Page 6 of Raven
I lifted my head toward the ceiling and closed my eyes. How would I feel if someone saw something I didn’t want anyone to know?
I didn’t have time to answer him before the shop door opened. We both turned to see who was there, and I began to get worried when I saw it was Rich and Jake and not Sydney. I looked at Joel, and he looked as worried as I felt about her not being here yet. When I looked at the clock, I saw it was almost six-forty-five. She had never been later than six-fifteen.
“I’ll be back. Call me if she shows up,” I stated and turned to walk out of the shop, not greeting anyone as I marched to my truck.
Traffic in Rapid wasn’t bad this early in the morning, and with little trouble, I was pulling up to the trailer park where she lived by seven o’clock. The dirt road had ruts and dips in it from lack of maintenance, and as I maneuvered around them down the road, my eyes were locked on her truck and trailer.
There weren’t any lights on in her trailer when I pulled up and put my truck into park. On instinct, I sent Jigsaw a text message.
Me:I may need you, brother.
I entered the address and pressed send, not knowing if I was going to need backup or not. If Joel was right and she was hiding from someone, I worried they might have found her. I turned the truck off, and my phone dinged as I got out and closed the door.
Jigsaw:I’m close by. Just say the word.
Me:Stand by.
Walking between her truck and the trailer, I listened for her moving around inside. Not hearing any sounds, I approached the front door and lifted my fist to knock. Just before my hand made contact, she opened the door and wiped under her nose with a tissue.
Sydney’s eyes were puffy, her nose was running, her usually well-kept hair was pulled back away from her beautiful face, and a fluffy robe covering her curves.
“What are you doing here, Raven?” Sydney asked before breaking out in a coughing fit.
I stepped closer to the door, and she stepped back, allowing me to walk inside. I pulled the door closed behind me as I placed my hand on her forehead. “You’re burning up. I need to get you to the doctor.”
She shook her head and coughed again. “I can’t afford to go to the doctor. It’s just a cold. I’ll be back to work tomorrow.”
Looking around the tiny trailer, I saw a single bed pressed against the back wall, a small sink and fridge along the front wall, and a door which I assumed led to the bathroom. It was clean and well maintained inside, but it couldn’t have been more than a hundred square feet.
And it swayed with every cough she emitted.
“Damn it, Sydney. I’ll pay for you to go to the doctor. You’re sick, and you need antibiotics,” I tried to calmly reason, but she shook her head and pulled the front of her robe closed tighter.
“I’ll be fine.” She took a step closer and said, “Thank you for checking on me. I’m sorry I didn’t call you myself.”
I tilted my head to the side and looked down at her as she brought her hypnotic brown eyes up to mine. Even with a red, snotty nose and bloodshot eyes, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. But she was fucking hard-headed.
I gave her a half-smile and explained, “This goes two ways. Either you get dressed and voluntarily let me take you to the doctor, or I’ll toss you over my shoulder and make you.”
She narrowed her eyes and replied, “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Darlin’, I’m a patched member of the Sinners Revenge MC. Don’t test me.” Moving closer, I whispered, “You won’t win.”
All her bravado and stubbornness disappeared as she exhaled and took a step back. “Give me a minute to get dressed and I’ll be right out.”
I turned to give her privacy, looking at the door. “I don’t trust you to not lock me outside. Get dressed. I can’t see anything.”
“Pain in my ass man,” she mumbled as the tiny trailer swayed as she got dressed behind me.
A few times, she began to cough, and I wanted to turn to check on her but wouldn’t look unless she invited me. I wasn’t a perve, even if I wanted to fuck her eight ways to Sunday. Amoment later, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see she had slipped on a pair of jeans and some kind of shirt under her hoodie.
“I’m ready,” she sassed.
Opening the door, I stepped down and turned to offer her my hand. She looked at it, then at me, before she decided on something in her head and accepted it. When she was safely on the ground, she tried to release her grip, but I linked our fingers together and closed the door behind us. Guiding her to my truck, I opened the door and helped her inside before jogging around to the driver’s side.
I sent a quick text to Jigsaw before I got inside.
Me:Send a prospect to guard the address until I give the word. I’ll explain later.
