Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 104329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
After grabbing his keys, he made his way out of his house, not caring if he locked the door. If anyone stole from him, they’d suffer the consequences.
He wasn’t going to play nice. Not anymore.
Once inside his car, he pulled out of the gate, clicking the button to close it, and headed around town. He had no exact location in mind. Fort Clover was a small town, but it had a lot of streets attached that led to the main town.
He needed Raven, was desperate to find her.
He had to make this right.
She was pregnant with his kid and he didn’t want to miss any of that. He checked out the streets, seeing if he could spot her raven hair or her curvy ass.
He was driving for a good twenty minutes before he caught sight of her.
She was alone, which was in fact rare. He had it on good authority that she was always with another woman, Larissa, the town’s goody two shoes.
He didn’t know why Raven was hanging with her, but so long as she was happy, he wasn’t going to change it.
Driving past her, he checked in his rearview mirror and saw that it was her. She was so focused on the ground that she hadn’t looked up when he approached.
This was his chance. He spun the car, jerked it right up onto the path, pulled the parking stick up, and climbed out.
Raven looked startled as he stepped toward her. She’d been so lost in thought, she hadn’t even realized what was happening.
“Carlos!” She looked at his car and then glared. “What the hell are you doing?”
“You won’t talk to me.”
“I don’t have to talk to you.” She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “Leave me alone.”
“No. You’re carrying my kid.”
She went to move past him, and he grabbed her arm.
Raven spun toward him, about to land a blow right in his face, but he stopped her, blocking the aim. She tried again, and he blocked her.
When she went for his nuts, he ended up pinning her against the nearest wall, sliding his leg between hers. “Will you stop?” he asked.
“Let me go.”
“Look. I’m sorry.”
“Do you think that is supposed to be an apology?” Raven asked. “You lied to me.”
“I lied and did what I had to in order to protect you.”
“Protect me?”
“Yes. Smokey wanted you gone.”
“Shut up,” she said.
“Did you want to be kicked out of the Hell’s Bastards MC?” Carlos asked.
She was silent.
“See, I didn’t think so.”
“You still don’t get it, do you?” she asked.
“Get what?”
She snorted. “It’s not about the fact I got kicked out. You didn’t even think to take me to one side, to tell me that Smokey was cleaning shop, that I was next. Did you even think to ask me to come with you? To, I don’t know, start over?”
It hadn’t entered his mind to actually ask her.
“See, you didn’t even think to ask me. You just … you just assumed that you knew best and expected me to fall into line. Congratulations, Carlos. I thought … you know what, it doesn’t matter what I thought because it’s not the truth, is it? It’s not … let me go.”
Carlos hated this.
She stopped fighting. Her hands hung limp in his arms.
“Raven, I didn’t think to—”
“Yeah, I get it. You didn’t think to ask, and now I’m pregnant anyway. I guess you can give yourself a big pat on the back as a well done for mission accomplished.”
“That’s not what I want to do.”
“It’s all you’re going to get. I can’t trust you.”
“Raven, come on.”
“No. I don’t want to see you anymore. I don’t want to hear you. I don’t want to have anything to do with you. Not now. Not ever. You and me, we’re done.”
Carlos knew it was never going to be over. Not by a long shot. Raven looked so fucking sad, and he hated that. He pressed his palm against her stomach. “You can pretend to hate me, Raven. You can try to push me away, but you’ll never succeed. I know you want me, and that is never going to change. One day, you will forgive me, and I will have earned that forgiveness.” He slammed his lips down on hers, kissing her hard.
Raven didn’t respond.
Carlos didn’t overstay his welcome.
He broke the kiss, even though he didn’t fucking want to, and then he stepped away from her, giving her the space she needed to just be. He climbed back in his car and pulled off the main path, but he didn’t drive away.
Driving at Raven’s speed, he slowly followed her to wherever she was going to make sure she was there safe.
Carlos vowed that every single morning, he’d be outside of the small house, and he’d follow Raven to make sure she was safe. While he was doing that, he’d figure out how to win her back.