Chapter Five
Raven
I ’m late. I’m late. I’m late.
I completely forgot about my car still being at O’Neal’s. Luckily, it only takes five minutes to walk to the bar, but I’m already five minutes late and now I can’t focus on anything except for the messages I saw on my phone this morning. Apparently, Jaxon and Jasper created a group message to text me through.
I completely forgot to message them before I fell asleep.
Jasper : Reynolds has been back for an hour and we still haven’t heard anything from you.
Jaxon: We just want to make sure you’re safe, sweetheart.
Jasper: Not following one simple rule is grounds for punishment, Pet.
Jaxon: What my brother is trying to say is that we’re worried about you. Text us when you wake up.
Punishment?
Me: I’m so sorry. I fell asleep on my couch as soon as I got here. I mean, I didn’t even turn off my lights or change clothes. I woke up with my purse still attached to my shoulder.
I shove my phone in my pocket and rush outside. My boss is going to be furious.
I hear my phone buzz, but I don’t have time to deal with those two insane men right now.
By the time I get to O’Neal’s I’m already fifteen minutes late.
“Where have you been? Rob has been on a warpath for five minutes.”
Short stature, messy brown hair, green eyes, and smells like cotton candy. This is Eric.
“My car wouldn’t start last night,” I answer. “I overslept and then had to walk here. I don’t understand why we had to have this meeting so early.”
“I know, right,” he says, walking with me to the staff room. “As soon as we’re finished, we’re all leaving, only to return in three hours. Stupid.”
“Let’s get this over with,” I sigh.
“Bassett, you’re late.”
Tall, broad shoulders, shaved head, glasses, and anger in his voice.
That would be Rob. My boss.
Eric once told me that Rob is quite handsome in the looks department. I nodded my agreement, but in all honesty, I can’t really tell if someone is good-looking or not. Not even the men from last night. They could be the vilest-looking men on the face of the planet, and I would never know.
I doubt they are, though.
“I’m sorry, sir,” I say. “I couldn’t get my car to start after my last shift, so I had to walk here.”
“Don’t care. That makes three times now. You’re fired.”
“What?” I say. “I’m never late. Actually, I’m always here before you.”
“According to your file, you’ve been late three times,” he says nonchalantly, shoving a piece of paper on the table. “You know the rules. Three times, and you’re out.”
Grabbing the paper, I read it over in shocked silence.
“This says I’ve only been late three times,” I say. “Ever.”
“You know the rules,” Rob repeats.
“ Ever ,” I repeat. “As in, since I started working here six years ago.”
“Don’t question me, woman,” he snarls. “I said you’re fired. Now, get out.”
I stand frozen, the weight of Rob’s words crashing over me like a tidal wave. Fired? Just like that? After six years of dedication and bending over backward for this place, I’m thrown out without a proper explanation.
Eric shifts uncomfortably beside me, his eyes darting between Rob and me. “Uh, Rob—”
“Not now, Eric,” Rob snaps, cutting him off without even sparing him a glance.
I open my mouth to argue, to defend myself, but the look in Rob’s eyes stops me. It’s not just anger. It’s satisfaction. He wants this. He’s enjoying it.
Fine. If he’s looking for a reaction, he’s not going to get one.
“Okay,” I say quietly, folding the paper and slipping it into my pocket.
Rob’s smug expression falters as if he were expecting more of a fight. “That’s it? You’re not going to argue?”
I square my shoulders, meeting his gaze with as much calm as I can muster. “There’s no point. You’ve clearly made up your mind.”
I turn on my heel and walk out of the staff room, Eric hurrying after me.
“Raven, wait!” he calls, catching up to me as I reach the hallway. “You can’t just let him do this!”
“What do you expect me to do, Eric?” I snap, spinning to face him. “He’s the boss. I can’t exactly force him to keep me on.”
Eric hesitates, his face scrunching in frustration. “You could... I don’t know... fight back or something!”
I shake my head, my chest tight with a mixture of anger and despair. “What good would that do? He’s looking for a reason to get rid of me. I’m not giving him the satisfaction of seeing me beg.”
Eric opens his mouth to argue, but the sound of my phone buzzing in my pocket cuts him off.
I pull out my phone, my hands trembling as I swipe the screen. It’s another message from the group chat.
Jasper: We’ll talk about this later, Pet, but I hope you’ve eaten something. Text us when you can.
My stomach twists. I haven’t eaten. I haven’t done much of anything except rush to this stupid meeting only to lose my job.
“Everything okay?” Eric asks, glancing at my phone.
I shove it back into my pocket and force a smile. “Yeah. It’s fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “I’ll be fine, Eric. I just... need to figure out what to do next.”
He hesitates for a moment before stepping closer, his voice lowering. “Look, if you need anything, just let me know, okay? I mean it.”
“Thanks,” I say, offering him a small smile.
He nods, lingering for a moment before heading back to the staff room.
As I step outside, the cool morning air hits me, and I realize I have no idea what to do next. My car is still dead over in the parking lot, I’m officially unemployed, and my mind keeps drifting back to the messages on my phone.
Punishment.
The word lingers in my thoughts, stirring a strange mixture of curiosity and unease. What did Jasper mean by that? Was he serious, or was it just another way to get under my skin?
I pull out my phone again, staring at the chat.
Me: I’m fine. Just got out of a meeting, and things didn’t go great.
The response comes almost immediately.
Jaxon: What happened, sweetheart?
I bite my lip, hesitating. Do I really want to unload all of this on them? They’re practically strangers.
But as I stare at the screen, another thought creeps in. Last night, they made me feel safe. Protected. Maybe, just maybe, they’d understand.
Me: I got fired. It’s a long story.
The response is instant.
Jasper: Where are you right now?
Me: Walking home.
I stop mid-step as my phone buzzes again.
Jaxon: Stay where you are. We’re coming to you.
My heart skips a beat, a mix of panic and relief flooding through me. I type out a quick response.
Me: You don’t have to—
Before I can finish, my phone buzzes again.
Jasper: Don’t argue. Stay put.
I stare at the screen, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. Part of me wants to tell them to leave me alone and that I can handle this on my own. But another part of me, the part that’s tired, frustrated, and feeling more alone than I’d like to admit, wants to let them take the reins.
With a shaky breath, I type out a single word.
Me: Okay.
My stomach growls, and I make a quick decision.
Me: But I’m walking across the street to the grocery store. I’ll meet you back at the bar in ten minutes.
I make my way across the street, my chest still tight with a mixture of frustration and relief. The frustration is easy to pin down. Getting fired from a job I’ve poured six years of my life into is enough to make anyone’s blood boil. The relief? That’s harder to explain. Maybe it’s the idea of Jaxon and Jasper showing up.
As ridiculous as it sounds, part of me feels like they’ll make everything better just by being there.
The grocery store is quiet, and the early hour keeps the crowds at bay. I grab a basket and head toward the frozen section, my mind spinning. Ice cream first, then orange juice. Priorities.
I’m staring at a wall of ice cream tubs, debating between mint chocolate chip and cookie dough, when I feel someone step up beside me. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. He’s tall, broad-shouldered, with hair that’s slightly messy in a way that looks too deliberate to be accidental.
For a moment, I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. He looks familiar, I think.
“Need help deciding?” he asks, his voice low and smooth.
I blink, my brain scrambling to place him. The voice tugs at something in my memory, but it’s not quite clicking.
“I, uh...” I glance back at the ice cream, my fingers tightening around the basket handle. “I’m torn between two. Mint chocolate chip or cookie dough.”
I see his smirk in the glass door’s reflection, and there’s something about the way his lips curve that sets off an alarm in my head. “Cookie dough. Always a solid choice.”
I turn to face him fully, my heart racing. “Do I know you?” Sometimes, it’s just best to be blunt.
His smirk widens. “You tell me.”
The pieces start to fall into place, but it’s like trying to put together a puzzle with half the pieces missing. His voice, his stance, the way he tilts his head slightly when he looks at me, it’s new but familiar. Then, he removes a lighter from his pocket and flicks the flame to life.
“Jaxon,” I say hesitantly, though I’m not entirely sure.
His grin softens, and he steps a little closer. “Took you long enough, sweetheart.”
My cheeks heat, embarrassment creeping in as I realize what just happened. Of course, it’s one of them. How did I not figure that out right away?
“You’re testing me,” I accuse, narrowing my eyes at him.
Jaxon chuckles, the sound low and warm. “You can’t blame us for being curious. Besides, you passed... eventually.”
I huff, crossing my arms over my chest. “Barely. I didn’t even recognize you until you brought out that lighter. You were messing with it when I first saw you yesterday. Do you smoke?”
He shrugs, unbothered. “It’s not about how long it took. It’s about the fact that you got there. And no, I do not.”
“Did Jasper put you up to this?” I ask as I look around to see if I can spot him.
Jaxon leans casually against the freezer door, his grin widening. “Let’s just say we’re both invested in getting to know you better.”
My heart skips a beat at his words, and I look away, suddenly fascinated by the tubs of ice cream in front of me. I open the door, grab the cookie dough flavor, and toss it into the basket. “Well, if you’re here to keep an eye on me, you can carry the basket.”
Without hesitation, Jaxon takes the basket from my hand, his fingers brushing against mine in the process. “Happy to help, sweetheart. Where to next?”
“Orange juice,” I mutter.
As we walk through the store, I can’t help but glance at him every few seconds. He’s too at ease, too confident like he owns the space around him.
“I was going to meet you guys back at the bar. Did you really decide to come over here to test me?” I ask, breaking the silence.
Jaxon glances at me, his grin never faltering. “This just seemed like a good opportunity.”
“Opportunity for what?”
“To get to you faster,” he says simply. “And to see if you’d recognize me without Jasper standing next to me.”
I roll my eyes, though I can’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. “Well, now you know. I’m terrible at it.”
“Not terrible,” he says, his tone softer. “Just unique.”
The way he says it makes my stomach flip, but I brush it off, focusing instead on grabbing a carton of orange juice from the cooler.
“Anything else you need?” he asks, holding up the basket.
I shake my head. “No, this should be enough.”
As we wait in line, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out to see a message in the group chat.
Jasper: How’s the ice cream hunt going?
I glance up at Jaxon, narrowing my eyes. “You told him?”
He shrugs, looking far too pleased with himself. “Of course. He’s sometimes more impatient than I am.”
Rolling my eyes, I type out a quick response.
Me: Mission accomplished. Ice cream and orange juice secured.
Almost immediately, another message comes through.
Jasper: Good girl. Don’t let Jaxon steal your ice cream. Cookie dough is his weakness.
I can’t help the laugh that escapes me, earning a curious glance from the cashier. As Jaxon pays for the groceries, ignoring my protests, I wonder what I’ve gotten myself into with these two men.
And why, despite everything, I can’t seem to stay away.