Page 144 of Crown of Lies

I watch as realization dawns on her face, her eyes widening in disbelief.

“It’s been here all along,” she whispers, her fingers tracing the hidden pattern on her skin. “Right under our noses. On me.”

She stares at her reflection, transfixed by the glowing design. The shock in her eyes is genuine, and I know without a doubt that she had no idea about this secret her father left behind.

Suddenly, the lights shift again, bathing the room in a deep red glow. The hidden tattoo vanishes, leaving only the familiar colorful design I’ve traced countless times before.

Quinn’s expression changes in an instant. The vulnerable, pleasure-drunk look disappears, replaced by the hard, determined gaze of a gang leader. It’s jarring to see the shift, especially with her body still glistening with sweat and my release.

She turns to me, her eyes blazing with purpose. “We need to call Nico and Atlas. Have them meet us at the tattoo shop.”

43

QUINN

My mind is racingas we leave the club. The revelation about my tattoo has my thoughts spinning, pieces of the puzzle finally starting to click into place.

“Fuck,” I mutter, hopping on the bike behind Killian as he starts up his bike. “All this time, it was right there.”

I wrap my arms around his waist as he revs the engine, and we peel out of the parking lot with the wind whipping through my hair.

The city blurs around us as Killian pushes the bike faster. I can feel the tension in his body, the urgency matching my own. We’ve been chasing leads for so long, and now we’ve stumbled onto something big.

Really fucking big.

I lean into Killian’s back, my mind already several steps ahead. We need to get the tattoo analyzed and make a copy of that hidden pattern, first and foremost. I can see it clearly in my mind’s eye, but it’ll be a little inconvenient to strip down and pull out a black light every time I need to show someone new.

Killian takes a sharp turn, and I tighten my grip. He’s a skilled rider, confident in every move, and I trust himcompletely. The bike weaves through traffic, the engine’s roar drowning out the city noise.

My thoughts drift to Nico and Atlas. They’ll be waiting for us at the shop, probably wondering what the hell is so urgent. I can’t wait to see their faces when we tell them.

We pull up to the tattoo shop just as the neon “OPEN” sign flickers off. My heart is still racing, matching the thrum of the bike’s engine as Killian cuts it.

I hop off, legs a bit wobbly from the ride and the rough sex that feels like it was hours ago but only just ended minutes before we hopped on the bike. Nico and Atlas are already here, waiting with looks of curiosity mixed with mild concern.

“What’s the big emergency?” Nico asks, pushing off the brick wall he was leaning against.

I shake my head, gesturing toward the shop. “Inside. You’re gonna want to see this.”

Atlas raises an eyebrow but follows without comment. Killian brings up the rear, his presence solid and reassuring as always.

We push through the front door, the bell jingling softly. Emmett looks up from behind the counter, surprise evident on his face.

“Hey, Quinn. Is everything—” he starts, but I wave him off.

“Just need the back room for a minute.”

He shrugs, turning back to his cleanup. A couple of other Enigma members give us curious looks as we pass, but no one else says anything.

The back room is cluttered with supplies and half-finished designs. I clear a space on one of the tables, heart pounding. This is it. The moment of truth.

“Quinn, what’s going on?” Atlas asks, his curiosity clearly getting the best of him.

Instead of answering, I shrug out of my shirt, exposing my naked back. “Killian, can you get the light, please?”

He flicks on the blue light we snagged from the club, aiming it at my tattoo. For a moment, nothing happens. Then I hear Nico’s sharp intake of breath as the hidden pattern emerges.

Nico leans in, eyes wide. “Holy fuck.”

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