Twin Flames (The Raven Boys Series Book 1)

by M. A. Lee

  I had even gone so far as to make a commitment with her. Me. Jameson who had never committed to anyone ever before just gave my heart and soul to Ivy.

  I wondered what my mom would think of me now. When she had died, I was a kid. Sure, I could be a little shit sometimes, but I wasn’t the man whore my dad knew me to be when he died. All of a sudden, I felt ashamed of who I had once been. Watching Drake fall in love with Lacy had been so interesting. He had warned me about falling in love when we were kids. He swore it would happen, that I would find my twin flame. The one person who was my soulmate, who I would do anything and everything to make happy.

  Damn, I hated when he was right.

  What was even more important to me was that I needed all of the chicks who visited Raven’s Clubhouse to know that I was off limits now and hopefully forever. Because when I looked at Ivy, I saw forever.

  14

  Ivy

  Later that week, Lacy and I were enjoying a girls night out after class. We were gossiping over greasy food and drinks.

  Lacy began gushing about Drake, talking about how he wanted to whisk her away for the weekend. Just as she finished talking, her phone started ringing and Drake’s name flashed on the screen.

  Answering the phone, a wide grin spread over Lacy’s face. It made me happy to see her so in love with Drake. He was a great guy, and I knew they were perfect for each other.

  “Hey baby,” she said into the phone. “I am at Cheddar’s with Ivy. I don’t know, it’s kind of a girl’s night,” she said, her eyes glancing to me. It was obvious Drake wanted to join us, and I didn’t mind if he did.

  “Invite him,” I said, pointing to the phone.

  “Are you sure?” Lacy mouthed as she looked at me. Nodding my head, I assured her it was fine with me.

  By the time we finished our appetizers, Drake and Jameson walked through the restaurant doors. My heart stopped when I saw Jameson, his eyes instantly finding mine.

  I smiled, and then looked at Lacy who only shrugged and gave me her infamous evil grin, telling me she knew all along he was coming, too.

  When the guys began approaching the table, I saw Drake was carrying a suitcase.

  “What is this?” I asked, peeking around him.

  Grabbing Lacy out of her seat, Drake kissed her with so much passion I was sure everyone in the room could feel it. “I am taking my beautiful girl away for the weekend,” he said.

  “Are you serious?” Lacy screamed, jumping up and down.

  I laughed watching them.

  “Yes, now we need to go. We will take your car,” Drake said.

  “How long has this been planned?” Lacy asked, narrowing her eyes at Darke. I could see she was excited beyond measure.

  “A while,” Drake teased. “Come on, Jameson gave me a ride here. That’s why I told you to drive your car tonight,” Drake finished.

  “You told me to bring it by the shop later for an oil change,” Lacy gasped. “You are so naughty,” she laughed.

  “You have no idea just how naughty I am, but you will find out this weekend,” Drake said, kissing Lacy and then pulling her away from the table. We all said goodbye as Lacy waved goodbye.

  “Looks like it’s just you and me,” Jameson said, raising his brows and licking his lips.

  Ugh, the things that man could do to me.

  “What do you have planned?” I asked, trying to hide my blushing cheeks.

  “I need to finish up some stuff at the shop then I thought we could just find something to do,” he winked.

  Realizing I couldn’t think of anything better to do than watching Jameson work on a bike, his muscles taut and strained as he sweated… even now I have to fan myself just thinking about it.

  We left the restaurant and I hopped on Jameson’s bike. I loved how he kept my helmet with him at all times, like he was always ready for me.

  Once we arrived at the shop, I sat in an old metal chair near the back wall of the Ravens Clubhouse shop. A radio sat in the shop's small office, blaring an old ACDC song as two other guys were working on bikes too. The shop was small, but well taken care of. It was obvious this wasn’t just a job for these men. No, this was a passion.

  Now, as I sat watching Jameson, I could tell I had made the right decision coming here. There was nothing sexier than a man working on a bike.

  “Are you hungry?” Jameson asked. He was bent over the front of the bike looking down at the engine, or some other part I didn’t know the name of, as he talked to me. His butt, which was nicely in my vision, looked perfect as his form moved around the bike.

  “Starving,” I sighed licking my lips. There were a few things I would like to take a bite out of in here.

  “She looks thirsty to me,” Jameson’s brother, Brody called from behind the check-out counter.

  I couldn’t believe he had caught me staring at Jameson and was throwing shade my way.

  Noticing my stare, Jameson looked over at me and laughed as he grabbed a wrench and started twisting parts. A naughty twinkle in his eye told me I was not as sneaky as I thought I had been. He shook his head as he began to talk. “You know; I see you checking me out. What, do you have a thing for bike mechanics?” he asked, slowly sauntering over to me, wiping his hands on a rag he had in his pocket.

  Trying to hide my embarrassment, I could feel my cheeks flushing as he moved slowly toward me. He had caught me.

  “Just looking,” I teased.

  “Sure,” he laughed as he threw the dirty towel at me.

  Kicking it away, I jumped. I was wearing a very expensive pair of light jeans and did not need grease stains ruining them. “Hey, I don’t want to get dirty,” I squealed, as Jameson came after me, ready to attack.

  He picked me up in his arms and began swinging me around as I kicked and screamed with delight.

  “You two lovebirds stop that,” one of the guys yelled, from underneath the car he was working on. “If you break something, I am kicking Jameson’s ass,” he grumbled.

  Still laughing, Jameson put me down and held up his hands, showing me, he was surrendering. Fixing my shirt and my hair, I shouldered past him while giving him a sly smile.

  ****

  Hours later, Jameson and I stumbled into my empty apartment. With Lacy gone with Drake, the place felt empty. Jameson and I were laughing about a comedy we had just watched. We had stopped to watch a movie and get another drink before returning back to my place. The sounds of our laughter filled the empty space.

  Holding onto one another, we lost our balance and began to tumble onto the couch. Jameson turned so that he fell first, his back bouncing off my soft sofa. I landed against his rock-hard chest with a thud, but my laughter softened the blow. As our faces came mere inches apart, our eyes locked and I could see the wildfire blazing inside his eyes. He was drinking me in and I was about to give him a taste.

  Suddenly, our laughter subsided and the mood in the room swiftly shifted from fun to dark and heavy. Jameson and I had been pretty hot and heavy since becoming official. I have been in committed relationships before, but with Jameson, everything felt different.

  I felt different.

  Jameson leaned his head up and I could feel his hot and heavy breaths against my quivering lips. The bulge in his pants rubbed against my sensitive area and I could feel my body tingle with desire.

  “Ivy,” he breathed. That one simple word said so much and had so much meaning. Something told me tonight would be more than just wild and lust filled sex. We were ready to make love. I allowed my head to fall closer to his and just as our lips were about to collide, a pounding against my front door startled us both.

  “What the hell?” Jameson yelled as my door burst open.

  Standing in front of us was Micah, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.

  “Don’t you answer your phone?” Micah yelled as he stood in my doorway.

  “What is going on?” I asked, my eyes darting between the brothers.

  Jameson helped me sta
nd and I noticed as he shifted himself to hide his hardon.

  “I have been trying to call you for an hour. Someone caught the bar on fire,” Micah said, his voice shaking as he spoke.

  My heart sank to the pits of my stomach as his words sank in. Their bar was on fire?

  “What are you talking about?” Jameson yelled, as he reached into his pocket for his phone.

  I did the same and retrieved my phone from the purse I had dropped when we stumbled into my apartment. We both had several missed calls and texts.

  Shit, this was bad.

  Jameson ran his hand through his hair as he began to pace the floor. I rushed over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Everything will be ok,” I said, even though I wasn’t sure if it would be.

  “Jameson, we need to get to the bar. Brody is there, and Drake is on his way. He should get here later tonight,” Micah said as he turned to leave.

  We followed closely behind him, and I could feel Jameson shaking in my arms. I grabbed his hand and held on, letting him know I was here and wouldn’t leave his side. I may not be someone’s ‘old lady’ like those classic biker movies portray, but I am a committed girl who is a ride or die chick.

  Jumping onto his bike, Jameson handed me my helmet and we took off speeding through the streets. The smell of smoke filled the air and a sense of dread hung heavy over us. The night sky had a haze to it and I knew it must be from the fire.

  Flashing red and yellow lights met us as we turned the corner for the street where the bar was located. Fire Trucks, police cruisers, and what looked like hundreds of bikes were scattered all along the road. After quickly parking, Jameson ran to the scene with me quickly in tow.

  “What the hell happened?” Jameson screamed as he fell to his knees.

  Dropping next to him, I held his head in my hands as he cried. I couldn’t hold back my tears either. The bar was completely destroyed. All that was left was the outside brick walls, a shell of a building that housed so many memories for the Raven Boys.

  I held Jameson as he yelled, screamed, and cursed. He was broken and angered and with each emotion he projected I felt myself taking on his hurt too. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

  After a few minutes, a police officer came over to talk with the guys. He had politely given them time to grieve before questioning.

  “I am so sorry about your loss. This bar has been a positive staple in this community for years. We have always appreciated the world the bikers who called this place home have done for our veterans. I know you are upset, but I need to ask if you would have any idea how this could happen?” the officer questioned.

  Even he looked distraught by the smoldering ashes in front of us. It was true, over the time that I had gotten to know Jameson and his brothers I had learned that the Raven’s Clubhouse was more than just a bar. It was a home where men and women who rode motorcycles came to chat and catch up. It was a place where they would meet before escorting a fallen soldier or officers’ body to its final resting place. It was a place where the bikers would arrange cross-country road trips to raise money for local children’s hospitals. It wasn’t just a place to drink. It was a home. And now, it was gone.

  “The building was really old. Maybe the wiring sparked the fire?” Micah asked as he stared into the smoke.

  The young officer shook his head. “Hasn’t anyone told you?” he asked.

  “Told us what?” I asked, my own curiosity and anger swirling.

  Glancing at me the officer looked down at his pad of notes. “A group of men were seen running from the bar before people inside the bar called in the fire. Thankfully, everyone got out in time, but as you can see, it is destroyed.”

  I didn’t need to ask any more questions. A gut-wrenching pain shot through me. Jameson and Drake had been threatened by a lowlife and I wouldn’t put it past him to do something like this. From what the guys had told me, Chuck was a bad guy. Not only was he brutal toward women, but he had spent several years in prison on assault and robbery charges. He was a menace to the biker name.

  “Fuck,” Jameson yelled out. “I am going to kill those bastards,” he stated as he looked over at Micah.

  Raging, Micah pulled out his phone and began texting someone.

  “Hold on boys,” the officer said, raising his arms to calm the situation. “We don’t have a suspect yet. Let us investigate this and interview the witnesses. Don’t try to solve this mess yourselves,” he warned.

  Jameson only stood there, his fists clenched at his sides. His jaw tensed, and I could see the anger building in his eyes. He was beyond mad, this had become personal. Suddenly, fear began to settle within me and I was afraid for Jameson. I had seen his anger take control once before. The last thing I wanted was for Jameson to hurt Chuck and be taken away from me.

  Turning to him, I cupped his face in my hands and forced him to look at me. “Jameson, please. I know this is bad but don’t go do anything that would take you away from me,” I cried.

  Jameson’s eyes met mine as he leaned in and placed a kiss on my forehead. “Ivy, I just lost the last piece of my father and grandfather that I had left. My family and memories just burned to ashes. This is war,” he said as he let go of my hands and forced me to step away from him.

  Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to breathe. He couldn’t walk away right now. He needed me. I needed him.

  “Jameson,” I cried, begging him to stop.

  He began to run to his bike, ignoring my calls for him.

  “Micah, you have to stop him,” I yelled, grabbing Micah by the arm.

  Shaking his head, no, Micah turned to me with sad eyes. “We can’t let Chuck get away with this,” he said as he ran over to his bike.

  The two brothers sidled up together and nodded at one another. As Jameson jumped on his bike and kicked the stand back, he turned to look at me one last time.

  “I love you, Ivy,” he said as the bike roared to life and then he was gone.

  I was left standing in the dark street, a heavy smoke hanging around my body as the man I love drove away.

  16

  Jameson

  Walking away from Ivy had been the hardest thing I had ever done.

  I wasn’t walking away because I was done with her or us. I wasn’t walking away because I didn’t love her. No, I was walking away because I couldn’t stand the thought of her seeing me with this much rage in my eyes. I had to do something. I was going to do something bad. And, I couldn't let Ivy see that in me. She had seen so much good in me and now, I didn’t want to tarnish that.

  Even though my rage-filled fog, I tried to keep some form of my sanity as I went in search for Chuck. I knew where he would be hanging out. His dive bar with his worthless friends.

  I wasn’t going to kill Chuck. I wanted to, but I wouldn’t jeopardize my future with Ivy over someone like him. I did, however, have every intention of pounding his face in until he was no longer recognizable. What he had done to the Raven’s Clubhouse was personal. He attacked my family and everything we stood for when he stepped foot onto our property and lit that fire.

  I didn’t need evidence like that cop said. I had all the proof I needed in his threats.

  Kicking down my bike’s kickstand, I switched on the engine and stretched my legs out before preparing myself for the ride I was about to take. I looked over where the clubhouse used to stand, and pain stabbed at my heart. What was once lit up by amber light and the headlights of bikes making their way to the parking lot, was now filled with darkness. It might have been just a building to some, but for me, it had been home. A comforting sight to see. Inside there would be bikers, women who belonged to some and others who desperately wanted to belong to the club that held such a special bond. Cold beer was always on tap, greasy food filled the air, and laughter rang from every corner of the place. I needed to see that again. I needed to feel that contentment again in my body. Because if I didn't, I feared I would lose myself for good.

  I was going to
make Chuck pay for what he did and then I was going to fight to win back the love of my life. I just hoped she would forgive me for what I was about to do.

  ****

  When I arrived in front of Chuck’s bar, I watched a few guys who stood outside smoking, swallow hard and back away from where I parked my bike directly in front of the black door. The windows were dirty, and the outside could have used another coat of red paint, as most of it was chipping away. I was going to make an impression. I was damn sure about that.

  The last thing you did was disrespect a club’s enforcer. We could all be scary fuckers-- and Chuck was about to see just how scary a Raven Boy could be.

  I knew the kind of trash that hung around here-- they were the rejects that our clubhouse wouldn’t allow to step foot into our clubhouse. These guys were criminals; drug dealers, thieves, and many had spent hard time in prison for unthinkable crimes. They were the type that gave all bikers a bad reputation.

  I didn’t need to step foot inside the bar. I knew my appearance would get Chuck outside soon enough. One of his thugs would surely gossip and Chuck would catch wind of my arrival. He had to know one of us was bound to come eventually.

  Surely enough, moments later, Chuck’s ugly face walked through the doorway. A smug smile spread across his scarred face and I had to fight the urge to vomit.

  “Look who decided to pay us a visit,” Chuck laughed as he motioned to a few of his guys.

  “Cut the shit, Chuck. I think we both know why I am here,” I snarled, as I threw my leg over my bike and took a step toward him.

  “I think you need to remember where you are,” Chuck seethed, not about to back down from me.

  “I know exactly where I am now,” I spit on the ground by his feet and I heard a few of the guys behind Chuck rush over to his side.