Page 10 of Raven
The sound of the truck door closing was soft as Willow looked back and at and pointed to the two closed doors in the hallway. I lifted my chin to the one at the end, indicating my room and she looked unsure but did what I asked, opening my bedroom door and stepping inside.
I always kept my house straightened, and once a week, I had a service come inside to clean, so the bed was made, and the floor was clear of clothes as I nodded to the bed. Willow walked up and pulled the sheets back before stepping to the side.
With gently movements, I laid Sydney down, watching to see if she woke up. Once I saw her head lull slightly and heard her sigh again, I pulled the covers over her. I heard Willow leave the room and I leaned over and kissed Sydney on the forehead. When I pulled back, I saw the smallest smile press up on her lips. Even sick, she was beautiful, and it was difficult to walk away from her.
I wanted to watch her, to make sure she was okay, but I needed to get the groceries put away and get her medication together. Closing the door almost completely, I walked down the hallway and back through to the kitchen. Jigsaw and Willow were unpacking the bags, and Sydney’s medication was already sitting on the counter with a glass of juice beside it.
They heard me entering and both turned to watch as I approached the island in the middle of the room. Jigsaw leaned against the counter and crossed his arms, waiting for me to speak, but Willow, being an ever-present ol’ lady in the club, began to ask questions.
“When did you meet her?” she began, then prattled off the rest like a list. “How long has she worked for you? Where is she from? How did you claim her?”
Jigsaw chuckled and placed a hand onto Willow’s shoulder. She turned to look at him with a huge smile, and I thought about what it would be like for Sydney and me once we got into our groove.
“Calm down, baby. Give Raven a chance to speak.”
She nodded and replied, “Sorry, I’m just excited to see Raven finally claim someone.”
Running my hands through my hair, I went to answer her questions when a cough sounded from behind me had me. I turned to see Sydney standing at the edge of the living room and when she cleared her throat, she looked at me and spoke.
“I’m not his woman.”
“Sydney—” I started to say, but Jigsaw spoke over me.
“Willow and I are going to get going. Sydney, it was nice to meet you, and I hope to see you again.”
Willow looked guilty as she and Jigsaw walked past me and out the door to the garage. Sydney and I stood in the kitchen, looking at each other without speaking as the sound of the garage door closing filled the uncomfortable silence.
“Why am I here instead of my camper, Raven?” she asked.
Taking one step closer to her, I answered, “I asked you to call me Caleb.”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head as she retorted, “Fine. Caleb, why am I here?”
I took another step toward her, and she didn’t retreat, even in the face of the unknown. Her strength was always a turn-on, and her independence was applaudable, but I needed her to understand one thing. For months, I’d fought my urge to claim her and toss her over my shoulder.
Today, she finally relented, and I was not going to let her rebuild her walls.
Sydney was mine, and it was time she realized I wasn’t the kind of man who took refusal lightly.
Chapter 6
Sydney
Iwas half-awake when I felt Caleb lift me from the front seat of his truck, but I didn’t let on that I was. When I felt him place me into a soft, cozy bed and pull the covers over me before he placed a soft kiss on my forehead, I swooned. He left the room, and I lay there for a moment before I opened my eyes and looked around.
Not recognizing the room, I carefully pushed out of bed and followed the voices I heard. When he proclaimed me to be his to the two people in the kitchen with him, I had to interject. While the thought of belonging to him was nice, I couldn’t lose my job or the money I was making. I had to pay off the remaining debt my mother owed to those vile assholes in Oregon, or it was my ass on the line.
I asked him again, “Can you tell me why I’m here, at what I assume is your home, instead of my camper?”
He tried to smile, but it didn’t seem to reach his stunning hazel eyes as he responded, “I thought you might be more comfortable here while you got better.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I tried to remain strong as I replied, “You could have woken me up and saved all this trouble. I can’t be here, Caleb.”
He took a step closer to me and inquired, “Why? Give me one good reason why you can’t be here. Why you don’t want to be my woman.”
I sighed, hoping to find the right words without hurting him. That was the last thing I wanted to do, but I had trouble chasingme and I couldn’t let it land on his doorstep. Caleb and the rest of the Sinners, or the few that I’d met, were nice guys that didn’t deserve my drama. Without giving too much away, I searched for a legitimate reason for him.
Finally, I landed on the truth, or a part of it anyway. “I can’t risk my job if this doesn’t work out.”
