Текст книги "Claimed"

Автор книги: Alana Sapphire

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CHAPTER 9

***Gage***

Fuck, I’m tired. All this running around plus no sleep is finally catching up to me. Atlanta was a total bust. The guys we found there didn’t know much. They weren’t even expecting a shipment of Dutch Wife. The guy in charge said the drug was still in its development stage and wasn’t ready for distribution. How did a drug that’s not even on the streets yet end up in Raven’s system? This puts me at a dead end, unless Tek can get into Briggs’ files. He’s been working on that laptop all day and I haven’t heard a peep out of him.

I drop my duffel in the closet and begin to undress. I better take a shower before I find Raven. Ron said the girls have been helping Chopper and Nita in the kitchen. At least she’s not cooped up in here. That’s a step forward. While looking for something to wear, I notice dresses next to my shirts. I let the material of one slip through my fingers. I like seeing them there. I like having her in my space. Right now, it may not be the way I pictured it would be, but it feels good. It feels right.

I head into the shower and find her waiting for me in the bedroom when I get out. She’s obviously on edge, pacing and chewing on her thumbnail.

“You’re back.”

“Yeah. I was gonna come find you after –”

“How’d it go? What happened?”

I walk to the closet, unable to look her in the eyes. “Not much. There was nothing there.”

“Nothing? What do you mean ‘nothing’?

Turning to face her, I hang my head in disappointment. “I’m sorry, Raven. It was a dead end.”

She starts to hyperventilate. Fuck.

“Dead end? You promised me you’d find him. You promised!”

I move toward her but she pulls away in anger, staring daggers at me.

“What have you been doing all this time? This guy could be in Timbuktu by now for all we know. It’s been over a month and all you can tell me is that you hit a dead end?”

“Lower your voice.”

“I will not lower my voice!” she screams.

“You’re pissed, I get it. But so am I, and I’m not shouting at you.”

“What do you have to be angry about? That you won’t be my first anymore?”

That stung. I know it’s her anger talking, but it doesn’t hurt any less. “I’m pissed because it’s my fault!” I shout. “I’m the reason this happened to you!”

“You keep saying that. Why? What did you do? What do you know that I don’t?”

“I promised you I’d protect you and I didn’t. You got hurt because some motherfucker thought it was the best way to hurt me. You may have been the one attacked, but I have to live with the fact that it happened on my watch and I couldn’t stop it.”

“Bullshit!”

“You think this is about sex?” I ask. “I could have had you at the snap of my fingers if I wanted to. How many times did you beg me to fuck you, huh? You were practically throwing your pussy at me.”

Her expression changes. That’s when I know I’ve fucked up. She narrows her eyes and her body begins to vibrate. Her fingers curl into fists at her sides and she stomps her foot. Without warning, she launches herself at me with a scream.

“Motherfucker!”

She lets loose, pummeling my chest with her fists. I try to grab her hands without hurting her but she starts to kick, too.

“How dare you! How could you say that?”

I finally manage to subdue her, turning her around and pulling her against me. She squirms, trying to get away.

“Let me go. Don’t touch me, you bastard!”

“Calm down.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, asshole. Would you rather I throw my pussy at you?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry, babe.”

“You meant it and you can’t take it back.”

“I’m going to let you go, but you have to promise you won’t start hitting me again.”

“I’m not promising anything, fuck boy. Let me the fuck go.”

Boy, she can really come up with insults when she’s ticked off. I’ve gone from bastard to asshole to fuck boy in the space of a few seconds.

“Raven, stop.” She goes still in my arms. “I’m going to let you go now, okay?”

She doesn’t answer, but I take her silence for consent. I slowly release my hold on her and she pulls away as soon as she’s able to. She’s back to staring at me again like she wants to kill me. She has all this pent-up anger and I think I know a way to help her release it.

“I have an idea,” I tell her. “Will you go somewhere with me?”

“Why would I go anywhere with you?” She crosses her arms on her chest.

“I promise it’ll be good for you.”

“No.”

“Please.”

“No.”

“Babe…please.”

“Fine.” She gives me a dirty look then cuts her eyes. “I’ll go, but I won’t like it.”

I finish getting dressed then lead her out to the Mustang. She drags her feet the entire way then stares out the window once we’re in the car. Trying to get back on her good side, I stop at Sweet Treats and buy her the strawberry cheese pastries she loves. She takes the container with a sideways glance then goes back to ignoring me while she eats. I leave her to her thoughts because I don’t want to set her off again. When we arrive at our destination, I pull into a parking spot and open her door, watching as she steps out reluctantly.

“Why did you bring me here?”

“You’ll see.”

I try to take her hand but she brushes me off, so I give her some space. After opening the door, I step inside and turn on the lights before I allow her in. She looks around in confusion, arms folded on her chest once more.

“I repeat, why did you bring me here?”

It’s a gun store. Razor’s, to be exact. All the members get a share of the Pretty Kitty and the auto parts store, but I encourage them all to have their own things going on. Razor’s thing is guns.

“This way.” I motion for her to follow me and take her through the door that leads to the back where there’s a shooting range. I have a locker here where I keep a few guns and extra ammo for when I want to let off some steam and the punching bag doesn’t help. I grab a mag and set up a target, then hand her a pair of ear muffs. She’s still giving me the evil eye, but she accepts it and puts it on. I swap out the mags, placing the extra one on the bench, and hand her my Glock. The way she’s feeling right now, I pray to God she doesn’t shoot me. She takes it, weighing it in her hand as she stares down at it.

“Thirty-three rounds. Just let it go.”

She takes one last look at me then turns toward the target. It doesn’t take her ten seconds to line up. She doesn’t swing her ass from side to side like I’ve seen most women do, just gets right down to it. Her ass does look amazing, though. She’s wearing shorts, so I also notice she’s shaved her legs. I know this isn’t the appropriate time, but seeing her standing there with my gun? Fucking sexy as hell. Then I see the scars on her legs. She’ll have those reminders for the rest of her life. I clench my jaw then take a deep breath. Tonight is about her anger, not mine.

I put on my ear muffs as she chambers a round, watching as she unloads the mag into the target. She releases the empty mag and replaces it without missing a beat. That one only has seventeen rounds, so she empties it in half the time. The slide locks but she releases it and stands there, aiming at the target.

“Raven –”

She spins to face me, racks the slide, points the gun in the center of my forehead, and presses the trigger. Her breathing is labored and there are tears streaming down her cheeks. When she realizes what she’s done, she gasps, ripping off the muffs. After removing mine, I take the gun from her carefully, and place it on the bench before she collapses in my arms. Her body shakes from her sobs as she throws her arms around me, clutching the back of my shirt.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Shh. I’m here, Raven.”

“What if –”

“It wasn’t. It was empty.”

“Oh, God! I could have killed you!”

“You didn’t,” I try to console her.

“I’m sorry. God, I’m so sorry!”

“I know, doll. I know.” I hold her until her sobs die down to an occasional sniffle and gasp.

“About earlier...I know you’re doing everything you can. I’m just so pissed. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I tell her as I hand her my bandana.

She stares up at me, sniffling and wiping her cheeks. “I’m sorry I called you an asshole.”

I smile, sliding my fingers through her hair. “It’s cool. You ever call me a fuck boy again, I’m tanning your ass.”

“Promise?”

I quirk a brow at her as she gives me a weak smile. I missed playful Raven, too. I don’t know how she switched gears so easily, but I’ll take it.

“You sure you wanna go there?” I ask.

“I’m sure...fuck boy.”

I grab at her and she takes off running with an excited shriek. I don’t know what got into me but I chase her, all around the fucking room. Every time I’m close to catching her, she screams and changes direction on me. She stops running and faces me, knees bent like a football player, bouncing on her feet.

“What’s the matter? Too slow, fuck boy?”

“Oh...you are gonna get it.” I warn.

“You have to catch me first.”

I fake her out. She jumps but doesn’t run. I fake once more and she laughs. The third time, I lunge at her but she doesn’t get far before I catch her around the waist, pulling her against me. I back her up against the wall, facing away from me. She wriggles and squirms, trying to break free. Her ass is rubbing on my dick and it’s quickly waking up.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I was just playing. I didn’t mean it!”

“I warned you, baby doll.”

I lean in to her and she goes still, her laughter dying down. Instead, her breathing grows ragged and I know it’s not from all the running. I bury my nose in her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. She’s not ready. I chant the words in my mind to keep from doing too much too soon. I can’t rush her but fuck, it feels good to have her in my arms like this.

“Gage...please...stop.”

I release her immediately. It was good while it lasted. She faces me, her expression despondent. I smile, letting her know it’s all good. She takes my outstretched hand and I lead her back to the firing line. I inspect the target and see her shots were concentrated in two areas – head and crotch. Pretty good grouping, too. Her dad taught her well.

After putting everything back in its place, I lock up and we head home. The drive back to the clubhouse is pretty much the same as the one to the shop – quiet. Only this time, she’s sad not angry.

Inside the clubhouse, preparations for Thanksgiving are in full swing. Every year, Chopper and Nita make a feast and we all get together – members, families, Hounds, everybody. The place smells amazing. Allah’s playing away in the DJ booth and everyone seems to be having a good, chill time. It’s all about being together, not getting wild.

“You wanna head back to the room or you wanna hang out here for a while?” I ask Raven.

“Here.”

I take her over to the couch and she curls up next to me, placing her head on my chest. Nita comes over, offering us mulled cider. We each take a cup and she smiles then leaves. We sit together, quietly sipping cider, and watching everyone enjoy themselves. That is, until Chrissy comes over.

“Awww...you two are so cute. Like, the cutest couple ever.” She sits on the table in front of us, eyes darting between me and Raven. “I need to find you a couple name.”

“Couple name?” I ask with raised brows.

“Yeah. You know, like Kimye or Brangelina.”

What the fuck is a Kimye? I stare at her with a blank expression. It doesn’t deter her, though, and she starts throwing out names.

“Gagen...no...Ravage...no, not catchy enough.”

She sits there pondering until Raven intercedes in a low voice. “Rage.”

Chrissy gives her an ‘aha!’ stare then claps excitedly. “Rage! I love it! That’s your couple name. ‘Rage’.”

Before I can get sucked further into this ridiculous conversation, Tek walks up with a worried frown. I excuse myself and take him to my office.

“Talk to me.”

He hands me a sheet of paper and takes a seat.

“I got into Briggs’ files. Dutch Wife wasn’t in full production yet. That’s a list of potential distributors. Apparently, he gave them small samples to test out and see if they wanted to sell for him.”

I start reading down the list. I go through a few names I’ve never even heard of and then I find one I know. All too well. “Fuck!”

“What you wanna do, Prez?”

I want to rip his fucking head off. That’s what I want to do. I’m going to string him up by his feet, cut off his balls, and feed them to him.

“Just remember what you said about starting unnecessary wars.”

Fuck. Tek’s right. I take a deep breath and try to calm down. First, I’ll give him a chance to explain himself. I know what it’s like to be falsely accused. “Give me a minute. Let me talk to him.”

When Tek leaves, I find the number in my contacts and hit dial.

“Well, if it isn’t the Grim Reaper,” the voice comes from the other end. “Not a good sign when you come calling.”

“You got that right, motherfucker.”

“Choose your words carefully, Hunter.”

“You want words? I’ll give you two. Dutch. Wife.”

He goes silent for a beat then asks, “What about it?”

“You tell me, Ace. Tell me how days after a confrontation with your boys, my girl gets raped. Tell me how you’re one of the few people who have access to the drug that was used in that rape.”

“Fuck.”

“That’s all you got?”

“Look, we were given a sample. When I saw what it did, I told The Pharmacist I was out. I didn’t want to be a part of that. I flushed the rest of what we had and that was that.”

“Where are your boys?”

“I swear, Hunter. This wasn’t us. Those two guys, I sent them to Cali the day after the show. They’ve been there ever since, handling some business for me.”

“Do you really expect me to believe that?” I shout, jumping out of my chair. “This is not a coincidence, Ace. I want those men.”

“I get it, okay? If it was my old lady, I’d be on the warpath, too. But I’m not gonna hand over two of my guys to you. Even if they were guilty, it would be my problem.”

“You think they’re innocent? You willing to bet your old lady’s life on that?”

“Leave Dana out of this,” he growls.

“They drugged her, tied her up, and raped her. If it was Dana, what would you do?”

“I’d kill the motherfucker. But it wasn’t my guys and I can prove it.”

“How?”

“Why don’t I come down there?” he says. “Show you I have nothing to hide. I’ll even help you out with the search. I heard about Briggs’ lab. I’m pretty sure that was you.”

“I don’t need your help. I want those men. Don’t make me find them on my own or it won’t be pretty.”

“I’m not looking for a war, Hunter, but if you want to start one, I’ll be ready. Let’s try to work this out. I’ll come down with just a few of my guys. We’ll meet and see where we go from there.”

“One chance.” I take a deep breath. “One meeting. I’m not satisfied, you hand them over.”

“It won’t come to that. You’ll see this wasn’t us.”

“For your sake, I hope you’re right.”

I hang up and pitch the phone to the other side of the room. It crashes into the wall and pieces of it go flying in different directions. “Fuck!” I need to hit something. Or someone. It had to be them. It had to be. They had motive, means, and opportunity. People have gone to prison on less information. But what if Ace is right? What if it wasn’t them and I go on a rampage? A lot of people could get hurt. Raven, my family, my brothers...I need to be smart. I’ll hear what he has to say. In the meantime, I start planning.

I head back to the bar, but Raven isn’t there. I’m not in a socializing mood, so I make my way to my room. I have a date with my punching bag. I find her there, in bed with her sketch pad.

“Are you okay?” she asks, looking up from her drawing.

“I’m fine. Why?”

“I heard a crashing sound coming from your office.”

“I’m fine. Gonna need a new burner phone, though.” I sit on the edge of the bed and peek over at her pad. “What are you drawing?”

She hands it to me and once again, her skill blows me away. It’s us. She’s on her knees, cocooned in big, black wings, only her face visible. There are tears on her cheeks. I’m behind her, wearing a Reaper’s robe. I have a scythe in hand, eyes a dark red. I know I’m not there as the one causing her tears. The determined expression on my face tells me she sees me as her protector. She’s closed in on herself, and I’m there as her guardian. Fuck me. All the anger drains from my body. Under the picture, she’s written “Rage” in a creative font. I pull her into my arms and kiss her forehead. I can’t even find the words to express what I’m feeling right now. One thing’s for sure, I’ll protect her with everything I have.

“What’s with this ‘Rage’ thing?” I ask.

She raises her shoulders in a shrug. “Didn’t you hear? It’s our couple name.”

“Yeah...but why that?”

“It’s appropriate, don’t you think?”

“How so?”

“Because.” She stares into my eyes. “It’s what we’re both feeling right now.”

And there it is. The two of us summed up in one word; linked, not just by our names but our very emotions.

“What do you think?” she asks.

Rage.

“I think it’s perfect.”

CHAPTER 10

***Raven***

I’m stuffed and pretty sure everyone else is, too. I don’t remember the last time I ate this much. Chopper and Nita are gods in the kitchen. Right now, everyone is gathered in the bar, having drinks while I’m sipping on sweet tea. Other than the Hunters, no one here is related by blood, yet they embrace each other as family. It’s different for me. Growing up, it was me, Lonnie, and Daddy. After Lonnie left, it was the two of us. Toni would come over sometimes, but that was about it. I’m not used to having so many people around, so many people who consider me family. Even the Hounds have a place amongst everyone today. The blonde—I found out her name is Britney—has been shooting dirty looks at me, but I’m determined not to let her spoil my night. All the others have been super nice. I wonder why they’re called Hounds. Gage is nestled next to me on the couch, so I might as well ask.

“Gage?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“Why are the girls called Hounds?”

“It’s short for Hellhounds.”

“But why?” I push for a better answer. “Hellhounds are three-headed dogs with serpent tails.”

“Someone knows their Greek mythology.” He chuckles.

“Tell me.”

“Okay, fine. It all ties in with the whole death theme. See, Cerberus, he was Hades’ guard dog.”

“Yeah. He guarded the entrance to the underworld.”

“Right. He kept the dead in and the living out. Think of the MC as the underworld. The members are the dead, and everyone outside of the club is the living.”

“So...they’re like guardians for the club? I thought they were here to suck dick.”

He laughs, his chest shaking beneath my cheek. “They do that. But they also cook, do laundry, that type of stuff. They basically take care of the guys who don’t have old ladies.”

“Okay. So, everything they do is to keep outsiders – the living – from entering the underworld where they have no business being?”

“You got it.”

Hmm...interesting.

“Does that make you Hades?” I ask.

“I guess so.”

And I guess I’m Persephone? The difference is I came willingly and he’s not the one who ‘deflowered’ me. I can’t help but see the similarities in our situations, though. As I look around the room at all the happy faces, I relax in Gage’s arms. Today’s feast might be considered my pomegranate seed. I’ve eaten Hades’ food, and this is now my home.

Allah moves into his DJ booth and people start pairing up to dance. After a few songs, he catches me watching him and waves me over. I peek up at Gage and he encourages me with a nod. When I get to him, Allah jerks his head at his laptop.

“You wanna learn?”

“What? You gonna teach me?”

“Sure.” He shrugs. “If you want to.”

I stare at him with a raised brow. I’m probably the only person who’s been this close to his equipment, and now he’s telling me he’s going to let me touch it? Wow.

“Okay,” I answer with a bit of hesitation.

“This is Virtual DJ.” He points to the screen. “These are the decks. Basically where the music plays from.”

I listen carefully to my lesson as he talks about crossfaders, beats per minute, syncing, effects, and samplers. He shows me how to play a song and then tells me to try it. I look through his files and find the perfect one then point to the microphone.

“Does this work?”

“Yeah. You wanna say somethin’?”

At my nod, he stops the music and pics up the mic.

“All right everybody, settle down and listen up.”

He hands me the mic and I take a deep breath, looking around the room. Everyone’s watching, waiting expectantly. My gaze slides to Gage, and the supportive smile on his lips gives me the courage to go on.

“It’s Thanksgiving. A day of gratitude and to celebrate family. I’m thankful that I’ve been able to connect with my mother and little sister. Not only that but...I just wanted to say I consider everyone in this room my family. You don’t know how much it means to me that you all accepted me during a time when I had no one else.”

I look to Chopper, Nita, and Ellen. They took me in, no questions asked, and I need them to know how much I appreciate them. As if she can read my mind, Nita mouths, “I know.” I nod and look around the room again.

“Everyone knows what happened to me. You’ve also seen that I haven’t been myself. I’m still not, but I’m getting there. It’s all because of your president.” I turn to face him, letting him know I’m about to talk to him and not the entire room. “Gage...you’ve been patient, understanding, kind, and supportive. I know it hasn’t been easy for you. You’re tired and angry and frustrated, but you never show it. To me, at least.” Dr. E squeezes his shoulder so I know I’m right. He’s probably the one getting the brunt of it. “There are a lot of things I have to be thankful for,” I continue. “But most of all, I’m thankful for you. I really don’t know what I would do without you. So, thank you. Thank you for being...you.”

Just like Allah showed me, I add the song to the deck, and Jessie J’s “Flashlight” begins to play. He keeps his eyes glued to me but as his expression changes, I know he’s paying attention to the words of the song. By the time it gets to the chorus, he’s out of his seat. I meet him in the middle of the room. He tugs me into his arms and right here, in front of everybody, he kisses me. It’s not sexual, but it’s not entirely platonic, either. I feel a sliver of something dart through my body. Again, not sexual, but I feel it.

Maybe I’m not broken after all.