Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
RAVEN
H alf an hour later, Jed parks in my driveway. I hop off the seat and shove the helmet in his direction before rushing to my front door. I try the handle, but nothing happens.
Locked. Shit.
As I dig in the bottomless pit also known as my purse for my keys, a hand slaps against the door next to my face.
“Now, how about my thank you kiss?”
Like hell.
Jed grips my shoulder and spins me. His head dips, and my hands come up to shove him away as I turn my face to the side.
“Jed. No,” I grunt, using all my strength to keep him away.
He pushes his body closer. The heat of his breath is heavy on my skin. “Mmm. Yes, just like that.”
My chest squeezes, making it hard to get air into my lungs. This isn’t the first time someone has tried forcing themself on me. And with the way the world is, this likely will happen again. But I’ll never forget the first time.
“I’m told you’re refusing to take your medication.” Lewis’s smarmy expression freezes my entire being.
“I don’t like how it makes me feel,” I reason with him.
“That’s too bad.” He locks his office door and strolls to his desk, opening the drawer where he keeps the syringes.
“This is a special medicine,” he enlightens me as he presses slightly on the plunger and flicks the needle, sending droplets everywhere.
“After this, you won’t give the orderlies a hard time. ”
Dr. Whitlock’s smile is still in place as he approaches me. I lean as far away from him as possible, but I don’t get far because of the restraints on the chair. I fight against their hold, but they don’t give.
“Shhhh,” Dr. Whitlock hushes as he swipes my hair to the side. “I know you just wanted to see me again. But you have my attention now.” He sticks the needle in the side of my neck and injects me with the liquid.
Concrete fills my veins over the next couple of minutes. Each muscle in my body relaxes to the point that I can’t move. Dr. Whitlock strokes my hair over and over.
I know what happens next.
A tear escapes my eyes and rolls down my face.
“You’re so beautiful,” Dr. Whitlock praises as he wipes my tear away.
But that was then, and this is now. I have control of my body.
“I said, no!” I shout as I thrust my knee up as hard as I can and shove Jed backward.
Reflexively, Jed’s hand flies up, hitting me in the face as he groans and stumbles away hunched over. “What the fuck!” he yells back.
A metallic taste fills my mouth. “No means no, you asshole.”
Jed glares up at me. “You were with them . Why them and not me?” He laughs, shaking his head. “You’re just like the rest of them, wanting to play at being their little slut. Is that how you like it? You like being a whore?” He sneers at me.
My brows crinkle.
What does that mean?
“Raven!” someone bellows from inside my house.
Was that…
Easily finding my keys this time, I fish them out of my purse, unlock the deadbolt, and rush inside. Resting my back against the door, I click the deadbolt back in place and calm myself down, but my hands shake uncontrollably as adrenaline rushes through my body.
“Raven?” Footsteps bounce off the stairs, and my boss, or one of them, appears at the bottom.
“Griffin? What are you doing here? Where’s Noah?”
“In bed. Was that you screaming outside? What happened to your lip?”
“That was hardly a scream,” I scoff, pushing off the door and crossing my arms to hide the quiver in my hands. I ignore his question about my lip. It’s still numb so I’m sure it’s split.
“What was going on out there?”
I take a few steps forward. “Nothing,” I lie.
Griffin marches toward me. With each step, the muscles in his legs flex. I finally notice the fact that he’s not in his usual get-up; instead, he’s wearing gray sweatpants and a white tank top. A flutter moves through my stomach, and I suddenly feel overheated.
Hot damn. Can you say, “eye candy?”
Scratching at the lock on the front door has me spinning around in alarm. But before I can scurry over and hold the door closed, the bolt unlocks and Knox steps inside.
My lips twist in a muddled frown. “Knox? How did you just?—”
“I texted him,” Griffin interjects.
“But he just?—”
Knox sounds out of breath. “Everything okay? You texted me ‘911,’ so I rushed over.”
Double hot damn.
I finally take in Knox’s wet hair dripping all over his shoulders. He’s wearing an outfit almost identical to Griffin’s. This many men in sweatpants cannot be good for my health.
“Raven was screaming outside,” Griffin explains.
Knox turns to me. “Why were you screaming? And what happened here?” His hand grips my chin lightly, tapping the cut with his thumb.
That fluttering from earlier ramps up, and I feel my core tighten. They’re my bosses. I don’t know why that’s not sinking in. My brain gets it, but my damn pussy hasn’t gotten the memo.
Ignoring the pull I have to them, I fake annoyance. “Oh hell. For the last time, I wasn’t screaming.”
“Sounded like screaming to me,” Griffin mumbles, then frowns. “Didn’t you hear it?”
Knox points to his head. “I was in the shower. But back to the original question.” He looks at me again. “Why were you screaming?”
They’re like dogs after a bone.
Throwing my hands up, I stomp past them. “I’m not doing this.”
Knox stops me with a hand on my arm. I try to brush him off, but he grabs my wrist and holds my hand up for inspection.
When he sees the tremble, he shows Griffin.
They make eye contact and exchange a brief nod.
The two of them spring into action, and before I know what’s happening, Knox scoops me up in his arms and carries me to the couch.
Griffin heads into my kitchen, and I hear him opening and closing cabinets.
“I can walk. I don’t need to be carried.”
“But I’m just so good at it,” Knox quips.
“You’re impossible,” I sigh out.
Knox flops down on the couch with me still in his arms, settling me in his lap. I try to swing my legs off so I can sit on the cushion next to him, but Knox’s reflexes are quick. He wraps his hand around my thighs and stops me from scooting away.
“I can sit by myself.”
“But I make a better seat,” he says simply as if he’s stating a fact.
“Got it,” Griffin announces as he walks into the living room. He carries a shot glass filled to the brim.
“Is that my Don Julio? Are we turning this into a party or something?” I give him a skeptical look.
Griffin hands me the small glass. “Bottoms up, Sunshine.”
When I still don’t drink it, Knox explains, “For the nerves, Darlin’.”
“Oh. Right.” I down the shot, ignoring the sting of the alcohol as it connects with my bleeding lip, and give the glass back to Griffin. He places it on the coffee table, then sits on the edge. He hands a damp cloth to Knox, and he uses it to dab at the blood on my mouth.
“Who were you on a date with?” Griffin questions.
Knox rears his head back. “You were on a date?”
Well, this just became even more awkward than I thought possible. Kissed one brother, then the other, and went on a date with someone else. I’m not ashamed, but having to talk about it with my bosses, aka the two brothers I kissed who are also my neighbors, is beyond weird.
“Just a friend,” I finally answer.
“And you had to shout ‘I said, no’ at him? What did he do?” Griffin’s expression is serious.
“Give us a name,” Knox growls. “All we need is a name.”
Placing my hand on Knox’s chest, I feel the thundering of his heartbeat. “Look, I’m fine. I handled it. He got a knee to the balls. I’m sure the ride home on his motorcycle was more than painful.”
Griffin grasps my free hand in his. “Proud of you.”
“Thanks. But again, I’m fine. He’s the one who was limping away.”
Knox’s touch is soft as he grasps my chin like he did earlier, tapping my lip again. “But he drew blood, he touched you when you said no repeatedly. That’s not okay.”
“Well, he might’ve lost a testicle, so all is right with the world. Besides, he didn’t do anything that…” I stop myself from finishing that thought.
“Anything that what?” Griffin repeats, searching for the end of my statement.
I clear my throat and swallow, but keep my mouth shut tight.
“Anything that what, Raven?” Griffin questions again. He pushes closer, invading my space. But the move isn’t to intimidate, it’s to provide comfort. To me.
“Anything that hasn’t happened before,” I finish.
Knox’s mouth pinches shut, and Griffin’s nostrils flare.
“I’ve dealt with men like this my entire life. The first man to…” I stop myself again. Dammit. It’s like my filter just flies out the window around these two.
“Let’s start with the man from tonight. Just tell us his name. Please,” Knox implores.
I drop my shoulders. “Jed.”
Griffin squeezes my hand, and Knox sits up straighter. The mood in the room shifts from care and concern to guarded and on edge.
“Did I say something wrong?” My eyes bounce back and forth between the two brothers.
“Are you sure?” Griffin asks.
“Yes. Why?” I lean toward Griffin.
“Because that’s our dead grandfather’s name.”