Every opportunity he had, he was inside her. Pumping his seed deep into her cunt, hoping it would take, and that Raven would fall for him and not have a choice but to stay. Life at the Hell’s Bastards MC was too damn dangerous. Yes, his life was difficult, but he could surround her with men he trusted to keep her safe, and he’d always have her by his side.
This was why it was important for him to get her pregnant. To keep her. Smokey had fucked up on more than one occasion as far as Carlos was concerned. Raven had been put in danger too many times.
Carlos didn’t give a fuck if she was club and that was part of the job description.
Not on his watch. Not anymore.
Raven was his. All his.
“He doesn’t like me,” Raven said.
“Don’t take it personally. He doesn’t like anyone.”
She threw back her head and laughed. “Trust me, I’m not going to take it personally. He’s not going to be the first guy not to like me and he’s not going to be the last.” She stepped onto the sparring mat. “Are you sure you want to take me on?”
“Scared?” he asked, stepping onto the mat.
“I’m warning you, I’m not nice.” She winked at him.
“Oh, I don’t know. You see, you’re a very nice person, Raven, but you hide it all the damn time.”
Raven paced, keeping her hands at her sides. She wasn’t professionally trained, but she knew how to handle herself. Carlos watched her. He had no doubt she’d spent some time on the streets.
There were two lives when it came to Raven. The one she told people, and he imagined the other was the truth.
“Whoever you’re getting your information from,” Raven said, “they’re lying, and you should get them to pay you back.”
He chuckled. “They’re not lying. You see, a mean woman wouldn’t try to hide from another just so she didn’t have to go through the trauma she once did.”
Carlos knew it was a risk bringing up Ava, but he wanted Raven to let it go. To stop dwelling on the shit that happened. Smokey gave an order. Raven followed it. Should she have questioned her President? Carlos honestly didn’t know. Drago questioned him all the time, and he accepted it because that was how they worked. Smokey was President. In the Hell’s Bastards MC, his word was law. To deny him, Raven could have gotten kicked out of the club or worse. Smokey could have killed her.
“Don’t go there,” Raven said.
“I think you need to go there.”
“Ava is none of your concern.”
“And if we’re being honest here, Raven, then technically, she’s none of yours either.”
Raven’s body had tightened as he brought it up. This was what he wanted to achieve as well. Having Raven finally let go of her feelings of guilt when it came to Ava.
As far as he was concerned, she had more than made up for it by nearly dying for her.
“You can’t stop me from going there,” Carlos said. “You followed orders. Smokey’s orders.”
“I should have questioned it,” Raven said.
“Why?” Carlos said.
Raven paused and frowned at him. “What the fuck is this?”
“This is sparring, Raven. I’m getting into your head.”
“And you’re not fucking invited, so I suggest you stay the fuck out of my head! You weren’t there. You didn’t know what happened.”
Carlos moved toward her, swiped his legs out, and took Raven down to the mat. “One point to me. So, you’re saying that Smokey is a bad leader, and you should question him at every single point.”
Raven shoved him off, getting back to her feet. This time, when she advanced, he knew she was pissed. As she hit out, he blocked her, pulling her against him and trapping her. He kissed her neck.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said.
He shoved her away and Raven spun toward him, looking angrier by the second.
“I don’t? Or do you just not want to admit the truth?”
“There is no truth.”
She charged at him, but Carlos was able to ward her off, stopping each blow from landing. This time, before pushing her away, he landed a swat to her rump, which made her even angrier.
He watched as she clenched her hands, and there was this look in her eye. One that promised to end him.
“No truth? So you’re saying that you didn’t have to second guess Smokey? His word is law in the club?”
Raven glared at him, and he saw the need to hurt him in her eyes. “I see what you’re trying to do, and it’s not going to work, no matter how good you are at dressing it up.”
“And what am I trying to do?” he asked.
“What happened to Ava was my fault and no matter what you do, no matter the wordplay, you cannot take that responsibility from me. I was involved.”