“I see. I’m glad you have someone. Your father told me you and your sister aren’t close.”

“How often did you two talk?”

I can’t believe Daddy had that much contact with her and never said anything to me. He could have at least let me know she was checking up on me. Then again, I know I would have wanted to talk to her, see her. That’s probably why he didn’t.

“Rarely. I wasn’t supposed to have any contact with him either, so we had to be very careful.”

“Oh.”

“I’m sorry…about what happened to him. I wanted to be there but…” she trails off, looking to the side.

I stare down at my hand in my lap and absentmindedly pick at the white sheet. I don’t really know what to say to her.

“Raven, I didn’t expect this to be easy. I know it will take time, but...I’m here. I want to be a part of your life. I need you to be a part of mine.”

“Why?”

Tears begin to stream down her cheeks and she blinks rapidly to try and chase them away. When Gage’s arm tightens around my shoulder, I realize I’m doing the same.

“I’ve loved you since the moment I found out I was pregnant. Giving you up was the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my entire life. Staying away from you was the second hardest.”

She reaches out to me again and this time, I let her touch me. She gently strokes my hair and then cups my cheek. I close my eyes, leaning into her touch as her sweet, floral scent fills my nostrils. I feel Gage slowly pull away and soft, delicate arms replace his.

“My baby girl,” she croons.

I don’t know how long she held me while we both cried our eyes out but when I pull away from her, I feel raw. My nose is stuffy and my eyes feel like they’re almost swollen shut. She’s all red and puffy and desperately trying to compose herself. I hope she doesn’t think that hug meant everything’s all good. We’re so far from good. But maybe, just maybe, I’m more willing to give her a chance.

“How do you feel?” she asks. “Drake told me what happened.”

“I don’t know. Okay, I guess.”

“I want you to know I’ll do anything I can to help. Whatever you need, you let me know. I’m heading to the sheriff’s office after this. We’re offering a reward for information.”

“We? Who’s ‘we’?”

“Me and Daniel...my husband.”

“You’re married?”

“Yes,” she replies. “We’ve been married eight years.”

“And he knows about me?”

“I told him about you on our first date. He’s here with me and wants to meet you.”

“He wants to meet me?” I can’t believe this. I not only get a mother but a shiny, new stepdad all in the same day.

“Yes. We have a six-year-old, Dani. She’s here, too. Excited to meet her big sister.”

Sister? I have a little sister? I take a deep breath, and as if he senses I’m about to overload, Gage takes my hand. I look to him for guidance and he kisses my forehead.

“One thing at a time, baby doll. You set the pace.”

He’s right. This is my show. I get to decide who, what, where, and when. I think I’ve had enough for one day.

“Not today. Please.”

“Of course. He’ll be here for a few days then he has to go back to work. Dani and I will be here...for a while.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll…uh...I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Her statement sounded more like a question, so I nod. She looks like she wants to hug me again but thinks better of it. Picking up her purse from the floor—I didn’t even realize she’d dropped it—she heads for the door. She stops in the doorway and turns back to me.

“Thank you, Raven.”

And then she’s gone. Mr. Santini nods to us and follows her out. Gage sits on the edge of the bed and stares at me intently.

“Well?”

“Well...” I shrug. “At least it’s taken my mind off everything else.”

“And?” he prods.

“And...maybe you were right. I’ll give her a chance, but she only gets one.”

“What I saw of the woman who walked in here...I’m pretty sure one is all she needs, Raven.”

“I hope so.”

God, I hope so.

CHAPTER 5

***Gage***

I watch her raise her good shoulder in a shrug for the millionth time. She’s done it in response to every question the rape counsellor has asked. The woman keeps trying to get her to express her feelings, but Raven seems unbothered. I know her. I know she’s not good at hiding her emotions, but I also know she doesn’t like talking about them. I thought she needed support, why she asked me to stay, but this exchange isn’t helping anybody.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, lady,” Raven snaps in frustration. “I told you I don’t remember anything. If I wasn’t feeling the effects of it, I wouldn’t know it happened at all.”

That’s the crux of it, isn’t it? She can’t process something she doesn’t remember. The whole conversation has only served to upset her.

“Look,” I address the counsellor. “Obviously, this is going nowhere. How about we just try another time?”

The counsellor takes a deep breath and nods in agreement. After handing me a business card, she turns to Raven.

“I’ll recommend your release, but call me if you want to talk. Anytime.”

“Thank you.”

“Mr. Hunter.” She dips her head at me and then she’s gone.

Raven breathes a sigh of relief. “I thought she’d never leave.”

“She’s only trying to help, babe.”

“I know.”

She turns her baby blues to me and I run my fingers through her hair. I can’t stand to see her in this hospital bed.

“When can I go home?”

“I don’t know. I’ll talk to the doctor.”

“Get me out of here, Gage. I can’t take being here another day.”

“I will. I just need to make sure you’re okay to leave.”

“I am. I feel –”

“I need the go-ahead from the doctors, babe. I don’t want to risk hurting you further.”

“Fine,” she grumbles.

I shift her position on the bed and climb in next to her. She snuggles up to me, inhaling deeply. I can’t wait to get her out of here, but I need to know it’s safe first.

“Have you heard anything?” she asks quietly.

I take a deep breath. I have to tell her we’ve got jack shit. We’ve talked to everyone, called in all my markers, and still nothing. It’s frustrating as fuck, and I’m only holding it in for her sake. I need to be as calm as possible around her because she needs that from me.

“Not yet.”

“Who is this guy? A ghost?”

“I don’t care who or what he is. There isn’t a hole in the ground I won’t dig up to find him.”

“Gage...I need you to promise me something.”

“Anything.”

“When you find him...promise me you’ll let the cops handle it.”

What the fuck? The cops? The moment I find that motherfucker, he ceases breathing. No way I’m leaving anything up to the cops. He’ll probably go to trial and get off on some bullshit technicality. No way. “Anything but that.”

“I don’t want you getting into trouble for me.”

“I won’t. I know what I’m doing.”

“Gage –”

“Don’t,” I stop her. “Please, don’t ask me to do nothing. It’s my fault this happened to you. I can’t undo it, but I can make sure the fucker pays.”

“How is it your fault?”

“I just know it is.”

“It’s not. I know you’re angry, and I’ve seen a sample of what you can do when you’re angry. I don’t want this guy to drag you down to his level, Gage.”

“His level?” I ask with a mirthless chuckle. “I may not be a rapist, but you have no idea what I’m capable of, Raven. The things I’m planning to do to him will make even the Devil refuse me entrance to Hell.”

“Gage...”

There’s a plea in her voice. God knows I’d do anything for her, but I can’t leave this up to the fuck-ups known as the Stoney View Sheriff’s Department. I need to do this for her, but I need to do it for me, too. This motherfucker put his hands on my woman. A lesson needs to be learned and a clear message sent to anyone else who thinks they can fuck with me.