Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
RAVEN
I blinked against the light peeking through the curtains, a little surprised I’d managed to fall asleep in the first place. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes, finding Ander sitting on the chair in the corner.
“Did you sit there all night?” I asked flatly, assessing him. He was slouched back in the seat lazily, his gun in hand on his thigh as he watched me.
“Yes.”
“Well, thanks for keeping the boogeyman away from me. I think I’ve got it from here.”
“Can’t be too careful,” he replied, still not moving. “Get dressed and come out for breakfast. I have something to do this morning, and you’re coming with me.”
“Pass.”
“It wasn’t an offer to hang out. You’re coming, end of story,” he said as he finally stood, leaving me alone to get dressed.
“This motherfucker,” I muttered under my breath as I climbed from the bed and rummaged in my bag for fresh clothes. I’d had a long shower last night when he’d brought me here, wanting to scrub the scent and DNA of Devon and Michael off me.
I’d slept in one of Zavier’s shirts, being less mad at him right now than the other two, and I swore it was what helped me sleep.
I shoved some jeans and a black tank on, tying my hair up in a messy high ponytail, and I put a little mascara on before wandering from the room to find Ander.
He was cooking at the stove, his back to me as I dropped onto a barstool.
“So, where are you taking me hostage today?” I asked dryly, a chuckle leaving him as he brought the pan over to where he had two plates waiting. He scooped some scrambled eggs onto each plate, switching the pan for another that had loads of bacon cooking. When I saw the toast pop, I got up to bring it back to the counter, starting to butter it without being asked.
“I’m not holding you hostage. You’re right, it’s my fault that you and Zav got hurt, so I’m trying to keep you safe. I had no idea Stefano knew about Zavier’s involvement, or I never would’ve left,” he said seriously, grabbing two coffees before sitting beside me at the counter.
“You want to tell me how you got caught up with the fucking Italian mafia?” I scoffed, taking a sip of the hot coffee to simmer some of my mood.
“Young, dumb, and broke,” he said with a shrug, picking up a piece of bacon and taking a bite, finishing his mouthful before continuing. “They needed someone to oversee their drug trade in the States, and I had a lot of connections. I didn’t exactly have a say in the matter, it was one of those situations where I did as I was told or I’d end up dead.”
“What did you do for them to go after Zavier?”
“Nothing. I never even mentioned him to them. They must have found out about him helping me, and decided he was a loose end,” he said, glancing at my untouched food. “Eat. You’re too skinny.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Some people can’t afford to?—”
“I’m not blaming you, just stating that you need to eat the food in front of you,” he cut in, picking up my fork and stabbing it into the eggs, lifting it to my mouth. “I have no problem feeding you.”
“Give me that,” I grumbled, taking it from him and eating it myself. “So, you left to hide?”
“I wasn’t running,” he said with annoyance. “I thought I was keeping everyone safe by leaving, I swear.”
“Is that why Blake left you? She knew the truth?” I asked bluntly, his eyes dropping to his food. I’d hit a nerve, I could tell it had hurt.
Just when I thought he wasn’t going to answer me, he did.
“Blake didn’t know. She’s always known I was tied in with bad shit, you know she used to street race in my races, and she’s not stupid. She saw a lot of drug deals and shit over the past year too. Her sister will always come first, as she should since she’s her guardian, and I don’t hold it against her for walking away from me to protect Kate.”
“You didn’t love her enough to leave the job?”
“I loved her enough to let her go,” he corrected, a bit of bite to his tone. “If I’d stopped, they would’ve come after me, which would’ve meant hurting Blake and Kate to get to me.”
I eyed him as he ate silently after that, some of it starting to make sense.
“You never called Zav because Stefano could track it?”
“Yeah, Bluebird,” he sighed, sounding tired. “I thought Stefano had no idea about my personal connections here, but I was wrong. He wants Zavier eliminated, and now he knows that you’re Zav’s weakness. Logan and Reid might be safe for now, but you and even Penn are huge targets. You both mean a lot to Zav, so if something happened to either of you, it would bring him out of hiding. The things Stefano and his men could do to either of you would be horrific.”
I swallowed nervously, not wanting to think about it. “What about Beckett? She’s his best friend.”
He gave me a look of amusement. “I don’t worry about her as much. You and Penn could be easily snatched, but Beckett? That girl scares Satan. He’s making sure she stays alive so he doesn’t have to face her.”
“She’s still in danger.”
“Stefano is a cocky, arrogant prick, but he’s not completely stupid. He’s well aware of Beckett’s position in the Psychos and her connections. He’s unlikely to use her to get to Zav, it’s too risky,” he said confidently. “The Night Thieves are big, but they don’t look like it from the outside. They might be underestimated, which is a good advantage. If they go after the Thieves, it’s likely the crews will step in as backup. Stefano won’t see that coming.”
“Where are we going today?” I asked again, shoveling more food into my mouth.
“Pine Valley.”
“What for?”
“I want my car,” he grinned, draining his coffee and making me realize he’d finished his food.
He excused himself and gave me a few moments alone to eat, and by the time I was finished and putting my shoes on, he reappeared freshly showered.
“Does anyone else know you’re back?” I asked as he led me into the garage through the internal access door, and he shook his head. “Nope, but they’re about to. The Supra will give me away fast. I give it five seconds of passing a camera before the Thieves and Donovans know.”
“You want them to know?”
“Now is as good as any other time,” he chuckled, opening the passenger door for me. “Ladies first.”
I rolled my eyes and climbed in, buckling up as he shut the door and moved to the driver’s side, sliding behind the wheel. He lit a cigarette and tossed the pack onto my lap to let me help myself, and I wasn’t going to say no.
Within minutes, we were driving along the road with the windows down, enjoying the warm morning breeze, and I watched him out of the corner of my eye as I smoked.
“You broke him, you know?” I said after a while, tossing my cigarette butt out the window.
He knew exactly who I was talking about because he winced. “I know.”
“He deserved a proper goodbye.”
“I couldn’t.”
“Why not?” I snorted, glaring at him. “He’s meant to be one of your best friends, and you just vanished.”
“If I’d told him I was leaving and he asked me to stay, I would have. That’s why I just left,” he replied in a low voice, regret on his face. “I love Zav like a brother. I didn’t want to go, I just had to. Guess it didn’t keep everyone safe like I thought though.”
We fell back into silence for the rest of the trip, my eyes scanning our surroundings as he pulled off the main road and along a dirt road into Pine Valley. It was spooky, if you asked me, as well as peaceful. It was all trees and dirt roads, not a lot of surveillance, and word on the street was that a lot of bodies ended up here because it was so easy to hide them.
I sat up straighter when Ander turned off onto a driveway, making me frown. “You have a place up here?”
“No,” he said without explanation, parking near a massive warehouse and climbing out. I followed, my steps slowing as the massive roller door opened, surprise filling me as Riley Donovan came into view. She stepped out, her hood up and her baseball bat in hand as she eyed Ander, seeming to decide he wasn’t a threat when she relaxed slightly.
“Seriously, Turbo? The goddamn mafia? You’re lucky I didn’t set the Supra on fucking fire.”
“Missed you too, Donovan,” he smirked, ignoring her dirty look as he gave her a hug.
“Ugh, you’re such a fucking asshole. I never would’ve stashed this for you if I’d have known what you were running from. If they’d come looking for it?—”
“Your scary mommy would’ve kept you safe,” he deadpanned, stepping back and holding his hand out. “Keys.”
“Say please.”
“Please, Daddy,” he said flatly, making her grin as she handed them over.
“See? That wasn’t hard.” She turned her attention to me, seeming just as surprised to see me as I was of her. “You kidnapped Raven? Dude, you’re so dead.”
“I didn’t kidnap her.”
“Uh, you kind of did,” I stated as I followed them into the warehouse, seeing Ander’s black Supra parked in the back corner.
“You packed a bag and came willingly,” he threw back.
“You didn’t give me a choice. You would’ve tossed me over your shoulder and dragged me.”
“Aren’t you glad you said yes then?” he smirked over his shoulder, unlocking his car and sitting in the driver’s seat, leaving the door open as he started it.
The engine roared to life, the sound bouncing off the walls and almost bursting my damn eardrums.
“It’s fine,” Riley said over the loud exhaust before he could ask. “I started it weekly and drove it around the yard a few times to make sure everything was running as it should be.”
“I appreciate you keeping it safe,” he answered sincerely, leaning over to the glovebox and pulling out a phone. “Did you charge it for me like I asked?”
“Yep. I made the mistake of turning it on too. There's a million messages and missed calls,” she grumbled, pushing her hood off her head. “We were starting to think you were dead or something.”
“Sorry to disappoint your family,” he joked, looking over at me. “You getting in?”
“What about the other car?” I asked slowly as I started walking towards the passenger seat, but he waved it off.
“I’ll come get it later.”
Riley snorted. “You know you’ll have Cruz on your doorstep the second they spot your car on their cameras, right?”
Ander shut his door and put the window down, leaning on the frame as he answered. “I intend on seeing them on the way home.”
“You’re heading to the Thieves’ compound?”
“I didn’t say that,” he chuckled, putting the car in gear as I climbed in and put my seat belt on. “Thanks for this. I’ll see you later, Donovan.”
“You’d better. I want answers,” she said seriously, moving out of the way so we could drive out into the sun.
“Where to now?” I asked as the car rumbled along the driveway, and he gave me a smirk.
“It depends where we get pulled over and interrogated. I think it’s a nice day for a drive to the beach, don’t you?”
Zavier
“Morning,” Drake said cheerfully as I entered the Thieves’ office with my morning coffee, dropping into my usual chair. I swore I’d barely left it since being here. I’d been forced to go to bed last night, thanks to Knox apparently being sick of looking at me moping, but the sleep had admittingly done me some good.
“Morning,” I answered once I’d had a sip, eyeing him. He was watching security in Kingslake for Knox and Stone, who were on a job. I didn’t know what they were stealing, and I didn’t care to ask. “Where’s Cruz?”
“Showering with Penn. She’s a little sticky,” he said with amusement, looking over at me. “You want to go do something today? You need some sun, you’re losing your tan.”
“Am not.”
“You totally are. You’re like a middle-aged man who lives in his mommy’s basement,” he snorted, returning his eyes to his screen.
I turned my computer on and waited for it to fire up, flicking through my phone notifications. Nothing from Raven or the guys, not that I was really expecting any.
I placed my coffee down once the computer was on, pulling up multiple cameras to scour the footage. I hadn’t had eyes on Raven for what felt like forever since I didn’t get to watch any of her late night wanderings.
“You know, I think you need therapy, dude,” Drake said as he slid his chair over to see what I was looking at.
“I just need to make sure she’s okay,” I said, knowing Raven would be pissed if she knew.
“She was at a party last night. I saw a photo of her this morning,” he said as he dug his phone from his pocket, scrolling until he found it.
She was laughing with Cami, which should have reassured me, but it didn’t. Cami was a bomb waiting to go off, and she was the most unreliable person at a time of need if someone went after Raven.
What was Raven thinking? The mafia were watching her, and she thought getting drunk at a party was a good idea?
Drake took my mouse and searched her face in the system that Cruz had created, other photos popping up from the party. Most were her hanging with a bunch of girls and a few guys, but the one that pissed me off was the one of her dancing with Michael.
He was a sleazy piece of shit that showed up at Heights parties when he got bored of his fancy Crestford ones, and I was a little bit surprised that she put up with his bullshit.
I’d managed to keep him away from her, but I didn’t think she’d give him the time of day even if they had met.
How drunk was she?
I reached for my phone to call her, but Drake’s voice stopped me.
“Dude, is that Lavaro’s Supra?”
My eyes lifted to the screen, and sure enough, there was Ander’s goddamn car driving through Stoneleigh. I leaned closer, wondering if Drake and I were both seeing things, and I squinted as if it would help me see through the heavily tinted windows.
“Did you know he was back?” Drake asked, sitting back at his computer to check on Stone and Knox before opening footage on another monitor to track Ander himself.
“No. I haven’t heard from him since he left,” I said, feeling slightly numb.
Why hadn’t Ander contacted me? If he was back, he could’ve easily found me to let me know what was happening.
I snatched my phone up and found him in my contacts, hitting dial and putting it on speaker as I kept watching the screen. My heartbeat increased as it actually rang for once, and after the third ring, it picked up.
“Miss me?”
“You’re an actual piece of shit,” I blurted out, hearing his snicker of amusement.
“Yeah, I know. Come say it to my face. Meet me in Lightning Cove at the east end of the beach.” Then he hung up.
I shut everything off and got to my feet so fast I almost tripped over the chair.
Did I punch him? Hug him? I wasn’t even sure how I was feeling right now, let alone how to react when I saw him face-to-face.
He’d run and left me for fucking dead.
I was definitely punching him before the hug.
“Whoa, slow down, Lopez. You can’t just run around willy-nilly on your own. Mafia, remember?” Drake bit out as he stood to block my exit.
“Move. He wants to meet me right now in Lightning Cove. It’s?—”
“I know, man. Stop. Stone and Knox should be about to leave, so let me and Cruz come with you. What if they’ve taken Ander and he’s luring you into a trap?”
It was on the tip of my tongue to say Ander would rather die than do that, but then again, he had left me here to die while he ran for the hills.
I gritted my teeth but nodded, letting Drake check in with Stone, then he motioned for me to follow him. Cruz and Penn were laughing at something in the kitchen, and Drake dropped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek.
“Sorry, baby. I need to steal Cruz. Can you keep an eye on the cameras for me? Stone and Knox are on the way back.”
“Is something wrong?” she asked with a frown as she eyed me.
“We’re not sure. Lavaro’s back, and I don’t trust that him wanting to meet up with Lopez isn’t a trap,” Drake answered, kissing her again. “Go make sure the others get home in one piece. If something goes wrong, call Will. He’ll take his team to them.”
Her eyes widened but she did as she was told, and Cruz stared at me. “He’s back?”
“Just spotted his Supra on the cameras. I called and he answered, telling me to meet him,” I explained, and Cruz started following us out to the garage without argument, grabbing a laptop on his way out.
He flipped it open and logged in as we climbed into a car, and Drake drove while Cruz checked the cameras. Sure enough, Ander was making his way through Stoneleigh towards Lightning Cove.
There didn’t seem to be any other cars following, so unless he had people in the car with him, which was only a two seater, he was alone.
I leaned between the seats to watch Cruz’s screen as he followed the Supra, and I scowled when he vanished. “Where’d he go?”
“Lightning Cove has shit cameras. It’s patchy, which is why a lot of secret meets happen there,” Cruz supplied for me, keeping the laptop open but looking at the road ahead. “Which end did he want to meet?”
“East end.”
“No cameras,” he muttered under his breath, pulling three handguns out from the glovebox and handing me one. “Can’t be too careful.”
I hated the thought that this could end badly. I couldn’t shoot Ander, not even if he’d betrayed me and was luring me out to save himself.
Drake drove past the coastal beachfront entrance where people usually parked, and I found myself getting more and more tense the closer we got.
“There he is,” Drake said as the black Supra came into view. It was a secluded spot with no other cars around, making my nerves worse.
We parked a little further away and climbed out, Cruz’s voice low but clear as both Ander’s car doors opened. “He’s not alone.”
Cruz had no issue walking towards them with his gun raised, and my heart squeezed as Ander stepped out with his hand up, the other going back inside the car to signal for his passenger to wait.
“I come in peace, Lennox. Do you think this is a clown car? How much backup do you think I have?” Ander asked dryly.
“Looks like a clown car to me,” Cruz grunted as Drake aimed his gun at Ander, leaving Cruz to aim his lower at the hidden passenger behind him. “Who the fuck’s with you? Tell them to get out slowly.”
“If you don’t get that thing out of my face, we’re going to have a problem,” Ander answered flatly, his eyes sliding to mine. “Hey, Zav.”
I scowled at how it looked like I was hiding behind Cruz and Drake, so I lifted my gun and stepped closer. “Don’t fucking hey me, Lavaro. Who the fuck’s with you?”
“I’m not letting her get out until you put the guns down,” he snapped, making me falter slightly.
Did he bring Blake?
Cruz glanced at me and Drake before lowering his weapon, but he didn’t put it away. We did the same, and Ander relaxed.
“You can get out now, Bluebird.”
There was only one person he called that, and I was moving towards the car before she even stepped out.
“What the fuck did you do to her?” I hissed when I saw her swollen lip. “Is this some kind of exchange? Fucking take me then. Rae, go to Cruz and Drake.”
“You know the only way I’d get rough with Raven was if I got her naked,” Ander deadpanned, earning a dirty look from Raven.
“Keep dreaming, asshole.”
“I will,” he smirked, resting his arms on top of his car and giving Cruz and Drake his back so he could watch us over the roof of it. “You should be thanking me. I saved her ass last night.”
“Shut the fuck up,” she bit out, making me frown. She was tense, and it was obvious she didn’t want anyone knowing what had happened.
That meant it had been bad.
I stepped closer to Raven and reached out to take her chin, holding her gaze when she pulled back. “Let me,” I said firmly, defiance flashing across her face before she allowed me to touch her.
My thumb brushed across her lip, my voice low. “Does this have something to do with Michael?” She physically flinched, fury racing through me. “What did that piece of shit do? I’ll kill him.”
“Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt,” Ander drawled, drawing my attention to him.
“You’re serious?”
“Deadly. I heard something tragic happened to Masterson too,” he said coldly, making my worry worse. Ander didn’t kill people for fun, they had to earn their fate, which meant they’d hurt Raven more than the swollen lip.
“We might wait in the car,” Cruz offered, glancing around one last time before motioning for Drake to follow him.
Once we were alone, Ander spoke. “She’s staying with me until I can clear her old man and his friends out.”
“What the fuck happened last night?” I demanded, stroking a hand over Raven’s hair and taking advantage when she leaned into me. My arm slid around her, and she buried her face in my chest, the fight leaving her.
My eyes remained on Ander, waiting for him to reply, and my heart dropped when he did.
“I walked in on Michael and Devon trying to rape her at a party last night. They’d shredded her clothes, wanting her to walk out naked after the assault.”
Raven’s arms slid around me for comfort, and I held her a little tighter. I was glad that even though she was pissed with me, she found safety near me still.
“Did they?—”
“No,” she mumbled, peering up at me. “I thought Michael liked me. He was nice all night, and I thought it was just going to be me and him. I went into that room because I wanted to, he didn’t drag me. Then Devon appeared and?—”
“You were going to sleep with Michael?” I asked with confusion, continuing when she went to pull away. “I’m not judging. He’s a sleazy Crestford asshole that could con a nun into bed.”
“I just needed it,” she forced out, leaning back into me. “I need to prove to myself I can.”
My heart hurt for her, and I let out a sigh. “Look at me.” She lifted her head, uncertainty in her eyes. She didn’t trust me, and I couldn’t blame her. “I get it. Do you want to stay at the compound? I’ll leave so you’re comfortable.”
“No. I’m fine. You need to stay there.”
Ander moved around to our side and leaned against his car, crossing his arms. “Raven’s safe at mine. I’ll make sure of it.”
“How the fuck can you keep her safe when this is your fault to begin with? She was run down by mafia goons, you know? She lost a fucking baby because of you.”
That news must have been new to him because his face fell.
“What?”
“She was pregnant. We found out at the hospital after the damage had been done.”
He studied her, his voice soft. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
She shrugged like it was no big deal, but pain filled her eyes. “Sorry doesn’t fix it.”
I went to follow her when she walked off, but Ander put an arm out to stop me.
“Give her a second.” I punched him, not that he seemed surprised. “I deserved that.”
“Yes, you did,” I growled. “Where the fuck have you been?”
“I thought?—”
“You thought you could run and leave me to take the fall for whatever bullshit you got involved with?” I seethed, and he shook his head.
“No, Zav. I left because I was trying to keep you guys safe. I had no idea Stefano even knew about you, or I never would’ve left.”
“You didn’t even fucking call.”
“I couldn’t! I knew he’d track down my contacts! I thought I’d steered him away from the Heights, but apparently not. When I heard about you and Raven being run down, I started making my way back to you. He thinks you know more than you do. To him, you’re a loose end. I need to work some kind of angle without him knowing I’m here so we can have the upper hand. Trust me?”
“Why the hell would I trust you? You were working for the mafia and didn’t even tell me!”
“You know me.”
“I thought I did,” I scoffed, starting to walk off, but he grabbed my wrist and tugged me back.
“You know me,” he repeated, grabbing my face in both hands. “Trust me. Please. I’ll keep Raven safe, I just need you to believe me.”
“Give me one reason to believe that you were ever coming back,” I said as I swatted his hands away. “Just one.”
“Talk to Riley,” he said firmly. “She’s been hiding my car and phone for me until I could come back.”
“She fucking knew all of this shit?” I snapped, but he shook his head.
“No, she just knew I was returning. Please. Ask her.”
I stared at him for a second before nodding, wanting to punch him again, but finding myself pulling him in for a tight hug. “I missed you, you prick.”
He chuckled, hugging me back. “Missed you too, bro. I’ll go after Raven. You get back to the compound where it’s safe.”
I wanted to argue, to say I was staying with Raven too, but I knew she'd just run off if I did that. I needed her safe, and something told me Ander would die before letting harm come to her.
It was a gamble to leave her in his hands, but I didn’t really have a choice.
I glanced down the road to where Raven was still walking, hanging my head a little. “Fine. Keep her safe.”
“Always. I’ll be in touch, but we have to be careful. Stefano can’t know I’m back yet. I need to catch him off guard,” he warned, waiting for me to nod before he stepped back. “Good. Be careful what’s said over text. Stefano has his own tech guys.”
He climbed back into his car and started the engine, leaving me standing there in disbelief that he was really in front of me. I felt a little better when he crept along beside Raven, obviously trying to convince her to get in, and after a second, she did as she was told and got in the car.
“What the fuck was that?” Drake called out as Ander drove off.
“Honestly? I have no fucking idea. Let’s head back to the compound before I get my ass shot or something,” I grumbled, sliding into the back seat.
Cruz turned, showing me his laptop. “We can track them as far as possible with the cameras. Might narrow down where they are.”
“It can only be a few places. My money’s on the Heights,” I replied with a sigh as Drake started the car. “While I’m already risking my life out here, can we stop for burgers? I’m starving.”
Drake agreed, but Cruz raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to tell Logan and Reid about Ander?”
“Not yet. Let’s eat first so we can talk it over before doing anything.”
It killed me to not follow Raven, especially now I knew she’d been hurt again.
I was going to have to convince her to let me stay with her at Ander’s. It was the only way I could keep an eye on both of them.