And was immediately assaulted by a loud, incessant buzzing.
It sounded like a swarm of a million insects trapped in the room.
I flinched, scanning my surroundings.
Men and women—their skin covered in elaborate markings—bent over other men and women, moving strange devices across their bare flesh, carving symbols into their skin.
“What is making that incessant noise?” I demanded.
“Those are tattoo machines,” Lee said. He didn’t seem bothered by the chaos around us.
I stared in horror as the ink was drilled into people’s skin.
Before I could demand further explanation, Lee led me through a side door into another room where several men sat in chairs, having their hair cut.
A tall, swarthy-looking man, his arms covered in symbols, looked up from the man he was working on.
Lee clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I have a customer for you, Sebastian.”
Sebastian’s dark brows shot up. “Oh, hey, Lee!” Then he narrowed his eyes at me. “Is it that guy?”
He pointed directly at me.
“Yep,” Lee smirked. “This is Roman Alexander.”
Lee gestured between us. “Roman, meet my friend Sebastian the Great.”
I stepped forward, extending my hand. “You must be a warrior. I am also.”
Sebastian paused, shifting his scissors and comb to his free hand before pumping my arm in greeting.
“Uh… sure,” he said. “Some people think so.”
I frowned. “Doesn’t your title designate your greatness?”
Sebastian blinked, then grinned. “Oh, that. Sebastian the Great means I’m a badass hair barber and tattoo artist.”
I tilted my head. “Badass?”
Sebastian squinted at me. “You don’t know what badass means?”
Embarrassed, I shook my head.
Sebastian frowned. “You from another country? You sound like you’re from England. I thought they used the term ‘badass’ over there.”
“I, uh, don’t get around much.” I cleared my throat, scrambling for something believable. “I don’t follow… trends.”
Lee snorted, but I ignored him. Jack had once attempted to explain social media to me, tossing around words like trending and viral. I had no idea what any of it meant.
Sebastian didn’t seem convinced, but he let it slide. “It’s just a word that means I do excellent work.”
He combed the heavyset man’s hair between his fingers, slicing it off at the ends with precise snips. His expression darkened for a brief moment. “My work helped me recover from the brutality of war.”
A beat of silence passed.
“Roman fought in warrior games overseas,” Lee said smoothly.
Sebastian’s head lifted. “Oh, you’re a military man, too?” He looked to Lee as if searching for confirmation.
