Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 104329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
“You cannot hurt her or force her. Raven has to fall for you, otherwise, I will fucking kill you,” he said.
“Don’t worry, Raven will have all of her needs met. She will never think of the Hell’s Bastards again. Other than fond memories, you won’t matter to her.”
He had vowed to Ava to make this right.
Brick and Kinky were different.
Ava had forgiven them. She didn’t fear them.
Raven had hacked off her hair, and she’d helped beat her. There was real fear there, and he had to do what he could to take care of his woman. Even if it meant breaking all of his fucking rules to set it right.
One day, Raven would thank him. Of that, he was sure.
He just had to wait for this to play out, and when it did, the guys would see he made the right decision.
Smokey opened the bottom drawer of his desk. During his secret meeting last night, Carlos had handed him Raven’s leather cut, for when the time came that she wouldn’t need it.
Holding the leather cut in his hand felt like betrayal. She had never needed to protect him, not back then. Raven could have let him die, but she hadn’t. During their first meeting, she had put her life on the line for him.
He snapped the drawer closed and shoved his head into his hands.
He had done the right thing. He fucking hoped he’d done the right thing.
****
Later that night, Carlos arrived at his penthouse apartment. He had wanted to take Raven to his country home, but he had a meeting with Sebastian in the morning, at their head office at one of the nightclubs.
He didn’t want to have to take a long journey into the city or leave Raven at his home. From now on, Raven was to be by his side. That was his plan for breaking down her rules. Making her be with him every single second of every single day. Not giving her a chance to second-guess him. To come to crave his attention and to want to be in his company.
Parking the car, he saw his soldiers were already in place as he alerted them to his return. Sneaking off to Fort Clover, he didn’t need all the additional security. Back in the city, it was protocol for him to have multiple guards.
Raven yawned. “Do they realize they stick out like sore thumbs?”
He chuckled. “Probably. You’re tired?”
“Nah, I’m yawning because it’s fun. Yeah, traveling for hours will do that to you.”
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Fine. Are we just going to sit in the car?”
“No, I’ll come and get you out. From now on, you have to follow my lead. Hell’s Bastards MC Raven is … asleep.”
“Fine. Fine. I can do this. Stop panicking.”
He wasn’t worried. He wasn’t sure Raven could do this, so he would keep reminding her until it became second nature to her.
After climbing out of his car, he rounded the vehicle, opened her door, and held out a hand. She took it, and he made sure to lock their fingers together so she couldn’t escape him.
She didn’t try to push him away. He considered that a bonus.
They walked across the parking lot, toward the elevators.
His soldiers greeted him. “Mr. Santiago.”
He nodded at them, entered the elevator, and pressed the button for his penthouse suite.
Raven stepped on with him. The shoes she wore gave her a little height, but it wasn’t a match for him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her close.
She rested her head against his chest and wrapped an arm around his waist. The soldiers watched. Everything was going perfectly.
“Sweetheart, you forgot your ring,” he said.
Raven wasn’t aware of what he was doing. She tilted her head back. “What?”
Carlos reached into his pocket, pulled out the engagement ring he’d purchased, and slid it right onto her finger.
A perfect fit. Not that he would have doubted it.
When it came to Raven, he had been able to guess everything perfectly.
“You’re right.” Raven kissed his cheek. “You remember everything.”
The reflections of the soldiers showed their surprise. It wouldn’t be long for word to spread that he’d gotten engaged to a mystery woman.
Sebastian was going to take some fooling, but Carlos saw the bigger picture of Raven by his side.
He’d make it work. He was determined to.
The elevator doors pinged open, and his men went ahead, checking the corridor and then entering his home.
No one was around, all clear. The soldiers waited outside, and he closed the door.
“What the fuck is this?” Raven asked.
“It’s an engagement ring.”
“I didn’t agree to this.”
“You agreed to being my future wife, Raven. There is no other way of having you by my side without people being curious. If you were a random fuck, they wouldn’t believe our ruse. That ring was necessary.”
Raven growled. “Fine, but this is the last surprise you give me, okay? From now on, you tell me every single little detail.”