Page 71 of Training Rain
Rain knew Jess had used his mind bending. Yet she also knew he was only easing the pain for Troy. How had she known that? Were they that connected? She knew the answer before she asked. Yes. She could sense him in a way she never had with anyone else. It should have terrified her. If she was in his head, that meant he was in hers too.
Jess turned and smiled and she knew he’d heard the thought, and it was strangely comforting.
Troy’s shoulders relaxed. “I didn’t know what to do. I was only eight, but I couldn’t let my father hurt her. I stepped in the room, yelled something. I felt the bone in his arm snap. It was the most sickening sensation I’ve ever felt. He grabbed his broken arm and started yelling that he was right all along. I was a monster. My mother ran toward me and picked me up. We got in the car and drove away. The rest is kind of a blur, but we didn’t get far and the car overturned. There was a fire. Someone pulled me free. I think it was just a man who’d seen the accident. We were only a block from the house.”
Rain’s heart broke for him. “Do you think your father caused the accident?”
He stood up straight and shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe my mother was just so upset she took the turn too fast. I was eight years old. He had me put away after that.”
“I think you’re right. I’m betting we’re going to have company and we’ve given him time to get organized.” Jess headed for the living room and they followed.
Joshua and Tessa were both on separate phone calls. Jess waited and Joshua hung up his phone. “We’ve got trouble. I think we’ve been set up,” Josh said.
Looking from Jess to Troy, Joshua sighed. “That was Blake telling me he thought we were going to have unwelcome company. I don’t know how you knew that.”
Jess looked at Troy. “He had a subdermal tracking device. I destroyed it. Maybe they’ll think we killed him, but they know we’re here.”
Rain was impressed that Jess didn’t give anything else away. It was another man’s story and if Troy wanted to tell it again or not it was his business.
“I’m going to take Adianca out of here,” Jon said.
Adianca crossed the room, touched Joshua’s cheek in a very motherly fashion and turned toward Rain. For a moment she thought her mentor would say something, but she only smiled. Rain had chosen her path. She would not go with Adianca and Jon to find safety with their people. She would stay with Jess and the Psi Alliance and fight for what she believed in. She had not uttered a single word, but Rain heard her all the same before she followed Jon out of the cabin. The people and the Great Spirit would keep her safe, Rain had no doubt. Her place was here with Jess.
For the first time in her life, she belonged somewhere. No one thought her more or less than the rest. She was a part of something.
* * *
The moment had comewhen Rain would make her choice. Jess was careful to guard his feelings. He wanted to broadcast that she should stay with them. His instinct was to grab her in his arms and hold on until she realized they were meant for each other and no amount of space or time would change that. He knew she’d felt the connection between them growing. She sensed him just as he did her.
It was selfish to want her to stay. She would be safer with Jon and Adianca, but she would not be with him. If she walked away from the Psi Alliance now, he knew she would never come back. He couldn’t blame her. His life was a constant roller coaster of life-and-death situations. Why would she want to be part of it? He suppressed his desires and watched some kind of silent communication between the shaman and Rain. Time seemed to stop in that moment while he waited to see if she was truly his or if it had all been just a dream.
Adianca turned without a word and walked out of the house. Rain didn’t move for a long time.
Joshua’s voice broke the silence. “Troy, you could go with them. You’d be safer.”
“No. If he’s coming he’ll have to face me without drugs to protect him.”
Only half listening to the conversation, Jess’s attention focused on Rain. She pulled her long black hair back and tied it with a band. She turned and stepped closer to him, threading her fingers though his. “Try to stay alive. I have plans for us.”
The words were spoken softly, for him alone. He squeezed her hand. “What kind of plans?”
“The kind that normal people make when they decide to spend the rest of their lives together.”
Heat simmered between them. Jess’s cock responded to her words as if she had grabbed him and ripped his clothes off. His heart responded by swelling to a point where he expected it to burst from his chest at any moment. “I’m going to hold you to that,cher.”
“I’m counting on it.” Those full lips begged to be kissed. She had chosen him.
Someone cleared their throat. Jess turned to find the other four people in the room staring at them. They all looked awkward and uncomfortable.
Tessa took hold of Joshua’s hand and blushed. “You two are going to light the house on fire if you don’t stop broadcasting those…um…feelings. We don’t all have time to act on the vibe you’re sending out, so cut it out.”
Rain’s cheeks turned bright red. God, she was beautiful. And she was his. A swell of pride filled him. He had to quell all his feelings. Tessa was right, they didn’t have time to act on any of them.
Six people against whatever was on its way could be a disaster.
* * *
The bulkof the weapons they had were from the arsenal Will kept in his jet. They spent the next hour gathering them and bringing them into the cabin.
