Michelle Woods - Becoming Raven's Man (Red Devils MC #7)

by Unknown

  Raven finally reached for the phone with a quiet ‘thank you’ to Travis. He nodded before getting to his feet and moving across the clearing to take down the tent.

  “Sorry, Marcus. I guess it just all kind of hit me. I— I— well, I’m okay now,” Raven said, gripping the phone tightly.

  “It’s okay. Someone wants to talk to you though. If you’re up for it, that is,” Marcus said, waiting a beat before he offered up, “It’s Matt. He’s been worried about you. Well, we’ve all been worried, but he was really upset. You’re like his big sister. He thought you were invincible.”

  Raven smiled. Matt was a sweetheart. He’d always been a bit goofy and had been living with them for the past four years. Matt had been fourteen when his parents had left him on the streets. They were juice addicts and hadn’t wanted the responsibility of him anymore. Her parents, despite their lack of money, had taken him in. A year later they’d been killed in a fire that had broken out in the Slum district of the city. It had killed twenty-five people, including her parents, before they’d managed to get the fire out.

  “Sure, I’ve missed him.” Raven grinned.

  “Hey, didn’t you miss your big brother who sent someone to save you?” Marcus demanded, making her laugh.

  “I missed you, too. Thank you.”

  “Raven, you don’t ever have to thank me for protecting you. It’s my job,” Marcus muttered, bringing tears to her eyes.

  “I know,” she whispered. There was a shuffling sound and a few words she couldn’t make out.

  “Hey, Raven. I’m so glad you’re okay,” Matt’s voice came over the line.

  “Me too. I’ve missed you. I’m glad I’ll be seeing you soon.”

  “Yeah, be ready to get a bear hug!” Matt was that guy who everyone loved. He was always smiling and despite the beating that had nearly killed him a few months ago, he was the same.

  She was glad. Both she and Marcus had been afraid it would change his outlook on life and it had bothered them. When Matt had bounced back as if nothing had happened at all, they’d all been glad to discover that he wasn’t as easily damaged as they’d feared.

  He was now a prospect like her brother. “I’d be mad if I didn’t get one,” Raven told him with another grin spreading over her face.

  “Raven, wrap it up and don’t forget to tell him we’re headed to Bandits territory,” Travis called out to her as he loaded the tent into the saddlebags.

  “Okay,” she called out to him. Then to Matt she said, “Hey, I have to go. Travis wants to leave now. Tell Marcus that we’re going into Bandits territory today and will be delayed a day, okay. Love you guys. See you soon.”

  Raven heard him say goodbye and that he loved her too before she hung up the phone and walked to the bike. She handed Travis the phone and climbed on the back of the bike, ready to go. He handed her a ration cube, which she ate quickly before he climbed on. He’d just cranked the bike when the phone started ringing. Travis glanced at it before he shoved it into his pocket without answering it.

  “Aren’t you going to get that?” she asked.

  “Nope, it’s your idiot brother and I am not in the mood for any bullshit,” Travis said before they were flying out of the woods onto a back road.

  Chapter 12

  Travis pulled up to the Blue Bandits clubhouse an hour after sunset. He was dismayed to see that there was apparently a bonfire party going on. They’d stopped twice today, which had delayed them arriving before dark like he’d planned. He’d wanted to get them out of here to a safer place before dark. That idea had been shot by her need to pee and eat. He would have ignored the request to stop to eat if he hadn’t known that she’d been starved for days while in the care of the Headhunters these past weeks.

  Likely she needed the food to keep up her strength for the ride. It was still not a delay he was happy about. She’d complained little. That surprised the hell out of him because he’d assumed she would be driving him crazy with her demands by now.

  Raven seemed to want to get home badly enough that she wasn’t putting up much of a fuss. That was good for him because he wasn’t in the mood for any bullshit. He climbed off the bike, turning to help her off as well.

  “If anyone asks, you’re my old lady,” Travis informed her.

  Raven knew that her mouth was hanging open but the man had just told her to tell people they were as good as married.

  “Are you insane? I’m not telling people that!” Raven cried when she managed to get her voice back.

  “Yes you will. It’s the only way I can keep you safe. So when I say you’re my old lady, don’t say differently unless you want to be mistaken for a sweetbutt. Not all the men here would listen if you said you didn’t want to party. They’re drunk and when they’re drunk, they get stupid. Now do as I tell you like a good little girl,” he gritted out between clenched teeth.

  “Fine,” Raven replied, realizing that he was right. She didn’t want to have to fight off anyone’s advances. She’d had enough of that to last her a lifetime, she thought with a shiver.

  “Let’s go, Princess.”

  “Don’t call me that!” Raven barked angrily.

  “Stop acting like one and I will,” Travis shot back. Then he was tugging her into the camp. He approached a man that looked a bit like a grizzly bear. He was wearing a Bandits cut and a pair of jeans. His arms were the size of her thighs and he had bushy hair and thick eyebrows. A scruffy beard and combat boots completed the look.

  “Hey, if it isn’t T-Bone!” the man called out gleefully, grinning.

  “Where’s Death, Grump?” Travis asked, his hand still holding her wrist.

  “In the clubhouse. Who’s that with you?” Grump asked looking at her intently.

  “My old lady,” Travis told him, his arm wrapping possessively around her waist. She allowed him to pull her forward into the light from the fire. The man’s eyes suddenly narrowed.

  “Why’s she all bruised up?” he growled, his fists balling at his sides.

  “Shit man, you know me better than that. I didn’t smack her around. We took a tumble on the bike a few days ago. Thankfully I laid her down but Raven got the brunt of the fall.”

  “Really? I would have pegged you as a better rider than that.” The man was still looking suspicious. She smiled at him brightly and leaned into Travis. She wanted to show the man that she wasn’t afraid of him.

  “Yeah, it’s the first time in years and of course it was with my woman on my ride. See, even got banged up a bit myself.” He showed the man his arm, which was scraped up from the elbow to his shoulder under the leather jacket he’d been wearing.

  She’d had no idea he’d been hurt and wondered how it had happened. “It was night and I didn’t see the debris in the road until it was too late. Eyes aren’t what they used to be.” Travis grinned, his hand resting on her stomach.

  “That blows,” the man said, finally seeming to believe the story after the display of his own war wound.

  “Yeah, it does. I need to speak with Death. Think he’d mind if I went in to chat with him?” he asked politely.

  Grump shook his head. “Nah, but do you want Raven to wait out here with me? Things might have gotten a bit rowdy up at the clubhouse by now,” he said raising his brow.

  “Nah, she’s good. She knows about the life, she was raised around it.” Travis waved off the man’s offer. Raven was glad because she didn’t want to stay with the large hairy looking man.

  “Ah, well, suit yourself then,” Grump murmured.

  “Thanks, see you around.”

  “Sure thing. It’s good to see you again, T-Bone.”

  As they walked off, Travis pulled her close whispering into her ear. “I know this might be a bit of a shock for you to witness, but I can’t leave you alone. There’s a spy here for the Headhunters. If they know who you are, they could try to run off with you. So you’ll have to go to the clubhouse with me. You’ll see things that might be a bit--”

  “It’s fin
e. I’ve seen stuff. I had to collect Marcus’s drunk ass a few times from the clubhouse. I’ve seen enough naked asses and other stuff, trust me,” Raven informed him, a blush staining her cheeks.

  Travis was surprised that a man would let his twenty-five-year-old sister anywhere near the clubhouse. It made him grit his teeth in anger at the man’s idiocy. He’d better not see her in the clubhouse when they got back or her brother was likely to lose his dick. Travis would rip it off so that the man could think with his head.

  Women shouldn’t be exposed to that side of club life unless they were a sweetbutt or a groupie. Raven was neither of those things and the idea of her exposed to that was enough to give him hives. He walked into the club waving at a few men who stopped to chat. He ended up repeating his story of a tumble off the bike with some added details from Raven this time. He was glad that she’d helped cement the lie.

  He didn’t want the spy to find out that she was here too easily. They finally made it to the poolroom were Death was sitting with a sweetbutt on his lap, his hand cupping her breast.

  “T-Bone!” Mack called out loudly, grinning. He came over grabbing Travis in a man hug. Raven watched the man pound Travis on the back and wondered if that hurt. She watched with a red tinge to her cheeks as a man pumped his hips between a woman’s legs on the couch to their left. She looked away quickly, her eyes landing on Travis again. He had been released from the hug and was pulling her into his side.

  “Mack, how are you?”

  “Excellent, man, excellent. What are you doing around here? I thought you were back over with the Red Devils,” Mack said, eyeing her with a raised brow.

  “Yeah, I came out to get some stuff from mom’s old place. Do you think I could talk to you and Death for a few? Wanted to catch up, but don’t want to traumatize my new old lady too much.” Travis was sharing a loaded look with the other man, who nodded his head.

  “Sure thing, man. Wouldn’t want to shock her!” he laughed, grinning. He turned and walked over to talk to Death. He listed a bit and Raven guessed he was drunk. Death rose from the little couch, leaving the sweetbutt behind with a pout on her face, Raven noted. They were led into a room down the hall. The door was locked behind them and the man who’d seemed drunk a moment ago suddenly looked sober.

  “What’s up?” Death asked, his face grim.

  “Burner says that there’s definitely a spy and one who’s very well informed too,” Travis told him, not wanting to waste time.

  “Fuck,” Mack said from where he stood beside the desk. “What the hell. That’s what we’ve thought. We haven’t had any signs. We haven’t been able to figure out who the hell it is. He have any idea who?” Mack asked looking at him hopefully.

  “No, unfortunately not.”

  “Damn, I had hoped we’d have gotten this handled by now. He’s been in there for six months now. How was he?” Death asked, his eyes heavy with remorse for having to send the man into their club. Death knew what it was like to be in a club like the Headhunters. He’d been part of a club that had been bad news when he was younger. He’d gotten out but it had changed him. It was likely why he was president of the second largest club in the flat lands. The Red Devils were the largest.

  “He was good. Needed to know that what he was doing was going to stop the violence. Otherwise he’s solid. I had to beat him pretty bad to get her out though.” Travis sat down on the sofa beside Raven, who was looking down at the floor. His arm slid around her shoulders. He squeezed, letting her know it wasn’t her fault.

  “Fuck, it was convincing?” Death asked.

  “Yeah, broke his ribs, and likely gave him a concussion,” Travis told them.

  Both men nodded grimly. “Good,” was Death’s reply. Raven was surprised that the two men seemed to understand the harsh beating he’d given Burner. She didn’t. He could have been a bit gentler.

  “Reaper said you’ll be getting your patch for finding her. Congrats, man. It should have happened sooner,” Mack said grinning at him.

  “Thanks.”

  Raven looked at Travis. So that was why he’d agreed to come after her. He’d get his patch with the Red Devils. She didn’t understand why she hadn’t ever seen him around the club. She knew just about everyone and she’d never met him. She almost snorted remembering that she’d wanted to find the man of her dreams among them like her friend Mia had. Yeah, and look how that had turned out.

  She’d always been a beauty and to most men that was a reason to stay away from her. She didn’t understand why that was. She was always the one they thought to protect. They called her things like sweetheart and doll. Raven shivered at the thought of that particular endearment, which had been thrown at her over the past week several times. She’d be happy if no one ever called her that again.

  They also treated her like a kid sister for the most part. Not that they didn’t want her, they did, and many of them had tried to get into her pants; they were men after all. Only none of them wanted a relationship with her because she was too complicated. She didn’t know why they all labeled her that way. It was damned frustrating.

  “Is she going to be okay? She hasn’t spoken since she arrived,” Death asked staring at her.

  “I’m right here and I can talk, you know,” Raven grumbled, mad that the man hadn’t asked her that question instead of asking Travis.

  Travis gripped her shoulder hard in warning. Death however grinned darkly. “Ah, she’s got a bit of spunk, huh. You sure you want to keep her?” he asked making Raven tremble. She was suddenly frightened that Travis would decide she was too much trouble and give her to this man. Her breathing became a bit quick and she knew she was going to have another panic attack. Then she remembered that he wanted his patch and she calmed.

  “I’m keeping her,” he growled, his arm around her shoulders tightening. Death chuckled.

  “Figures. We could use a woman with a bit of spunk around here. You damned Devils keep getting them all.” Death leaned forward wiggling his brows at Raven. “Sure you don’t want to stay? I can be a sweetheart.”

  Travis snorted and his hand possessively pulled Raven against him. He felt a roaring in his ears and anger filled him at the thought of Raven wanting to stay with Death. He was an idiot. He knew she wasn’t really going to agree to stay here. He also knew that even if she did want to, he’d never allow it. It was fucked up that he was possessive of a woman who didn’t belong to him.

  “No thank you,” Raven squeaked out, making the roaring in his ears slow to a stop.

  “Huh, too bad. You’re all a bunch of lucky bastards, you know,” Death growled.

  “Yeah, lucky,” Travis said in a voice that said he wasn’t lucky at all. Raven balled her hands into fists and bit her lip to stop herself from telling him off.

  They talked to Death and Mack for another twenty minutes before Travis began tugging her back to the bike. He was ready to get the hell out of this place. He wanted to get home so that his brain, which was becoming disturbingly confused when it came to Raven, could get back to normal. Being extremely possessive of a woman who didn’t belong to him was never a good idea.

  They were about twenty minutes out from the clubhouse when he heard the bikes. Fuck, they’d found them. He put some speed into the bike and took it off road again to lose the damned bastards. Travis knew he’d have to tell Death that one of the men he’d talked to tonight was possibly his mole. There was no other way that they’d found them so quickly. It took them three hours to lose the group of pursuers. When they finally did Travis stopped, getting off the bike to let Raven use the bathroom and eat another of the ration cubes.

  “We need to keep moving. I would set up camp but we need to make sure we’ve lost them.”

  “It’s okay. I don’t want to stick around here to see if they can find us either,” Raven told him, her arms wrapped around her waist, shivering.

  Taking her into his arms for a light hug, he kissed the top of her head. “It’s going to be fine, Raven. I won’t
let them get to you again,” he told her quietly.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. Then they climbed back on the bike and he took off into the night with her clinging to him. Travis was surprised that the feeling of her slender arms wrapped around his waist felt right somehow. Like it was meant to be. He laughed at that thought, putting speed into the ride, wanting to get home before he completely lost his mind.

  Chapter 13

  Raven’s lips trembled and her body shook uncontrollably. She was freezing. They’d been traveling hard for eleven days and were only about a day out from home. Raven was glad but when it had started raining hard two hours ago, they’d both gotten a bit wet. Travis had stopped and handed her a rain slicker before donning one himself. Then he’d told her to get back on the bike.

  Now she was practically frozen from the cold, wet feeling that riding in the rain was causing. She knew that if she asked he’d stop, but she didn’t want to be a bother. She knew that he was basically a nice guy even if he did talk like a jerk most of the time. He did nice things for her and she’d begun to realize that underneath his gruff talk, he was actually a nice guy.

  At night he would hold her. They actually had a strange unspoken agreement about what happened at night when they stopped for a few hours of sleep. She always awakened in his arms feeling both safe and warm. Those moments were quickly overshadowed by his generally jerky words though.

  She felt the bike slow and she peeked over his shoulder ahead of them. She saw that the rain was coming down in gray sheets and the wind was kicking them around a bit, but Travis was managing to keep the bike on the road.

  He slowed more, pulling into the trees. He stopped the bike and climbed off. “We’ll have to camp here tonight. It’s getting too dangerous.”

  “O-okay,” she said through chattering teeth.