Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
LOGAN
W aking up to a wet dream after a shitty evening of dealing with phone calls from the prison was the last thing I expected. I hadn’t had one of those since I was a fucking kid.
I guessed thinking about Raven meant I could pretend last night hadn’t happened. I didn’t want to think about it at all.
I cringed as my boxers stuck to my skin as I managed to slip into the bathroom unnoticed, remembering the dream so vividly as I stepped under the hot spray. Raven had been on her hands and knees on my bed, completely naked with her pussy on full display for me as she choked on Zavier’s cock.
Her skin was soft under my hands as I ran them all over her body, and the cry she’d let out as I pushed inside her had been so fucking real.
No wonder I’d come in my fucking pants.
My dick refused to go down since I kept thinking about Raven, so I made quick work of getting myself off before rinsing the evidence away and turning the water off.
By the time I was dry and dressed, Beckett and the guys were sitting at the kitchen table having breakfast, the sight of Beckett giggling as she straddled Jett’s lap almost surprising me.
Beckett wasn’t super sweet with the guys, not publicly, and it felt illegal that I’d witnessed her so relaxed.
Maddox gave me a knowing look but motioned for me to join them, jerking his chin at the coffee pot. “Saved you some.”
“How many times did you fuck her in your sleep this time?” Beckett asked with amusement, and my face heated.
“How the fuck do you know I was dreaming about her?”
“Easy,” she grinned, looking over Jett’s shoulder at me while I poured a coffee. “You were moaning in your sleep. So it was either a sex dream, or you were eating some hella good food.”
“Maybe I was just eating hella good pussy,” I joked, bringing my cup to the table to sit with them. “You’re in a good mood this morning. Murdered someone already?”
“Some of us don’t have to dream about getting laid,” she teased, getting to her feet, much to Jett’s annoyance.
“I’d rather dream about Raven than touch anyone else. I’m good with my false sense of reality,” I grumbled, sipping my coffee and checking my phone. Raven hadn’t messaged me, I hadn’t expected her to, but I wished she had.
“Just message her,” Jett said when he noticed me sulking, and Maddox snorted.
“Or you leave her alone like she wants. You run the risk of chasing her away again if you get too pushy.”
I blew out a breath and put my phone on the table, scrubbing my hands over my face. “Why is this so difficult?”
“It’s not,” Beckett scoffed, my eyes landing on her to find my phone in her hand as she typed.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I asked in a panic, not wanting her to fuck everything up. Maddox was right, I needed to leave Raven alone until she came to me.
Beckett slid the phone towards me, rolling her eyes. “You’re welcome.”
I grabbed it and read the message she sent, my panic washing away to see Raven had already replied.
Logan: Hey. You busy today?
Raven: I’m thinking about checking out the community center progress. Want to come with?
“She wants to hang out,” I said with relief, and Beckett chuckled.
“Of course she does. She’s mad, but she doesn’t hate you. I want you out of my house, so go and play nice with your bestie so you can move back in with her.”
I took zero offense to that. Having me here was definitely getting in the way of their sexcapades.
Logan: Tell me what time and I can come and pick you up.
She replied almost instantly.
Raven: Zav and Ander have already left for the day, so I’m ready now if you are.
“Gotta go,” I said quickly as I stood, pulling my keys from my pocket, hearing Beckett muttering about getting naked the second I left.
I was in the car and on the road before remembering to reply to Raven, sending her a quick on my way message so I didn’t surprise her. I probably looked desperate for showing up so damn fast, but I didn’t care.
She was waiting outside for me when I pulled up out front, and I glared at her when she climbed in. “Why were you outside alone? Someone could’ve?—”
“Someone could’ve broken in and taken me just as easily,” she cut in without missing a beat, apparently prepared for the argument. “Besides, I only just stepped outside when I heard your car.”
“Sorry, I just worry,” I mumbled, hoping I wasn’t already fucking it up, but when I looked at her, she was smiling slightly.
“Yeah, I know. So, have you been to the community center yet? Diesel showed me and Zav around the day—” Her voice faded, and I didn’t mean to, but I reached over to give her thigh a gentle squeeze.
“I haven’t, no. Beckett told me you’ve been helping Diesel figure out what the Heights needs though.”
I tried to act casual when she took my hand, keeping my eyes on the road ahead as she spoke. “They’re doing some really good things, Logan. They’re giving everyone a chance, that’s all people have ever needed.”
“I’m thinking of seeing if they need volunteers to help out,” I admitted, her hand tightening in mine.
“Yeah?”
“My resume isn’t exactly screaming employable. I figured maybe helping out would look good, and it means I get to help the kids in the area that don’t have anyone. We were lucky, we all had each other, but some of these kids have it really rough on their own. I hate that.”
She noticed she was holding my hand and pulled away, but her voice was happy. “That’s really sweet. The kids would like it too, you’re easy to talk to and you understand their issues because you lived them.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her about Mom, but I didn’t want to kill the mood. I rarely spoke about her, but last night’s phone call played on repeat in my head in the silent car.
“Mom ODed again last night,” I said before I could stop myself, my fingers gripping the steering wheel.
“Did she die this time?”
“Nah, the fucking guards found her in time and saved her for some stupid reason,” I sighed, parking the car outside the community center but not making a move to get out. “Why won’t she just die, Rae? Is this the universe punishing me for something?”
“Because she’s a cockroach, and those fuckers never die,” she grumbled, unbuckling her seat belt and leaning closer to take one of my hands in both of hers. “Look at me.”
I did, not caring that she saw my devastation and silent anger. She’d seen me stripped bare and bleeding, so this was nothing compared to that.
Being vulnerable around Raven was something I never had to worry about.
“The world can’t punish someone who’s done nothing wrong. You’ve endured more than anyone should, and it fucking owes you. Don’t let her take up space in your head, okay? She’s the one being punished, rotting away in that prison, ODing over and over again and wishing for death to take her, but it won’t. She’s not done paying for what she did, and that’s why she won’t die. Dying would be a mercy to her.”
I hadn’t thought of it like that before, something cracking in my chest at the realization. She wasn’t alive to punish me, she was alive because while she was breathing, she was suffering.
“I know she’s not getting out, and I shouldn’t be afraid of running into her, but I am. What if—” My voice broke, and Raven grabbed my face in her hands to force me to hold her gaze.
“She should be afraid of you . You have nothing to fear, you have an army of people behind you that would tear her apart before she even got close enough to breathe the same air as you. There’s no way she’s getting out, but find comfort in the fact that even if she did, she wouldn’t get near you,” she said fiercely, holding my head tighter when I tried to look away, her voice softening. “I will kill her and anyone else with my bare fucking hands before someone gets to touch you again without your permission. Understand?”
I nodded, blinking back tears and taking a deep breath to calm myself.
She let me go and opened her door, sensing my need to end the conversation, and she lit a cigarette once she was outside the car, giving me a second alone to collect my thoughts.
Raven always centered me when I put myself in a panic about that bitch, so I was glad I’d opened up about it now. She was right, Mom couldn't do shit to me, and her being alive to suffer was a good thing.
I stepped out of the car and Raven gave me what was left of her cigarette, leaning back against my car with a small smile. “Doesn’t it look good?”
I glanced around as I blew smoke into the air, nodding. “They’ve done an awesome job. When do they open?”
“Soon. They’re just finishing up with a few things, and then they should be good to open the doors to the public,” she explained, motioning for me to follow her as she started pointing out where everything was.
Having a laundromat and accessible bathrooms was so helpful to a lot of people, and if they had the right security, this could become a really important part of the community. Kids could bathe, and they could beg for coins if they had to in order to come here and wash clothes when their parents were on a bender.
This was life changing.
We found Diesel and Marco inside when we poked our heads in, and I had to do a double take when Diesel spotted us and gave Raven a warm smile. It wasn’t just a smile you gave someone to be polite, there was genuine kindness and familiarity in it.
“Hey. Checking in?” he asked as Raven grabbed my wrist to tug me inside behind her.
“Showing Logan. He hasn’t had a good look through here yet,” she smiled back.
I guessed they were best friends now or something.
Diesel was more than happy to give me a tour, updating Raven on things they’d previously talked about. I couldn’t lie, I was impressed by everything they’d done.
Marco started asking Raven questions about some of the local kids, and Diesel pulled me aside.
“I don’t need to threaten you, do I?” he asked, making me frown.
“For what?”
“Raven.”
“You’re sure stepping up to play daddy,” I grunted, scowling as he smacked the back of my head.
“It’s not like her actual father is looking out for her. You know what I see when I look at her? My kids. She’s only a year younger than Riley, and yet she’s had no parent to be there for her. I met Rory when she was seventeen, and she was exactly like Raven. Chip on her shoulder, a piece of shit father who abused her, and so much goddamn damage. I know Raven at least had you boys, but she still needs stable adults in her life that she can turn to. I’m not trying to be her daddy ,” he growled. “I’m just trying to show her that she has people that she can turn to.”
I glanced at Raven as she laughed at something Marco said, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “I’m not used to her being able to rely on anyone else. It’s hard to let it happen, especially when I fucked it up with her and made her feel like she couldn’t come to me anymore.”
“You seem to be doing okay in fixing it,” he observed, nudging my shoulder to draw my attention. “You know you can turn to us for help too, right?”
Discomfort filled me, and I winced. “Thanks.”
“You’re such a guy,” he chuckled, patting my shoulder. “Ask Lavaro though, if you fuck with Raven, I’ll threaten you myself.”
“You didn’t threaten him hard enough since he’s all over her.”
“Only because he’s obviously earned it. Raven doesn’t trust people, but she trusts him. Prove to her that you have her back and she’d let you be all over her too,” he said quietly, giving me a knowing look. “Do you have a problem with sharing?”
“No,” I scoffed, crossing my arms. “I just have a problem sharing with people who don’t deserve it.”
“Right now, you’re the one who doesn’t deserve it. Earn that shit,” he said firmly, and as much as I hated it, he was right.
She was Zavier and Ander’s girl, and I had to work hard to earn her back.
“Do you guys need volunteers?” I asked, changing the subject and seeming to surprise him.
“You want to help out?”
“It helps the locals and looks good on a resume for me,” I shrugged, stumbling when Raven almost bowled me over with a grin.
“C’mon, Diesel. Give him a chance. He’s a hard worker.”
It was a struggle not to tuck my arm around her in return and just kiss the shit out of her.
“We can probably find you something,” Diesel smiled, glancing at his phone and cringing. “Shit, I’m late for a meeting with the council.”
“What’s it for?” Raven asked without hesitation, a chuckle leaving him.
“To guilt them into some funding. They look pretty bad right now leaving us to fund their local education and food issues. We’re hoping they’ll offer to pitch in with upgrades to the school, and to kickstart the soup kitchen plans. I think they should run something, don’t you?”
“I wouldn’t hold my breath,” I sighed.
“They’re scared of my girl, so I’ll take her with me,” he said with amusement, motioning to Marco. “He’s sticking around for a delivery. We managed to get donations from a big toy company. We’re installing a playground outside.”
“Wait, you’re serious? Swings and slides?” I asked slowly.
“Among other things, yes. Council approved it last week since it's not coming out of their pocket. Safety fences and everything,” he answered, saying goodbye before leaving.
Marco showed us the design plans, and I was almost jealous of the kids who got to grow up in this town now. We’d never had anything like this when we were little.
Raven was ecstatic, and I stood back and watched her as she raved about her excitement to Marco, enjoying seeing her this fucking happy.
Reid
My phone startled me when it rang, my morning coffee almost ending up all over the front steps of Riley and Luna’s house. Part of me hoped it was Raven, but it was a little early for her to call unless something was wrong.
It was only nine-thirty.
I pulled it from my pocket and let out a sigh when I saw it was Mom, answering and pressing it to my ear as I placed my coffee on the ground so I could finish my cigarette. “Hey, Mom.”
“Reid, baby. Are you busy today?” she asked, her voice sounding clearer than it had been last time.
“No. Why?”
“Come spend some time with me. Why aren’t you home anymore? Clint told me he hasn’t seen you.”
“Don’t spend time around him, he’s bad news,” I warned, not wanting her dragged into his bullshit. “Did you stop by to see me?”
“I came to ask you if I could stay a while.”
“Mom, you know you can’t. Raven?—”
“That girl’s a little brat. I don’t need her permission, it’s Clint’s house, and he said I’m more than welcome to stay here,” she huffed, and I bit back the groan that threatened to come out.
“You’re staying there?”
“Yes. So, you know where I am. Come and see me. We’ll go for lunch or something,” she said cheerfully before hanging up, and I shoved my phone into my pocket with a groan.
“Problem?” Riley asked as she appeared beside me with a cigarette between her lips. “Raven?”
“Mom,” I corrected, making her frown as she lit it. “What does she want?”
“To make my life hell,” I scoffed, grabbing my coffee to down what was left. “Apparently, she’s living at Raven’s place. Clint let her stay.”
“The house is trashed. If you guys ever get it back, it will take a lot of work to fix,” she said with a wince. “Turbo said there’s body-sized holes in the walls, carpet missing, and most of the furniture is either broken or gone.”
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, knowing it would’ve killed Raven to see it like that.
“Maybe it’s what you guys needed,” she continued, leaning back against the house to watch me.
“What do you mean?”
“Raven won’t let it go. Maybe it will take her father destroying it for her to finally walk away. I know the house is important to her, but it’s just a house. You guys have spent years paying off someone else's mortgage, and for what? He took out a second one and fucked it all up anyway. If you want some help buying something else?—”
“Don’t fucking pity purchase shit for me,” I snapped, a smirk tugging on her lips.
“You need to get laid, Barron. Stop feeling guilty about Josh, butter up Raven some more, and bend her over something. I have a feeling it would fix your mood.”
“Don’t talk about her like that.”
“Like what? A warm-blooded female with a sex drive? She’s not the innocent girl you’ve been defending your whole life, dude. She’s exploring what she likes, and you’re missing out because you’re an idiot. You know Ander, so you know he’s not likely to be making sweet love to her,” she said dryly, the thought making me want to go and put my fist through his face.
“Raven’s not into all that?—”
“How the fuck would you know? She was letting Logan raw-dog her from the get-go, so imagine what Ander fucking Lavaro is getting her into? He’s probably fisting her on the side of the road somewhere as we speak,” she threw back, shutting me up. “You think Lopez is sitting around watching with his dick in his hand these days? Doubtful. He learned how easy it was to lose her already, so I’d bet money on him spit-roasting her with Ander every night. You might have helped turn that girl into who she is today, but you don’t know her on the same level as them, not anymore.”
I wanted to snap at her for being wrong, no one knew Raven like I did, but the reality of the situation slapped me in the face. Riley was right. Logan, Zavier, and Ander all knew Raven differently than I did, and I fucking hated it.
“You really know how to cheer a guy up,” I grunted, tossing my cigarette butt in the ashtray.
“I’m not here to coddle you, I’m here to call you on your bullshit. It’s why you like me,” she said bluntly, patting my shoulder. “Maybe reach out to check in with her to show you give a shit. Girls like that.”
“Thanks for the tip,” I deadpanned, fishing my keys from my pocket. “I’m going to go and see what trouble Mom’s gotten into. I’ll be back later.”
“Let me know if you need bailing out of the pig pen,” she replied, watching me leave as I climbed into my car and headed towards the Heights.
It was a short drive, and it didn’t take long to pull up in the driveway and see how overgrown the yard was getting. We’d only just left, but it had been overdue for a mow for a while now.
I’d barely knocked on the door when Mom flung it open with a wide smile, pulling me inside for a hug.
“There’s my sweet boy! I knew you’d come and visit!”
It felt weird visiting my own damn house.
“You look good,” I said with a frown, a little confused by that.
“I had a good sleep,” she insisted, closing the door. I glanced around, my heart hurting at the state of the house. It reeked of piss and vomit, and there were dents and holes all over the walls.
I let her tug me through to the kitchen, where Clint and Viktor Mathers were drinking. I wasn’t expecting to see Frank sitting at the counter with his eyes cast down, a black eye and a split lip.
“What happened to the kid?” I asked no one in particular, Viktor glancing over at me with a grunt.
“Little fucker wasn’t listening to me.”
Angry tears burned in Frank’s eyes as he silently looked up at me, telling me it wasn’t over something simple.
“What was the issue?”
“Thought he could tell me how to handle my daughter,” he rambled drunkenly, smacking his hand down on the table and making Frank clench his fists. “All she does is cry!”
“Starving, neglected babies will do that,” I answered flatly, making him sneer.
“She’s fine. Fed her myself last night.”
“Where is she then?” I almost didn’t want to ask.
“At home. Little bitch can cry all she likes there,” he shrugged, popping the top on a fresh beer. “Few more years and she’ll be useful. Until then, I don’t want to hear or see her.”
Rage filled my stomach, and I had him by the front of the shirt before he could blink. “She’s a fucking baby!”
“I didn’t say she was going to make me money right now, did I?” he snapped, trying to pull away, but he was too drunk. “Let me go, you little shit.”
“Reid!” Mom cried, grabbing my arm to try and protect her pig of a friend. “It’s not your business!”
“You all wonder why your kids fucking hate you, you spineless pieces of shit,” I laughed dryly, shaking Mom’s hold off. I had no problem punching Viktor in the face and dropping him on the floor like the sack of shit that he was.
“Reid!”
“No, Mom! Look around you! This isn’t a fucking life!” I shouted, her dramatic crying grating on my nerves. “You don’t think I should get involved with the fucking Mathers’ business? You think I should let this prick say sick things about a literal baby ? Look at Frank’s face! That’s from trying to protect her! No twelve-year-old kid should be put in that position!”
“He can deal with his children as he sees fit,” she said through tears, grabbing my arm again and digging her nails in.
I looked at her. Really fucking looked at her.
She was weak, she always had been, and the lack of slurring I’d noticed was quite obviously party pills or something from the way her pupils were blown.
She wasn’t sober, she just wasn't drunk today.
“I defended you every single time you let me down, you know? Made excuses to make myself feel better, and argued with my friends who talked badly about you, saying I was wasting my time trying to help you,” I spat, shaking her off again. “You might have given birth to me, but you’re a shitty fucking mother, and an even shittier human being for turning a blind eye to vulnerable kids.”
She gasped, her face burning red. “You’re embarrassing me!”
“Good! You’ve embarrassed me my entire life!” I threw back, kicking Viktor who was still lying on the ground drunkenly mumbling to himself. “Touch your kids again, and I’ll come back here and put a fucking bullet in your head.”
“You mouthy little cunt! You listen to your mother!” Clint shouted, apparently deciding his friend was worth standing up for, but Frank wasn’t.
No surprise there.
“Don’t you fucking start, old man,” I laughed flatly, pointing a finger at him. “I should’ve killed you a long time ago. Do you even give a shit that your son was killed? Or were you happy not to have another mouth to feed? Oh, wait. You weren’t fucking feeding him in the first place!”
“Get out of my house!” he bellowed, trying to throw an empty beer bottle at me but missed, the glass shattering as it hit the wall behind me.
“Gladly.” I turned to Mom, looking her right in the eye. “Don’t fucking call or text me. As far as you’re concerned, you don’t have a son. You’re dead to me. You should’ve been years ago.”
“Wait! You won’t leave me to starve, right? I need twenty dollars,” she begged, a sound of disgust leaving me.
“You didn’t want to see me, you just wanted fucking money?”
I should’ve known, but as usual, I’d gone running to her in hopes she meant it this time. That she just wanted me.
She was crying and babbling something, but I didn’t care, motioning to Frank.
“C’mon. You’re with me.”
He didn’t hesitate to scramble to my side, flinching as Viktor started yelling cruel shit to him and threatening his sister. The asshole wouldn’t have the chance to hurt either of them, and right now, he couldn’t even get himself up off the damn floor.
I didn’t want to scare the kid, but I grabbed his arm and dragged him out, trying not to flinch when a gunshot went off inside, the bullet narrowly missing me as it flew through the door and landed in the yard somewhere.
“He’ll hurt?—”
“No, he won’t. Get in the car, we’ll go get your sister,” I ordered calmly, thankfully not having to rush him since it seemed he was rushing all on his own.
I drove the short distance to his house, my heart hurting as Frank bailed before we’d even stopped moving and ran into the house that hadn’t even been locked. I wasn’t the type that prayed, but I hoped like hell that the baby was okay in there and nothing bad had happened to her.
The house reeked as I stepped inside, and I could hear the baby choking from crying so much as Frank tried soothing her with words. I found the room they were in, and I wanted to throw up at seeing the soaked mattress the baby had been lying on, shit and piss all over it.
Her tiny face was bruised, and I was pretty sure she had a broken arm from the way it was hanging.
Frank held her, not caring about the mess she was getting on his clothes, and I knew they couldn’t live like this anymore. He’d probably hate me for it, but at least they’d both be alive.
“I need to find her a new diaper,” Frank said more to himself than to me, but I shook my head.
“No. I’m sorry, dude, but we need to call this in. Leave her in that, it’s evidence.”
“No!” he shouted, clutching her more tightly to his chest as a rough cry left her from being startled. “They’ll take her away from me!”
“Frank, look at her. She’s going to die here. Her arm’s broken, so she needs a hospital,” I explained, trying to take her from him but he almost fell over try to get away from me.
“Raven promised!”
“I’m not Raven!” I snapped, reminding myself that he was scared and I was making it worse. Not that long ago, this had been me trying to keep CPS away from Raven’s house while we all raised ourselves. I knew the odds of a good foster home weren’t that great, but it had to be better than this. “Look at me.”
He stared at the ground for a moment before finally raising his gaze, tears falling down his cheeks. “I’m supposed to keep her safe. I can’t if she’s in foster care without me.”
“You’ve done a really good job, but this isn’t safe. Not now that he’s hurting her and leaving her in her own filth overnight,” I answered, holding my hands out. “Please. Let me call for help and I’ll see if Rory can get you both into the same home.”
“Beckett’s mom?”
“Yeah. They’ll do something, I just know they will.”
“I can hold her until they get here,” he said quietly, and I wasn’t going to fight him. If he could comfort her while we waited, that was fine by me. At least he was agreeing to get help.
I pulled my phone out and found Beckett’s number, her voice reaching me after the second ring. “What’s wrong?”
“I need your mom to come to Frank’s house. You guys helped him before, right? I need cops and paramedics, but she needs to advocate for them,” I rushed out, hearing her slamming doors in the background.
“What injuries?”
“Frank’s a little roughed up, but he’s alright. Pretty sure the baby’s arm’s broken, and she has bruising on her face, so I don’t know if she has head trauma. I don’t want them in foster care, but?—”
“I’ve texted her, she’s meeting me there. Stay with them, we’ll be there soon,” she promised before hanging up, and Frank instantly moved in front of me to draw my attention, rubbing his sister’s back as she returned to choking from being so worked up.
“They’re coming?”
“Yeah, man. They’ll be here soon. You want to sit on the couch with your sister?” I asked, knowing he was freaking out and I needed to distract him. I tried to inspect the baby for more damage as I followed him to the couch, the cry that left her as he bumped her arm making my heart break all over again.
“She’s probably hungry,” Frank said, and I felt awful for shaking my head at that too.
“Don’t give her anything until the paramedics get here. They’ll want to do tests and stuff. You know your dad’s going to get thrown in prison for this, right?”
“Good,” he whispered, nuzzling his face against hers and speaking softly to her.
It took me back to those nights of cuddling Raven as she cried herself to sleep once Josh was gone. I’d said so many things to her in that dark room, promising to keep her safe and praying I could keep my word.
Obviously, I’d failed at that.
It took literal seconds for Rory to arrive, and her eyes narrowed when I stepped outside to greet her and she saw the look on my face.
“Where the fuck is the father?”
“Sprawled out on Clint’s kitchen floor where I left him, I assume. He was threatening the baby with some god awful shit for her future, I just had to get Frank out of there and come check on her,” I said quickly, leading her inside to where Frank hadn’t moved.
The bad bitch melted away for the empathetic mother, and I let Rory talk to Frank on her own as I waited by the door for Beckett to tear into the driveway.
“Cops and ambulance are en route,” she explained as she climbed out of the car, following me into the house and halting when she saw the kids and caught a whiff of the smell. “Jesus Christ.”
“Do you guys have a home they can go to? I really need them to stay together,” I said weakly, Rory replying straight away from across the room.
“They’re staying with us.”
“We can stay with you?” Frank asked, relief filling his face when she nodded.
“Yes. I’ll organize it. If there’s anything you want here?—”
“There’s nothing,” he said quickly, the sirens in the distance getting closer and causing his eyes to shift nervously around the room at us.
“Frank, right?” Rory asked, waiting for him to nod before continuing. “I won’t let them separate you. They might need to examine her without you in the room, but I’ll fight for you both. I promise.”
He didn’t reply, not trusting her to keep her word, and I couldn’t blame him. Half the time I didn’t trust other people to keep their word myself, and I was a grown man.
It took a while for the cops to be done investigating everything, and I made a statement to make sure Viktor got his ass arrested. I didn’t want Frank worried about him coming back.
If for some reason he got off with no charges, I’d kill the prick myself and beg Beckett to help me dispose of the body.
Caden arrived at some point to drive Rory’s car to allow her to ride in the ambulance with Frank and the baby, who’s name was apparently Lara.
I didn’t know what to do after that, not wanting to go home, but being too mad about Mom and the situation with the kids to do much else.
I made the mistake of checking social media, getting pissed off all over again when a picture of Raven and Logan practically smacked me right in the face.
It had been uploaded an hour ago, the caption being some shit about best friends forever.
He was really kissing her ass at this point, not that I could blame him. It was a nice ass.
Why had she forgiven literally everyone other than me?
I smacked my palm against the steering wheel, letting the frustration simmer. The last thing I needed right now was the reminder that I’d fucked everything up with Raven.
I spotted Logan’s car coming towards me, and he flashed his headlights in greeting. I did it back, perking up slightly when I saw that his passenger seat was empty.
Raven must be at Ander’s.
I put my foot down and headed in their direction, recognizing the house easily. I’d driven past it enough to know it was the right house.
Stalkery? Absolutely.
I didn’t give a fuck.
I parked out front and shut the engine off, walking towards the door and barely rapping my knuckles on it before it swung open and Raven appeared, surprise on her face.
“Reid?”
“I’m trying so fucking hard to give you space,” I started, pushing past her into the house and deciding to risk getting punched by Zavier or Ander. “But then everywhere I turn, you’re hanging out with one of the guys like they never hurt you. What will it take for you to forgive me?”
We needed to fix this, and apparently, that meant by fighting it out.