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“Oh, he didn’t,” I say with a smile. “I’m not alone.”
One of the men laughs, looking around. “Looks like you’re on your own to me, sweetheart. Now, where the fuck was I?” He grips my shirt and rips it open. I’m immediately transported back to Cobra and my time with his club. The man’s hands grab at my breasts while the other grips my throat and pushes me back onto the couch. “You look like the type of girl to love cock,” he whispers, running his tongue across my cheek.
I cry out, trying to get Gerry’s attention. Surely, he’s realised something is wrong. A hand presses to my mouth, muffling my screams. I bite it, hard, and I’m rewarded with a sharp slap across the face. My throat is squeezed tighter, and I struggle to get enough air into my lungs. I feel fingers in my underwear, then there’s a popping sound and the intruding fingers stop. Another pop follows, and the man holding my neck falls onto me, his weight crushing me. He’s suddenly ripped away, and I’m staring up into Vinn’s eyes.
“We had trouble getting access,” he mutters, his eyes raking over the state of my clothing.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I scream, diving up and shoving my hands hard against his chest. Angry tears fall down my face, and I swipe them away in a temper.
“Raven, I’m so sorry,” he says, trying to grab my flailing arms.
“Fuck you, Vinn!”
I storm from the room and press the lift button several times. He’s behind me in seconds. “Don’t leave like this,” he whispers.
“Get the hell away from me,” I hiss.
“I’ll take you home.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
I step into the lift, my eyes burning into his. I’m so angry and adrenaline is coursing through me, causing me to shake uncontrollably. “You can’t walk back through the lobby looking like that,” he says. The doors close, and I sag in relief. Turning to the mirror, I take in my appearance. Black mascara stains my cheeks and my eyes are red from my angry tears. My shirt is open and covered in specks of blood. There’s a large red mark on my cheek where I was hit.
Vinn’s right—I can’t walk out looking like this. I pull my jacket around me and fasten the buttons. Then, I quickly run my fingers through my hair and lick my thumb to clear away the dark smudges under my eyes. As I exit the hotel, I keep my head lowered.
MAC
“I met with Raven today for lunch,” announces Leia.
Chains kisses her on the head. “Thanks, baby.”
“Was she okay?” I ask, because I haven’t heard from her all day, and Riggs told me not to pick her up after work as Vinn was dropping her home. I couldn’t argue, since things are rocky surrounding the whole situation.
“Yeah. A little down, but she’ll be fine.”
I check my watch, realising she finished work over an hour ago. Riggs comes over with his phone to his ear. “Right, thanks. I’ll send the guys out to look for her.” He disconnects the call, and I know the second he looks at me, something is wrong.
“Stay calm” are the first words that leave his mouth. I stand, already feeling a build-up of anger. “That was Vinn. He took Raven to a job and it went wrong. She’s walked out, he can’t find her, and she isn’t answering her mobile.”
“What kind of job? Is she hurt?” I ask.
“She was meant to distract a guy in a hotel room. Turns out there were two of them, and Vinn couldn’t get access to the room straightaway. She was trapped in there with two men who thought she was an escort.”
I take a deep breath and ball my fists. “Is she hurt?”
Riggs nods. “I think so.”
I pull out my mobile and call her, but it goes to an answer-message. “I’m gonna kill him,” I warn.
“I’ll deal with that. You go and find her. I’ll send the others out too,” says Riggs.
* * *
I spend hours driving around the city looking for Raven. Between the guys, we cover a huge space, but she’s nowhere to be found. Anna and the other women called the local hospitals to check she hasn’t been admitted. I call her mobile over and over, but each time I get her answer machine. Eventually, Riggs orders everyone back to the club. I’m angry and frustrated, but he’s right, she’ll turn up when she’s ready. It’s not the first time she’s been out on the streets alone.
I can’t sleep, so I bust the lock on her room and head inside. It smells of her, and I instantly relax a little. I pick up her perfume bottle and inhale the sweet smell. I notice a small picture stuck on her mirror and I pull it off, peering closer at the little girl smiling up at an older woman. Maybe this is her and her mum, although I’m sure she said she grew up with her aunt and uncle. I stick it back on the mirror and pull open her drawer. It’s full of makeup. Ruby didn’t wear makeup, because she’s naturally beautiful and hated the way it felt on her skin. Raven’s beautiful too. She’s got pale skin and it gives her that English rose kind of look.
I wander over to another set of drawers, opening the top one and pulling out a lace garment. It’s a red all-in-one bodice. Ruby hated this sort of thing. I laugh to myself at the memory of when I had brought her a set for Christmas, and she accused me of wanting to change her. I bought it to spice shit up. We’d been together a long time and I could feel my eyes wandering. I had to stop it, so I tried stuff to bring us together again. I sigh, dropping the garment back into the drawer and closing it.
