Chapter 13 Raven
Icaught her staring at me.
For some reason, that seriously fucking pampered my ego.
I didn’t look away, hoping she’d do it again.
And she did, smiling at me in a way that puffed my chest and made me want to preen like my crow, and I had the sudden desire to rush to her side, gathering her up in a hug.
What a silly notion.
But then it was followed by a daydream of her resting back against the dark sheets in my bed, lifting her arms, and offering that same come-fuck-me grin she wore now.
Fuck. Everything she did was either sexy or adorable, sometimes a combination of both at the same time, and I had a hard time keeping my thoughts in check.
And then she did that thing where she nibbled on her bottom lip. My dick decided that was exciting and grew hard fast, trying to punch a hole through the denim of my jeans.
I envisioned myself sliding between her open thighs and mounting her, getting lost in her and the passion that followed.
I imagined how tight and wet her pussy would be, and that was it.
I almost lost control, jizzing in my pants like a goddamn lovesick teenager discovering his cock and how much he could come.
What. The. Fuck.
Since when did I have daydreams? Being fascinated and protective over Brianna was conjuring all kinds of weird reactions, including possessive thoughts of me claiming her in my bed.
I scrubbed a hand down my face. This was getting out of hand.
I knew why.
It had been far too long since I’d gotten my dick wet.
That had to be why I reacted like this, my dick stiffening at the sight of a girl who probably couldn’t stand the idea of sex, not that I blamed her.
I tried to remember the last chick who bounced on my dick, searched through my head for what she looked like, and I couldn’t.
Unremarkable was what she’d been. Her pussy had been like every other sweet butt I’d been with, every pole-hugging dancer who caught a few minutes of my interest.
Funny, I didn’t give a shit about any of that right now. My cock needed sucked, and I craved the release, but not from any of the cut sluts here. They didn’t do anything for me. Been in one, you fucked them all. Sad, but true.
At my age, I didn’t want a woman several of my brothers had fucked in the last few days. Not my style anymore and hadn’t been for a long while.
No, I wanted the sweetness of my babygirl, her soft sighs of pleasure, and her cheeks flushed because I was doing all the dirty things I imagined in my head.
Lucky Lou chose that moment to roll up to me, oxygen tank in hand, giving me a stupid I-know-what-you’re-thinking grin.
“Just spent the day with Bree,” he announced. “Sweet girl.”
“Yep.” I wasn’t sayin’ more.
“Pretty too. Fucking adorable.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, jaw clenching tight.
Lou saw right through me. He laughed, chortling in his chair as Bree left The Roost and began placing snacks on the outdoor tables, including brownies, cookies, and homemade cinnamon rolls.
Damn. She was fucking perfect.
My gaze slid over her, appreciating her from every angle. All the luscious curves. That spankable ass.
“You watch her,” Lou observed.
Fuck. He caught me.
“I don’t want anything bad to happen to her again. Makes me feel anxious.”
“No. It’s more than that,” he contradicted, stroking the scruff on his jaw.
“I feel responsible for Bree since her rescue. Nothin’ wrong with that.”
“No, if that’s your only goal. Keepin’ her safe,” he clarified.
Old coot didn’t know when to keep his beak out of other people’s business.
“I care about her,” I finally admitted.
“Good. She needs a protector, but keep her outta your bed.”
What the fuck?
“You got somethin’ to say, old man?”
“Fuck yeah,” he snapped, poking me with the end of the cane he kept with him, just in case he planned to walk.
He never fucking did long enough to use it.
“She’s special. Don’t want none of you fuckers messin’ her up more than she is. Needs time to heal. Her sweet soul is broken.”
Fuck.
My chin dipped, ripping my gaze away from my sunshine.
Lou wasn’t wrong. Brianna was snaking her way right into my heart, planting deep roots, and staking a claim. And damn, I sure didn’t want that feeling to end.
“I’m lookin’ out for more than her safety, Lou,” I finally replied in a low voice, “I’m hopin’ to repair her heart.”
He stared at me, tilted his head, then nodded. “Okay then.”
I didn’t have a chance to say more because he scooted off toward the table, snatching up what he could before the rest of my brothers ate all the goodies.
“HEY, SUGAR.”
Bree looked up from the book in her hand. “Hi, Raven.”
“I thought it would be—”
My words cut off when the terracotta plant on the table next to her head exploded. Dirt, the cactus, and bits of the pot flew in all directions.
I dove for Bree, knocking her to the ground as I tumbled over the folding chair, landing hard on the pavement. My body covered hers as I began shouting, calling out to my brothers.
“Stay down!” Crow ordered as I held the back of Brianna’s head in my palm.
“Fuck!” I cursed. “You okay?”
A dazed, glassy-eyed look was all that greeted me.
“Motherfucker!”
Hawk and Cuckoo were yelling back and forth, running around buildings as I turned my head, catching Carrion in the shadows. He ran toward us, leaping over our bodies and whipping one of his knives toward the fence.
A gurgling scream followed, then a thud.
“Cocksucker,” he mumbled. “They’re gone.”
Crow shot him a doubtful look. “You sure?”
“Yeah. This was a warning. They didn’t stick around for our reply.”
“Oh, they’ll fucking get one,” I promised.
“No fucking doubt,” Claw agreed, holding his right arm. “Where the fuck is Falcon? I need this bullet out.”
Bullets . . . Bree!
I pushed up, searching every inch of Brianna’s body. She had a few scratches and a streak of blood on her arm, but nothing serious.
“Fuck, babygirl. Tell me you’re okay.”
She blinked. “I think so, but you’re bleeding, Raven.”
I stared down at my body, noting my left shoulder. I’d been clipped. Not a big deal. It would heal fast with Falcon’s help.
“It’s nothing. Just got grazed.”
I pulled her up with me when I stood, surprised when her arms circled my waist. “It’s okay, sweetheart. We’re gonna be fine.”
“You saved me again,” she gushed. “Oh, God, Raven.”
“Hey.” I tilted her chin up, fighting the desire to brush my lips over hers. “Don’t worry. I’m gonna take care of this.”
“I know.”
Trust. A simple but vital thing. She trusted me without hesitation. It nearly brought me to my knees.
I wrapped an arm around her, trying not to wince like a pussy. My shoulder stung, and the pain was beginning to throb throughout that half of my body.
“Need Falcon,” I grunted.
“I’m here!” Falcon had two fingers pressed against Claw’s skin. “Give me a minute and lay the fuck down before you lose too much blood.”
I stumbled to the picnic table, laying down on it while Bree pressed her hands to the wound. I didn’t think I’d bled that much, but her shirt was soaked.
“Sorry, sugar.”
“For bleeding?” She pursed her lips, shaking her head. “Shut up.”
Crow laughed. “She’s right. You’re an idiot.”
“An idiot in love,” I mumbled, half out of it.
I thought I heard Bree gasp.
Reaching for her, I pulled her closer, not noticing how I smeared blood on her skin. “I’m so happy you didn’t burn.”
She sighed. “Me too, Raven.”
Something wet dropped on my face. “Bree?”
“I’m here. Try not to move.”
White-hot pain seared my shoulder, and my jaw locked. Fuck! I must have gotten more than clipped.
A hard pinch followed. A stabbing pain. Then only blissful release.
“The bullet’s out. Rest, Raven. I’ll be back to check on you.”
Falcon. Such a good healer.
Bree’s face appeared above mine.
“Stay, babygirl.”
“I will,” she promised.
I didn’t respond, fading into the darkness.
MY EYES SHOT OPEN AS I came to, nearly hopping up when two hands pressed against my chest. Two soft hands that belonged to the woman I was going to claim as mine.
The woman I planned to marry if she’d have me.
“Babygirl?”
“Right here,” she responded. “It’s late. Almost everyone who isn’t outside watching for trouble is asleep. You’ve been out for about six hours.”
Well, damn.
“You okay? Not hurt?”
“No, just a little tired.” She yawned.
“Climb in this bed with me. I need to feel you close.”
Falcon must have moved me while I slept. I vaguely remembered him digging that bullet out of my shoulder, but not much else.
Bree sat next to me, holding my hand. “I think I need to leave.”
“What?”
“It’s not safe for anyone here while I’m around. They want me dead, Raven. I don’t want anyone hurt because of me.”
Slowly, I tried to breathe and not get pissed at her.
“Okay. What if I take you somewhere safe? Where no one can find you?”
“Is that possible?”
“Every heard of a safehouse?”
“Uh, I think so.”
“We’ve got a few of them. I’ll take you whenever you want to go. There’s a place in Goldfield that’ll be perfect for us.”
I should have fought her harder on the reason we were leaving, but I didn’t have the energy.
“Tonight,” she replied adamantly.
“Sugar.”
“Now. Whenever you feel up to it. I just have to get out of here, Raven.”
Her voice sounded panicky.
“Okay, sweetheart. We’ll go. Let me get dressed.”
I sat up, rolling my shoulder. No pain.
Falcon did good. My body would take some time to finish the healing process, but it was well underway.
“How’s your shoulder?”
“Fine. Don’t feel a thing now. Falcon is a miracle worker.”
“Wow, I guess he is.”
“C’mere. Give me a minute.”
She settled close to me, resting her head on my shoulder. “You make me feel safe, Raven. When you hold me like this, when my head rests on your shoulder, and your arms wrap around me, I’m not afraid.”
Shit. I thought she was beyond the fear controlling her.
The shooting must have spooked her again.
I’d fucking kill the bastard who did it if Carrion hadn’t beat me to it.
“Then you have my permission to use me whenever you need to, just lay your head on my shoulder and let me take that burden for a bit.”
I’d take it all from her if I could, anything to ease the heartache that nearly split her in two every minute of the day.
I never expected to feel this strongly for Bree. There was a reason I didn’t do relationships. After everything fell apart with Sarah, I didn’t want to go through that shit again. So I fucked when my dick needed to get wet, and I kept my heart guarded.
So fucking dumb. I never stood a chance. No other woman mattered because I’d already found the one that I wanted.
Brianna bulldozed her way into my heart the second I glimpsed those dazzling green eyes and pulled her from the wreckage, gazing into the face that would haunt my dreams afterward and never fade, even in the years we spent apart.
And now that I had her with me, I wasn’t letting her go.