“I need you to talk to me.”
“No, I don’t need to talk to you, Carlos. You’d like me to talk to you, but is that so you can come up with some other lies? Maybe a different kind of plan?”
“You’re upset.”
“You lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie.”
“So you didn’t plot for me to come and live with you? Was there even a hit on your life or was Paolo in on it?”
Carlos gritted his teeth. “Paolo was real, Raven. The hit was real. All of that was real. The only thing that wasn’t was my … was that I needed you. I already had it narrowed down. Smokey and I, we were doing what was best for you.”
“Best for me? You mean best for the both of you. You’ve admitted you were attracted to me, so Smokey sending me to you just worked out in your favor. As for Smokey, he wanted to be rid of me because of Ava. None of that was for my own good. You benefited each other. That’s it.”
This wasn’t helping him. “We need to talk.”
“I’m not leaving, Carlos. I don’t want to talk to you. You’ve said enough.”
“You’re pregnant.”
“I know.”
Carlos ran his fingers through his hair, getting even more agitated as they talked. This wasn’t going how he’d hoped.
“Look, Carlos, I don’t know what you’d hoped for, but this, between us, it’s not going to happen. You fooled me once, but you’re not going to fool me again. You or Smokey. I’m done with the both of you.” Raven grabbed the door. “I suggest you leave me the hell alone, and if you keep on yelling, I’ll call the cops and make sure they don’t allow bail to be posted. You’ll have to wait for Drago to come and bail your ass out.” She slammed the door.
Carlos knew she wouldn’t do that.
He wanted to make her come and talk to him, but he couldn’t force her either. Raven was hurting.
This was on him. He’d fucked up. Big time.
Chapter Sixteen
“Are you okay?” Larissa asked.
Raven glanced at the young woman. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
They had taken a cab to the clubhouse. Raven saw her bike and car waiting in the parking lot. She’d caught sight of multiple club whores hanging around. Some of them were smoking.
“We don’t have to do this today,” she said.
It had been three days since Larissa invited her back for brisket. During that time, Raven had done … a lot of crying.
She’d followed Jonah to the church, and he’d made sure to put her in the back so no one saw her. Then she’d followed Larissa around at the library, helping her but feeling numb to it all.
Finally, she had woken up this morning and knew what she had to do. First, she’d offered to pay Jonah rent. He’d refused it, but she had left it anyway. So long as she was using his spare room, she’d pay rent. She had also done a whole load of chores. Cleaning, cooking breakfast, doing the laundry.
She wasn’t an amazing cook, but she had the basics, which was easy.
Now, on Larissa’s half day of work, she was back at the clubhouse, intending to take some of her belongings.
She was wearing one of Larissa’s dresses. Larissa was a little bigger than her, so it hung off her body.
With her being pregnant, it wouldn’t be long until it actually fit. Speaking of pregnancy, she had also scheduled a doctor’s appointment. In the last three days, she’d also avoided Carlos.
He kept coming to Jonah’s house, but unlike the first night, he hadn’t made any kind of scene, which she was thankful for.
Seeing him, talking to him, she didn’t want to do. She kept trying to push all her feelings into one corner of her brain. Right now, she was moving around and doing everything on numb mode.
The clubhouse, this was hard to do, and she was grateful to Larissa for offering to help her. She didn’t realize how much pain she’d feel just looking at the building that had been home for so long.
“I need to do this today,” Raven said. She didn’t move.
“We could just admire the structure. It’s very put together.”
Raven chuckled. “Anyone ever tell you you’re a sweetheart?”
“All the time.”
“Don’t ever change,” Raven said. “Don’t allow anyone to tear your soul out and rip it to shreds.”
Larissa sighed. “I won’t. We could go to the park. Or to the diner. I’m feeling hungry.”
“I’ll take you there,” Raven said. “All I’ve got to do is go and grab my stuff.”
The woman at her side grabbed her hand. “I’m here for you, whenever you need it.”
She was stronger than this.
This was just a clubhouse. Just a building. It was no longer home to her.
Raven held on to Larissa’s hand and stepped over the line, entering the clubhouse. She didn’t want the other woman to see exactly what went on here, so she moved quite quickly, but even as she did, she saw how the other women were dressed. The moment she walked toward the clubhouse, she knew they stared but didn’t care. The club whores had never liked her. They hated her position within the club. They’d wanted her place. They never wanted to earn it, but they coveted a place. They should be happy that she wasn’t part of it anymore because Smokey wanted her gone.