19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Drake

My hand throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the pain I felt right now in my heart.

When I heard Lacy trying to talk about this issue with the girls, something inside of me snapped. I was the leader of this group. It was up to me to keep them all safe. Lacy loved me so fucking much, she wanted to take some of the pressure off of me. While I loved her fiercely for that, it also irked me inside. I needed her to stop before Josh came after her.

I had learned over the years, that bad guys like Josh never went away until you made them go away. They were always there, lurking in the shadows as they waited for their next victim to come along.

I pulled my hand out of the drywall and inspected the large hole I had created.

“Great,” I mumbled, as I looked down at my bruised hand. I would have to get the guys to help me fix this. I looked around the apartment for something to hide the mess I made, but no such luck.

I paced around the living room, arguing with myself until I couldn’t take the inner turmoil anymore. Downstairs, people were drinking and having a good time, while I was up here planning on how to end Josh without ruining my life too.

I reached for my phone in my pocket with my still good hand. What I was about to do was stupid, but I needed to talk to him man to man. Even if I didn’t believe a monster like Josh really was a man at all.

In my book, a man did right; he protected those he loved and stayed on the good side of the law. Josh was anything but a man.

I scrolled through the numbers until I reached Josh’s number. Dialing, my stomach churned as I waited to hear the scumbags voice.

“Looks like the Raven called after all,” Josh said.

His voice was like nails on a chalkboard and I cringed as he spoke.

“Yeah, I need to talk to you,” I stated.

“Well, I was going to give you a call next week. I have another shipment of…”

I wasn’t calling to get another job and I was done letting him talk. I cut him off before he could say another word.

“Shut up, Josh,” I snapped. “Now you need to listen very carefully to me. I told you I am done with this mess. Now, you will forget about the Ravens or I will go straight to the police,” I threatened.

I held the phone so tight, I thought I may crush it to dust.

Josh let out a nasty, shrill laugh and I could just imagine the little prick smiling to himself on the other side of the phone. “It is hilarious that you think you have the upper hand here. Go to the police, but you will be ruining your own life too. I will deny everything,” he argued.

I knew that regardless of what I did, we were both screwed here.

“I am prepared to fight that in court,” I said, even though my mind was telling me to shut up now. The thought of getting into trouble and possibly facing jail time made me sick. It wasn’t about having my freedom taken away. I couldn’t live if I had to lose Lacy.

“Well, you may be. But I am not. I am not a man to be threatened, Raven. Come at me again and I will take away the one thing you love most in this world,” Josh snarled.

“You fucking touch her and I will…”

But he ended the call before I could finish my own threat. I threw the phone across the room and watched as it landed with a thud on the floor. What have I done? Not only did I get my brothers and myself involved in a dangerous mess, but now Josh has his sights set out on Lacy.

Mess with my family and I will end you. Mess with the woman I love and I will fucking tear you to shreds. Crumbling to the ground, I let my head fall back as images of Lacy swam through my head. I needed to find a way out of this and fast before Josh strikes again.