The recently christened Bloom Tattoo had issues. Antonio knew there were going to be problems going into a pre-existing space, but he hadn’t anticipated them being so drastic.

The staff was… plucky.

All of them were talented in their own way, and they specialized in a broad array of styles that was appealing for potential clients, but their professionalism was lacking. Thorn Tattoo had spoiled him. Working with his brothers meant that Antonio had been able to closely control the work environment and foster a space built on respect and maturity. Bloom Tattoo wasn’t like that, and the artists who worked there weren’t used to adhering to stricter rules.

They laughed. They joked. They made inappropriate comments in front of clients. They slacked off.

Antonio didn’t think what he was asking for was unreasonable, but he saw little improvement in the two weeks they’d been open as Bloom.

If he hadn’t signed the contract agreeing not to remove any artist for one full year, he would have moved the old staff out and a new staff in.

Something needed to be done.

The interviews for the front desk position didn’t go as planned. The more Antonio assessed the needs of the shop, the more he knew it would take a certain kind of person to run it. If Riley weren’t so busy with her appointments, he’d ask her to come manage the place in a heartbeat.

That wasn’t going to happen.

Once upon a time, Antonio had relished the idea of rebuilding a business from the ground up, and while his brothers and their partners would jump to help out, this was his opportunity to build this business without their input. If only these artists were a bit more…professional. It looked like until he got the artists under control, he was going to have to stay on location in order to oversee that progress was happening as it should. Antonio didn’t want a rogue studio associated with his name, and when Red flung ink at Kimi and started an ink war after the last client was gone, Antonio knew that he absolutely couldn’t let the shop go unmanned.

He needed to come up with a plan. Now.

Finding a head artist was paramount to getting the rest of the artists tamed. He just needed to find the right one.

* * *

“The Precision X1s came in today!” Evie announced as she swept through the shop as they were closing up for the night. Antonio was waiting for the last client to be released. Kimi was working on him a little late, getting the last of a coloring job finished. “When work’s wrapped up, everyone needs to come see ‘em. I’m stoked.”

She moved with purpose, sweeping down the hall to the tattoo bay with one of the Precision X1 boxes tucked under her arm. Antonio had fought her tooth and nail when she’d asked to order them, but in the end, he’d relented. There was something about Evie that made him think twice about the things she said—and when she promised him that the new machines were going to be a fantastic addition to the shop despite the fledgling status of the company that produced them, he was willing to listen.

In the end, they were affordable. If he’d flushed money down the drain by ordering them, he could eat the expense. Thorn Tattoo was making money hand over fist thanks to the popularity of their artists on staff, and Antonio wasn’t hurting for money with all his endeavors.

“In your room?” Theo asked, poking his head out from his tattoo bay as Evie swept by.

“Mmhm, you know it. I’m going to pimp these bad boys out to you. You’re never gonna want to use your old machines again.”

Antonio watched from the front desk as she reached the end of the hall and ducked into the back room. Unlike at Thorn Tattoo, Bloom Tattoo was single-level with a small lobby area up front making it difficult to display body piercing jewelry for sale and flash books for potential clients to look through. As it was, they couldn’t accommodate large party groups if they should filter in off the street but there was space in the back to spare. There was enough room for an employee workroom, a small locker room, and even a kitchen. He figured she was heading back to check on the autoclave. The piercers had been good about keeping it going at a set time, thanks to the guidance of Eric from Thorn Tattoo. Under Eric’s direction, the new hires would shape up to be great employees.

He needed the same for his artists.

Antonio helped the last client of the night, settled his outstanding balance, and then showed him to the door. Once the client was gone, he locked up and returned to the front desk to count out their cash earnings and fill in the report. By the time he was finished, Evie had returned from the back room, and the rest of the artists gathered in her tattoo bay. Antonio finished with the deposit, locked it in the safe, and headed back to watch as well. He’d be able to tell by how she performed with the machines if they were worth the money he’d spent on them.

He parted the curtain over the door to her tattoo bay and entered.

Evie wasn’t wearing what he referred to as her signature tunics.

During the day, she kept herself covered. At first, Antonio thought it was because she was sensitive to the AC, but after a few comments made by clients and careful observations, he realized that it was intentional. Evie had curves. Her body was petite and slender, but her chest was exaggerated. It stretched the tiny shirts she liked to wear under her cotton tunics, and Antonio noticed that it made her uncomfortable when clients made comments about it. Evie was by no means a delicate flower, and she could handle her own, but Antonio had already learned that she preferred to avoid confrontation.

It was sensible. He didn’t blame her.

But when she stripped off her kurta after hiding her figure all day, he couldn’t help but stare.

Both of Evie’s arms were covered in tattoos. The designs were hyper-realistic, and there were multiple portraits of women, all of them old fashioned and demure. The sleeves were unified with connective elements—ivy wound between portraits, like her arms were old walls on which nature had begun to grow again. Antonio had no idea who any of the women were, but the artwork was done with such detail and love that he couldn’t help but feel like they were important.

Along her collarbone and dipping between her large breasts was a triangular section of a mandala, the line work beautiful and even. It was done in black and white, the tones stunning. In fact, there wasn’t a hint of color on her. Not that he could see. Antonio was sure there was more ink beneath her clothes.

The thought of the unknown thrilled him in a way that very few things did.

Evie had stolen his attention the second he walked through the front door of Bloom Tattoo for the first time, and he was loath to let that attention slip.

“Alright. So. Unboxing time.” Evie held up the box containing the Precision X1 gleefully, pushing her lips to the side in a smug grin. “There’s plenty of these bad boys available in the back room, so don’t feel bad that I’m getting to do all the fun stuff. There’s lots of fun for the rest of you.”

“Get to the point, Evie,” Kimi said with a yawn. “I wanna get home sometime tonight.”

“Spoilsport.” Evie opened up the box. The tattoo machine inside was in pieces. Evie looked down at it, tucked her long, white-blonde hair behind her ears, then looked up at the rest of them. “Who’s got the timer?”

“On it.” Theo was already on his phone, but Antonio assumed he was flipping over to a timer app. “Tell me when you’re ready.”

Evie’s eyes scanned the crowd, but when they came to Antonio, they stopped. He saw something glisten in them—something a lot like pride, and a little bit like challenge, like she was taunting him.

He couldn’t bring himself to look away.

“Ready,” Evie said.

“On go. Three. Two. One. Go.”

She tore into the box, not even looking at the instructions.

Pieces met and clicked into place. Elastic bands were strung taut. Each little part found its way into the machine at just the right time, and Antonio watched, astounded, as she pieced the machine together. Not every tattoo artist loved their craft enough to be able to assemble a tattoo machine, let alone a machine they’d never seen before, and not in so short a time. Antonio followed each of her steps, celebrating with every correct move.

Evie did not misstep.

“Done!” she called out. Theo jabbed his thumb at his phone screen, then turned it to face the rest of the artists.

“Three minutes, thirty-six seconds,” he called out. “Not bad.”

“Now, let’s see how this baby works.”

There was a synthetic canvas set out on the table, as well as a few caps of ink. It was just enough that it wouldn’t take long to clean up, while still being enough to be of use to the demonstration. Evie prepared the machine, then held the canvas down and applied the first traces of ink freehand.

All of the artists crowded in to watch while Antonio continued to observe from the doorway. He watched the line of Evie’s back, taken in by the dreamy, feminine back piece she sported that he could only just make out around her shirt.

“Color me impressed,” Red said. “Look at that. How does it feel?”

“Like butter.” Evie sounded thrilled. Antonio couldn’t see her face, but he imagined the glee on it. It looked like she’d been right; the machines were worth the money. “I know everyone has individual preferences, but I think every one of you is going to agree with me that these machines are to die for.”

“I’ll test mine out tomorrow,” Kimi said. “I’m done for today. Gonna go home, crash on the couch in some sweatpants, and eat pita chips with hummus.”

“Girlfriend’s waiting for me so she can go to bed,” Theo admitted. “I should probably get going, too. Thanks for the demo, Evie. Looking forward to testing them out.”

“You know it,” Evie said brightly. “Catch you dudes in later days.”

There was a chorus of ‘laters’ in response, and Antonio stepped away from the open door to allow the artists to leave.

It was just him and Evie left.

She hummed as she put a few finishing touches on the canvas she was marking up. It had only been a few minutes—whatever she was doing couldn’t have been all that intricate. Antonio made his way over to investigate to find that she’d mocked up a charming new school piece. It was sketchy as hell and done quickly, but even in such a quick piece of art, he saw her talent.

She set the machine down and turned to face him, snapping off her black nitrile gloves. Antonio couldn’t help it and his gaze dipped down to take in the luscious curves of her breasts.

“Mm, keep your eyes on the prize, boss, not my moneymakers.”

Antonio’s gaze snapped up, and he looked her over. Embarrassment burned in his cheeks, and he hoped it didn’t translate on his face. It wasn’t like him to be so taken with a woman that he stared like that. It wasn’t like him at all.

“I think the prize and the moneymaker is on your desk right now.” He pointed at the tattoo machine. “It looks like it does good work in a skilled hand. If things go well after the first month here, I’ll order them for Thorn Tattoo as well.”

“Guess I’ve just got a knack for it. When I go with my gut, it usually turns out for the best.” Evie cleaned up the ink, disassembled the machine, and started wiping down her station. “Don’t think I’ve ever snooped out a new product that hasn’t been absolutely fantastic. At least, not yet.”

“Good to know.”

There was still a lot Antonio had to learn about the artists now under his employ, but that would come with time. From what he did know, he was starting to think that he’d found the perfect solution to his problems. Evie commanded the rest of the artists with the ease of someone who’d been their friend for years. She was smart and knowledgeable about equipment and tattooing accessories. More than that, from what he’d seen of her portfolio as well as her recent work on clients, she was a damn good artist.

The best person to lead the flock toward being the respectable artists he knew they could be was someone they respected—someone they had a rapport with.

That someone, Antonio believed, was Evie.