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“Only the hottest tattoo artist in town. He and his two brothers own Three Kings Tattoo Parlor,” she replied as we trekked across the parking lot. “They do amazing work.”
“If you say so,” I muttered.
Charlie opened the front door and I walked in behind her. A redhead was at the counter on the phone, but she met us with a smile. While Charlie waited to speak to her, I ambled around the space.
It wasn’t at all what I expected. The walls weren’t covered with standard tattoo designs, but photographs of finished custom work. Each one of them looked like a true piece of art.
The young woman behind the counter hung up the phone. “Sorry about that. How can I help you?”
“Hi, I’m Charlie Beaufort and I have a one o’clock appointment with Roman.”
“Wonderful,” the redhead said with a smile. “He’s just finishing up with a client and he’ll be right out.”
Charlie wandered over to me. “Cool, right?”
I was staring at a photo that showed off a completed back piece. “Very cool.”
“I’m sure Roman could squeeze you in if you wanted something small, like a butterfly or a heart,” Charlie said.
“Roman’s booked solid for the next three months,” the redhead chimed in. “So you won’t be able to get your butterfly or heart tattoo today.”
“Tragic,” I said with a bite of snark.
The redhead grinned. “Not a fan of the butterfly or heart tattoos?”
“Not a fan of needles,” I said.
She shook her head. “Ah, same. I’m the only Jackson sibling not to have ink.”
“Oh!” Charlie exclaimed. “You’re Brielle!”
“I am,” the redhead confirmed.
“Roman mentioned you,” Charlie said. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Mentioned you,” I repeated. “Mentioned you when?”
“In one of our other appointments,” Charlie explained. “I’ve been meeting with Roman for a few months to finalize a tattoo. Today, I actually get it.”
“You’ve been thinking about this for months and you didn’t tell me? You tell me everything.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” Charlie said. “And I didn’t want you to accidentally tell my mother.”
I opened my mouth, but Charlie turned her attention back to Brielle. “Why are you working reception? Roman said you work at a bakery.”
“Agnes got sick, so I’m filling in,” Brielle said. “And I decorate wedding cakes. But right now, that’s kind of on hold. My business partner—the one who actually bakes the cakes—just had a baby and is on maternity leave, so my schedule is pretty open right now.”
“Which bakery?” I asked.
“Pie in the Sky.”
Heavy boots clod across the floor, pulling my attention away from Charlie’s conversation with Brielle to the two men who appeared from the back hallway.
My mouth dropped open. “What are you doing here?”
Bones raised a brow. “I’m a biker and I’m in a tattoo shop. I think the answer is fairly obvious.”
“Biker,” I repeated quietly. “Now the leather vest makes sense.”
