Barber Shop Ink Book 3: Riverworth

By Penny Blush

I was an innocent. A daughter. A sister. An orphan.

I became Morningstar. A punisher. An assassin. Broken.

 Now I am Hedge. Whole. Worthy. His.

I thought I managed to escape my past, but the past always catches up with you.

I tried to make them understand, I told them to leave me and my family alone.

They didn't listen.

They threatened my family. They tried to kill Memphis. I will do anything to protect the ones I love.

They should have walked away.

Now, I'm coming for them and I plan on finishing this.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penny Blush
• Release date: Nov 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386468646

Penny Blush

My name is Penny Blush, I love all things book and book related. I’m hoping that the people who make the James Bond movies will call me to ask to use my name as the next Bond Girl *Fingers Crossed* When I’m not hoping for the Bond people to contact me, I usually can be found with my nose in a book getting lost in a story or thinking about stories I would like to write. I’m Australian, I love to sing, and Christmas is my favourite time of the year. I believe in magic, fairies, the power of the universe and that everything happens for a reason. Basically, I’m a crazy person, and I’m ok with that. At least my life is not boring! Author Links Author Page:  https://www.facebook.com/PennyBlushAuthor   Reader Group: www.facebook.com/groups/1068654519902946 Instagram:www.instagram.com/pennyblushauthor Pinterest: https://au.pinterest.com/pennyblush/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/pennyblushbooks Goodreads:www.goodreads.com/author/show/17139863.Penny_Blush

Book preview

Prologue

Iwas an innocent. A daughter. A sister. An orphan.

I became Morningstar. A punisher. An assassin. Broken.

Now I am Whole. Worthy. Loved. His.

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can’t outrun your past. I thought I had. I thought I had escaped mine, but the past catches up with you. I will do anything to protect the ones I love. Even if that meant tapping into a part of myself buried long ago.

In the quiet of our bedroom, I studied Memphis. My love. My heart. My everything.

There was a purpose to my studying him. I was taking a mental picture of every nuance of his features; I wanted to remember everything. The different colour shades in his hair and beard, the way his eyelashes brushed his cheeks as he slept. How his lips curled in a slight smile like he was privy to a joke that no one else was. The way his skin smoothed, the worry lines around his eyes dissolving as he rested. His soft snore purring in contented slumber.

We had made love for hours, worshiping each other’s bodies, loving each other. It was my way of saying I love you, I’ll miss you, I’m sorry. It was my way of saying goodbye.

While he slipped into an exhausted slumber, believing he would wake, and everything would be right with the world, I studied him. My eyes catalogued the intimate details of every single one of his tattoos. The colours, the designs, the way they followed the contours of his muscles, committing each detail to memory so when I closed my eyes he would be there. I could take him with me.

I brushed my fingers over his full bottom lip, leaning in to kiss him.

I love you Memphis Blue, with all I am, I whispered kissing him one last time before slipping from the warm comfort of our bed.

I tiptoed into the bathroom down the hall as to not disturb Memphis. I didn’t want to wake him. I showered and dressed in silence, while locking down my feelings, switching off my emotions.

To get through what I was about to do; I needed to be emotionless. Turn my heart to stone. I had to become, Morningstar.

I walked back into the bedroom silent as a ghost. My gaze drifted towards our bed and my breath caught in my throat at the image of my man sleeping. Memphis was asleep, his naked form scarcely covered by a white sheet, making his colourful tattoos stand out in stark contrast. I slipped my phone out of my back pocket snapping a picture – how could I not?

I slid my phone back into my pocket and I placed the handwritten note I spent hours agonising over, on the bedside table beside his phone and watch. A single tear slid down my cheek as I brushed one last feather-light kiss on his lips, whispering in his ear how much I love him.

Taking one last look at the love of my life, my future husband, my world, I slipped off my engagement ring placing it on top of the letter and stole away into the night.

Chapter 1 Hedge

I s everything ready ? I asked staring out into the pre-dawn light. 

Yes, Henry replied looking over at me with concern evident on his face. Are you sure you want to do this?

No. But it has to be done, I acknowledged.

If I don’t - my family won’t be safe. We will spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders. That was no way to live. That was no way for Memphis and I to start our lives together.

What are you going to do?

Finish this.

Those words kept rolling around in my head. I tried to sleep in my uncomfortable seat on a cargo plane that was taking me away from my man, my family, my home.

Memphis, please forgive me. Please don’t be mad at me, I whispered into the low light of the plane, once again wishing I had flown commercial.

My Uncle Charlie had secured my transport through a contact of his. So, here I am stuck in the belly of a noisy, cold, dimly lit plane somewhere over the ocean heading back to London. As much as I loved London, I never wanted to return to while my uncle was still alive. I didn’t want to get sucked back into the life I had fought so hard to get away from.

No matter how well thought out you think you have planned your life, sometimes the universe has other ideas. You may have planned a different life for yourself other than the one laid out before you but no matter how hard you try to deviate from the plan, the universe, fate, whoever just keeps picking you up and dumping you straight back on that path.

You can’t outrun your past. I thought I had.

I thought I had achieved the impossible. I thought my past remained in that concrete room along with my blood, sweat and tears. The universe had decided otherwise and put my past directly in front of me with no hope of avoiding the inevitable crash.

I didn’t just crash into my past - I hit it - head on and with such force my family was being hit with shrapnel.

Because of who I was, what I did, two beautiful innocent souls now gone. Murdered in retaliation, all because Vex didn’t like being told to back off by a girl.

Nicholas-Nicky-Vex AKA the Grim Reaper, loan shark for the Marino family is a small man, full of his own self-importance, who didn’t like being put in his place. He took offence to a conversation had in church one Sunday morning.

Vex - the weasel - told Gianni, the son of Georgiou Marino the head of the Marino family that my alter ego Morningstar was gunning for them.

A little over six years ago I packed Morningstar away in a box never to come out again. Or, so I thought.

Vex should have honoured the agreement made in church, in front of God and all his followers.

Here is what I am willing to do Nicholas, Morningstar had said while sitting next to Vex in the church pew. I will walk out of this church, and you will never see me again if you agree to my conditions. The look Morningstar gave Vex let him know the only choice he had was to accept the deal. You will forgive the farce of the outstanding debt you have been forcing Memphis to pay. And, if there is any money owing to the family from the original debt, you will pay it out of your own pocket. You do this Nicholas, and we won’t have to have another conversation. Now, tell me you agree.

You... you can’t walk in here making these demands. This is an insult to the family Vex said.

The only insult to the family Nicholas is the one you continue to deliver by disrespecting their business through not agreeing to this deal.

The Marino Family... Vex started, but he was cut off before he could continue.

Nicholas, you are trying my patience. Do not try to hide behind the family, they won’t like it. This deal is inevitable. Your agreement is a mere formality. Say the words, Nicholas.

Fine, Vex huffed. Yes, I agree.

Except, he didn’t. Vex, went back on his word.

I should have known Vex wouldn’t honour our deal. I thought he was smarter than that. I was wrong. Not only did he break a deal with Morningstar, but his idiocy knew no bounds, he thought he could lie to the family and get away with it. He thought he was Teflon, that nothing would stick to him.

The only acceptable outcome of this shit-storm was Vex no longer breathing. As soon as he fabricated the lie he triggered Gianni Marino’s reaction and ensured mine along with it becoming the architect of his demise.

The only question left to answer was how intact I would be at the end.

Vex and the fabricated threat that Morningstar was coming for them forced Gianni Marino to act. Gianni had been very disappointed when I left my uncles employment not only because I was the ‘go-between’ for the family and my uncle, but Gianni was sweet on me.

Yes, we had hooked up, once, one night after one too many celebratory drinks. Gianni wanted more but I shut it down just as fast as it started. One night was all he had and was all he would ever get.

Gianni, eleven years older than me, helped scratch an itch that is all. It didn’t stop him from trying to make it something more than it was - a drunken mistake.

Gianni had taken my alleged threat to heart, taking something personal from me in return, Stella and Brian. Two innocent people who had nothing to do with the life aside from letting my uncle use the basement room of Brian’s pub for meetings requiring neutral ground.

Gianni had them murdered to send a message. Threats against the family would not be taken lightly and will be met with action. Violent action.  

I loved Stella like a sister and Brian just as much, they were my family when I lived in London. I hated myself for thinking this way, but I am so glad that Gianni knew nothing about my current life. It makes my blood run cold imagining what could have happened to Jaxon, Cassidy, the boys, Memphis.

It would seem Vex had spectacularly elaborated events adding a little spice to the telling of the story. Vex had told Gianni who advised Georgiou that our civil conversation held in the middle of a packed church was far more sinister. Vex the shit said Morningstar accosted him, assaulted him ensuring the message would be taken seriously. The alleged message being that Morningstar has declared war on the Marino Family.

Georgiou Marino requested a sit-down. A request, if I wanted to end this war before it began ensuring it ended peacefully, I couldn’t refuse.

Georgiou had requested, through my uncle, a brief phone call to personally secure my agreement to the meeting. He called the phone I kept that was once the only direct line to Morningstar.

I had kept it all this time, stored in parts. I knew there was no way it could traced or hacked, I had made sure of that. But, needless to say, when I first came home after leaving my uncles, I was a little paranoid. The phone was dismantled each component kept in hack proof casing. Once again, I went to The Box, a huge black trunk-style box that kept everything Morningstar and retrieved the phone components reassembling it.

A small part of me wished that I had let Jax get rid of it after I turned up on his doorstep bloody and broken. But, if I had, I wouldn’t have had the means to save Memphis when Vex had his goons almost beat him to death. I also wouldn’t have had the clothing and wig required to transform myself into Morningstar when I confronted Vex or the phone to speak with Georgiou.

My encrypted, but out-of-date phone rang, Georgiou’s name flashed across the screen. I took a deep breath accepting the call without saying a word as was Morningstar’s way.

Ragazza Dolce, Georgiou greeted. ‘Sweet girl’ he called me. You make this old man very sad by staying away for so long.   

Nonno, I replied, it’s good to hear your voice.

Georgiou wasn’t blessed with granddaughters and had taken special shine to me. Nonno - grandfather, he had insisted that I called him when it was just the two of us. If we were in the company of others, the privilege of calling him Georgiou was mine. Calling him by his first name was a great honour, a sign you were a trusted, respected close friend of Don Marino.

You could hear it any time you wanted. You know this Ragazza Dolce, you just have to call.

Nonno, you know why I couldn’t, I mumbled.

I do, and I understand. But understanding doesn’t diminish the pain in my heart. One might be led to believe I offend you, somehow.

I hated the pain and hurt in his voice.

Nonno, you know it was nothing you did. The pain you feel was my doing, and I can’t apologise enough for that. It tore out my heart to walk away and cut ties with you, but it had to be done.

I know why you left, and I admire the grace in which you did it. You have more courage and bravery than most of the men in my service. I am very proud of you, Ragazza Dolce.

Even after all this time, receiving praise from Georgiou made me smile and pride bloom in my chest.

Speaking of men in your service, I used this opportunity to segue into the business part of the conversation. You know I had nothing to do with the accusations of Nicholas Vex. Nonno, I would never threaten you or the famiglia.   

You don’t even have to say the words I know this. Gianni, on the other hand, is a different matter. My son is still a little hurt by your departure. I hope you know I would never sanction taking innocent lives to send a message.

I know Nonno. So, where do we go from here? I asked already knowing the answer.

Now, Ragazza Dolce you must come and visit me, I could hear the smile in his voice. We will sit down and discuss this like professionals.

I had to admit, although he was part of a life I wanted to forget, I was looking forward to seeing Georgiou again. I will, I agreed and then added, Nonno is it possible for me to make a request.

How could I deny you anything, Ragazza Dolce? Please tell me what has you so anxious.

I would like to request Nicholas Vex and Gianni are present at the sit-down. Vex has already lied, and it cost two innocent people their lives. I want no more lies or miss communication between our families. Besides, I would like to look Vex in the eye when I call him out on all his bullshit, my tone becoming angry at the end.

Lingua Ragazza Dolce, he scolded – Language sweet girl.

Sorry Nonno.

While I might not like it, I understand why you let it slip, he laughed. I will make sure that this Nicholas Vex and my son are present. You have every right to confront your accuser.

Thank you Nonno, I hope this can be resolved with no further loss of life.

You and I both, Ragazza Dolce. You and I both.  

So, that is how I find myself in the belly of a cargo plane. freezing my ass off wishing I was back home in my very comfy bed in the arms of my hunky fiancé.

I had to keep reminding myself to not think of Memphis, Barber Shop Ink, Cassidy, Jax and the boys. I had to stick to the plan. Get in, deal with this mess and get out as fast as possible with little bloodshed.

For the millionth time since I left I prayed that Memphis is not angry at Jax. I knew he would be angry at me, but I didn’t want to cause any grief between him and Jax, they had been friends for too long. Memphis would go to Jax as soon as he realised I had gone demanding answers. I was going to owe Jaxon big time.

I also prayed that he would not read too much into me leaving my engagement ring behind. It killed me to take it off but, I had too. For the next however many days or weeks – God I hope not weeks – I locked Hedge in a box and it was Morningstar was who was in control.

I couldn’t separate Hedge from Morningstar if I wore my engagement ring. I had no way of knowing what I would have to do, and it would ruin me if something happened to my ring. So, I left it with Memphis for safe keeping until I came home.

I planned on coming home. I was coming home, I would reclaim my ring, put it on my finger and never take it off again.

I opened my encrypted laptop and connected the new smartphone Henry gave me and installed all my usual firewalls and encryption software. I left a similar phone with Jaxon. I wanted a way to contact Memphis. I had restricted the phone to receive calls and text only, which would piss Memphis off. I did it, so I wouldn’t get distracted. I told Jax not to give it to Memphis for seventy-two hours. I knew there is no way he could last that long. I knew Jaxon would break and give it to him at around the forty-eight-hour mark.

I made sure Jax had a copy of all the evidence I had on Vex on a jump-drive. There was also a backup copy to be delivered to him in two weeks unless I called it off. I had the files on my laptop and now on my encrypted phone. I wanted the ability to access the evidence anytime, anywhere no matter what.

I plugged the headset to the phone putting in the earbuds underneath the noise cancelling headphones I was wearing. I brought up the video recording app and switched the camera to selfie mode and took a moment to look at myself. I looked different, I had changed my appearance in the car while Henry drove me to meet the plane.

I covered my true eye colour with hazel contact lenses. I had on a blonde shoulder-length wig, I darkened and thickened my eyebrows and changed the shape of my eyes and lips with the skilful application of makeup. I had on tortoiseshell frame glasses and generic nondescript clothing. I would look like just another mid-level company employee hitching a ride to London with the supply plane.

The cargo plane I was travelling in was full of medical supplies. Supplies that were going to a World Health Organisation tent hospital in some obscure little country that was so small the media didn’t care about it. The WHO did, and my uncle was more than happy to help. The more things he involved himself in that were legal, the less the authorities would look at his illegal activities.   

I could disembark the plane blending in with the other company staff members who were travelling on this flight. The difference being they were in relative comfort in the small passenger area of the plane while I was in the cargo hold so I wouldn’t be seen. I looked at myself in the screen that was dimly lit by the ambient light in the cargo hold signed and hit record.

Hi Baby, I know you’re angry with me but let me just say two things first. One, I won’t explain myself on a recording. Two I am coming back, don’t for one second think I’m not. I exhaled resting my head back on the stack of blankets on the pallet behind me. "God, Baby I am so tired, and I wish I was in bed with you right now.

Please don’t be mad at me. I love you Memphis. I am coming home, and I am marrying you," I ended the recording and sent the file to his encrypted phone.

I looked off in the distance zoning out for a while. I just listened to the sounds of the massive plane in flight, the whirring of the engines and the rushing of air along the fuselage. I pulled a blanket up around me and got as comfortable as possible. Letting fatigue claim me as a tear slid down my cheek offering once again in silent prayer, please don’t hate me Memphis.

Chapter 2 Hedge

Ifell asleep and stayed that way for a long time. Next thing I knew the captain was broadcasting an announcement to the passengers which he also sent through the cargo hold, waking me.

Attention passengers and crew this is the captain speaking, we are approaching East Midlands Airport. We will begin our descent in thirty minutes.

I would have preferred to fly in closer to central London, but when catching last minute covert flights, beggars can’t be choosers. East Midlands Airport is the UK’s number one pure cargo airport. That’s what the website when I looked it up to see how much backtracking I would need to do.

I took the remaining flight time to gather my things together, check my appearance making sure everything was in place. The moment the plane’s wheels hit the runway I was up. I made my way to the service elevator and up into the galley at the back of the passenger area.  Once the plane had finished taxiing to the terminal, the passengers had gathered their belongings, I filed in behind them.  Just another passenger disembarking from a long flight. Everything timed to perfection.

After clearing customs, I lined up with the rest of the passengers and caught the shuttle bus to Jurys Inn.  The company employees were staying there before catching a connecting flight the next day. I checked in, went to my room showered and changed, not just my clothes but my appearance.

I changed into a rusty red coloured wig cut into a wavy bob, put in pale blue contacts, applying minimal makeup except what I needed to change my facial features. I wore a black and grey tearaway tracksuit that was the uniform of a charity cycle team out of Sheffield that was making their way to London. I changed out my luggage from a wheelie case to a team duffel bag. Wiped down the room leaving no trace I had ever been there and exited the room.

In the lobby I deposited the wheelie case, now filled with hotel linen to add weight - to the pile of luggage for loading onto a waiting coach. I walked out the front door and onto the team bus. Half an hour later the bus came to a stop in Leicester, the first stop for the days ride.

I exited with the rest of the team, walked around the side of the bus taking off my tracksuit jacket as I walked. I dropped the jacket picking up the duffel bag walking around the back of the bus. I pulled the team logos off the duffel bag depositing them in the nearest bin. I unzipped the straps from the duffel converting it to a backpack and placed a beanie on my head.

I kept walking, cutting across the park heading towards my destination. I noticed a homeless lady asleep on a park bench. Gripping the front of the tracksuit pants I tore them from my body like a stripper as I walked dropping them on the back of her bench seat.  In a matter of minutes, I had gone from a charity cycle team member to a nondescript backpacker wearing black tights and an oversized tee.

I walked into the closest car rental office, and using a brand new, one use only ID hired a car. I paid cash for an ordinary looking mid-sized sedan to drive the almost three hours to London. I was dead on my feet by the time I got to West Brompton where I dropped off the rental car. After yet another outfit and luggage change I boarded a train.

At Earls Court, I changed the look of my luggage again, changed my beanie to a crotchet slouch cap added a scarf and faded black denim jacket. After leaving my beanie for another homeless person, I boarded the train headed down the Piccadilly line looking like just another college student heading home to Knightsbridge.  

No one knows about my flat in Knightsbridge of that I made sure. It wasn’t in my name, the mortgage not paid from my accounts, and the utilities not addressed to me. As far as the world knew, John Benjamin, a thirty-six-year-old businessman who travelled a lot, owned the flat. If any of the neighbours saw me, I was John’s little sister Annie who sometimes crashed at his home to unwind from college.   

I slipped into the flat undetected.

All I wanted to do was go to sleep, I had been travelling for almost forty-eight hours straight, but I had a few things to do first. I checked that the flat was secure. That all the security systems are operational, that all emergency exits were accessible, and all weapons sharpened and loaded.

I stripped off pulling off the tight wig and hair cap taking the longest hottest shower of my life. I got out of the shower dressed in the tee that Memphis had been wearing the night I left. It still smelt like him, it made me feel comforted and homesick all at the same time. I braided my hair as drying it would take too much energy and crawled into bed with a hot cup of lemon tea.

I was so tired, but I felt alert at the same time. I needed to sleep, I needed my mind focused and sharp. I needed to be on my A-game when dealing with Georgiou, Vex and my uncle. But, I couldn’t sleep. I knew why I couldn’t sleep it was because I was in bed alone.

It has been a little over eighteen months since I have slept alone without Memphis, without my head resting on his chest. The rhythm of his heartbeat singing me to sleep and then waking up in his arms in the morning. I pulled out my phone, opened the video app and hit record.

Hi Baby. I just wanted to let you know I have arrived at my destination. Very freaking tired, but safe. Please don’t be mad at Jax he’s only doing what I asked. I love you Baby with everything I am. You are my life, and I wish we were together right now. I’m dog-tired, but I can’t sleep. I know that if you were with me I could fall asleep in your arms without a care in the world. I love you. I love you. I love you. I will be home as soon as I can, and I will talk to you soon. I love you.

I finished the recording and sent it to his encrypted phone. I turned off the light and pulled the front of the tee up to my nose. I inhaled letting the lingering smell of Memphis sooth my soul and send me off to sleep.    

Chapter 3 Memphis

I ’m sick of this shit ! Jax hissed.

I don’t give a rats-ass Jax. You know what’s going on and where she is. Fucking tell me! I yelled back.

The last two days have been a nightmare and the longest forty-eight hours of my life. I wanted answers, I want them now, and I wasn’t leaving without them.

"Didn’t she leave you a note? She was supposed to leave