Page 7 of Raven (Sinners Revenge MC- Rapid City, SD #6)

Sydney

I was half-awake when I felt Caleb lift me from the front seat of his truck, but I didn’t let on that I was.

When I felt him place me into a soft, cozy bed and pull the covers over me before he placed a soft kiss on my forehead, I swooned.

He left the room, and I lay there for a moment before I opened my eyes and looked around.

Not recognizing the room, I carefully pushed out of bed and followed the voices I heard.

When he proclaimed me to be his to the two people in the kitchen with him, I had to interject.

While the thought of belonging to him was nice, I couldn’t lose my job or the money I was making.

I had to pay off the remaining debt my mother owed to those vile assholes in Oregon, or it was my ass on the line.

I asked him again, “Can you tell me why I’m here, at what I assume is your home, instead of my camper?”

He tried to smile, but it didn’t seem to reach his stunning hazel eyes as he responded, “I thought you might be more comfortable here while you got better.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I tried to remain strong as I replied, “You could have woken me up and saved all this trouble. I can’t be here, Caleb.”

He took a step closer to me and inquired, “Why? Give me one good reason why you can’t be here. Why you don’t want to be my woman.”

I sighed, hoping to find the right words without hurting him.

That was the last thing I wanted to do, but I had trouble chasing me and I couldn’t let it land on his doorstep.

Caleb and the rest of the Sinners, or the few that I’d met, were nice guys that didn’t deserve my drama.

Without giving too much away, I searched for a legitimate reason for him.

Finally, I landed on the truth, or a part of it anyway. “I can’t risk my job if this doesn’t work out.”

He took another step closer until he was less than a foot in front of me.

His eyes were kind and when he tilted his head and began to speak, I felt my resolve slipping.

“Your job is safe. I would never threaten someone’s job, especially yours.

” He paused and added sincerely, “You’re one of the best mechanics and fabricators I’ve ever met. ”

I felt a blush pushing up on my cheeks and when I ducked my head to hide my embarrassment at his compliment, I felt a cough welling from my throat.

Covering my mouth, I fought through the sensation in my throat when I felt his hand slip into mine.

He guided me to a large island in the kitchen and pulled out a chair for me to sit in.

When I was able to speak, I opened my mouth, only to see he had my medication and a glass of orange juice pushed in front of me.

“Please take your meds so you can get better,” he softly requested as he reached up and brushed a piece of hair from my forehead.

I was treating him like a bitch when all he had done was take care of me better than anyone ever had.

Doing as he requested, I put the pills into my mouth and swallowed them down with the juice as we watched.

Placing the glass down onto the island, I looked up at him.

His smile was soft, and his eyes were filled with a mixture of kindness and worry.

“Caleb, I appreciate everything you did for me today, but . . .”

“But?” he asked, and I didn’t know how to respond.

If I told him why I couldn’t be his woman, he would try and save the day, just like Uncle Billy had done. If I lied, he may not trust me going forward, and the thought of that was more than I wanted to think about.

When I didn’t give him an answer, he slipped his hand into mine as he spoke.

“For months, I’ve watched you work yourself ragged and today was the first time you gave me a chance to be there for you in a capacity other than a boss.

I can’t let you think that I’m putting a claim on you for any other reason that I can’t imagine myself without you. ”

“Why now?” I asked and with his hand still intertwined with mine, he encouraged me to stand from my seat.

I followed him into the large living room, and he extended his hand to the couch, offering me a seat.

I did as he requested and when he sat down beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and tugging me against his side, I allowed the embrace.

The truth was I wanted him as much as he wanted me, but I was afraid.

Afraid of turning out like my mother. Afraid of my obligations landing at his feet. Afraid of loving him. And mostly, I was afraid of having to live without him.

“You asked me why now?” he began, and I nodded against his chest. “I’ve watched you and I see so many things about you that drew me closer to you.

From the days you carry an extra sandwich in your lunch so you can give Joseph something extra to snack on to seeing the smile on your face when you look out the shop doors and watch a beautiful sunset. ”

I didn’t know he had seen any of those things.

Nothing I did or didn’t do was for any kind of recognition or admiration.

I was just being me. The kid without parents being raised by a mechanic biker uncle who sometimes struggled to make ends meet.

The little girl who learned about her periods from one of the ol’ ladies in Uncle Billy’s club and had her first kiss before I should have, with another kid in the MC.

The awkward young woman who would rather work on bikes than date and wasn’t easily swayed by a man’s words.

And that was what made what he said feel different.

For all the months I’d worked at the shop, I never saw, or even heard, about him messing around with the club girls. I hadn’t heard about him dating, and with as many hours as he worked at the shop, I couldn’t see how he had a girlfriend.

He was the good man my Uncle Billy said he was, and not one time did he ever make me feel like I somehow owed him anything other than hard work for my paycheck.

“What are you thinking?” he asked, snapping me back to the moment.

“I thinking you’ll change your mind and toss me aside like everyone else has,” I admitted honestly, and instantly, I wanted to pull the words back.

He gently pushed his shoulder up, silently asking me to sit up.

I did as he requested and brought my gaze to the couch, expecting him to tell me to leave.

He placed his fingertips under my chin and guided my eyes up to meet him.

He was smiling softly as he gently leaned forward, placing a soft, chaste kiss against my lips.

My eyes closed instinctively as he pressed his lips against mine, never taking the embrace any further. When he pulled back, I opened my eyes.

Caleb spoke softly as he reasoned. “I’ve never placed a claim on anyone, knowing when I did, it would be forever. And with you, Sydney, I see forever. Please, give me, give us, a chance before you decide how it’s going to end.”

“But things always end,” I whispered in return.

“Not with us. Not with something that has the potential to be so amazing.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I didn’t say anything.

Caleb winked at me and grabbed a pillow from the other side of the couch and placed it on his lap.

Patting the pillow, he requested, “Why don’t you lay down and get some rest, and when you wake up, if you still want to go to your camper, I’ll take you. ”

His request made sense, and carefully, I pulled my legs onto the couch and laid over, placing my head against the pillow on his lap. When I felt his hand start to stroke down my hair, I closed my eyes, allowing the moment to overtake me.

Joel, the shop manager, told me one afternoon when he witnessed me staring at Caleb, that if I gave him a chance, I would find my happiness.

At the time, I thought he was crazy, but as the feeling of safety, caring, and something akin to love filled my heart, I believe I finally understood what he meant.

I WOKE UP SOMETIME later and was alone on the couch. Yawning, I pushed myself up and looked over my shoulder for Caleb. I didn’t see him in the kitchen so I pushed off the couch and cleared my throat as I started to walk down the hallway.

“Caleb?” I said into the hallway and didn’t get a response. I looked into the bedroom and the only thing I saw was the spot where I got out of bed earlier. Turning, I walked back into the living room and said again, “Caleb?”

A moment later, the door against the far wall opened and Caleb stepped inside, wiping his hands as he approached me. I relaxed when I saw him and when he got closer, he placed a kiss against my cheek and asked, “Did you have a good nap?”

I yawned again and nodded as I covered my mouth. “I did, thank you.” Looking around, I asked, “What time is it?”

Caleb glanced to the far wall and replied, “It’s almost two. You slept for close to three hours.”

“Wow,” I responded.

He pulled out a chair at the island and I took a seat as he walked to the sink and washed his hands. My stomach grumbled as he dried them on a cloth, and he looked at me with a smile. “What would you like for lunch?”

“You don’t have to make me anything,” I explained, not used to anyone cooking for me.

He chuckled and walked to a cabinet before opening it. “I’m not much of a cook, but I can heat up a mean pot of soup.” I smiled as he asked, “Do you have a preference?”

Standing, I joined him and looked into the cabinet at my options. “Chicken and stars please.”

“You got it. Go sit down and let’s visit while I get this started.” I did as he requested and retook my seat. He glanced over and inquired, “What would you like to drink?”

“Whatever is fine.”

“Sydney, tell me what you want, baby.”

“Do you have apple juice?” I asked and he nodded with a smile before walking to the fridge.

Opening it, I saw at least four different kinds of juice as he pulled out apple and poured me a glass. Caleb placed it in front of me and asked, “Do you think you’d like a grilled cheese with your soup?”

“Yes please.”

Sitting at the island in his nice house, I watched as he skillfully opened the can and added the water to it before placing the pot onto the stove with a flourish.

Next, he grabbed a pan some bread, butter, and cheese and quickly made me a perfectly grilled sandwich.

After putting the sandwich onto a plate and filling a bowl with the hot soup, he brought them both to me.

“Thank you,” I said, feeling like the words weren’t enough to convey my appreciation on him taking care of me.

No one had ever taken care of me without complaining.

Uncle Billy did his best, but he was always busy with his shop or some club business, and he wasn’t much of a caretaker.

He was a great Uncle, but not so nurturing.

I spent time with random friends when he wasn’t around, and a few members of his club.

They were nice, but no one wanted to take care of someone who wasn’t theirs.

As I took a bite of the delicious sandwich, I thought about when my mother dumped me at Uncle Billy’s in Oregon just after my eighth birthday.

He wasn’t even at home, but she somehow got inside and told me to wait for him before she turned and walked out.

She popped in and out of our lives for the next ten years, and finally, just before I turned eighteen, I told her to never come back.

Having no mother was easier than having my nightmare of a mother.

The next time I heard anything about her was when I got the call from some small-town sheriff in nowhere Nevada that she had died.

That was last year, and it had been ten years since I had spoken with her.

Uncle Billy and I drove down to claim her body and when I saw her, I hardly recognized the woman who attempted to raise me.

I tried to shake off the memories of her drug addicted body lying on the metal table, naked and alone.

“What’s going through your head?” Caleb asked and I lifted my head from my delicious soup and looked across the island at him.

“Not much,” I said, hearing the lie slip from my mouth.

He walked around the island and carefully took my hand into his, lifting it to his mouth and placing a kiss on the top.

“No matter what it is, I want to know what you’re thinking.

And I’ll do the same for you. I never want there to be secrets between us, and the only way we can learn to trust each other is to share.

” He paused and released my hand so I could keep eating as he continued, “But it’s unfair of me to ask you something that I haven’t done myself. So, here I go.”

He blew out a breath and took a seat at the island as he began to explain.

“I’ve never felt successful, no matter how many bikes I build.

” Shaking his head, he pushed on when I opened my mouth to interject.

“My parents and my sister all have college degrees, and I feel like the black sheep of the family. Like nothing I do will live up to their accomplishments.”

How could he feel that way? He was one of the most sought-after builders in this half of the country, and he booked custom jobs months in advance. His work was amazing, and I couldn’t believe someone as brilliant as him thought he wasn’t somehow good enough.

Then it dawned on me that he felt exactly like I did, only about different things. And neither was true. It was at that exact moment I realized how similar he and I were, and that his earlier request to give us a chance was sincere.

Placing my spoon into the empty bowl, I wiped my face and hands with a napkin and stood from my seat. Caleb watched me as I walked around the island and up next to him. He raised his eyebrows, silently asking for a response.

I leaned over and kissed him, placing my hands against his cheeks.

The kiss wasn’t frantic or even sexy, but it was filled with potential.

His hands came to my waist and held me firm as I pulled back from the kiss and placed my forehead against his.

He stood from his seat and I stepped back as he pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms around me.

Returning the hold around him, we stood silently in the kitchen, holding each other.

And at that moment, I knew this man had managed to find the missing pieces of my heart I had tossed away years ago, hoping to never fall into the trap of love. Somehow, this beautiful man and I found each other in the sea of faceless people.

I had to believe him and trust he would catch me if I fell.