She had never told him that she loved him. He’d never known that she was in love with him, and staring at her now, Carlos saw it. He saw the pain he’d caused. She was trying to hide it. Always trying to be the tough woman.
“I’m not moving on, Raven. You’re carrying my child.”
“I’m carrying my child,” Raven said.
“You’re not going to take that kid away from me.”
“I … I can’t talk to you right now.”
“Raven,” Carlos said.
“I have nothing more to say to you.” With that, she turned on her heel and this time, Ava stood in front of him.
“You need to let her go.”
“I’m not going to let her go. Raven is mine.”
“Is she? Do you really want her to be yours?”
Carlos didn’t avert his gaze from Raven. He wanted her to turn around. She went to Ava’s car, and as she stood by the passenger side door, he witnessed the tear that fell down her cheeks, and she wiped it away.
He’d caused that. He made her cry.
At that moment, he hated himself.
“Carlos, you have to give her time.”
“I…” He had to make this right with her.
“If you love her, then you’ll have to fight for her,” Ava said.
He looked at Ava.
“I don’t need to know how you feel, Raven does.”
“I … love her.”
“Do you? Or do you love the idea of having her?” Ava asked.
He looked at Raven.
Carlos loved her. He was in love with her. Had been for a long time, and he’d put it down to obsession rather than love, but that was how he felt. He was in love with this woman, and he wasn’t going to back down. He was going to stand and fight.
Only, he didn’t have the first fucking clue how.
Carlos watched as Ava climbed into the car with Raven, and they drove off. When he could no longer see her lights, he got into his car and made his way toward the Hell’s Bastards MC.
The moment he parked his car in their parking lot, several of the club brothers stepped out. He ignored them and started for the main door, only to be stopped by Elijah, Brick, and Kinky.
“I need to talk to Smokey. Move,” Carlos said.
“Smokey doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“Raven has just confirmed that she is pregnant with my child. If you care about her at all, you will step aside.”
She had left the club. None of the brothers had voted her out. He waited, and they allowed him to pass, but he was also aware of them staying close as he entered the clubhouse. There was no sign of Smokey.
The club was tense as he approached the office, and without waiting for an invitation, he pushed open the main door, finding Smokey sitting on his sofa, with his son in his lap.
He looked up, and the smile on his lips turned into a grim line. “Get out.”
“I need to know how you did it,” Carlos asked.
“Did what?”
“Win Ava back.”
Smokey glared at him. “Get him the fuck out.”
“I hurt Raven. We both hurt Raven, but I don’t give a fuck about your part and what you’re doing to win back her trust. I only care about my part,” Carlos said. “She is pregnant with my child, and you can be content to play happy family with your own woman and kid. Raven is alone. She is … fucking lost.”
“Raven is being taken care of,” Smokey said and looked up. “I can assure you, she is not alone.”
Carlos laughed. “I should have known you had a connection to the priest, or is it the daughter?”
“You leave Jonah and Larissa alone. They’re good people,” Smokey said.
“And they just magically had a place to stay.”
Smokey stood. “Believe it or not, yes, they did. I didn’t ask them to put Raven up. They did because they’re good people. All I do with Jonah is ask about … for an update on Raven. I’m keeping an eye on her because I know she’s hurting right now. She is looking for a job, and Ava is … trying to convince her to work at the bakery. I’m trying to do what I can to take care of her. We all are. Raven won’t come near the club.”
Carlos looked behind him to see several members had followed him.
He rested his hands on his hips and looked up at the ceiling.
“I’m not giving up on Raven,” Carlos said. “She is mine.”
“She’s not a piece of property,” Kinky said.
“If you hurt her, you will answer to the club,” Hunter said.
“I don’t intend to fucking hurt her.” He was starting to lose his patience. This was why mafia and MC didn’t mix well. Carlos took a deep breath and released it.
“You want to know how I won Ava back?” Smokey asked, and Carlos waited for the answer. “Because I still don’t believe I won her back. I am always trying to make up for what I did. I love my woman. I will do whatever it takes to protect her. To show her how fucking sorry I am. I win her back every day by never taking her for granted. You want to win Raven back, then you have to learn to beg. If you’re not willing to do whatever it takes, to beg, to grovel, and to have your heart stomped on again and again because you deserve it, then I suggest you pack up, leave, and never show your face here again.”