4. River

FOUR

RIVER

I stepped out into the cool of the night. The summer day had been close to hot, though with the darkness, the air had ebbed close to a chill. I locked the door to River of Ink behind me, giving it a tug to make sure it was secure before I stuffed my hands into my pockets and strode down the wood-plank walkway that ran along the buildings that lined Culberry Street, the main drag that cut through the middle of Moonlit Ridge.

The small town was situated around an expansive lake, and on the far side of the lake was a vast mountain range. People came here in droves to experience the awe-inspiring beauty and peace.

We'd come here a little over four years ago, setting up shop, purchasing legitimate businesses and sliding into normal positions.

Right up front and center without giving anyone a reason to look any deeper.

It was close to midnight, and a frisson of anxiety billowed through me since I still hadn't heard a word from Otto. He was always late. Asshole was going to send me to an early grave, though one of those had been coming at me for a long, long time.

There was next to no one out, the only sounds the faint strain of music coming from Kane's, the bar one of my crew owned and ran about a mile from here.

I was halfway to where my bike was sitting at the side of the building when my phone vibrated in my back pocket.

I hurried to pull it out, scanning the text that had just blipped through.

Otto

It's done.

I was quick to tap out a reply.

Me

No issues?

Otto

Package is safe.

Didn't know if it was relief or anger that pulled my chest tight. I guessed it would forever be a little bit of both.

Me

Thank fuck. Was getting worried.

Otto

Stuck around a minute to make sure everything was good.

I could almost hear the reticence in his voice. Dude always got too close to the job, and getting attached was not something we could do. It was too goddamn dangerous, not that we didn't have that danger part down pat. Every move we made was perilous.

Reckless.

But we did it anyway because any consequences were worth it.

Otto

Why are you asking? Was your sappy ass missing me?

There was the lightness he always effused. Playing life like it was a game.

Me

Not a bit.

Otto

Ah, come now, brother. You know you love me .

Dude knew I did, even though I wanted to rein him in half the time.

Me

You on your way back?

Otto

Yeah. It'll be an all-nighter.

Me

Be safe, brother.

Otto

Always. I'll catch you for breakfast. You owe me.

He capped it off with about five-thousand kissing winky faces like the cheesy fucker he was.

Shaking my head, I tucked my phone back into my pocket, then rounded the side of the building where River of Ink and a teahouse were located. My bike was the only thing sitting on that side since the rest of the trendy businesses on this street had closed hours before.

I swung my leg over the low-slung seat, the motorcycle a custom piece of art created by Trent's brother, Jud. Every inch of it was matte black. A fucking beast of a machine that made me feel like a king.

I took the handlebars, my attention slanting to the tattoo that covered the back of my hand.

It was two stacked Ss with an eye in the middle.

All five of my crew had it in the same spot, though mine had a knife jutting through the middle of it.

A reminder of who I was.

I kicked the bike over, and the powerful engine grumbled to life. I edged out onto the side road, making a right at Culberry to head out to my place.

The metal vibrated below me as I traveled through Moonlit Ridge, my hands fisting the bars. I only passed a couple cars, the only activity the packed gravel parking lot out front of Kane's as I passed.

And fuck me if I wasn't in the mood for an old fashioned, thirsting for a little spice on my tongue, but I forced myself to keep going, the wind lashing across my face as I traveled.

I rode all the way to the end of Culberry where it came to a T at Vista View. I made the right onto the two-lane road that wound along the lake. Here, the extravagant cabins were tucked beneath soaring pines and oaks. Most of their lights were cut, the windows nothing but blackened squares.

The moon hung low on the horizon behind the jagged, pitched peaks of the mountains, and silvered rays glittered over the stilled surface of the lake.

Air breezed across the water, and I inhaled the fresh scent of the woods, doing my best to clear out my senses since they'd been on overdrive the entire night.

Trying to eradicate the buzz that still pulsed beneath my flesh.

She was just another client.

Another canvas of skin.

In the far distance at the top of the lake, I could see the lights glow from The Sanctuary, the motel that Theo, another of my crew, owned.

I slowed to take the next right onto the small road into my neighborhood. My bike rumbled as I wound up the winding two lane before I made the left onto my driveway.

My place was done cabin-style like the rest of the houses in this area, two story and fronted by dark wooden planks and accented in chunky brown rocks. There was a wraparound porch, also in wood, and I pulled my bike to a stop before I clicked into my phone to lift the garage. I pulled in and parked next to my SUV, killed the engine, and blew out a sigh as I kicked out the stand and swung off.

I was ready to fuckin' call it.

It'd been a long-damned day, and I was drained. There was nothing I wanted more than to faceplant onto my mattress.

Well, except for sinking into that sweet, tempting body. Go back and erase the choice I'd made to just let her walk out the door, but I could be sure that decision was for the fucking best.

Tapping the button to close the garage, I quietly eased open the interior door. I kept my footsteps light as I crept down the short hall that led to the main area of the house.

A dim light burned from the opening to the kitchen, and I stalled when I rounded it and found it wasn't empty.

Raven stood at the sink with her back to me .

"What the hell are you still doing up?" I grumbled.

Shocked, she whirled around, dark hair whipping around right as the glass she'd been drinking from slipped from her hand. Glass shattered as it hit the floor.

And…well…fuck.

She slapped her hand over her chest, gasping for breath. "What the hell is wrong with you, River? Sneaking up on me like that? You scared me to freaking death."

I don't think it could ever be said that my baby sister wasn't dramatic.

"You do realize I live here and was probably going to be coming home sometime tonight, yeah?"

Striding deeper into the kitchen, I tossed my keys to the island.

Raven narrowed her eyes that were the same color as mine. "And you were supposed to be back like…three hours ago. Did you really think I would be able to sleep while I was worried about what might have happened to you? I mean, you could have been dead in a ditch somewhere for all I knew."

"I sent you a text that I was going to be late."

Her brows rose. "Um, yeah, and someone totally could have taken your phone and sent that."

"You think that's the way things would really go down, huh?" Amusement infiltrated my voice. The girl's imagination was wild. Seven years younger than me. Sweet as fuckin' pie and a giant pain in my ass.

"Well…you never know. People are crazy out there."

She wasn't wrong.

"Don't move," I told her rather than addressing her antics, and I stepped around the massive island that was topped in a thick chunk of whitewashed wood. When we'd moved in, Raven had insisted she'd do the decorating since I couldn't possibly be trusted.

The cabinets were a teal blue, and the floors were distressed planks of wood.

She'd dubbed it cozy cabin.

Opening the pantry, I grabbed the broom and dustpan then came all the way around so I could help Raven clean up the mess.

She knelt at the same time as I did, and I started swiping the tiny slivers of glass into the pan with the broom while she tossed in the larger pieces.

With my head downturned, I murmured, "You know I won't ever leave you. I won't ever let anything happen to me because I need to be around to make sure nothing bad ever happens to you."

She exhaled, and I felt her gaze burn into the top of my head. "I know. I just…worry about you."

Looking up, I reached out and tapped my thumb on her chin, something I'd always done in an effort to soothe her fear.

Might have felt like I was getting cut up by razors admitting it, but my sister was a fuckin' knockout.

Had to staunch the inclination to stab every motherfucker who went to gawking at her every time she walked down the street.

"Well, you don't have to," I promised.

Old wounds flared for a moment, those ugly scars that had kept her far younger than her actual age, before she stuffed the trauma down and gave her bright, blinding smile, acting like everything was just fine the way she always did.

"Um, yes, I do." She gave a playful shove to my shoulder. "Who else is going to take care of you?"

"Don't need to be taken care of," I grunted at her.

She fumbled around to grab the hand towel that was hanging from the stove handle while still remaining kneeling. "Wrong, big brother. You take care of me, and I take care of you. That's the way this thing works."

I pushed to standing and moved to pull out the garbage bin drawer where I shook all the broken glass into the container. "Fair, since you know I couldn't do this life without you."

I meant every word of it.

She soaked up the water from the floor then sent me a smirk as she straightened and tossed the sopping mess into the sink. "That's right, you couldn't. You'd be lost without me. I mean, you know how great I am, don't you? I even got asked on a date tonight, and I sadly had to decline since I'd already made a commitment to you. "

She played it up like she'd given me one of her kidneys.

Rather than saying thank you like I should, I leaned back against the counter and crossed my arms over my chest. "Who the fuck asked you out?"

My sweet sister cackled, face upturned toward the ceiling as she let it go, before she gave a hard pat to my left upper chest. "Down, Papa Bear. You look like you're about to go on a rampage."

She'd never actually seen me go on a rampage. I made sure to keep her sheltered from that part of my life with everything I had.

"Just want to make sure this prick is good enough for you," I told her.

"Have you seen me, River? No one is good enough for me." She started to strut around the kitchen, and I was the one shaking my head.

God, she was a handful.

"You've got that right."

Okay, maybe I was only giving her shit, but the truth was, I couldn't imagine anyone on this earth being good enough for her. Couldn't imagine anyone who would take care of her the way I did.

Had nearly lost my life three times because of her, and I'd gladly do it all over again. She didn't need to know that, though.

"How'd it go tonight?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Good, but you might have a little surprise in your bed." She arched a telling brow. "He couldn't be swayed."

Pained affection pulled tight across my chest. "I better head up, then." I pushed off the counter, moved to my sister, and pecked a kiss to her temple. "Don't stay up too late."

She punted me a knowing grin as she peeked up at me.

Yeah, I'd likely never stop looking at her as a child. To me? She'd forever be that nine-year-old little girl who I'd run away with in my arms and had never fuckin' looked back.

"I think I can set my own bedtime, River."

"I know, Raven. I know. Thanks for being here for me. For giving up your night."

"Always," she told me, her loyalty just as thick as mine.

"Night." I turned on my heel and headed through the great room that was attached to the kitchen. There was a sweeping staircase off to the side of it to the right of the front door. I took them quickly and quietly. Hitting the loft, I turned right down the long hallway to my double doors at the end. I nudged open the one that was sitting partially cracked.

A light glowed from the bathroom, casting a wedge of it across my king bed that was done in a thick, black, velvet comforter.

He was nothing but a tiny bump beneath it, on his side and curled around a stuffed lion that was nearly as big as him. I crept forward, and I gazed down at the child as I ran my knuckles across his plump cheek, my heart a fucking bleeding rock in the middle of my chest.

My little dude refused to sleep in his own bed when I wasn't there, sneaking in here to be sure I got home safe.

Guess he had a whole ton of that caretaker in him, too.

I just prayed life would never carve him the same way as it'd done me. That he'd never know violence. That he'd never have to sink into the corrupt in order to survive. That he would find his way into the happiness he deserved.

The last thing I'd ever want was for him to dip his fingers into the wickedness the way I had, and that he'd never come to thirst for the sweet taste of vengeance.

I made a silent promise that he would never have to.

Because I would always be all those things for him.