“Mmm.”
She pushes herself up, resting her elbow on my ribs, and her chin in her hand.
“Is it always like this?”
Beautiful and cute.
“No. It’s never been like this. And, yes, with us, it’ll only get better.”
Her eyes grow a fraction before her lids drop lower. “Really?”
I run my fingers through her hair, from root to tip, the long strands falling against my chest. “Yeah, baby.”
She bites her bottom lip and softly moans. Her hips start to move again.
I smile. “My girl wants more.”
“Yeah, Jonah,” she says in that breathy way that makes me instantly hard.
“I aim to please.”
***
After another round of lovemaking, Raven is curled in my arms. Her head rests against my chest and her leg is thrown over my abs. I run my hand through her long, silky hair, twirling it around my finger. My other hand lazily traces patterns on her hip while her finger outlines my tattoo.
“You loved up enough to talk now, or do I need to give it to you one more time?”
She smiles, but doesn’t laugh. “I would love to do it again, but I’m too tired.” The yawn that follows confirms her words.
“Tell me about this Vince guy.”
She huffs out a frustrated breath. “I met him that day I went to see Dominick. He acted like he knew me, but I didn’t think much of it. Guess he’d been milking Eve for information about me for weeks. Then I ran into him at Eve’s. I wanted to tell you, but forgot with everything that was happening with us.”
This all makes sense. Now for the tough question. “What happened tonight at the club?”
She cowers against my chest.
What the fuck?
“We were at the bar after dancing. We had a little too much to drink, and before I knew it, these guys were harassing us—“
“Harassing you? Fuck, Raven! Why didn’t you call me?” My words are flying before my brain has time to consider what I’m saying. And I wonder why she’s cowering? Not wanting to lose my shit, I push my anger down and take a deep breath. “Sorry, baby. Go on.”
She continues to tell me about her night. I try not to dwell on the motherfucker that put his hands on my girl then pressed her up against the bar. I swallow the angry retorts that bubble up from my all-consuming frustration. I nod and listen, unsuccessfully suppressing the occasional growl.
“Did he say where he was taking you?”
“No, he called me a slut and told me it was none of my business. He said that if I didn’t shut up, he was going to make it my business, um . . . allnightlong.” Her chin drops again as she ends the sentence in a whisper.
Did she say all night long? He called her a slut!
My head starts to buzz. “He’s fucking dead,” I say with a calm I am not feeling.
“Um, I’m pretty sure you got him back. I didn’t even recognize his face when you were done with him.”
Her body shivers in my arms. I hold her tighter.
“I can’t let this go, Raven. I’m going back to talk to Dominick. If he doesn’t get his boy in check, we’re going to the cops.”
“Jonah—”
“I’ll do this Dominick’s way. I’ll throw my fight. He’ll get his money. But the moment his goons put their fucking hands on my girl . . .”
What? I have no options. I’m the one with everything to lose, not Dominick. The fucker’s backed me into a corner and he knows it.
“We can’t go to the cops. Even you said he’s got them on his payroll. If Dominick feels threatened, he could leak to the media that you agreed to throw your fight. Even without evidence, the rumors could get you banned from the UFL.”
Fuck. She’s right. My mind spins with unanswered questions. The most important thing is to keep Raven calm and safe. That’s where my focus needs to be, at least until this shit is over.
“I’ll talk with Dominick again. He wants his money. I’m sure he’s not pleased that his boy got his ass handed to him tonight. Don’t worry, baby. I’ll take care of this.”
She nods into my chest. “Please be careful.”
“Always. Now go to sleep. We can talk more in the morning.”
“Okay, Jonah. I love you,” she says through another yawn.
“I love you too, baby.”
After shutting off the light, I stare into the dark room. Raven’s breathing shifts to the rhythmic cadence of sleep. I hold her a little tighter, absorbing the contentment I feel from having her safe in my arms.
This clusterfuck with Vince has complicated my deal with Dominick. He needs to know now, especially after I turned Vince’s face into ground beef, that I’m not going to allow him to fuck with Raven. There’s no way—
My thoughts are redirected by the sound of my phone ringing. With a slight lean, I grab my phone from my bedside.
I don’t check the ID, but instead hit answer and bite out a quick, “What!”
Raven stirs, and I rub her arm reassuringly.
“Mr. Slade.”
Adrenaline floods my bloodstream, making my head buzz.
“Dominick.”
Twenty-two