My eyebrows clench. I know Levi and Cairo weren’t the best of friends, but I still can’t help but appreciate he’d ask about it. “Hurt like a bitch when he got behind my bicep.”
“Sensitive area. All the outlining done?”
“Yeah. Just need the shading and details completed. He did some, but…let’s just say, he watched Ozzy more than he did me.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
I shake my head. “No. I didn’t realize what time it was and…it was probably best we left. It was late.”
“Can I see it later?”
You can see it now.
Leaning over, I turn on my bedside lamp and sit up. My arm is lightly encased in clear plastic wrap, but I gently press on it so Cairo can see anything he wants as I spin on my ass to present my left limb.
Cairo studies it, lightly wrapping his fingers around my wrist to turn my arm back and forth. “Do you know what any of these mean?”
“Not off the top of my head. Levi was always…getting ink. Sometimes, it’d take me days to notice.”
“Shit’s dope, though.”
I bob my head, feeling a bit of waning emotions clogging my throat.
“He’d love it.”
My heart sinks at the past tense. “Not sure about that. I’m stealing.”
“I’m sure you stole all his shit,” Cairo emits, a bit teasingly. “This shouldn’t be anything new to him.”
I stare at the ink imprinted on Cairo’s fingers and ask, “What do yours mean?”
He glances down at them and then back at Levi’s tattoos. “My index finger has the Wadjet Eye. The Egyptian god of Horus. It’s to protect you from evil spirits and shit.”
“You believe in that?”
“Wouldn’t hurt to have it in case I needed it.”
“What about your middle?”
“The smiley face?”
I smile just in time for him to smirk at me.
“You know damn well why I have that one there.”
“I was never introduced to it.”
“Wanna be?”
I scoff with a small chuckle. “I’m sure I’ll get the opportunity.”
“You can bet on that, Little T. Sooner than later, I’m sure.”
“What about your ring finger? The crown.”
“For the one I was always supposed to receive. When I was adopted, my father wanted great things for me. He taught me loyalty and trust being the two most important things.”
“How about respect?”
