think you can give up New York for Melbourne?"

  "In a heartbeat."

  There a few more hurdles to get over, but we were on the home stretch. We had an imminent trip to Canada to plan, which was going to be an emotional roller coaster for all involved. Then there was everything with Nate and the accident. Jessie was going to press charges, even if it meant losing her apartment. It was her decision and I'd stand by her all the way to the end and beyond. Hell, it was even possible that the screwed up contract they made her sign would be null and void after what happened. No doubt the case would go straight to court, but we'd fight it. Seemed she was good at that kind of stuff.

  "Oh, and I already talked to billing about paying for your hospital stay," I declared.

  "Dee," she shrieked, slapping me on the arm with her good hand.

  Laughing, I took a Sharpie off the bedside table and pulled the cap off. On the top of her cast, I wrote, D.C 4 J.W 4 EVA.

  Six months later...

  I'd always hated airports. Someone was always leaving or coming and it was the separation part I hated the most. Walking through the doors into that magical in between limbo. The hugs goodbye, the last wave as the doors slid shut. Standing in the International Arrivals hall at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport, my eyes were fixed on those doors like superglue.

  "You're staring at the doors so hard it's a wonder you haven't burnt a hole through them," Zoe laughed next to me.

  "That's right, Hot Legs. I'm dying to lay them on Hot Stuff."

  She laughed at the nickname I'd given Jessie. "She lets you call her that?"

  "No, but she seemed to like it better than Hot Ass."

  "Oh god, Dee."

  "I'm more of a breast man, but Hot Tits would be a little inappropriate."

  "You think?" she pretend gagged. "As per usual, Dee, TMI."

  "Above and beyond," I winked, nudging my best friend with an elbow.

  Before I left, Jessie took me home to Montreal just like she promised. I knew it was going to be hard for her, but I was there every step of the way to charm the ass off of her parents. And when she told them what had happened with Nate and everything after... well, it wasn't easy for them to hear, but I think they appreciated the honesty and the guts it took to come home and begin making amends.

  Everyone had made mistakes along the way, some bigger than others, but it took real integrity and courage to face them. I think that's what won them over in the end.

  After two months together in America and Canada, the hardest thing I'd ever had to do was leave Jessie behind to face her court date on her own. Bad luck saw me booted out of the country a couple of days before D-day. The case had since been adjourned and called back, but in the end her lawyer, and whatever big shot the Barnes' had, cut a deal that saw her on the receiving end in a good way. Nate was sent to jail on a slightly reduced sentence and Jessie got to rip up the non-disclosure contract and keep her apartment. She even went back to work at Galaxy until they found a more permanent replacement.

  Jessie was getting here just before Christmas and we'd already made plans to have a huge BBQ at my parents place in the Northern suburbs and a Christmas Eve house party at Frank's with everyone and anyone we could think of inviting. I was so damn excited, I couldn't sit still. She was going to be here a month and come with the band when we played the Big Day Out across Australia and New Zealand, then we were going back to America for a two month cross country tour. Couldn't fucking wait.

  I'd been waiting and waiting for it, but I was still unprepared when Jessie walked through the doors, a massive suitcase trailing behind her. She looked rough around the edges from her flight, but it didn't matter. She took my breath away every time, no matter what she looked like.

  Ditching Zoe, I strode forward through the crowd, desperate to feel her in my arms again.

  "Dee," she smiled as she caught sight of me. Dropping her suitcase, she launched herself into my arms and we stood together, tangled in each other for ages until we parted.

  "Am I fucking glad to see you," I whispered in her ear, drawing her mouth to mine for a kiss. "How's the jet lag?"

  "Why?" She kissed the side of my mouth.

  "You know why," I said, wiggling my eyebrows. "I haven't seen you in almost three months. You know how hard I am?"

  "Like a rock," she quipped, taking me by surprise.

  "Love you, Hot Stuff."

  "We have to have a talk about the nickname," she said, linking her arm through mine as I rolled her suitcase behind us.

  "That's what I told him," Zoe called out as we approached. She came forward and gave Jessie a hug. "Welcome home."

  "Home," she replied. "That's got a nice ring to it."

  Fuck, I felt proud seeing the two women I loved getting along. Zoe and I were a package deal and to think that Jessie got it and didn't give a fuck… How perfect could she be? Pretty flawless in my eyes.

  "Georgie gave me a recommendation," Jessie grinned as we walked out to the undercover car park. "I have a job here if I want it and they don't care one bit when I want to start."

  "Fucking, A," I cried, swinging her around again as we stopped by the pay station.

  "I reckon I'll start after the US tour, hey?"

  "Reckon?" I asked, an eyebrow quirking at the Aussie slang.

  "If I'm going to live here, I've got to learn the lingo."

  "Oh my god," Zoe said behind us as she put the ticket into the machine to pay. "I like her more and more every day."

  "I fucking love you," I whispered in Jessie's ear. "I'm so glad you're here."

  "I love you, Dee Cosgrove. Don't you ever forget it."

  "How could I?" I thought about the fire we'd both walked over to get to this point and shook my head. Some fucking afterglow.

  "What?" she asked, catching the movement.

  "Nothing."


  "What?" she prodded again.

  "I was just thinking about the shit we've been through to get here."

  Jessie smiled up at me with her big brown Bambi eyes, melting my already liquefied heart and said, "There's no heat without a flame."

  Where those one-liners came from, I had no idea, all I wanted to do was kiss her stupid. Cupping her cheek, I pressed my lips to hers, consuming, devouring, obliterating, not giving one shit we were in a public place or Zoe was standing there waiting for us.

  Jessie Ware was mine, and I was hers. And the best part?

  We had our entire lives ahead of us.

  Would you like another Devil’s Tattoo Story?

  Simone and Chris’ story?

  Want to read more about the mysterious Frank?

  Visit me at my website and let me know:

  www.nicolertaylorwrites.com

  OTHER BOOKS BY NICOLE R. TAYLOR

  The Devil’s Tattoo

  The Devil’s Tattoo (#1)

  The Fire Walker (#2)

  The Witch Hunter Saga

  The Witch Hunter (#1)

  The Return (#2)

  The Shadow’s Son (#3)

  What Remains

  TITLES COMING SOON…

  The Awakening (#4 in the Witch Hunter Saga) (early 2014)

  Young Blood (A Witch Hunter Saga Novella) (TBA 2014)

  For more info go to www.nicolertaylorwrites.com

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Nicole R. Taylor is a Paranormal, Urban Fantasy and Romance author from country Victoria, Australia.

  Previously, she has written for various small street press music and entertainment publications as a gig and album reviewer before publishing her first Urban Fantasy novel in early 2013.

  When she isn’t writing, Nicole likes to spend time curled up with a good book and her 3 year old rescue cat, Burger. She gets itchy feet more often than not and has lived in three countries and travelled to three times as many.

  Learn more about her writing at: