They could have been in a fighting cage, but they weren’t.
Red and blue lights swirled outside the windows.
“Kellie!”
The familiar voice cut through the red haze.
“Kellie! Come on,” Pandora yelled as she tottered toward the front doors on her kitten heels.
She didn’t bother to say anything else to Shin. There was nothing else to say.
She followed the crowed spilling out into the parking lot and pushed her way up to where the other girls stood at the back of an ambulance in front of the shop. The back doors were already open and the EMTs were carefully lowering a stretcher.
“Carly!” Pandora waited only as long as it took for the wheels to hit the pavement before she pushed the paramedics and nurses aside to gingerly hug the girl lying on the bed.
Carly had been paralyzed from the waist down in the same accident that destroyed the old So Inked shop. It was only right that she attend their grand opening as the guest of honor. Kellie wasn’t as close to her as Pandora, but she liked the kid and got to know her better through the time spent visiting her in the hospital.
“Hey, Carly.” She waved as she was wheeled onto the sidewalk and through the double doors, escorted by a host of nurses and paramedics.
It was touching how the community had rallied behind Carly. Almost every business had hosted its version of a fundraiser for her medical bills and sent gifts to cheer her up. It was a small reminder that the world wasn’t a dark place. Goodness still existed. Somewhere.
Kellie stayed on Pandora’s heels as they followed Carly’s procession into the shop.
“Are you still going to do it?”
Pandora nodded. “Her doctor cleared it.”
“Does she know?”
She shook her head. “Nope.”
“That’s awesome. I’ll get you set up.”
“Thanks.”
Kellie slithered through the crowd back to Pandora’s station in the corner and shooed people away. Because everything had to be sterile, Pandora couldn’t prepare anything for this job—not with a hundred or more of their closest friends touching everything in sight. Kellie tugged on a pair of gloves and set about getting the equipment ready to be used.
Quin stepped into her line of sight. “Need a hand?”
“If you can get people back a little, I need some open room here. That would be great.”
“You got it.”
She didn’t watch to make sure Quin did as she asked but went back to her prep work. She set out a Sharpie and a small reservoir of black ink. The power source was stored in the bottom drawer and Pandora’s collection of tattoo machines in the top.
Quin actually managed to keep the whole corner clear. At least he was good for something besides his rippling muscles and cute smile. She finished in just enough time for Carly’s tour of the new digs to bring her to this corner of the shop. Kellie stripped off the gloves and got out of the way. This moment had nothing to do with her, but she still wanted to be close enough to see Carly’s face.
Pandora beamed as Carly was wheeled over. Brian mouthed, “Thank you,” to Kellie, very much part of the inner circle on this whole part of the surprise.
“This is my new station.” Pandora waved at her corner and faced Carly. Pandora’s smile threatened to split her face in two. “So we were thinking. The last time we were at So Inked, you were supposed to get a tattoo. I think it’s only fair that you’re our first client after the grand opening. What do you say?”
Kellie had to blink rapidly to keep the moisture in her eyes from turning into tears. The thought of what had been stolen from Carly and how much pain she’d been put through had haunted all of them, but none more than Pandora and Brian, who had become something like surrogate parents to her.
Carly pushed herself upright, looking between Pandora and Brian. She appeared a bit dazed, but more like her old self than the shell she had been. “Are you serious?”
Quin leaned toward her. “Did you know about
Red and blue lights swirled outside the windows.
“Kellie!”
The familiar voice cut through the red haze.
“Kellie! Come on,” Pandora yelled as she tottered toward the front doors on her kitten heels.
She didn’t bother to say anything else to Shin. There was nothing else to say.
She followed the crowed spilling out into the parking lot and pushed her way up to where the other girls stood at the back of an ambulance in front of the shop. The back doors were already open and the EMTs were carefully lowering a stretcher.
“Carly!” Pandora waited only as long as it took for the wheels to hit the pavement before she pushed the paramedics and nurses aside to gingerly hug the girl lying on the bed.
Carly had been paralyzed from the waist down in the same accident that destroyed the old So Inked shop. It was only right that she attend their grand opening as the guest of honor. Kellie wasn’t as close to her as Pandora, but she liked the kid and got to know her better through the time spent visiting her in the hospital.
“Hey, Carly.” She waved as she was wheeled onto the sidewalk and through the double doors, escorted by a host of nurses and paramedics.
It was touching how the community had rallied behind Carly. Almost every business had hosted its version of a fundraiser for her medical bills and sent gifts to cheer her up. It was a small reminder that the world wasn’t a dark place. Goodness still existed. Somewhere.
Kellie stayed on Pandora’s heels as they followed Carly’s procession into the shop.
“Are you still going to do it?”
Pandora nodded. “Her doctor cleared it.”
“Does she know?”
She shook her head. “Nope.”
“That’s awesome. I’ll get you set up.”
“Thanks.”
Kellie slithered through the crowd back to Pandora’s station in the corner and shooed people away. Because everything had to be sterile, Pandora couldn’t prepare anything for this job—not with a hundred or more of their closest friends touching everything in sight. Kellie tugged on a pair of gloves and set about getting the equipment ready to be used.
Quin stepped into her line of sight. “Need a hand?”
“If you can get people back a little, I need some open room here. That would be great.”
“You got it.”
She didn’t watch to make sure Quin did as she asked but went back to her prep work. She set out a Sharpie and a small reservoir of black ink. The power source was stored in the bottom drawer and Pandora’s collection of tattoo machines in the top.
Quin actually managed to keep the whole corner clear. At least he was good for something besides his rippling muscles and cute smile. She finished in just enough time for Carly’s tour of the new digs to bring her to this corner of the shop. Kellie stripped off the gloves and got out of the way. This moment had nothing to do with her, but she still wanted to be close enough to see Carly’s face.
Pandora beamed as Carly was wheeled over. Brian mouthed, “Thank you,” to Kellie, very much part of the inner circle on this whole part of the surprise.
“This is my new station.” Pandora waved at her corner and faced Carly. Pandora’s smile threatened to split her face in two. “So we were thinking. The last time we were at So Inked, you were supposed to get a tattoo. I think it’s only fair that you’re our first client after the grand opening. What do you say?”
Kellie had to blink rapidly to keep the moisture in her eyes from turning into tears. The thought of what had been stolen from Carly and how much pain she’d been put through had haunted all of them, but none more than Pandora and Brian, who had become something like surrogate parents to her.
Carly pushed herself upright, looking between Pandora and Brian. She appeared a bit dazed, but more like her old self than the shell she had been. “Are you serious?”
Quin leaned toward her. “Did you know about
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