Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

EVEREST

There was no chance Sheriff Drake would be found the night we killed him. He always told his deputies and anyone that would listen not to bother him while he was at his cabin, so Raven and I didn’t leave until the next morning. I went to sleep with a smile on my face—due more to the deep dicking I got from Raven when we got home than the kill, but remembering Drake’s face before he died helped too.

Right before I dropped off to sleep last night, a feeling of finality settled in my chest. I knew that would be the last night I spent in Plainsdale. And I wasn’t upset. I was eager, excited to get away from the town that did nothing to make me feel welcome. The thought of never waking up in that town again fills me with more joy than I could describe.

Before we leave Plainsdale for good, I tell Raven there’s one thing I have to do first.

When I step into the library, I see the old librarian at her usual station, scanning in books and putting return cards in the back. I smile, thankful she’s here and thankful to her in general. She allowed me to hide out and get some peace over the years. She tried to get me help over the years, but I constantly turned her down. I could tell it bothered her to see me in the state I was in, but she respected my wishes and didn’t pry. She gave me space and allowed me to be me. She’s the only person in this town that didn’t look down on me.

She smiles when she sees me, waving me over. “I have an extra of those novels you love so much,” she says in a sweet voice, passing me a graphic novel that was at her desk. “Figured you’d like this one.”

My eyes well with tears as I look at the cover. It’s the last in a series that I’ve been waiting on. I asked about it a few times, and she promised she would order it when she could.

Clearing my throat, I say, “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

With a soft smile, she pats my hand and nods. “It’s okay, dear. Heading out?”

“Huh?” I ask in shock.

“I figured after what the sheriff did to you, it was only a matter of time before you left Plainsdale. And this young man,” she inclines her head to Raven, “seems like he’ll take care of you so you don’t go through that again.”

I look at Raven and smile, leaning into his side with my book close to my chest. “Yeah, we’re leaving. Wherever I land, I hope to find a librarian like you.”

“That’s sweet, dear.” Her smile is soft as he pats my hand again. “Take care of yourself.”

“You too,” I say around another lump in my throat. “Thank you for everything you did for me over the years. You’re the reason I survived.”

“I have a feeling you would have survived anyway.” She winks at me, then turns to her computer. I take that as the dismissal it is and grab Raven’s hand so we can leave.

The ride to the airport takes a few hours and in that time, I blow through the graphic novel. It makes me happy that the librarian ordered it for me, and I got resolution before I left Earth forever. There is internet in Xendail—still don’t understand how—but I can’t very well order a book to be delivered. Having this book to take with me to Xendail makes me smile the entire time we’re driving to the airport.

Our flight is uneventful. Before I lay my head on Raven’s shoulder and doze off, I pull out my sketch pad and some of the graphite pencils I brought with me. I sketch some of the shapes I see in the clouds. Raven sees what I’m doing and points out shapes I didn’t notice, smiling as he watches my hand fly across the page before the shapes disappear behind us. It’s fun, something to pass the time while enjoying Raven’s company.

As soon as we land in Las Vegas, Raven whisks me to a hotel so we can wash up after our flight. It’s still early in the day, so we decide to be tourists, our last bit of fun before leaving Earth forever.

Before we leave the hotel room, I shoot Danae a text.

Me: Any word on the sheriff?

Raven and I discussed our plan to kill him with her before we did anything. She was tired of hearing his disgusting comments about her body, as well as wanting to kill him herself for how he beat me up.

Danae: Nothing yet. His deputies came in during my shift last night and mentioned he’s out at his cabin. You’re covered until at least tomorrow night.

Good. That way we can have our time to sightsee and then kill Joey before anyone even thinks to suspect me.

Tucking my phone in my pocket, I loop my arm through Raven’s and we head out.

We walk around, checking out the sights and multitude of casinos that dot the strip. We gamble in a few, Raven having an endless amount of money for us to sit at a table for hours.

By dinnertime, Raven has won close to thirty thousand dollars at a craps table. Not like we’ll need it. Human money doesn’t translate in Xendail. I’m sure Raven has plans to give the money to someone that needs it.

When Raven asks what I want for dinner, I offer going back to the room and getting some room service. We have to discuss the plan for Joey. Before we left Plainsdale, I was able to find his address—somewhere outside of town that’s not in the hustle and bustle of the city. It’ll only take us about twenty minutes to catch an Uber there.

We get back to the hotel and take a shower before we order room service. Raven orders a little of everything since there’s so much I haven’t eaten. He loves taking care of me in the little ways, making my heart swell.

Once the food has arrived, we sit on the luxurious couch and dig in.

In between bites, I ask, “Are you up for doing this tonight? We’ve been awake for hours.”

Raven nods as he holds a forkful of asparagus to my mouth. I smile and take it. The food here is fucking delicious. I’ve never tasted anything like it.

After watching me chew and swallow, Raven says, “I do not need as much rest as you do. An hour or two is enough for me to recharge. If I am really exhausted, a four hour nap is adequate.”

“Do you want to take a nap now? We have some time.”

He shakes his head, feeding me some mashed potatoes. “No. I am okay, baby. Now, what do you want to do with him? What is in your graphic novel?”

“Nightshade rips his head from his shoulders. With his bare hands.”

Raven’s smile is sexy and deadly. “I can do that. Anything you want me to do before that?”

Sighing, I hold my hand up to stop him from feeding me more. Thinking about Joey and how he treated me has my stomach turning. I want to do so many things to him, all the things he did to me, times one hundred. Times a thousand. Joey made my school years hell. One memory in particular sticks out, and it makes my stomach twist.

Raven picks up on my mood immediately, setting the fork down and pulling me onto his lap. “Tell me what happened.”

I lay my head on his shoulder, breathing in his strong scent, using it to hold me together. Thinking about the torment I went through, I fear it’ll tear me apart. “He had a nickname for me, you know? Piss Pants.” Raven growls menacingly, making me smile. “Not very original, but that’s what he went with after one day in the bathroom.”

“What did he do?”

Sighing, I slide off his lap and pull my knees to my chest, laying my head atop them. “We were in the same class from kindergarten until fifth grade. There was no way I could get away from the ridicule and bullying. I never spoke up because I was afraid teachers wouldn’t do anything and he’d beat me up more for snitching.”

I wipe a stray tear from my face as I recount one of the worst times I was bullied by Joey. They were all bad, but this one had me fearing for my life. “We were in fourth grade. We’d had a test that day, and I finished before everyone because I had to use the restroom. Our teachers never let’s leave in the middle of a test. I got permission to go and rushed out, so I wouldn’t have an accident on myself. I got to the bathroom and pushed into a stall, dancing back and forth so I didn’t wet myself as I undid my pants.

“He attacked me from behind. One minute I was pulling my zipper down, the next, my face was against the tile wall and Joey was punching me in the back of the head. I turned around, pushing him off. That was a mistake. Even in the fourth grade, Joey was bigger and stronger than me. He grabbed me by the back of the neck, punching me in the face. When I dropped to my knees and cried, he grabbed me by the hair and dunked my head in the toilet.”

I can still remember the shock of the cold liquid and choking on the water that went up my nose. “I was able to pull away to get air in, but Joey pushed my head back under, holding me there. I was fighting for my life, not worrying about my bladder. So I peed my pants while I was struggling. When he saw it, he let me go. I dropped to the floor, coughing and crying. He stood over me and said, ‘I’m going to tell everyone you pissed your pants. Piss Pants.’” I close my eyes tight, that memory threatening to drown me. “The name stuck.”

“Did not your teachers wonder why you were wet and injured?” Raven spits out, jaw clenched.

I shake my head. “I went to the nurses office and told her I had an accident but didn’t say more. The only thing on my mind was the fact that I was almost drowned in a toilet for no reason. I never found out why he targeted me that day.” I sigh. “Maybe he didn’t need a specific reason.”

The growl that rumbles up Raven’s throat has my heart dancing and a hesitant smile growing on my face. Knowing he’ll avenge me makes the memory of Joey almost killing me bearable to remember. “Ripping his head from his shoulders would be too kind. I will hurt him before I relieve his head from his body.”

I place a soft kiss on his lips, lying on his chest so he can comfort me. “That’s what I want from you. I want him to hurt.” Raven nods, a sinister smile on his face.

I haven’t thought about what happened with Joey in a long while. It takes a lot of effort, but I push the memory down. Nothing good will come from dredging it up. When he dies, I’ll never think of him again.

I can’t wait.

“Yeah, we can do that,” Joey says as he talks on the phone in his living room, pacing back and forth without a care in the world.

Raven and I snuck in a few minutes ago, my demon having burned off the knob on the back door so we could enter his home stealthily.

Joey is so focused on his phone call that he doesn’t even notice we’re inside.

“You ready? ” Raven asks mentally.

“More than you know, ” I answer, listening to Joey makes plans with someone for tomorrow. Too bad for him he won’t be alive for them to come to fruition.

He talks and laughs for another minute or two before he hangs up. I peek around the corner of the kitchen we’re standing in to see him in front of a bar, sipping amber liquid from a squat glass.

My blood boils as fear sings through my veins. I’m pissed at myself for still feeling terror when I look at him. After so many years of him being one of the people that scared me, it’s hard to let go of that. But there’s one other feeling inside me, fighting for dominance.

Hatred. I fucking hate him.

Loathing replaces most of my fear as I slide closer to Raven. “You need not fear him anymore ,” Raven tells me. I hate that he can feel my fear through our link, but it’s an honest emotion. “ I will protect you. When you are ready, I will subdue him for you.”

“I’m ready now.”

Raven moves faster than I thought possible—one second he’s standing beside me, a comforting hand on the small of my back, the next, he’s across the room, grabbing Joey by the throat and shoving him against the wall opposite him. Joey’s eyes bug out of his head as raven squeezes his throat. Joey lashes out with his fists, trying to beat the strong grip Raven has on him. Raven’s hand is red and three knuckled, spanning the entire expanse of Joey’s throat. Raven’s claws dig into the soft skin of Joey’s neck, streaks of blood dripping down into his shirt collar.

Slowly, I walk over to where they’re standing, taking in the sight and reveling in it. It’s great to see Joey finally getting some of the treatment he gave me.

“ You can let him go now.”

Raven does what I say, letting Joey fall in a heap at his feet. Joey coughs hard, curled in on himself as he tries to catch his breath. He brings a shaky hand to his neck, then draws his hand back, looking at the blood on his fingers.

I pull my foot back and kick Joey in the face, sending him flying back into the wall. He groans, the hand from his neck flying to his face. “That felt good,” I mutter, finally able to get a shot in with one of my biggest bullies.

Joey cries, holding his nose. “Who are you? Why are you in my house?” His voice comes out muffled and nasally. “I’m going to call the police.”

Bending down until I’m level with his face, I say, “The police won’t get here before I’m finished with you. It’s time you pay for what you did to me.”

Joey looks up at me, staring for a moment before recognition flashes in his eyes. “Piss Pants? Is that you? The fuck are you doing here?” My heart hammers in my chest hearing that name again for the first time in years. “Are you out of your fucking mind? I will beat your ass like I used to when we were kids! I will?—”

All traces of fear leave me when he threatens me. Raven is here with me. What could Joey possibly do to me that Raven won’t do worse to him?

With a shout, I slap Joey across the face hard enough to split his lips. He topples back, holding his mouth. “You won’t do anything to me. Not anymore.”

“That was years ago,” Joey says, eyeing me with disdain. “Can’t you let that shit go?”

Raven grabs Joey by the front of his bloody shirt, dragging him forward. Raven’s face shows the red and gold color of his skin, his horns making an appearance, though his body is still the same human size. Doesn’t matter his size, he’s still scary looking, and Joey screams.

With a growl, Raven balls up his large fist and punches Joey in the face three times in rapid succession. Lumps and bruises appear immediately, as well as blood pouring from his nose and mouth. Raven shakes Joey, making his head snap back on his spine as he groans. “Shut the fuck up,” he roars, slapping Joey across the face with an open palm. His claws leave gashes across Joey’s cheek, marring his visage. “You did not let shit go when you attacked and tormented Everest. You ridiculed him and teased him and bullied him for years . He will not let shit go.” Joey shrinks back from Raven as he speaks, trying to put distance between them, as well as mopping up the blood from his face with his shirt sleeve.

“Why me?” I ask Joey before he can say anything in his defense. “Why did you pick me to fuck with?”

He snarls, looking at me up and down. Even though his bruises, his face sets in a cruel mask. “Why not you?” he sneers. Raven slashes him across the face again for his snark, then drops him. Joey slides back, trying to get away from Raven.

I pull my lips in and nod. I knew his reasoning would be shit, and he didn’t disappoint. “You targeted me when I was abused at home,” I whisper to him. “My father was mistreating me and my mother, and you made school hell for me too. I wanted to kill myself more times than I can count. You were my worst nightmare.” I get down on my haunches, looking at his now terrified face as he glances at Raven with wide eyes. “Now I’ll be yours.”

Joey drags his eyes from Raven’s and stares at me for a few seconds. Comprehension dawns on him and his eyes peel wider as he shakes his head. “Don’t!” He holds his hands up as if to ward off a blow. “I’m sorry. So fucking sorry. I have money. I’ll pay you. I’ll give you every penny.”

“No,” I tell him. “I don’t want your money. I want your life. Nothing else will satisfy me. Your body at my feet will be a start at making amends for your torture.”

I stand and nod at Raven. He smiles at me, his teeth flashing against his red and gold skin, and I can’t help but smile back. God, he’s the best thing to ever happen to me.

“Rip his fucking head off,” I murmur.

“What?” Joey squeaks, sliding away from us to try to get away. He manages to get to his feet but trips before he can run too far. Then Raven is on him, putting him in a headlock. “What do you mean? No. No! I don’t want… I’m sorry, Everest.” It’s the first time I remember him saying my name instead of calling me Piss Pants. “Please. I’m begging you.”

Before he can say another word, Raven gets a good grip of the top of Joey’s head—it’s not hard since Raven’s hands are so big and bend at different angles than humans. He squeezes and twists it around as if he’s taking the top off a soda. Joey makes a strangled sound before Raven pulls his head away from the rest of his body, some of the bones of his spine still connected to his skull. He drops his body and throws his head across the room in disgust.

Raven kicks Joey’s body hard enough to send it clear across the room, roaring loud enough to shatter the windows around us. I look at him in all his glory, my heart almost beating out of my chest. If nothing else tells me he’s my mate, it’s how invested he’s been in getting my revenge. He let nothing stop him and did everything I asked, without question, just to make me happy. He is the one I will love and take care of and be there for. For an eternity, just as he’ll do the same for me.

“I fucking love you, Raven,” I blurt out, stepping over the large pool of blood and falling into Raven’s bloody arms. “I love you so much.”

He picks me up into his arms, hugging me impossibly tight. I allow him to squeeze me, not caring if I breath or not.

Raven says something quickly in his native language and I feel the air grow hot and whip around us. I keep my eyes shut tight, knowing what’s happening, giddiness flowing through me.

When the air calms, I open my eyes and see Raven’s father’s valley. I’m home. I’m back where I belong.

Leaning back, I give Raven a wet smile as tears leak from my eyes. “Thank you. Thank you so much. Raven, I’m free. Because of you.” I plant my lips softly on his, tears mixing with the taste of love on his lips.

“I was more than happy to do it for you. You are my mate. I will do anything to make you happy.”

“You did,” I say, watching in real time as he turns from half human, half demon to full demon. Fuck, he’s so fucking hot. I’m the luckiest man in the world. “I’m so happy. Now,” I wriggle until he lets me drop to my feet, “let’s go start the rest of our lives. Here, in my new home.”

Raven smiles the sweetest smile at me, dragging me to his body and kissing me long and deep.

I hold on to the wide expanse of his back, not wanting to ever let him go. I never would have thought the love of my life would be a demon. Hell, I didn’t think I’d have a love of my life. I thought I’d be alone forever, taking care of my father and being abused by every person in my life.

But Raven came along and changed all that. I’ll be forever grateful.

Breaking the kiss, Raven drops a peck to my nose. “Let’s go home, baby.” Threading our fingers together, Raven leads me to his treehouse.

To our treehouse.