Page 56 of Training Rain
“It wasn’t what you think. The artist was a nice guy. I agreed to serve as his model for a big open house his shop was having. I just had to let a lot of people gawk at me while I was getting it done. I was totally zoned out from the adrenaline and really didn’t care who saw my back.”
He’d meant it when he told her he didn’t care about her past and still it was a relief. For a moment the life of a tattoo artist in Los Angeles hung in the balance. “What does it mean?”
“Do you really want to talk about this now?” There was an airy quality to her voice.
He wondered if she was afraid of dying or if it was something else. “Would you rather talk about our current situation?”
Her attention turned once again to the digital monitors of the navigation system. “Not really.”
“Good, because I want to know about you and I get the impression that the ink on your back tells a lot of that story.”
* * *
How couldhe know so much? She wanted him to know her. It was the first time in her life she really wanted another human being to know who she was beyond what she could do. “The overall design of the buffalo is a symbol of how sacred life is. I was pretty messed up during the time I had the tattoo done, but I still knew the life I was wasting was precious. When I got older, I was amazed that the younger me had the same sensibilities.”
Jess watched her, only turning away now and then to glance at the horizon on the screen in front of him. “People don’t change, really. Maybe they go off track or lose their way now and then, but the essence of each of us never really changes.”
“That’s what Adianca says. Do you really believe that?”
“I do and Adianca knew you would come around to the person you were meant to be. That’s why she saved you.”
“I guess.” Rain stared out the window at the cloudy nothing that washed passed the glass.
“What about the animals that make up the buffalo? Do they have special meanings?”
It was so strange. She was probably going to die, but she had never felt so calm in her life. All the things that had happened to her over the course of the past few weeks should have freaked her out. She should be huddled in a corner crying, but all she wanted was to be with the man beside her. If they were going to die, she would die happy. That was more than she had ever expected. She had a fleeting thought that Jess might be bending her mind, but she dismissed the notion. He had promised never again and she believed him. Besides, now that she knew his accent thickening to deep Cajun was a sign he was bending, he couldn’t fool her. “The feathers that make up the horns are symbols of healing. The eagle woven into the top part of the head means freedom and the falcons along the side stand for leadership. There are a few other smaller symbols threaded throughout. I can walk you through it one day when you can see the tattoo.”
“And the figure in the center with the long teeth.”
“The wolf.”
“What does he stand for?”
She turned her head and the look in his eyes was so intense she wondered if she would ever be able to look away. “The wolf is a symbol of passion.”
The sound of someone clearing his throat broke them out of the intimate conversation. Joshua’s voice came in loud and clear from the cell phone’s speaker. “I don’t mean to interrupt.”
A huge smile spread across Jess’s face. Rain’s cheeks warmed and she knew she was blushing. How long had Joshua Lakeland been listening?”
“Good to hear your voice, Josh. Do you think you can talk me through a landing in this flying computer?”
“No problem, buddy.”
As soon as Jess released her hand, she wondered if she would ever feel his touch again. Their boss sounded confident on the other end of the phone. He told Jess how to change the navigation and where to direct the plane. They were going to head to a small airport in Virginia. Joshua, Tessa and his brother Kane were already on their way and would be there before they were ready to land. The instructions sounded easy enough. The computer did most of the work until the last few minutes.
Joshua continued to give a steady flow of instructions in the same calm voice throughout the remainder of the flight. Jess didn’t appear the least bit worried as he followed each direction to the letter and they began their descent toward the earth.
Pain shot through Rain’s fingers. They were cramping and she realized it was due to the grip she maintained on the armrests. She relaxed her fingers and took a deep breath.
The runway stretched out in front of them. It was a very small runway. “Is that going to be long enough?”
Joshua answered, “It will be close, but you can make it.”
She snapped her head around and she glared at the phone where it still sat on the console in front of Jess. He reached over and squeezed her hand. She watched him as he smiled and sent a message to her as he had when he wanted her to Taser the mercenary.
His mind spoke much more softly this time.
I love you.
