Page 5

5

Phoenix

A bright ray of sunshine hits my face as I start to wake up. I turn my head away, hearing someone grumble next to me. My gaze focuses on Raven when my eyes pop open, and I remember everything that happened yesterday.

It almost doesn't seem real. I can't believe I actually came here to find our father. It's so unlike me to do something so bold, but I had to meet him. I couldn't sleep another night not knowing who he was.

My sister turns over next to me, falling back asleep. I doubt she slept well last night, worrying about everything that happened. She's always been like that, protecting me when things looked dangerous. She always said it was her duty as the older twin to look after me—one of the things I always admired about her.

I ease my way out of bed, making sure not to disturb Raven as I head toward the bathroom. After shutting the door behind me, I nearly trip over myself. A man is sitting on a folding chair outside the door, not just any man—Raptor in all his tattooed glory.

I clutch my chest as I steady myself. Raptor looks up at me, and I swear I see a hint of a smile on his flawless face. "Morning," he tells me in a husky voice.

"Hiii," I reply airily, showing him how dreamy I think he is. My eyes widen as I realize what I did. Then, to add fuel to the fire, I throw him a fast and awkward wave. I could have fallen over with embarrassment. Why do I do these things?

I resist the urge to turn back and spend the rest of the morning locked in the bedroom. Instead, I push forward, hiding my face behind a curtain of hair. My cheeks are blazing; I can feel it, and I don't want Raptor to notice he has this effect on me.

I gesture toward the bathroom, hoping to distract him from my social awkwardness. "I was just going to . . . "

He quirks a smile. "Be my guest."

When he settles into his seat, crossing his arms over his chest, I scurry off. My heart is pounding as I shut the door behind me, hoping I didn't make a complete fool of myself. I don't know what it is about this guy that turns me into a complete dork. He's just so . . .

Hot. Sexy. Mysterious.

And when he smiled at me—oh my, Lord—I almost melted. Guys like that never look my way twice. I'm too soft, too sweet for them. Raven is more their type with her multitude of piercings, tattoos, and her give-no-fucks attitude. Raptor and guys like him usually go for girls like her. Or they go after girls like the bimbos that waltzed in last night as if they owned the place—girls who go after what they want, not the bumbling idiot who makes conversations awkward.

I shake my head and hurry about my business. I stop at the mirror, trying to make myself look presentable, before I open the door again. Raptor is still sitting in the chair, looking like a modern-day Greek god as he cracks his knuckles. Jeez, how does he make that look sexy? It's not fair.

Before he notices me staring, I compose myself and walk his way. I plant a smile on my face, hoping to redeem myself from earlier. I will not make myself look like a complete moron in front of him. I won't, I won't, I won't.

He sits up straighter in the chair when he notices me approaching. The look on his face is different from before, almost as if he's nervous. It's adorable and almost makes me feel a little better about acting like an unsocialized oaf earlier.

I open my mouth to greet him when it happens—the blonde from last night comes trotting up the stairs, her eyes laser-focused on Raptor. There's no question why she's up here. She wants him, and the smirk on her face tells me she won't stop until she gets him. Again.

I feel my stomach and face drop as she approaches. Raptor looks at me, puzzled, until she demands his attention with her shrill voice. "Hey, baby," she coos. "I thought I'd find you up here."

I watch in horror as she slides onto his lap, drawing his attention away from me. His face contorts in disgust as he tries to shift her off him. She doesn't budge, looking content to plaster herself there for the rest of her life. It's like a train wreck; I can't turn away. I'm frozen in place as I watch, unsure what I should do.

Do I say something to him? To her?

She's practically mauling him, but I'm not a fan of confrontation. I'm lost here, trying to figure out my next move. That's when she sees me.

Her gaze narrows into slits as she looks my way. "Oh, Phoebe , was it? Sorry, didn't see you there," she says icily before burying her face in Raptor's neck.

"It's Phoenix, actually," I reply, watching as Raptor finally breaks free of her grasp, pushing her away. Her too-high heels snag on the carpet, making her flop ungracefully to the ground.

She lets out a huff at him before glaring at me. "What, I'm no good for you now that you have a new plaything to screw?" she screams at him. "She doesn't even look like she knows what to do with a man, let alone his—"

Before she can finish her vile accusation, a sharp voice cuts her off. "Dick," the voice says. "You were going to say dick, right? I mean, you'd know allll about dicks, huh? Since you've ridden a thousand of them by now."

I turn to see Raven leaning against the bedroom door, staring daggers at the blonde. The girl gapes at Raven, still squirming on the ground from when Raptor shoved her away. She looks baffled by my sister's audacity as I stifle my amusement.

"Before you start talking shit about my sister, you better be damn sure your panties are clean, sweetheart. Because, as sweet as she is, I am a thousand times more sour. And I'm not afraid to put little mouthy bitches like you in their place." Raven punctuates her warning with a cruel smile. One I've seen grown men shy away from.

Apparently, the woman on the ground is a glutton for punishment, or she's too stupid to know when to cut her losses. She stands up and points a poorly manicured finger at Raven. "Fuck you! You stupid whore!"

Oh, shit.

In less than a second, Raven bounds to where the mouthy blonde is standing, making the woman stumble backward. I know what's coming. I've seen it before when someone crosses my sister. Raven primes to unleash another unholy round of venom on her adversary, and all I can do is watch in astonishment.

Her words come out smooth and sharp as needles. "Whore? You want to call me a whore?" Raven lets out a dark chuckle. "Let me tell you something, bitch, only one person in this house fits that bill. And she's the one I'm staring at—the one who looks like she's been rode hard and put away wet in the middle of a dust storm."

An audible gasp escapes the bimbo's mouth as my sister continues to rip her a new one. "You can try to hide your filthy pussy stench with knockoff perfume and all the fancy G-strings in the world, but everyone here knows the truth. You are nothing more than a hole to these men, and even then, they wonder if all the Valtrex in the world is worth it."

Raven eyes the woman up and down before adding, "Let's be honest here; we both know it isn't."

When the shock wears off, the blonde turns to Raptor, fuming. "Are you gonna let her talk to me like that?"

He shrugs, fighting back a smile. "Maybe you should leave."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"He said leave, bitch . Take the hint," Raven tells her.

With a huff, the girl turns toward my sister, glaring wildly at her. I watch in horror as she raises her hand, getting ready to unleash her paw on my sister. Raven sees it, too, but she smiles, daring this girl to do her worst. I know what's in store if she goes through with it.

The second the girl's palm makes contact with Rae's face, she'll be a goner, and something in my sister's eyes tells me she's aching for a fight. As the bimbo moves to strike, a hand appears from nowhere, stopping her. I stare in awe as Reaper glares down at the woman.

Where the hell did he come from?

I look over at Raven, who looks both shocked and amused by the sight in front of her. We watch as he pushes the blonde back a few feet, putting distance between her and Raven.

"Prez says we get to bury anyone who puts a hand on either of them," he growls, pointing a finger at me and my sister. "You wanna be the first person I bury?" His voice is low and menacing, causing the woman to shrink away, looking terrified.

She shakes her head quickly, not saying a word. He gestures down the stairs as he snarls, "Out!"

In a flash, she runs down the stairs, slamming the door shut behind her as she flees. I could see the fear in her eyes as this mountain of a man stared her down, not that I could blame her. Reaper looks like a man you never want to cross. Menace and danger bathe his whole aura. I'm sure most who encounter him would shy away from such a man.

Anyone but my sister, apparently . . .

I watch in amazement as she smirks at him. "You trying to play hero now, Grim?"

My breath catches at her boldness. I look on as Reaper leers her way before rolling his eyes. I'm sure it isn't often that a man like him runs into someone like Raven. She's always been bold and brave, playing with fire like it's nothing and never getting burned.

Reaper ignores her, telling Raptor, "Need them downstairs in five minutes. Doc is here to do the test."

Raptor nods in acknowledgment before facing Raven and me. "I'm ready," I tell him, turning to my sister.

She lets out an irritated huff before heading toward the stairs, brushing past Reaper on the way. "Let's get this over with," she grumbles. Reaper follows closely behind her, fists and jaw clenched tight.

As they disappear down the steps, Raptor holds his hand toward the staircase. "Ladies first."

"I won't tell Reaper you said that," I tell him with a giggle.

He smiles. "That's probably a good idea." His wink nearly undoes me as I suck in a breath, trying very hard not to trip over my feet as we descend the staircase.

In the kitchen, I see Raven looking as annoyed as ever as an older gentleman—Doc, I'm guessing—swabs her cheek. Around the room, several of the club members watch silently. Elias is focused on Raven and Doc, studying them with an unreadable expression. Next to him is Bear, who continues to look suspicious as he scrutinizes every move they make.

I can't wait until these results come back. Then, we can finally prove to everyone we aren't the scam artists Bear seems to believe we are. I sigh as I continue to look around the room. Everyone is zeroed in on what the club's doctor is doing—everyone except Raptor. When I meet his eyes, I notice he's focused on something else. Me.

He gives me a soft smile before asking, "You good?"

I nod, giving him a shy smile in return. Before either of us can say more, Doc calls me over. A few minutes later, he wraps up and packs his things, stopping to talk to Elias and Bear before leaving.

"Doc says he'll have the results in a day or two. He'll let us know as soon as they're in," Elias announces. He turns to Rae and me with a sober expression. "Until then, you two can stay here and use that room I gave you last night. We'll figure the rest out in a couple of days when the results are in."

Raven bristles beside me. "You mean, you're holding us hostage until the results are in?"

"We're making sure you don't go find trouble before we know who you really are," Bear replies sternly.

Rae's eyes narrow at the grumpy biker. Just as she goes to unleash on him, Elias cuts her off. "It's only for a day or two, so we can figure everything out."

He turns to the other men in the room, telling them to meet him and Bear at the bar to figure out business for the week. As he and the others head for the door, he points at two of the younger-looking men wearing vests that say "Prospect" on the back. "Bones, Archie, stay with them. No one leaves till I get back."

"What if I have an emergency and need tampons?" Raven pipes up.

"Then tell them, and they'll send someone to get you what you need." Elias points to the young men again.

Raven rolls her eyes as she flops down into one of the chairs in the living room. I'm amazed she hasn't said more. I can tell by the look in her eyes that there's so much she'd like to voice right now, but I'm grateful she's keeping herself calm.

The rest of the men leave, Raptor among them. I watch him disappear, feeling disappointed that we didn't have more time to talk this morning. I'm attracted to him, sure, but this feels like more than that and we only just met. I'm drawn to him in an unexplainable way, but that seems to be a recurring theme in my life these days.

When Elias goes to leave, he stops, turning to look at us at the last second. His eyes land on Raven, who glares back at him. "Don't do anything reckless," he tells her. With that, he shuts the door behind him, leaving us with Bones and Archie.