Chapter 6 Bree #2
I frowned. “Never said that.” A sigh escaped as I lifted my head, scanning the cemetery.
Crow and the club were ready to leave. I didn’t have much time.
“You’ve got to live your life, sweetheart.
Find what makes that beautiful heart of yours soar and go after it.
” I tugged her against me, memorizing how she felt because this was goodbye.
“Raven, please,” she begged.
I didn’t answer, dropping a kiss on her head.
Walking away from her was one of the hardest things I’d ever done, and it didn’t make sense. We barely knew one another, but our souls had connected, and I wouldn’t forget that.
The crow followed, gliding through the air above my head. He squawked his displeasure, and I ignored him.
Caw...caw.
I joined my brothers and fired up my bike.
She followed me. I could feel it.
Sunglasses in place, I gave no indication that I caught her presence on my right, rushing toward the parking lot. My head turned slightly in her direction before I lifted my chin, pulled back on the throttle, and rolled down the road out of sight.
I couldn’t help feeling I left a little piece of my heart behind.
Present time
Five years. That was how long I’d survived without seeing her again.
The woman in my arms hadn’t changed much since we last met.
The differences were so minor I would have missed them if I wasn’t holding her so close.
Slightly curvier and more rounded than the last time we met, her body had redistributed the weight into her ass and breasts.
Not that I was complaining. The change was sexy as fuck.
She still had that ability to draw me in and spark my interest. She aroused me, and not just my cock.
So young. So fucking innocent. So achingly beautiful.
The same sweetness I remembered coated her skin in that irresistible blend of silken rose petals, clean spring rain, and a hint of spice.
She’d been through hell and back. That much was clear. Dirty, traumatized, and taken from her home against her will, it was no wonder she passed out. Red fingerprints glared from her skin like someone had held her down for a long time.
My lip lifted in a snarl, rage blinding me for several seconds as I sucked air into my lungs.
Brianna didn’t deserve any of this. Yet here she lay, vulnerable and beaten, assaulted, bruised, and once again placed in my path.
Why? Why did fate bring her this close and dangle her within my reach? How many times would I be forced to watch her suffer?
My crow seethed with anger, his fury boiling under my skin as I contemplated all the ways I would torture those who harmed her. And then . . . the guilt settled in.
Should I have done something different the last time we met? Was I a fool who left her unprotected and vulnerable? Could I have prevented her kidnapping?
Would it have mattered if I’d asked for her number and kept in contact? I’d never know the answer to that question, which would probably haunt me forever.
I took her to one of the guest rooms, yelling for everyone to get the fuck out. She needed rest. Protection. I could give her that.
Hours faded, and I didn’t move from her side. All I kept thinking about was that day at the cemetery. It fucking haunted me in so many ways, and not just because of Sarah’s death. I should never have walked away from Brianna.
I let the age difference and my life in the MC become a reason for convincing myself she was better off without me.
But I’d been so fucking wrong, tragically, horribly wrong.
The door opened, and Bella slipped inside, quietly shutting it behind her. Her gaze swept over me, noting the chair pulled close to the bed. I sat on Brianna’s right, watching her sleep, a personally appointed protector.
“How is she?”
“Still out. Not stirred at all since I tucked her in.”
“You were the one who saved Bree, weren’t you?”
Saved? That remained to be seen.
My chest tightened when I glanced over the bruises and various wounds on Brianna’s body. The healing process would take time. “It was a club effort.”
“What happened when you found her?”
“That’s not my business to say,” I replied carefully, not wanting to upset Bella further. She didn’t need to hear the horrible details.
“Raven, I need to know. She’ll tell me everything when she’s ready, but I need to know what happened when you found her. Was she alone?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“And?”
Suddenly furious with the reminder, I shoved to my feet, moving away from the bed. “Two men were holding her down. I don’t know how much happened before I arrived, but she wasn’t undressed completely.”
Conflicting emotions waged war before her expression crumbled. “Shit. Tell me.”
“They had her pinned against the mattress. She fought off two deadly bikers. Fucking brave if you want the truth.”
She nodded, clearly wanting to hear it all.
“You sure? It’s not pretty.”
“Yes,” she answered firmly.
Okay, I wasn’t going to hold back then.
“I slit the first motherfucker’s throat, and it felt too quick. I was fucking pissed they hurt Brianna, and I attacked the other one, slicing him up before the crows ate him alive.”
Her eyes widened, and she swallowed, making an odd sound in her throat. “Holy shit.” She paused, thinking over my words. “Crows?”
Scowling, I didn’t want to reveal club secrets. That was up to my pres.
“You need to talk to Crow about this. Not my place. You should know the assholes who did this fucking suffered. Not enough, but they didn’t die easily.”
“Thank you.” She stared at me a moment and then nodded.
I turned toward Brianna, staring at the young woman who once again entered my life when I least expected it. “She’s special.”
“Yes,” Bella agreed.
“I’m glad I was there.”
“Me too, Raven.”
I didn’t want to leave Brianna, but I had to check in with Crow and get my turn on the Dirty Death assholes downstairs. “I’ll return in a few hours to check in on you both. Red will be outside. He’ll grab anything you need. Just let him know.”
“I appreciate it.”
LEAVING THE ROOM, I entered the hall, heading toward the basement with purpose. My boots pounded the stairs as I rushed down, finding Carrion, Hawk, Crow, and Cuckoo bloodied and fired up.
It was Carrion that snared my attention. He decided to use his whips. Carrion had a variety of them made with various thickness and types of braid, some interwoven with bits of bone, shell, or metal. Each had been handcrafted from quality materials.
As I’d said before, he loved his toys.
A vicious crack snapped the air and one of the prisoners howled, his cries followed by the unmistakable plops of dripping blood.
I watched the crimson droplets land on the basement floor, ready for justice of my own.
There would be no stopping me, not after what they intended to do to an innocent woman. No, she was more than that.
Brianna . . . I’m so sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.
Pushing the thoughts of regret aside, I cracked my knuckles. “I’m ready, Pres.”
“Have at it,” he snarled, gesturing to the two dumb fuckers strung up by their wrists and dangling from the ceiling.
My rage unleashed.
I’d kept in control until now, but the images in my head of Brianna’s injuries surfaced, and I let the old crow have his way. Blind fury spilled from my fists as I began to beat the two Dirty Death MC members without mercy.
I never even asked a question. It wasn’t possible. All I wanted was for these motherfuckers to get what they deserved.
They attacked my woman.
Wait. Mine?
Fuck it. It was true.
The ruthless brutality continued so long that Crow finally pulled me away, slamming my body against the wall with Hawk’s help.
“Killing them won’t give us what we need.”
“I don’t care,” I snarled. “They fucking tried to rape her, Pres.”
He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Fuck. I know.”
Hawk glared at our prisoner. “He ain’t gonna tell us no more right now, Pres. Give it a few hours, and we’ll come back down.”
These motherfuckers weren’t as easy to flip as Crow hoped.
The first was too weak, and he died before we could learn anything new.
The second guy hung from the beams in the ceiling, and his limp body wasn’t giving anything else away right now.
His battered frame needed a break before we began round two.
Crow didn’t like it. Hell, I was furious, but we needed to listen to Hawk.
Crow sighed. “I’m gonna go check on Bella. Let me know if anything changes.”
“Will do, Pres.”
I watched Crow climb the stairs, knowing he was finally ready to claim Bella. I could see it. His crow was taking charge, and that little woman had no idea how fiercely Crow cared for her already, even though it had only been days since they met.
When fate sent the right woman into your life, you didn’t waste the chance. When the crow said she was the one, you mated. It was that simple.
Until it wasn’t.
I closed my eyes, thinking of Sarah and her loss, and then feeling guilty because I didn’t have the same sadness inside that used to consume me.
A different woman had taken residence in my head, working her way into my heart, and a part of me fought it because it shouldn’t be possible.
Crows mated for life.
So why the hell did I ache for Brianna when I had already met my mate?
Scrubbing a hand down my face in sudden exhaustion, I trudged up the stairs, moving down the hall and toward the guest room. Red stood guard outside the door.
“Crow in there?”
“Yeah.”
“Stay put until your pres says otherwise.”
“No problem, Raven.”
I turned the knob slowly, hoping I didn’t disturb Brianna inside. I sensed she rested deeply and needed it.
Bella lifted her head from the bed where she’d been asleep, watching over her sister, looking up at Crow. “I have no idea how long I’ve been out.”
“Probably a couple of hours,” I answered, shutting the door behind me. “Figured it was time I gave you a break, Bella. Pres wants some time with you. If Brianna wakes up, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Thanks, Raven.”
“Anytime, honey.”
Crow reached for Bella’s hand and held it firmly, leading her from the room. Our gaze locked briefly, and he ticked his head in thanks before leaving me alone with Brianna.
Vigilant, I watched over her again, willing to do whatever was necessary to ensure her recovery.