One New Message (Random Updates)

Chapter 27

Jade didn't look up as the bell rang, announcing that someone had entered the tattoo shop, "Hi, welcome, someone will be with you in just a moment," she called out in her 'be nice to people' voice.

"Nyet do tattoos."

She jerked her head up and smiled, "Yevgeny."

"Kitten," he smirked and winked at her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Come get lunch," he shrugged as he leaned against the counter. "You say nyet do tattoos."

"Oh I'm not," she chuckled making him look at her in confusion.

"I'm just her test dummy, Yevgeny," Erik chuckled as he lifted his head to look at the Russian.

"I Raven," he growled at the man laying beside Jade. He clenched his fist as his mind reminded him that he was special to Jade so he had to be nice. "Kitten only one call me that." He frowned, "how you know that, Kitten?"

She shrugged, "Heard Corey say it."

"Well, aren't you special," Erik teased.

"Da so?" Raven glared at him.

"Easy Man, I'm just messing with her," Erik chuckled as he held his hands up in a surrender mode, "she's like my little sister, swear."

"Anyway," Jade rolled her eyes. "Come here Yevgeny," she waved him over. He stormed over to her and she pointed at Erik laying on the table shirtless. "He's laying here so I can work on my hand positions and finding what I'm comfortable with. See? I have the practice skin on him so I can see what it's like to tattoo in this place and then I can move it and try a different place. He's helping me get more comfortable with using the gun so when I am ready to tattoo, I will know what I'm doing. I don't want to give Spyro a crappy tattoo or anyone else."

Erik chuckled and rolled his eyes, "You've practiced on five times as many practice skins as any other apprentice. You are great at it, I don't know why you want to keep practicing."

"I just want to make sure," she shrugged.

Erik sat up and pulled his shirt back on, "Jay," he smirked as he patted her shoulder, "you are incapable of giving someone a crappy tattoo, even if you tried."

She sighed as she sat it down, "if you say so."

"I do and I know what I'm talking about since I'm the best in this shop and I taught you. Now, go have lunch with the Russian that looks like he's about to kill me. I'll see you in an hour."

"You're ridiculous," she rolled her eyes as she stood. "He said he's the "Tzar of Russia"" she did the air quotes with her fingers, "and princes don't murder people therefore he can't kill you."

"Ha ha ha," Erik fake laughed, "or he just has a bazillion more ways to get away with it now."

She scoffed, "you're ridiculous. First you with Jack the Ripper being the royal doctor, even though there is way more substantial and circumstantial evidence of him being H.H. Holmes and now this. You are just too much today, I'm out."

"Now who's being the ridiculous one?" Erik laughed as she removed her gloves and grabbed her hoodie. "He was the royal doctor, how else was he able to get away with it for so long?"

"Because he went back to America under the name of Holmes, you freaking idiot!" She shouted as Raven grabbed her hand and started to lead her out of the shop.

"You better eat or I'm calling Corey and telling him you skipped breakfast!"

"Kitten..." Raven growled.

"Tattletale!" Jade shouted as Raven pushed open the door and pulled her out into the parking lot. "Fucking snitch," she grumbled.

"Feisty Kitten," Raven chuckled as she got in his truck. He reached over and buckled her in, "I like."

"You know when you growl you sound like a bear," she said as he started his truck. "Is a bear your spirit animal? I bet it is. That's what I would tattoo on you if you had any space left. I'm not hungry, by the way. Is everyone going to start calling me Kitten now that Corey does?"

He chuckled as he placed his hand on her knee to get it to stop bouncing, "How many energy drinks you have, Kitten?"

"Just two," she shrugged, "it's not a lot."

"On empty tummy?" He asked as he pulled into a gas station.

"I swear I'm going to murder him," she grumbled under her breath, "damn snitch."

Raven tapped her nose, "Nyet snitch, look out for you. Now what hungry for?"

"I'm not hungry," she shook her head.

"Fine," he pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit a button.

"Hey Rave, what's up?" Corey's voice came through the radio.

Jade's mouth dropped open while Raven chuckled. "Got pretty kitten here. Nyet eat breakfast, nyet hungry, had two energy drinks. What get her eat?"

"Really Sweetheart?" Corey chuckled.

"Goddamn tattletales," She grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not hungry."

Corey laughed, "Go to Arby's and get her an Arby melt with a bunch of Arby sauce and curly fries and a large Dr. Pepper, then go to Wendy's and get her a spicy chicken sandwich with no tomatoes, fries, and a large chocolate frosty. Whatever she doesn't eat I know you will."

"Da."

"No more energy drinks, Sweetheart," Corey's voice held an amused tone. Someone called his name in the background, "Oh got to go, I'll see you both when I get home. Love you both."

"Ya, lyublyu tebya, moye solnyshko," Raven said before ending the call.

"What did you say?" she asked after a couple of minutes of silence.

"Tell Corey?" he asked as he pulled into Arby's. She nodded and he smirked, "I love you, my sunshine."

A huge grin crossed her lips, "he's your sunshine? That's so sweet."

Raven nodded, "Found Corey and group during dark time," he answered honestly. "Helped me through darkness, he light to me, my sunshine. They my life. You now too."

"I'm no light," she shook her head.

"Da you are," he nodded as he pulled forward. "But you feisty too. You like tiny kitten. I your bear, you my kitten."

"You're just saying that because that's what Corey calls me," she smirked.

"Nyet," he shook his head, "You his dream kitten. You nyet my dream, you my real feisty kitten." He parked and walked over to open her door. Once she was out, he shut the door then stepped in front of her. She pressed her back against the truck as he put his hands on each side of her, trapping her between him and the truck. He leaned down and chuckled by her ear, "I have room left for Kitten. After Solnyshko you tattoo bear and kitten on me. Da?" Her breath hitched and she nodded. He chuckled, "Good Kotenok," he stood back up and laced his fingers with hers, "Now let's eat."