Page 22 of Drake

Just as the words slipped out of my mouth, Drake, Axel, Jagger, Storm, and Ryder walked out from the kitchen in the bar.

I sunk down into my seat and sighed. Shit, they had been listening to us. They all crossed their arms across their massive chests and shook their heads in disbelief. Together, they wereincredibly intimidating to look at. Everyone knew you didn't mess with the Ravens and well… I guess I just didn’t listen.

“Are you seriously sitting here trying to devise a plan? After I told you to let me handle it or at the very least, let us discuss it together?” Drake asked, his face full of hurt and anger. His eyes glowed red and I could see his lips pursing as he was holding back his lashing.

“Drake, I told you that you had to let people in,” I argued, standing up and facing them all head-on.

I watched as the other brothers looked at me and their eyes rose in wonderment. Not many people challenged a Raven-- especially, Drake Raven, but here I was doing it. I placed one hand on my hip and stared them all down.

Drake let out a deep breath and ran his hand through his thick hair before responding. “Lacy, you have no idea what you about getting yourself into. These guys… they are trouble,” Drake growled.

Seeing him so upset made me realize I needed to change my tactics a bit. He was on defense mode and needed everyone to be on his side of things. Stepping closer, I closed some of the space between us. I talked as though it were just me and Drake in the room. “We have dealt with bad guys before and the Ravens have always come out on top. This isn’t going to be any different,” I said, lowering my eyes to make sure he was focused solely on me.

Drake looked at me carefully and cocked his head to the side. “Lacy, I need you to stop this now,” he said.

I wasn’t about to give in, but I also knew when to stop fighting. For now. “Fine, but this isn’t over,” I stated, before whirling back around and sitting with the ladies again.

Drake stormed off and headed up to our apartment. I knew he was mad at me, but I also knew that he understood I was coming from a place of love. He needed time to vent, so I would give him all the time he needed. Besides, I still had a plan to devise.

Chapter 19

Drake

My hand throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the pain I felt right now in my heart.

When I heard Lacy trying to talk about this issue with the girls, something inside of me snapped. I was the leader of this group. It was up to me to keep them all safe. Lacy loved me so fucking much, she wanted to take some of the pressure off of me. While I loved her fiercely for that, it also irked me inside. I needed her to stop before Josh came after her.

I had learned over the years, that bad guys like Josh never went away until you made them go away. They were always there, lurking in the shadows as they waited for their next victim to come along.

I pulled my hand out of the drywall and inspected the large hole I had created.

“Great,” I mumbled, as I looked down at my bruised hand. I would have to get the guys to help me fix this. I looked around the apartment for something to hide the mess I made, but no such luck.

I paced around the living room, arguing with myself until I couldn’t take the inner turmoil anymore. Downstairs, people were drinking and having a good time, while I was up here planning on how to end Josh without ruining my life too.

I reached for my phone in my pocket with my still good hand. What I was about to do was stupid, but I needed to talk to him man to man. Even if I didn’t believe a monster like Josh really was a man at all.

In my book, a man did right; he protected those he loved and stayed on the good side of the law. Josh was anything but a man.

I scrolled through the numbers until I reached Josh’s number. Dialing, my stomach churned as I waited to hear the scumbags voice.

“Looks like the Raven called after all,” Josh said.

His voice was like nails on a chalkboard and I cringed as he spoke.

“Yeah, I need to talk to you,” I stated.

“Well, I was going to give you a call next week. I have another shipment of…”

I wasn’t calling to get another job and I was done letting him talk. I cut him off before he could say another word.

“Shut up, Josh,” I snapped. “Now you need to listen very carefully to me. I told you I am done with this mess. Now, you will forget about the Ravens or I will go straight to the police,” I threatened.

I held the phone so tight, I thought I may crush it to dust.

Josh let out a nasty, shrill laugh and I could just imagine the little prick smiling to himself on the other side of the phone. “It is hilarious that you think you have the upper hand here. Go to the police, but you will be ruining your own life too. I will deny everything,” he argued.

I knew that regardless of what I did, we were both screwed here.

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