Claiming the Knights (12 page)

             
“This is all happening so fast. I am really out of my league here and I have already been warned that you are leaving soon, and I will be a distant memory,” she said, letting him know her concerns.

             
“I am sorry. We walk, that is all.” He took her hand and they got back on the path heading back to the bike. “The way you kiss me today, I thought you wanted this. I was wrong. I will take you back to car right away.”

             
Her mind was racing. He was still walking at a slow pace, like he wanted to be with her. His automatic reaction to take her back to the car was confusing. So was Joe right? He was just going to use her, and then be on his way?

             
She stopped him. “What is going on? I am so confused. You kiss me like I have never been kissed before, leave me reeling. I can't even think,” she pleads. “I tell you that am out of my league, and that I have heard you are just going to use me and be gone, and you just decide that is enough, and we are done?”

             
He looks down at her. Her blue eyes are shining in the glow of the street light. He can't help see how beautiful she is. Then there is the other part of him that can't help but think what he would like to do to her body, and her soul.

             
“I do not want you to do what you do not want. I don't force you. You want to be done, we are done. Do I want to be done? No Bella, I want to experience you in all ways. Will I leave? Yes. I do not live here. That is what I am doing here with you, Bella Raven. If you do not want, I will stop this.” He waited for her response, as they both stood there.

             
Her emotional response to him surprised her. Her eyes filled with tears. “I want this,” she said. “I want this with you, but I don't know how. I don't understand what is going on here with us. I gave you a reading, I rode on your motorcycle, and then you kissed me. That kiss...” She paused, and looked down. “That kiss gutted me emotionally. It is causing me to not think straight. Now here I am with you, I know what you want and I think I want it to. I just don't know what I am doing. I don't know what I am supposed to do if we do this, and then you leave, and I don't see you again.” She slowly looked back at him. He had to think she was a basket case, or a child, at this point.

             
“Bella, you are a virgin?”

             
She froze. How could he be so blunt? She quickly looked back at the ground. Using the tip of her shoe, she moved a pebble around the sidewalk. “Maybe.”

             
“Oh shit! I did not know. I take you back to your car.” He all but dragged her back to the lot, dug the helmet out, placed it on her head and clipped it.

             
“I am so sorry,” he said, as he straddled the bike, and patted the seat behind him. She slid on behind him.

             
The ride back was silent. She attempted to just hang on to his hips and he immediately took each hand and wrapped them around his torso. At a few of the lights, he reached back and gently squeezed her knee. Each time he did, she lost her breath and butterflies took over her insides.

             
They pulled into the lot where her mom's car still sat. He pulled in next to it, and cut the engine. Raven slid off the back of his bike. She took off the helmet, and handed it to him.

             
“I am so confused,” she said. She just stood there, unable to move.

             
“Come here.” He put his hand out to her. She takes it, and steps towards him. He is still on the bike, and pulls her close.

             
“I am not the one to take that gift from you Bella. You deserve a man that can cherish you for years. I will be gone. I do not want that for you,” he explained to her.

             
Without thinking, she put a hand on each side of his face. She went in for a kiss, and he let her. As soon as their lips touched, he laced his fingers into her hair at the back of her neck, and took the kiss from her.

             
Once again, she had to lock her knees to stay upright. They kissed, exchanging flicks of each other's tongues for several minutes until she couldn't breathe, and she had to pull away.

             
“Bella you cannot kiss me like that,” he said, as if he had nothing to do with it.

             
“I want this. I want you. I am sure of it,” Raven said, completely out of breath.

             
Raw took off his helmet, and slid off the bike. “I want this too, but the person that warned you of me is right. I will be gone soon. So I will give you time. I will go do my duty for club and if you still want, we will.” He pulled her into a hug.

             
She was surrounded by him, his body, his smell, his protective hug. She had never felt safer than right there, right then. Tears welled up, and for the life of her, she couldn't stop them.

             
“Why you cry?” he asked her, without breaking the embrace.

             
“I don't know... I just really want this, with you. Now,” she said, once again not knowing where all of this was coming from. How in the hell could she be this invested in less than 24 hours?

             
“I want you to be away from me and decide. If you still want this after my return, we do.” He squeezed her in, one more time, and released her. “You go home sweet Raven. I text you on my return. We will see then. You go home and get rest.” He kissed her forehead.

             
The drive home was excruciating. She tried to pull it together the best she could before she walked into the house. Her mom was on the couch, in the dark living room that was illuminated with the TV screen. She had done her best to dry her tears, but mom's always knew. Damn it.

             
“Oh honey what's wrong,” Anne said, standing up, and hugging her.

             
“Just a guy mom. I don't want to talk about it.”

             
“Ok, I am here if you need me.”

             
“I know you are mom, I just want to go to bed. Love you.”

             
Anne kissed her head. “Love you.” 

             
Raven made it to her room, and lost it. She crawled into bed, and cried herself to sleep.

              The next day, Anne went to work at noon. When she walked into the clubhouse, Drifter greeted her. He and Jewl were already bellied up to the bar.

             
“Hey Anne, havta talk to you about somethin' you probably ain't gonna be too happy about. I just want you to hear me out before you start,” Drifter said, trying his best to intimidate her. He knew it wasn't working as she put a fist to her hip, and waited.

             
“We are havin' a lock down and....” He was cut off.

             
“Nope,” Anne cut in, and then started tying the apron on. She walked off towards the kitchen, ignoring what Drifter had just said. She didn't like lock downs. It interfered with her life, and the one  time she had done it because Scooter had insisted, was a disaster. Raven had to join and the shit that kid saw, was not ok. Some of the club whores were allowed in and they forgot their manners in front of all the club kids.

             
Drifter cussed under his breath. “Fuck, be right back,” he told Jewl, as he headed to the kitchen.

             
As soon as Anne saw him, she started in on him. “Drifter, I told you never again. So don't even try to talk me into this.”

             
“Anne, I wouldn't ask this of you if it wasn't absolutely necessary. There is some big shit going down and we all want you and Raven to be safe. Too many people know you are with us,” he begged her.

             
“If something happened to you, or her, we... well, I can't tell you what we would do to someone who hurt you. So let’s just save us all the trouble. Raw and I are heading out in the morning. Would really like you and Raven to be here tonight, and stay for the couple days we are gone.” He turned and walked out.

             
He knew there was no forcing that woman. He had to let her make the decision. She would come around. She knew he would never ask this of her if it wasn't serious.

             
A half hour later, she came out with a plate full of sandwiches, and one on a small plate for Joel. She set the big plate down for the members to share. She handed one of the prospects a big list of food to go buy for the lock down.

             
“Drifter, I need to give this to Joel.”

             
Drifter walked down the hall with her. They stopped at the door. “No whores. Raven and I get our own room. You tell your guys to stay the fuck away from her. She is off limits.” Drifter smiled, unlocked the door, and stood there while she gave Joel his lunch.

              That night, all the members and families started piling into the club. All the guys had their own rooms, so everyone was getting settled, blowing up air beds, and setting up the rooms for the upcoming lock down. The club as a whole had pretty much turned it into a camp out atmosphere for the kids. There were lots of board games, snacks, and somewhat subdued conversations. Of course things did slip, but with Anne coming this time, Scooter wanted to be sure that it went smoother than usual. After the incident with Dean, the club was on thin ice with her.

             
The prospects were posted out around the property in shifts, to watch over the club once everyone was here.

             
Nikki had asked about the lock down a few days before, so she and the girls were prepared for it. The girls were excited about it. They didn't really understand the danger, and just figured it was big sleepover for a few days. Nelly was thrilled to get to hang out with Jim, John's son again. She was crushing on him and at almost 12, Nikki was keeping an eye on her.

             
It was eight o'clock and everyone was there except Anne and Raven. Drifter was starting to get nervous. He pulled out his cell, and started to search for Anne's number when the door opened, and in they came, bags in hand.

             
Drifter smiled and put his phone away. He took Jewl's hand, and headed towards the ladies.

             
“So glad to see you two. Jewl and I fixed up a room for you, come on.” Drifter waved Anne and Raven towards the hallway.

             
“I think I got it hun,” Anne said to Drifter, as she and Raven passed them. “Thank you Jewl, that was very sweet.”

             
“You are welcome. We all want you to be comfortable here,” Jewl said, as Anne and Raven disappeared down the hall.

              Raw was in his room he had been using while at the club. He was packing up for the trip to Seattle. Basically, just packing up what he had brought. He could hear all the commotion on the other side of the door. All the families were there for lock down. He thought it was a bit much, but he had heard that the club had been through a lot, so he understood the concern. He guessed that they didn't know how proficient he was. The job would be done so well that there would be no retaliation.

             
He stepped out of the room to get some food, and a few beers. When he entered the main room, many of the women and kids stopped to look at him. As soon as he sat down at a table, they all went back to what they were doing. Jewl approached him with a beer.

             
“Grazie” Raw said to her.

             
He had a sandwich and a beer, and stayed to himself. He had heard that Anne might be joining the lock down, so he kept scanning the room. Finally, he caught her out of the corner of his eye. Raven.

             
He hadn't been able to wipe her out of his mind. There was an attraction there, like no other. He had made love to many women, but they all knew him, and expected him to love, and leave. That was his way, it was his freedom. He treated them all well, took good care of them while he was there with them, but he was always able to say goodbye, even when he shouldn't have. So why was this one so special? He just wanted a taste of her. He just wanted to see if he could walk away.

             
As she moved across the room behind her mother, he watched her scanning the tables for him. Finally her eyes landed on him. He watched her lose her breath, and he smiled. She smiled back, and then looked down.

             
Joe and Meg had caught the entire thing. Joe made his way to Raw, and Meg to Raven.

             
Joe sat down across from Raw. “Sorry to bother you, don't think we've met.” Joe put his hand out and Raw shook it. “Name's Joe and you are Raw.”

             
“Yes, Raw. Nice to meet you, Joe.”

             
“So I heard Raven gave you a reading. She is really good at that sorta shit,” Joe said, trying to open a little conversation with this man that he knew not to piss off.