So, with trembling fingers, and before I can back out, I reach for the hem of my own shirt and lift it up, putting all my scars and the fresh wounds on display for him. The blanket is still covering my legs so all I reveal is my side.
As soon as the air hits my skin, a shiver courses through my body.
“Jesus,” he whispers, reaching out and tentatively touching my skin. He starts at the top, tracing each letter marking my flesh with his fingertips, slowly working his way to the bottom. When he reaches the fresh wound, he pauses, his gaze traveling up to mine. “Who did this to you?” he asks, his gaze searing into mine.
“I...” Just say his name, Raven. Just say the truth for once in your damn life. Stop being so scared of him. “It was my uncle.” Holy shit, I can’t believe I said that aloud.
He doesn’t look completely surprised. “Your uncle did this to you—the sheriff did this to you.”
I give a shaky nod. “Unfortunately, yeah.”
He looks down at my scars. “Did he put all of these on you?” He doesn’t remove his hand, keeping it on my scars just underneath my shirt.
I nod again, trying not to shiver as he touches my scars, this time the urge not stemming completely from fear but by the unfamiliarity of his touch. “He started doing it years ago. He does it when I do something that really pisses him off. Although, he’s been doing it more frequently the older I get. But that might be because I get in more trouble now than I used to.” I sink my teeth into my bottom lip, wavering. “I don’t know. He kinda seems to … get off on it, so maybe he just likes doing it.”
His brows furrow. “What do you mean by that exactly?”
“That he seems to like doing it to me.” I shrug, feeling a bit mortified talking about this. “The last time he did it, I think he went and had sex with my aunt. At least that’s what she implied the next morning... so … yeah …” I shrug again, my cheeks on fire.
He remains silent for a beat before biting out, “He sounds as fucked up in the head as my stepmom.” He looks at me with a crease between his brow. “What about your aunt? Does she know?”
I laugh hollowly. “If she does, she wouldn’t care. Trust me, she hates me.”
“I’m so sorry.” He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. “For everything.”
“Why are you apologizing?” I wonder. “None of this is your fault.”
Remorse reflects in his eyes. “Actually, it was. At least the reason why you were thrown off the bridge.”
My brows start to furrow in confusion until a faint memory tickles at my mind. The person who forced the pills down my throat had said something about Zay, Jax, and Hunter.
“I actually think I remember them saying something about you guys and wanting something from you… That that’s why they pushed me off the bridge,” I say. “But they never said why.”
“We’re still trying to figure it out, but we think it might be this game that some of the families kids have started where they basically go to war against each other. But we still need to look into it more.” Guilt reflects in his eyes as he reaches up and cups my face between his hands. “I’m so fucking sorry we brought you into this mess, but I swear to God we won’t let anything happened to you again. We’re going to protect you. Not just from whoever did this but from your uncle… We… Jax, Zay, and I talked about it and we want you to move in with us for a while.”
My eyes widen. “What? No… I can’t do that.”
He frowns. “Why not?”
“Because… I don’t want to be a burden to you,” I say quietly. “Plus, I doubt my aunt and uncle will let me.” Although, I’m not totally positive about that part.
“We’ll figure out a way to convince them… Jax, Zay, and I can be very persuasive when we want to be.” He says it in this dark, ominous tone that makes me question if they’re going to like hurt my uncle or something.
Not that I really care. What that says about me, I’m not sure.
“And you wouldn’t be a burden. You’re our friend and we want—need to protect you from a mess we brought you into.” He skims his thumb along my cheekbone, looking straight into my eyes. “Please let us do that.”
I want to say yes. How could I freaking not want that, however…
“Maybe I could pay rent or something,” I say. “And be like a roommate, so that I’m not just living here for free.”
The corners of his lips quirk. “If that’s what I want.”
Relief washes over me. “It’s what I want.”
He stares at me for a beat then drags the pad of his thumb along my bottom lip, this intensity consuming his expression. “Do you ever get the feeling that perhaps we know each—”
He’s cut off by a knock on the door.
He sighs. “That’s probably Jax wanting to see if you’re all right.” He sweeps his thumb along my bottom lip one more time before lowering his hand. “Just a warning, he might freak out a little bit… What happened to you… With you being in that water like that… He’s kind of experienced something like that before.” I’m about to ask him what happened, when he calls out, “You can come in, man.”
The door opens up and Jax walks in. His eyes instantly find mine and so many emotions flash across his face at once that it’s kind of overwhelming. To be honest, seeing him is stirring emotions inside me.
He saved me. Jumped into that water and didn’t let me drown. I thought no one would care if I died. But he did.
“Are you okay,” he says as he steps into the room, his intense gaze searing into mine.
I nod then stand up, tugging down the hem of the shirt I’m wearing. “I am thanks to you.”
He takes another step toward me. “Don’t thank me. It’s our fault you were ever in that situation.”
“Don’t blame yourself,” I say, wanting to alleviate some of the anguish in his tone. I wonder what he’s been through to cause that kind of sorrow. “Honestly, if I’d known how to swim, the situation probably wouldn’t have ended up that bad. But I hate water so learning how to swim has never really worked for me.”
For some reason, his breathing quickens. I start to worry that something I said might have triggered some sort of panic inside him when he steps all the way to me, his gaze never wavering from mine.”
“Can I hug you?” he asks softly.
That’s not what I was expecting him to say and I’m not used to being hugged, but he looks like he’s desperate for me to say yes, so I do.
“Y-yeah.” I don’t know why I stammer.
“Are you sure?” he double checks.
I nod, telling myself to chill out. That it’s just a hug. But the moment his arms wrap around me, I become aware that it’s more than that. It’s comfort and intensity and weirdly, familiar.
Are all hugs like this?
And why do I keep getting the feeling that I know these guys?
“I’m never going to let anyone hurt you again,” Jax whispers in my ear as he holds me tightly against him.
Breathing in, I wrap my arms around him and hug him back. I thought it would be awkward, to hug someone, but it’s not. At least, this hug isn’t.
“Thanks for saving me, Jaxon,” I whisper with my head resting against his chest where his heart is racing.
He pulls me tighter against him and his body starts to shake. I think he might be crying. I think about what Hunter said, how he experienced something similar to what happened to me. It must’ve been awful for him. And I hate that he feels this, this pain. I want to take it away from him but I don’t know how. So I do the only thing I can think of. I let him hold onto me, and hold onto him right back, letting him cry.
Letting him cry out his pain.
“You okay, brother,” I hear Hunter say from close behind me.
Jax gives a nod then sucks in an inhale and then steps back. He hurries and wipes his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt before looking at me.
“I’m sorry about that,” he tells me apologetically.
“You’re f
ine,” I try to reassure him.
Then I reach out and hitch my pinkie with his.
I don’t know why I do it, but the move causes his brows to knit. Then he trades a look with Hunter.
“Is everything okay?” I wonder.
He nods, returning his gaze to me, a small smile touching his fine.
Hunter moves up beside me and drapes his arm around. “How about we let you shower then we’ll come up with a plan to get you out of that house?”
I nod, a drop of panic stirring inside me as I wonder if Hunter will tell Jax what my uncle did to me. But then I think about how Jax just cried on my shoulder and I decide that I don’t think he’ll judge me for anything.
“Okay, yeah, a shower sounds nice.” What I want to say, but I don’t, is that all of this sounds nice.
I just hope it stays.
15
Hunter
“Are you okay?” I say to Jax after we leave Raven in the bathroom so she can take a shower.
He nods, releasing a shaky breath while stuffing his hands into his pocket. “Yeah, I think so.” He gives a short pause, his gaze straying to the shut bathroom door where Raven is. “Hunter, I really do think it’s her… She seems so familiar. And the way she hitched her pinkie with mine… Willow used to do that.”
“I know,” I agree, my heart quickening at the realization. “We need to get her out of that house, but from the way she acted and some of the stuff she told me, I think her uncle is going to make it a pain in the ass.”
He straightens. “Did something happen to her?”
I’m not sure if Raven wants me to tell Jax everything, but I think he needs to know that… “He’s hurting her, Jax. I think similar to like how we were hurt.”
Anger flashes in his eyes, his fingers curling into fists. “Then that motherfucker is going to pay.”
While Jax is usually a calm person, he does have his moments when he loses his cool. And this time, I’m right there with him.
“Oh, I know he is,” I agree. “And we’re going to protect her from everything like I promised her we would. We just need to come up with a plan.”
Zay appears at the end of the hallway then with his arms crossed. “I’m sure I can think of one.”
“Really?” I question. “Because I thought you were against her moving in with us?”
He just shrugs. “You know I’m always up for destroying someone’s life that deserves it.”
He’s such a liar. I know he has a soft spot for Raven. So do Jax and me, which could get really complicated if we’re not careful. We need to just stay friends, like I planned to do from the start.
Deep down, though, I know it’s going to get more difficult to do so the more I’m around her. But at least I have a shit ton of other stuff to focus on, like finding out who Raven is, who took her today, protecting her, and getting her out of that house.
“So we all agree on that,” I ask. “That we’re going to help her?”
Jax nods and then with a bit of hesitation, Zay does too.
Then to seal the deal, I stick out my hand. Zay rolls his eyes, but places his hand on mine and Jax puts his on top of Zay’s. We haven’t done this in a while, since Willow actually. I just hope this vow between us goes better than the last one.
But I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure it does.
No matter what, I’ll protect Raven.
No one will hurt her ever again.
About the Author
Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.
Also by Jessica Sorensen
A Pact Between the Forgotten:
The Art of Being Friends
The Rules of Being Friends
The Art of Kissing (coming soon)
The Honeyton Mysteries:
Chasing Hadley
The Deal & a Secret
The Mystery & a Kiss
Untitled (coming soon)
Signed with a Kiss:
Sweet Little Lies
Truths & a Mystery
Spies & Secrets
Untitled (coming soon)
My Life with the Band
Discovering Benton
Whispered Secrets & a Kiss
Untitled (coming soon)
The Sunnyvale Mysteries:
The Year of Truths & Kisses
The Year of Secrets & Love Confessions
The Year of Mystery & First Dates
The Year of Love & Whispered Truth
The Year of Promises & First Kiss
Untitled (coming soon)
The Mysteries of Star Grove
Suspicion
Untitled (coming soon)
Rules of Willow & Beck:
Rules of Willow & Beck
Untitled (coming soon)
The Confession of Luna:
The Confessions of Luna
Untitled (coming soon)
Lexi Ashford Series:
The Diary of Lexi Ashford
The Diary of Lexi Ashford: The Agreement
Untitled (coming soon)
The Heartbreaker Society:
The Opposite of Ordinary
The Simplicity in Ordinary
Untitled coming soon)
The Unraveling Mysteries Series:
The Mysterious Guy Next Door
The Mystery of the Symbol
(coming soon)
Shadow Cove Series:
Spies & Sprinkles
Secrets & Vanilla Bean Frosting (coming soon)
The Coincidence Series:
The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden
The Redemption of Callie and Kayden
The Destiny of Violet and Luke
The Truth of Violet and Luke
The Promise of Violet and Luke
The Evermore of Callie and Kayden
Seth & Greyson
The Coincidence Mysteries:
The Diaries of Callie: Volume 1
The Diaries of Callie: Volume 2 (coming soon)
The Diaries of Violet: Volume 3 (coming soon)
The Secret Series:
The Prelude of Ella and Micha
The Secret of Ella and Micha
The Forever of Ella and Micha
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan
The Ever After of Ella and Micha
Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always
Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always
The Secret Star Grove Mysteries:
Ella & the Interrupted Road Trip
Ella & the Welcome Home
Breaking Nova Series:
Breaking Nova
Saving Quinton
Delilah: The Making of Red
Nova and Quinton: No Regrets
Tristan: Finding Hope
Wreck Me
Ruin me
Unbeautiful Series:
Unbeautiful
Untamed
Tangled Realms:
Untitled (coming soon)
Harlynn’s Mystery Investigations:
Sugar Cookies & Zombie Secrets
Untitled (coming soon)
Mystic Willow Bay Vampires
The Secret Life of a Vampire
Untitled (coming soon)
Mystic Willow Bay Mysteries Series:
The Secret Life of a Witch
Broken Magic
Stolen Kisses
One Wild, Crazy, Zombie Night
Magical Whispers & the Undead (coming soon)
Enchanted Chaos Series:
Enchanted Chaos
Charmed Chaos
Entangled Chaos
Untitled (coming soon)
Capturing Magic:
The Thief of Wishes
The Thief of Magic
Untitled (coming soon)
My Cursed Superhero Life:
Cursed
Untitled (coming soon)
Guardian Academy
Series:
Entranced
Entangled
Enchanted
Entice
Charmed
Untitled (coming soon)
Monster Academy for the Magical:
Monster Academy for the Magical
Monster Academy for the Magical: Hidden Magic
Monster Academy for the Magical: The Monster Clique (coming soon)
The Shattered Promises Series:
Shattered Promises
Fractured Souls
Unbroken
Broken Visions
Scattered Ashes
The Fallen Star Series:
The Fallen Star
The Underworld
The Vision
The Promise
The Lost Soul
The Evanescence
The Mist of Stars (untitled)
The Darkness Falls Series:
Darkness Falls
Darkness Breaks
Darkness Fades
The Death Collectors Series (NA and YA):
Ember X and Ember
Cinder X and Cinder
Spark X and Spark
Standalones:
The Forgotten Girl
The Rules of Being Friends (A Pact Between the Forgotten Series Book 2) Page 14
