Page 12 of Reign
The funeral is over quickly and we make our way back to the clubhouse for the wake. Raven takes off for her room as soon as we are back. She really is struggling with everything.
Six - Raven
I amnot sure how I have held it together through the funeral or the last few days. If it wasn’t for Reign I would have buckled under the weight of the pain in my chest. The pain of missing my dad and knowing I am never going to see him again is consuming me.
The guilt of taking too long to get here, of not being home in the first place. The weight of the decision I made to go after Tyler on my own, the consequence of that decision and the knock-on effect that has had. I’m not sleeping properly, hardly eating, and just cannot seem to find my way out of the fog.
After the funeral, I don’t hang around for the wake. Just head straight to my room, closing the door on the outside world. I quickly strip my clothes off and throw them into the laundry basket. In the bathroom, I turn the shower on as hot as it will go and step under the spray.
The heat burns my skin but I revel in it. I grab my loofa and apply a generous amount of shower gel, then scrub every inch of my skin, trying to get clean again. Once I've scrubbed so hard my skin is red raw, I collapse into the bottom of the shower, wrap my arms around my legs and sob. Huge giant unstoppable sobs break loose, skittering from the gaping wound in my chest.
I don’t how long I stay curled up in the shower but just as the water turns cold, the curtain is torn back and the water is switched off. I can hear someone cursing and then a warm fluffy towel is wrapped around me as I become airborne only to land in strong arms.
“It’s okay precious, I got you” I recognize Reign's voice.
I felt him dry me quickly and then something soft was placed over my head, covering me. Reign moved me to the bed, gently placing me down after folding the sheets back. He climbs in behind me and carefully starts to brush my hair. The intimate feeling of him taking care of me warmed my heart. Once he was finished, he curled his large body around mine.
“Sleep Raven.” and that is exactly what I did, safe in his arms.
I wake to the feeling of something heavy around my waist. Panicking, I look down and notice the tattoo on the arm which instantly calms me. Reign. His large body is curled protectively around me. The feeling of safety envelops me.
“Morning” a gravelly morning voice sounds from behind me.
“Morning”
“You sleep, okay?”
“I did, thank you. Did you?”
“Slept like a baby with you in my arms” he admits, making my heart beat a little faster.
“Need to talk about it” he warns
“It’s grief. I’ll work through” I promise
“Not just grief, Precious. See the bruises and marks, see the fear in your eyes. Fuck that fear guts me. Never want to see fear like that on your face”
I thought I was doing a good job of hiding my injuries, of making sure no one saw anything different other than a grieving daughter. I was hoping, wishing, no one would need to know what happened in Vegas. Pipe dreams clearly. I need to put my big girl pants on and face the music.
I move out of his grasp and he lets me, knowing I need space to tell this story. I gather my strength and sit crossed-legged on the other side of the bed. Leaving some space between us.
“This is at your pace. You can give me just facts or full details, you need to stop, then we stop” fuck this man is breaking down all my walls.
“I was in Vegas on a skip. Decided to go it alone as Sam was in a car accident from our previous job. My gut told me, even though on paper it looked to be a simple, easy job, that it seemed too easy. For once I ignored my instincts and went alone. “
He silently takes in what I am saying and gives me time to regroup. He doesn’t push or ask questions I know he has. He is giving me what I need, control.
“The guy was easy enough to find, which in hindsight, should have been my first red flag. I watched him for a few days and learned his pattern and habits. He stuck to the outskirts of Vegas in the seedy rundown bars where no one pays attention. I decided the time was right to bring him in. I parked around the back of the bar and fluffed myself up a little.”
I can see his body tense and his jaw grind. He knows he’s not going to like what comes next as his body language is screaming, he hasn’t liked anything so far.
“I managed to draw his attention quickly, again another red flag, we flirted and did shots. I thought he was intoxicated enough that I could get him out back and subdue him easily. The second we slipped out the back door he attacked me”
Reign can’t hold himself back any longer. He drags me into his arms and I go willingly. Wrapped in his embrace, I feel I can continue. Reign gives me strength while not making me feel weak at the same time.
“He choked me a few times and roughed me up. The worst was what he planned to do. He was going to rape me. I could see it in his eyes. Pure evil reflected back at me.” I shiver when I remember the look on his face.
Reign tightens his hold on me and buries his face in my hair. Fighting hard to compose himself.
