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)
****
Ava was once again on bad terms with Smokey. Not because of what he did to her, but what he’d done to Raven. Smokey had told her everything.
Abriana knew everything as well.
They sat with Harlow at the diner.
The younger woman had been silent throughout lunch. As for Ava, she was trying to figure out a way to talk to Raven.
The other woman had been avoiding her, but from what Smokey had told her, she hadn’t been around anyone. She had already gotten the text from Smokey that Raven had gotten her stuff from the clubhouse.
Raven was stepping away from the club, and Ava found that utterly heartbreaking. Raven was all for the club. Loyal to the Hell’s Bastards MC.
“What’s going on with you?” Abriana asked.
Ava pulled out of her thoughts and looked toward Harlow.
“Nothing. Just chillin’. It’s rare for the boss to close up shop so we can have a girl’s day.” Harlow winked at her.
“I … I need your guys’ help with Raven,” Ava said.
“She’s staying with Jonah and Larissa Adams,” Harlow said. “Everyone wants to know about her.”
“How did you know?” Abriana asked. “Ugly Beast told me that Big Dick said you’d be the one to figure it out.”
Harlow sighed. “My mega skills of deduction. Also, I’m a people watcher. My brother doesn’t have any mad skills. He’s not a magician or some superpower. He just sees the clues that people overlook.”
“And you saw that Raven was friendly with Larissa?” Ava asked.
“I saw that out of everyone in town, Raven was always polite and nice to Larissa. Everyone is. It’s Larissa, but Raven was different with her. Friendly. Everyone else could pretty much suck dick to Raven. Not hard to see.”
“Why didn’t she come to you?” Abriana asked.
“Ava,” Harlow said.
Ava looked at her friend. “What about me?”
“I was the one you employed after shit went down. It makes sense why she wouldn’t come to me. Raven tries to avoid you so that you don’t have any bad memories.” Harlow shrugged.
“You really are something,” Ava said, smiling. “Why weren’t you a detective?”
Harlow laughed. “I can’t stand the sight of blood.”
Ava’s smile seemed to widen.
The sound of the diner’s door opening drew her attention, and Ava saw Raven enter with Larissa.
Only, this wasn’t a Raven Ava was entirely used to. She’d seen the other woman in dresses, sweet, cute, and sexy dresses that Abriana had dressed her up in after she got out of the hospital. This dress she wore was a little too big for her, but it was also not something she’d relate Raven to wearing. It was Larissa’s dress.
Raven’s hair was also pulled back, and that was rare for her. Also, to complete the outfit, Raven wore a cardigan.
The moment Raven saw her, Ava knew the other woman wanted to leave, and even stepped back as if to leave, but Larissa was there.
Ava loved that younger woman at that moment. Getting to her feet, she smiled.
“Larissa, Raven,” Ava said. “We’ve got plenty of room and we’re about to order. Why don’t you join us?”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Raven said.
“I insist,” Ava said.
Larissa placed a hand on Raven’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s sit and eat.”
Raven sat down next to Ava with Larissa on her other side.
At first, Ava didn’t know what to say. This wasn’t hard for her. The Raven she knew was fearless. Nothing would faze her. She had faced off against Creed and hadn’t even screamed. Not once. She had groaned and grunted but had never screamed.
Staring at Raven now, Ava saw something different.
A broken woman.
A shattered soul.
Someone living a nightmare.
Alone.
Even though she had Larissa, Raven was alone.
After everything she had heard and knew of Raven, Ava’s heart broke for her. She had been exactly like this after she’d been falsely accused of spying on the Hell’s Bastards MC.
Smokey had told her that Raven was also pregnant. Ava reached out and grabbed her hand.
The other woman tensed up and tried to pull away at first, but Ava wouldn’t let her. She was going to help Raven. This divide between them would come to an end. Raven needed her. She needed a family, and Ava hadn’t seen that before this day.
Raven had no one.
The woman before her put up a hard, tough exterior, but deep down, Raven was in mourning. She was hurting.
“Ava, you don’t need to do this,” Raven said.
She smiled at her. “I do.”
“I don’t … deserve this. You have to stop.”
“No, I don’t. You have to stop doing this to us. I forgave you, Raven. I still forgive you, and I’d like to work on us being friends.” She looked into her eyes and was surprised to see tears filling Raven’s. They didn’t fall, not immediately as Raven tried to bat them away, but as she did, she made them fall down her face.