Chapter 12

“What the hell am I doing?” Raven leaned against the closed doors, mentally prepared for a grilling from his brothers.

Aric stared back, half a sandwich shoved in his mouth. “Man, you’re so far gone.” He took a bite, chewed and swallowed. “I mean I thought you brought her back here because it was safer?”

“I did.”

Aric raised an eyebrow. “Then…what exactly did we interrupt?”

“I don’t know what the hell came over me. It’s like something keeps pulling me toward her. Something I can’t frickin’ shake.”

“It’s called a Chosen connection, man.”

Raven pinched his forehead. “No…it’s much stronger than I remember, more powerful than I’ve ever experienced.”

EJ strolled into the room from the kitchen, a plate stacked high with sandwiches in one hand and a can of soda in the other. “What’d I miss?”

“Oh, you know, Raven’s catching me up on all the shit he’s got himself into.”

EJ laughed. “With Tay-Tay, no doubt.”

“It’s not funny,” Raven snapped.

Aric snickered. “Kinda is.”

Raven pushed off the door. “EJ, have you seen anything that might suggest something’s different with her?”

EJ put his plate on the table and his soda hissed when he opened it. “You wouldn’t believe my vision even if I told you.”

Probably not. “Maybe I will this time.”

Aric leaned back in his chair. “Yeah, right.”

EJ took a gulp of soda. “Rave, you gotta trust in Fate.”

“Like hell I do. Not one of the visions she sent you has us back home. Assigning me to Tayla is probably her brand new form of torture.” He stepped forward. “And you know what? I’m not going to give that bitch the satisfaction of watching me fail. Nor will I give her any ammunition to punish us further.”

“Whatcha gonna do?” Aric said.

“Stop things before I get dragged away by the current,” Raven grumbled as he pushed open the doors and stormed out.

He hadn't made it to the other side of the river; that suspension bridge had well and truly snapped and sent him plummeting into the wild abyss. Now he was destined to spend eternity fighting to keep his head above the raging current, forever gasping for breath. His only way out was to grab a low-hanging branch, pull himself to the bank, and heave himself out of the raging river.

Then he needed to summon the strength to hold on.

Raven's breath hitched as he swung open the front door and caught sight of Tayla perched on the bottom step, staring toward the landscaped gardens, the afternoon rays glistened in her tied-up hair.

He stared at her exposed neck, where his lips had traced moments before.

Touch her again. No, reach for a branch. Get to the bank.

Tayla twisted to face him. Her radiant hazel eyes caused his knees to buckle and he gripped the door frame for support.

She stood and brushed off invisible dirt from the front of her jeans.

He cleared his throat. “It's probably a bit late for a walk.” Get to the bank. “I can drive you home if you're feeling better.”

She frowned for a moment before answering. “Okay. Sure.”

Was she relieved? Disappointed? Why did either bother him so goddamn much?

Tayla ascended the step and halted in front of him, but her warm gaze averted his when she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Look at me. Tell me you want to stay. He clenched his palm to prevent it from reaching out to touch her face.

She peered back at the gardens.

“I'll go get the car then.” His chest tightened.

“Okay.”

Damn it. Hanging his head, he trudged back through the door and softly closed it behind him.

Veering left, he ventured through a door off the hallway, descended the steps and followed a long passage to the underground garage.

Maybe she should stay for one more night, just to be sure she was safe. He shook his head. No. He'd grabbed the branch, now he needed to heave himself onto the river bank and he was home free.

If only it would rid the ache in my chest.

Punching the door code into the keypad, Raven disengaged the lock and entered the garage, crossing to the far side where he'd parked his black Jeep Wrangler. He climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine.

Easing out of the garage, he drove around the driveway, pulling up in front of the house. He left the engine running while he jumped out and opened her door.

His body stiffened with a jolt of electricity the moment her soft fingers gripped his hand as he boosted her into the passenger seat.

Back in the driver’s seat, he peered at Tayla out of the corner of his eye. She stared toward the house and absently rubbed her thumb over her palm where their skin had touched.

Did she feel it, too?

Ask her to stay. No. He was at the bank about to climb out.

“You ready?” he asked in a thick voice.

“Yep.” She peered at him with a half-smile.

And he fought the urge to cup her face and kiss the hell out of her.

Painful silence on his behalf, filled the drive to her cabin.

To distract himself and keep from going frickin' insane, he focused on anything other than her, the fading light, counting the limited number of cars they passed on the windy road, tracking the white lines along the center of the road.

Anything except the fact she sat next to him in the confined space of the Jeep, which felt as if it closed in by the minute, compressing around him while the pressure in the car sucked the air from his lungs.

The ache behind his ribs sharpened as they turned onto the gravel drive and rolled up to Tayla’s cabin. He put the car in park and peered over at Tayla, who stared through the front windshield.

His thumb ached to trail the exposed vein in her neck and his lips burned for her taste…

No.

He pushed aside the thoughts for the millionth time and exited the car. He adjusted the front of his jeans and trudged around the rear of the Jeep to open her door.

She leaped down to stand in front of him.

“I can’t thank you enough for finding me, Raven.” She glanced up at him.

His pulse quickened at the sound of his name on her lips. Touch her.

He cleared his throat. “You’re welcome.”

Their gazes locked, and Tayla stared back through hooded lids. Sexual tension sparked between them, and his pulse sped at the same rapid pace as hers. A low growl rumbled in his chest when he caught her tongue slide over her lower lip. He wanted to moisten her lip, he wanted her to nibble his lip. No, bite.

His knees weakened, and he placed his palm on the warm hood of the jeep, a huge fucking mistake; fantasies instantly filled his mind…gripping her slender hips as he lifted her onto the hood, nudging her close against his body. Cupping either side of her jaw, he’d tilt her head ever so slightly, to leisurely press his lips against hers in sweet slow kiss. She’d squeeze her legs around his waist, firmly press against his swollen shaft—

Raven cleared his throat and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans so he wouldn’t reach out to touch her.

Tayla blinked a moment before she pursed her lips.

And his heart sank.

“Thanks for the ride home.” She exhaled a long breath and strode to the cabin.

He silently screamed for her to turn around, to come back to him, but each step she took toward the cabin was a step closer to the shore for him.

He had to let her go and return to protecting her from the shadows. It was the right thing to do.

If only my chest didn’t feel as though a blunt blade sliced it open.

He forced his feet to remain cemented to the gravel driveway until Tayla locked herself safely inside.

He did it. He made it to the river bank and climbed out of the raging river to stand on solid ground.

At that moment, he released a deep shuddering breath before getting back in the Jeep.