Angel's Halo: Atonement (Angel's Halo MC Book 5)

by Terri Anne Browning

  I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her hard before stepping back. “Never,” I said with a laugh then turned to greet the others.

  I got a hug from Gracie who had worked with me at the diner for all of two days before Hawk had gotten his way and she’d had to quit. Willa gave me a big smile, not really the hugging type. And although Raven normally wasn’t, I got a hug from her, anyway. She had changed a lot since she had become a mother, and I liked the changes. She wasn’t as standoffish as she once had been. At least, not with me.

  When her green gaze fell on Colt, who was now holding Kelli’s hand, her expression became neutral. Every other female in the room who wasn’t in that small group right then would have run in the other direction. The sheep had always been intimidated by Raven, if not outright afraid of her. Now she was their queen, and they practically trembled under her unnerving stare down these days.

  Kelli, however, wasn’t a sheep. She didn’t bow down easily to anyone. I could see one of two things happening right then. One, Raven would decide Kelli wasn’t worthy of her brother and go in for the kill, effortlessly putting my friend out of her misery and taking her from this world. I had never seen Kelli fight before, but Raven had shown me plenty of times how much she had learned from being raised by a houseful of alpha bikers.

  Or two—and my preferred outcome—they hit it off and Raven accepts Kelli as a possible friend and maybe even a potential sister-in-law.

  “Rave, this is Kelli, my … girlfriend.” Colt hesitated only for a second, but I saw the flicker of Kelli’s lashes. She liked the way he had introduced her.

  Kelli stepped forward, offering her hand, but not letting her guard down. “Nice to officially meet you.”

  Raven’s hesitation was a lot longer than her brother’s had been, causing the men standing behind her and the other three women to cut off what they had been talking about and turning their attention to what was happening in front of them.

  I saw Spider and Bash tense, unsure how to handle Raven’s quietness as she stood there, staring at Kelli’s outstretched hand.

  Jet shifted, nudging her with his elbow.

  Her lips twisted, and I held my breath, unsure what to expect, until Raven smiled and took Kelli’s hand.

  “Hi. It’s nice to finally meet my brother’s girlfriend.” She winked, and the two big, scary as hell men standing behind her relaxed. “Even if you’re the only girlfriend he’s ever introduced to me.”

  “She’s the only actual girlfriend I’ve ever had,” Colt informed her with a smirk.

  “That, too.” She rolled her eyes at him then stepped back. “Quinn, you and Kelli make yourselves at home. Drinks and food are set up in the kitchen. Make yourselves a plate and don’t be shy. We’re all family here.”

  Chapter 2

  Quinn

  I wasn’t much of a drinker. The most alcohol I had ever had at one time was maybe half a bottle of wine. Considering my best friend owned a bar, I was pretty sure he was ashamed of the fact that I couldn’t handle more than two shots of tequila before I was drunk.

  Tossing my lime wedge on the table between us, I licked the lingering juice from my lips. Around me, my friends were already on their third shot. Raven and Flick laughed at the face I made as I stared dubiously at my third shot while they picked up their fourth.

  Kelli reached around me, picked it up, and downed it, along with her own shot, thankfully taking the decision out of my hands.

  I reached for the untouched red solo cup of some kind of fruity rum punch that one of the old ladies had made. The first sip was kind of refreshing, so I took a bigger gulp, before Colt was reaching for the cup, trying to pull it out of my hand.

  “Easy there, buttercup. This shit is lethal.”

  I snatched it back and took another thirsty swallow before he could take it away again.

  “It doesn’t taste like there is even anything in it but juice,” I complained when he lifted the cup over his head. He was such an ass when he did that. He was at least a foot taller than me. I could have kicked him in the balls to get it back, but I loved him too much to damage his boy parts.

  “That’s the point, babe,” Kelli told me as she took a drink from her own solo cup. “Mask the taste of liquor and you’ll drink it all night. Then you won’t remember anything come morning when you’re holding the porcelain throne, praying you won’t fall off the ground.”

  I gave them both a pout. Then I turned back to Raven and Flick, and Flick handed over her own cup with a wink.

  I heard Colt groan from behind me and saw Raven shoot him a glare. To that, he muttered something under his breath before walking away.

  “How the fuck did you do that?” Kelli demanded as she sat her cup on the table between us and leaned forward. “Do you have superpowers or something? Teach me!”

  Blonde brows lifted toward the ceiling as Raven turned her green gaze on me. “Is she drunk already?”

  I nearly snorted my punch up my nose. Coughing, I shook my head. “Nope. She’s still as sober as you.”

  Raven could hold her liquor better than any woman I had ever seen. She could have drunk half the tequila bottle by herself and still would have been just as coherent as if she’d had nothing to drink at all. I wasn’t completely sure she was human.

  “Huh.” Raven’s lips twitched with humor. “Stick around, Kelli. I’ll teach you a few tricks.”

  I stood there, enjoying my punch and watching the people around us. Some of the old ladies were at a table across the room from us, laughing and having a good time. MC brothers were spread around the room, drinking beer, and shooting pool at the four tables in what was considered the living room. Every now and then, I would catch a glimpse of one of my sisters hanging off some random guy.

  I was just thankful they weren’t fucking around with Raider tonight.

  Thinking of that particular MC brother, I started gulping my punch. Within seconds, my cup was empty.

  Raven stepped closer to me and exchanged my empty cup for her almost full one with a wink.

  “Colt is going to be so pissed.” I giggled and took a sip.

  “Colt’s an old mother hen where you’re concerned. Don’t worry; I won’t let him ground you.” Raven playfully bumped my hip with hers. “Take it easy with this cup, though. I don’t want to be responsible for you getting alcohol poisoning.”

  I was starting to feel very relaxed and at ease. I liked it. Nothing could have bothered me right then. I was numb to the constant dull pain around my heart and when I saw my oldest sister, Heather, giving me the stink eye, I didn’t even care. Instead, I grinned at her and lifted my cup, almost daring her to mess with me.

  When Raven shifted beside me, Heather’s gaze was drawn to her. Whatever she saw when she looked at my friend had her quickly turning away.

  Curious, I glanced at Raven to find that darkness on her face that could scare the piss out of more than half the females in the room at any given moment.

  “Why don’t you just stomp those bitches and be done with it?” Raven muttered low enough so only I could hear her.

  I shrugged. “Probably because they would fight dirty, and it would turn into a three on one where I ended up bald and toothless.”

  I had been in enough fights with my sisters over the years to know what the outcome would be, and the odds were definitely not in my favor.

  I was the good girl of my mother’s four daughters. I had graduated from high school, worked hard, and when Mom had gotten sick, I had been the one to take care of her. After she had passed away, I had tried to stay in the house where I had grown up, but my sisters had made that impossible. Thankfully, Colt had helped me find the house I was renting now.

  “Hey, Raven.” We both turned to find Willa and Gracie standing a few feet away. “Can you help us out in the kitchen with something?”

  “Yeah, I’m coming.” She gave me a grim smile, her eyes on my red solo cup. “Sip that.”

  Once she was gone, it was just Flick and Kelli
there to keep me company. The other two started talking about what Flick was doing now that she was home for good. She had been some rocker’s nanny for over a year, but now that she was back, it wasn’t like she could just find another rich family with kids to babysit.

  “I’m helping out Uncle Jack for now, and I waitress at the bar when the guys need an extra hand.” She made a funny face. “It’s basically like taking care of a bunch of overgrown kids, so my job hasn’t really changed much.”

  I tuned them out when I caught a glimpse of dark blond hair cut short, those wide shoulders with that leather cut and a black T-shirt over them. His jeans had holes in the knees, but they hugged his ass perfectly.

  My hand froze with my cup halfway to my mouth, the air seeming to be sucked forcefully out of my lungs when he looked my way and our eyes locked.

  Maybe it was the punch mixed with those two shots of tequila. Maybe I was imagining what I read in his eyes. I could blame it on being almost drunk. I had wanted to see that hungry look directed at me for so long that I didn’t completely trust it as he kept walking, his gaze never leaving mine.

  It was only when someone moved in front of me that our connection was broken.

  I sucked in a gasping breath, my heart suddenly beating so hard my shirt actually bounced with the force of it. My mouth felt bone-dry, while lower, my panties were suddenly uncomfortably wet.

  I lifted the cup to my lips and took a few sips, hoping the coolness of the drink would help calm down my overheated body.

  “Well, that’s new,” I heard Flick mutter and turned my head to find her watching me.

  She had obviously seen the exchange between me and Raider.

  An uncontrollable blush filled my cheeks, and I hurriedly looked away, gulping down more of my drink, as I felt her and Kelli move in around me.

  “Is something going on with you and Raider?” Flick demanded in a fierce whisper. “He just looked at you like you were his favorite new toy.”

  “No, of course not. I don’t know what that look was about, but nothing has changed between us.” My head was spinning, and I wasn’t completely sure it was all from the alcohol.

  “Remember what we talked about outside?” Kelli pulled my cup from my hand, forcing me to give them my complete attention.

  “What were you talking about outside?” Flick asked, being nosy.

  “I can’t understand why she loves that prick so much.” Kelli wasn’t shy about confiding in Flick about our earlier conversation. If it had been anyone else, I would have been pissed at my roommate for blabbing about something that was private. But I knew Flick wouldn’t tell a soul, not even Raven or Jet.

  “Valid question,” my old friend agreed.

  “Well, I want her to figure out if she really does love him or if she’s just built up the whole thing in her head. Dreams and reality are two completely different scenarios.”

  “Truth,” Flick muttered half under her breath, then turned those blue eyes on me. “Girl’s right; maybe it’s time to figure it out, Quinn.”

  I glared at them both. “I do have it figured out, thank you very much.”

  “Oh yeah?” Kelli looked skeptical.

  “Yeah,” I snapped. “I’m moving on. I am officially done with letting Raider Hannigan stomp on my heart. I might even find one of the brothers and lose my v-card to him tonight.”

  I was all talk, all three of us knew it, but it felt good to say those words out loud. I was going to get over Raider. I was done being the pathetic chick who wore her heart on her sleeve for a guy who barely even knew she was alive.

  Chapter 3

  Raider

  As parties at the clubhouse went, my brother’s engagement party was probably the tamest one that had ever taken place. I was glad Jet had pulled his head out of his ass and finally done something right with Flick, that they were happy, but fuck, I was bored out of my mind.

  I had been at the clubhouse since after lunch, when I had brought one of the sheep back to play with. Things hadn’t gone as planned, and it had pissed me off. Therefore, I had sent her packing. After a shower and a nap, I had woken up to my sister and some of the old ladies setting up for the party.

  Raven had spotted me before I could make a run for it and had put my ass to work. I loved my sister more than any female on the planet, but she was a fucking ballbuster. That had only gotten worse with motherhood.

  As the party had gotten started, and more and more people had shown up, the urge to jump on my hog and spend the night with only the road as my companion had increased. I knew if I left, though, Raven would kick my ass, and Bash and Spider would hold me down while she did it.

  Cursing under my breath, I lifted the beer bottle to my lips and chugged it down before throwing it in the trashcan a few feet away. The kitchen was full of a mixture of MC brothers, their wives, and a few kids. It was minus any of the sheep, which was the only reason I was camped out there.

  Maybe it was boredom, maybe I was just exhausted—fuck, I had no idea. Whatever it was, I was tired of the sheep who followed me around like lost puppies looking for attention. I had given them plenty of reason to do just that over the years, having fucked them all regularly. But lately, I had found them more annoying than entertaining.

  Someone bumped into my hip, and I turned my head to look down at the female who was trying to move me out of her way.

  Willa cocked a brow at me before pushing at my arm. “Move it or lose it.”

  I moved over so she could get to the cabinet behind me.

  Once upon a time, I had thought about fucking her. She had been too hung up on Spider, and honestly, I hadn’t cared enough to want to fight him over her. Now she was married to the enforcer.

  “What’s up with you?” she demanded once she had gotten what she needed. “You’ve been acting weird for days. I haven’t seen the usual bitches swarming around you lately, either.”

  I shrugged. “Just tired.”

  “Too tired for pussy? Are you sick or something?”

  I reached for another beer from the barrel of ice beside the island. “Or something,” I muttered, not wanting to get into it with her.

  “Huh,” was all she said before she went over to the kitchen door to call out for Raven.

  Not wanting to chance my sister finding something else for me to do, I left the sanctuary of the kitchen.

  I had barely taken two steps when Whitney caught my arm and pushed herself up against my side. I looked down at the sheep, a smile already lifting my lips, but it didn’t reach my eyes.

  Whitney was fun in bed. She liked it dirty, and I had given it to her plenty of times. Her blonde hair was hanging around her shoulders in messy waves, her makeup thick and just as slutty as the clothes she was wearing. However, that “fuck me now” look in her eyes did nothing for me right then.

  Pulling my hand free, I tapped her on the ass twice before moving away. “Maybe later,” I told her as I kept walking.

  Maybe I would fuck her later. Maybe I would find someone else to suck my dick. Then again, maybe I wouldn’t.

  I grimaced, wondering if maybe I really was getting sick. My dick usually had a mind of its own, yet lately, it had been just as bored as I was. Ever since I had gotten back from New York, I couldn’t have cared less if I got laid or not.

  No, I reminded myself. No, it was before New York. It was before Flick had even come back to us.

  As if some radar went off inside me, I turned my head and scanned the crowd of people in the main room of the clubhouse. Within a few seconds, I spotted Quinn.

  Her long, blond hair was pulled back from her face, showing me that, unlike her sister Whitney, she wasn’t wearing any makeup. She had on a nice top, one that wasn’t overly tight across her tits, yet still showed their feminine curves perfectly. The jeans she wore made her legs look like they went on forever, despite her being so tiny. I knew, if she turned around, they would be cupping her sweet ass in a way that just thinking about it made my mouth water and my dick thic
ken painfully.

  She stood talking to Flick and Kelli, a red solo cup in one hand that she started to lift to her luscious mouth. Her hand was lifted only halfway when she spotted me, and I was powerless to look away.

  Fuck, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. For years, I had wanted to fuck her, but her friendship with my brother had meant that I had to keep my hands to myself. So, I kept my distance, even though it had been difficult at times, and tried to forget about her. Lately, that had gotten harder and harder to do, and I seemed to turn into a real fucking asshole whenever she was around, just to hide my reaction to her. More than once, I had been a dick to her, and I didn’t like that I had made her cry. Regardless, it was the only way I could keep my distance.

  Still trapped in her gaze, I moved through the room, putting more space between us in a hope to control my body’s reaction to her. It wasn’t lost on me that my dick had gotten so hard it was nearly breaking through the zipper of my jeans at just a look from that female.

  It would be insanity to fuck her. Colt would kill me. Raven would probably help him, too. She didn’t have a soft spot for many people, but Quinn was one of them. Even the uncles all loved her, something that couldn’t be said for her three sisters: Heather, Whitney, and Amanda. How Quinn had come from the same mother as those bitches, I wasn’t sure, but she didn’t belong with them.

  Quinn seemed to be just as entranced as I was. She had never been able to hide her reaction to me. That was part of why I’d had to try even harder to ignore her over the years. A man could get addicted to having someone worship him like she had always seemed to do me, but I knew I would have ruined her. I wasn’t the kind of guy who could settle down with one woman. I needed variety, and just the thought of only fucking one female for the rest of my life scared the hell out of me.

  That didn’t stop me from wanting her so badly it was a physical pain.

  Someone moved in front of her, forcefully breaking our connection.