by Harley Wylde
I carried everything to the guest bathroom and set it out on the counter. I placed a razor and shaving cream on the edge of the tub. I heard soft steps behind me and turned to face Raven. She came closer, reaching out and lightly touching each item on the counter.
“They’re for you. Do you want to shower?”
She cast a longing look at the shower and nodded. I winced, thinking about why exactly she’d want one tonight. If I’d been the one to pick her up and had witnessed the man hurting her, he’d likely be dead right now. I had a feeling Breaker left him alive, but I hoped like hell Surge found some shit to make the guard’s life miserable. Anyone who had hurt Raven had better watch their back. I wouldn’t rest until she’d been avenged. The thought of anyone hurting someone so fragile, so sweet, made my stomach sour.
“Um.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Knox hasn’t gotten back with your clothes yet. I could loan you a shirt if that’s okay?”
She nodded, her gaze still fastened on the shower. I reached over to start the water, placed the shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner on the edge of the tub, and left to get her something to sleep in. When I returned, she’d left the shower curtain open, but had stripped out of her clothes and gotten under the spray. I dropped the shirt and stared, unable to look away.
Why the hell was the curtain open? I opened and shut my mouth a few times, my brain seeming to have short-circuited. I’d ask her about it later. Right now, I needed to get my shit together.
My cock started to harden, and I felt like the worst sort of man for noticing her curves. Her breasts weren’t overly large, but the perfect handful, tipped with pretty pink nipples. I swallowed hard. My fingers twitched with the need to touch her. Fuck. She deserved better than having me stare at her like this. I needed to get my shit together before I scared her off.
“What happened to you, pretty girl?” I murmured, taking in the scars along her arms and bruises on her hips. I had a feeling the guard had left the marks on her hips, but the others? Had someone done that to her, or had she hurt herself as a way to escape? My gaze shot over to the razor, and I questioned if I should have left it in here. Would she use it to try and end her life? Hopefully the damn things weren’t sharp enough to more than nick her. I refused to stare at her while she showered and make her feel like a prisoner.
I picked up the shirt and set it on the counter. Averting my gaze, I backed out of the bathroom and collided with the opposite wall. Leaning against it, I tried to shake the images loose from my mind. The more I learned about Raven, the more I wanted those men to suffer. All of them. The cowboys and the guards at the hospital.
The water shut off and I realized I’d not given her a towel. Cursing under my breath, I closed my eyes and felt my way into the bathroom. I knelt at the sink and opened the cabinet underneath, pulling out a towel. I held it up and felt her take it before I stood and backed away again. I collided with the doorframe and grunted before managing to get out of the room. I waited in the hall and gave her a smile when she stepped out wearing my shirt. It fell to her knees, covering most of her.
“Ready to get some sleep?” I asked.
She appeared hesitant, creeping toward me, but not looking too eager to go to her room. Did she have nightmares from everything she’d endured? I reached out and took her hand, leading her down the hall. When we got to her room, I pulled down the covers and motioned for her to crawl into bed. She slipped under the covers. I started to pull them, but she reached out to stop me. I didn’t know what she wanted, until she patted the bed next to her.
“You want me to stay until you fall asleep?” She shook her head and patted the bed again. Did she… “Are you wanting me to stay all night?”
I got a nod and a slight smile. Well, shit. I ran a hand through my hair and wondered if I should do what she wanted or talk her out of it. I wouldn’t hurt her. Not intentionally. But I didn’t want her to freak out when I got morning wood. I didn’t know if she’d understand it was something common and happened every damn day, or if she’d think I wanted her to take care of the problem.
“Raven, earlier… in the bathroom… You didn’t shut the curtain.” I needed to know what she’d had going through her head. Had she thought she wasn’t allowed to shut it? Did she not understand I didn’t expect anything of her? Her brow furrowed, and I realized she had no idea why the curtain had been an issue.
“Raven, you can shut the shower curtain. You have a right to your privacy. I don’t expect you to…” I gestured with my hand. “You know. Do anything sexual with me.”
She tipped her head to the side and frowned at me. Her lips parted like she wanted to speak, but nothing came out. If anything, she seemed frustrated.
“You knew you could shut the curtain, right? That I wouldn’t get mad if you did?” I asked.
She nodded. All right. She’d understood. So why… and then it hit me.
“You didn’t have a shower curtain at Balmoral, did you?”
She shook her head. Right. No shower curtains, because the patients could use them to hang themselves.
“It didn’t occur to you to shut it, did it?”
She shook her head again, her brow smoothing and a slight smile on her lips. Well, at least we had that sorted. She hadn’t left it open because she felt she had no choice. She just hadn’t thought anything of it after not having a shower curtain for a bit.
“It’s okay to shut the shower curtain next time you take a shower.”
I heard a fist pounding on the front door and nearly breathed a sigh of relief. I rushed off to answer it, needing to put some space between myself and the sweet woman in my guest room. I found three sacks on the porch and carried them inside. Since I knew they were for Raven, I took them to her room so she could see what Knox had found for her.
“Looks like you have some new clothes,” I said, giving her a smile as I set the bags on the bed. “Want to take a peek?”
She reached out to take a sack, then jerked her hand back. I opened the one closest to her and took out three plain shirts. One in blue, another in pink, and a gray one. Knox had picked up three pairs of black knit shorts with an elastic waist so I set those out for her to see as well. She touched the material, rubbing it between her fingers, before craning her neck to see inside the other bags.
“Let’s check out bag number two.” I pulled out a package of cotton panties and two nightgowns. One had short sleeves and looked like it would fall nearly to her ankles. The soft material had pink and blue flowers all over it. The second… it made me want to knock Knox the fuck out. The silky garment had thin straps and didn’t seem very long. I didn’t know what the asshole had been thinking when he’d bought it.
Raven touched the silky nightgown, a frown tugging at her lips. Great. Now she’d think I’d planned this shit. I held back a growl, knowing I’d need to confront Knox later.
“Sorry about that, pretty girl. I guess Knox thinks he’s funny. You don’t have to wear that one.”
She wrapped her arms around her middle, eyeing the stuff strewn across the bed. I opened the third bag, hoping there weren’t more surprises Raven wouldn’t like. I pulled out a pair of flip flops and some black canvas tennis shoes, as well as a small package of no-show socks. Whatever the fuck those were. I also found a package of hair ties in the bottom of the bag.
“Do you want me to wash all this before you wear it?” I asked. “Or do you want a pair of the panties and a nightgown tonight?”
She pushed everything toward me. I took that to mean she wanted it washed.
“I’ll take care of it, and I’ll need to shower before I come back. Get some rest, okay?”
I set the shoes on the floor by the dresser and picked up everything else. I dropped the hair ties on the bathroom counter before making my way to the laundry room. I set the black shorts aside, not knowing if I should wash them with the other stuff. I’d found some of the clothes I bought from that store had a tendency to bleed the first time I washed it. I tossed everything e
lse into the machine, added detergent, and started the cycle. I’d try to get the shorts cleaned before she needed them tomorrow.
Hurrying past her room, I went to the master bedroom and shut the door. I stripped out of my clothes and went to run the shower. Staring down at my dick, I felt like a sick bastard. Raven had been to hell and back, and the last thing she needed was me getting hard. But fuck! Even with the scars, she’d been beautiful. Closing my eyes, I could see her soft curves. Her perfect breasts and pretty nipples. Her pussy had a fine layer of hair, and I’d seen her clit peeking through the lips.
I groaned and got under the water, knowing I’d need to get myself under control before I went to check on her. I grabbed the soap and slicked my palm before wrapping my fingers around my cock and giving it a stroke. Bracing my other hand on the wall, I bowed my head and shut my eyes again. My heart thundered in my chest as I pictured Raven, lying back with her legs splayed. A slight smile on her lips, and trust in her eyes as she beckoned to me.
I stroked faster, gripping my dick harder. I’d lick her pussy, make her come so she’d be all hot and wet when I slid inside her. Imagining her tight pussy wrapped around my cock, I quickened my strokes. In my mind, I pounded into her sweet pussy, making her cry out and beg for more.
I came so hard my knees nearly buckled, my cum splattering the wall. I let go of my cock and leaned my head against the wall, shame washing over me. The last thing I should have done was picture her like that. She needed my protection.
“You’re an asshole,” I muttered to myself. “A right fucking bastard.”
I rinsed my cum off the wall and quickly washed. I’d go to the clubhouse and get some relief from the girls there, but the mere thought of touching them left me feeling hollow. What the hell was wrong with me?
Looked like I’d be getting a lot better acquainted with my hand until Raven’s dad came to get her. I could last that long without sex. Wouldn’t be the first time. But staying in the bedroom with her? Shit. I knew without a doubt I’d be hard as fuck, and she didn’t need that shit right now. Or ever.
I took my time going back to the guest room, hoping she’d have fallen asleep. After I pulled on fresh boxers and another tee, I checked all the windows and doors, making sure to lock them. With Raven under my roof, I didn’t want to take chances. Even if one of my brothers came in, they could startle her. Not everyone knew she was staying with me. Not yet anyway.
My phone started buzzing in my hand. I didn’t recognize the number but answered. “Fox.”
“I hear you have my daughter.” Hatchet. Of course, he’d want to check on Raven.
“Yeah. She just got into bed. In the guest room,” I clarified so he wouldn’t think I had ulterior motives. “Our Treasurer picked up a few things for her. Depending how long it will take you to get here, I’ll need to get more stuff. She came here only wearing the shitty hospital pajamas Balmoral had given her.”
“This might take me a while. I’m not going to face her for the first time unless I can tell her the men who’d hurt her are no longer a problem,” Hatchet said.
“Then you’ll need to add more to your list. The guards at Balmoral…” I trailed off not sure how to tell a father his baby girl had been repeatedly raped in a place that should have kept her safe.
The sounds of something being smashed made me wince. Seemed he’d gotten the gist of what I had left unsaid. I let Hatchet rage as I stood in the hall, waiting on him to finish. I wasn’t about to go back into Raven’s room while her dad was losing his shit over the phone.
“You keep her safe, Fox. Whatever it takes,” he said.
“You have my word, Hatchet. No one will hurt Raven. I’ll kill anyone who tries.”
He let out a ragged breath. “I’ll stay in touch. How… how is she?”
“She won’t speak. For whatever reason, she clings to me. I guess I make her feel safe. There are scars on her arms from wrist to elbow. Some worse than others.” I cleared my throat. “She’s beautiful, Hatchet. And sweet. You’d be proud of how strong she is. She learned to survive, even though she had no one to support her.”
“Thanks, Fox. Just… tell her I’m thinking about her, and I’ll see her soon. I can’t believe her mother kept her from me. If I find that bitch, she’s dead.”
Couldn’t blame him for feeling that way. “Take care of business and don’t worry about Raven. She can stay here as long as she needs to.”
Hatchet ended the call, and I decided to check on Raven’s clothes before I did anything else. The washer had finished, so I tossed her things into the dryer. Then I loaded her shorts into the washer. It wouldn’t take them long to dry when I got up in the morning.
I walked softly down the hall. When I got to Raven’s room, I’d hoped to find her asleep. Instead, she watched the doorway. If she wanted me to stay in the same bed with her, I needed to make her understand how a man’s body worked, without freaking her the fuck out. I had no idea what sort of experience, if any, she’d had before the cowboys raped her. Clearly her luck with men had been utter shit since meeting those fuckers.
She patted the bed again and I went to stand beside it. “Before I agree to stay in here with you tonight, there’s something we need to discuss. Or rather, something I need to say, and you’ll have to let me know if it’s a deal breaker.”
Raven tipped her head sideways and waited for me to continue. Too fucking cute. I rubbed at my chest, where an odd ache had started to build. I’d never met someone like her, and I worried I’d get attached while she stayed with me. Maybe Hatchet wouldn’t take as long as he’d thought.
“I know men have been hurting you for a long while.” She slightly tensed but didn’t bolt. I considered that a small win. “Um, I’m guessing you don’t know much about men other than the bad parts.”
She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. Well, that was clear as mud.
“In the mornings, I…ah…” I cleared my throat. “My dick gets hard in the morning. Doesn’t matter if I’m alone or with a woman. For that matter, sometimes my dreams are so real I’ll get hard in the middle of the night. If I share the bed with you, I can’t stop it from happening, and I’m worried it will freak you out.”
She pressed her lips together and her gaze dropped to my crotch. Did she worry I’d be hard right now? I couldn’t read her expression at the moment, but the longer she stared at my dick, the more I wanted to run from the damn room.
“It doesn’t mean I expect anything from you. Do you understand? It’s not something I can control. It will go down on its own, or I can take care of it in the shower.”
She still hadn’t looked up. I shifted, ready to bolt from the room, when she shocked the shit out of me by reaching out and placing her hand over the front of my boxers. My cock started to get hard, and I tried like hell to make it soften. Thinking of rotting flesh, maggots, or seriously fucked-up porn I’d stumbled across by accident. None of it seemed to help. Fuck my life.
“Raven, if you keep touching me, my dick is going to get harder.” She lifted her gaze to mine, a hint of challenge in her eyes. She pressed her hand to me a little tighter. What. The. Fuck? “Pretty girl, you don’t want this. You’ve been hurt. Badly. If you want me to hold you until you fall asleep, I can do that. I won’t touch you anywhere you don’t want me to. Ever.”
Her brow creased and she removed her hand, patting the bed again. I shook my head, telling myself what a rotten idea it was. Still, if she felt safer with me in here, I’d give her that. Might fucking kill me, but I’d do it. I got into bed next to her, keeping as close to the edge as I could. Raven inched closer and I lifted my arm. She snuggled against me and placed her head on my chest. The moment her body relaxed, I felt my own tension drift away. I had no idea where this was going, or what she was thinking, but if she needed me close I could give her that much.
Chapter Three
Raven
Waking up next to a man should have terrified me. Except I knew it was Fox. With my recent experience with me
n, I ought to have been running. I didn’t know why he made me feel safe. Something about being in his presence calmed me, made me feel as if nothing and no one would ever hurt me again. I knew it was illogical, but it didn’t change how I felt.
Even when he’d seen me in the shower, before he averted his gaze, I hadn’t felt as if he were a threat to me. He handled me gently. The way he’d tried so hard to not share a bed with me, because he’d known he’d wake up hard, had been sweet. If he’d planned to hurt me, he’d have done it already. The others hadn’t hesitated. The moment they’d had me alone, they’d struck.
I wondered if he knew I’d heard him on the phone last night. He’d been speaking to the man who claimed to be my father. Fox had not only called me beautiful and a survivor, but he’d promised to kill anyone who dared harm me. I hadn’t thought of myself as anything other than broken. I held up an arm, looking at the scars he’d mentioned. I’d done them to myself. How could anyone see them and think me beautiful, or strong? I certainly didn’t feel either of those.
He shifted in his sleep, drawing my gaze. The blankets had gathered near his waist during the night. I couldn’t help but look where his cock tented the covers. Part of me wanted to recoil and get as far away as possible. That particular part of a man had hurt me too many times already. But the side who knew Fox wouldn’t touch me wanted to take a closer look. I knew women enjoyed being with a man. I just hadn’t understood it. Still didn’t.
I looked up at his face, checking to see if he still slept. His eyes remained shut and his chest rose and fell in deep, even breaths. Slowly, I reached for the blankets and lifted them a little. I couldn’t hold back my gasp as I stared. His cock had worked free of his boxers and rose in the air. The shaft looked smooth and incredibly hard. The head had turned almost a purple color.
