Twenty-one
Raven
One minute I’m choking, desperate for air, and the next I’m on all fours sucking precious oxygen into my lungs. Hearing a scuffle, I turn to see what freed me.
Shock freezes my body. Vince is on his back and Jonah is straddling him. His fists are pounding Vince’s face. His colorful arms are blurry with the speed of each blow. The sickening thud of each blow is a drastic contrast to the beauty and fluidity of his movements. Jonah’s arms swing with deadly accuracy. But Vince is out, his body flopping from side to side with the power of each punch.
“Jonah, stop. You’ll kill him.” My burning throat makes my voice a little more than a whisper, not enough to penetrate Jonah’s rage.
I crawl to him with trepidation and place myself by Vince’s bloody face.
“Jonah, stop. I’m okay. I’m right here. You have to stop now.” My voice is gentle, and it’s then that his arms slow their gory punishment.
Jonah’s body stills, but his chest swells and deflates with deep breaths. Reaching forward, I place my hand on his forearm. His head jerks, and his eyes connect with mine, wild and distant. He blinks a couple times and I see my Jonah return.
“God, baby, are you okay?” His words falter with the power of each breath.
Jumping off Vince, he pulls me to my feet. His eyes move over my body along with his hands.
“I was out front. I saw Eve run from behind the club. I ran as fast as I could. He had you . . . Shit, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just a little scared. Where’s Eve?”
“I told her to go to the truck and sit tight.” He looks back at an unconscious Vince. “Who the fuck is that piece of shit?”
I drop my eyes to the ground, wanting to slap myself. I never told Jonah about Vince. “That’s Vince, Eve’s boyfriend,” I take a deep breath, “and Dominick’s right hand.”
His eyes grow narrow and his muscles tense. “That motherfucker!”
An echo of Jonah’s curse rings off the walls of the alley. The H2 I saw at Eve’s the other night is parked there, hidden in a service entrance of the warehouse next to the club. Without a soul around, I’m thankful no one was a witness to what Jonah did to Vince. But I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Jonah hadn’t shown up when he did.
“We need to get out of here.” I rub my neck and wince as my shoulder protests the movement.
Jonah looks undecided as to whether he should finish the job he started on Vince or get us to the truck. Moaning drifts from the bloodied piece of meat beside us, and that seems to force Jonah into a snap decision. He wraps one arm around my shoulders and the other around my stomach, supporting my weight, and we hurry to the truck.
It’s a silent ride to Eve’s house except for her occasional apologies for Vince’s behavior. I see hurt in her eyes, but not hurt that she just found out her boyfriend is abusive. The pain in her eyes is that of a girl with a broken heart. Will she always be attracted to men who hurt her like her father did? God, I hope not.
We drop her off at her insistence. She wants to be alone, and I don’t blame her. She has a lot to think about. Jonah walks through her house, turning on all the lights and making sure she feels safe before she locks herself inside.
Safe in the cab of the truck, I allow myself to feel the weight of what happened. I turn my head to face out the window, not wanting to give Jonah any more to worry about. A silent sob rips through my body as tears of fear, guilt, and anxiety flow down my cheeks. The driver side door slams shut and a warm hand covers mine. I interlace our fingers, hold on tight, and vow to never let go.
~*~
Jonah
“That son of a bitch!” Blake’s response to my re-telling of the evening’s events mirrors my own.
I grip my phone tighter before loosening my hold, remembering what happened the last time I took out my anger on my phone. To avoid putting my fist through a wall, I force myself to my bed.
“You told him at Zeus’s Playground to pull his tails on Raven. I was there. I heard you!”
I don’t know if calling Blake was the smartest choice. Talking shit out with Blake usually helps me decompress. Right now, he’s just getting me worked up. I sit back and stare at the ceiling, hoping I can calm my ass down before Raven gets out of the shower. The poor girl has had a round trip ticket to hell and back. The last thing she needs is her raging boyfriend climbing the fucking walls like a caged animal.
“I almost killed him. I swear if I hadn’t heard Raven’s voice begging me to stop, I would have. Seeing that motherfucker with his arms wrapped around her . . .” My sentence trails off as my jaw clenches so tight I’m spitting words through my teeth.
“Sounds like it’s time for another meeting with dear ol’ dad,” Blake says, his voice holding a hint of excitement.
“Yeah, I have to talk to my girl first, get the story on this Vince guy.” My head falls to the backboard and I rub my eyes with my free hand. “You should see her arm. All dressed up, lookin’ hot as hell, with a fucking bruise in the shape of a man’s hand on her arm.” The calm that had been slowly moving through my body dissolves into anger. “He had her fucking neck!”
“At least you taught that fucker a lesson. Don’t think he’ll be messin’ with Raven again after you flipped the switch on his ass."
He’s got a point. I had to trash one of my favorite shirts because it was splattered with his blood.
“Look, the fight’s this week. You and Raven lie low until then. You don’t need any more publicity than you…”
My attention is drawn from Blake to the sound of the shower being turned off.
“What the fuck is Eve thinking?” His angry question jerks me back to the conversation.
“Don’t know, don’t fucking care. This douchebag’s been on Raven’s ass from the get-go. I’m putting this shit to an end.”
“Fuckin’ A, brother,” Blake says under his breath.
The bathroom door opens and Raven walks out in nothing but a towel. My mind clears of everything that happened tonight at the sight of her wet skin. I imagine drying her with my mouth as my eyes devour her legs and move over her towel to her arms. Her arm. The angry bruise brings me back in a violent rush.
I glare at the color on her arm. “Gotta run. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Right. Tell your girl to stay strong.”
“Will do. Later.”
Tossing my phone on the bedside table, I watch Raven put on a short pair of drawstring sleeping shorts, no panties, and a thin tank top. Blinking, I tell myself that my body can wait but the conversation we need to have cannot.
“Baby, come here.”
I make room for her on the bed, and she quickly takes her place at my side. Her cheek is pressed to my chest and her finger traces lazy circles on my abdomen. My dick responds immediately. I place my hand over hers to stop the stimulation before I forget my own name and bury myself inside her.
“Um, you’re going to have to stop that so we can talk. Shit happens to my body that short-circuits my brain.”
I feel her smile against my chest. She pushes her hand out from under mine, down past my belly button. I groan as her delicate fingers slip beneath my shorts.
“I, ah . . .” My mind goes fuzzy and my heart pounds in my chest.
Her soft hand grasps me in a firm hold and my hips jerk in response. Fuuuck.
“I know you want to talk, Jonah, and we will. But right now, I need you.”
I can’t remember what we were going to talk about, and I don’t care.
Her hand picks up its pace and pressure. My eyes fix on her forearm as her lean muscles flex with each stroke. The fruity smell from her clean hair makes my mouth water. My lips burn with the need to kiss her.
“Baby, I want your mouth,” I say, panting.
She kisses my neck, a tease with her full wet lips that has me achingly frustrated. I wrap my hand behind her neck, sifting my fingers through her hair, then grip tight. She moans.
I bring her luscious lips to mine, taking what I want. Our tongues crash together as I convert my anger from earlier into passion. The feel of her teeth as she nips impatiently at my lips makes me think she’s doing the same. My mouth is flooded with her pure, clean taste. I flex my hands in her hair as her sweet mouth moves against mine in a sensual rhythm.
She presses her breasts into my chest and her stroke quickens. I’m fighting not to roll my eyes at the perfection of her touch. Reaching down, I release my button and zipper, freeing myself for her. She smiles against my lips then sucks on my lower lip. I can’t help but imagine she’s sucking on something else, and I groan.
She breaks the kiss and locks her blue-green eyes on mine. Her eyebrows raise a fraction as if she’s asking a question. Then her hand releases me just enough to slide her hand lower.
“Mmm . . .” My head falls back and my eyes slam shut. She’s never done this before, and I marvel at her growing confidence. Her gentle play and tender touch are both teasingly sweet and erotic as hell. My stomach muscles contract as I let her explore.
Desperate to feel her, I slide a hand beneath her tank top. Her soft skin is pliable against my rough hands. I cup her firm breast then knead, rolling the tip between my thumb and forefinger. Her sexy curves push and rub against me, enticing my body.
“I want you naked,” I growl.
Pushing myself up, I straddle her knees, and pull her tank top off. She sucks in a pained breath and falls back to the bed.
“What’s wrong?”
“My shoulder,” she says with a grimace.
“Shit, baby. I don’t want to do this if it’s going to hurt you.” The thought alone is like dumping ice cold water on my crotch. “I already feel like an asshole not giving you more time to heal after last night.” I sit back on my heels and pray she doesn’t want to stop.
“I can’t explain it,” she says and pushes herself up on one elbow. “All I know is that, after everything I went through tonight, I want to feel safe and cherished. Protected.”
I look into her eyes and watch them brim with tears.
“I want you . . . I need you to love me. Please.” She’s beautiful all the time, but the vulnerability in her eyes as she pleads robs me of speech.
I lean forward and she lies back. My tongue licks at the crease of her mouth, requesting entrance. We have plenty of time for rough passion. Tonight, I want to love her at a deliberate pace.
I slip my hand beneath the drawstring of her shorts and she breaks the kiss, gasping at my contact. Her hips move in rhythm with my fingers. I brace myself above her on one elbow, mesmerized by her response: her lip sucked into her mouth, moaning. White knuckles grip the sheets as her hips push and roll against my hand.
Perfect.
Her hands move to her shorts, and, with a lift of her hips, she pulls them down. I do the same, ridding myself of the stifling confinement. She’s naked before me, chest rising and falling erratically, and knees wide in invitation. I caress her thighs, taking in all that is mine. Only mine. She stares openly at my hard-on, making it twitch, and I watch her eyes widen.
From my kneeling position between her legs, I grab her hips and pull her up so her ass is resting on my thighs. I spread my knees, bringing myself lower and pulling her higher until we meet. Her legs wrap around my waist, and I slip my hands below her ass and tilt.
“Jonah.” There’s an edge of concern in her voice.
This is a new position for her, and I’m sure she’s nervous. My chest swells with the knowledge that every position will be new to her and I’m the one who gets to teach her.
“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll take care of you.”
Her expression relaxes with a tiny smile.
I push forward, and just like last night, my stomach is gripped with the urge to thrust. Slowly. I repeat it in my head. Inch by inch I ease into her. My eyes take in the sight of our bodies connecting. The silky heat, gripping pressure, and visual stimulation turn me into an emotional live wire. I pull out an inch and push in two more. Over and over, slowly until I’m buried deep. I pause and fight the explosion coiling in my body. Think of something else. I go over a list of choke holds. Triangle choke, gator roll, rear naked choke . . . Oh, no, not that one.
The image of my body connected to Raven’s becomes too much. I fall forward, bracing my weight with my arms and straighten my legs. Raven immediately responds to the closeness of our mouths by devouring mine. I move above her in lazy strokes, taking in each sensation. My chest brushes against her breasts with each painstakingly slow thrust. She squirms with impatience beneath me.
“Faster, Jonah. Harder,” she says, grasping at my ass.
“Baby, you’re sore. I need—“
“Take me, please. I want you to.” Her words are breathy and hot as hell.
My body responds by thrusting in deep. I bite my lip to keep from calling out in blissful satisfaction as her gripping heat pulls me in. Fuck. She gasps against my neck. I check her face to see it’s not pain she’s feeling. It’s pleasure. Pulling out slowly, I push in again, harder this time. She moans and coaxes me on.
My girl.
Overwhelming emotion and raw need push my hips deeper. I keep my eyes locked on hers and roll my hips. The sounds coming from deep in her chest take me to the edge of my control.
A familiar twinge in my chest warms my skin as I continue to love Raven. My strokes increase in strength and her fingernails dig into my ass. She meets each thrust with a push of her own. Her dark hair is splayed wildly around her face. She arches back in the way that I know is her signal. She’s close.
Not ready for this to end, I roll to my back, keeping our connection. A light sheen of sweat clings to our bodies, her torso lies atop mine. Her face is buried in my neck where she kisses and licks below my ear.
She pushes herself up, straddling my hips. Her eyelids are low, and her lips part as she seems to absorb the sensations of the different position. My eyes roam her body from her hips, up her slightly rounded feminine stomach, to her perfect full breasts. Gloriously naked and towering over me like an angel without wings.
I circle the tips of her breasts with my fingertips, teasing the sensitive flesh. She presses them into my hands and sucks in a breath. Her heavy-lidded eyes sparkle and she begins to move above me.
Her hands brace at my chest, and I continue to caress her breasts. I watch in amazement as she commands her body with practiced ease. She moves with confidence and control, and it’s hard to believe she was a virgin a day ago. Her pace quickens. She rolls her hips in bliss-ridden waves. I fight every urge to flip over and pound into her. She shifts, searching it out, desperate for the perfect combination.
I’m so close. Her cries alert me to the fact that she is too. I flex my hips into her. She grinds down hard against me. My toes curl and my stomach tightens.
“Fuck, baby . . .”
“Me too, Jonah . . .”
We’re panting and pushing. Grinding and moaning. Her beautiful eyes lock onto mine and bore into my soul. Wound tight, we reach together, pushing toward the edge. Her mouth drops open, and I bite my lip, our orgasms ripping through our connection together.
The shockwaves push through my body, lifting my shoulders from the bed. Her hands move to my knees, bowing her back. I hold her hips in place and continue to grind into her. She throws her head back, calling out my name as we ride out our climax.
Fucking amazing.
Her body falls forward against my chest, pressing her warm, balmy skin to mine. Heavy from the aftershocks of our lovemaking, we lay silently, breathing as one, our hearts beating together.
“Wow,” she mumbles against my neck.
“Mmm.”
She pushes herself up, resting her elbow on my ribs, and her chin in her hand.
“Is it always like this?”
Beautiful and cute.
“No. It’s never been like this. And, yes, with us, it’ll only get better.”
Her eyes grow a fraction before her lids drop lower. “Really?”
I run my fingers through her hair, from root to tip, the long strands falling against my chest. “Yeah, baby.”
She bites her bottom lip and softly moans. Her hips start to move again.
I smile. “My girl wants more.”
“Yeah, Jonah,” she says in that breathy way that makes me instantly hard.
“I aim to please.”
***
After another round of lovemaking, Raven is curled in my arms. Her head rests against my chest and her leg is thrown over my abs. I run my hand through her long, silky hair, twirling it around my finger. My other hand lazily traces patterns on her hip while her finger outlines my tattoo.
“You loved up enough to talk now, or do I need to give it to you one more time?”
She smiles, but doesn’t laugh. “I would love to do it again, but I’m too tired.” The yawn that follows confirms her words.
“Tell me about this Vince guy.”
She huffs out a frustrated breath. “I met him that day I went to see Dominick. He acted like he knew me, but I didn’t think much of it. Guess he’d been milking Eve for information about me for weeks. Then I ran into him at Eve’s. I wanted to tell you, but forgot with everything that was happening with us.”
This all makes sense. Now for the tough question. “What happened tonight at the club?”
She cowers against my chest.
What the fuck?
“We were at the bar after dancing. We had a little too much to drink, and before I knew it, these guys were harassing us—“
“Harassing you? Fuck, Raven! Why didn’t you call me?” My words are flying before my brain has time to consider what I’m saying. And I wonder why she’s cowering? Not wanting to lose my shit, I push my anger down and take a deep breath. “Sorry, baby. Go on.”
She continues to tell me about her night. I try not to dwell on the motherfucker that put his hands on my girl then pressed her up against the bar. I swallow the angry retorts that bubble up from my all-consuming frustration. I nod and listen, unsuccessfully suppressing the occasional growl.
“Did he say where he was taking you?”
“No, he called me a slut and told me it was none of my business. He said that if I didn’t shut up, he was going to make it my business, um . . . allnightlong.” Her chin drops again as she ends the sentence in a whisper.
Did she say all night long? He called her a slut!
My head starts to buzz. “He’s fucking dead,” I say with a calm I am not feeling.
“Um, I’m pretty sure you got him back. I didn’t even recognize his face when you were done with him.”
Her body shivers in my arms. I hold her tighter.
“I can’t let this go, Raven. I’m going back to talk to Dominick. If he doesn’t get his boy in check, we’re going to the cops.”
“Jonah—”
“I’ll do this Dominick’s way. I’ll throw my fight. He’ll get his money. But the moment his goons put their fucking hands on my girl . . .”
What? I have no options. I’m the one with everything to lose, not Dominick. The fucker’s backed me into a corner and he knows it.
“We can’t go to the cops. Even you said he’s got them on his payroll. If Dominick feels threatened, he could leak to the media that you agreed to throw your fight. Even without evidence, the rumors could get you banned from the UFL.”
Fuck. She’s right. My mind spins with unanswered questions. The most important thing is to keep Raven calm and safe. That’s where my focus needs to be, at least until this shit is over.
“I’ll talk with Dominick again. He wants his money. I’m sure he’s not pleased that his boy got his ass handed to him tonight. Don’t worry, baby. I’ll take care of this.”
She nods into my chest. “Please be careful.”
“Always. Now go to sleep. We can talk more in the morning.”
“Okay, Jonah. I love you,” she says through another yawn.
“I love you too, baby.”
After shutting off the light, I stare into the dark room. Raven’s breathing shifts to the rhythmic cadence of sleep. I hold her a little tighter, absorbing the contentment I feel from having her safe in my arms.
This clusterfuck with Vince has complicated my deal with Dominick. He needs to know now, especially after I turned Vince’s face into ground beef, that I’m not going to allow him to fuck with Raven. There’s no way—
My thoughts are redirected by the sound of my phone ringing. With a slight lean, I grab my phone from my bedside.
I don’t check the ID, but instead hit answer and bite out a quick, “What!”
Raven stirs, and I rub her arm reassuringly.
“Mr. Slade.”
Adrenaline floods my bloodstream, making my head buzz.
“Dominick.”