Page 52 of Claimed

“You still need to let me in.”

“I will,” she promises. “But…maybe you should let go of the search. Even just for a while.”

“You can’t ask me to sit around and do nothing, Raven.”

“I’m not. Just…suspend it for a while. Let’s focus onus. This thing has been controlling both our lives. We just need to step back, regroup.”

I’ve been thinking about doing just that since E suggested it, but I didn’t want her to think I’d given up. I don’t want to sit around and let that fucker think he’s gotten away with putting his hands on my woman.

“Please, Gage. I need you.”

I search her face and her expression breaks me. Her eyes are tearing up, her bottom lip trembling. I can’t say no to her. “Okay, doll. I’ll give it a rest.”

There’s a knock at the door and Pop comes in without waiting for an answer. Other than E andDeena, he’s the only one who knows what happened. I’ve kept her mother and friends at bay, but I don’t think I could have done it for much longer. I spend the next couple of hours listening to Chopper fawn over her. I’ve never seen him like this, not even with Mom when she was alive. It was instant, too. He’s been smitten with her since the beginning.

“Are you trying to steal my woman?” I joke.

“If I were a little younger, I’m sure I could. Youth is the only thing you got on me, son.”

“Is that so?”

“Why don’t we ask the lady?” He turns to Raven. “What do you say, lil darlin’?”

Her eyes dart between us as she bites her lip, trying to hold back a smile. I wish she wouldn’t. I’d give anything to see that perfect smile of hers.

“One thing I can say is you’re definitely father and son. He’s you,” she jerks her head at me, “only younger. So, if youweretrying to steal me away, it would probably be a tough decision.”

Chopper throws his head back and laughs, but I’m not amused. No one’s taking her from me – not Chopper, not anyone.

“I knew you were a keeper, lil darlin’.”

“Yeah? How’d you figure that out?” she asks.

“Well,” he moves closer, “that first night I saw you two together, I thought ‘this should be interesting’.”

“Because he’s such a man-whore?”

“Hey, I’m right here!” I exclaim.

She gives me the side-eye. “You know it’s true.”

“I can’t help it if I’m irresistible to the entire female population.”

“Whatever. Go on, Chopper.”

“As I was saying,” he gives me a dirty look. “You’re right. Heisa man-whore. Hell, we all are, but I thought you might give him a run for his money. Then, you shot a man who was trying to kill my son. Around here, we protect what’s ours with our lives. That’s what you did. That’s how I knew you fit.” He points to me. “That’s when I knew you were his future.”

Well, damn. Where did that come from? I’ve never heard him talk like that before, either. Is he getting soft in his old age? Whatever the reason, Raven’s falling for it. She scurries to her knees and throws her arms around him.

“I knew Gage got his little sweet streak from you.”

“I amnotsweet,” Chopper and I say at the same time.

Raven laughs. She fuckinglaughs. I pretty much gawk at her as she falls back on the bed, downright hysterical. It’s like music to my ears – the second best thing I’ve heard today next to her heart beating. It gives me a glimpse of my sunshine. It’s not much, but when it’s been raining for so long, a single ray is like a fucking miracle. Fuck, I’m sick of the rain. This? This gives me hope.

“See? I told you! You’re totally twinsies!”

Right now, I couldn’t care less about being like Chopper. I may be getting my hopes up over nothing, but this feels like progress. For the first time in months, she seems like her old self, like my little bird is coming back to me.