Page 31 of Underworld

Jace nods and exits the car first. Zane follows next. They stand on either side of the door, waiting as I get out, followed closely by Alec and Howe. I’m surprised by the tattoo shop as we enter. The front is lit with different colored LED lights with varying spray-painted art covering the walls.

I’m about to ask how anyone could possibly work here, considering how dark it is, until I’m escorted into a private room that’s well lit. The walls are covered with pictures of what I assume this artist is known for.

I sit down on the chair in the middle of the room as my guys move to stand against the far wall. Looking over my shoulder, I find Alpha and Beta guarding the door from the outside. My eyes widen when the artist walks in. With the way the guys talked about them, I was expecting a man, but I was wrong.

The only way I can describe the woman who walks in is stunning. Her light chocolate skin is covered in intricate artwork. Some of it is done using color, and others are black and grayscale art pieces. Her hair is light blue and done up in three tight buns that run down the center of her head. She looks at me with a smile. “You were expecting a guy, weren’t you?”

I flush as I say, “Maybe from the way the guys talk about you.”

Unfazed, she shrugs and walks farther into the room. She sits down next to me and gets her supplies out. “I expect it now. There aren’t as many women in this field of work anymore. I hope you don’t mind me having an assistant today?”

I shake my head as I notice a man enter the room and stand beside her. “What do you want me to do?” he asks.

The woman looks up at him with a smile. “If you could apply the numbing gel on her back and both hands, that would be great.” She looks back at me and asks, “Do you mind? He’s my husband, by the way. Well, one of them.” She gives me a wink and gets back to what she’s doing.

The man grabs a tube and comes up to my other side. He smiles down at me and says, “My name’s Knox, by the way.” He points to his wife. “I’m assuming she didn’t introduce herself?”

I shake my head. “No.”

He grins as he snaps on a pair of gloves. “She tends to do that. Her name is Blair. If you can lie facing the back of the chair, I can do your back first. That will allow the gel to saturate your back longer since the tattoo is large. I’ll do your hands next. I’ll be the one doing the art on your hands while she tattoos your back.”

I do as he says. He rubs the gel into my back, and I’m surprised at how warm it is. I was expecting the gel to be cold. It tingles a bit as his hand disappears from my back. I hear a popping noise then he says, “I moved the armrests so you can sit with your hands out in front of you.”

Pushing back from the chair so I can see where I need to put my hands, I place them up on the armrests and lie back down. I feel him massage the gel into the tops of my hands.

I feel a muted touch on my back, and Blair asks, “How does that feel?”

“I don’t feel much.”

She hums. “Alright, I’m going to start. If it feels uncomfortable, let me know.”

I hum in acknowledgment; then something marks across my back for a few minutes before it stops. I hear the buzz of the machine and know the moment she starts because there’s a slight tickle where the needle digs into my skin. Well fuck, this gel shit is fantastic.

I also feel the mark across the top of my hands before another machine's buzz starts. The hand he begins with gives off a slight twinge of pain, but it’s not as bad as it would have been without the gel.

With the steady buzz of the machines in the background, I close my eyes and feel myself relax. I don’t remember much after that.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jane

I startle awake when someone touches my shoulder. “What!? What? Where am I?”

Howe snorts and says, “You fell asleep while they were doing your tattoo.”

I arch a brow. “Really?” I look around the room to find it’s just my guys and me in here. Looking down at my hands, I now have an Asphodelus flower on one hand and a Narcissus flower on the other. Getting up from the chair, I move toward the floor-length mirror in the corner. I turn and look over my shoulder to see my largest tattoo. The Goddess herself. She looks beautiful, surrounded by flowers, but what makes me smirk is the skull she is holding. She’s wearing a crown of flowers, but behind them sit black spikes as if to show that she’s not only the Goddess of Spring but also the Queen of the Underworld. I fucking love it!

I turn to grin at my guys. “It’s beautiful. I love them all.”

Jace nods. “She did a great job.” He holds out a hand, and I take it as he ushers me out of the shop.

As soon as we step outside, I realize I should have put my bulletproof vest back on. Because while we were busy, the gang we’re fighting against dared to enter the Underworld-heavy territory after all.

I’m immediately shoved to the ground and covered by someone’s body. Fucking hell! I just got new tattoos! It’s a good thing they are covered. From my prone position, I try to get a look at what’s going on. Jace still covers me, but I hiss, “Don’t fucking worry about me. Go deal with these fuckers!”

He looks down at me, and there must be something in my eyes because he nods and orders, “Stay on the ground.” Then he jumps up and pulls out a handgun I didn’t even know he had on him.

From my vantage point, I look around to see what’s happening. Zane is fighting off a few men but easily takes them out. I look over to find Howe as he pops off shots, hitting his mark each time.

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