Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
REID
“T his place is huge,” Gregory said in awe as we climbed out of the car at Rory’s.
“Dude, wait until you see the inside. It’s insane,” Frank replied, babbling on about the games they could play.
Hunter opened the door to let us in, Lara asleep against his chest.
“Hey. I’m just putting Lara down for a nap. I guess you boys want to use the theater room?” he asked quietly, and Frank nodded.
“I want to show Greg the game I played last night with Noah. Where’s Raven?”
“In the pool. She’ll be back in later,” he explained, watching the two boys dart off before turning to us. “Noah get to school on time?”
“Fifteen minutes late. I made the mistake of letting him grab a drink from the gas station on the way, and the fucker deliberately took his time choosing one. Sorry, I shouldn’t have made the stop,” I muttered, earning a grin.
“That kid’s a con artist, honestly. Thanks for taking him.”
“Any time. He’s a good kid. Does he make it a habit of being late like that?” I asked.
“Yeah. I don’t think he’s been on time in weeks. He seems to go to his other classes mostly though. Why?”
I didn’t want to stick my nose in their business, but I remembered Logan avoiding school at one point because of other people, so it couldn’t hurt to mention it.
“I might be completely wrong, but I know when Logan was dealing with assholes at school, he’d get there late to avoid running into them in the hallways. Noah might just be rebelling, but it couldn’t hurt to ask if someone’s giving him trouble. You know what academy kids are like.”
“I’ll talk to him. Thanks,” he sighed. “Go hang out with the others in the pool. Raven can tell you about your new house.”
“New house?” Logan echoed, but Hunter was already turning and walking away.
“What new house?” I mumbled to myself as we walked out the back to the pool, my eyes almost falling out of my damn head when I spotted Raven in a skimpy black bikini.
She was on Zavier’s shoulders, laughing at something Ander said as he splashed them with water.
“What are you wearing?” I asked out loud, their eyes turning to us as we walked closer.
“Just some dumb bikini I found in the pool house,” she replied tensely, her eyes darting away from me.
Logan elbowed me hard, walking ahead and tugging his shirt over his head. “That’s not a dumb bikini. That’s a gift from God. You’re fucking hot, Rae.”
Her face heated, but she flicked her gaze back to mine.
I’d made her feel self-conscious, great.
“I’ve just never really seen you in one before. You look really good,” I promised, her eyes brightening.
“You think?”
“Definitely. What’s this about a new house?”
Logan slid into the pool in his boxers, and I stripped to mine to join them.
The cool water lapped at my skin, and I loved how Raven climbed off Zavier’s shoulders and swam to us, wrapping her legs around my waist to let me pull her against me.
I’d never get enough of touching her.
“Rory’s got a one bedroom available. We get the keys today,” she grinned, sliding her arms around my neck.
“Where is it?”
“Ashburn. It’s small but sounds updated.”
“Rent?”
“Fifty a week.” She leaned forward and kissed me, my dick hardening instantly as her tongue slid into my mouth. My hands gently squeezed her waist, and I had to remind myself that we couldn’t fuck in Rory’s pool.
When she leaned back, her smile almost blinded me.
Nothing was as beautiful as Raven. Nothing.
Logan splashed us, a grin on his face as Raven dove at him to splash him back, the two of them bickering as Ander and Zavier moved to stand on either side of me. Ander was black and blue across his chest and ribs, but he thankfully seemed to be keeping the bandaged cut out of the water.
“There’s no way the rent’s that cheap,” I said quietly, and Ander scoffed.
“It was supposed to be free, but Raven made a scene about it.”
“I don’t know about you guys, but if she keeps wearing skimpy shit like that bikini, I’m going to constantly come in my pants,” Zavier muttered, flicking his gaze around the yard. “Do you think there’s cameras out here?”
“There is. Don’t even think about getting her naked,” Ander said dryly, reading his thoughts easily.
“Wait until we have the privacy of our own place again,” I added, knowing how he felt. I loved Raven wearing our baggy clothes, but that damn bikini was making my brain short-circuit.
Knowing she thought she looked like a boy made me want to spend weeks on end in bed showing her just how wrong she was.
“They need to sort their shit out first,” Zavier sighed.
He wasn’t wrong. Logan and Raven were obviously healing together, but they weren’t there yet. I was pretty sure a gangbang wasn’t happening tonight.
We hung out in the pool for a little while longer before grabbing towels and heading inside, all of us taking turns to shower and get dressed before heading back downstairs together.
Raven’s face lit up when we walked into the kitchen and her eyes landed on the baby in Poppy’s arms, my chest tightening as she instantly started cooing over her.
“Where has she been?” Raven asked, tickling the baby’s chin affectionately.
“At my place,” Poppy replied, seeming to think about her next words before adding, “Mikey and I have been considering adoption for the past year. We’ve been trying to have a baby for six years, and I guess it’s just not in the cards for us. We applied to adopt her not long after she arrived, and we finally got approved this morning. Meet Abigail Donovan.”
“Oh my God, congratulations,” Raven practically whispered. “Hey, Abigail.”
The baby blew bubbles and kicked her legs, obviously happy to see her.
“Hey,” Zavier murmured under his breath as he nudged me, lifting his chin behind me and making me glance back to see Logan slipping out of the room.
“I’ve got him,” I said quietly, taking one last look at Raven as Poppy handed Abigail over to her, before I headed in the direction that Logan had gone.
I found him in our room, pacing and looking like he was going to have a panic attack or something.
His eyes moved to me as I pushed the door open wider, the devastation in them instantly hitting me. His grief was so damn loud.
I stepped inside and locked the door, and any control he’d been holding onto fled, a deep sob leaving him.
The second I moved towards him, his arms wrapped around me and he buried his face in my shirt, my hand moving to the back of his head to run my fingers through his hair.
“I’ve got you, bro,” I mumbled, my free arm tightening around him as if I could squeeze the sadness out of him.
We stood like that for a while as he let it all out, and I was pretty sure I’d never heard him cry like that before. Not even after the assaults as a kid or losing Josh.
This was a different type of heartbreak that I didn’t understand, so I didn’t bother offering comforting words about how it was going to be okay.
I didn’t know the right way to heal from something like losing a baby, and as much as I would’ve loved that kid like my own, it was still Logan’s.
All I could do was let him lean on me as he broke.
Raven
Logan was quiet for the rest of the afternoon. I asked him if he was okay, and he forced a smile and brushed it off, telling me he was just tired.
Reid promised he’d talked to him, so I left it alone. If Logan wanted to talk, he would.
Ander had been dragged away by Rory in the afternoon to go over local maps to narrow down where Stefano might be hiding, and I couldn’t lie, I stressed about it until he returned without new bruises.
It was almost dinner time when Rory handed us the keys to our temporary home, telling us to go and check it out and get settled, and that pizza would be delivered by seven.
I wanted to argue, but pizza sounded amazing.
We split up between all three cars, Zavier going with Logan, and I jumped in with Reid, leaving Ander to drive alone.
I’d felt bad, but he’d rolled his eyes and told me he’d be fine.
“Can you please tell me what’s up with Logan?” I asked as we drove through Ashburn Valley, Reid flicking his gaze to me for a second before sighing.
“Just give him some space.”
“I can help.”
“Not with this. He just needs time.”
“It’s freaking me out. Did Stefano do something to him?” I asked, thoughts crossing my mind of the possibilities.
Reid stayed silent for a moment, and just when I thought he wasn’t going to reply at all, he did. “Seeing you with Abigail triggered him a little. He’s just grieving, but he’s okay.”
“Why wouldn’t he tell me?” My chest ached at the thought of him not being able to turn to me, and he reached out to take my hand.
“He might talk about it later, but you were enjoying time with Abigail and Poppy. He just needed to sit in silence. We didn’t really talk, I just sat with him.”
My body felt slightly numb at knowing he was hurting that badly. Of course he was, I was too. I just hated that things could’ve been different.
“Fuck, Rae. Hang on,” Reid cursed, and I started looking for the danger only to realize I was crying and he was pulling over.
When had I started crying?
Reid climbed out of the car and walked around to my side, pulling my door open and squatting in front of me as he took both my hands.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
I shook my head, not wanting to speak and make it worse, but I didn’t want him blaming himself.
“What’s wrong?” I heard Ander ask just before he appeared in view behind Reid, his face softening when he saw me. “Why the tears, Bluebird? Was he being an asshole?”
I shook my head again, and Reid winced. “It’s my fault. Logan was upset today and I was telling her about it.”
Ander studied me, seeming to understand what was happening without me having to tell him. There was only one thing that would have both Logan and I this upset.
“You good with Reid?” he asked, waiting for me to nod before continuing. “I’ll catch up with the others so they don’t worry. Take your time, we’ll wait for you.”
“Jump out,” Reid murmured to me as Ander walked back to his car, and I got to my feet, letting Reid pull me against him. Ander flashed his lights as he drove off, and I sank into Reid’s hold a little more.
“Is it supposed to hurt this much?” I managed to get out, his lips pressing against the top of my head.
“How you’re feeling is normal. People grieve differently in all aspects of loss, so you handle it any way you feel is right,” he promised, rubbing my back. “I feel like it’s wrong that I’m hurting over it too, but we’re family. No matter what, your kids will always be loved by me as if they’re my own.”
“You can grieve too,” I stated, hugging him a little tighter.
We stood there for a few minutes as I got control of myself, and then he pulled back enough to wipe my cheeks, giving me a small smile. “Let’s get home. We can have an early night once we eat.”
The rest of the short drive was silent, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. The sun was almost set, and there was some kind of peaceful feeling in the air.
Reid had barely parked the car when Logan opened my door, giving me a second to unbuckle myself before he took my hand and pulled me against him. He didn’t say anything, but it was obvious that Ander had said what had been wrong.
Zavier closed the gate before we all walked up to the front door together, Logan’s hand tightly in mine and the keys in my other. This would be home until we got our real home back, and I was a little excited to have our own space again.
I unlocked the door and we stepped inside, my eyes scanning the small space. The kitchen was updated, while the living room had new furniture and carpet.
The open-plan design made it feel bigger than it probably was too, which was nice.
The bathroom was basic but clean, and the bedroom had a wardrobe at one end, and two large mattresses pushed together on the floor.
It was perfect.
Zavier dropped an arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. “This is kind of nice, don’t you think?”
“It is,” I agreed, taking it all in. The streets were quiet outside, and one of the guys must have found the remote for the TV since I heard it turn on.
“Other crews need to do what the local ones here did and learn to play nice,” Reid scoffed as the news reporter droned on about gang violence. The Skull and Bone crew had been making waves in their town, and it made me glad that they were nowhere near us.
We joined the others in front of the TV, and I perked up at seeing footage of the Heights Community Center filling the screen, locals telling the reporter what they thought of it.
People were wary of the Donovans, but they praised them for doing something when it wasn’t their problem. A lot were tearing down the government and council for not stepping in to help, which hopefully helped give them a push to fucking do something.
Everything was looking so good, and I hoped it eased the strain on some families.
A car sounded out front, and Ander poked his head out the curtains to check.
“Pizza’s here. You guys find something to watch,” he said as he headed out the door, and I moved to sit on the couch, but Logan tugged me onto his lap to make more room for the others.
I didn’t fight it, curling into him and putting my legs across Zavier’s thighs as he sat beside us.
Reid moved towards the kitchen, opening the fridge. “Uh, guys? Did Rory mention the fridge is stocked?”
I glanced over at him, and he opened the door wider to show me how full it was.
“Check the pantry,” Zavier said, and we weren’t surprised to find that stocked too.
“Is there soda and beer?” Logan piped up.
“Yep,” Reid answered, grabbing us all a beer each before wandering back to the couch. He opened mine and handed it to me, making me sigh.
“If I throw up, that’s on you.”
He chuckled but didn’t say anything, dropping down beside Zavier once he’d handed one to everyone else.
Ander locked the door on his way back inside, carrying the boxes of pizza over and placing them on the coffee table. He happily sat on the floor in front of us, and once we were all eating, Reid chose a random movie and hit play.
It was the closest thing to normal that I’d felt in a long time.
Logan
It was the most relaxing evening I’d had in ages. We all joked around, watched movies, and ate greasy pizza. It was awesome.
Raven stayed on my lap all evening, happily snuggling into me. When the others went outside for a cigarette, Raven opted to stay inside, giving me a moment alone with her.
“I’m sorry I made you cry. I didn’t want Reid bringing it up with you when you were having such a good day,” I murmured, and she looked up at me with a frown.
“Don’t be sorry. I just wish you’d told me you were struggling. You can always come to me about it.”
“It’s hard to talk about. I don’t really know what to say,” I admitted.
“That’s okay. We can just cry together if you need,” she promised, kissing my neck.
My hand slid up the back of her shirt, her skin warm under my palm, and I jerked back slightly as her fingers slid around my throat.
She winced and let go, but I grabbed her hand and held it. “Are you trying to strangle me to death or?—”
“It’s stupid, don’t worry about it,” she said tensely, making me realize I’d embarrassed her. When she tried to get off my lap, I moved her hand to my throat and encouraged her to squeeze a little.
“It’s not stupid. What were you doing? I don’t mind your hand around my throat, trust me.”
Hesitation filled her eyes before she relaxed a little, sitting up and bringing me closer with her hand so she could kiss me.
I groaned, encouraging her to keep her hand in place.
Confident Raven was fucking hot.
She ended up straddling me, my hands on her hips as she deepened the kiss, and I wanted nothing more than to strip her naked and fuck her right here on the couch.
“Sorry. Just grabbing my phone,” Reid said with a cringe as he appeared, breaking up our make out session.
“Why are you sorry? You live here and I’m your girlfriend,” Raven asked slowly, earning a small smile in return.
“You guys need time alone.”
I could appreciate them giving us space, and part of me wished I could’ve had her to myself for the night, but that wasn’t happening.
“We can make out with an audience, right, Rae?” I asked and waggled my eyebrows, making her laugh.
Reid gave me an amused glance on his way back outside, and I nuzzled into Raven’s neck as I pulled her forward.
“Fuck it’s good to be able to touch you.”
She hummed, her body melting against my chest as I got back to giving her back tickles, and she fell asleep on me before the guys joined us again.
We all agreed it was bed time, and I happily carried Raven into the bedroom. I didn’t want to wake her, but I needed her to get changed.
“I’ve got her,” Zavier murmured as he followed, knowing what I wanted. I was unsure on how she’d feel about me doing it, but she’d be fine with Zavier stripping her down and putting her in pajamas.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, giving them privacy as I headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for bed myself, making sure to give them enough time before entering the bedroom again.
Ander had claimed one side of her and Zavier the other, but Zavier motioned for me to take his place as he shuffled back. “Saved your spot.”
This was why we were friends. He wasn’t threatened by me, and he understood my need to be close with her right now.
I stripped down to my boxers and climbed between them, leaving Reid to switch off the light as he finally joined us. As usual, Zavier fell asleep and ended up spooning me, but I didn’t mind.
We were all here together and we were safe, that was all I cared about.