Chapter 24 Raven
I sink slowly into the steaming bath, hissing softly as the heat kisses my skin. The lavender bath bomb fizzes around me, turning the water silky and fragrant while tiny purple swirls drift across the surface. It smells calming. Safe. I can’t remember the last time I felt that way.
I lean my head back against the tub and close my eyes for a second, letting the warmth seep into muscles that have been locked tight since I started my mission.
I lift the wineglass Carver brought me and take a slow sip. The Cab is rich and bold, maximizing the warmth surrounding me. Between the bath, the wine, and the quiet of Carver’s room beyond the bathroom door, my pulse finally starts to slow.
Thoughts of Carver cause my chest to tighten for a completely different reason. Other than my father when I was a young girl, no man has ever drawn me a bath before.
It’s such a simple thing, really, but it feels incredibly intimate. He didn’t demand anything from me. He didn’t make me feel weak for being scared or feel guilty about running. Instead, he just took care of me.
The memory of him standing beside me in my apartment comes rushing back. The fury in his eyes when I told him Tony attacked me. The way his jaw clenched when I explained how long Tony had been following me. Carver had looked ready to tear the city apart brick by brick to find him.
And Shield listened too. Really listened.
Shield wasn’t happy that I didn’t trust him or call the police when I rescued the woman, but he still listened.
He called Dante so they could discuss as a club how they’re going to handle Tony and his friends.
They didn’t turn their backs and ignore the problem.
I stare down into the lavender-tinted water, emotion tightening my throat.
For so long, I’ve associated powerful men with danger. Predators wrapped in charm and fake smiles. Men like Tony, who see fear as entertainment and vulnerability as an invitation.
But Carver…
Carver offered me safety. He offered me a place to stay. He offered me protection.
The craziest part is that I believe him.
I believe that if Tony somehow walked through those clubhouse doors tonight, Carver would put himself between us without hesitation.
My chest aches at the realization. Other than my father, I didn’t know men like that still existed.
A soft knock sounds against the bathroom door, jerking me from my thoughts.
“Raven?” Carver’s deep voice rumbles through the wood. “You okay in there?”
“I’m fine,” I say.
“Can I come in?”
“Of course.”
Carver pushes the door open and enters with a bottle of wine. “I thought you might like a top-up.”
I smile at him as I raise my glass. “Thank you.”
He smiles down at me, his green eyes twinkling as he stares at my face. “My pleasure. Do you want some company?”
I nod, blushing at the thought of seeing him naked. Instead of stripping, he exits the bathroom and returns with a bottle of beer. Then he surprises me by sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. He crosses his ankles and takes a swig of beer.
I look at him in confusion.
Steam curls through the bathroom, thick with the scent of lavender and heat.
I rest deeper into the tub, my knees bent beneath the water while I cradle the wineglass against my chest. The soft fizz from the bath bomb faded a while ago, leaving only calm purple water under the faint glow of the bathroom light.
Part of me is confused that he didn’t climb into the bath with me.
I expected a man like Carver to take advantage of the situation, but he doesn’t.
Am I pleasantly surprised or immensely disappointed?
I’m not sure. I think if I’m honest with myself, I’m a little disappointed.
I imagine how much more perfect it would be to feel his solid form against my back and to lose myself in his strong arms. I can even imagine how his hard cock would feel pressed into my back.
The thought embarrasses me enough that I quickly take another sip of wine. I tell myself it’s ridiculous to feel disappointed. The man barely knows me. He’s already done more for me than anyone else has in a long time.
Still, the image of Carver naked in this tub definitely crossed my mind.
More than once.
He glances toward me, catching me staring. His mouth twitches slightly like he knows exactly where my thoughts wandered.
There is nothing more dangerous than a man who knows his appeal.
I sink a little lower into the water.
“We’re watching the house,” he says finally, his voice low and steady.
That immediately pulls my attention away from my embarrassing thoughts.
“What?”
“Rollings’ house. The one where Tony and his friends met up.” He takes a pull from his beer. “Simon and Axel are sitting on it now.”
I blink. “Right now?”
“Yeah.”
A strange mixture of guilt and relief settles inside me. Guilt because other people are now involved in this nightmare. Relief because maybe I’m not alone anymore.
“Are they going to try and go in?” I ask.
Carver shakes his head. “Not tonight. Tonight, they’re just watching.”
“I guess that’s something,” I say, but I can’t keep the disappointment out of my tone. If there are women in there, they likely aren’t being treated kindly. I doubt anyone is drawing them a soothing bath.
“We aren’t giving up on rescuing the women, if they are inside,” Carver assures me.
“Shield is pulling records on Tony and all his buddies. He’s compiling all their arrests, complaints, and witness statements.
He’s combing through every report where cops questioned them, or they backed up each other’s alibis. ”
I stare at him. “Can he do that?”
A faint grin tugs at his mouth. “Shield can do whatever he wants. If he can’t get the information through proper channels, he has Byte and Maestro to get them for him.”
That honestly doesn’t surprise me.
“And then what?”
“Dante’s calling Church in the morning.” His expression darkens slightly. “We’ll go over whatever Shield finds and come up with a plan to trap them.”
The word trap sends a small chill through me despite the heat surrounding my body.
“You mean prove what they’re doing?”
“Yeah.”
“But how?”
Carver studies me for a second before answering. “Don’t know yet.”
That honesty should scare me.
Instead, it reassures me. There is no fake promise. He isn’t pretending to have all the answers. He doesn’t pat me on the head and tell me that they’ll handle it and I shouldn’t worry. No, there is just determination.
“We’ll figure something out,” he continues quietly. “As soon as we know more, I’ll tell you.”
I look down into the lavender water, tracing my fingertips across the surface. “Tony’s careful.”
“Most predators are.”
The bitterness in his voice makes me glance back at him. His eyes are on the floor now, his expression unreadable. His expression makes me wonder what kind of monsters Carver has dealt with before.
The thought lingers between us for a moment before he looks back at me.
“You got anything else on Tony or his friends?” he asks. “Anything strange you remember that could help us?”
“I don’t have very much, but I scanned their social media and documented what I could find. I have it all on my computer.”
I shift to move out of the tub, but Carver stops me. “Let me help you out.”
I stand carefully when Carver offers me his hand, the water cascading down my body in warm streams. My legs feel loose and heavy from the heat of the bath and the wine, and for one terrifying second, I wobble.
Carver catches me instantly.
His hands grip my waist, steady and strong.
“Easy,” he murmurs.
The word rumbles through me.
I look up at him, suddenly very aware that I’m completely naked and dripping water all over his bathroom floor. Steam curls between us while his dark eyes roam over my face instead of my body.
That somehow affects me more.
He reaches for a large fluffy towel hanging nearby and wraps it around me carefully, tucking the edge securely above my chest. His knuckles brush my shoulder gently before he steps back.
“I’ll give you a minute,” he says quietly.
Then he leaves.
I stare after him, my chest oddly tight. Nobody has ever treated me this gently before.
I dry myself slowly, still wrapped in the warmth of the towel and the even warmer feeling settling inside my chest. By the time I finish blotting water from my skin, there’s another soft knock at the bathroom door.
“Yeah?” I call.
The door opens just enough for Carver to step partially inside without looking directly at me. In his hands are my fluffy sleep pants and matching tank.
“Figured you’d want something comfortable.”
My throat tightens unexpectedly.
“Thank you.”
He finally glances toward me, his expression softening slightly. “Take your time.”
Then he disappears again.
I press the clothes against my chest for a second before dressing. The sleep pants are fuzzy and pink. I should feel embarrassed by them, but they’re my favorite because they’re comfortable.
Like Carver.
I shouldn’t like that as much as I do.
When I leave the bathroom, Carver is sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for me. His eyes lift immediately, and heat floods my cheeks at the intensity in his gaze.
Lust is there, but there’s something more. Something gentler and more dangerous in an entirely different way.
I quickly grab my laptop from where I left it on the nightstand before I lose my nerve.
“I should show you what I found.”
He motions for me to sit beside him.
I open the files I copied earlier from Tony’s and his friends’ social media accounts.
Most are pictures of the six of them together doing guy stuff like camping, playing baseball, and shooting hoops.
There are a few with women, but never more than three at a time.
As if keeping the balance off is the whole point.
I stare into the women’s eyes and wonder if they were there by choice or if they’re drugged.
There is no denying that their smiles aren’t as bright as those of the men.
Carver’s jaw tightens as he scrolls through everything. I wonder if he’s seeing what I’m seeing.
“This is good,” he mutters.
“I thought maybe some of it mattered.”
“It does.”
He takes the laptop from me and stands. “I’m gonna show this to Shield.”
I nod, suddenly nervous again once he leaves the room.
The silence doesn’t last long.
I move toward the dresser and pick up a comb, trying to work through the damp tangles in my hair. I barely make it through one stubborn knot before the bedroom door opens again.
Carver crosses the room without a word and gently takes the comb from my hand.
“Sit.”
I blink at him. “What?”
A faint smirk touches his mouth. “You’re yanking your hair out.”
Embarrassed, I sit on the edge of the bed while he crawls behind me. His fingers slide carefully through my damp hair as he works the comb through the tangles with unbelievable patience.
The steady strokes relax me almost instantly.
“You’re good at this,” I murmur.
“My little sister hated knots.”
Something warm blooms in my chest at the image.
When he finishes combing out my hair, he gathers it and begins braiding it slowly. The repetitive pull of his fingers is soothing enough that my eyelids grow heavy.
Once he ties off the braid, he sets the comb aside and pulls back the blankets.
“C’mere.”
I slide beneath the covers, and a second later, he climbs in beside me. The mattress dips beneath his weight before he pulls me carefully against his chest.
His strong arms wrap around me. He’s solid, and he’s safe.
Carver presses a kiss against the top of my head.
“You’re safe here, Raven,” he says quietly. “I’ve got you.”