Page 40 of The Grief We Hold

I don’t know how to explain this to people. Raven is muscling her way in without even trying. But I don’t want to evict Hallie from my heart, discard her like what we had didn’t mean anything.

“I can’t do this now, Ma. Trouble’s coming. I gotta go. Close early. Lower your shutters.” I pull a hundred bucks from my wallet and hand it to her, hoping it’s enough for the supplies. “Stay safe. We doubt they’ll come into town, but you never know.”

I hop back in the truck and drive across the street, pulling up beneath Raven’s apartment.

As I get to the door to knock, it pulls open. And as much as I hate to admit it, the sight of Raven’s face stills everything that’s churned up inside. The Russians. Ma. Butcher.

Just a glimpse of her blue eyes settles me. Her cheeks are flushed pink from hurrying around.

“Are you ready?”

She shakes her head. “I’m worried about leaving Fen. And I don’t know what to pack or for how long.”

I nudge her back inside and close the door behind us before pulling her into a hug to comfort both of us. “Where’s Fen at?”

“Should we go get him?” Her arms wrap around me, and she places her head against my chest. She’s fucking tiny in my arms, yet I feel utterly complete with her tucked up against me. “He’s south of River View Lodge. Those new homes west of the river.”

I do some thinking about directions and routes. “He’s even safer there. Complete wrong direction for town or the club. When’s he due back?”

“Tomorrow afternoon, but Jefferson’s mom, Sue, said he could stay the whole weekend if he wanted when I dropped his bag off.” She looks up at me. “Should I call her and ask?”

I shake my head. “Let’s decide that tomorrow.”

“Okay.” She releases me, and I find I hate it. But I watch her ass as she climbs the first two steps before turning to face me. “Why would I not be safer here?”

With her two steps up, we’re almost eye to eye. It’s cute. And in the small space, incredibly intimate.

I can’t help but reach and touch the wave of hair that’s escaped from her bun. “Look, it’s speculation that some trouble might be coming our way. And if they are, they might look for people familiar with the members of the club to use. I’ve been seen here, buying and fixing your locks. People may talk. I don’twant you exposed like that, even if the chances of something happening are slim.”

“But you and me. We aren’t…” She lets the sentence drift.

“Aren’t we?” I ask. The words are out of my mouth before I can think through what they mean.

And then I do something I haven’t done properly in two years, if you don’t count the quick brush of lips when I installed her new lock. I kiss a woman.

My heart races as I slip my arms around Raven and pull her slight frame against me. Despite our size difference, she fits against me perfectly. Her lips are soft as fuck on mine as I feel her body ease against me. I hold her tightly, firmly.

Nothing more than a kiss.

And the dam I built around my heart cracks a little.

I slip my tongue into her mouth, meeting hers. How did I not remember how good it feels to simply make out, fully clothed, standing in a stairwell?

She meets mine, tentatively at first, and her hands slip beneath my cut before they grip a hold of my Henley, and I’m falling fast into every second of it until Raven’s small fists shove against my chest. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” I ask, struggling to think, having been ripped out of the first real connection I’ve felt with someone else in two years. “Kiss you like we haven’t both been thinking about doing the same every day?”

“I’m confused, Wraith. Yes, I’ve thought about kissing you. It would be disingenuous of me to pretend otherwise. But I just escaped from a dangerous life. And this, being whisked away from my home, job, and life to be closeted away somewhere, even if it’s with you…I don’t know if that’s what I want in my life. Or Fen’s.”

My cock wants to argue. To convince her. But strangely, I understand what she’s saying. “You don’t have to decide, Raven.Not now, when trouble might be coming whether you like it or not. Trust me for tonight. Come with me. We can talk about this. It’s important, I know. But what matters right now is safety. And we don’t have much time.”

Raven’s cheeks are flushed, and I know an aroused woman when I see one. And the predator in me wants the chase. Ignoring everything I just said, I lean forward and kiss her again. Softly this time.

Tenderly.

And she melts into me, just like I knew she would, before pulling away quickly. “Okay. I’ll go finish packing.”

13

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