Raven arrived as the police officers were leaving. When he walked through the front door, Savannah practically flew into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him in a death grip and buried her face against his chest. He held her in a protective embrace, and she finally felt safe. "I'm so glad you came," she confessed brokenly.

"You okay?" He asked and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I am now," she admitted. And she was. The terror had long since subsided, but being in his arms made everything better. Raven led her over to the couch, and she reluctantly released him to sit down. He prowled over to the bar, poured a shot of whiskey and brought it to her.

"Drink this." It never even occurred to Savannah to refuse. She drained the shot and sat the glass on the coffee table. Raven sat down beside her, pulled her against his side and said, "Tell me what happened."

"I pulled into the garage, and my car door was yanked open. He pulled me out of the car and shoved me up against it before I realized it was Parker…"

"Who the fuck is Parker?" He growled.

"Parker Davis," Savannah elaborated. "The man whose nose you broke. He's an undercover ATF agent."

"The fuck you say?" Raven barked before his eyes narrowed dangerously. "How the hell do you know that?"

"Because he's my ex," she said wearily.

"Then why the hell didn't you say something last night?" He demanded and looked furious.

"I didn't get a good look at him then, but he was right up in my face this morning, bandaged nose and all," she admitted. "He claimed he was trying to get me out of the club before I blew his cover, but I never would have recognized him with the long hair and beard."

"What did he want?"

"He was furious because he said I ruined a year of undercover work," she relayed. "He wanted to know what I was doing with you, and when I refused to tell him, he threatened me. So I kneed him in the nuts and locked myself inside the house. When he started trying to kick the door in I panicked."

"Why didn't you tell the police you knew who it was?" He demanded, those midnight eyes as cold and hard as black onyx.

She stared at him as if he'd asked the stupidest question she'd ever heard. "Because I couldn't figure out how to do it without bringing you into it."

Raven looked shocked. "You were trying to protect me?"

She threw both hands in the air and asked in exasperation, "Who the hell else would I be protecting?"

"Your ex," he bit out.

"Not likely," she laughed bitterly. "I wish you'd cracked the bastard's skull instead of breaking his nose."

"Sounds like the breakup was ugly," he deduced.

"He was ugly. I was broken," she admitted angrily. "Literally. Parker became abusive, and I told him we were through. A few days later he shoved me down a flight of stairs. He almost killed me. The bastard told me I shouldn't have broken up with him and walked away. I laid there unconscious for hours before someone found me."

Raven's black as night eyes practically glowed with the fires of hell. "Why isn't the fucker in jail?"

"Because his frat brothers swore he'd been with them when it happened," she informed him in disgust. "He convinced everyone that I'd been delusional and played the role of doting boyfriend very convincingly. I almost believed him until he lost his temper and threatened to teach me another lesson unless I admitted I'd been mistaken."

"What did you do?"

"Packed up and joined the Peace Corps to get away from him," she admitted. "Helping others helped me to heal emotionally. That's the reason I became an advocate for women and children in abusive situations. It’s a cause I can relate to."

Raven cupped the back of her neck and leaned forward to place a tender kiss on her forehead. "I'll take care of it. He'll never hurt you again," he vowed.

Her golden eyes grew huge, and she shook her head in denial. "No. Oh, no," she refused. "Promise me that you'll stay away from him, Raven. He's a freaking ATF agent. You don't need that kind of trouble."

He flashed that wicked as sin smile and said, "Darlin', me and trouble go way back. Ain't no sense trying to keep us apart now."

"I'm serious," she insisted vehemently. "Parker is dangerous and vindictive. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Those blacker than the pits of hell eyes became warm and filled with tenderness. His entire expression changed and the rough, tough biker looked almost gentle. "Thank you, sweet Savannah," he said somberly. "No one has ever tried to protect me before."

She watched in rapt fascination as he lowered his head and his lips covered hers. The mouth that could look so cruel and unyielding conformed to hers in the sweetest kiss she'd ever known. Savannah sighed and parted her lips, inviting him deeper. Silently pleading for more. It was all she could do not to grab his head and hold on when he moved away.

Raven stood and once again the bossy hardcore biker was back. "Go pack your things," he commanded. "I'll assess the damage and get a crew in here to secure the house."

"Wait, what?" She queried with a frown as she stood to face him. "Why do I need to pack? And what crew are you talking about?"

He placed his big hands on her shoulders and said evenly, "You can't stay here. The fucker knows where you live and that makes you vulnerable. You're coming back to my place where you'll be safe."

Raven wanted her to stay with him? Eep! While she was staring at him mouth agape, he added, "The crew is mine. I own a small construction company, and my guys will make sure this shit doesn't happen again."

Savannah put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You can't just come in here and start giving me orders, Raven Caulder," she snapped, annoyed at his high handed take charge attitude. "I'll decide where I go, if I decide to leave, and who'll fix my house, thank you very much."

One of his hands curled around the back of her neck and hauled her body flush against his. Those blacker than night eyes flared with heat that she felt in her womb. "Want you safe, spitfire. That means you're with me," he informed her. "Want your place safe. That means my crew makes it happen. This is not a negotiation."

It was really, really hard, like freaking impossible, to stay mad with Raven when her entire body was tingling from being pressed against his. Not to mention his wanting to take care of her was heart-meltingly sweet. Still, she did manage to insist, "I prefer to be asked instead of ordered."

Those wicked, wicked lips curved in a hint of a smile as he asked, "Will you let me take care of you, Savannah?"

"Yes," she breathed, her lips bare inches from his and longing for another taste of them.

"Good," Raven said in his damn bossy biker tone and smacked her lightly on the ass as he stepped back. "Get packed. We've got shit to do."

When he walked away, she muttered, "Bossy, arrogant bastard."

He stopped, shot her a devilish wink over his shoulder and replied, "Did I mention feisty women really rev my throttle? Keep running that smart mouth, spitfire. I'll show ya how much I like it."

Savannah stared after him in surprise as he walked into the kitchen. A slow, delicious smile curved her lips. Lord Jesus. There was no doubt about it. She was going to hell.

And she planned to enjoy the ride!

 

***

 

Raven was absolutely livid. Not only had a fucking fed tried to infiltrate his club, but he'd gone after his woman, too. Big mistake. He fully intended to kill that mother fucker with his bare hands when he found him. Savannah was the one good thing in his life. He'd be damned if the taint of the club would touch her.

He surveyed the damage to her kitchen, and it pissed him off even more. The steel door bore evidence that the prick had given it a hell of a pounding before he'd tried beating the doorknob off. When that hadn't worked, he'd used a tire iron to punch through the drywall and made an access hole into the kitchen.

He whipped his phone out and called his construction foreman. After describing the damage, Raven instructed him to rip out the drywall and close in the space between the existing studs with steel bars to prevent this from happening again. No way in hell was he taking chances with Savannah's safety.

The next call was to his contact with the fucked up new world order organization that he was stuck doing business with. Midas had handed him off to the arrogant prick a couple of years ago, and he despised the bastard. Part of their agreement was that they kept law enforcement off of his back.

Otherwise, he'd have been in prison a long time ago.

"You wanna tell me why I got ATF heat on me?" Raven demanded in a pissed off tone.

"The agent in question is not a problem," the prick responded in a condescending tone as if dealing with Raven was beneath him. "He's one of ours."

"The fuck you say?" He demanded and was pissed as hell that they'd tried to infiltrate his club again.

"We've had this discussion before," the man reminded him irritably. "It's merely a matter of oversight. We require one of our people to participate…"

"Over my cold fucking corpse," he bit out and ended the call. Raven had no intention of letting one of those bastards into the club. It was bad enough they were trapped in a deal with them, but there was no way in hell he was letting their poison on the inside. Fucking neo-nazi pricks needed to be annihilated.

But what concerned him the most about Snake being one of theirs was that the fucker knew about Savannah. The Org had a nasty habit of threatening women to make people do what they wanted. Midas had kidnapped his mother to convince Bullet to make runs for them, which is how she'd wound up pregnant with Jax.

The thought of them coming near Savannah was unacceptable.

The final call was to his vice president to inform him that Snake was a fed the Org was using to try to infiltrate the club. Then he ordered him to track the mofo down no matter what it took. The Veep was pissed and assured him that they'd find the bastard. He ended the call confident that Gator would handle the situation.

When he walked back into the living room, Savannah was coming down the hall pulling a suitcase behind her with a carryon bag hung over her shoulder. The woman obviously had no idea how to pack light. "Did you get everything?" He asked in amusement.

"No. There are a couple more bags in the bedroom," she replied as she sat the luggage down and went back for the rest. When Savannah came back with two more large suitcases, he hefted all four bags and headed toward the front door. "My car's in the garage," she informed him and gestured toward the kitchen.

"We're leaving it here," he replied and managed to get the front door open without putting the bags down.

"But I need it," she insisted.

"You can drive mine, or I'll take you where you need to go," he assured her and stepped outside.

"My luggage won't fit on your bike," Savannah protested.

"Good thing I didn't bring it," he said patiently as he waited for her to join him. She gave him a withering glare, muttered something about bossy men and walked through the door with her cute little nose in the air. Raven barely bit back a smile as he pulled the door closed, turned and almost plowed over her.

"You drive a Range Rover," she said in surprise as she turned to face him.

"Something wrong with that?" He queried as he shepherded her toward the SUV.

"No, I just… never imagined you on anything except a bike," she admitted.

"That's for pleasure," he assured her as he opened the door for her to get in. "This is all business."

"What kind of business," she queried with a worried frown as she slid onto the supple leather seat.

"The construction company I mentioned, and I'm a licensed realtor," he imparted as he shut her door before going to the rear of the vehicle to shove the suitcases inside.

Once he joined her in the front, she asked the question that he'd been expecting. "You're obviously a successful businessman, so why the club? What's the attraction?"

"There is no attraction," he admitted as he cranked the vehicle. "Some people are born with a silver spoon. I was born with the keys to the kingdom of hell. The club is my legacy, and once you're in, there's no way out."

"That's ridiculous," Savannah responded indignantly. "It's a motorcycle club, not a prison."

"Darlin', I hate to burst your bubble, but they're one and the same," he confessed. "The only way out is death and I ain't ready to be put to ground yet."

She pondered that for a minute before asking, "Did you know that when you signed up or patched in, or whatever it is you do to become a member?" He merely nodded confirmation, so Savannah demanded in exasperation, "Then why the hell did you do it?"

Yeah. She wasn't ready for the truth yet, so he replied, "One day we'll have that conversation, but today is not that day. The only thing you need to know, the one thing you need to understand, is that I'll never let the taint of the club touch you. Feel me?"

Savannah settled back into the seat and said regretfully, "I think it already has."

Unfortunately, he couldn't dispute the claim, but he could destroy the threat to her.

If it was the last fucking thing he did.

 

***

 

Since Parker had pushed her down them, Savannah had never overcome her fear of stairs. It had taken her over a year to manage a set of steps, and she still clung to the railing and traversed them like a geriatric. Which was the main reason why she lived in a ranch-style house. With the memories so fresh in her mind she froze at the bottom of the staircase.

"Okay, Savannah, you can do this," she assured herself and wiped her sweaty palms down the legs of her jeans. She grasped the banister with both hands and placed one foot on the bottom step. "One step at a time," she said encouragingly and blew out a heavy breath as she lifted the other foot onto the same step.

She had made it up six steps before she made the mistake of looking down. A gasp of sheer terror burst from her lips, and she bent, locking both arms around the banister and holding on for dear life. Squeezing her eyes closed, she sank to her knees and tried to focus on keeping her breathing slow and even.

"I put your stuff in the guest room," Raven's voice floated down to her. "Not sure the closet's big enough to…what the fuck?"

She cringed and tightened her grip as every step he took vibrated the staircase beneath her. Then he was there, kneeling beside her. His strong arms closing around her trembling form, providing the safety and security she so desperately needed. "I can't," she breathed and buried her face against his chest. "I just can't go up."

"The fucking stairs," he muttered grimly yet his hands moved soothingly over her back. "It's all right, darlin'. I've got you."

"I'm sorry," Savannah whispered and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "I'm such a wimp."

"The hell you are," Raven denied as he gently wiped a tear from her cheek. "You're a survivor, Savannah. And you were brave enough to try."

"I failed," she admitted with a choked laugh at her own stupidity.

"You made it halfway up," he countered.

"I did, didn't I?" She asked in surprise.

"Damn right you did," he confirmed. "When you're ready to go down, I'll be with you every step."

"Now's good," she decided and couldn't wait to get off the damn stairs.

"That's my girl," he commended and flashed her his lethal smile. Raven dropped a kiss on her forehead before he stood and moved slowly to the step below her. "Okay, darlin'. I'm right here, and I won't let you fall."

Because she trusted him, Savannah loosened her death grip on the banister and stood slowly. When Raven's hands settled firmly on her hips, a zing of electricity traveled up her spine and through her extremities. Her already weakened knees grew even weaker, and she felt herself lurch forward.

A startled scream froze in her chest as she threw her hands out to break the fall that never happened. Because Raven had swung her up into his arms and held her securely against his chest. She locked her arms around his neck and stared up at him in astonishment as he flashed her a wicked grin.

"Kind of like this way better," he teased as he carried her down the stairs at a slow, unhurried pace.

Savannah didn't know if he'd planned it or if he had taken advantage of the situation when it presented itself. Either way, she had to admit that she liked this way a hell of a lot better, too. When he released her legs and let them drop to the floor, she had to make herself let go of him and step back.

"Thank you, Raven," she said tremulously as a tear slid down her cheek.

"Damn darlin'. Think I broke my back hauling your heavy ass down here. You been eating bricks?" He queried with a pained expression.

She gasped in indignation and smacked his rock hard chest. "I am not fat!"

The devil merely grinned at her and replied, "Nope. And you're not crying anymore either."

"Insufferable ass," she said in exasperation because he had played her well. Yeah. He really was a devil. And a loveable one at that, dammit. "Guess I'll be sleeping on your couch."

"Like hell," he denied. "I have a house nearby that doesn't have stairs. We'll stay there."

That damn take charge attitude of his had her folding her arms over her chest and demanding, "How is it that you just happen to have another house?"

"I flip houses," he explained patiently. "I buy fixer uppers, my crew remodels them, my designer decorates them, and I sell them. I have one that's ready to be listed, but I haven't put it on the market yet, so that's where we're going. Any more questions or can I haul that mountain of luggage back down now?"

The offer was so sweet and generous, but she couldn't let him do it. "Raven, I'm already interfering in your life enough. I can't let you disrupt your business to accommodate my phobia."

"You're not interfering or disrupting anything," he denied.

"Oh. So you just routinely pack up and move into a listing," she chided with more than a hint of sarcasm.

"Actually, I do stay at this one on occasion," he shocked her by admitting. "That's one of the reasons it's not listed."

"Seriously?"

He nodded solemnly. "I bought it from Kira and fixed it up. Never tried to sell it in case she regretted the decision and wanted it back."

Now, how the hell was a woman supposed to resist that? Ruthless outlaw biker Raven Caulder had a sentimental streak. She was putty in his hands. "In that case, go get my stuff," Savannah said with a smile of pure happiness.

 

***

 

Raven was livid.

The terror he'd seen in Savannah's eyes had gutted him, and her tears had ripped the beating heart out of his chest. How he'd managed to keep his shit together, he'd never know. Seeing the kind of debilitating fear she still had over something as simple as climbing a flight of stairs was devastating.

Ten fucking years and she still couldn't handle stairs without panicking. When he got his hands on Snake, he was going to rip that fucker apart limb by limb and beat him to death with them. Raven had done some terrible shit in his life, but he'd never raised his hand to a woman and he never would.

He didn't allow that shit in the club either. Which is why he'd smashed Snake's face and kicked the bastard out. Any other time he would have beat the hell out of the mofo, but he'd been a little distracted. Bullshit. He hadn't wanted Savannah to see who he really was. A ruthless mother fucker without an ounce of compassion.

The Hell Riders President.

If he had an ounce of fucking sense, he'd keep her at arm's length. Though how the hell he was supposed to do that was beyond his comprehension. He was going to be living in the same house with the woman he'd dreamed of for a decade. Sharing the same air with the woman he craved. With any other woman, it wouldn't be a problem.

With Savannah, he didn't have a hope in hell.

Thank fuck he hadn't listened to the ridiculous doubts he'd had about her. In some ways, Savannah was still just as sweet and innocent as the child he'd known. She didn't have a deceitful bone in her body and he felt like a complete ass for doubting her. Never again would he let his suspicious nature color his perception of her.

After he'd given her a tour of the house, they had worked side by side unpacking the perishables he'd brought along. While he'd started dinner, she'd gone to unpack and take a shower. Raven had damn near sliced his fingertips off imagining her naked with water from the rain head streaming down her gorgeous body.

Yeah, he had it bad.

Thankful for the distraction, he snatched his phone up when it rang and saw that it was his brother calling. Knowing it was news about Kira he answered on the first ring. "Yeah, bro?"

Jaxon 'Blade' Caulder snarled, "How the fuck did you know that Kira was in danger?"

"I didn't," Raven denied and explained what had happened. "How is she?"

"The mother fucker raped and tortured her, Rave," he rasped harshly. "If you hadn't sent Slade after her, she'd be dead."

"Jesus fucking God," he breathed angrily. The thought of some bastard hurting Kira both sickened and infuriated him. Thank God Savannah had come to him when she did. "Listen, bro. When you go after that mofo, just say the word, and I'm there."

"Appreciate the offer," Jax admitted and ended the call.

He tossed the phone onto the counter, braced both hands against the edge and let his head fall forward. How the hell was he going to tell Savannah what had happened to her friend? This shit was ripping his guts out, and he knew it would tear her apart. As bad as it was gonna hurt them both, she had a right to know.

And he was the bastard who had to tell her.

"Was that your nephew?"

Raven turned around to face her, and his eyes damn near fell out of his head. Savannah was barefoot, dressed in a pair of leggings and an oversized sweatshirt that hung off of one shoulder. Her hair was pulled up in some kind of knot with wisps framing her freshly scrubbed face. She looked clean and wholesome and so goddamn beautiful.

Just looking at her made his heart ache.

And now he had to break hers.

 

***

 

Savannah loved the house. She had no idea what it looked like before, but it was just as beautiful as Raven's home, if not more so. If this was the kind of work his company did, it was no wonder he could afford a six-figure Range Rover. The designer had done a wonderful job decorating the house, and she felt right at home.

Being there made her feel closer to Kira, but it didn't do a damn thing to alleviate her worry. Slade had given them an update that morning, but the only thing she really knew was that her friend was in stable condition. Savannah didn't have a clue how severe her injuries were or how she'd gotten them.

After putting her clothes away, she'd taken a long, hot shower and fully planned to enjoy the soaking tub that evening. Raven had insisted she take the master suite and her clothes didn't come close to filling the massive closet. Yes, she'd over packed, but not knowing when she'd be able to return home had made it a necessity.

This way she was prepared for everything.

Except Raven.

Nothing could have prepared her for how he made her feel. The things he made her ache for. The way her pulse fluttered and her heart beat erratically when those midnight eyes filled with heat. The way her insides melted into a gooey marshmallow when he did something sweet and unexpected.

Like moving out of his home to accommodate her. Yeah, she was still reeling over that one. Savannah knew that she was headed for a heartache because he'd already stolen her heart. If he ever touched her, really touched her, she was a goner. There was no way in hell she could refuse him anything he wanted.

Especially if what he wanted was her.

So she did the most sensible thing she could think of. She dressed in something totally unflattering, scrunched her hair into a messy bun and didn't apply makeup. Looking in the mirror, she grimaced at her reflection. Yeah, she was about as unappealing as three-day-old steamed cabbage.

No way in hell Raven would want her looking like this. That thought firmly in mind, she left her room and heard him talking to someone on the phone. When she entered the kitchen, he was standing with his back to her, the phone beside him on the counter. "Was that your nephew?" She asked hopefully as she walked toward him.

Savannah stopped dead in her tracks when he turned to face her. She'd never seen his expression as fierce as it was right then. His eyes were flat. Emotionless. As cold and hard as black onyx. Then they raked over her and something dark and deliciously dangerous flared before he ruthlessly squashed it.

A sense of foreboding danced up her spine. "What is it?" She demanded fearfully. "Oh, God. Is it Kira? Is she okay?"

He walked slowly toward her, every inch a predator stalking his prey. A tremor shook her before his arms closed around her and held her tight against his chest. "Her condition hasn't changed," he denied, the rough rasp of his voice assured her. "But I know what happened and darlin', I don't want to tell you."

Which could only mean it was really bad. Her hands lifted and clenched the back of his t-shirt as she looked up and met his gaze. "Just say it," she urged even though she knew it was going to hurt.

Raven closed his eyes and lowered his forehead to hers. "Kira was raped," he gritted out in a tone that didn't disguise his fury. "and tortured. She would have died if it hadn't been for you."

Savannah stared up at him in open mouth shock as her brain tried to make sense of the words he'd said. Her head began to shake in denial. Her lungs burned. Her chest ached. Her vision blurred. "No," she wheezed on a breathless exhale as black spots danced before her eyes.

"Breathe, Savannah," Raven urged soothingly as his hands caressed her back. "Just breathe."

She tried. She really did. But nothing was coming in or going out. Oh, God. She was hyperventilating. Her mouth was open, but like a fish out of water, she couldn't breathe. Panic was about to set in when warm lips covered hers, his tongue tracing the inside of her lip. She sucked in a huge gulp of life-giving air.

"Good girl," Raven praised as he lifted his head and smiled down at her. "Slow, steady breaths. In and out."

"Thank you," she said after a minute, and the sound of her voice was hollow. Emotionless. "I think… I'm in shock."

"I know ya are, darlin'," he confirmed. "But it's okay. I've got you."

"Kira…" Savannah said in a broken whisper and clung tighter to him.

"Thanks to you, she's gonna be all right," he assured her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You saved her life Savannah. Kira's alive because of you."

He'd meant it to be reassuring, and it should have been.

But it wasn't.

Because she should have done something sooner.

Savannah had known something was wrong, but she'd put off contacting Raven for days. She'd been a coward. Too scared to see him again after all those years. Not because of his ruthless reputation. No, she'd been afraid that he wouldn't remember her. And she'd let that fear keep her from helping her friend.

The guilt was overwhelming.

When the tears began to fall, Raven scooped her into his arms and carried her into the living area. He sat down on the couch with her in his lap and just held her. Needing the comfort he provided, she curled into his chest and cried all over his shoulder. Savannah cried because she hadn't been there when her best friend needed her.

For the pain and suffering that Kira had endured.

Because she couldn't be there to comfort her.

And she cried because Raven Caulder completely owned her heart now.