Chapter 8
Raven
My whole body is in pain, and I’m not sure what’s really hurt or what’s broken.
Once I flew off my bike, I knew. I knew that was the end for me.
My helmet flying off, and my head bouncing off the pavement only made matters worse.
Lying here, all I can think about is my guys and whoever may have been on the other end of that phone call.
How I’ll never see them again. How I never made it to Luis in time.
I just hope they do. Please, someone find him.
“If you want to find your little boyfriend, go back to where this all started, Sweetness.” He laughs so close to my face, I can smell his rancid breath.
“No. No, no, no. Please let him go! Don’t do to him what was done to me.
Take me. Just hurt me, not him. Please, I’m begging you!
!” I scream as tears stream down my face.
I don’t want Luis to endure the things I’ve had done to me my whole life.
I’ll gladly take his place. They can’t hurt me any more than I’ve already been hurt. He doesn’t deserve this.
A flash of white light stabs into my mind before I’m taken through a sea of colors, the word ‘sweetness’ being repeated so loudly it makes me want to puke. Fucking sweetness. My stomach turns as my vision, yet again, spins with colors, making me feel dizzy.
How did I not know that the guy working for us was behind all this?
I should’ve known. All the signs were there.
My gut feeling is never wrong, but I didn’t trust it, and that fuck-up cost me everything.
My life, and probably Luis’s. God, to know he’s been taken to the one place I should’ve burned down years ago makes my stomach turn again.
I always thought I’d die alone, but not now.
Not after finding love like they showed me.
I’ve never felt this way about anyone. But, I know that I’ll continue to love them while I wait for them in the afterlife.
Suddenly, I can hear someone calling my name in the distance.
I try to turn toward them, to let them know where I am, but I can’t move.
I can’t speak. The white light looms on the edge of my vision.
“Raven!!!” They scream over and over again.
It’s now that I realize it was Damien’s voice.
Don’t worry, Casanova, I’ll give them hell wherever I’m going.
I wouldn’t dare lose the attitude just because I’m not flesh and bone anymore.
I used to think about all the ways that I would die.
How every time they chained me up, it would be my last breath that they would take from me.
I always knew I would die by their cruel hands.
But then I got out. I had hope, found love, and reasons to think about life and a damn future.
And now, I don’t want to die, but here I am.
Once again at their hands, and the thought of death consumes me.
I know I won’t be able to hold on much longer.
Please. Please, just get to Luis in time and get revenge for us all.
You three will always be my forever. Everything hurts, and I’m tired, so fucking tired.
I don’t have it in me to fight anymore. Right before I chase the white light and pray to no longer feel, his last words ring through as I feel an electric shock on my lips.
“I never thought I would want to burn the world down for anyone. Then you came along and bulldozed yourself into my life. I wouldn’t just burn the world for you, Angel. I’d carve my heart out of my own chest and give it to you if that’s what it would take to save you.”
Darkness comes, and all I can do is bask in the abyss. I don’t have to hurt anymore, and no one has to hurt because of me.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
That annoying noise was never here before. Where the fuck is it coming from? I thought I was dead. I chased the white light, praying for God to take me, and now I’m stuck in my own nightmare.
Looking around the basement, I see nothing that could make that beeping noise.
I hate this place. So many depraved things have happened here, and I just want to burn it down and bleed it from my memories.
The sound of the chains, the constant sight of all the blood on the floor.
My virginity being ripped from me while being cut open repeatedly by a man that I despise.
“Raven? Can you hear me? It’s okay.”
Why do those voices sound so familiar? I don’t see anyone here but Luis and HIM. Luis is looking at me with pleading eyes while I’m chained up next to him.
“Stop. Don’t touch him! Just take it out on me,” I cry out.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
I jolt awake as strong arms grab me before I can sit up. Panicking, I look around, but the lights are so damn bright, everything's so blurry and it smells like bleach in here. Blinking a few times, my eyes start to focus and then I see faces. I see Reyes, Damien, and Naomi beside me.
“Where am I? What… What the fuck happened? Did you get Luis?” I ask, my voice coming out dry and hoarse. Naomi walks away and comes back, holding a cup out to me. Looking down at it, she holds the ice chips up to my mouth.
“You’re in the hospital, Babygirl. Do you remember anything?” Reyes asks, holding my hand in one of his and hitting the call button on the side of the bed with his other.
“I remember… I remember the wreck. I thought I was dead. Did I die? I’ve been in my own personal hell this whole time,” I reply, closing my eyes. Was I dreaming? Is Luis gone or is he okay?
“Angel,” My eyes look at Damien, and he just stares at me before he continues. “We can’t find Luis. By the time we got the call, he was gone and you, well, you were basically on death's door when I got there,” Damien breathes out, letting out a long sigh.
Looking around the room, they all look like hell, like no one has slept and the sadness in the room is thick–like a dark, looming cloud.
“I just–” I’m cut off when the doctor walks in.
“Hello, Raven, how are you feeling?” he asks, walking up to the side of the bed. Damien and Naomi move out of his way, coming over to the other side of me and joining Reyes.
“Like I’ve been hit by a Mack truck. So basically like death,” I reply back, everyone in the room letting out a low chuckle.
“That’s to be expected, considering a truck actually hit you.
” He smiles tightly. “Other than that, how do you feel? We had to put you in a medically induced coma for a few days. You had some swelling and a small brain bleed, but we were able to control it, but you’ll have a headache for a bit though.
You banged your head pretty hard, so you have a slight concussion as well.
This may cause some memory loss for a few days, but you should get it back over time.
” He takes a breath as he looks over my chart, a tight, but polite, smile on his face.
“You have a bit of road rash on your body and there were a few deep lacerations that had to have sutures. You also fractured your wrist, which is why you’re in the cast. It won’t take long for the hairline fracture to heal, about six to eight weeks.
Everything else is healing well so far. You’ll be here for another few days so we can monitor you, but we have you on some pain medication through your IV, which will help.
With the breathing tube we had to place, your throat will probably be a little sore, so sip water slowly.
You’ve been in and out of consciousness for a couple of days now, but you’ve been stable, which is a great sign.
Do you have any questions at this time?” he asks me.
I don’t even know where to start as he just dumped a grocery list of injuries on me.
But I sit there and shake my head slowly as I try to absorb everything he just said.
“Let us know if you need anything.” He nods his head at everyone, turns and walks out the door.
I slowly gaze over my body as I lay in the bed, cringing as I look over the bandages covering my skin and the cast on my left arm. I look like a broken fucking mess, but at least my cast is cute. Silver fucking lining.
“Hey, bestie, I thought I was going to have to find you in death and kick your ass there for a minute,” Naomi says, her voice pulling me from my self-pity as she looks at me, giving me a tight, sad smile. Tears form in her eyes as she leans down and lays her head on my chest.
“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” I croak out, every word feeling like fire. She lifts her head at the sound of my voice, a tear falling down her tired face as she turns to grab the cup she brought in. Handing me some more ice chips, I revel in the way it soothes my burning throat.
“I’m awake now, and you all look like hell warmed over. You can all go home and get some rest. I’ll still just, ya’ know, be laying here,” I add, making everyone let out a laugh.
“We’re not going anywhere, Babygirl. I just texted Zeke and Eddie. They are bringing us more clothes and coming to update us about the Luis situation,” Reyes says with a firm voice.
“I can’t believe I didn’t get there fast enough and that the motherfucker actually got to him,” I say, wincing as I move my arms, trying to scoot up in this uncomfortable ass bed.
“It’s okay, Angel. It’s not your fault. Besides, you shouldn’t have left alone,” Damien replies back sternly as he steps up to help me move.
“I feel like I’m missing something, like it’s right there for me to say, but I can’t. I’m not a fan of this memory loss shit. Fuck, how long have I actually been here?” I ask, trying to calm down my racing heart before the nurses notice this stupid heart monitor picking up speed.
“Calm down, Babygirl. We will find him. Zeke and Eddie are already on it. We’re doing what we can here while having eyes on you too,” Reyes says, grabbing my hand and rubbing soothing circles around my knuckles.
“Like he said, we're doing all we can for now. One day at a time. When Zeke and Eddie get here, we will come up with a plan,” Damien says, grabbing my other hand. I just feel like I know where he is, but I don’t at the same time.
“We will get him back!” he adds, trying to reassure me as Reyes takes a few calming breaths.
A few minutes later, the door swings open and Eddie looks at me, tears forming in his eyes as he rushes toward me.
“Thank fuck, kiddo. You had me worried there for a good bit,” he says, crushing me against his chest. Okay, ouch. Finally, letting my own tears fall, I try my best to hug him back, holding in the hisses of pain.
He pulls back after another second, probably realizing he was holding on too tight, and goes over to talk with the rest of the guys while Naomi pulls a chair up closer to me, and holds my hand while we both listen in on their conversation.
Reyes and Damien walk up beside us, giving me and Naomi a look.
“Whatever we have to do to find him, I want in,” I say, looking over at them.
“Absolutely not. You were literally just in a wreck. Not to mention we thought you wouldn’t make it,” Eddie says, and Zeke nods his head in agreement. Rolling my eyes, I look back to Damien and Reyes as Zeke and Eddie walk up to my bed next.
“You know, the more you hold out, the more I’ll fight you about it, especially on this. He’s only gone because of me and my stupid past showing up to slap me in the face,” I spit back, getting irritated that they even want to fight me on this.
The guys all look to one another, and I look at Naomi, who’s wearing the biggest fucking grin on her face. I know she’s got my back.
“Hell no,” Reyes and Damien say in unison, and I pin them with a stare. They think I’m fucking around, but I will do this alone if I have to.
“Fine. Fuck it. We will figure that part out later, but only because you deserve this more than any of us,” Reyes says, pinching the bridge of his nose like I’m his biggest headache. Welcome to life with Raven.