The sun felt too harsh.
Dani stepped out into the world like it was foreign ground, her body still humming from the night before—panic and vulnerability tangled beneath her skin like barbed wire. The bruises weren’t visible, but she could feel them. Emotional. Heavy. Sharp around the edges.
But hiding wouldn’t help her now.
Not when the threats were real. Not when people were watching.
So she walked.
Down streets cracked with memory, her boots steady despite the storm inside. Jax didn’t follow, not directly—but she felt his presence. She always did. Whether he was behind her or burned into her.
She needed control. Needed normalcy.
And normal meant Ink Haven.
The bell above the door rang out as she stepped inside.
Cass looked up from her station, one brow raising high. “Well, s**t.
