Page 40 of Soul

He doesn’t even smile, just dips his chin tightly.

“Come-on sweet cheeks, I’ve not got all day.”

“Dude, do you have a death wish?” I ask, turning around looking at him but find that Jack has the man up against the wall his hand locked around Raven’s throat. “Jesus Christ let him go Jack!” I scream.

Jack speaks directly into the man’s face, only a scant couple inches away. His voice is low and his tone deadly as his words lay out a true warning. “You do not speak of Mrs. Davis in that manner. You will respect her, and give her the tattoo she wants as quickly as possible so we may take our leave. You will be paid four times the price to keep your eyes on the design and not on her body. Got me?” He nods with the little space Jack allows between the vice grip he has on the man’s neck. “I’m glad we understand each other,” he lets Raven go and he slumps back against the wall. Jack readjusts his jacket clearly making the gun holster he wears visible to the artist. As suspected, Raven’s eyes widen, he adjusts himself to full height and gestures to the back.

“Come on Mrs. Davis.”

I walk back to the room and look over my shoulder. Chase is already pacing the floor, clearly mumbling to himself.

“Go on and lie down on the table and show me where you want it. I’ve got everything ready,” Raven says.

I lie down and pull up my tank top, folding the fabric over my breasts. You can probably see the bottom of my lace bra and that’s it. Jack looks at me and scowls. I point to my ribs just under my breast on the same side as my heart. Right here.”

Raven places a piece of paper over that spot, and presses down then methodically removes it. He hands me a mirror. I hold it up and look down to see the transfer of the ink on my skin. “It’s perfect. Let’s do it.”

He grabs a seat, and his tattoo needle and gets to work. The minute the needle touches down on my sensitive skin I brace, grit my teeth and wait for the moment the slight pinch of pain turns into euphoria. It doesn’t take long. I felt the same thing when I got my Trinity tattoo on my wrist with the girls. They all thought I’d be the wimp but it turns out, I barely flinched. The color actually hurt worse than the black outline but for this one, it’s all black.

The buzzing lulls me into a hyper alert state. Raven is actually really professional. He’s focused one hundred percent on the design and not on my bare midriff or the lace and satin of my undergarment. At one point his black gaze lifts and he catches mine. “You good?”

I nod. Jack hovers at the end of the bed watching every move Raven makes as if he’s my over-bearing father instead of a hired bodyguard. I can only imagine how Chase is doing out in the waiting area. The thought makes me chuckle and Raven’s eyes widen and his brows rise. “Something funny?”

“I’m just thinking about how much my husband is freaking out right now.” I glance at Jack and he’s still wearing a frown only the corners tip up a bit like he’s forcing himself not to smile.

Raven laughs. “Yeah, I’ve seen protective men but he takes the cake. Hiring you a bodyguard, he gestures over to Jack. You two got married yesterday?” he asks while digging deep into the portion that cuts across my rib. I wince momentarily and take a breath. “Okay?”

“Yeah, thanks. We were supposed to get married a month ago but some unfortunate things got in the way. We eloped and got married at Gougane BarraChurch, the little one by the lake. It was magical,” I think back to Chase spinning me around, my dress flowing in the breeze after we pledged our love to one another.

“Gougane BarraChurch?” He whistles. “That must have set him back quiet a penny. It’s a historical site now, I’m pretty sure they don’t usually allow people to marry in it.”

I smile and flinch again at a particularly painful spot. “My husband is comfortable monetarily.”

He glances at the bodyguard and then back and me with a grin. “I kind of gathered that.”

“You two heading back to the States soon?” He asks making polite conversation.

“I hope not. We bought a home in Bantry and plan to spend our honeymoon here for a while, then we’ll head back to San Francisco.”

“Never been,” Raven shrugs.

“To San Francisco?”

He shakes his head. “Nah, to the States, though one day I hope to get around to it.”

“You should. We have a lot of beauty in our lands too.”

Raven wipes my skin with a cool cloth, it grates along the freshly tattooed area. He hands me the mirror again. I look down at my skin and see it’s exactly what I wanted. I just know Chase is going to love it, seeing his mark on me, knowing it’s for him. I can’t wait to show him! “I love it!”

The artist wipes some type of gel on the wound and gives me the run down for keeping it clean and dry. I’ve heard it before.

When we’re done, Chase jumps up from his seat and looks me all over. “Well? Where is it?”

I turn my back from the men as Jack saddles up to the cash register to pay Raven. Slowly I watch Chase’s eyes as I lift my shirt, peel back the bandage and watch his eyes change color.

He drops to his knees in front of me, his eyes glued to the tattoo. “That’s the most perfect wedding present you could have ever given me.”

I smile wide and watch as he looks at the symbol I’ve permanently placed on my body for him.

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