Giving in, I slip in bed next to her. She's turned away from me. Like the first night, I toss and turn trying to get comfortable. The scents of lavender and vanilla fills the air around her, beckoning me to move closer.
"Truce," I whisper, and she nods in agreement.
My hand slides under her shirt, resting on her stomach, and I pull her against my chest. When she melts into me I feel my lungs fill with air. Sleep washes over me and I finally find peace.
13
Piece of Cake
Raven
One minute I'm sleeping soundly, feelings of warmth and safety blanketing me, the next the covers are ripped off the bed. I blink up, my eyes gritty from lack of sleep, and see Lucien standing at the foot of the bed with his nostrils flaring.
"This is not what I meant when I told you to keep my sister safe," he seethes.
Sin stiffens behind me, and I feel his hand slide out from under my tank. The realization of how we ended up tangled together hits me. I'm barely wearing a tank top I put on to taunt him. The cool air on most of my body confirms it rose up my stomach as we slept. Like last time our legs are tangled together, but this time his hand ventured north to land on my breast.
Lucien isn't looking at Sin like his best friend. He's eyeing him like I imagine he would an enemy, and if I've learned anything about these two in the last few days, it's that their enemies don't survive their anger.
"This isn't what it looks like," I protest. He isn't listening to me though.
I scramble up from the bed and adjust the shirt. Trying to approach him, he shoves me away and I trip and hit my head on the corner of the dresser, only able to prevent a hard blow. Still, my head feels fuzzy, and I can't do more than sit and wait for the spinning to stop.
Sin gets up and moves toward me, but Lucien gets to him first. Lucien delivers a sucker punch to the side of Sin's face. He wobbles for a second, but recovers quickly.
I expect Sin to charge Lucien, but he stands still. "She's bleeding," he points out.
"She isn't yours to worry about. I want you gone. I don't trust you with her."
"Don't I get a say?" I ask. My voice sounds feeble to my own ears, and yet loud at the same time.
"No. Maybe father had the right idea locking you away. You obviously can't be trusted to be alone with a man."
His words sting. They imply, like my father seems to think, that my value is present only in my innocence. My mind, choices or opinions have no weight in what makes me important.
"Fuck you," I manage to say.
Pulling myself up, I stumble, but right myself by holding the dresser for support. My hands are coated in blood, from where I'm holding the dresser. It is also dripping down my face, and either my eye is swelling, or blood is getting into it. The coppery tang is working against my efforts to keep from puking.
Lucien finally looks at me and takes a step back. Sin starts toward me, but I hold a shaking hand out to stop him. He didn't push me, but I can't help but include him in my mounting rage.
Using the wall to guide me, I leave a trail of bloody hand prints all the way to the bathroom. A hysterical giggle erupts from somewhere deep inside of me. The towels I chose are black, and I laugh more because I'm thankful they won't be stained by my blood.
Running cold water over the towel I start to wipe away the blood and hiss when I make it to the cut. My hair is matted with drying blood, but I know that if I try and shower it off the open wound will bleed more.
The dizziness and nausea are only getting worse, and I fear I'm going to need medical attention. The linoleum feels cool under my feet, and I allow myself to slide down the wall to rest.
My head feels heavy, and going back to sleep is too enticing to resist.
"No you don't," Sin speaks softly.
"I'm tired," I say. It sounds slurred to me, but I'm feeling like I'm wading through mud. Everything feels slower.
"Raven, do not close your eyes," he's more demanding now.
I crack them open, but the light feels like thousands of tiny needles are piercing through my corneas.
"I think you have a concussion, you need to stay awake." He sounds so worried, but I can tell him I'm fine after I take a little nap.
Fabric rustles over my legs, and a hoodie is zipped up around me. "Why are you dressing me for a nap?"
"Do not go to sleep. You are not allowed to take a nap right now," Sin urges.
"Someone is always telling me what to do. I'm tired of being told what to do."
"I know, princess. This is the last time."
"You're lying," I push out. My lips tingle, and my tongue feels funny in my mouth.
"Probably. You told me several times last night that I'm a bossy asshole."
"That's because you are," I slur.
My head must be fuzzy, because Sin looks worried. He never looks anything other than bored or pissed.
"Put your arm around my neck."
Somehow I'm able to do as he says, even though it makes me feel even more exhausted than before.
"Where are you taking her?" Lucien has emerged from the bedroom, and still looks pissed. "You know she can't go to the hospital. We can't risk being discovered."
"You should have thought about that before you shoved your sister into a dresser. If you are so worried about her safety, try reigning in your own anger."
He moves back in front of Sin. "I can't let you take her to the hospital. She's my sister, I'll figure out what to do with her."
"I'm not your anything," I mutter, and my eyes flutter closed.
The first thing I notice is the smell of antiseptic. I don't have to open my eyes to feel the sting from fluorescent light bulbs. My head is pounding, and my stomach is still rolling with an urge to vomit. For a moment I'm confused until I remember the fight and being shoved into a dresser.
Angry voices filter in from the hallway, but they don't make sense. Sin's voice I recognize, but the other is only vaguely familiar.
"You don't have to wait right here for her. Don't you have balls to go play with?" Sin's voice.
"I'm not going anywhere until I hear from her myself how this happened," says the mystery voice.
"Gentlemen, this bickering isn't going to help her. I have to agree with Ford though. I agreed to help her, because I won't put a young woman at risk if she feels her life is in danger, but I will hear that explanation myself as well." Am I in the hospital? Who else would help me in a room that smells of industrial cleaning fluids?
Footsteps sound across the floor, and I hear the flick of a switch, and I feel the light leave the room. The buzzing sounds the bulbs make stopped, and with it some of the pounding of my head.
"I'm sorry, I should have realized how painful that light would be. My name is Carmen. I'm a physical trainer here with the Sharks."
My eyes aren't as heavy as they were before, but still hurt to open. "Where is here?"
"You're at the sports facility at Playa Pacifica Community College," she replies.
"Is Sin here?" I ask, but only receive a puzzled look.
"I'm sorry, who?" she asks.
"That's me. She shortens Jackson to Sin," he says from the doorway.
"Oh, well then yes. He's here. I can have him go away if you want."
I start to shake my head, and groan. "No, please let him come in."
"In a minute. First, I'd like to hear what happened to you."
Her voice is stern, yet compassionate. My head hurts too bad to try and come up with a decent cover story, and frankly I'm too pissed at my brother to try.
"My brother caught us in bed this morning. Nothing happened, we just fell asleep, but he was angry. I got in the way of him going after Si–Jackson, and he shoved me. I hit my head on the corner of the dresser."
"Are you afraid of your brother, Alice?"
I can't figure out why she's calling me that. "Alice?" she tries again.
"Princess, she's asking you a question," Sin interrupts.
"Oh, afraid of my brother? I'm go
ing to set his balls on fire. He should be afraid of me," I mumble.
"Alice, if you aren't afraid of your brother then why can't your friend take you to the hospital?" she continues to question me.
"Because my father will try and sell me to an old man if he finds me. He's got too many connections, and I'll never get away," I mumble.
I hear someone inhale, probably Ford. I see him approach the exam table. He winces when he sees my face, and I can only imagine how bad it is. "I promise I won't say anything to anyone. You can trust me, Alice."
"I trusted my brother," I mutter.
"How about I help you set his balls on fire?" he teases.
"That will bring me closer to trusting you. Probably shouldn't let you though. Ask Jackson, he's got a mean right hook."
He smirks, and he really is handsome. He's the kind of guy I would have gone for if I'd had a chance at a normal life. "I was kind of hoping that was from you."
"Nah, but hopefully I'll get the next one," I quip.
"Are the two of you, together?"
"I'm not sure why we're talking about this now, but we aren't. I'm not even sure we're friends."
"Then why–"
"Stay in your lane, Ford," Sin warns. "We've had a shitty morning, and right now isn't the time for you to get shot down."
"Alice, you can come and stay with us. I don't want you to go back where you aren't safe."
"You can't keep her safe. And before you try and argue with me, you have no idea what kind of man we're running from."
"How are you involved in all of this, anyway?"
"That falls under the category of none of your fucking business."
"Sin!" I yell, and instantly regret it.
Rubber soles squeak over the flooring, and I feel his presence next to me before I can see him with my peripheral vision. "Look, she won't forgive herself if something happens to any of you. Anyone who gets involved in this is in danger. I can't protect her and the rest of you."
"If he's that bad, why not call the cops?"
Carmen speaks up, and I realize she never left the room. "I have to agree with Ford. You should be calling the police."
Sin laughs, but it sounds dark and foreboding rather than humorous. "He owns the police, several FBI agents, some judges, some attorneys general, and has trained killers on standby to do whatever he says."
"And you know this how?" Ford persists.
"Because up until the night I helped her brother sneak her out of the house I was one of them."
Ford shakes his head. "This sounds insane, and yet you're about as funny as a funeral, so I don't think you're joking. Alice, you've got to come and stay with us. No way you are better off in the hands of an assassin."
"I don't know. I think only a monster can destroy another one," I say throwing his words back at him.
"Well, he's doing a shit job protecting you. Your own brother did this? Shit," he blurts out and pulls at his hair.
"Do you think I'm worthless because I'm not a virgin?" I'm not sure why those words leave my mouth. I can blame being hit on the head, but I couldn't get Lucien's words out of my mind.
"What?" Ford freezes.
"Just forget it," I mumble.
"Is that what this is about?" he glares at Sin.
"No, just it's stupid. I'm blurting things out, and I'd very much like to take it back now."
"Tell me," he pushes. I'm starting to see he and Sin aren't very different. I doubt Ford has killed anyone, but maybe this is who Sin would be if he wasn't purchased by a sociopath as a child.
"My brother said my father was right to have me locked up," I mumble.
"You were locked up?" His voice is soft and calm, which makes it sound more threatening.
"Boarding school." I shrug and it sends searing pain through my head. "I never visited home. I didn't see my family at all for the last six years. All girls' schools. I didn't realize there was a motive behind my isolation."
"And your brother said your father was right to treat you like that?"
"Yeah," I admit. My confession is foolish, and likely pissing Sin off right now, but confiding in a friend feels good.
"You're coming home with me," he assures me.
At that moment, I want nothing more than that.
"Does Teddy have more cake?"
Gently, he brushes my hair back, careful of my now bandaged wound. "For you, pretty girl, we'll make a cake if we have to."
14
Revelations
Sin
Carmen slips out of the room to grab some painkillers for Raven, and I take the chance to pull Ford aside. Begrudgingly, I admit to myself he isn't a bad guy. I don't like the way he looks at Raven, but that's jealousy talking not some medieval notion to preserve her chastity.
I've never doubted Lucien's loyalty before. Sure, I have always known that in a life or death situation, Luce would do what he needed to do to survive, but never did I think his loyalty might align with Damien. Not that I really think he wants the same things his father does, but that doesn't mean being a Blackthorne isn't part of his essential make up. The way he disregarded Raven when she was hurt, and the words he threw at her reduced her to no more than a pawn in his overall end game. And that makes him more like his father than I ever wanted to admit.
"Look, I know you don't like me, but I swore to protect her."
"And you're doing a bang up job. You came to me, and I think it's for more than my access to the team trainer," he argues.
He's right. "I'm not comfortable having her stay with you, but I'm less comfortable bringing her around her brother right now."
"So you agree, she should stay with us."
I shove my hand through my hair. There aren't any good options here. "You have no idea what you are putting yourself and your friends in the middle of. I need some time to figure out where to go. Until then, yeah, she should stay with you. That means you can't post about her or her picture on social media. No electronic trail she exists at all. He'll have people scanning for that."
He shakes his head. "I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around all of this, but I can do that."
"No mistakes, Ford. He needs this marriage to happen, and he isn't used to not getting his way. The rest of his soldiers won't hesitate to torture for information or kill to get to her."
"Like you, huh?"
"No, nothing like me. Yeah, I'm a killer. I've been trained to kill since I was a child. But, I'm not as good at following directions. Up until today, her brother has been my partner, best friend, and my savior. He's refused all jobs where the target was innocent. I've taken lives, dozens of them. All of them child molesters, abusers, and killers. I won't let her be used to further his empire."
"So you're a good murderer?"
"No, I'm a monster, like she said. But I'm the one standing between her and the psycho he wants to send her off to."
"That bad, huh?"
I shrug. "He says he's marrying her to the son, but if he's anything like his father she'll pray for death long before it comes. His father's wives don't live long."
"Fuck. I'm out of my depth here."
"You are, and I'm sorry. Her brother was the one working while I protect Ra– Alice."
He holds up his hand. "Stop, I've already figured out her name isn't Alice. She's too alert, but seems to not know her own name."
"It's Raven."
"That sounds better. Suits her."
"Do you trust her brother? Because I don't."
"I used to. I need to go and see if he is still on her side."
"He hurt her, that can't be ignored."
"It won't be."
Carmen comes around the corner, and we stop talking. "I don't know what is going on exactly, and I don't want to. I deleted the video of you entering the building, and it's off right now. I'll turn the system on again after you leave. I won't let her be found through me."
She hands me a detailed list of instructions. "She can sleep, but I want her woken up every two hou
rs. If she gets disoriented or starts vomiting she needs a hospital. Protecting her won't do any good if she dies of a hemorrhage."
Raven falls asleep on the short drive back to the apartment. Carmen wasn't able to give her anything more than ibuprofen, so sleep is the only escape from what must be a horrible headache. Instead of waking her up, I decide to carry her into Ford's apartment. It also gives me a chance to scope it out.
As soon as we enter the courtyard we see Lucien pacing at the base of the stairs. He steps forward, but Ford moves to stand in front of us.
"This is your handiwork?" Ford accuses.
Lucien manages to look appropriately guilty. Not that Ford needs the confirmation. The two of them could pass for twins if he wasn't three years older than her.
"How is she?" he asks me.
"She has a concussion, no thanks to you," Ford speaks up.
Lucien bristles at Ford's interference, but keeps silent.
"Raven," I whisper to her, encouraging her to wake up.
Her eyes blink open, and closes again. "The light hurts."
"I know, princess, but I need you to go with Ford. Then you can go back to sleep."
She refuses to open her eyes, so I pass her over instead. "I'll be over soon," I warn him. He doesn't argue, so I encourage him to go.
Once they are inside and I hear the locks click, I turn to Lucien. "Upstairs, now."
"So now you're giving the orders?" he says. He's still pissed at me, but I'm done with him acting like a little bitch.
"We aren't getting into this down here."
He throws his arm out toward Ford's place. "Seems like everyone knows now anyway. Shit, did you think about how much danger you put us in?"
I ignore him and head up the stairs. It goes against everything in me to turn my back on him right now. My senses scream he's a threat, but I need to get him alone before he says too much where others can hear.
"Okay, we're alone," he says after he joins me in the apartment.
"She needed medical attention. What option did I have? I took a chance that the team Ford plays on had someone on staff, and they would help. It worked. He knows, but he's not going to tell his roommates, and yeah, he knows what's at stake if she is exposed."
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