Pick us back

Julian, Marcus,Ezra &Nova

We watched her sashay away, a collective smirk settling over the table.

​Julian took a slow sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving her. "God, she's f*****g hot," he breathed. "Did you see the ink peeking out under that crop top? I need to see the rest of it."

​Ezra didn't look away either. He leaned back, slowly licking his lips as he watched the sway of her hips. "I want a taste," he muttered, his voice thick with a dark kind of hunger.

​Thud. >

Marcus's fist hit the table, his knuckles white. "She's trouble," he barked, finally looking up. His dark eyes were hard as flint. "We left LA to get away from the hunters and the noise. We're here to vanish, not to get tangled up with the first local who looks good in leather."

​He leaned in, his voice dropping to a dangerous grit. "We're on a break from the limelight. Stop flirting with her. Stop flirting with everyone. We stay invisible, or we're dead."

​The tray hit the counter with a clatter. I pushed my hair back, looking at Lucy. She was a whirlwind of caffeine and croissant-scented steam. I took a sip of the dark roast she'd left for me, letting the caffeine hit my system.

​"Luce, the boys at table four..." I fanned myself, a slow smirk tugging at my mouth. "Hot. Dangerous. Exactly my brand of bad news." I bit my lip, imagining the possibilities.

​"Don't you dare," Lucy laughed, hitting my arm. "You have work to do. Leo's outside and he's losing light. Eat this." She pressed a sandwich into my hand. "Love you, see you tonight!"

​I swung my jacket over my shoulder and walked out, the leather heavy and familiar, ready to trade the coffee shop gossip for the hum of a tattoo needle

​I walked past the table of strangers, intentionally slinging an arm around Leo's shoulders. "Okay, Leo, you ready to finish that back piece?" I pulled a fresh pack of cigarettes from my pocket. "I know the smell of the smoke calms your nerves while I work, so I made sure to grab a new pack."

​I unlocked the door to my shop and stepped inside, greeted by the sight I called bliss. Graffiti stars and neon planets danced across the walls, and lush green plants trailed down from the ceiling like a jungle. In an instant, a streak of black fur darted out of the office. Luna, my long-haired kitten, was meowing her head off in greeting.

​"Lay on the table, Leo. Shirt off," I commanded, already moving. "I'm going to open the windows, feed the monster, and then we can get to work."

​Leo laughed, the sound deep and vibrating in the small shop. "You sound chipper," he said, pulling his shirt over his head. His brown skin glistened in the stagnant heat of the morning.

​I clicked my tongue, leaning back against my station. "Sir, you get hotter every time I see you," I teased.

​He settled onto the table, glancing over his shoulder with a suggestive smirk. "Maybe you should come over here and say that to my face."

​I ignored the flutter in my chest, focusing on prepping my machine and lining up the ink caps. I pulled up my stool and lit a cigarette, the first puff of smoke curling toward the graffiti stars on the ceiling. "Yeah, nah. You're a client, Leo. I don't mix business with pleasure."

​I felt his fingers slide up my thigh, his hand coming to rest on my knee. He gave it a slow, deliberate squeeze, his eyes locking onto mine. "I'm ready."

​I took a long drag of the smoke, the nicotine steadying my hands. "You know the drill. It gets to be too much, you squeeze my knee. Got it?" He nodded, and I leaned in. The hum of the needle filled the air as I began shading the dragon's scales, following the lines I'd etched weeks ago.