Chapter 50
CHAPTER FIFTY
RAVEN
T he last few days have been peaceful. After Noah’s checkup at the urgent care in town, we’ve basically been living at Griffin and Knox’s house. And the fact that my house is still a crime scene means that Noah and I have nowhere else to go.
Griffin and Knox’s home is cozier than I thought it’d be, and they have fully adopted the southern hospitality charm.
Noah became bored, so they bought him a new train set and a football.
We ran out of clean clothes after day one, so they purchased a whole new wardrobe for Noah but only a few items for me.
I think that has something to do with their inner neanderthal coming out when they see me dressed in their clothes.
The first time I walked out of Griffin’s room in one of his shirts, he grunted something to Knox about playing with Noah and hauled me back into his room. He covered my mouth with his hand as he gave me screaming orgasm after screaming orgasm.
Later, I decided to test the theory that their sex drive was correlated to the wearing of their clothes. I walked out of Knox’s room with one of his shirts on and was rewarded with more orgasms.
My vagina needed a break, so today I’m wearing my new clothing. A comfy tee and workout shorts.
Noah has been with Griffin in the backyard, tossing the football as I laze about on the couch with Chasing Goldie by Holly Roberds, another gift from the guys. I don’t know where they got the book recommendation, and I’m not sure I want to know.
I’m about halfway through the novel when Griffin comes back inside with Noah in tow. “Get your shoes on, we need to go,” Griffin demands.
Closing my book, I sit up. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” He’s being vague on purpose.
“Fine,” I pout, sliding on my socks and tennis shoes as Noah does the same.
Griffin herds Noah and me into his truck and drives down the street. He lets go of the steering wheel with his right hand, driving with his left, and reaches for my hand. Curious to see what his goal is, I comply.
Griffin weaves our fingers together and rests our clasped hands on the center console.
His thumb lightly traces the side of my hand, which does crazy things to my stomach.
It’s like he knows what he’s doing to me because as we wait at a red light, he smirks and winks at me.
I do my best to keep a straight face, but he sees right through me and chuckles.
This man. I don’t know what I’m going to do with him.
My needy pussy has a few ideas…
After a few more minutes, I have a good guess of our destination. “The Wandering Raven isn’t exactly a surprise,” I say candidly.
“Just wait,” Griffin instructs, shifting his truck into park, but doesn’t cut the engine. He turns to Noah in the back seat. “With me, bud.” Then instructs me, “Stay here.”
I side-eye him. “What’s going on?”
Griffin ignores my question and takes Noah inside.
I’m alone for only a few moments when Griffin returns.
He hops back in the driver seat and steers his truck down the dirt road I wandered the other night.
I’m thrown around my seat like I’m a feather as we drive over all the bumps and rocks.
A cloud of beige dust hangs in the air behind us.
The tall grass and trees don’t feel nearly as terrifying in the daylight.
“Noah is cooking with Camden in the kitchen. He’s teaching him how to make fries. I wouldn’t leave him somewhere he wasn’t safe.”
My head bobs up and down in affirmation. “I know.” The thought that Griffin could be leading Noah into a dangerous situation didn’t even cross my mind.
“I need your help with something. Actually, we need your help.” He doesn’t take his eyes off the road.
My head cocks to the side. “Okay…”
“Knox came across another dealer and has him tied up in the barn. We need you to be there while we try to get information out of him. You know things about Lewis Whitlock that we don’t. We need to confirm that he’s The Alienist.”
I feel like I should be worried about this. Like I should be running away screaming. But I’m not scared. Not a single cell in my body is urging me to high tail it out of here.
Am I that fucked up?
“If you’re not comfortable with it, just say the word. I’ll turn around right now. We can pick up Noah, go back home, and you can finish your book while Noah and I play outside.” He glances at me periodically, searching my face for clues on how I’m feeling.
The barn comes into view ahead of us, another thing that doesn’t look so scary during the day. The paint could use a touch up, and the various plants around the barn could use some trimming. But other than that, it looks like an ordinary barn.
“I’ll do it.” It’s an easy answer to give. If having me sit in on their little interrogation helps take down Whitlock, I’m all in.
And I’m not under the notion that their questioning is friendly. I saw the last guy. He didn’t look like he’d just walked through a meadow or something.
Griffin stops a small distance back from the barn doors and turns to me, shifting in his seat and resting his forearm on the steering wheel. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Griffin unbuckles his seatbelt and mine then lifts me over the center console by my hips. I yelp as he sets me down in his lap and arranges my long legs so I’m straddling him.
My stomach does a somersault.
“Don’t we need to?—”
Griffin cuts me off as he places his hand on the back of my head and pulls my mouth to his. The kiss is simple but conveys everything he’s feeling. I squirm in his lap, my core aching for more. But all too soon, he pulls me back and leads us out of the car.
No explanation as to why. No apology for getting me ready to go then pulling away.
Griffin has no trouble picking up on my frustration, which he finds amusing. He giggles like a little kid who just played the world’s best prank as he grabs my hand, leading me into the barn.
My eyes narrow as I ascertain how to give him a terrible case of blue balls in retribution. But before my plan can take shape, we step inside.
Slivers of light bleed into the barn, painting a sinister and full picture. And interestingly enough, the inside of the barn is just as creepy as it was at night. I shouldn’t be impressed that these two have mastered inflicting fear in the light of day, but here we are.
Guess I am that fucked up.
Knox leans against the wall dressed in his usual attire: a flannel, jeans, and work boots, twirling a pair of pliers in his hand.
Pinch me. That’s sexy as hell.
Next to Knox is a worktable covered in various tools and objects.
And just as promised, there’s a man tied to a chair in the middle of the room, but he looks nothing like the last man I saw here. He’s clean, unblemished, and wearing scrubs. Another step closer and I’m able to read his nametag.
Leonard.
My entire body freezes, halting Griffin’s steps. I try not to let my fear show, but a cold sweat dampens my skin, making my hands slippery.
I can’t believe he’s here…
“I want a turn with her,” Leonard whines in the corner of Dr. Whitlock’s office. He started sitting in on my “sessions” a couple of weeks ago.
I’m strapped to the chair again, liquid leaking between my thighs. I still can’t move and probably won’t be able to for another half hour or so.
Dr. Whitlock zips up his pants as he smooths his hair. “You’re not ready yet.”
Leonard stands his ground. “I know what to do and how to do it. You told me. I can do it.”
“Alienism is an art. It’s not something you can just rush into.” Whitlock shakes his head.
“I know. You said that before. But there’s only so much I can learn through observation. Just let me try.” Leonard’s attempt at reason doesn’t sway Dr. Whitlock whatsoever.
Instead, Dr. Whitlock whirls on Leonard, slapping him across the face. “I said, no! Not my Blackbird!”
Leonard’s head whips to the side as his cheek turns a painful shade of red. He glares at Dr. Whitlock, but he keeps his mouth shut.
Good. This is already a nightmare. I don’t want anyone else taking advantage of me.
“Take her back to her room.” Dr. Whitlock motions to me.
Being the obedient little prick he is, Leonard removes my restraints and moves me into a wheelchair. As he pushes me down the halls to my room, we pass several others. Orderlies, patients, and visiting family members. Not a single person asks if I’m okay.
And they never will. Who would intervene on behalf of a crazy person?
Leonard wheels me into my room and aggressively drops me onto my bed.
“I don’t know what makes you so special. You’re nothing but an experiment. One in a long line of experiments to keep him occupied.” He sneers down at me.
I want to scream at him. Tell him that I’m no one’s experiment. I’m not some plaything. But I still don’t have control of my body, so I just lie there.
His hand lashes out, slapping my cheek. The sting causes instant tears in my eyes. They slip down my cheeks and directly onto my pillow.
Leonard moves my head so I’m looking up at him again. “I will have my turn soon enough.”
The Leonard before me and the one I remember are similar, but this one has the beginnings of crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes, and his hair is slicked to the side rather than the spikey mess he used to wear it as.
He looks smaller sitting and tied down. He used to tower over me, but now it’s me who has the upper hand.
Leonard’s eyes glitter when he finally recognizes me. “It’s been a long time, Raven.”
“Not long enough.” A surge of energy rushes through me, and I give in to my impulses.
Releasing Griffin’s hand, I stomp to Leonard and kick him right in the sternum. The chair tips backward as Leonard wheezes.
Standing over Leonard, I hold my hand out to Knox, who knows exactly what my gesture means. Knox deftly places the pliers in my hand.
“Lenny, Lenny, Lenny.” I tsk, circling the fallen chair so he can see me.