Page 26

26

Raven

E veryone is on edge. Even Phoenix is feeling it. Raptor told her about the club meeting, and as much as I hate that it burdens her, she deserves the truth. I hate that it's taking something from her, from all of us. That sense of security we once had is gone. Left in its wake is unyielding heaviness. Everyone seems to be holding their breath for something terrible to happen.

It's gotten bad enough that Viper has made some calls to his friends up north, an ally club, according to Jesse. He seems to think when the Bastards make another move, we'll need backup. They've agreed to a meeting, but that's still weeks away. If shit goes down before then, who knows what kind of hell we'll be dealing with.

I land another hook on the punching bag in front of me, letting loose some anger as my pulse races. Finding out the guys had a friend who owned this boxing and MMA training center was a godsend. It's giving me an outlet for all this pent-up frustration I've been toting around.

Stitch is on guard duty today since Jesse's helping his dad, and Reaper is out on some errand—probably kicking puppies or stealing candy from children. Asshole. I was pleasantly surprised when Stitch showed up today with Tweak in Reaper's stead. He's not back to full capacity, but he's doing well for a guy who got stabbed and faced death not that long ago.

My leg connects with the bag, jangling the chains that anchor it to the ceiling. Bag practice is great, and coming here has helped keep me calm with everything simmering, but it's not the same as going toe to toe with another human being.

I drop my arms and head to the ring in the center of the gym. "Alright, Stitch, glove up. I need a sparring partner."

He quirks an eyebrow as he grabs a pair of gloves. Tweak shoots me a grin. "What? Don't wanna spar with me, Raven?"

My lips twitch as I adjust my gear. "Nah, Tweak, that wouldn't be fair. You'd kick my ass," I say with a wink.

A hint of pink spreads over his smiling cheeks as he moves closer to the ring. "Guess I'll referee, then. Keep my brother honest," he says, landing a half-hearted punch to Stitch's stomach.

Stitch grunts and shoves Tweak away. "Watch it, bro, just because you're injured doesn't mean I won't knock your ass out."

Tweak responds with a toothy grin. "I'd like to see you try."

I chuckle as I readjust my headpiece, getting into my stance. As good as it is seeing him in high spirits, I know there's worry simmering beneath the surface. We all feel it. That's why I'm here. I can't sit around and do nothing and wait for this inevitable war to begin. I'm getting ready, making sure I'm in fighting shape in case those fuckwads come knocking on our door.

There's no way I'll let them anywhere near Nix if they get past our MC shield. If our first line of defense fails, we'll need another one. I'll fight like hell to keep my sister safe, even against a deranged MC. I only hope it doesn't come to that.

Stitch enters the ring, rolling his shoulders as he approaches me. "You ready?" I ask him.

He nods, putting up his fists. "Let's see what you got."

A feral smile spreads across my face. Oh, hell yeah. This is exactly what I need. I strike first, landing a quick jab to his ribs, making him grunt. He retaliates with a lame hook, which I dodge. Immediately, I respond with a hook of my own, connecting with his spleen.

Stitch curses, throwing a jab that barely grazes my shoulder. I circle him, building up momentum as I bounce on my feet. "Come on, Stitch. Is that the best you've got?"

Tweak laughs on the sideline. "She's got a point, bro. You aren't trying at all."

Stitch sends his brother a scowl before squaring up to me. This time, he swings, aiming for my other arm. I fall into a deep squat, making him miss his target. As I pop back up, I hurl a punch to his stomach, making him double over.

"Gotta do better than that, dude," I taunt.

The scowl on his face deepens, and he faces me again. His jab connects with my arm as I block him, working him up even more. His punches grow harder but sloppier as I bounce around the ring, dodging most of his throws and landing several of my own.

Now, we're talking.

Tweak is enjoying the show, clapping and cheering from outside the ring, mocking his brother every time he misses his target. Now that he knows I'm serious, Stitch is giving more effort. We keep at it for a while, giving our audience one helluva show. When he throws another hook, I duck, sweeping his legs out from under him as I throw myself into a crouch.

His big body lands with a thud as our spectator goes wild. "Holy shit. That was awesome," Tweak cheers as he climbs onto the ring. "She beat you baaad, bro," he says, fist-bumping my glove.

Stitch gruffs as he gets back on his feet, "I was going easy on her."

"Suuure you were," Tweak laughs.

"You wanna keep going?" I ask, giving him a chance to bow out.

He shakes his head. "Nah, I think we should call it for today. Wouldn't want anyone getting hurt."

"Yeah, you," Tweak cackles.

Stitch flips him off before crossing his arms over his chest, giving me an appraising once over. "That was pretty impressive."

I shoot him a cocky grin. "I know."

He shakes his head as he breathes out a chuckle. "You wanna stick around here for a bit more?"

I check the time and shake my head. "No, we should get going. My shift starts in an hour, and I want to grab a quick shower. Let's head back to the house."

Tweak is laughing as he tells the guys how my sparring match went earlier. A handful of Sons are camped out at the bar, listening as their cohort describes how I took down his brother in the ring. I smile proudly as I refill their drinks.

Several of them rib Stitch about losing to a girl as Jesse appears, putting his arm around me. "We've got ourselves a world-class badass right here, boys."

Cheers erupt from the men as they raise their glasses toward me. We all needed a distraction from everything going on with the club. This is the first time in a while that I've seen several of them, let alone with smiles on their faces, laughing and having a good time. It's been long overdue.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. Quickly, I check the text, breathing a sigh of relief as I see that Nix is back home for the night. It's been another day with no incidents. Thank fuck.

I put my phone away and look up at the crowd around the bar, freezing when I meet a pair of narrowed eyes. Fucking Reaper. He's nursing a beer as his gaze bores into me, studying me like a creature under a microscope. He heard Tweak's story. Fucker probably thinks it's bull.

Whatever. I roll my eyes as I grab another customer's order, filling a glass with ice as I avoid his stare.

Over the next few hours, the MC clears out, surrendering their stools to other patrons. The only Sons left are the ones working the bar and Reaper, much to my dismay.

It's business as usual until a small group of men walks in wearing unmarked cuts. Jesse and Reaper take notice immediately, eyeing the men as they claim an open table. The biggest of the group orders beer for everyone as he leans his arms against the bar. He watches as I fill four mugs, looking away when he senses Reaper's deadly glare.

The man shakes his head, slapping a wad of cash on the bar as I line up the drinks. "Keep the change, sweetheart," he tells me, earning a growl from Reaper as Jesse moves closer to my side.

"Who are they?" I ask.

Jesse shakes his head. "Dunno. Never seen 'em before." He looks at Reaper, who's still clocking the group's every movement. "They might not be anyone. Could just be a group of dudes who like to ride."

His words were a warning for Reaper not to do something rash. Luckily, the big lug listened, choosing to stare down the men until they left another round later.

"See," Jesse tells Reaper once they leave, "false alarm. No reason to stir shit up with the locals over a clean piece of leather."

Reaper growls back, "Walking into an MC establishment with an unmarked cut is asking for trouble."

"You think they could be working for Dom?" I cut in.

Jesse frowns. "I don't know. They could be. Or they could be a group of locals trying to look tough. Who knows? I told Viper and my dad about them. But since they're gone now and didn't actually do anything, all we can do is keep our eyes and ears open. If they come back, then we have reason to act."

I nod in agreement as Reaper scowls, training his eyes on the door. A heavy feeling sinks to the bottom of my stomach, refusing to let up as the rest of the shift passes without incident.

We haven't seen the men since they left, and nothing is out of the ordinary. There's no reason to be so on edge, but I can't shake the feeling that something is off. As the four of us make our way outside, locking up behind us, I finally feel that heavy cloud from earlier ease, but my relief is only temporary.

We head to where the guys are parked, and a loud noise catches our attention. The four men from earlier are back with a crazed look in their eyes. Without warning, they charge us from their hiding place across the street. Two of them go after Reaper, and the other two each take on Jesse and Archie.

Fists fly from every direction as mayhem unleashes. I back away, pulling out my phone to call for backup. Viper answers on the second ring, and I tell him what's happening as I watch the brawl unfold. He says they're on their way, telling me to go back inside the bar until they get here, but my feet won't move.

All I can think about is the last MC fight I witnessed, the one that almost killed Tweak. That can't happen again. If these guys are with Dom, they won't think twice about fighting dirty, especially if it looks like they're about to lose.

Archie and Jesse are holding their own against their attackers. So is Reaper, with his multiple offenders. It won't be long before Viper arrives with help, but a lot can happen in the meantime. I watch as one of the guys going after Reaper stumbles backward. He sneers as his hand disappears under his cut, reaching for a weapon.

Not again!

Before I know what's happening, my feet are careening forward as I leap onto the fucker's back. It takes him by surprise, making him drop whatever he was reaching for. With a curse, he flails, trying to throw me off him. I lock my legs around him as I throw punch after punch, elbow after elbow, into the guy's face. He finally manages to get me off his back, tossing me to the ground before lumbering toward me.

Scrambling to my feet, I raise my fists, landing a solid punch square on his nose. He cries out as it breaks under my fist. Again and again, I swing at him, dodging his limbs as he fights against me. When he manages to get behind me and pull me into a chokehold, I toss my head back, cracking it hard against his face until his grip loosens.

"You'll pay for that, you fucking bitch!" he screams, lurching toward me once again. His steps falter with the sound of approaching motorcycles.

He and his friends scramble to their bikes, slipping away before any of us can grab them. Their taillights disappear as Viper and the MC pull up. He sends some of the guys to follow them, checking the rest of us for injuries.

Studying my bloody knuckles with a frown, he growls, "I told you to go back inside."

"Yeah, well, if I'd listened, Reaper would be bleeding like a stuck pig right now. That fucker was reaching for a weapon," I fire back.

"He could have fucking killed you!" he screams, making everyone turn our direction.

"But he didn't," I fume.

"Next time I tell you to do something, fucking do it!"

That strikes a nerve. "You have no right to tell me what to do!"

"I'm your father. I have every right!"

Years of pent-up frustration boil to the surface. "You haven't been my father for most of my life! You have no right!"

Viper recoils like I slapped him. His body slumps as he shakes his head, his anger quieting. "I didn't fucking know you existed," he says. "If I had known . . . " He shakes his head again as he searches for the right words.

It doesn't matter; my rage is overtaking me. Nothing he says will change that now. I saved his enforcer, and this is the thanks I get. Are you fucking kidding me?

Before either of us can say another word, Bear steps in. "Why don't we take this back to the house? We can regroup there."

"Fuck that!" I shout. "I'm going home."

Viper lets out a heavy breath as I storm away. "Archie, come back with us. You can fill us in. J, Reaper, get Raven back to her house safe."

I'm still seething as we pull into the driveway. Inside, Jesse nudges my side. "You good, Rocky?"

"Fine," I huff.

He chuckles, pulling me to the sink. "Let's get you cleaned up. That was a hell of a fight, babe. You're kind of a badass."

"Yeah? Well, tell that to your leader," I chirp.

He winces as he washes my knuckles under the warm water, ignoring his own wounds. "He was worried about you, Rae."

"He shouldn't be."

Jesse knows I'm livid and wisely drops the conversation, concentrating on tending my wounds. I'll return the favor when I calm down a bit. Jesse doesn't deserve my ire. Sucking in a breath, I turn away, finding Reaper, bloody and bruised, already watching me.

His eyes are narrowed like they were earlier in the bar, once again appraising me, only, this time, he doesn't look irritable. The look in his eyes now is different—one I haven't seen in them before. He almost looks as if he's in awe of something. Of me.

Maybe he's just grateful he didn't get stabbed. Maybe he can't fathom that I was the one who helped him. Either way, it doesn't matter. I only did what I had to. Before his eyes meet mine, I look away. Now, you owe me one, Big Guy.