Chapter Seven:
Bella's POV
I listened to the clicks of the heels on my cowgirl boots as I stepped into Uncle Tool's shop and looked around, it looked the same as I had last seen it. Motorcycles everywhere, his tattoo area on one side, and graffiti art all over the walls. The sound of someone whistling 'Colonel Bogey March' echoed and I heard footsteps.
"You know Uncle Tool, if you keep whistling Colonel Bogey, I'm gonna put Breakfast Club on the TV." I said. He stopped whistling and stepped up to the door to my right. He was in his usual boot cut jeans, cowboy boots, red, black and white short sleeved flannel which he always left unbuttoned, his black vest, and his light brown stetson.
"Well I'll be." He chuckled and started laughing in joy. I squealed and jumped into his opened arms for a huge bear hug that took me off the ground and he spun me in circles, making me laugh. "How you doing, baby girl? Barney told me about what happened a five days ago." He said.
"I'm fine now, the torturing part hurt like hell, but I got over the pain. Now all that's left is a few scars on my abdomen and legs." I pointed down to my naked legs, seeing as I'm wearing short shorts with a faded design of the American flag. And I pulled up the hem of my grey halter top up to show him the scars on my stomach and abdomen.
"Damn, more scars to add to the collection." He said, examining them.
"Yup. Anyway, can you give me a new tattoo?" I ask.
"Sure, do you got a design ready for me or an idea?" He asked. I pulled out a piece of paper from my back pocket and showed it to him. "Damn, might take a while, but I can do it. Now or later?" He said.
"How bout now? No time like the present." I said, he chuckled again.
"Damn, you sound a lot like your dad."
"Like I haven't heard that before." I grumbled, making him laugh again.
And it's true, the whole team, before the newbies, would always say I was so much like dad in so many different ways. The way we both carry six shooters and put them in the holster at our lower backs, the famous Ross glare, and our love for the tv show Sons of Anarchy.
"Okay, why don't you pop a squat on your favorite bike over there and I'll get everything set up." He said. I peeled off my black leather vest and kicked my leg over my favorite motorcycle and sat down.
The motorcycle he was talking about was a 1998 Harley-Davidson FLHR "Road King" with ape hanger handlebars that were about seven and a half inches long. I love this baby.
"Yo! Sexy girl and a sexy bike!" I turned to see Mars and Smilee walk in with Luna. "Oh, hey Bella." Mars said. "Sorry, didn't know it was you."
Yeah, uncle Tool's place is not far from the bar.
"It's cool. And yes, this is a very sexy bike, I'm hoping uncle Toll will let me borrow it now that I'm eighteen."
"Whoa wait, you're eighteen?" Luna asked, surprised.
"Yeah, what about you guys?" I asked.
"I'm 21." Luna said.
"I'm 24." Mars said.
"I'm still 20." Smilee said.
"Wow, we're all not that far apart in age." I said.
"Yeah, hey what are you doing here anyways?" Smilee asks.
"Getting another tattoo that will cover my whole back." I told them, pointing to my naked back thanks to the halter top and the fact that I'm not wearing a bra.
"Of what?" Mars asked.
"That is for me and uncle Tool to know, and for you to find out." I told him. And uncle Tool took that time to walk back in with his stuff.
"Stubborn as a mule, this one. You'll definitely have to wait till it's finished." He told them as he pulled up a stool.
"So I'm guessing you're uncle Tool." Luna said, shaking his hand.
"The one and only."
"Uncle Tool, this is Luna, Mars, and Smilee. They're new in the team, but they're good." I said, and saw Mars and Smilee look smug and proud. Luna must've sensed that because she elbowed them both in the gut, making them grunt.
"Pleasure to meet ya. Now, this will probably take an hour and a half, so feel free to look at the bikes, just don't break 'em." Uncle Tool told them.
"And no peaking at the new tat!" I warned. And with that, uncle Tool got started and I felt no pain at all.
In the middle of the process where the left side of my back was being done, Mars tried to peak and uncle Tool, without looking at him, threw an empty Red Bull can, which hit him in the head.
"Ouch!" He yelped.
"Quite being such a baby, Mars." Luna said. And then Thorn, Rosalie, and Emmett walked in.
"What's up guys?" Thorn said.
"Bella's getting a new tattoo from her uncle Tool here, and she won't let us see it till it's finished." Mars complained as he sat upside down on the couch on the other side of the room with Luna sitting beside him right side up and Smilee sitting on the arm of the couch.
"Well maybe she'll let me see it." Emmett said before kneeling in front of me. "Bella, can I please see your new tattoo?" He pouted.
"No." I said right away.
"But I-"
"Nope." I said next.
"Just one-"
"Nada."
"Wha-"
"Nein."
"How about-"
"Never."
"Wh-"
"Want me to say it in Spanish? No! Now stop asking." I said to him. He pouted again before standing up and sitting in a chair with his arms crossed and a pout on his face.
"Wow, she even resisted the puppy dog eyes. Our cousin Maybelle couldn't even resist them." Smilee said.
"Well, I'm not Maybelle. I'm Bella Fucking Ross and I've been an Expendable since I was fifteen." Yeah, Rosalie and Emmett know about us being the Expendables. They're cool with it, but Emmett's ecstatic, but he's not happy about what happened five days ago.
"She's got a point, guys." Thorn said.
After another hour, the tattoo was finally finished and uncle Tool put the ointment on my back.
"And done. Try to avoid getting pats on the back and don't piss anyone off to the point where they'll give you a Five Star slap to the back." Uncle Tool said. He kissed the top of my head and started to clean up.
"Thanks uncle Tool." The others got up and crowded around me.
"Can we see it now?" Emmett begged.
"Yeah come on, you made us wait almost two hours." Mars complained. I gave a dramatic and loud exasperated sigh.
"Fine." I groaned. I turned around and showed them my back tattoo while putting my hair in a ponytail. I heard them gasp in awe.
It was angel wings that were wounded and broken a little bit. They were a dark grey with thick black outlines and red flecks on the feathers. It covered my entire back and almost went over my shoulder, but I loved it.
"That is amazing." Rosalie and Luna said.
"Thanks, uncle Lee and I drew it when I was twelve and I decided to have it as a tattoo." I explained. I grabbed my vest and held it as we all left uncle Toll's shop with a 'see you later' and a 'bye'.
At the bar, dad, Lee, Caesar, Toll, Gunner, Doc, and Galgo were already there drinking and playing poker, and it seemed like Galgo was winning.
"Sorry Galgo, guys, but I got myself three aces." Doc said with a proud smile. The others threw their cards down and took a swig from their beers.
"Excuse me, mi amigo, three aces is very impressive, but I don't think you can beat four sevens." Galgo said smugly. He gathered up all the chips that were laid out in the middle.
"How in the name of Uncle Sam did you win so much?" Gunner asked.
"I used to play this with my old team. They were the best and taught me well. But I never ever cheat, here you can even do a search on me if you want." Galgo said, standing up and holding his hands out.
The others and I just stood back and watched the scene unfold. Gunner and Toll exchanged looks before standing up and searching Galgo for any cards up his sleeves, in his pocket, or wherever he could hide them. And it seems they didn't find anything.
"He's cleaner than my mother's kitchen and she loves that kitchen more than me." Toll said. I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my lips, and it made them all turn to us.
"Oh hey, didn't notice you guys there." Caesar said.
"Yeah, just got back from uncle Tools."
"For a new tattoo or the bike?" They all asked, except Galgo.
"A little bit of both." I said. Dad chuckled with a knowing smile.
"Of course, you love that thing as if you gave birth to it." Dad said.
"Maybe I did." Galgo spit out the beer just as he had taken a sip and sprung into a coughing fit. Doc patted him on the back.
"What did you get?" Lee asked. I turned around and I could hear him chuckle. "Oh yeah, I remember that. We drew that when you were twelve." He said.
"Yup, I mean, I did the crossblades with uncle Yang and the claw marks with uncle Gunner, I just need something from Toll, Doc, Trench, and Tool." I said as the rest of us pulled up chairs.
"What about Barney?" Mars asked. I pointed to my Expendables tattoo.
"Who do you think did this?" I said.
"Barney did that? I would've thought Tool did it." Smilee said.
"Nope, dad was the one to give me the mark himself." Dad pat my head and smiled.
"Damn straight." He said. I smiled and stole his beer, taking a swig. "Do you enjoy stealing my beer?" He asked.
"Only a weekends, and it is a Sunday." I said. He rolled his eyes, but I could see the hint of a smile on his face.
