Six weeks.

It had been six glorious weeks of what other people might consider mundane everyday life. To Raven, it was nothing short of perfection.

Their days fell into a pattern of normality, and he reveled in every minute of it. They woke, made love, had breakfast. He dealt with his realty and construction businesses while she handled planning for an upcoming charity benefit. They ate lunch, went for long walks on the beach or a ride on his bike in the afternoon.

When they returned home, he'd prepare dinner, and they'd spend the rest of the evening curled up on the couch talking. Then he would carry her to bed, or the island, and they made love until they were both too sated to move. They were both pleasantly surprised at how much they had in common.

Raven had never imagined that his life could be so perfect.

Or that a woman like Savannah could love him so completely.

The only cloud marring his picture-perfect existence were the weekly phone calls to check in with his Veep. The brothers were getting concerned about his continued absence, so he was going to have to make an appearance soon. He just hoped a show of force to remind them that he was still in charge wasn't required.

Not that he thought it would be. Every man he'd patched in since taking over was loyal to him. Most of them were decent men who'd lost their way. Unlike the truly evil fuckers he'd inherited from Bullet. He and his brother had put the last of them to ground a couple of years ago thankfully.

The sabbatical had confirmed that leaving the club was essential to his happiness. Now he just had to find a way to do it. An early morning phone call granted his fondest wish. Jax called and wanted him to set up a meet with Midas. Realizing that this could be the answer to his prayers, Raven agreed if he could ride shotgun.

Which is how he found himself flying to Austria five hours later.

When he had informed Midas that his brother wanted to meet, the old man had sounded weak as hell, but he'd been overjoyed at the news. He wondered how happy he'd be when he found out that Jax had killed his other son. Yeah, that announcement was probably going to land them in a world of hurt.

This could be a one way trip with a gruesome death waiting for them at the other end. Or it could be his salvation if he could get the old man to let him out of their deal. Either way, the eleven-hour flight gave him the chance to spend some quality time with Jax. Raven hoped that one day he could mend the bridges he'd burned between them.

Today was a good day to start.

 

***

 

Their trip to Vienna was successful even if it had culminated in Midas's death. Whether of natural causes due to an extended illness, or with assistance from the Org to ensure his silence remained a mystery. The end result was that questions were answered, issues resolved, and old wounds were finally healed.

Erich Von Osterman's death had provided closure for both brothers.

Raven now knew that the Org he'd been trapped in a deal with was a shadow cabal known as the Illuminati. The same group that his brother's former SEAL team were waging war against. Now that Midas was dead, they no longer had a hold on him. The knowledge left him giddy with relief.

"I'm finally free, bro," Raven announced once they boarded the plane for home. "Now that your old man is dead our deal is done. I can leave the club and have a normal life."

His younger brother frowned before pointing out, "It may not be as easy as you think, Rave. Your deal might have been with Von senior, but the Illuminati was still calling the shots. You heard what the old man said. The only way out is death."

"Fuck that," he denied. "I've finally got something worth living for. Savannah is the best thing that ever happened to me. I want to have a real life with her without the taint of the club hanging over my head."

"Which means they'll use her to keep you in line," Jax countered grimly. "Just like they tortured Kira to hurt me."

The thought of those bastards brutalizing the woman he loved was enough to freeze the blood in his veins. "I've never asked you for a goddamn thing, but I need you to keep my woman safe if shit goes down," Raven said seriously. "Can you do that for me, brother? Will you protect my spitfire?"

"She's the reason that Kira's alive, so you're goddamn right I'll protect her," Jax swore.

"Good. Because one way or another, I'm getting out," Raven assured him grimly.

 

***

 

The next day, Raven walked into the club's meeting room where the members were gathered. He'd called church to give them an update on the situation. "Midas is dead, and our business with the fucking Org is done," he informed them. "They're gonna come at us hard so lay low until this shit blows over."

"Keep your family safe because those fuckers will go after your women and children to get what they want. Tell the prospects, hang arounds and bunnies to stay the fuck away from the clubhouse till I give the all clear," he ordered and received grim nods from every man sitting around the room.

"Who the fuck is gonna be watching your back?" His Veep demanded once church was over.

Exactly what he had expected from the one man he trusted to have his back. They'd been friends since they were kids and Gator had always been his voice of reason. "If they take me out the rest of you are in the clear, and I'm hard to kill," he admitted. "Either way, the club's yours Gator. I'm out."

"Figured something like that was up when you went MIA," the other man confirmed and extended his fist. He didn't ask any questions and didn't expect any answers. "Stay safe, brother."

Raven bumped his fist against the other man's and replied, "See you in hell." Then he walked back to his office and looked around the room for the last time. In spite of the fact that this was not the life he'd chosen, he'd had some good times here. The club had always been his second home, but he wasn't going to miss it at all.

It was time to begin the next chapter of his life with a clean slate.

And the woman he loved by his side.

 

***

 

Savannah was a nervous wreck.

Raven had left on a mysterious spur-of-the-moment trip with his brother three days ago and refused to give her any details. He'd called several times to let her know that he was okay and tell her that he loved her. She'd been in the shower and missed his last call, and he hadn't answered when she'd called him back.

The voicemail he'd left had scared the hell out of her.

"We're back, spitfire," he'd said, and something in his voice hadn't sounded quite right. "I'm headed to the club to let them know I'm out. Might need to lay low for a while, so Jax is gonna take you to the island. Kira could really use a friend, and I know how much you want to see her. I love you, Savannah. I'll see you soon."

The thought of him telling the club members that he wanted out scared her shitless. She had no idea how they'd react. Or if they'd try to hurt him. Savannah grabbed the keys to the Rover and hauled ass to the compound. She passed a swarm of Hell Riders on the way, and her heart began to hammer like mad because Raven wasn't with them.

That was either a very good sign or a very bad one.

She pulled into the parking lot and saw his bike parked off to the side. Pulling up beside it, Savannah stepped out of the vehicle just as a brute of a man came out the front door of the clubhouse. He met her in the middle of the paved area, and she demanded, "Where's Raven?"

The man looked from her to the Rover and back again before one side of his mouth turned up in a smile. "Figured he had a damn good reason to bail," the man said in amusement. "Not sure he'd want you here, girl."

Relaxing somewhat because he didn't seem threatening, Savannah suggested, "Why don't we ask him and find out?"

"I suppose we…"

BOOOM!

The force of the explosion rocked the ground beneath her feet. The concussive blast threw her backward. The biker covered her body with his, acting as a human shield from the debris raining down around them. Shocked, confused and disoriented, she turned her head and saw the clubhouse engulfed in flames.

"Mother fuck," the biker bit out as he rose and lifted her up with him.

Savannah stared at the inferno in shocked disbelief. Raven was in there. The building had blown up, and Raven was inside. "No," the scream tore from her chest as she ran toward the blazing maw that really did look like the gates of hell. Hands grabbed her, held her back as she fought wildly to be free.

"Raven!" She screamed in desperation and clawed wildly at the hands and forearms that held her. "Raven!"

"He's gone, girl," the outlaw biker holding her said hoarsely. "He's fucking gone."

And just like that, her whole world was destroyed.

 

***

 

Six months later…

 

Savannah sat on the beach, her knees drawn up to her chest, her chin resting atop them. She stared out at the ocean with unseeing eyes. Her mind locked in the past. Reliving memories of sitting just like this on another beach. A hard male body wrapped around her. A bristly chin resting on her shoulder. The sound of his laughter floating on the breeze.

She still missed him so much. The ache in her chest had taken up permanent residence. Losing Raven had left a void where her heart used to be that nothing and no one could ever fill. Her soul was desolate. Grief was her constant companion. She lived and breathed, walked and talked, yet she was dead inside.

A shell of the woman she had once been.

Because for six glorious weeks she'd touched heaven before it had been cruelly snatched away. Now she was trapped in a hell void of hope. Much like the little bare flesh raven in the center of his back. There was no escape. Her only consolation was that Raven was finally free of the chains that had bound him.

She had listened to his voicemail over and over again on an endless loop. She'd heard the sadness in his voice that she'd been too preoccupied to discern the first time. It almost sounded as if he'd known it would be their last communication. After everything else she'd learned since then, she realized that maybe he had.

Jaxon had explained the club's connection to a cabal called the Illuminati. The same people who had been behind the attack on Kira. He'd told her about his father and the deal that Raven had made to keep him safe. How his brother had sacrificed his hope of having a normal life so that Jax could.

That his brother had told them he was leaving the club and their deal was done.

It supported everything that she'd already known. Raven Caulder had been a good man with a beautiful, tormented soul. The only man she'd ever love. Her hand lifted to her chest, absently rubbing the raven shaped black onyx pendant that hung above her heart. Because that was where he lived now.

Where he would always be.

Losing him had destroyed her, and she was still lost in an emotionless void. Adhering to a strict schedule was the only thing that got her out of bed in the morning. She did it to honor Raven's desire for the routine and mundane. Although her new normal was a far cry from the future they had planned.

After Raven's funeral, Jax and his teammate Rico 'Cruise' Montenegro had brought her to the island that his former SEAL team had made their base of operations. A secure location where their women were safe from the Illuminati. Ironically it was called Sanctuary Island, a former resort located just off the Florida Keys.

Savannah was glad that she had come. Her best friend had survived a horrifically violent and traumatic assault. As a clinical psychologist, she was able to help her overcome it. The panic attacks had stopped, and the other woman was well on her way to recovery. Helping Kira to heal had given her a purpose.

A reason to exist.

Unfortunately, nothing could heal the pain of loss that Savannah dealt with every minute of every day.

"Hola, pequeño gorrión," a familiar voice said as six foot of solid muscle sank down beside her on the sand. "Thought I'd find you here."

Rico was one of the former SEALs who kept the island secure. He'd kind of adopted her when they met. He'd said she reminded him of a broken sparrow so he was going to keep her safely beneath his wing until she could fly again. The bird reference had shattered her, and he'd held her while she cried. The first of many times her new friend had been there for her.

"Hey Rico," she said with a half-hearted smile.

"You've got mail," he announced in a computer animated tone and handed over a square envelope.

"Thanks," she replied and slid a finger beneath the wax seal before lifting the flap. Savannah removed an invitation, and a folded piece of stationary slid from between its edges. Opening it, she saw a handwritten note in a very masculine scrawl.

Ms. Summers,

Our mutual friend commissioned a portrait for you, and it's the featured piece of my latest collection. I've arranged a private showing for you before it's made public. I'd love to meet the woman who saw beauty inside a tortured soul.

Jazz Ravenwood

Savannah gasped and reread the note again. Raven had commissioned Jasper Ravenwood to paint a portrait for her! Tears filled her eyes. That was exactly the kind of thing he would have done. It was so sweet and unexpected. For the first time in months, she felt something besides grief and pain.

Excitement shown in her eyes as she threw her arms around her companion and hugged him tightly. A brilliant smile on her face, she waved the note between them and said, "Rico, this is wonderful!"

"Must be," he agreed with a smile. "What is it?"

"An invitation to a private showing," Savannah enthused. "Raven commissioned my favorite artist to paint me a portrait, and it's the featured piece."

"Nice. Where is it?"

She flipped the invitation open and replied, "A gallery called Art & All That Jazz in Key West."

"Don't get your hopes up, chica," he warned. "We'll have to clear it with the bosses first."

"Like hell. I'm going whether they like it or not," she informed him with her former feistiness.

He grinned broadly and hugged her against his side. "I think my little sparrow is ready to try her wings."

"I think you might be right," she readily agreed. Because she actually had something to look forward to. A gift from the man she loved.

 

***

 

"Don't know why we had to wear suits," Rico grumbled as he steered the cigarette boat away from the island.

"Because we're private security for this op," Jax reminded him. "Gotta look the part."

"Op my ass. We're hopping over to Key West to look at art," he complained and sounded disgusted.

"Quit your bitching and deal with it," Savannah said in exasperation. "Doesn't this tub go any faster?"

"We're ahead of schedule already, sparrow," Jax pointed out in amusement.

"Sparrow my ass," Rico muttered in Spanish. "She's turned into a fucking fire-breathing dragon."

"I heard that," she warned and gave him a narrow-eyed glare.

Jax couldn't help laughing at the exchange. Over the last few days, she had come out of her shell of apathy with a vengeance. Thank God. His brother had always liked his women feisty. Now he knew how this one had managed to bring him to his knees. And why Raven had called her Spitfire. They didn't get any feistier than Savannah.

 

***

 

Savannah was a bundle of raw nerves by the time they arrived at the gallery. She stepped inside the tastefully decorated foyer, and a framed poster on an elaborate wrought iron easel caught her attention. It announced the Jasper Ravenwood Hope Collection was being unveiled tomorrow.

A chic middle-aged woman stepped into the room and greeted her with a warm smile. "Welcome, Ms. Summers," she said cheerfully and handed her a catalog. "Please have a look around. Mr. Ravenwood asked that you join him for dinner in the adjacent restaurant when you're ready."

"Thank you," she replied in a voice trembling with excitement. It was extraordinarily generous of Jazz to allow her the privilege of a private showing, and she was deeply honored that he'd deigned to meet her in person. The man was a recluse, after all.

She walked into the main room and entered another world. A world created entirely inside the mind of a master of intrigue. Savannah moved from portrait to portrait, completely transfixed by the images before her. She saw what he saw. Felt what he felt. Each one more hauntingly beautiful than the last.

Although his distinctive style remained the same, this series was different from the ones she'd seen before. The intense longing was still evident, but the images were somehow lighter and filled with hope, as the name of the collection implied. They moved her to tears yet made her smile at the same time.

One of her favorite pieces depicted a dark-haired woman reading to the little girl sitting in her lap as the central focus. The slightly blurred outer edges revealed a man was also present and smiling indulgently at their reflections in a mirror. That was when she realized what was different.

The artist was no longer on the outside looking in.

Having viewed every painting on display, Jax and Rico led her through a set of antique glass doors that connected to the next building. They entered a lounge with soft jazz playing in the background. In the middle of the room sat an easel with a large portrait facing away from her. Her heart in her throat, Savannah walked slowly toward it.

The final piece in the collection was entitled Redemption. It took her breath away because the face staring back at her was hers. The focus of the painting was dual depictions of her face radiant with happiness and golden eyes filled with love. Her chocolate hair shimmered against the darkness surrounding her as it cascaded around her bare shoulders.

Taking a step back to view the portrait in its entirety, a shocked gasp slid from her lips. The circles of inky blackness surrounding her were irises. Savannah instantly recognized the midnight eyes she knew so well set in the slightly blurred face of the man she loved. The meaning of the portrait was abundantly clear.

This was how she looked through Raven's eyes.

"The love of a woman can redeem a man," a masculine voice said quietly from behind her. "Give him a reason to change. To be a better man than he ever thought he could be. Your love was Raven's redemption."

Tears slid unchecked down her cheeks as she turned slowly to face the artist who'd captured the soul of the man she loved. He was dressed in an impeccable suit tailored to fit his muscular frame. Short, spiky blonde hair, and black horn-rimmed glasses framed eyes the color of a midnight sky.

He flashed her a wicked, wicked smile and said, "I'm Jasper Ravenwood, but my friends call me…"

"Jazz," Savannah breathed before she grasped his ridiculously handsome clean shaven face and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.

***

"Fuck me," Rico exclaimed. "I have got to learn how to paint, hermano."

"Asshat," Jax replied with a laugh.

Ignoring the two men who'd helped him arrange his death and resurrection, Raven crushed Savannah in his arms. His mouth devoured hers greedily as his heart took wing and soared. Holding her again felt like coming home. He'd missed her. So fucking much. This beautiful woman whose love had been his redemption.

He reveled in the feel and taste of her for endless minutes before reluctantly ending the kiss. The last thing he expected was the resounding slap that connected solidly with his left cheek. Or the furious expression she wore. Although considering who he had fallen in love with, he probably should have. "Now, spitfire…" he began in a placating tone.

"You heartless bastard," she seethed venomously. "You let me believe you were dead! How could you do that to me? You ripped my goddamn heart out and let me bleed to death."

The knowledge that he'd hurt her ripped his fucking heart out. "Darlin', I…"

"Don't you darlin' me, you insufferable ass," Savannah spit out viciously and shoved his chest. "I was there when the club blew up. I thought you died and I… I died with you."

When she burst into tears, Raven held her tightly in a comforting embrace. "I'm sorry, sweet Savannah," he crooned brokenly. "So goddamn sorry I hurt you. But Raven had to die so I could be free."

Eyes filled with pain met his. "You could have told me that you were going to fake your own death," she accused tremulously.

"You weren't supposed to know about it," he admitted. "The plan was to keep you safe on the island while I laid low until the heat blew over. When you showed up at the clubhouse we had to regroup. Jax and Rico convinced me that you'd be safer if you didn't know the truth."

Her beautiful golden eyes turned on the other two men, and Savannah practically breathed fire when she snarled, "You knew?"

"Aiy, dios," the Cubano muttered. "Just shoot me now."

"You're not getting off that easy, asshole," Savannah warned before she turned her fiery glare on his brother. "And you just wait till Kira hears about this."

Jaxon looked horrified before he glared at his brother to demand, "Fix this."

"Darlin', Snake was working with the Illuminati, and we weren't sure he hadn't told them about your involvement with me," he hastily explained. "Your safety was the priority. I couldn't ask you to go into hiding with me in case they didn't buy my death."

Her golden eyes grew huge, and she demanded, "Oh my God! Whose body did we bury?"

"Nobody important," he quickly denied. "Just the bastard who hurt Kira. He was already dead so we dressed him in my cut and blew him up."

Savannah digested that and seemed satisfied with it so he continued. "I'd give anything if I could go back and spare you the pain of thinking I died," Raven swore. "I promise I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Anything you want, anything you need, I'll do it."

Her eyes softened, and she said, "I just want to live a normal, mundane life with you."

"That can be arranged," he agreed in relief, a stupid smile on his face.

"Good, because I miss your cooking and Rico isn't as much fun to snuggle with," she informed him as she burrowed deeper into his embrace. As the significance of that sank in, Raven turned his head and fixed the pilot with a look that warned dire repercussions.

"Dios mio, gorrión," the other man complained. "There was no snuggling. You are an evil woman."

Savannah laughed, the sound bubbling out of her and restoring his soul. "Payback's a bitch," she replied in amusement.

"Hermano, you'd better have big cojones to handle her," Rico warned.

"He knows exactly how to handle me," she replied with a dazzling smile. "Don't you… Jazz?"

"I do love a feisty woman," Raven admitted happily and captured her mouth with his again.