Page 8 of Raven (Sinners Revenge MC- Rapid City, SD #6)

Raven

H olding Sydney in my arms was exactly like I’d imagined it. She tucked perfectly against my chest as we stood in the kitchen. When she pulled away and looked up at me, I hoped she was done fighting me, but something told me this hellcat of a woman would keep me on my toes for years to come.

She sighed and lowered her arms from my waist and took a step back. I allowed her the space she seemed to need as she retook her seat. Uncertainty was written across her face as she took a swallow of juice and blew out a breath.

“My mother tossed me away when I was eight, and Uncle Billy raised me,” she began, and I retook my seat, extending my hands across the island, offering her some comfort.

She slipped her hands into mine and continued to speak.

“He did the best he could with me, but he was a confirmed bachelor and having a kid running around was tough for him.”

I nodded, remembering the times he rode to Rapid for a few days to hang out with my father. He seemed stressed and under pressure, but I never knew what the cause was. I had questions, but now wasn’t the time to ask them. Now, she needed me to listen.

“She was in and out of my life for almost ten years, and the last time I spoke with her, I told her to leave and never return.” Sydney lowered her head, staring at the granite island below her.

“I couldn’t continue to let her to cause chaos in our lives.

Uncle Billy was almost done raising me and he didn’t need his sister bringing more drama to his front door. ”

I had to ask, even if it wasn’t my business. “Where’s your mother now?”

She lifted her glassy eyes and replied, “She died last year.”

I couldn’t remain seated as I saw a tear fall down her cheek.

Standing, I rounded the counter and pulled her against me as she buried her face into my stomach.

I felt her sniffle against me, and I worried she was going to start coughing again.

Reluctantly, I pulled back and grabbed the box of tissue on the island and placed them beside her.

She took one and wiped her eyes as I pulled my chair next to hers and sat down. Sydney blew out a breath and forced a smile onto her face. “Have you changed your mind about me?”

Lifting her hands into mine, I placed a kiss onto the back of both and shook my head. “You did what you had to do to protect yourself, and I could never blame you for that.”

“I should have given her a chance, but she was always more interested in men and drugs than she was me.”

She shrugged at the reason her mother abandoned her and I hated to admit it, but I was glad the woman was dead. No one should feel unwanted or unloved, and I’d spend the rest of my life making sure Sydney knew how much I cared for her, and how much I wanted her in my life.

“Where is Billy?” I asked and she gave me a real smile.

“He’s riding his bike through Mexico, living the free life he always wanted,” she responded.

“Good for him, I guess.” I said, then carefully inquired, “Do you feel like talking about the reason you live in a tiny trailer in an unsafe park?”

Sydney shook her head and gently pulled her hands from mine before she crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s my business, and once it’s finished, then maybe we can discuss it.”

I went to open my mouth to object, but closed it, knowing we weren’t at the point of spilling all our secrets onto the table. But I would be monitoring the situation and waiting for an opening to uncover why she was working herself sick to pay off a debt.

My phone chimed from the side counter, and I stood and retrieved it.

Joel had checked in with me while Sydney was sleeping and let me know he’d cleared our schedule for tomorrow in case she wasn’t feeling better in the morning.

He may have made a joke about finally getting the girl and I told him to watch his mouth.

He may be one of my oldest friends, but I would still pop him in the mouth for disrespecting my woman.

I was curious about what he wanted now.

Joel: The shop is locked and I pulled the gate closed, but one of your brothers is parked outside along the fence. Is there something I should know?

I typed out a response quickly.

Me: Just making sure no one tries to get inside with the custom Harley locked away. I’ll have to come by tomorrow to deliver it to the customer, so Roughstock send a prospect to watch the shop tonight.

Joel: Gotcha. Tell Sydney I hope she feels better. We missed her today. You . . . not so much.

I sent him the middle finger emoji and placed the phone back onto the counter before I returned to a curious Sydney.

“It was Joel. He hopes you’re feeling better soon, and he wanted me to tell you the guys missed you today.”

“Really?” she asked, and I retook my seat.

“Why is that so hard to believe? The guys love you, baby. You’re awesome.”

She smiled and asked, “When are you taking me home?”

I wrinkled my forehead and ducked my head at her question. What I had done while she rested may blow up in my face, and piss her off, but I felt it was necessary, since she was my woman now.

“Well, I wanted to speak with you about that,” I answered, and she sat back, giving me a skeptical look.

“I’m not living here, if that’s what you think. I have a place to live, and I can’t move in with you. We just started,” she paused and moved her hand in the air back and forth between us, “whatever this is.”

I took her hands and said, “This is forever, and I figured you would feel that way. So, I sort of did something.”

“What?” she asked.

I stood and offered her my hand. She looked at it, then me, before slipping hers into mine and standing from her seat.

Gently, I tugged her toward the door leading to the garage and she followed behind me with some trepidation.

And when we got to the closed garage door, I pressed the button and turned to look at her.

“Please remember I did what I thought was best.”

When the door rose, she looked out and back at me before looking again. The tale end of her little trailer was visible along the side of the open door and she walked out. Her eyes grew wide and she looked at me like I was crazy.

And I probably was, but the thought of her being alone, in the shitty place, so far away from me, made me nauseated. What of something happened to her? What if she got sick again? What if she needed me?

When she got the full view of her trailer and truck backed into the side of my house, she asked. “What did you do?”

“I did what I thought was best, and I have no doubt your pissed about me moving your place. But here, I know your safe, you don’t have to pay lot rent, and if you need me, I’m just inside.

” She looked over her shoulder to me like I’d lost my mind, so I added, “Until you’re ready to move in with me. ”

I smiled at her and half expected to get yelled at. My mother always said I was impulsive, so when she started laughing at the trailer sitting in my side yard, I thought maybe I’d done something wrong.

Sydney walked over to me and wrapped her arms over my shoulders as she pressed to her tiptoes. The smile on her face was beautiful as she said, “I guess I should have expected this.”

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer to me as I asked, “So, you’re not mad?”

She glanced at her trailer then brought her green eyes back to me as she replied. “I should be, but honestly, I’m not.”

She shrugged and I explained. “Nothing is hooked up yet, so you might want to stay inside tonight, but tomorrow, Jigsaw and Animal are coming over to help me get everything set up for you.” I quickly added, “I have a spare room with an attached bathroom so you don’t think I’m trying to get you into my bed. ”

Sydney raised her eyebrows and said, “You’re not?”

“Not unless you want to, but to answer your question. My bed is always open for you,” I pulled her closer as I leaned over and whispered into her ear. “But only when you’re ready to give yourself to me full. Mind, body, and soul.”

I felt her shiver against me as I placed a soft kiss below her ear. The tips of her fingers slightly squeezed against my back and as much as I wanted to scoop her into my arms and carry her into my bed, I meant what I said. I didn’t want part of Sydney—I wanted it all.

Pulling back from her, I looked deeply into her eyes. She seemed happy, and that’s all I could ask for now. She looked over her shoulder at the tiny trailer and said, “I need to grab some clothes from inside.”

“I ran an extension cord so your fridge stayed cold, and I can grab a light from the garage.”

She nodded and I reluctantly released my hold on her waist as she lowered her arms. When she tried to pull away, I held onto her sides and gave her a simple peck on the lips, wanting her to know this was for real. Not some passing faze.

Smiling, I walked into the garage and grabbed the flashlight from my workbench before returning to her.

The sun was already moving behind the trees and the camper was tucked off to the side, so it was dark inside as we walked to the door.

She glanced at me and seemed embarrassed as she opened the creaky door and stepped into the small space.

I hadn’t been inside longer than it took to plug her fridge into the power supply, but I saw how cute she had made the space.

The trailer rocked as she moved around and when she returned with a small bag over her shoulder, I offered her my hand to help her down.

She reached out and took my hand into hers as she stepped onto the driveway.

I closed the door behind her and walked her back inside. I pressed the button to close the garage door behind us as we walked into the kitchen. Guiding her through the living room and down the hallway, I opened the door next to mine at the end of the hallway and allowed her to walk in first.

Turning on the light, I watched as she looked around the space. It’s never been used, but my sister helped me decorate it last year, so everything was more girly than I was used to. Sydney looked at me after she placed her bag onto the bed.

“My sister insisted on decorating the room last year,” I explained as she ran her hand over the floral comforter. “We can change it if you don’t like it.”

Sydney shook her head and replied, “It’s only for one night, but I was curious why everything seemed to be . . .” she paused and seemed to be searching for a word.

“Frilly?” I asked and she nodded.

“I was thinking girly.”

“That too,” I joked and gave her a quick tour of the room and the bathroom, showing her where the towels and guest supplies my sister bought. “It’s going to be dark soon. Do you want a snack before your next dose of medicine?” I asked as we walked out of the room and back into the living room.

“Only if you’re going to have something,” she said and I gave her a peck on the lips before guiding her into the kitchen.

We both snacked on some meat and cheese from the fridge while I gathered items from the cabinets for dinner.

I might not be the best cook, but I could make an edible meal.

I wanted to show Sydney that I wasn’t expecting her to be the person who took care of the house and our meals.

It was a task my father shared with my mother and I hoped it was a task she and I could do together for years to come.

For the next hour, we chatted about likes and dislikes, along with simple things about us. I told her how I learned to ride and fix bikes from her uncle, and she told me about how she always loved to tinker with things. When Billy saw her natural talent, he taught her everything he knew.

Her eyes lit up when she talked about building bikes and I set a plan into motion to see exactly what she was capable of.

If Sydney was happy building and working on bikes, then I was going to give her a project that could skyrocket her name in the bike community. I’d do whatever I needed to make my woman happy.