Page 13 of Raven Blackwood
I nodded, sipping the coffee as I scanned the horizon. “We don’t know when Jenkins’s men will return. We need to be ready.”
Hannah nodded grimly.
Making sure that Grace had a safe place inside the house, we spent the morning setting up defenses now that we had repaired all the fencing. I showed her how to set up the tiny cameras I had brought on my friend Steele Nova’s advice. These were smart cameras thatwould ping my CPU if anyone came within range.
Every so often, I would catch Hannah watching me, a thoughtful look on her face. As I caught her eye, my eyebrows rose in askance.
She gave me a slight smile. “Things are different between us now. It feels right to be with you, like you are what was missing from my life.”
“Exactly, because we are genetic mates. We’re two halves of a whole. I feel it, too. Before, everything was about duty and protecting the people, while we rebuilt what the war had destroyed. As close as I am with my cyborg brothers, what I have here with you is amazing.”
There was so much more I could’ve said, but verbalizing those feelings would have made me feel too vulnerable.
Hannah nodded, still smiling slightly, and reached out to caress my arm. I felt pretty sure that she truly understood what I was feeling without me saying the words.
Hannah
Ever since Zach disappeared, I’d felt a little lost without my best friend to depend on. I love Grace,and we have become close friends, but for half my life, Zach had been my only friend. The more time I spent with Raven, the more I knew with certainty that applying for a cyborg mate was the best thing I've ever done. I felt like we were becoming friends already and, on our way, to so much more.
After lunch, we rode to town on Raven’s sky cycle under the guise of trading for supplies. We stashed his cycle outside of town and walked the rest of the way. Instead of going in on the main street, we skirted around to the back alley that led directly to the general store. Old man Wendell glanced at us warily. He was one of the few people in town who hadn’t wholly cowed to Jenkins. However, he was not foolish enough to openly defy him.
“You two should be careful,” he muttered as he bagged our supplies in the sacks I brought. “Jenkins is mad as hell that your man here stood up to his men.”
Raven's stoic expression didn’t change, but I could feel the way his body tensed beside me. “They shouldn’t have been harassing my female. We’ll be ready for them if they try it again.”
Wendell shook his head and scoffed. “You’d better be because they are not done by a long shot.”
I knew Wendell was right. Jenkins’s menwould keep coming back until we stopped them permanently. I didn’t know how Raven planned to do that, but he seemed confident he could.
As we left the store, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching us. When we were away from town, I voiced my concerns. “How can the two of us possibly fend off twenty to thirty of Jenkins's men?” I asked quietly.
Raven reached for my hand, his grip warm and strong. “You have never seen a cyborg in action.”
That night, as we sat on the porch, Raven said, “I have contacted my sergeant and his superior to let them know the situation here in Brislow. I have instructions to break up their entire operation. That’s exactly what I plan to do.”
I’m sure I gave him a skeptical look, but he seemed so confident that I believed him.
The next morning, I saddled up my horse to herd the few cows we had left to the western pasture. I was glad I didn’t have to check the fencing because Raven and I had already repaired it all. It was a good thing because the winter had been harsh, and some of the posts had weakened,leaving openings that could put our cattle at risk. Raven insisted on coming with me, but I managed to convince him to let me handle it alone for a little while. It was a small thing, but I needed to prove to myself that I could still take care of my home.
The ride was peaceful at first, the golden morning light casting long shadows across the rolling fields. I was just closing the pasture gate when I heard hooves approaching—more than one rider and fast.
My stomach clenched. I turned just in time to see three of Jenkins’s men slowing their horses as they spotted me. My fingers tightened around the reins, and I forced myself to stay calm.
“Well, well,” drawled one of them, a lanky man with a mean glint in his eyes. “If it ain’t Miss Lawrence, all alone in the middle of nowhere.”
I straightened my shoulders. “What do you want, Colby?”
Colby dismounted, his boots swishing against the dew-covered grass. “Mayor Jenkins sent us to have a little talk. He doesn’t appreciate you playing house with that cyborg freak. It seems you’re gettin’ too bold for your own good.”
The other two stayed on their horses, watching me with expressions that made myskin crawl. I glanced toward the horizon, measuring the distance to the ranch. Too far to run. If I tried, they’d be on me in seconds.
“You can tell Jenkins I don’t answer to him,” I said, keeping my voice even as I climbed back onto my horse. “This is my land, and I’ll do what I please with it.”
Colby took a step closer, his lips curling into a sneer. “That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart. You see, the mayor figures you need some remindin’ of who’s in charge.”
He reached for me, but I was ready. Before his hand could grab my arm, I kicked him as hard as I could. He stumbled back with a curse, and I used the distraction to slide my foot back into the stirrup. I dug my heels into my horse’s sides, urging him forward. The animal surged beneath me, and I leaned low over his neck as gunshots rang out behind me.
“Get her!” Colby shouted as I sped away.
