“Who are you?”
“Me?” I ask, right before I pull the trigger. “I’m the Grim Reaper, motherfucker.”
CHAPTER 8
***Gage***
My heart leaps into my throat when I walk into the bar and see her sitting on the couch with the prospects. Why? One, she’s out of the bedroom; two, she’s smiling. It’s been way too long since I saw her gorgeous smile. It grows even wider when she sees me.
“Gage!” she shouts in excitement.
She jumps to her feet and potato chips go flying everywhere. She almost trips trying to get to me but I catch her, wrapping an arm around her waist. When she looks up at me, she can barely keep her eyes open. They’re bloodshot and she stinks of reefer. That explains all the junk food scattered on the table. My baby has the munchies.
“You’ve been smoking?”
“I may have had a joint...or two...or three.” She covers her mouth and giggles.
I glare at Ron and he has the sense to look sorry. “You gave her weed?”
“Don’t...don’t blame him,” she says, petting my chest. “He didn’t force me. I just needed to...get away.”
Fuck. She’s worse than I thought if she thinks she needs drugs to cope. I take her hand and lead her to my room. She flings herself onto the bed, turning over to watch me while I undress down to my boxers. Her eyes follow my every movement, but she says nothing. There’s a knock at the door and I know it’s Crow come to collect my clothes for disposal. I bring them to him and turn back around to see her still staring.
“See something you like?”
“You’re hot.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “That’s the weed talking.”
“No, it’s not.” She slinks off the bed and stands before me.
I watch with interest as she traces the tattoo on my sternum with her index finger. My body becomes alert at her soft touch. I know I should stop her, but I don’t. Maybe I’m selfish, but I miss her. I miss her hands on me. If I can have her back for even a few minutes, I’ll take it.
She flattens her palms and slowly slides them down my chest, my stomach. Resting her hands on my hips, she peeks up at me.
“Kiss me, Gage.”
I take a deep breath, trying to control myself as her arms go around my waist.
“Please. I need to see...to feel something.”
She stares up at me with beseeching eyes, and I just can’t turn her down. I cradle her face in my hands, brushing her cheek with my thumb. As I lean in, she closes her eyes. My lips touch hers and I hear a moan. At first, I think it’s her, then I realize it’s me. My body’s response to her is immediate. Jesus.
I take it slow, gently moving my lips against hers. She steps closer, urging me to be more forceful, but I keep myself in check. I lick her bottom lip. She opens for me the way she usually does, and I slip my tongue inside. As I tease her tongue with mine, she grabs my hand and places it on her breast. This time, I know it’s me groaning. I find her nipple through her shirt and circle it with my thumb. Trailing my other hand down her body, I grab her ass, and pull her to me. Everything in me is screaming at me to stop. I know she’s nowhere near ready, physically or emotionally. I know it’s the high she’s on, but I want her to feel how hard I am for her. She pulls back and I instantly think I’ve scared her off, done too much too soon, but she just stares at me with dead eyes.
“Nothing,” she whispers distractedly. “Still nothing.”
I release her and raise a questioning brow. “Babe?”
She grabs the front of her shirt, brings it to her nose, and sniffs it. “I stink. I’m gonna take a shower.”
I watch in confusion as she walks to the bathroom. What the fuck just happened? That must have been some strong weed. I sit on the bed with my head in my hands as I think about the events of the night. I know it’s a long shot trying to trace the drug from the source, but it’s one I have to take. Somebody, somewhere along the line must have heard something. Once we find the distributor in ATL, I’m hoping we can shorten the list of suspects. There aren’t a lot of dealers around here, and it’s not a common drug.
She walks out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair and another around her body. My still-hard dick throbs at the sight of her. I grab fresh boxers and head to the shower, leaving her to get dressed. As I stand under the water, I look down at my dick, wondering if I should rub one out. Shit. I haven’t choked the chicken since...I don’t know when.
I shower quickly and climb into bed next to her. She rolls over to face me, and I curl my arm around her.
“Gage?” She stares up at me with wide eyes.
“Hmm?”
“Do you still like me?”
“Of course I do,” I answer without hesitation. “You’re my baby doll.”
She places her hand on my jaw and gives me a weak smile. “I still like you, too. I promise.”
“That’s it? You’re not going to tell me I’m your monster-dick papi chulo?”
She throws her head back and laughs, and I have to take a moment to watch her. I haven’t heard it in so long I almost forgot what it was like. Her body shakes against me as it flows through her. I’m the reason it disappeared, and I feel a small victory for bringing it back. I pull her closer as she brings her gaze back to mine.
“Sí,” she whispers. “Eres mi papi chulo con una grandísima verga.”
“Good.” I kiss her forehead. “Go to sleep, doll.”
***
A scream drags me out of slumber. I turn on the lamp only to see Raven thrashing next to me, fighting off someone who’s not there. Fuck.
I straddle her, grabbing her arms. “Raven, wake up!”
Her eyes snap open, but they may as well have been closed because the only thing I see is fear. She struggles against my hold, breathing heavily, and screaming for me to let her go.
“Raven.” I give her a little shake. “It’s me...Gage.”
E comes rushing into the room, a few of the guys close on his heels. “What’s going on?”
“She’s having a nightmare. Won’t snap out of it.”
He hurries over, snapping his fingers in front of her eyes. She doesn’t respond. Whatever’s happening to her in this dream, she’s begging for it to stop. I know she’s dreaming about the rape and just like I couldn’t help her then, I can’t help her now. I didn’t even see E move but he’s back now with a needle. He sticks it into her arm and after a few seconds, she calms down. She goes still and her eyes flutter closed. I comb my fingers through my hair and drop down next to her.
How the fuck do I fix this?
How do I fix her?
***Raven***
I wake up to Gage sitting in a chair by the bed, just watching me. Yawning, I rub the sleep from my eyes. I feel so rested. Better than I’ve felt in a long time. Parts of last night start coming back to me. Me and the prospects, all that weed...no wonder I was knocked out. But then, I remember the dream. It was clearer this time. I saw my room, the rope that kept me bound to my bed. I saw him. He was standing by my door, holding a knife, his face hidden by a ski mask. I saw myself struggling as he moved toward me menacingly.
I jump out of bed and rush to my artist’s table.
“Babe?”
I ignore Gage as I grab a pencil and begin to sketch the images from my dream. I feel him standing over me but I’m not aware of anything else, just my pencil moving over the paper. When I’m done, I drop the pencil and bring my trembling fingers to my lips. There it is, in black and white. There’s no denying it now. Now, it feels real. This man broke into my house, violated, tortured, and brutalized me. He took something from me that I can never get back, something that was not his to take. And it makes me mad. It pisses me the fuck off.
I spring to my feet, grab the side of the table and fling it to the floor. Gage reaches for me but I march to his punching bag, needing to release some of this anger bubbling inside me. As soon as I throw a punch, he grabs me and wraps his arms around me so he�
�s keeping mine at my sides.
“You’ll mess up your shoulder.”
“I don’t care!” I scream. “Let me go!”
“Calm down.”
I struggle against him but he’s too strong. I’m helpless, just like I was that night. I start sobbing and go lax in his arms. He slides down to the floor along with me and holds me while I cry.
Why? Why did this have to happen to me? Is God punishing me? What did I do to deserve this?
Gage whispers in my ear that he’ll make it right, that he’s doing everything he can to find the people responsible. I hope he does. No, I know he will. When he does, I want him to handle it. I want him to make the motherfucker suffer. Fuck letting the police handle it.
I turn to face him and look him in the eyes so he knows I’m serious.
“Find him, Gage. You find him and you hurt him the way he hurt me. Find him and kill him.”
He nods, taking my face in his hands. “Even if I’d never killed anyone before, that fucker is a dead man. For you, Raven, I’d pick a motherfucker up and drop him on the sun.”
I climb up and straddle him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. His are reassuring as they tighten around me.
“It was so real,” I whisper into his neck.
“I got you, Raven. I got you.”
“I know.” I pull back and stare into his eyes. “You’re a good man, Gage. Don’t let anyone tell you any different.”
I leave him there and head to the bathroom. When I return, he’s sitting on the bed, studying the picture I drew. He curls his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his side as I sit next to him.
“Why were you watching me sleep?”
“Your nightmare. You were screaming, fighting...wouldn’t wake up. E had to give you something to calm you down.”
“How long were you watching me? Did you even get any sleep?”
“Some.” He kisses my forehead and moves to the closet. “Don’t worry about me.”
Easier said than done. How can I not worry? He hasn’t been sleeping much already, and now I’m fighting him in my sleep. Great. I notice he’s pulling out all black clothes again, so I know he’s heading out on another mission.
“What happened last night?” I ask him.
He gives me that look of his that’s supposed to tell me he can’t say anything, but I’m not having it today. “This isn’t club business. This is about me, so you can tell me. What happened last night?”
He sighs and shakes his head in resignation. “Fine, but the only thing I’m telling you is that we found the guy responsible for the drug that was used on you.”
“And?”
“And he won’t be a problem for anyone anymore.”
Good. It’s good, right? I mean, at least we’re getting somewhere now. Plus, he’s saved countless other women who would have gone through what I did. Now, I need to know what the next step is.
“And today?”
“Today, I’m heading to Atlanta. I’ll be gone all day, so maybe you should call Chrissy. She misses you.”
“I miss her, too, but why are you going to Atlanta?”
“Following a lead.” He grabs the black duffel bag again and it makes me curious as to exactly what is in it. “I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.”
“Take me with you.”
“What? No, I’m not taking you with me.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” he says. “I need you here where I know you’re safe. What we’re doing is dangerous. It’s no place for you.”
“But –”
“No ‘buts’,” he states with finality. “You’re staying here.”
“Fine.” I roll my eyes and reach for the phone he bought me. This is the first time I’m even looking at it. I turn it on and within seconds, notifications start coming in. I go to the contacts and see he’s programmed in a few numbers – Chrissy, Ellen, himself, Laurelyn, Nita, Ron, and Toni. I send a text to Chrissy asking her to come over, and another to Toni saying I’ll call later.
“You good?”
“Yeah,” I answer as I read Chrissy’s reply. “Chrissy’s on her way.”
He crouches in front of me and takes my hand, his expression worrisome. “Raven, I think it’s time to give the therapist a call. You need to talk to someone who can help you work through your emotions.”
“Okay.” I nod.
“I’ll have E make the call.”
He kisses my forehead, grabs his bag, and heads for the door. I decide to follow him out because I’ve been cooped up in this room for far too long. The bar is like a beehive. I’ve never seen so many people in here before, and they’re all moving around with purpose. The guys are getting ready to leave, but the Hounds look busy, too.
“What’s going on?”
“Chopper,” Gage answers. “He’s preparing for Thanksgiving tomorrow.”
Thanksgiving? That would mean it’s November. Not only that but the end of November. Holy shit. What have I been doing for a whole month? I missed Halloween, Dia de los Muertos…I didn’t even light a candle for Daddy.
Chopper comes out of the kitchen, giving out directions left and right. The moment he spots me, he comes right over and pulls me into his arms.
“Oh, lil darlin’. It’s good to see you.”
“You, too, Chopper.”
“Come.” He ushers me away. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
He doesn’t even spare Gage a glance. I turn my head to look back at him, but he just shakes his head and moves toward the door. In the kitchen, Chopper chases everyone out and lifts me onto the counter. I’m a little surprised but I say nothing.
“What do you want?” he asks. “Pancakes, eggs, bacon? Anything you want.”
“I’m not really hungry.” I return his smile. “Toast would be fine.”
“Nonsense.” He grabs a tray of eggs from the fridge. “I’ll make you an omelet.”
I watch him, wondering if he knows how alike he and his son are. They each have their own brand of ‘sweet’, but I would bet Chopper was as much of a player as Gage is. Hell, he probably still is.
He pours me a glass of orange juice then gets started on the eggs.
“How do you feel, darlin’?”
I raise both shoulders in a shrug. “Okay, I guess. I just want it all to be over.”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.” He turns to face me with a determined stare. “If Gage can’t get to the bottom of this then I will. You have my word on that.”
Overcome with emotion, I hop off the counter and wrap my arms around him. He curls one arm around me and kisses the top of my head.
“It’ll be over soon, baby girl.”
“Thanks, Chopper.”
Gage walks in, brows drawn together. I detach myself from his dad and transfer to his arms.
“You okay?” he asks.
I nod into his chest. “Are you leaving now?”
“Yeah. Just came in to let you know.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
He takes my hand and I follow him outside, ignoring the curious stares of the other women. I really don’t know any of them except for Deena and the blonde. I guess they all want to know what’s going on with the girl who was raped. I keep my head down and let Gage lead the way. Out in the courtyard, the guys are propped on their bikes waiting. They all smile when they see me approaching; except Tek, who’s off by himself, immersed in something on a laptop. I release Gage’s hand and stand in the middle of what’s supposed to be a group of big, scary bikers.
“I just want to say thank you. I know you guys are out there doing whatever it is you’re doing for me. I really appreciate it.”
Allah is closest to me, so I hug him first. “Ain’t nothin’ to it, shawty,” he says in a low voice.
I give each of them a hug and they all echo the sentiment in their own words. When I get to Razor, he picks me up in a bear hug and gives me a squeeze. He places me back on my feet and I make my way over
to Gage. He’s sitting on his bike, observing me. Draping his arm around my waist, he pulls me close. His right hand is resting on the handlebar and I cringe at the cuts and bruises on his knuckles.
“Be careful.”
“Always, doll. I’ll see you later.”
With a jerk of his head, he motions toward the gates and I turn to see Chrissy walking in. I wave to her and she takes off running. Gage releases me and I meet her halfway. I don’t think anyone has ever hugged me so tightly. She might just cut off my air supply.
“Ray! God, I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you, too.”
She pulls back and looks me up and down. “You look good. How do you feel?”
“Better.”
“I’m so glad you texted. I was worried.”
“I know. I’m sorry, I just –”
“You don’t have to explain. Come on, I need to get you inside.”
“Why?”
“Because,” she says. “You’re half-nekkid and barefoot.”
I look down and see she’s right. Gage’s T-shirt pretty much covers me up but other than panties, I’m not wearing anything else. I’m surprised he didn’t say something. Walking back to the clubhouse, the guys pass us on their way out. I wave to Gage and he smiles at me. I hope he has good news when he returns.
After I have my breakfast Chopper made me, Chrissy and I lock ourselves in Gage’s room. We catch up and call Toni. I appreciate the fact that she hasn’t dwelled on the reason we haven’t seen each other. In fact, she hasn’t even mentioned the rape or asked what I’ve been doing—only how I’ve been doing. Toni was the same. I realize I have two of the best friends anyone could ever ask for. Instead of locking myself away from everyone, maybe I should have been doing the opposite.
“Have you spoken to your mother?”
“No. I should probably call her. I’ve missed Dani.”
“Do it,” she encourages me. “Skype them.”
With a deep breath, I grab my phone, download Skype, and sign in. When Laurelyn answers, I can see she’s both surprised and happy.
“Raven! It’s so good to see you. How are you?”
Claimed: Death Dealers MC Book 3 Page 7
