Page 39 of The Collector

What they’d just shared felt seismic. But for Raven, it was nothing? A flicker of release already fading?

She didn’t know why she’d expected more. Why would she let herself believe Raven might be different from the others—less cruel, less transactional? Maybe it was the way he touched her like she mattered. Maybe it was the way her body betrayed her, responding with a hunger that felt sacred.

But his sudden departure, so casual after the intensity he’d drawn from her, left her hollow. Confused. Like she’d been the only one in the room when the world shifted.

Chapter 11

Raven

Sex with Mynx was a game changer. Raven’s nerves still burned from last night. She was the first thing on his mind when he woke up this morning, and she hadn’t left it since. He kept replaying the night, not just the heat of it but the shift it triggered in himself.

It wasn’t just about the sex. It was as if she’d caused a shift in his thinking. A fault line that cracked his normal. And through it, possibility bled in.

For the first time in his life Mynx made him want to consider being in a relationship. Consider what a family of his own might mean for him, for his place in the Kings. While it was true he didn’t know every part of her. The fact that he would even consider pulled at him. Intrigued him. Made him wonder what it would feel like to let someone in and not regret it. She stood her ground, matched him beat for beat forced him to pay attention.

That strength hooked him. It made him want to test her, see if she could withstand the demands of the Kings. Find out if she could handle him at his worst—the moods, the mess, the partshe kept buried. The sharp edges. The weight of things he didn’t talk about. Being close to him wasn’t easy, and he knew it. But something about her made him want to believe she could take it.

Raven moved fast through the morning, prepping for his father’s arrival from their family home in Mexico, but his thoughts kept circling back to Mynx. The way she looked at him. The way her skin felt, the way she made him work for every moment they spent together. It spun him sideways. Men like him weren’t supposed to have feelings. It wasn’t as if he could grow them overnight. But the possibility of a partnership with someone in this fucked up world of his excited him.

And that realization hit him hard. With Mynx things were less about possession and more about possibility. He wanted to shield her from whatever waited beyond the walls of their time together—his father’s judgment, the chaos he’d grown up in, the parts of himself he hadn’t yet tamed and the other members of Blood Lust.

Raven was trapped by rules and expectation that was true. But if he went against those rules for once in his life. Took something that he wanted for himself maybe some of the bullshit he was forced to deal with would be worth it. And if he claimed her, he could protect her from dealing with anyone else that might be interested in her at the club. His father wouldn’t be happy. But when was he ever happy with Raven’s choices.

The usual dread of his father's scrutiny was always there regardless of his choices. But this time, something felt different. Rules weren’t always permanent. They could be bent. Rewritten.

The thought unsettled Raven more than he’d expected. He’d left Mynx abruptly last night—not out of indifference, but to avoid saying what needed to be said: that whatever was happening between them couldn’t last. Distance had always been his discipline, the way he kept himself from wanting too much. At the time, it felt like the only move that made sense.

Not sure what I’m thinking. Fucking girl might not even want a relationship with me. I’m her goddamn captor, the man that took her away from her family. If this is something I really want then I need a plan before I offer her the choice of being claimed. Make it about both of us not just me.

The visit with his father wasn’t just another check-in. It was about finalizing the drug routes from Northern California to the Canadian border. The deal had been precarious from the start. Both his father and Raul Meja were hardheaded men, each demanding the plan be carried out with the weight of their own authority behind it and Raven was forced to play the middle man to make it work for everyone.

If they couldn’t reach an agreement, the fallout wouldn’t just be financial. It would be bloody. Casualties on both sides. The Stallions and the Kings had too much history, too many grudges, and too many soldiers willing to die for pride.

Raul Meja, leader of the Stallions, and his father had never liked each other. The only reason they were even entertaining the deal was power.. Not trust. Just power and the increased income. More money flowing into the Godfather’s pockets in Mexico was always good business. Made them all look good. Showed the Godfather’s they were loyal and united.

Blood Lust was a central location for both men. It made sense that the meeting take place here instead of Mexico. While the property was owned by the Kings, Raul felt it was a more neutral location.

His father's movements were always vague, strategically so. There were no schedules and no fixed locations. His security team was skilled at deception, keeping arrivals unpredictable and shielding him from rivals and law enforcement who might seek to track his movements. This made planning nearly impossible, but Raven knew one truth—everything had to beready. There was no room for errors. Raven paced as he crossed his to do list off mentally.

“Morning--.” Stoker said poking his head in Raven’s office.

"Stoker, where have you been? I missed you at the gym this morning," Raven asked.

Stoker leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, his expression unreadable edged with fatigue. “Out. Taking care of business. Same as always. Why—something wrong?”

Raven moved to his desk, crushed his cigar into the ashtray with deliberate force. “No. Just a heads-up. My father’s flying in a few days from now. I want airtight security. Risk levels spike when he’s in town.”

Stoker’s gaze didn’t waver. “You say that like it’s not always a priority,” he said, voice low, clipped. “I’ve got eyes on everything. Anything you need specifically?”

“No I just want to make sure everything goes well. This meeting with the Stallion needs to go well if we want our financial futures to expand.”

He pushed off the doorframe, stepping in just enough to make the space feel smaller. “I’ve got everything under control Raven unless Hector changes the game plan we’re golden. You handle the optics. I’ll handle the shadows. You should take the night off, relax. Fly out to the beach house for the night.”

Raven stopped considering A night with Mynx in Cabo would be the perfect getaway for them both. Let him test the waters more with their chemistry. Romance wasn’t his specialty. But it was Shelbys. He’d need to flush out the details. But it could work.

“You sure?”

Stoker nodded. “Go, take the time. Get away from this chaos for a while. I can manage.”