Chapter 18
Raven
Raven hadn't been gone long enough. The scent of her skin still clung to him; the echo of her breath still stirred in his chest. If he were honest, he would have stayed and stayed in the heat. Stayed in the space where her eyes didn't ask for anything but truth. But duty pulled harder than desire.
"About damn time you showed back up, Raven.
You dragged me into this Stallions meeting with Raul, and then you vanish?
" Hector ground out, stabbing his cigar into the ashtray.
He said impatiently at their table, stubbing out his cigar and motioning for another drink as Raven returned.
A waitress brought a tray with two bottles on it, along with fresh ice, and set it on the table.
The things he was going to do to her beautiful body when he got her alone would make a porn star blush.
All he had to do was make it through this meeting.
Just one more night, and it would be all about the two of them, even if just for a moment.
It occurred to him he'd never asked his father about the conflict between him and Raul.
There was no better time than the present to find out.
"I've been trying to understand Raul's hatred for you since you first mentioned his name.
You brought me into this world, into this war between the two of you, and you've kept your past sealed shut.
I understand that you don't trust easily, but it's time you told me the truth.
Not just for me, but for the damn club you keep dragging behind us like a corpse with a crown.
You want me to rule this organization one day.
It's time we start working together. I need to know the backstory here. "
Hector stared at him, his eyes vacant for a moment. Raven wasn't sure if his father was upset by the question or just lost in memories. He tried again.
"So, tell me, Dad. What did you do to him? What happened between you and Raul that makes him want your name erased from every room he walks into?"
Hector didn't share history. Not with allies, not with enemies—and certainly not with his son.
Anything that could be traced, weaponized, or remembered…
he kept buried. He made it seem like the past didn't hold any nostalgia; just liability— even when it came to Raven, especially when it came to him.
Raven had learned to operate blindly, trusting his instincts over intel from his father, reacting instead of preparing. But silence only works when you don't have something worth protecting.
Raven was tired of his father's silence—tired of guessing what the truth was, of piecing together stories from whispers and contradictions in the organization. Tired of carrying out orders that felt like they had hidden agendas.
Hector glanced at him, eyes narrowed, not speaking, as he reached for the bottle, pouring slowly and deliberately, as if the silence was part of some ritual he needed to perform before he could talk.
"It started back when the Kings were branching out into California.
The bosses at the time were strict, old-school, and unwilling to negotiate with other clubs.
They wanted muscle, loyalty, and silence, but specifically from already established members.
Raul had different ideas from the old Dons.
He saw the future before they did—smarter deals, fewer guns, more influence.
But the Kings weren't built for that kind of evolution.
Not then, anyway. That's why I was chosen over him to become the Capo of California. "
Raven listened as the story unfolded, his gaze trained on the man across from him, searching for cracks in his armor. For once, Hector wasn't just stone; he was weathered and tired—maybe, for the first time, finally willing to open himself up to Raven in the smallest of ways.
"We were supposed to bring him in as a liaison to the California branch, to smooth the path and make him feel respected after he didn't get selected for the California Capo position.
They tasked me with delivering the offer, but I didn't simply present the terms. I twisted them.
I gave him less stake than promised. I thought if I undercut him just enough, the bosses would keep me closer and hold me in higher regard.
It was a greedy move. Stupid, really. He found out. And when he did…"
Hector refilled his glass again before continuing.
"Raul has always been smarter than he is ruthless.
He didn't come after me with bullets. He came after me with a strategy.
He played a long game. And every time something crumbled in California, he let me know it was personal by rubbing it in my face with how well his club was doing.
He took anything he could to the old Dons, hoping to make me and your uncles look like failures.
Hoping to gain more territory. That's how he acquired Washington and part of Northern California under his control. "
"I used to wonder how he managed it. Raul. He's not the strongest leader—not by a long shot. Doesn't seem like the kind of man the Godfathers would bet on. Using leverage makes sense."
"Yes, Raven—he hates me, wants me dead. Not because I pulled a trigger, but because I took his dreams from him—dreams that mattered.
That kind of betrayal festers. That's why he chose you as a liaison for this negotiation, because Raul likes the balance of situations to be in his favor—having my son work his deals?
That's him showing me he can still put me in my place.
It's why I fought you on the negotiations.
But I'm tired, Raven; I'm not ready to get out of the business—not yet.
I've decided it's time to start doing things more your way.
Because you're right, I won't live forever.
If you think I've been hard on you, you're right.
But you're stronger than I ever was. The way I see it, I've succeeded in raising you to be a Capo by being hard on you. "
Raven couldn't believe his ears. Did his dad compliment him? Clearly, Hell had frozen over. He took a sip of his own. To clear away the emotion of the moment.
"There is something else I needed to discuss with you, Dad." Raven's voice was steady, but his shoulders were tight with tension.
Hector exhaled, slow and bristling—like the air had turned sour before the words even landed. He sighed. "What is it?"
Raven glanced toward the stage, then back. No turning back now. "I wanted you to know before the rest of the room did. I've claimed someone."
The glass in Hector's hand froze mid-air. He turned slowly, eyes narrowing with sharp disbelief.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." The words dropped like knives; each syllable carved from venom, twisting to something so much different than just moments ago.
"One of these whores? Tell me this is temporary— A distraction—Nothing permanent —Nothing stupid."
Raven fidgeted with his glass, the ice clinking louder than it should have. He kept his eyes on the amber swirl, avoiding his father's gaze. Words crowded his throat, but none felt safe. Not yet.
His first instinct was to defend her. To say, she's not just some whore.
To make his father see Mynx the way he did—sharp, loyal, untamed.
But he let the insult hang in the air, untouched. Now wasn't the time to argue.
It was the time to plant the seed.
To let his father sit with the idea that things were shifting, that Raven wasn't just following orders anymore. That the woman he'd chosen wasn't a mistake—she was part of the future.
He took a slow sip, steadying himself.
"Didn't you just say you had faith in me?
That I'm stronger than you were? That I'm the one who'll lead the Kings when you step down?
Then maybe it's time you trusted my judgment—especially when it comes to who I choose to stand beside me.
You know I wouldn't pick a woman who'd do more harm than good.
So if you believe in me, believe in that. "
Hector adjusted in his seat, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. It was clear that his blood pressure was high, as his face reddened, and sweat trails began to form along his temple line.
"Fine, let's talk about the elephant in the room, then.
My contact with the FBI just reached out to me before I arrived; it seems they have just caught a major lead in their investigation.
The car used in the suspected abduction of that Sugar girl has been found, abandoned, and remains a mostly burned-out shell.
But they found a piece of forensic evidence.
A piece of hair melted into a knit cap that was between the seats of the car.
They are in the process of analyzing it and running it through the databases to see if they can come up with a match. "
It was Raven's turn to adjust in his seat as the tension of the conversation began to rub him the wrong way.
"I'm not sure how much that affects us, Dad. Other than getting them off the King's backs. I don't suspect anyone in the club of the killings. I accounted for all of on the day of the abduction—"
"Well, that surveillance footage of the tattoo we all wear on our hands wasn't made up, Raven.
You need to call a meeting. Get everyone in the same room.
Use those interrogation techniques I've been teaching you your whole life.
Step up and address this problem before it escalates into a bigger issue.
Having federal eyes on our organization will not bring about anything good. It's time you woke the fuck up, son.