Page 56 of Carver’s Crusade

“Oh my God,” I whisper.

CHAPTER 23: CARVER

Raven stands in the middle of the living room like the weight of the world just dropped onto her shoulders. Her hands tremble at her sides, her face pale beneath the soft yellow light overhead.

“Raven,” I say quietly.

She shakes her head before I can get closer. “I didn’t think about them.” Her voice cracks hard enough to slice through my chest. “God, Carver… what if there were others? What if Tony’s friends—”

I close the distance before she can spiral any further and pull her into my arms.

She folds against me instantly, fingers clutching the front of my shirt like she needs something solid to hold onto. I wrap her tight against my chest and brush my hand slowly down her hair. Once. Twice. Trying to soothe her.

“You couldn’t have known,” I whisper against the top of her head.

“But I should’ve—”

“No.” I tighten my hold when her voice breaks again. “You don’t get to carry blame for monsters being monsters.”

She goes still, but I can feel the guilt rolling through her in waves. It’s in the way she breathes too fast. In the way her fingers twist in my shirt.

“If there are other women,” I murmur, smoothing her hair back again, “we’ll figure out what happened to them.”

Her face presses harder into my chest.

“And if they’re alive, we’ll bring them home.” My voice turns colder, harder. “If not, then we make damn sure those assholes pay for what was done to them.”

For a moment neither of us speaks. The room is quiet except for the low hum of the refrigerator and the distant sound of Shield pacing near the kitchen.

Raven finally exhales shakily. “I hate this.”

“I know.”

“I hate that people like Tony exist.”

My jaw tightens automatically at the sound of his name. “Yeah. Me too.”

I tip her chin up gently until her eyes meet mine. They’re glossy with tears she’s trying hard not to let fall.

“Do you have everything? We need to get back to the clubhouse.”

She nods once, exhausted more than convinced.

“I think I have everything; let me go double-check.”

I watch her disappear down the hallway before turning toward Shield.

He already has his phone out.

“Calling Dante,” he says. “We need Church first thing in the morning.”

I nod once. “Yeah. We’re done sitting on this.”

Shield’s expression darkens. “We need a plan for Tony and every bastard tied to him.”

“We’ll have one.”

He lifts the phone toward his ear, then pauses. “You should call Axel and Simon.”