Novak Raven (Harper's Mountains #4)(48)

“W-what are you doing here?” Avery stammered.

“We’re here to bring you back home,” Benjamin answered in a cold voice.

“She is home,” Weston murmured. “Who are you?”

Benjamin smiled. She’d always hated the way his face looked when he did that. He always wore an empty expression that didn’t reach his eyes and looked more like a snarl. His smiles were pretend.

“I’m Avery’s fiancé. Who are you?”

Weston went rigid, his back muscles freezing against his damp T-shirt. She couldn’t see his face, but from the scent of fury wafting from him, it probably looked terrifying. Avery cowered, wishing she could melt into the wall completely. She knew these men well. Caden had always been the one to put her in The Box. He didn’t mind breaking people. His eyes were empty, too, just like his soul, and now Dad wouldn’t look her in the face. He was here to ruin her life. He should be ashamed.

Weston crossed his arms and canted his head. In a bland voice, he said, “I think you probably know who I am. She ain’t leavin’ with you unless she wants to. Avery?” He looked at her over his shoulder and, oh, his eyes roiled with fury.

“I don’t want to leave here.” She forced trembling words past her lips. “Remember that boy I told you about? The boy who wouldn’t quit bullying me? The boy I beat up?” She dared a look at Benjamin. “That’s him.”

“Dude, you got your ass kicked by a girl?” Ryder asked. He laughed hard and too loud, but Avery didn’t miss it. He was inching his way behind the counter, closer to her.

“The lady made her choice,” Weston gritted out. “Kindly get the f*ck off my property.”

Ryder pulled a long, serrated machete from below the cash register and slammed it onto the counter top. With a psychotic grin, he said, “Please?”

Caden stepped forward and spoke up. “Avery was taken from our care at Raven’s Hollow without permission, and the engagement between her and Benjamin was already in negotiations.” His leathery gray lips rimmed with white spittle as he talked.

“I didn’t sign any contract, and I’m not marrying—”

“Don’t speak!” Caden yelled, his dark eyes round and furious.

Weston was on him in an instant. There was a blur, and then Caden was up against the wall, his feet kicking three feet off the ground. “I f*ckin’ dare you to speak to her like that again.”

The other ravens surged toward Weston, but Ryder leapt gracefully over the counter with the machete in hand and put himself between them.

Caden wasn’t protecting his neck from the stranglehold. He was hitting Weston in the face and shoulders with his closed fist, and his eyes were full of a hatred Avery didn’t understand. He was turning blue, but still, he gave up his throat to try and hurt Weston.

Weston didn’t seem affected by the punches. He barely even reacted to them, like they didn’t hurt at all. Instead, he slammed Caden against the wall twice, hard enough that his head made sickly thuds against the logs, then he threw him in a crumpled heap and turned to the others.

“She isn’t going with you *s. I know what you’ve done to her. I’ve seen it! You’ll have to pry her from my cold, lifeless talons.”

“Look at her. She’s terrified!” Caden choked out from the floor, his eyes flashing with rage that didn’t match the concern in his words.

“Dumbass, she’s scared of you,” Ryder muttered, looking like he wanted to kick the shit out of Caden’s ribs.

“Are you engaged to her?” Dad blurted out, eyes averted. He was holding a cell phone. He’d never cared about cell phones before. What the hell was happening?

Weston hesitated. He cast a quick glance to Avery, but she still couldn’t move. Terror had seized every muscle in her body.

“Are you engaged?” Dad yelled, enunciating each word.

“No.” Weston blinked slowly and stood to his full height, looked down on the others like they were nothing. “But she’s mine. I’m not letting her go. Come here again, and I’ll rip your intestines through your mouths and watch you choke on your own entrails. I know about The Box, you sadistic f*cks. If I see you in these mountains again, if I even feel like you’re thinking about coming back for her, I’ll burn your entire f*cking flock to the ground.” He licked his swollen, split lip and looked like he wanted to spit. “Get out.”

Ryder was grinning and bouncing on the balls of his feet as though this was the best day ever. “Yeah, what he said, mother f*ckers. Get out!”

“Come on, honey,” Dad said, waving Avery to him. “You don’t have to stay here with this bad man.”

Avery stood there panting, frozen against the corner, wishing she was braver. Wishing she understood what was happening. What the hell was he talking about? He didn’t care about her. He didn’t care about anyone but himself, his precious rank, and a seat on the council. “You’re the bad man.” Avery forced herself out of the corner and scuffled her lead shoes across the wood floors until she reached Weston. She stopped beside him, absorbed the ready rage that was pressing from Weston against her body, and used it to fuel herself. He was as much a beast as a raven shifter could be—a true War Bird—and that made her braver. Weston would keep her safe. Safe, safe, safe. She was safe under his care. The council had no power here.