Chapter 6 Raven: Her Haters

• Raven POV
• I have been here for a week, and other than my dearest father, I haven’t seen anyone. I’m seriously beginning to wonder if my dad lied. Where is his partner and her sons? Something doesn’t add up. I sit and watch Ava serving the drinks. I met Big Bear, he’s far from big. He’s small and thin. He’s nice, though, like an old grandpa. It’s clear that he cares for Ava as well. In a way, a father should.
• Dancing on my stool to the music, Ava begins to swing her hips slightly as she walks behind the bar. It’s new. Somehow, I am having an effect on her. She’s more relaxed, and hell, she’s dancing, even if it is just swaying her hips.
• Today, it’s busy, though; some of the punters are clearly bikers, and some aren’t. It’s clear the club doesn’t lock its doors to those outside the biker community. Then again, customers are money, even those who don’t have bikes. I glance at the table close to us, hearing a laugh. They are clearly on a stag night and are morons, but I promised Ava I would behave and keep my words inside.
• Ava slides the drink to me and I wink at Diesel, I won’t go there. I would love to, but he seems like a crazy fucker, so for now, I stay back.
• “Disgusting. I’m surprised she can get clothes to fit.” I watch as Ava freezes, hurt building in her eyes, and stops moving. I go to stand, and she stops me.
• “Don’t Raven, please.” She looks at me worried, but like hell will I let them get away with that. I begin dancing, purposely teasing, and she stares at me, shocked. Moving onto the bar, I continue to dance and hear them whistle and cheer. I slip down and behind the bar to Ava. I want to cheer her up, make her see she is better than the moron’s words.
• Slowly, I dance with her and move us closer to the table. Reaching them, I use her as a pole to dance and distract them. Their eyes don’t leave my body as I climb onto their table. My hand slowly taunts them as I unfasten a few buttons. The pricks are too busy drooling to notice my sudden move, Grabbing the glass I throw the contents into the face of the bloke who spoke so rudely of my friend.
• “Call her names again, and it will be the glass thrown in your face next time.” I watch as he reaches out to grab me, ducking under his arm, and leaning forward, I grasp his hair, pulling him forward so his head slams against the table between my thighs.
• “Touch me, and you lose your fucking fingers! Pervert!” I push him back and watch them run out.
• “Raven.” Spinning on the table, I smile at Ava. Winking at her, I can’t help but chuckle slightly.
• “Don’t, he deserved more, I didn’t hit him.” I jump from the table and dance with her, spinning her around. Slowly, she begins to laugh and smile again as I dance on the bar and taunt her by pretending to strip. Her head continues to shake, and I laugh. My eyes stop on the table in the corner as three guys watch me. The song finishes, and I jump down. Hugging Ava, I smile, happy that she is back to herself again.
• “Raven.” I look and see Big Bear and give him a sweet smile. I didn’t hit them.
• “They called her disgusting, and I was teaching them manners.”
• He chuckles slightly. “I wasn’t about to tell you off. I was going to say thank you as you saved me a job. I heard from the office on CCTV, so thanks. You’re late for work, though.” I glance up at the clock. Shit, I am late. Kissing Ava, I wave goodbye to her and rush to work.
• Dancing: I enjoy the night and move through the tables, ensuring I hit at least two tables for each dance. In the final dance, I aim to hit more tables, but I’m shaking, and visions keep coming back. I need a drink. I climb down from the stage, dancing between tables. I wrap my body around the pole and dance, watching as the glasses on the table are picked up to ensure they don’t lose their drinks.
• Ensuring my legs are locked, I fall backwards, dangling upside down on the pole while moving my hips. My eyes see the three men again, they were the ones in the bikers club. I wipe the words from my mind as I continue to dance for them, their eyes never leaving my body.
• Dropping to my knees, I grind against the poll and lie back, grateful the table is bigger. My hair spreads around the table and dangles off the edge. As the song begins to finish, I slip down and dance my way back to the stage before going backstage and getting ready.
• Stopping at the address Ava gave me, I groan. It's a rich house, a perfect house. I can’t complain, though; I just can’t ever fully relax. Walking through, I see Jasper, his smile widening as I grab a drink and walk to him.
• “No drinking. I have money to win back.” I laugh and realise he is serious. He has been waiting to beat me.
• “Been drunk might help, just saying?” He laughs shaking his head, grasping my hand he pulls me through to a room. Right now, they are again aiming at a cardboard cut-out. People step aside as Jasper walks through, picking up the daggers he throws all three and claims he wins watching people step back.
• “Who goes first, sugar butt? Am I throwing or you?”
• I consider both to have advantages and disadvantages. “See now, if I say me, you can see just how close I get. It might stop you from playing it safe. If you go first, then I can see how close you get and not play safe.”
• “Throw me a penny!” he shouts out, and I watch his hand move quickly and catch one someone threw. Everything is silent now as everyone crowds at the doorways to watch.
• “Call it.” He throws the penny up, and I call heads.
• “If it’s heads, you go first.” I watch as he removes his hand; it says tails. Yes! I guess I know what I need to beat.
• “Don’t go soft now, Jasper.” I move and stand by the wall. I watch as he picks up the three daggers, and he is struggling. It causes me to laugh. Everyone is cheering him on.
• “Shut up!” He turns and shouts, and everyone laughs but then falls quiet. I have a feeling he’s getting close, a lot fucking closer than last time. I can see the concentration in his eyes. The focus and the worry that he may hit me. I glance around the room and stop when I see the three guys again; shaking my head, I look at Jasper and yawn.
• “I’m dying of thirst here, Jasper.” I watch as he moves, and it’s quick, quicker than last time. He throws one dagger after another and another. I look down and see one in the gap between my side, where my hand rests on my hip. The one between my legs is stuck through my skirt, and the last one is just above my head.
• “Okay, so I need to get closer, right?” I grin. “You best hope your balls aren’t dangling.” Everyone laughs, and I watch as he pulls the daggers out from around me, his hand between my legs as he pulls the knife out.
• “You will soon find out.” He holds out the daggers and stands. Everyone begins to cheer again.
• “Shut the fuck up!” He shouts, and I laugh. He’s worried.
• “Scared I will lose concentration and hit you?” He looks at me, amused, and the room falls quiet. I look at him. He’s stood with his legs slightly open, hands on hips. It isn’t good enough. I want him worried.
• “Hands on your head.” His eyes widen and he knows where I am aiming for. I watch as his hands move to his head. Yeah, I’m aiming for between his arm and head, between his legs, then… I tilt my head and consider the last place, each side of the head. No, I have a better idea. He is so sure I am going to do it at his head.
• I move, throwing all three knives quickly, and he screams, fucking screams, and everyone laughs. He stops and looks around, his head confused. Yeah, he honestly thought I was going to, I would have, but he was expecting that,
• “Oh, I changed my mind. All three went to the same place.” His eyes glance down and widen. I got close, not close enough to stab him, but I got his jeans. The roar of cheers and laughter erupts.
• “You’re fucking crazy woman.” I smile and walk to him, reaching for one dagger at a time I pull them out, and watch him relax slightly.
• “Crazy or not, I won. Again. Keep your money, though; I don’t need it.” I do, but I don’t want it. This was purely for fun and to do it real this time, not him playing it safe.
• “Fine, let me get you a drink. Ava is here.” He points to her. Walking to her, I dance with her, my eyes constantly going to those three guys. That is three times tonight I have seen them now. They are hot. I can say that.
• “What are you staring at?” Ava follows my gaze and laughs. “Don’t even go there. It’s the Caddel brothers. Grayson, Emmet and Ashton are not ones to fuck with.”
• “How about just fuck?” I grin, and she groans.
• “Grayson has a girlfriend or fuck piece. Who knows? As for Emmet and Ashton, they are said to fuck different women, sometimes at once, with Grayson.” I laugh at her words.
• “You’re serious, all three brothers and one woman?” She nods. “Shit, like that’s hot.” She rolls her eyes at me, I meant it, but I leave it, she’s not comfortable talking about them, that’s clear. I continue to dance with her and sometimes Jasper, watching as I get drunk again, enough to drown out the nightmares. The later it gets, the more drunk I become.
• I look at the Caddel brothers. Grayson, I am guessing, picks up the girl who has sat on his knee all night and carries her upstairs. It’s strange. They have sat there most of the night, and a lot of people walk to them and talk.
• “Hey.” Jasper looks at me. “Do you need me to help you home tonight?” He grins, and I laugh.
• “No, Ava is driving me. Thanks, though.” I watch as he nods and leaves. I stay another hour and continue to drink before Ava drives me home. She stops and stares at the house.
• “Thought you hated rich pricks?” She looks at me, confused, and I laugh.
• “I do. My father is apparently dating someone rich. It won’t last, just like it never did with my mother.”
• “There is rich Raven, then there’s this. You will see, eventually, get in and sleep.” She hands me the keys and walks off. I will see what? I don’t even know, I’m too drunk to try and understand. Walking into the house, I go through and go to my bedroom. Falling back on the bed, I close my eyes. I have barely seen my father, yet the fridge and cupboards seem to constantly get stocked up. So do they have someone who goes shopping and brings it?