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Raven only cocks his brow in response.
Maddy turns to me with a soft smile. “Give me a minute,” she says and walks out.
I shake my head at Raven. “What’s your deal? Maddy is like the nicest person on this resort. The girl can save an army if needed.”
“And she has a job. And can follow orders.”
“Oh…” A drunk laugh escapes me. “I see what you’re doing, man. Is this some kind of tough guy mating ritual? If you think you can win with her—nah, dude, not a chance. She’s tough, through and through. And honest. So give her a break, will you?”
The door opens again, but before I see who it is, Raven’s eyes flash in that quick unmistakable anger.
“Gentlemen! Late night?” It’s one of the other nurses, a girl in her mid-twenties, who was selected to come to Zion a year ago. She starts chirping away, her ponytail awfully jumpy, just like her high-pitched voice and permanent smile.
“Where’s the other girl?” Raven asks, his voice suddenly steel-cold.
“Maddy? She’s busy, asked me to take care of you.”
“I wanther.”
“I can help you—”
“I said”—Raven cuts in—“I wanther. Bring her back.”
The girl helplessly looks at me, but I only shrug, enjoying the show, and she walks out with disappointed hurriedness.
“I. Want. Her,” I slowly echo Raven’s words and study him in slight disbelief. “What are we dealing with here? Maddy is too nice to mess with.”
But I know it’s pointless to argue with Raven.
The door opens again, and Maddy smiles at me, her smile waning as soon as she turns to Raven and takes several slow steps toward him, her chin slightly raised in defiance.
No one has ever looked so calmly into Raven’s eyes, not even me. And I can’t look away and cheer for Team Maddy when slowly, as if putting up a show, Raven reaches behind him, pulls his shirt over his head, then tosses it onto the chair, the entire time keeping his eyes locked with Maddy’s.
There’s a bloodied bruise on his ribs—Maddy was right about needing to look into it. Many bruises and cuts etch his muscled torso. The fragments of the giant raven tattoo on his back wrap from behind and claw at his biceps.
I feel bad for leaving Maddy with Raven one on one, even though Maddy is not a bit shaken by his almost murderous stare. But this is not my business.
I get up slowly, swaying from booze. “Listen, stop by my villa after this,” I tell Raven. “Let’s have a drink and chat. We have things to discuss, and I’ll be up for a while.”
“Sure,” Raven says without taking his eyes off Maddy, like he’s trying to stare her down.
“Maddy, you can handle him?” I ask from the door.
“Absolutely,” she responds, not turning.
“Sure? Raven is a handful.”
She doesn’t look at me, only him when she says, “We’ll be just fine,” like she’s talking to a sedated tiger that’s not dangerous anymore.
Raven took the world by storm. Maddy takes others with kindness. Raven just doesn’t know that kindness is a bigger weapon than the Swiss Army knife he carries on him at all times and, rumor has it, is an expert with in cutting through a bone. But if there’s anyone who can stand their ground, it’s Maddy.
And as I close the door, that’s the last thing I see and hear—Maddy taking a slow step toward Raven, saying in a voice that could dull a Swiss Army knife, “Let’s take a look at you, shall we?”
14
KAT
It’s been mostlysunny the whole day, but now, at midnight, it’s starting to rain. I don’t mind, except the moisture makes my hair frizzy and no amount of coconut oil can tame that dark halo around my head.
