“Bullshit. Don’t you play the victim, Avery.”
The venom in his voice stung like a slap, and she grimaced, diverting her eyes to the floor.
“I never hurt you,” he gritted out. “I don’t even know you.”
“I’m proud of you,” she rushed out on a breath.
“What?” He rounded on her.
Ashamed, she pitched her voice low. “Even though you hate me, I don’t hate you. I’m proud of what you’ve become.” She dared a look up at him. “Congratulations on your first tour, Weston.”
He licked his lips and looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Instead, his eyes turned darker and darker until they were black, sparking with intensity. He lifted the water bottles in a strangle-hold and muttered, “Thanks for these.”
“Sure thing,” she said as he left.
When the door banged closed behind him, she jumped at the sound. She hated that everything frightened her. It had only gotten worse as she tried to make her way in the world outside of Raven’s Hollow. Determined, Avery made her way outside and smiled politely at the clients, who were sitting on their rumbling ATVs, chattering happily in a line, the lesson on riding over. Weston stood on his quad, his powerful legs locked as he bent over the handlebars and eased his thumb onto the throttle. He wore a gray T-shirt with the company logo and sunglasses to hide his raven eyes. His camouflage baseball cap was on backwards, and he hadn’t shaved in a couple of days. His tattoos were stark against his flexed arms as he made a wide circle and led the group past the porch. His attention stayed locked on her as he drove by, and she could see herself in the reflection of his sunglasses, one hand resting on her collar bone, one up in a tentative wave. And just before he turned away, he jerked his chin once in a silent farewell. Avery gasped. Progress. Perhaps he wouldn’t be cold to her forever if she just kept trying with him. Perhaps they could find some common ground, and he could eventually treat her like he did other people.
Perhaps someday, he would smile and she would be the cause.
The tour rolled by, engines rumbling in the little parade, and as Ryder pulled up the rear, he was frowning at her. He slowed, then stopped in front of her. “You like him.”
Heat blazed up her neck and landed in her cheeks and ears. “I do not.”
Ryder canted his head and squinted his eyes at her. “Lie.”
A shrill whistle sounded from up ahead.
In a hurry, Ryder told her, “It’s his birthday tomorrow. I’m taking him to Drat’s Boozehouse tonight to celebrate. You should show up around eleven.” Without waiting for her to answer, Ryder gunned it and disappeared into the woods after the others, trailing dust behind him.
Oh, she’d known it was Weston’s birthday tomorrow, but she’d assumed he hated celebrating it like he had as a kid. He’d never liked extra attention, but she was a fool for thinking Weston was the same little boy she’d known. They weren’t comparable.
Whatever life the Novak Raven had led from then until now had changed him from the bones out.
I don’t even know you.
His words rang so true, and she understood. He didn’t remember her, didn’t recognize her.
She was beginning to think she didn’t recognize Weston either.
Chapter Six
Weston would fire her in a New York minute if he knew she was using the showers at Big Flight for personal use. She was fine sleeping in her car, but personal hygiene was a must for her. She needed to be clean, or her raven would revolt. Already, she’d been Changing more than normal because she felt so unsettled. Her inner animal didn’t do well with chaos. She liked routine. She liked having a steady nesting place, a steady resting place.
After gas and the minimal amount of food she could get away with, and after a really silly last-minute birthday purchase for Weston, she was down to $7.62. Things were getting desperate. She didn’t know how she would make it another week until payday, but tonight, she had big plans to forget all her problems for a little while.
Besides, there were bright sides to her life now. The hopelessness was gone. She was earning money every day, and all she needed to do was get to that first paycheck, and everything would be fine. She’d even started looking at rental properties in the newspaper and had a couple of options. Sure, she would have to wait a few paychecks to be able to afford the deposit, but in a month, she would look back on this time in her life and be proud of herself for what she’d been through. There was light at the end of the tunnel. She could see it. She just had to be strong enough to reach it now.
Tonight, though…tonight she was going to be brave and open her mind to the possibility that not all predator shifters were bad or naturally violent people as she’d been trained to believe. The world was much bigger than Raven’s Hollow, and not everyone was the same. Not everyone was terrifying like the raven shifters thought. Alana had proved that with her kindness in her coffee shop, and Ryder…well, when his eyes glowed gold, he was terrifying, but he had also been hilarious and really patient with her job training.
Still, as Avery sat in her car outside of Drat’s, she couldn’t help the nervous flutters in her stomach. Flip flap, flip flap, like bird wings against her ribs. Maybe she was going to be sick. No. She was okay. No one would kill her in a public bar.
And Weston was in there. And Air Ryder. And maybe Alana. Avery had known them for a week, and they hadn’t tried to serial-murder her, not even once.