Page 58

58

Phoenix

M ason takes me to the room where Raven is staying. With every step closer, my stomach clenches harder and harder. I can't remember if Doc ever said how Rae was after he went to check on her. I was too worried about Kat when he returned to ask.

When we reach her door, Mason stops, eyeing me to make sure I'm ready for whatever we're about to see inside. "How is she?" I ask, afraid to hear that she's worse off than Kat was.

His jaw hardens before telling me, "She's pretty beat up. Doc thinks she has a few broken ribs, and she has several cuts and bruises that we can see." He pauses, gauging my reaction before adding, "She's tough, Nix. She'll come out of this stronger than before."

I know deep down that he's right. Rae's one of the strongest people I know. If anyone can come out of this swinging, it's her. Even so, I can't help the feeling nagging at the back of my mind that she may have come back broken. The Bastards had her for days. The damage they could have inflicted in that time is monumental. Especially considering how horribly they treated Kat.

The things they did to her—what they would have done to me . . . Even thinking the question makes me sick, but I need to know. "Did they" I can't finish it. I can't say the words as bile creeps up my throat, but Mason understands me.

With a hard swallow, he shakes his head. "We don't know. She was conscious enough to give us bits and pieces, but she passed back out before Doc could ask her that."

I nod, feeling the dread coiling in my stomach. I stare at the cracks on the sidewalk, fighting back tears for my sister as Mason draws me close to him. "She's safe now, baby. They won't ever touch her again."

For a minute, we stand there holding one another as I gather my composure. Rae's inside. She's safe. I tell myself. The Bastards are gone. The war is over. My sister needs me.

With a deep breath, I pull away, nodding to Mason that I'm ready. When the door swings open, I see Dad, Reaper, and Jesse keeping watch over Raven, their faces grim. She's lying so still in the motel bed, and even from here, I can see the bruising on her face.

I move closer, holding my breath as if one hard gust will turn her to ash, and she'll disappear. She's never looked like this before—pale, weak, broken—it hurts to see her like this. Tears well as I take another step then another. My fingertips tremble as I reach out to touch her hand. She doesn't stir. She doesn't move at all as I fold her hand into mine. I look around the room at the men surrounding us.

Mason and Jesse are watching from the foot of the bed with stoic looks painted on their faces. Reaper's eyes are glued to Raven. He looks deadly and dangerous, with blood spattered all over his skin and clothes. The intensity of his stare is so unnerving that I have to look away.

When I do, my eyes land on my dad. He looks devastated as he looks at Rae. My heart breaks a little for him. I know he's blaming himself for everything that happened to her, but she's back now. She's safe with us, and no one will ever touch her again.

His eyes shift to me when I ask, "Has she said anything?"

"Not since Doc came to check on her. She hardly slept while she was there. Ran on adrenaline the whole time. Doc says she just needs rest."

His voice trails off as he looks back at Raven. "She's gonna be fine," he says in a whisper. "She's got my blood. She's strong."

The devastation he’s feeling is written all over his face, and I can't help but go to him. Sliding my small hand into his, I squeeze, offering him the comfort we both need right now. His mouth tugs up at the corners as he holds onto my hand. She's going to be okay. I repeat the mantra in my head over and over, willing my sister to heal and come back to us.

The sun is setting when I startle from a nap I didn't mean to take. Looking around me, I see not much has changed since before I dozed off. Dad, Jesse, and Reaper are still in the same spots they occupied earlier, and Mason is on the floor next to me. One hand traces circles on my ankle as his head lolls against my side.

Raven is still asleep. Her steady breaths come with every rise of her chest under the sheets. Aside from the cuts and bruises marring her skin, she looks peaceful. I try not to let myself think about what she's been through, about all the things they may have done to her. It breaks my heart to think about that.

I shake the thought away and slide my gaze around the room. Everyone seems lost in thought. Even Reaper who still has his eyes glued to Raven like she's about to disappear into thin air. He must still feel guilty about her abduction. I've never seen him like this, so . . . Worried? Scared? The emotions on his face are hard to decipher, but they’re intense as he keeps his steady gaze trained on my sister.

He was watching out for her that night, and she was taken right out from under him. I know it's not his fault. He and the others were doing their best to protect us in that mess. None of us saw it coming, but it's written all over his face that he holds himself responsible for what happened to her. After this, she'll be lucky if he lets her out of his sight at all.

A laugh bubbles in my chest at the thought. She'll love that.

Before the giggle can escape my throat, a soft knock sounds at the door. Jesse answers it, speaking to whoever is outside before opening the door wide. Hammer comes in, casting a wary look at Rae's slumbering form as he moves to Dad's side.

"Got some club business, Viper. Miguel and I have been handling it so far, but they wanna talk to you." I hear him say.

With a nod and another quick glance at Raven, Dad follows Hammer outside. A few minutes pass before Mason peels himself off the floor, taking up the empty seat Dad left behind. As he settles in, his eyes fall on Reaper across from us. He takes in the blood spatter and fatigue on the club enforcer's facade before addressing him.

"Reaper," he calls, tearing the hulking man's attention from Rae. "Why don't you go get cleaned up and get some rest? You look like hell."

The enforcer's eyes narrow, and his jaw clenches as he stares back at Mason. I look between his angry gaze and the other two men. Jesse and Mason must have cleaned up at some point because their clothes and skin are stain-free, unlike Reaper, who's wearing his blood spatter like a trophy.

I hear Mason sigh beside me as he tries to reason with his friend. "You're still covered in blood. I thought you might want to wash up and get that filth off you."

Reaper's only reply is a grunt.

From my periphery, I see Jesse move closer. "Reaper, she's safe, man. Raptor and I are here. We've got guys guarding the door outside. You'll only be ten feet away." He leans close to Reaper's ear as he tells him, "We won't let anything happen to her."

The hulk of a man eyes him, still unmoving. "Besides," Jesse adds, "when she wakes up, you don’t want her to see your mug any uglier than it usually is. She’ll rip you a new one for getting blood all over her bed.”

Reaper scowls at him, then looks back at Raven. He takes a minute to mull over Jesse's words before standing and grabbing some clean clothes. He brushes past us and into the bathroom, stopping to turn and growl, "Nothing fucking happens to her."

We all nod in agreement as Jesse replies, "Nothing’s gonna happen to her, man. We’ll all be right here when you're done.”

Reaper's lips purse, eyes flitting to Raven again before disappearing into the bathroom. Water splashing against the tub is the only sound we hear until my voice cuts through the air.

"Do you think they . . . you know . . . while they had her?" I say the words before I can stop myself. The question that's been weighing on my mind since I found out what the Bastards did to Kat. I still can't bring myself to say it—raped—that makes it feel too real, but the guys know what I mean anyway.

Mason and Jesse exchange a quick look before Mason answers, "I don't know, babe. We won't know until she wakes up and we can ask."

I inhale a jagged breath. "I hope you guys ripped them to shreds.”

"We did," Jesse says firmly. "We made those fuckers pay."

My eyes snap to his face, but he isn't looking at me. His gaze is fixed on my sister as his lips twist into a scowl, whatever horrors they inflicted on the Bastards replaying in his mind. A sick part of me wishes I'd been there to witness what they did to Scar's men, but as soon as the thought appears, I chase it away. She's safe now. They'll never hurt anyone ever again.

My fingers twine with hers as I make a silent promise. You're safe now, Rae. We've got you.

My head falls forward again as I fight sleep. The sun has come and gone, settled far beneath the horizon and Raven still hasn't woken up. It must have been hours now since Dad left. He still hasn't returned. And Reaper, now showered and changed, has taken up his spot again on the other side of the bed, arms crossed and eyes glued back on my sister.

Some of the guys have come by with food and drinks for us, not that anyone's had much of an appetite. They've relayed any news and updates to us a few times today. Cops are swarming the area where the Bastards held their last stand. Local news reports have said the fire is still under investigation. Nothing more, nothing less.

If the authorities have linked the Sons to the warehouse mess, they haven't shown their hand yet. It could be days or weeks before that happens. Still, no one seems worried about that. I know I'm not.

My eyes drift back to Rae's sleeping form, and I settle back in my seat and wait. A gentle hand presses on my shoulder with a light shake, making my eyes snap open. Dammit, I fell asleep.

Groggily, I peer around the room, finding Mason standing next to me. I try to rub the sleep from my eyes, but everything feels muddled. It's like I'm moving in slow motion. I shake my head, stifling a yawn, trying to appear more awake than I am.

"Hey," Mason says softly, "how about we lay down and get some rest?"

I shake my head. "I don't want to leave her."

"I know, babe, but you're exhausted. You need to rest."

"I'll sleep on the floor," I say as my jaw hinges with another yawn.

Mason lets out a deep sigh. "You won't get any sleep that way. Come on, let me take you back to your room for a few hours. If she wakes up while we're there, Jesse will come get us." He shoots a pointed look at Jesse, who immediately nods in confirmation.

"Yeah," he tells me. "I'll let you know the second she wakes up. Doc was pretty adamant that she needed rest, so I'm sure she'll be out for a while. Go get some sleep. We'll stay with her." He tilts his head to where Reaper is still keeping guard.

"See," Mason pleads, "she's safe, Nix. They won't let anything happen to her. I'll even send more guys to guard the room while we're gone."

I bite my bottom lip, feeling the veil of sleep trying to take over again. I don't want to leave her, but my eyes won't stay awake. Maybe just a short nap . . .

My eyes find Jesse's and he gives me a small smile. "We've got her, Nix," he promises as Mason wraps a warm arm around me.

A tired sigh leaves my lips as I nod in agreement. "Okay, but only for a little while, but the second she wakes up—"

Jesse holds out his hands as he finishes my sentence. "We'll let you know. I swear."

Reluctantly, I let Mason sweep me away back to my room. He gets us settled in bed, and the minute my head hits the pillow, I fall into an exhausted abyss.