Chapter 17 Raven
The front door of the house busted open as Dirty Death MC members rushed in. I managed to stumble to my feet before they entered, pressing a hand against the fucking hole in my gut. My body blocked Bree, but she wasn’t paying attention.
Seeing those DDMC cuts was too much. She retreated to her nightmares, mumbling as she rocked behind me. I didn’t have time to do more than grab my Glock before the door opened.
“Raven,” Grudge greeted me with a grin. “I see our girl is having a little trouble. Maybe we need to take her to one of the bedrooms and let the guys remind her that her cunt is ours.”
Fucking asshole. He was baiting me, hoping I’d do something foolish.
I wish I had my blades.
The gun was enough for now because the crows were already on their way.
I didn’t have to call them. The bond I shared with mine meant he understood my wishes before I spoke them.
In this instance, when fueled by rage and the need to protect our mate and unborn child, we connected on a spiritual level.
Each of us had our bond with the crow. Some of my mc brothers could take on the crow’s form, others could only tap into his sight.
My pres could call upon the crows for miles and they would form a mob for his bidding.
Me? My crow could call his brethren to him in need.
His distress call would rile them up. The caws that followed were frantic and pissed.
“I’ll go first,” some fucker announced, staring me down with a grin from his gold teeth. His patch read Crank.
I marked him. The first to die.
“Only if I get her ass.” Dark greasy hair hung to the shoulders of the man that spoke as he smiled, baring teeth that had been sharpened into points. Grinder. I didn’t need to read his patch to know.
Marked. The second to die.
“I’m not going to allow that,” I responded calmly.
How the fuck did the Dirty Death find our safehouse location?
My phone pinged, but I refused to check it.
Grudge’s grin widened. “Go ahead. Take a look.”
Fuck. With my free hand, I picked up my cell from the coffee table, swiping across and streaking blood on the surface. Several missed texts from Crow.
Get out! Location compromised!
On our way
Raven
Answer your fucking phone!
Fuck!
Yeah, he knew it was too late. The Dirty Death was here, and now there was nothing left to do but kill every last one of the motherfucking pricks.
I set down the phone, showing no emotion in my expression. My gun rose and leveled, aimed at his head.
“Tsk, tsk. I thought this wouldn’t be bloody, Raven.”
“It’s already bloody,” I grit out, rolling my shoulders back as I felt my woman’s arms wrap around my leg.
Terrified, she whimpered, clutching at me to avoid Grudge, Crank, Grinder, and the rest of the Dirty Death MC.
“I got you, beautiful. Stay with me.”
Her shaky voice answered, “Okay.”
“Need you to get something, sweetheart. It’s close. Reach underneath the table and find my blades. Toss them at my feet once you’ve got them.”
I knew she didn’t want to release my leg, but she listened, placing the weapons within reach.
Her body practically climbed mine once she finished. “Raven.”
“You’re safe,” I promised.
Grudge chuckled. He shook his head when Crank and Grinder moved a step forward. Three more guys hovered behind them. I could see more outside.
No motorcycles. No wonder I never heard them arrive.
They must have stashed their bikes too far away for the crows to notice.
At least half a dozen DDMC members congregated around us but no Undertaker. Did he know none of these assholes would fucking live after this? That I’d fucking end them all?
Loud squawking drew everyone’s attention, and I bent down to haul Brianna up next to me, shoving my gun into her hand as I palmed my blades. My gut was on fire, blazing hot, and I nearly stumbled. Blood dripped consistently from the wound, soaking into my sweats.
I would lose blood too fast and pass out if I didn’t handle these intruders now.
Caw...caw.
Finally!
Crows descended on the property, swooping down and diving in fast, pecking at the men outside. Screams mixed with the caw of the birds. Chaos exploded as Crank, Grinder, and a couple of the other DDMC ran in our direction.
“Shoot to kill,” I ordered Bree, lunging forward.
My blade sliced through the air, leaving a thin crimson streak across Crank’s neck. His hands rose, pressing against his throat as his eyes widened in shock. Falling to his knees, he tried to speak. His words were garbled. Blood spilled down the front of his shirt and cut as he slumped over.
“That’s for touching my woman,” I roared.
Grinder reached Bree as she pulled back on the trigger, firing as she closed her eyes. We’d have to work on that later.
The bullet hit his groin.
Or maybe not.
She opened her eyes, tapping the trigger two more times. Two bullets hit his body, thrusting him backward. Precise hits to his heart and his forehead.
Damn. My babygirl could shoot.
She’d have to tell me how she learned sometime.
My gaze swept the room, landing on Grudge. Marked. “Let’s go, motherfucker.”
Bree emptied the clip—three more bodies.
None survived.
Impressed, I gave her a chin lift. “Fuck me, beautiful. And I mean that. I need you riding my cock after this. You’re goddamn fierce, my love.”
She smiled a wonderful, sinister, deadly grin that immediately made my cock harden. “I will, my sexy silver fox.”
I wasn’t sure if the blood loss or my woman’s words made me dizzy, but I couldn’t help my reaction as I groaned, thinking of how good she felt beneath me a few hours before this shit show started. I planned on her getting her back in my bed soon.
Grudge snickered. “Undertaker predicted this. He said you mated the girl.”
All the air was sucked out of my lungs.
Wait. How would Undertaker know that?
He said mate. Not ol’ lady. Not wife. Not girlfriend.
Mate. A word only used in the most intimate of our circles. Only the crows mated.
Then it all clicked.
The Dirty Death always being one step ahead of us. The connection with Mayor Goodman and Sheriff Hobbs. The Hart women. The hit on our businesses and the vandalism.
Undertaker seemed to know every plan we made. His MC had their hands in every fucking thing in the city.
He knew it all . . . because he was one of us.
Fuck!
Grudge noticed the second it all clicked in my head, pulling back on the trigger and firing a bullet aimed at my heart.
Usually, I’d say I was a dead man, but I wasn’t an ordinary man.
My crow’s reflexes kicked in, and I swerved out of the way as though I had wings of my own, watching as the bullet hit my fucking leather couch.
My lip lifted in a snarl. “Time to go, cocksucker.”
Dual wielding my blades, I crashed into him, knocking us both to the ground.
My stomach protested, pulsing with pain, but I ignored it.
I slammed a blade into both of his shoulders, shoving them hard enough to lodge into the floor with my rage.
A strength I borrowed from the murder of black birds outside.
Visions of Bree’s bruises and the reminder of how Grudge beat and humiliated her spurred on my need for retribution.
He ordered her naked. Her sexual assaults . . .
I closed my eyes, tapping into the crows. Come. Feast.
Caw...caw.
My arms opened wide as I stepped back, feeling the wind billowing around my body as the crows circled me, lifting me up briefly. They placed me down on solid ground closer to Brianna.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw Grudge through a filmy haze.
His mouth opened as he screamed like a little bitch.
Pain. I ordered the kill, laughing as an inky blot of death hovered above him.
“Die, motherfucker!”
The crows descended on his flesh, ripping and tearing into his body. They pecked out his eyes. Tore off his nose and ears. His abdomen was sliced open with their claws, his entrails and organs yanked out and gobbled while he still breathed.
His screams . . . sweet vindication for my soul.
My eyes slowly refocused, and the haze disappeared. I blinked, staring into the face of my green-eyed angel.
“You’re magnificent,” she whispered.
“A crow,” I corrected with a lopsided grin.
“My hero.”
A heavy rumble rattled from outside, revealing help had arrived. I felt the presence of my brothers and their crows, adding to the rage-fueled hunger for bloodshed and vengeance.
They weren’t alone.
The Graven Bastards MC had shown up too.
“I want in on this, boys!” Rael shouted, whooping and hollering like a fucking mad man.
Grim’s deep laughter followed.
The remaining Dirty Death members on the property were hunted down; their blood spilled for daring to fuck with our club and Rook. The crows were vicious, leaving nothing but bones and bits of flesh behind.
My MC brothers from Tonopah reaped every soul and sent them to hell. Oh, the magnificent carnage!
It was done. All four of the motherfuckers who touched my woman were dead.
My knees buckled as I heard Bree calling my name.
Someone shouted for Falcon. He never seemed to find a moment of peace. I guess that was the life of a medic in our dangerous world. Outlaws and outsiders, we constantly faced opposition and always would.
I stared up at Brianna’s face. “My mate.”
Crow heard me. “Your mate. Bella is mine.”
Relieved, I knew she’d be cared for if I didn’t make it.
“Love you, babygirl,” I managed to say, committing that beautiful face to memory so I could take it with me in the afterlife.
“I NEED YOU TO WAKE up, Raven,” I whispered, smoothing my fingertips over his face. “You’re not allowed to leave me.”
Crow smirked. “I think he’s fucking stubborn enough to stay by your side. I’ve never seen him as bullheaded as this with anyone else. Not even my father, Rook.”
“I hope so.”
“He’s got plenty to live for, Bree. He lost a lot of blood, but he’s not leaving you.”
God. That thought terrified me. Not because I didn’t want to live this life alone or because of the pregnancy. Raven was everything to me. Lover. Protector. Savior. Companion.
I couldn’t lose him now. Not after all we’d been through.
“I need him. He saved me, Crow. He’s saved my life several times over the years. We’re fated to be together.”
“He told me about all of it,” Crow revealed.
“I’ve never seen him like this with any woman.
I don’t think he was ever in love with Sarah.
He got it in his head she was his mate and he did what he thought was right.
” Crow shrugged. “That’s Raven. Old fucker has an iron will and a stubborn streak a mile long. ”
I couldn’t help a smile. “I agree with you.”
Raven groaned, lifting a hand weakly to flip off Crow. “Fuck off, Pres.”
“Yeah, he’s gonna be fine, honey.” With a laugh, he stepped outside, closing the door.
Relieved Asmon was awake and no longer unconscious, I felt like I could finally breathe.
“You scared me,” I accused.
“Well,” he murmured. “I didn’t expect to almost meet the reaper.”
I stared, swallowing hard. Reaper. Like those bikers from the Graven Bastards MC. They were odd. So were all the crows always flying around. “What are you?”
“A crow, sugar. Or, bonded to one. We share traits, abilities, and I can use his sight. He’s a part of me like I’m a part of him.”
“Do you, uh, change into one?”
“A crow?”
“Yeah.” Was this a stupid question?
“Nah. Not my gift. Not sayin’ it can’t be done, though.”
I nibbled on my bottom lip, trying to make sense of what he said. “This is like one of those shifter romance novels where the girl falls for the boy and she finds out he’s a werewolf or something.”
He reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers. “Do they fall in love? Is that the appeal?”
“Yes, I suppose it is. A hot guy who can’t get enough of his woman and will risk anything to protect her.”
“Sounds like me.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“You’re far too arrogant.”
“Am I? I was under the impression you enjoyed that.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” I did. Often.
“C’mere. No space between us. If we’re in a bed, I want you so close that your body is tangled up with mine. In the sheets or out of them.”
Who could resist that?
“I think you should kiss me.”
“Babygirl, I’ll be doing a lot more than that.”
“Didn’t you just have a bullet pulled out of your stomach?”
“Sweetheart, I’m fine. Need to feel you and I don’t care who fuckin’ comes through that door.”
I blushed. Climbing his lap, I decided I didn’t care either.
When I cried his name a short time later, I knew Raven, my Asmon, had claimed my heart, body, and soul.
No matter what the future held, I knew he’d stay by my side. We’d face it. Together. Stronger because of the love and bond we shared.