Page 66 of The Collector
Mynx didn't move. Not at first.
She stood there in the quiet he'd left behind her hand still warm from his cheek, her lips tingling from his kiss and the echo of words they'd shared. The air was thick with a real moment between them hadn't been entirely undone—just postponed. Her heart thudded out a rhythm of regret and promise, like it knew this wasn't over.
And it wasn't. Not even close. They were just getting started.
She swallowed hard, eyes locked on the door he'd disappeared through. His words reverberated inside her—not just in this moment, not just on that stage—always. That wasn't just affection. That was possession pure and simple. But with Raven it didn’t feel wrong to be possessed.
Her fingers clenched into her palm. She understood now. This moment wasn't just about claiming her—it was about protecting her in a world that didn't want her claimed. Raven's father wouldn't make it easy. But passion like Ravens? It didn't bow to bloodlines. She trusted him. Trusted that everything would be what they wanted it to be.
She whispered to the empty room, "I'm ready. To be yours."
She stood straighter, breathing deeper now, her silence no longer hollow but sacred. What they were building wouldn't come easily, nor would it be clean. But it would be real. And maybe that was stronger than the legacy she was about to confront.
Outside the door, echoes stirred—her name spoken, her presence awaited. But inside, she had already made the decision that would shape everything else.
She was his.
Now the question was—how far would she go to stay that way?
Chapter 18
Raven
Raven hadn't been gone long enough. The scent of her skin still clung to him; the echo of her breath still stirred in his chest. If he were honest, he would have stayed and stayed in the heat. Stayed in the space where her eyes didn't ask for anything but truth. But duty pulled harder than desire.
"About damn time you showed back up, Raven. You dragged me into this Stallions meeting with Raul, and then you vanish?" Hector ground out, stabbing his cigar into the ashtray. He said impatiently at their table, stubbing out his cigar and motioning for another drink as Raven returned. A waitress brought a tray with two bottles on it, along with fresh ice, and set it on the table.
"You aren't alone; there are over 20 armed men in this room. It's not as if I left you unprotected. I shouldn't have to say this, but maybe you need to hear it—I'd never set you up. Never. I'm your son, and that means something to me. Even if it doesn't to you. I don't throw blood to the wolves. That's not who I am, no matter what you think." Raven watched the door impatiently,ready to get this meeting over with. He just wanted to escape his father's demanding schedule and spend time alone with Mynx.
The things he was going to do to her beautiful body when he got her alone would make a porn star blush. All he had to do was make it through this meeting. Just one more night, and it would be all about the two of them, even if just for a moment. It occurred to him he'd never asked his father about the conflict between him and Raul. There was no better time than the present to find out.
"I've been trying to understand Raul's hatred for you since you first mentioned his name. You brought me into this world, into this war between the two of you, and you've kept your past sealed shut. I understand that you don't trust easily, but it's time you told me the truth. Not just for me, but for the damn club you keep dragging behind us like a corpse with a crown. You want me to rule this organization one day. It's time we start working together. I need to know the backstory here."
Hector stared at him, his eyes vacant for a moment. Raven wasn't sure if his father was upset by the question or just lost in memories. He tried again.
"So, tell me, Dad. What did you do to him? What happened between you and Raul that makes him want your name erased from every room he walks into?"
Hector didn't share history. Not with allies, not with enemies—and certainly not with his son. Anything that could be traced, weaponized, or remembered… he kept buried. He made it seem like the past didn't hold any nostalgia; just liability— even when it came to Raven, especially when it came to him.
Raven had learned to operate blindly, trusting his instincts over intel from his father, reacting instead of preparing. But silence only works when you don't have something worth protecting.
Raven was tired of his father's silence—tired of guessing what the truth was, of piecing together stories from whispers and contradictions in the organization. Tired of carrying out orders that felt like they had hidden agendas.
Hector glanced at him, eyes narrowed, not speaking, as he reached for the bottle, pouring slowly and deliberately, as if the silence was part of some ritual he needed to perform before he could talk.
"It started back when the Kings were branching out into California. The bosses at the time were strict, old-school, and unwilling to negotiate with other clubs. They wanted muscle, loyalty, and silence, but specifically from already established members. Raul had different ideas from the old Dons. He saw the future before they did—smarter deals, fewer guns, more influence. But the Kings weren't built for that kind of evolution. Not then, anyway. That's why I was chosen over him to become the Capo of California."
Raven listened as the story unfolded, his gaze trained on the man across from him, searching for cracks in his armor. For once, Hector wasn't just stone; he was weathered and tired—maybe, for the first time, finally willing to open himself up to Raven in the smallest of ways.
"We were supposed to bring him in as a liaison to the California branch, to smooth the path and make him feel respected after he didn't get selected for the California Capo position. They tasked me with delivering the offer, but I didn't simply present the terms. I twisted them. I gave him less stake than promised. I thought if I undercut him just enough, the bosses would keep me closer and hold me in higher regard. It was a greedy move. Stupid, really. He found out. And when he did…"
Hector refilled his glass again before continuing.
"Raul has always been smarter than he is ruthless. He didn't come after me with bullets. He came after me with a strategy. He played a long game. And every time something crumbled in California, he let me know it was personal by rubbing it in my face with how well his club was doing. He took anything he could to the old Dons, hoping to make me and your uncles look like failures. Hoping to gain more territory. That's how he acquired Washington and part of Northern California under his control."
"I used to wonder how he managed it. Raul. He's not the strongest leader—not by a long shot. Doesn't seem like the kind of man the Godfathers would bet on. Using leverage makes sense."
"Yes, Raven—he hates me, wants me dead. Not because I pulled a trigger, but because I took his dreams from him—dreams that mattered. That kind of betrayal festers. That's why he chose you as a liaison for this negotiation, because Raul likes the balance of situations to be in his favor—having my son work his deals? That's him showing me he can still put me in my place. It's why I fought you on the negotiations. But I'm tired, Raven; I'm not ready to get out of the business—not yet. I've decided it's time to start doing things more your way. Because you're right, I won't live forever. If you think I've been hard on you, you're right. But you're stronger than I ever was. The way I see it, I've succeeded in raising you to be a Capo by being hard on you."
