Echoes & Ink: Raven by Emily Rose

Chapter Sixteen

SLOAN

Falcon is a funny kid. Swears too much, but I figure that’s all he’s known so I’m not going to correct him. Besides, I have a feeling if I did, Raven would do more than slap me in the dick. Though I have to give it to her, that was resourceful. Even now, my dick is twitching in my pants at the thought of how her tiny hand would feel with nothing between us.

Best not to think of her touching your dick when you’re sitting by her brother, my brain scolds me.

I glance over at Falcon and see him watching me. I arch a brow at him in question. He hesitates, before grabbing the paper again. He slowly writes out his question, pausing a few times before finally taking a deep breath and turning it to me.

I take it and have to work hard at schooling my features.

Falcon: I know you said you and my sister aren’t really in a relationship, but do you know why she left and never came back when I was a kid? I asked her once, but she never fully told me.

Fuck. This is quickly getting into things I don’t know if Raven wants me knowing, but I’m not about to brush him off. Something tells me that’s happened way too much in his young life. I carefully answer him back.

Me: I don’t know, Falcon. I wish I could tell you. I’ve only known your sister a little over a year and she’s not very open about her past. I’m sure she’ll tell you, but she’s been focused on getting you set up in the apartment and in school.

Falcon nods slowly before answering back.

Falcon: My parents weren’t nice. They were always trying to yell at me and would hit me when I didn’t answer back. I guess they forgot I can’t hear. They were always high and drunk anyways. Uncle Nero wasn’t much better. If anything, he was worse.

Me: How so?

Falcon hesitates before answering. My gut tightens in dread. Fuck, what the hell did that asshole do to him? What did he do to Raven? Finally, Falcon answers, though I know it’s not the whole truth.

Falcon: He liked to drink and do drugs, but he didn’t yell at me. He would purposely say something to me when I wasn’t facing him and he would beat me for not paying attention. Used to say it was teaching me a lesson to be aware. He wasn’t nice and always had people over too. He would do it in front of them sometimes.

I blow out a breath. Damn, this kid has been through more than I could have ever imagine.

Me: He can’t hurt you anymore, Falcon. I promise. I’m going to work with your sister to make sure he’s never allowed near you again. Your parents either.

Falcon gives me a blank look.

Falcon: My parents are in jail. They won’t be out for a long time. Uncle Nero won’t be back for me. He only put up with me until he got all the money he could from the state, then brought me here. I like living here, but Raven shouldn’t have to look after me. Maybe it’s better if I go to the group home then she won’t have to worry.

Shit. Fuck.This is getting into territory I’m not even remotely sure how to navigate. Maybe I should get Raven. No, this is Falcon talking to me in confidence, I remind myself firmly. I take the paper and write back my response, trying to think of a way to reassure him.

Me: You’re not going anywhere. Raven would not be doing any of this if she didn’t want you here. She’s learning to sign for you, isn’t she? Would she go through learning it if she planned on getting rid of you?

Falcon frowns thoughtfully.

Falcon: I guess not.

Me: Exactly. Don’t worry about this, man. Your sister and I have it handled. We’ll make sure you stay with her and can keep your kick ass room. Did you get it all set up the way you want it?

Falcon smiles slightly and I feel the knots in my belly loosen. Damn, this heavy shit isn’t what I thought I was going to deal with tonight.

Falcon: Yeah. The guys from the MC and the guys at Raven’s work said if I want to work a bit around their places I can earn some money for myself. Then I can buy a TV and a game system. I just have to get Raven to agree first.

I know she probably will buy him those things if he so much as hints, but I also understand Falcon wants to earn them himself.

Me: I think she’ll agree if you explain that to her. As long as it doesn’t interfere with school.

Falcon makes a face but nods.

Falcon: You’re a good guy, Sloan. I hope my sister gives you a real chance.

I have to smirk at his observation. Yeah, I’m hoping for a chance, but I’m not really sure if it’s for a quick roll between the sheets or more. Time will tell, I guess.

Falcon gives me a small smile,then he gets up and heads to his room, leaving me alone. I grab our plates and take them to the sink, rinsing them before putting them in the dishwasher. I turn around and stare at the empty room.

My mind is whirling at what Falcon just revealed to me. I can only imagine everything that happened to him, happened to Raven too. When she read that first note from Falcon about their parents fucking and fighting, she had gone deathly pale, her skin looking almost gray. Her dark eyes flashed with such pain it took everything in me not to grab her and wrap her up in my arms; to tell her she’s safe. I know she wouldn’t appreciate that with Falcon watching, so I managed to hold myself back and snap her out of it quickly enough.

My balls are still smarting from her response to that, though I figure it’s a small price to pay to see anger, instead of pain and grief in her eyes.

I blow out a breath and head for her bedroom. She’s been hiding out long enough and we need to talk. When I reach her door, I give it a brisk knock and wait impatiently for her to answer it.

When she does, she arches a brow at me in question. “Can I help you?” she asks coolly.

I can see every shield she has is up, and I have to resist the urge to start trying to break them all down again. “You and I need to talk,” I tell her, stepping into the room, and shutting the door behind me.

Raven’s eyes narrow on me. “Then we can talk in the living room.”

“You worried you won’t be able to resist me if I’m in your room?” I ask her with a knowing smile.

She snorts and retorts dryly, “In your dreams, Lincoln. More like this is my personal space and I don’t want you in it.”

“Too bad,” I say, looking around. The room is fairly neat, with only a hint of clutter. I see her plate on a small patio table on the balcony, telling me that’s where she’s been hiding this whole time. “I like what you’ve done in here,” I say conversationally.

Raven gives me a bland look. “You came in here to talk about my decorating style?”

I chuckle. So much for small talk. “No. I came in here to talk to you about Falcon and our plan.”

She stiffens and narrows her eyes at me slightly. “What about him? And our plan is simple. You and I pretend we’re together for the social worker and that’s it. There’s nothing more we need to discuss.”

I figure it’s best to just tell it to her straight and I’ll deal with her reaction as it comes.

“Falcon told me some things about what it was like for him growing up,” I explain calmly.

Her eyes go sharp, almost lethal. Another man would probably be whimpering and backing away, but I hold my ground. Mostly. “You asked him about his past?” she demands furiously. “What kind of asshole are you, Sloan? Trying to get dirt on me that way, huh? You don’t look at your background check, but interrogate a fucking thirteen year old?”

My anger burns and I try to keep it in check as I glare down at her. “I didn’t ask him shit,” I snap at her. “He offered the information. Do you honestly think so little of me that you believe I would try and get details from a kid about you?”

“Why not? You went behind my back and did a background check. You can’t stand not knowing shit and when the opportunity presents itself, you’ll take it. Isn’t that what ruthless businessmen like you do?”

“I already apologized for that. Fuck, woman, can’t you just let shit go? You have to keep throwing it in my face.”

“No,” she yells. “I will never let it go, Sloan. You fucking invaded my privacy, and now I have to sit here and worry about you fucking with Falcon. You don’t know shit about our life, or how we grew up. Or the fact that we relive it every time we talk about it.”

“You relive it,” I bark sharply. “Falcon is talking about it because he needs to. Do you know what he asked me? He asked if it would be better for him to go to the group home so you don’t have to deal with the social worker anymore.”

Her eyes widen at my words and her face goes slightly pale. “What?” she whispers.

“Yeah. He said your uncle used to purposely talk to him when he knew he wasn’t paying attention, or couldn’t see him, and then would beat him to teach him a lesson,” I grit out. “Also said your uncle only wanted him for the money and then was done with him. He doesn’t want you to feel obligated to take care of him.”

Her face has gone white and she backs up a step from me. “Motherfucker,” she grits out. “What else did he say?” she demands.

I give her a cool look. “I’m not sure I want to tell you. He told it to me in confidence.”

“You’re going to tell me,” she orders me. “This has nothing to do with you and your stupid bro-code or whatever. This is about a child and knowing what he’s dealt with. I can’t help him if I don’t know.”

“Then why haven’t you talked to him yourself?” I snap at her, frustrated at both of us.

“Excuse me for trying to get my life in order and making sure he has clothes on his back, food in his belly, and a roof over his head,” she sneers at me. “Or would you have preferred I call you to handle it? Huh? White Knight, Sloan Lincoln, to ride in and save the day?”

“Enough with the white knight shit, Raven,” I order, exasperated. “I never meant you weren’t busy doing all of that. I know how hard you’ve been working, but you have a kid that needs answers. He wants to know why you never went back. A ten minute conversation could put his mind a hell of a lot more at ease.”

She says nothing for a long time, just stares at me. I can see the guilt and the pain in her eyes. Damn it. I don’t want to hurt her, but I know it needs to be said.

“You’re right,” she finally answers, her voice tight and low. “I’ll talk to him. I should have before now, and that’s on me. It’s not something I like to talk about, and I figured Falcon would be the same.”

“You don’t have to do this alone, Raven,” I remind her as patiently as I can. “I can help. You don’t have to bear a burden all on your own. Just talk to me.”

She stiffens. “I’m sure you would love to know the sordid details of my life,” she answers, “but I’m not about to tell you or anyone or else. Thanks for stopping by, Sloan, but I have it from here.”

Frustration wells up inside me. “So that’s it? You’re just going to dismiss me?”

She gives me a short nod. “You seem to forget that this relationship is fake, Sloan, and I don’t owe you anything.”

“This being fake has nothing to do with it,” I growl at her, putting my hands on my hips, and glaring down at her. “This has to do with you being fucking stubborn and not learning to accept help that’s offered to you. You think I didn’t notice the panic attack you almost had earlier when Falcon mentioned your parents?”

Her face flushes red. “Fuck you, Sloan,” she hisses at me. “You know nothing. You and your perfect little life. You want to know what happened to me? I’m sure you can figure it out. We didn’t all grow up with a mommy and daddy who loved us and gave us everything we could ever want. Or with the kind of money we could just live life as we pleased. I don’t need your help, and I don’t need your fake relationship either. All it’s done is cause problems.”

“You’re the one not letting me in. What is so hard about that? I can fix things and I can make sure you don’t have to deal with this alone. Why do you keep fighting me?”

“Because I don’t need your help,” she screams. “I’ve lived my entire life without help. Without someone butting their nose into my business.”

“Like hell you don’t. You need all the help you can get,” I tell her coldly. “You’re just too much of a stubborn ass yourself to see it. You need someone in your corner, and you need someone to help with Falcon and the social worker. Like it or not, that’s me. I’m not going anywhere. No matter what you say.”

Her eyes are glowing with her anger, but I don’t move. The tension between us is so thick that I can cut it with a knife. Hell, I can probably reach out and touch it. Her chest is heaving with each breath, her small breasts straining against the t-shirt she’s wearing, and I can see the hard pebbled tips pushing hard against the thin fabric. The sight is enough to have the anger inside me warring with arousal.

Only an asshole would be turned on by this, but seeing as we’ve already established I am one, well, it’s no surprise.

“I don’t need you,” she hisses at me. “You’re an asshole, why the hell would I want you around?”

“You’re a crazy bitch, but here I am,” I return, just as angry.

“Fuck you, Sloan,” she seethes. “Fuck you, your tiny dick, and the fucking high horse you road in on. You know nothing, and you’re not going to come into my life and try to take over.”

“I know plenty,” I argue furiously.

Her eyes hold mine and I can see the heat burning there. Anger? Arousal? I’m not sure, but I know we’re either going to ignite or explode.

“You think you do,” she snaps back at me.

“Oh I know plenty, baby,” I purr, moving fast. Call it temporary insanity, but no way in hell am I not touching her. I wrap my hand tightly around the back of her neck, hauling her forward and against me. She lets out a gasp, but before she can retaliate, or go after my balls again, I whisper, “I know I want you more than I have ever wanted anyone.” I press my mouth to hers. Damn the consequences.

I don’t care if we decimate the building. Raven Dixon is going to learn that I don’t back away from what I want. And that includes her.