Tattoos and Cupcakes (Amulet of Queens Book 1)

by Everly Taylor

  “Okay, I have to make a few phone calls for the shop and make sure things are taken care of, and I’ll be right over. I love you.”

  “I love you too, honey,” she said tearfully.

  Wiping the tears from my eyes I hung up with her and messaged Sam, letting her know what happened and that I wouldn’t make lunch today. She messaged back instantly, asking if I needed her to come over. I told her I would let her know, but for now I just needed to check on Mom.

  I called the shop manager and asked her to come in to cover my appointments today, and rearrange the schedule for the week. She reassured me that she would take care of it all. Knowing that everything was in good hands and taken care of, I grabbed my keys and headed for my parents’ house.

  Time flew by in the four days it took to make preparations for the funeral. Before I knew it, we were standing in the parlor of the funeral home. The somber atmosphere was a stark reminder that life ended way too soon, and sometimes when you least expected it. I had an overwhelming feeling that I just wanted to run and get away from this place. The air was heavy and thick around me, making it almost unbearable to be in here. My hand found my necklace in my pocket and grounded me, taking deep breaths, I ran my fingers across its pattern and I knew it would be okay.

  I was pulled out of my thoughts when someone tapped me on my shoulder, making me turn around. “Hey, Selena,” she greeted with tear-stained cheeks.

  “Hey, Dora.” I gave a weak smile. Like always, she didn’t make a move to hug me, no one ever did. “Are you doing okay?”

  “Yeah, thanks. Um, I have a weird question. Uh, do you have a tampon? I’ve asked everyone here and I can’t find one,” she admitted sheepishly.

  “I might have one in my purse. They moved it to the director’s office when the flowers were delivered earlier. I’ll go look.”

  “I’m so sorry to bother you. Thank you.” She looked relieved.

  “Be right back.” I slipped away and wove around the people in the room, and through the groups of family members standing around in their little circles. As I turned the corner toward the office I caught a man at the other end of the hall staring at me, but dismissed it as one of Grant's friends that I didn’t recognize. The necklace in my hand seemed to start pulsing. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at it. I studied it for a moment, thinking it was odd that I had felt something from it, but it didn’t appear any different than it ever had. Frowning, I slipped it into my pants again.

  Something made me glance in the direction of the end of the hall, but the man who had been standing there was moving quickly around the corner. It must have been nothing.

  Reaching the office, I noticed the door is partially open and I knock quickly to announce my presence. I have no interest in knowing what they are talking about behind closed doors in a funeral home. “Come in,” a woman's voice called from inside.

  Pushing the door open, I entered the room and started toward the sofa to search for my purse under the stack of coats that had seemed to pile up there. “Hey there, Dean left my purse on the sofa earlier and I just need it for something,” I explained quietly.

  I looked up at the woman was sitting behind the desk and I’m startled by how freaking gorgeous she is. Seriously, so stunning that she’s making me question my own sexuality. Her jet-black hair was pulled up in a severe ponytail, running long and straight down her back. A navy blue blazer was fitted tightly around her thin frame, showing a white blouse peeking out from beneath. She licked her lips as her dark brown, almond shaped eyes narrowed a bit and watched me from across the room. For a second I swear I saw red flash around the irises, but I knew that had to be a trick of the light.

  I hesitated for a minute, fixed on her stare, as she still watched me while saying nothing. I watched her in return, my gaze static on her tongue as she ran it across her lips again.

  She slid her chair back and stood slowly from behind the desk. Her long legs, tightly encased in a matching navy blue pencil skirt, were only accented more by the high heels she wore. She slowly crossed to me, her hips swaying, making me swallow dryly.

  Standing in front of me, she cocked her head to the side and tucked her tongue in her cheek, still watching me. I stared at her, trying to figure her out, watching her watch me. She leaned forward and ran her thumb across my bottom lip, making me shudder out a breath. Smiling, she took a step toward me and brushed her mouth down my ear. How can it be hot and cool at the same time? As that thought sunk in I started to push her away.

  We both jerked apart quickly and glanced around as a side door opened, and a tall man in a very tailored suit stepped through. His skin was the palest I had ever seen before, outlining a sharp and strong face, and his stark white hair was cropped short and shone brightly in the light. His green eyes glared at me with contempt, I could understand why, considering the predicament he had just caught me in.

  Damn though, what was with all of the sexy ass people lately? Did I miss some sort of plastic surgery convention coming to town?

  “You need to go now,” he stated firmly, looking between the woman and me. I felt heat pooling in my cheeks at being caught in this situation. I have no clue what had gotten into me.

  “I just have to get my purse,” I told him defiantly, continuing across the room despite feeling like I needed to flee the country. What was it people said, show no fear? Well I was going to fake it till I made it.

  The strange woman scowled at the man, but he refused to back down, returning her own gaze. Glancing up at the blond haired man, I reached down and picked up my purse. “This is it. Thanks.” For some reason I didn’t want to turn my back on them, so I started backing out of the room, noticing that he didn’t break eye contact with me the entire time. I swear his eyes dilated as he stared at me.

  My back bumped solidly against the open door, startling me and making me jump as I sucked in my breath. The woman started forward as the man grabbed her wrist, again I thought I saw red flash around her irises. Shaking my head I tried to laugh inwardly at myself, I was just seeing things and freaking out because I was in a creepy funeral home. “Sorry to bother you.”

  “Out,” he ordered firmly, as the door slammed in my face.

  I frowned at the door. That was really fucking rude! I was already leaving, he didn’t have to slam the door in my face. Sure, he caught that hot ass woman who was probably his girlfriend or whatever coming on to me, but I didn’t ask for that. Ugh. I reached for the door handle to give him a piece of my mind—

  “Selena, did you find one?” Dora stood behind me looking hopeful.

  I turned toward her frustrated and angry, making her jump back. I calmed though at the look on her face, it wasn’t her fault that those royal douche bags in there had acted like that. “Oh, yeah. Hold on, I just got my purse. Let me look.” Shuffling through things I found what I was looking for and held it up to her. “Jackpot.”

  “Oh my God, you’re so weird. Don’t wave it around for everyone to see.” Dora blushed and jerked it out of my hand before making her way toward the bathroom. As she rounded the corner I heard her mumbling to herself about weird cousins.

  “Everyone has shark week, good grief. Oh and you’re welcome,” I called after her.

  I decided I had embarrassed myself enough for one day, and I didn’t need to make any trouble at my uncle’s funeral. I would just let those assholes’ rudeness go.

  I made my way back into the room with the rest of the family. Finding my parents and Sam, I sat next to them. Sam looked at me and mouthed, “What’s wrong?”

  “I’ll explain later,” I whispered back, “you really don’t want to know right now.” Sam’s eyebrows raised but she said nothing. I knew that later I would be bombarded with questions, but surely I couldn’t be the only one who thought that what just happened was weird as all get out.

  When this was over I was making a beeline for the door and never looking back. There was no way I was going to be around those creepers again. Of course that was wishful
thinking.

  “Honey, can you grab my purse from the office and meet us at the car before we head over to the cemetery?” My mom asked.

  How the heck could I tell her no? On the day we buried her brother? “Yeah, Mom, meet you back at the car in a few.” What the hell was I going to do? I slowly made my way back to the office, my mind racing, trying to come up with something that I could do to get out of going in there.

  The door was cracked again and curiosity got the best of me. I stepped closer, wanting to find out more about these weird people. Sure, I didn’t want to know the creepy ass stuff that happened in a funeral home. But who the hell were these people that seemed unnaturally hot and came onto you at your uncle’s funeral?

  “Kyra, you knew better, you don’t touch our guests!” a male voice scolded in a hushed whisper. You could tell that even though he whispered he was furious and he was exuding power.

  “She was different, I can’t explain it,” the woman replied, her voice rich and smooth. My eyes widened, holy shit they had to be talking about me. I leaned a little closer not wanting to miss anything.

  “She was no different than any other human, Kyra. You let your imagination overtake you as usual. Get ahold of yourself,” he snapped back.

  “Cristian, I tried to call her, it didn’t even phase her, she didn’t even blink.”

  I stepped closer toward the door wanting to know what the heck they were talking about, not paying attention to my purse handle dragging the floor beneath me. As I moved a bit nearer I tripped and stumbled through the open door, thankfully righting myself before I fell flat on my face.

  I stood up and looked between them in horror. “Uh,” I gulped, “my mom’s purse.” I swear my heart had to be going a million miles a minute. I darted toward the sofa. Please, if there is a God, let me get out of here without ending up downstairs.

  “You sure have a lot of purses in here. Any other ones we should know about Ms…?” He trailed off, his inquiry as to who I was not lost on me. There was no fucking way I was letting him know who I was. There were all kinds of stories about serial killers tracking people down and murdering them for no reason, and this creepy ass man sure had a reason.

  It wasn’t my fault and his girlfriend started it, but he walked in before I could end it, serial killers didn’t need reasons though, did they? Not trying to sign up to find out if he fit the bill.

  “Nope this is it, thanks again.” I turned and ran from the room, I didn’t even give them another glance. I sprinted straight to the parking lot, waiting at the car for my parents. It was odd that I had made it here before them. They probably got stopped talking to a relative or something. The necklace pulsed again in my pocket, so I took it out I held it up, looking at it closely. It seemed to glow red as it hummed. I knew that it was just the light from outside, but it did look cool. I slipped it back into my pocket as my parents rounded the corner, and I gave them a smile as we left for the cemetery.

  Chapter Five

  Selena

  “Okay, back up and tell me again.” Sam shoved more chips in her mouth and curled her feet underneath her on the couch.

  “Ugh, I swear I’m not crazy.” I huffed.

  “Yeah, said no crazy person ever.” She grinned. “Look, I’m sure that you felt creeped out, who wouldn’t? It was a funeral home and that’s creepy enough, and then some hot ass woman came onto you and her boyfriend caught you. It’s only natural to be freaked out.” Shrugging, she dismissed it like it was nothing.

  “Sam, explain how the door shut in my face? When they were both standing across the room?” I asked her.

  “You were flipping out so much that you probably didn’t notice someone next to the door, Lena. Doors don’t just close by themselves.”

  She was right, there had to be an explanation for what had happened. Doors couldn’t just shut by themselves, and I was pretty freaked out by the two of them. Still, I couldn’t explain what I had overheard them talking about. What did she mean when she had tried to ‘call me?’ Unless Sam was also right about that and I was just overthinking what I had heard. The woman, Kyra, I think it was, could have just been talking about making a phone call and I was overreacting, looking for an explanation that wasn’t there.

  I sat thinking for a minute… that still didn’t explain everything though. I know I had heard him refer to me as ‘just a human.’ Of course I was a human, what the hell else would I be?

  “Look, I know how to fix this.” Sam jumped up from the couch, tossing the bag of chips on the side table. “We need a girls’ night.”

  I groaned and leaned back into the couch. “Sam, we just had a girls’ night.”

  “Yes, but that was before you started being bombarded with sexy people all around you, cornered in funeral homes by hot ass women wanting to jump your bones, and being freaked out by creepy ass funeral home men. Come on, it’ll be so much fun. You need this and I need this for you,” she pleaded.

  “Sam—” I was cut off when she grabbed my hands and pulled me off the couch, dragging me toward my room.

  “I’m not taking no for an answer. You are not moping around this apartment any longer. What better way to stick it to the sexy ass creepers than to dress sexy, go out, and have a good time?” Shifting clothes around in my closet, she started looking for something she deemed sexy enough to wear for the night out. Good luck, there wasn’t much of anything in there. “Do you not have anything besides jeans?” she asked, exasperated.

  “Nope, guess we can’t have a night out, too bad.”

  “Not happening, I’ll be right back.” She rushed out of the room. There was no stopping her when she got like this. And she was right, a night out to get my mind off of all the crazy shit that had been happening lately was probably a good idea. I would never admit that to her though.

  Sam dashed back into the room just as quick as she left, carrying a shopping bag. “I meant to give this to you on your birthday. But you were so flustered after those men at the shop, and then about dinner with your parents, that I didn’t have time. Open it,” she ordered, shoving the bag into my arms.

  I pulled out a shoebox first and then a smaller garment box. Putting the shoebox on the bed, I opened the garment box first and took out an olive green dress with long sleeves, crisscrossed at the chest. It would be very fitted and also very short after my ass filled it out. “Sam, I think this is yours.”

  “Nope, it’s yours, and it’s going to be perfect! Shoes, look at the shoes!” she gushed, picking up the box and putting it in my hands. Opening it, I was almost afraid to see what she had picked for me if the dress was any indication. It was a pair of nude heels that wrapped around my ankles, and would look great with the dress. She really did have amazing taste in clothes. I just didn’t think I could pull this off.

  “Sam, there is no way I can wear this.” I shook my head and put them down on the bed. “It’s one night Lena. You deserve to dress up, let loose. Come on. Trust me, you will love where I’m taking you.” She picked the clothes back up and dumped them into my lap. “Be ready in an hour, and don’t forget to brush your hair.” Just like she rushed in, she breezed back out, leaving me to get ready.

  I lifted the dress and studied it, the material was so soft and pretty, it really would bring out my deep red hair and fair skin tone. As always, Sam knew what she was doing. I quickly showered and slipped the outfit over my head. As I had predicted it fit like a glove, and I didn’t think I could have been more exposed if I were naked. The long sleeves were fitted to my wrists and the bodice crisscrossed down my chest, revealing ample cleavage. The bottom of the material skirted my thighs right above my fingertips and was tight, leaving nothing to the imagination. This thing was the epitome of a club dress. Glancing at myself in the mirror, I had to admit that I did look sexy for once.

  Deciding that if I was going to do this right I might as well go all out, I pulled out the makeup Sam had gotten me for Christmas two years ago. I remembered last minute to brush my hair and went
to see how disastrous the shoes were going to be. I was trying to stand when Sam walked in and whistled. “Hot damn!” She ran across the room and hugged me. “I knew you were a sex kitten, and damn those smoky eyes. We won’t be able to keep men off you girl. Women too.” Grinning, she wiggled her eyebrows and I hit her.

  “Shut up. I’ll just be happy if I don’t break an ankle in these things tonight. Where are we going anyway?” I asked, putting my necklace on at the last minute.

  “Reflections.” Humor filled her eyes and I knew this couldn’t be good. I had never heard of any place called Reflections before, and by the look in her eyes I knew she was up to something.

  “What’s that? There are not many places I haven’t heard of.”

  “It’s exclusive. Don’t worry, you’re going to love it and it’s going to do exactly what we need it to. It will get your mind off of all those sexy people who have been barging into your life uninvited.”

  “What do I have to lose?” I shrugged and followed her out to her car, letting her drive since I had no clue where we were headed and I doubted I could even drive in these shoes. Not to mention I had enough to focus on trying to keep my lady bits tucked inside this fucking dress. Sitting down in the seat had practically made me part of the peek-a-boo club, getting out was going to be interesting as hell, trying to make sure I didn’t flash everyone a greeting they would never forget.

  We pulled up in front of the club, a three-story brick building that managed to look modern and old school at the same time. The windows were all somehow dark, but still had golden lights illuminating from around them. A bright gold sign, announcing that we had arrived at Reflections, stood centered at the top of the wide doors. A valet met us to park the car and we joined the line of people to get in. Sam waved at the bouncer cheerfully and he motioned her forward, kissing her cheek. Of course she knew him. At least I didn’t have to wait out here.

  “Have fun ladies, and don’t get into too much trouble in there,” he rumbled.