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 don’t think you are?”
“I’m going to confirm it first,” Raven said.
“You think Carlos would lie?” Ava asked.
“At this point, I don’t … I don’t know. Er, would you…”
“Yes,” Ava said.
“You didn’t know what I was going to ask you.”
Ava chuckled. “Yes, I will come with you. I’d love to.”
Raven nodded, a little taken aback that she had said yes. “I should warn you that Carlos has taken to … following me.”
“He has?”
“There is a chance he is going to be pissed.”
“You don’t want him there?”
Raven shook her head.
“Do you know what you want from him?” Ava asked.
“I don’t know.”
Ava got to her feet and handed over Umberto. Raven took him on instinct, holding him close.
“I’ll grab my things. I’ll have to drop him off with Smokey. I hope that is okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine,” Raven said, staring down into one of the cutest faces she’d seen. Smokey was so proud of his son, and Raven had been so happy for him. “He’s gorgeous.”
Ava chuckled. “I’m biased, but I do agree. He’s divine.” Ava walked toward her and Raven held Umberto out to her. “You can carry him out to the car, if you’d like.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Raven, I don’t mind. You’re natural with him. I’ve also seen how you are with Bella, remember? You adore that little girl.”
They headed out of the back office, and like a magician, Harlow had taken care of all the customers.
“Hey, ladies,” Harlow said.
“I’ll be back in a little while,” Ava said.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m totally beating the crowds.” Harlow grabbed a baseball bat and winked.
“Please, tell me you’re not.”
“Hell, no. I don’t want to put myself out of a job. No, what this is, is if they start to be unruly, I let them know what they could be getting instead.”
“I don’t think that is any better,” Ava said.
“It keeps them in line.”
Raven chuckled. “She never has to use it.” She remembered the last time a customer started to get in Harlow’s face. It had been her who’d taken care of it. “She has a direct link to the Hell’s Bastards MC. All she has to do is call, and we’ll be right here. I mean, they will be right here. Not me. Just them.”
She tried to ignore the overwhelming sadness clawing away inside her.
Ava and Harlow didn’t say anything at first. The two women seemed a little uncomfortable, and Raven hadn’t meant to do that to them.
“We’re heading out,” Ava said. “Take care and don’t go hitting the customers.”
Raven left before she got a chance to hear Harlow’s response. She did enjoy listening to Harlow. The younger woman was entertaining to watch.
She checked the street and sure enough, Carlos had parked close to the bakery. He wasn’t even attempting to hide that he was stalking her.
Ava opened the back of her car, and Raven eased Umberto into her arms. While she strapped him into his car seat, she climbed into the front of the car on the passenger side, waiting.
Once Ava was in the front seat, she looked to see that Carlos had already started his car.
“He’s going to follow you.”
“Let him.” Ava pulled out of her spot and took off.
Raven knew where they were going, and she tried not to tense up as they headed toward the clubhouse.
“Are you okay?”
“Everyone keeps asking me that,” Raven said. “I’m fine.”
“They keep asking because they care about you,” Ava said. “Also, have you looked in the mirror lately?”
She wasn’t going to admit that she avoided the mirrors. “Why?”
“You look sad. I mean, like so sad. Like you want to cry or something.”
“Oh,” Raven said. “Don’t you think I deserve it?”
Ava glanced over at her. “Deserve it?”
“You know, from everything I’ve done. Aren’t you happy that I’m … you know, going through this?”
“That’s not how forgiveness works, Raven. I wasn’t waiting for karma to strike, or hoping that you were hurt in any way.”
“Oh.”
“You think you deserve this?” Ava asked.
“I hurt you, and this is my … punishment.” Raven pressed her lips together.
“You know, that day that you dialed Smokey and I got to know a whole lot about you, including your full name, I learned something.” Ava pulled up outside of the clubhouse. “I learned that trust is a big issue for you. When you were young, the people who were supposed to protect you and love you, hurt you. They … they took away your mom. Your one constant, and they abused that power and that trust. You had no one until Smokey and this club. I know about Abriana, about you failing to question the prospect, and she got hurt, and then we come around to me.” Ava stopped.
“I didn’t deserve it. I know I didn’t, but if I had to put myself in your shoes and your place within the club. Not as my friend. Not in getting to know me, but as part of the club, and I believe, I might have been, no, I know, I’d have been the same.”