Raven (Kindred #1)

by Scarlett Finn

  Zara began to get a feeling that Raven might be right about this impending doom and with Grant choosing not to be forthcoming, she set her mind to doing some investigating of her own.

  The feeling of foreboding never left her. For the rest of the day, Zara did as much research as she could in CI, trying to obtain details about older projects that had been rekindled. What she did find out didn’t make her predicament any easier.

  Having been under the misconception that she had the highest possible security clearance, she was surprised when she hit her first digital brick wall. Re-routing to a different system, she tried again, but got the same warning about her lack of security clearance. But she was learning how to convert frustration into determination—she wouldn’t be beaten.

  If she couldn’t access the R&D systems that she needed to see, she had to take a different approach. Just like they did in the movies, she decided to follow the money. With each new file she opened and each new entry she read, Zara’s sense of impending doom increased.

  At the end of the day, other employees went home, leaving her to continue with the investigation that engrossed her. Even Grant came into her office to say goodnight, but Zara kept typing, kept printing, kept trying to put the pieces together, but still she couldn’t find out what this damned product actually was.

  Money was being moved, routed to strange areas and obscure labs giving her a rough idea of where the work was happening and who was doing it. The details on what they were actually doing were vague, so much so that she concluded they’d been concealed on purpose.

  The lights outside her office went out and her attention sprang up from the glare of her computer screen to focus on the black abyss beyond this room. On Saturday night, she had gone to the parking garage after everyone else had left and she’d gotten herself in trouble. Raven had told her that she was on her own now, so she wasn’t going to take any risks of walking into danger alone. The people who Grant was dealing with were serious individuals who wouldn’t take kindly to her poking around in their business.

  Throwing her things together, she shut down her computer, grabbed her purse and document folder, and then went for the door.

  She got to the street and into a cab without encountering any unsavory characters and Zara knew she should be relieved. Instead, tears began to blur her vision. They weren’t tears of fear or sadness, they were tears of frustration and regret.

  Raven had been honest about his motivation for helping her and she had failed to see how he could help her—beyond the physical. The man could handle himself in a fight. But, he was wily too and knew far more about her boss and his extracurricular friendships than she did.

  At home, she skipped dinner and instead took an unused notebook from her stationery box and spread out on her desk to try to put the pieces together. There were holes in what Grant had told her. The more she studied, the more she realized that this had been going on for a while. He’d been lying to her for months.

  This was not a new product and there was clear financial evidence to suggest that her boss had been working on this project for almost a year. Grant, who she had claimed to trust, the man she had believed to be harmless, had deceived her and all of their colleagues. Unsatisfied and angry, Zara couldn’t decide if she was naïve, blinded by admiration, or if Grant was just more conniving than she could ever have fathomed.

  A creak in her living room made her lift her head. Prickling awareness kept her on ready alert, she was attuned to every whisper. Sliding her glasses from her face, Zara watched her office door and held her breath. If there was someone out there then she had no way to protect herself.

  “Rave,” she muttered, wondering if maybe her protector had come back to see her.

  Dropping her pencil and her glasses, she pushed away from the desk and hurried to the door to peek out into the darkness of her living room. The space had never appeared ominous before, but the arched windows that stretched the length of one wall made her feel exposed.

  Anyone in the building opposite could see into her apartment. Tim had been taken out by a sniper. There was no way for her to know if that same shooter had their crosshairs on her, as she stood there defenseless.

  The columns in this open plan space had always been one of her favorite things about the apartment. Now they were in the way, a threat, providing cover for any assassins who could be loitering behind them waiting for their chance to take her down.

  Convincing herself to be strong and that she could do this alone, Zara tried not to be paralyzed by fear. Except each of her breaths punched the air until she could hear her own panting. Her lungs burned as though they weren’t getting enough oxygen.

  Raven wasn’t out there; he’d have shown himself by now if he was. The noise could have come from anywhere or anyone—a foe rather than a friend—and feelings of vulnerability held her immobile. These crazy people knew who she was and knew how close she was to Grant. Sutcliffe had assumed that she knew about this deal going down at the Grand hotel. Raven had told her that others were watching her.

  Under the illusion she might see them appear, Zara didn’t want to blink for fear an enemy would materialize like a teleporting demon. Except these people were humans, evil, despicable humans, but humans nonetheless.

  Backing into her office, she slammed the door and planted both hands on it. There were no guns in the house and a kitchen knife would be a poor substitute if her attackers were packing hardware. Cursing Grant for putting her in this position, she couldn’t believe that he wanted to keep her in the dark and to placate her, like her ignorance would be some kind of protection against those who might want to hurt or manipulate her.

  Grant didn’t trust her or maybe he just thought she was dumb enough not to see what was right in front of her. Except she hadn’t seen it, not until Raven had given her the respect of warning her about the danger. Grant, she couldn’t figure out. Raven had come to mean safety, his presence meant protection.

  He was capable and at least some part of him cared about her, he wouldn’t have tended to her injury and kissed her if that wasn’t the case. She needed him now. Needed the security of his proximity because if she just let herself rely on him, to trust him, he’d be able to keep her safe.

  Rushing back to her stationery box, she pulled it out and tossed the lid aside to root around inside. She yanked out all of the blue plastic filing folders then tipped the box upside down to empty it. Putting the blue folders and a roll of Scotch tape in the box, she opened a closet and added a box of matches to her cache along with all of her stored candles.

  Ignoring her nagging hesitation about venturing out of the office, she marched into the living room and went to the central window to swipe aside all of the window seat pillows. Using the Scotch tape, she stuck the transparent blue folders to the window to create a blue stained glass effect. Once that was done, she spread out the candles on the solid window seat surface and began to light them. When she was done with those, she went around her house collecting every candle that she owned.

  Cramming the candles onto the seat, she lit them all and then stood back to admire her work. The floor was a mess with scattered cushions and used matches, but the light was brilliant. It illuminated the vast space she was standing in. But that wasn’t the point. From outside that light would be a brilliant blue, just like the light Raven had shown her on the water.

  Sucking her bottom lip into her mouth, Zara backed off to sit on the couch. He might ignore her. He might not even be watching anymore. But she needed answers. Not that her need for information had been the catalyst for this act. No, that had been her fear. If she was facing significant threats with lethal intentions then there was only one man who she knew could take on those threats and fight them with equal determination.

  Wrapping her arms around herself, she brought her legs onto the couch to lie on her side. Her ankle began to throb again, signaling that her adrenaline was wearing off. Closing her eyes, she sent out a silent plea for Raven to see her sign
al. He had to come to her because if he didn’t, she would never make it out of this alive.

  SIX

  Something was rubbing her arm. Her sleep was so good that she didn’t want to wake from it. Zara had been dreaming that Raven would come to her, that he would protect her. But that wasn’t why she was so determined to remain in slumber. The dream took her back to their kiss. In her dream, instead of running away from her, he’d stayed and touched her, kissed her, taken her to her room, and proved his skills extended beyond combat.

  “Raven,” she breathed out as she let her eyes open to slits. “Raven?”

  A hand on her arm made her reach out. When her fingers curled around the thickness of his upper arm, his identity became clear. The force of memory made her eyes and mouth open in a snap.

  Pouncing up into a seated position, she dug her fingers deep into him and snatched his other bicep when she saw he was crouched beside her couch.

  “Raven! Oh my God, you came. You actually came!” Throwing her arms around him, she squeezed him for a second before easing back. “Thank you, God, what made you come?”

  He was glaring, but she sensed his expression was one of surprise not concern. “The light in the window,” he said. “I took it as a sign you wanted to talk.”

  Zara didn’t like to confess her vulnerabilities to anyone, so she averted her eyes. “I got scared,” she confessed in a whisper.

  Irritation erased every confusion from his attitude. “You think that gives you the fucking right to summon me?”

  Her fleeting smile probably suggested her appreciation. “You’re still watching me.” She sighed at the comfort that came with that knowledge. He hadn’t abandoned her, even though she’d said he would get nothing from her. Impressed by the strength of his character, she was astonished that he valued her safety. No man from her past had put her before personal gain.

  His stoic form barely moved but she registered the increasing heat in his gaze and that hunger cleared her earlier turmoil and replaced it with a completely new priority. Raven was here. She was safe. She could relax. No one would be able to hurt her now. Emotion shifted to explore the lust he examined her with and Zara was ready to do whatever it took to quench her own desire.

  Raven was her deepest, darkest fantasy. A man so powerful and proficient, it wasn’t just his prowess that made her heart beat faster and her core swell. Staring into him, she parted her lips and begged without words for an explanation as to why he was still stalking her.

  “Not for the mission,” he said.

  Squeezing her grip, she tested the strength of his unyielding muscles with her delicate fingers. “If it’s not for the job, then why are you watching me?”

  His eyes narrowed further and in the oppression of this night, a frisson of fervor stoked her gut and made her breasts grow heavy. “You know damn well why,” he snapped.

  The force of his kiss thrust her head back, but that harsh passion made her feel desirable, like he was starving for her and unable to control himself. Making a man like Raven lose control gave her power. He was her guard and her savior. Somehow, he managed to lift her up, and made her feel significant—able to take on the world.

  He scooped a hand under her skull to compel her mouth to his, giving him leave to direct her head and her mouth to where he wanted them. The size of his hand encompassed all of her skull and with every move, his fingers tangled deeper in her locks. The sting of snagged strands and the mesh of matted hair were contrasted by the scorching desperation of his mouth and the assuredness of his tongue.

  Balling his hand into a fist, he used his grip on her hair and the arm he clamped around her ribs to haul her onto her feet. Without breaking their kiss, he dipped down to snag her thigh with one hand and while hooking it high over his hip, he kept the momentum of their kiss going.

  Caught up in the passion of their oral joining, she only knew they were in the bedroom when he sat on the bed, then lay down, urging her body forward to double it over his.

  Kissing him was the most overwhelming experience of her life. The bulk of his tongue was in proportion to the girth of his body. Yet, as bold as he was, there was something consoling about his assertive mouth tasting hers.

  The heady merging of their saliva was like swopping a reefer mid-draw or using the same coke straw. Without combining the drugs they each possessed, they couldn’t reach the optimum high. For the first time, they experienced the right dosage for maximum impact and she felt like she’d been sucker punched by Venus.

  Spanking her ass with a loud thwack, he yanked his hand out of her hair. “Grab a rubber,” he said, nodding toward the nightstand without breaking eye contact.

  God, he was arrogant. A couple of kisses and he thought they were going to have sex. But that steadfast confidence heightened her desire until she felt overwhelmed by his testosterone, which dragged her further under his spell. As she looked through the night into his fathomless eyes, she knew she was going to do it. This man was thrilling. He was dangerous and mysterious, and completely wrong for her in every way. But, damn, he made her feel good.

  This was a man who a woman wouldn’t get a chance with often. He was so capable and skilled in arts that before him, she had no idea were out there. Raven lived life on the edge, in the night, and she had a sense that he needed the light in her as much as she desired his darkness. Throwing reason and rationale out of their bed, she sat up to straddle him and leaned back to reach the nightstand. It was further away than she’d realized but his long fingers came around her hips and he steadied her weight, which let her push further.

  If he let her go now, she would fall and probably break her neck, but being in his grip gave her stability. Opening the drawer, she reached beyond her vibrator for the box of condoms. Flicking open the top, she shook them out and grabbed the first one that came to hand.

  When she whirled around and held it up in triumph, the first thing he did was whip her top up over her head and while she was still static and upright, he took the peak of one breast into his mouth. The sensation of his warm, wet tongue made her belly spasm and a whimper of ecstasy accompanied her weak arm falling across his shoulders.

  His vast mouth could pamper a lot of her flesh. He breathed her into him while massaging her other breast with a rough hand and little finesse. Splaying his fingers, he spanned more of her and squeezed tighter.

  Sucking her breast, he flickered his tongue over the apex then withdrew, making a pop sound when his mouth left her skin. Blowing on the damp mound he’d just tasted, barbs of aching awareness further stimulated her nipple and the direct link it had to the center of her.

  He was doing all the work and she had no control here. But when she tried to regain her senses to be more active in their union, she failed. Raven enclosed her in his embrace and flipped her onto her back so that he could spoil her other breast with the same treatment as the first, and she was lost to a hedonistic oblivion of bliss.

  Raven pulled back, and she basked in the anticipation of his next maneuver. Her expectation was excited further when she heard the rattle of his belt buckle. When it quieted, he made no effort to remove her skirt and she was about to question whether she should shed it when he knelt up between her thighs and peeled off his tee shirt. Eager to view his impressive body, she scarcely noticed him snagging the condom from her limp fingers and thoughts of her own clothes evaporated.

  Much to her disappointment, it was too dark in the room for her to pick out the specifics of his form beyond the odd ridge of a muscle. Her curious fingers extended en-route to his abs, but he got hold of them and pushed them to the headboard when he stretched out over her.

  Swooping down to kiss her again, he sucked her bottom lip then sent his mouth on an expedition across her jaw to her neck. The tightness in her electrified abdomen made her body curl up around his. She couldn’t open her eyes, couldn’t breathe, because his mouth moved so slowly, yet it managed to enliven all of her at the same time.

  His hand took all of her breas
t at once, and he sucked her opposite nipple. His caresses ceased to be at all gentle and he pulled back to clasp each of her knees. Pushing them down, she whimpered at the burn in her thighs, and was mortified to see him fixate on what he’d exposed beneath her skirt.

  With extreme control, he lowered himself at this new angle. Just before he disappeared beneath her skirt, he glanced up at her and winked, and then his mouth was on her. She still wore her panties, but that meant nothing to him. He rubbed his tongue the length of her, and fingered aside her underwear to suck the flesh he’d exposed.

  With a flick of his tongue, she experienced the first frisson of orgasm. “Don’t,” she managed to say, fumbling her fingers into his hair.

  But he didn’t stop. He flicked her again and again, increasing his pace until she slammed the soles of her feet to the bed and bucked up into his mouth. Her dream had aroused her fantasy into reality, and try as she might, she couldn’t stop herself from falling into a second climax when his tongue kept sliding over her, awakening each new crevice it found.

  “Raven,” she murmured.

  Clenching her fingers in his hair, she closed her thighs around his head, but he got hold of her limbs, pried them apart enough to surge up, and looked her in the eye. “You know that’s not my real name, right?” he asked, lowering his attention to her mouth as she nodded. “You still want to do this?”

  Names seemed irrelevant when the prospect of annihilation hung on the horizon. Her thoughts were obscured by the hormones deluging her brain, but she managed to nod.

  Kissing the corner of her mouth, he closed his forearms around her head. She was grateful of their support so she let the weight of her cheek rest against one before he sought out her mouth.

  After fondling each breast, his hand slid down the center of her belly. He unzipped her skirt and gave it a shove. Complying with the unspoken request, she wriggled out of the garment and was about to reach for her panty elastic when he got there first. With one hand, he tore the delicate fabric away from her skin and flung it aside.