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“Don’t,” she begs hoarsely. “Please don’t call me that now.”
“Okay, babe. I’ll call you whatever you want. How can I help?”
“Phoenix…”
“Is taken care of,” Baxter reassures her. He quickly checks his watch and adds, “she’ll be with Cordelia now.”
Raven nods slowly and closes her eyes again, takes a deep breath, and reopens her eyes like it pains her to do so.
“I don’t want to be alone,” she whispers. My chest does this weird...tightening sensation. I can’t describe it, it’s nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I don’t like it. I think again how much I hate her looking so broken. She’s too small, too pale, and now too scared-looking.
All at once, all five guys in the room - myself included - are clamouring and offering to stay with her, get her things, whatever she needs. Big fat tears roll slowly down her cheeks and she sobs, overwhelmed, I guess. It makes me rub my chest absentmindedly where the pain is; right over my heart where my black raven feather tattoo lies. I’ve refused to look at it - hell even think of it - for years. And now I can’t stop touching it, like it’s a direct lifeline back to Raven.
“Bax?” she calls and he immediately leans in towards her. She whispers something in his ear, he nods, kisses the back of her hand, then leaves. I watch him scowl at his phone again as he goes.
“Reb?” She turns to him. “Not now, but can you take care of the house?”
“On it, Princess. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
“I’ll sort security,” I jump in, telling Rebel. He can sort the mess inside but there’s no one I trust enough to take care of her safety anymore. It has to be me. It always should have been me.
I already know, plans forming in my mind, that I’m going to go way over the top. But I don’t care.
“Do you want to stay there? We can get you a new house,” Thorn jumps in to offer. Hmm, that’s actually not a bad idea.
“No. It’s Phoenix’s home. He doesn’t get to take that from her,” she replies firmly. It makes me feel a tiny bit better; there’s still a bit of steel, a bit of fight, left in her. Thank god, she’s not broken yet. Or ever, if I have my way.
There’s a knock at the door - the doctor - and we all leave briefly so that she can check Raven over. I shoot a wary glance at Rebel when I spy two policemen walking into the ward.
“Thorn, take care of it,” I order, jerking my head at the uniformed officers coming towards us. “She’s not to speak to anyone yet.”
“On it, boss,” he replies, pressing his way through us and going to head them off. No way are they taking a statement from her when she’s barely even come round yet.
Baxter returns, shooting me significant looks when he sees Thorn charming the police, before joining us. I briefly explain that the doctor is with Raven and he informs us that he phoned Cordelia to say she was conscious; though it was at Raven’s request and more for Phoenix’s benefit than anyone else’s.
My phone goes off again - still on silent but buzzing nonetheless - and I sigh.
“You too, huh?” Baxter asks.
“She’s driving me insane,” I reply.
“Tell me about it,” he says as he runs a hand through his hair. “Listen, can we talk about that?”
“Not here,” I instruct, pulling him into an empty side room a moment later.
“Shoot,” I encourage him.
“I don’t think I can do it, Jax. I’m sorry,” he confesses.
“Okay,” I reply cautiously. Relief courses through me once again. I’m glad he’s said something first, because in truth, I don’t think I can either. “Which part?”
“I want revenge, I do. But I don’t think I can sleep with her.” He confirms my own feelings. The thought of sleeping with Tilly sickens me.
“We need to get her a different way,” I say thoughtfully.
“You don’t mind?”
“No,” I admit, “I couldn’t bear to get any closer to her either. But how do we take care of this then?”
