Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Raven falls asleep somewhere around six in the morning. She was so fucking jumpy and terrified.
Christ, I wasn’t trying to hurt her. This was literally supposed to just…snap her out of her nonsensical hatred of me. And save her from the cold.
She looks so stressed, even when she sleeps. Her head is barely slumped forward, and her hands are wrapped around her knees.
It’s making me feel uncomfortable, so I go downstairs to make myself some coffee.
This is for her own good. I tell myself that over and over as I stare at my coffee pot, unblinking. I can make her feel good.
A noise outside makes me jump. It’s footsteps.
Oh fuck. Gage is coming over for the glasses. I open the door before he can knock and wake Raven. The thought sends conflicting emotions through me, but the biggest one is that I wouldn’t mind Gage knowing that she’s in my home.
“Fuck, it’s cold.” Gage brushes past me to come inside, and I shut the door softly after him. He has a pristine black suit on, and his hair is styled, but he has an old pair of square-rimmed glasses on. He scowls at me.
I raise an eyebrow. “You look cute.”
“Just give me the glasses.”
“Okay, grumpy.” I roll my eyes, taking them off. “Give me the green ones.”
“They aren’t green, they’re black.”
“Oh, Jesus Christ.” I take his old pair, looking through them. “Goddamn! How do you even see in these?” I have to blink a few times to refocus, and still, the fridge is blurry around the edges.
“I don’t.” Gage turns on his heel.
“Okay, grumpy.” I follow after him into the cold. “You’re welcome! And don’t lose.”
“I won’t,” he snaps.
I roll my eyes, but it makes me dizzy. “You’re a cocky asshole, you know that?”
“That’s all you. I’m just prepared.” Gage’s voice softens slightly at the end, just enough to make me pay attention. He’s prepared because Raven helped him.
A pang of jealousy flashes across my chest.
My Raven. The woman who was mine from the beginning, and he stole to hire her on.
My chest gets tight.
“Careful, brother.” I cross my arms. “You know what happened with the last one.” It’s a low blow, and I know it.
“Shut up,” Gage bites back too quickly.
Gage better understand that Raven is my girl. She may not know it yet, but she’s fucking mine. I can’t keep the words back. “You wouldn’t care then that she spent the night with me.”
Gage freezes. I can’t fully see his glare, but I can feel it in the way he’s stopped breathing. There’s a tense moment where I’m not sure if we’re going to fight or not, then Gage laughs.
“Sure, whatever.” He turns on his heel and marches out of the house.
This fucker doesn’t believe me.
I follow him out. “Don’t be mad that I can pull more pussy than you.”
Gage just flips me off as he’s walking to Mom’s waiting car. At least, I think that’s what the aggressive hand raise was.
“Bring my glasses back as soon as you’re done!”
Gage gets in his car, slams his door, then they leave, and I’m left standing in my doorway, somehow even more pissed off.
I found Raven first. If he thinks he can keep her with his broody ways, he’s sadly mistaken. I’ll get her to open up to me.
I start to stomp upstairs, then pause.
Food. People are pissy when they’re hungry.
I stomp back downstairs, throwing together a quick turkey, spinach, and pesto sandwich on sourdough. Something quick so she doesn’t have time to, I don’t know, break the bathroom mirror and stab me with it. Then, I march back upstairs.
When I open the door, Raven is up and standing on the other side of the bed. I can’t see her as well with these glasses, but I can still clock the tense way she’s holding her body. Despite that, I already feel better being in her presence. It’s like the tight band around my chest loosens.
“Morning.” I throw her my best blinding grin.
Silence.
“Made you breakfast.”
Raven ignores me. “Who was that?”
Instantly, my mood sours.
“Eat.” I shove the plate on the bed.
She’s silent again and doesn’t move. I perch on the edge of the bed slowly. “You know, most women would kill for a chance in my bed.”
“I’d kill for a chance to get out of it.”
The sass immediately goes to my dick, and I feel myself stiffening. Fuck, I want to shove it down her throat and teach her some manners. Instead, I clutch my chest. “Jesus, am I really that bad?”
I hear Raven open her mouth, then nothing comes out. Then her voice tones low, “You really want me to answer that?”
I snort. I mean, kind of. I just grunt, “You have to be hungry. Eat.”
“Hell no.”
I stare at her for a second. She’s still stiff. Okay, so she’s still afraid. Slowly, I reach out and grab the sandwich, taking a bite. “You can’t be one of those people who only eat ‘breakfast’ food for breakfast.”
The woman is quiet as hell, probably wondering how to choke me from afar, which only makes my dick problem worse. I try to shift so she can’t see it, putting one half of the sandwich down and then taking a bite of the other.
It’s silent for a while, just me chewing and Raven wondering how she can kill me. Then, I sense movement and watch as Raven slowly drags the plate toward her.
Elation moves through me. Fuck yes. A victory!
I feel that victory for about one second before I sense movement again. Then, the food whirls toward my head.