The Raven Four Books 1-3 - Jessica Sorensen Page 0,56

little brat who thinks you can do whatever she wants.”

“Shut up!” I scream, tears pooling in my eyes.

“Aw, am I hurting your feelings? Well, good.” Pinning both my hands in one of his, he leans back and lifts the hem of my shirt. “The next time you even think about trying to steal from me, you look down at this and remember.” He points the tip of the blade at my side and nicks my skin, causing blood to pool out. “Remember what you are.”

Then he starts cutting, moving the blade over my flesh. I barely feel the pain, though. I’ve become numb to this. Numb to everything. Almost.

My thoughts drift to the card in my pocket. If I had a phone, I could try to call the number. But I’m still not sure anyone would show up if I did. And I don’t need to start relying on people only to be let down. I’ve done that before. Many times. I don’t think I have anything left in me to deal with it again.

“You’re quiet tonight,” my uncle remarks as he climbs off me.

Droplets of blood are on the blade of his knife and his hands. My blood.

Blood all over my hands and anger searing through my veins, consuming my mind.

“Got nothing to say?” My uncle stands by my bed, staring down at me with expectancy.

I stare at the ceiling, not moving, refusing to say a word.

“Looks like it worked then.” He wipes the blade of his knife across the side of his pant leg, cleaning off the blood. Then he puts the knife away and looks at me again, waiting for something. When I make no effort to even budge, he shakes his head. “Whatever. At least I got you to shut up.” He turns around and storms for the door. “Don’t ever touch any of my shit again,” he snaps then walks out of my room, slamming the door behind him.

I don’t move. Barely breathe.

I don’t want to be here.

I want to fade away.

Why couldn’t that water have swept me away with it?

After what feels like hours, I drag myself off the bed and walk over to the mirror to see the damage. My side feels like it’s on fire as I lift up the hem of my blood-stained shirt and peer at the newly marked word branding my flesh. Then I shake my head, my jaw ticking.

Disappointment.

The twisted motherfucker.

I lower my shirt then sink down onto my bed, sitting in the middle of my drug stash that he just left in here, probably trying to send me some sort of cryptic message—my uncle really likes his minds games. What the message is, I haven’t got a clue. And I really don’t care.

Shoving the drugs out of the way, I lie down and close my eyes, trying not to think of anything. But my thoughts drift to The Raven Three again. While I’m skeptical that they’ll associate with me tomorrow, a tiny part of me can’t help hoping that maybe, just maybe, I won’t be let down for once. That we’ll have our talk. That they’ll make good on their promise and take care of my uncle.

As a smile starts to pull at my lips, I quickly erase it.

No, I’m not going to get my hopes up again. I decided a long time ago that I was meant to wander through this life alone, and it does no good to try to see things any other way. Because all that leads to is disappointed. Just like the fresh new word on my side says.

Fourteen

Jax

“Do you think she got home okay?” Hunter asks as I drive us toward my father’s house that’s located on the other side of town.

Ever since we left our house, he’s been rambling on and on about the girl with hair like raven feathers, the girl who pushed her way into our lives today.

“I think it’s time to talk about the rest of the rules,” I say as I steer down the dark, desolate street lined with trees. While I have nothing against Raven, I’m not about to let Hunter become obsessed with her, for several different reasons, one being it could complicate this whole addition-to-our-circle-thing.

“I second that,” Zay mutters from the backseat.

He has his sleeves tugged down and is rippling with tension. And while the situation probably has him wound up, I worry he might be cutting again.

He used to do it a lot, but has been better lately. Today, was an emotionally