RAVEN

  An hour later, a car pulls up. My father’s driver gets out and opens the door as I watch from the front window. My father emerges, along with another dark figure.

  It’s Vinnie, just as Jared said.

  I swing open the front door, but Jared waylays me. “Stay away from the door, Raven.”

  “But it’s my father. And Vinnie. Neither of them will harm me.”

  “I have my orders.”

  I clench my hands into fists. I’m so tired of Jared and his orders. For a while, we were friends. Or I thought we were. Those three weeks we were holed up in the safe house together, we played a lot of chess, had a lot of good conversations.

  He cooked some amazing dinners and so did I. He even served as a springboard for some of my ideas for the gala and the foundation as a whole, several of which I implemented this very evening.

  I guess that’s over now.

  I stand back, wishing I had taken the time to primp a little.

  Then again, I’m still in my emerald evening gown.

  Though it’s wrinkled, there’s not much that looks better than this.

  The door opens, and Vinnie walks through, followed by my father.

  How I ache to run into his arms. Pull his lips to mine and kiss him urgently.

  But he doesn’t even look at me.

  “Vinnie, do you know Jared, Raven’s bodyguard?”

  “Yes, we’ve met.” Vinnie shakes Jared’s hand.

  “Daddy, Vinnie, what’s going on?” I demand, placing my hands on my hips.

  My heart is beating a mile a minute just being in Vinnie’s presence again. I ache between my legs for him.

  “Jared tells me you want to go back to your house,” Dad says.

  “Yes, and I don’t appreciate being held here against my will.” I cross my arms. “Falcon and Leif saw that I had the best security installed.”

  “Yes, but Raven, your safety is paramount,” Dad says.

  I look at Vinnie, pleading with my eyes.

  “You don’t really expect me to disagree with your father, do you?” Vinnie says.

  I drop my jaw.

  “Well, no… I just guess…”

  “Vinnie and I need to talk,” Dad says. “We have unfinished business to discuss. For now, Raven, I’d like you to stay here.”

  “Where’s Mom?” I ask.

  “She and Robin booked a suite at the hotel for the evening. She knew she’d be tired, and Robin and I thought that was best.”

  “Why?” I dart my gaze around the room. “Why can’t my mother be in her home? What the hell is going on here, Daddy?”

  “Let’s just all go to bed,” Dad says. “You and I will talk in the morning, Vinnie. It’s been a long night, and Raven, you especially had a big evening.”

  “Stop coddling me!” I turn to Vinnie. “And before you say something, you stop coddling me too. You say you can’t be with me for my own safety. Why don’t I get a say in that, Vinnie? Why don’t I get a say in anything? All three of you think you know what’s better for me than I do.” I raise my arms to either side of my body. “I’ve got news for you. I’ve faced down worse enemies than any that are out there. Cancer had a gun pointed at my heart for three years, and I beat it.”

  “Oh, sweetheart,” Dad says. “If only it were that simple.”

  I scoff. “Do you think anything about living with cancer has been simple?”

  “You’re forgetting something, Raven,” he says. “You lived with it. It ravaged your body. You were the one who was sick in bed. But your mother and I lived with it too. For those three years, your cancer ate away at our bodies, too. Either one of us would’ve taken your place in a minute.”

  “I fail to see what that has to⁠—”

  “Raven,” Vinnie interrupts this time. “I understand what your father is saying. He’s saying he would’ve died for you in an instant, and so would I. And so would Jared.”

  “Jared is paid well to protect me.”

  “Doesn’t matter. He would still take a bullet for you. Cancer is anything but simple, but at least you had a chance against it. And you beat it.” He crosses the room, takes my face in his hands. “You don’t have a chance against a literal gun pointed at your heart, Raven. Or pointed at your head. Not with someone who’s ready to shoot. Who’s been paid to do a job.”

  I slap his hands away from my head. “I’m still standing. No one has shot me yet.”

  Vinnie sighs. “You know what? Your father’s right. We all need a break. Please. Go to bed.”

  “I won’t sleep in that room,” I say.

  “No,” Vinnie says. “Sleep in a guestroom. With me.”

  My father steps forward then, his fists clenching. “You’re not going to sleep with my daughter in this house.”

  “Fine.” Vinnie rolls his eyes. “Your house, your rules. But I agree with you. No one’s in any immediate danger here. Let’s call it a night. We can all figure things out in the morning. But I have a phone call to make first.”

  “Vinnie…” I grab his arm.

  He shakes his head. “It’s your father’s house, Raven. Please. Get some rest. Despite what’s been going on for the past couple hours, your gala was a huge success. Revel in that. You did it.”

  “Robin and Emily did it,” I say. “I was stuck in the safe house.”

  “We all know who did all the behind-the-scenes work, honey,” Dad says. “Vinnie is right. You need to rest.”

  “Then I want Vinnie to stay with me,” I say adamantly.

  My father shakes his head. “You know what? I’m too exhausted to fight you on it. You’re both adults. I’m too tired to care at this point. There are so many other things on my mind.” He looks toward Vinnie. “Do whatever you think is best. All I really care about right now is Raven’s safety.”

  I absolutely hate that Dad is making this Vinnie’s decision, not mine. Taking the advice of a mob boss’s grandson over his own daughter’s. But I’ll take the win. And there are other concerns at hand.

  “What about Mom and Robin? What about their safety?”

  “They are safe. You don’t think I have security on them?”

  I bite my lip. Of course he does. My father would not leave anything to chance.

  He seems different, though. He’s always been an intelligent and self-assured man, but tonight he seems troubled. And not troubled in the way he was when I was sick.

  No.

  Something else is going on.

  Vinnie has excused himself to make his phone call. He returns a few moments later.

  “Come on.” He takes my hand. “Let’s get you to bed.”

  “I’ll show you where you can both sleep,” Dad says.

  I furrow my brow at him. “Daddy, I grew up in this house. I know where we can sleep. I’ll stay in the guestroom I used after Brick was killed.”

  He sighs. “Fine. Vinnie, will you be staying with her?”

  Vinnie looks at me, at my father, and then back to me. “I think…I should stay somewhere separate tonight.”

  I grab his arm. “Vinnie!”

  Dad nods. “You won’t get any pushback from me on that one. Vinnie, you can stay in Raven’s old room. Jared, I’ll show you where you can bunk.”

  I shake my head. “I’m sleeping with Vinnie.”

  “Raven.” This from Vinnie. “Let’s not tempt fate. You know you’re safer without me.”

  I scoff. “This place is a fortress. Falcon and Leif installed the best⁠—”

  He puts his fingers to my lips. “Things are going on that you don’t know about, Raven. It’s better that you remain in the dark.”

  “Better for whom?” I demand.

  “Better for everyone.” From my father.

  But Vinnie doesn’t disagree.

  I open my mouth to balk at all of it, but a huge yawn splits my face.

  I truly am exhausted.

  So I won’t fight it. They can have this battle. I’ll be victorious in the end.

  Without further argument, I make my way to the guestroom. I peel the dress from my body, hang it in the closet, and head to the bathroom to take a shower. I wash the product out of my short hair, scrub my face free from the makeup and false eyelashes, and then just stand under the shower, letting it pelt me. We’re into the next day already. It’s after two a.m.

  And as much as I want to know what’s going on, what I want more than anything at this moment is a soft pillow under my head.

  30

  VINNIE

  Bellamy walks toward me but I hold up a hand. “You don’t have to say anything. I’m not going near her tonight.”

  “That’s not what I was going to say. I just want you to know that I mean it when I say that I love my daughter.” He runs his hand through his hair, sighing. “I love all of my children.”

  “Did I say otherwise?”

  “No, but I see it in your eyes. You wonder how I could let them be in danger like this. All I can tell you is that there are things at work that you don’t know about.”

  I swear to God, this guy needs to learn a new tune. If I hear one more time that there are “things at work” with no further context, I may collapse in on myself.

  “I know everything my grandfather knows.”

  “You don’t, Vinnie.” He places a hand on my shoulder. “But you will.”

  “Because you’re going to tell me?”

  “Because I won’t have to.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  But Bellamy says nothing more. He simply leaves, shows Jared where to bunk down, and then he returns.

  Without continuing our conversation, he shows me to Raven’s old bedroom.

  I peel off my tux, lay the garments on a chair, strip myself of the rest of my clothing, and head into the en suite bathroom for a shower.

  Once I’m clean and dry, I put my boxer briefs back on and slide between the sheets.

  Will I sleep?

  Doubtful.

  But at least I know Raven is safe several doors down the hallway with both her father and Jared looking out for her.

  It should be me, but it can’t be me.

  I have a wife. Sure, she’s my wife in name only, but she is someone else I am responsible for. She’s been great through all of this. She left the gala pretty early to go home and take care of Serena. I brought in a discrete staff when we got home, but Daniela has taken the role of caretaker seriously, and Serena seems to adore her.

  Tomorrow.

  Tomorrow I go to my grandfather.

  I bring him to the house. And I give him Serena. His lost love.

  In exchange for all his power—and the control I need to do what must be done.

  I have no doubt that he will meet my demands.

  And I⁠—

  The door cracks open, interrupting my thoughts.

  “Who’s there?” I whisper.

  “Who do you think?”

  Raven.

  Sweet Raven.

  “You need to go back to bed.”

  “I’m not asking you to fuck me, Vinnie. I’m not asking for anything. I just want to lie next to you, sleep with your arms around me. Because that’s the only place I truly feel safe.”

  Her words haunt me. Slice into me like a dagger. Because though I want more than anything to be her safe place, I’m anything but.

  “I’m glad I make you feel safe, Raven. But if that were truly the case, we would be together.”

  “That’s what I want, Vinnie. And don’t try to tell me it’s not what you want.”

  “I’m married.”

  “And I never thought I’d say this,” she says, “but I don’t care. I don’t care that you’re married. Because I know you don’t love her. I know you love me.”

  She speaks the truth, and she knows it.

  I sigh, and I hold the sheet up, beckoning her to me.

  We already made love, or rather a quick hard fuck, in the dark conference room at the hotel.

  She’s wearing nothing but a large T-shirt that probably belongs to one of her brothers.

  Her hair is damp, and she smells like soap and almond shampoo.

  Like Raven.

  Like love and light and perfection.

  She crawls into my arms, and I pull her against me, spooning her.

  Of course my cock responds.

  It hardens immediately, pressing against the curve of her soft backside. I grit my teeth and close my eyes, fighting off the primal urge to claim her right then and there.

  I remind myself that this isn’t about desire, at least not in that way.

  Raven is more than a want. She’s a need. An addiction. A love so powerful it hurts to breathe when she’s around.

  I feel every curve, every inch of her body against mine, and it’s like fire coursing through my veins. The ache for her grows deeper with every beat of my heart.

  She sighs contentedly as she nuzzles into my chest, tracing patterns on my bare skin.

  She’s so small compared to me. So fragile and delicate, yet incredibly resilient and strong. It’s a contrast that never fails to mesmerize me.

  “Vinnie,” she says softly, breaking the silence, her voice a mere whisper in the dark. “Promise me you won’t let go.”

  “I can’t promise that, Raven,” I reply, my voice choked with suppressed emotions. “I can’t promise anything anymore.”

  She faces me, her brown eyes piercing in the dim light. They are filled with a sadness that matches mine, but there’s also something else. Determination? Resolve?

  “Then promise me this,” she says as she places her small hand over my heart. “Even if you let me go physically, don’t ever let go here.”

  Her words are like a punch to the gut. A crushing wave of love and loss and longing hits me all at once.

  Tears prick at the corners of my eyes but I blink them back. “You have my word,” I say quietly.

  It’s a promise I intend to keep. Even if it shatters my soul into a million shards.

  Silence settles in between us once again, one that is comfortable and full of understanding. She sighs softly, wrapping her arms tighter around me.

  “I wish we had met under different circumstances,” she whispers after a while, her voice thick with unshed tears.

  Her confession unravels something in me. A longing to step back in time and do things differently. To meet her when there were no complications, no promises made to other people. But that isn’t the life I was born into.

  “I wish for the same, Raven.” I kiss the top of her head.

  We lie there, tangled up in each other under the covers. The world outside our cocoon doesn’t exist. The only thing that matters is the here and now. The rhythm of her heartbeat against my chest, the warmth coming from her body, the scent of her hair and skin.

  “We can’t keep doing this,” I whisper, even though I know we both want nothing else.

  “I know,” she says, barely audible. She tightens her hold on me.

  “But we have tonight.” I bring my lips to hers.

  “And tonight, I’m yours,” she whispers.

  The taste of her is enough to drown in. Enough to forget time, place, circumstance. Her breath hitting my face is like a reminder of everything I’ve ever wanted and everything I must let go.

  Yet beneath the desire, there is a melancholy shadowing every stolen kiss, every gentle caress. The realization that each interaction might be our last. It’s a sorrow that lingers heavily between us.

  I slide my hand between her legs.

  “Vinnie,” she gasps, her breath hitching at my touch. She melts against me. The delicate lace of her panties is damp.

  She reaches down to grasp me. I groan, shuddering at her touch.

  The longing within me peaks, the need to connect with her on a deeper level overwhelms every sense in me.

  Gently, I slide her underwear aside and dip my fingers into her. Her breath catches as I brush my thumb over her clit.

  Even though we were intimate just hours before, the electrifying charge between us now is overwhelming. As if our bodies are recognizing each other for the first time.

  I remove her panties and slide into her.

  The room is filled with our heavy breathing and soft sighs as we move in sync with one another. This is slow and gentle, so unlike us, but it’s what feels necessary in this moment.

  She grips my shoulders as she arches her back. I feel the heat building within her, the clenching of her inner muscles compelling me to quicken my pace.

  “Vinnie…” she sighs.

  I bury my face in her neck, nibbling on the sensitive skin there as she trembles beneath me.

  “I love you.” I whisper it into her ear as my own climax approaches. The words come out desperate, raw—more of a prayer than a declaration of feelings we both know already exist.

  “I love you too,” she echoes.

  And I thrust hard into her, releasing.

  I grip her tighter, riding out the aftershocks of pleasure that ripple through me and into her.

  Her body slackens beneath mine as she continues her own release. The rhythms of our breaths gradually slow to match each other’s until we’re left in silence once again.

  We lie there, our bodies entwined, the sweat beginning to cool on our skin. Everything in me screams against the idea of letting her go, but I know I must. This is our reality—stolen moments in the darkness, whispers of love that will never see the light of day.

  Reluctantly, I pull away from her and prop myself on my elbow to look at her face. Her eyes are still closed, lips slightly parted as she struggles to catch her breath. She appears blissful, a soft smile playing on her lips. It’s a sight that makes my heart ache with longing.

  She falls asleep in my arms.

  And for the rest of the night, I allow myself to hold her.

  Until I untangle myself from her at the break of dawn, leaving her sleeping peacefully.

  31

  RAVEN

  The dream starts the same way every time. I’m lying in that cold, sterile bed, staring up at the ceiling with its blinding fluorescent lights, the smell of antiseptic burning my nose. My body feels weak, so impossibly heavy. I try to move, but it’s like I’m trapped, frozen under the weight of it all.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23