Chapter 4

Edgar pulled up in front of the small cabin. The lights were out. It was pitch black inside, almost as if no one lived there. It was silent. Silent and dark. The tires of his car crunched against the gravel drive leading to the single-dwelling cabin.

The cabin was surrounded by clusters of pine trees. There was no one else living near the vicinity which Raven appreciated. He liked his privacy and didn't like to be disturbed. Edgar knew Raven wouldn't take to kindly to having him show up in the middle of the night toting an injured girl.

Edgar shut off the engine to his vehicle. He lifted Rose from the backseat, her body still limp and lifeless, her hair a tangled mess. He pounded his fist roughly against the door. He continued pounding ceaselessly until Raven finally answered his knock.

The young man stood in nothing more than a pair of jeans, his hair rumpled. He looked pale and haggard as if he had been drinking at some point during the night.

“What the . . .” Raven's eyes grew large with rage. He stared at his uncle, then down at the crumpled woman cradled in his arms. Raven backed up and started to slam the door closed when his uncled forced himself into the interior of the cabin.

It was slightly chilly. He looked around. Nothing much had changed since he'd last been there. Edgar moved further into the living area of the cabin. He approached the couch silently. He could feel Raven's eyes on him.

He gently laid Rose down on the couch.

“What do you think you're doing?” Raven snapped.

“This is Rose,” Edgar informed his nephew. “She's going to be staying with you for a while.”

Raven was stunned into speechlessness. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was his house. It was off limits to all females. No one was going to tell him what he was and wasn't going to do.

“Uncle Edgar, you are mistaken if you think I'm going to let her stay here for any length of time. You know how I feel about women. I don't want her here.”

Edgar stared back at Rave, his glare hard and impenetrable. “Listen, son, she needs our help. There's no where else to take her. It's up to us to protect her.”

Raven poured himself a shot of whiskey and quickly downed it slamming the sifter against the oak coffee table in front of the couch. “No way. No way am I letting her stay here. You get her off my couch. Take here any where, but she can't stay here.”

Edgar stood his ground, unflinching. He might be old, but he still had his wits about him.

“Son, I know this is unexpected. I'm sorry. But we have no choice in the matter. You can't turn her away.”

“Oh yes I can,” Raven mumbled savagely. “I don't know this girl. Nor do I care what happens to her. Please get her off my couch and take her back to where she came from.”

“No,” Edgar snapped. “I will not. She's staying here and that's the end of it. I won't hear another word about it.”

Edgar started to leave, but Raven snatched him up by the arm. His eyes were cold with fury. “This was underhanded of you. You had no right to intrude on my like this.”

Edgar's chest heaved. “You know son . . .”

“I'm not your son,” Raven spit out belligerently. “Don't refer to me as your son.”

Raven's grip loosened and Edgar slipped from his grasp. “Raven, regardless of what you might think, you will always be my son. I will always love you like a son.”

Tension vibrated through the entire cabin. Raven felt it in his neck. He felt a headache coming on strong. He needed another drink. This man wasn't his father. Oh he had tried through the years. But Raven had never forgotten his real father. He longed for his presence in his life. Instead, he was some where in heaven. With his mother. They were together.

“Look old man, I told you, I can't have her here. Please take her away.”

“I can't,” Edgar pleaded. “She's in danger. I'm afraid someone might be looking for her. Someone who intends to do her harm. You wouldn't want anything to happen to her, would you?”

Raven was silent. He thought about what his uncle said. And it was true. He'd never want any harm to come to anyone. He was a privateinvestiagor. He spent much of his time keeping people safe. He was strong and powerful. Most people were intimidated by his size and strength. He used that to his advantage.

Raven was torn. For only the slightest, briefest moment he watched the sleeping woman. He could see traces of bruises and blood. She looked a mess. And those clothes she was wearing. Where had she gotten them from? They hung loosely from her body and they didn't seem to go with her personality. Not that he could tell much about that aspect of her life. He knew nothing about her. She was a stranger. She was lifeless on his couch and he didn't have the slightest idea what he was going to do with her.

Raven swore under his breath. He felt himself already growing attached to the homely looking girl. He had a soft spot for her. Some where deep in his soul he found himself wanting to reach out to her. He couldn't explain his feelings. He didn't want to contemplate them. There would be time for that later. Right now, he needed to get his uncle out of the cabin so he could get some sleep. He had an early morning. He had to be out of there just after day break. He was on a case and he was close to getting what he needed.

Then he thought about the woman on his couch. How could he leave her here by herself? This was too confusing and upsetting. He didn't have time for this. He was a busy man. He had a job to do. And he got paid well for his services. His client would be extremely upset if he were to be put off.

Edgar left quietly. The door closed softly behind him. Raven found himself reaching for another shot of whiskey. He had the bottle half-way to his glass when he changed his mind.

Instead he found a soft blanket and gently laid it over the woman's sleeping body. His hand accidentally drifted too close to her and his fingers skimmed across her bruised arm. He flinched at the sudden contact. Something told him to step back. But he was rooted to his spot. He was incapable of moving. Or even breathing. His eyes skittered across her scratched faced. Even in sleep she seemed forlorn.

Raven found himself drawn to the lifeless figure in front of him. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was certainly no beauty. But when he really looked at her, he could see something more. He couldn't decipher exactly what it was. But there was something about this woman that fascinated him.

After a few moment's he stepped away and returned to his room. But sleep did not come. He continued to think of the woman far into the morning. Finally just before sunrise he snuck out of bed and tip-toed into the living room.

The woman was restless and thrashing about on his couch. She was mumbling under her breath. He couldn't quite understand what she was saying. Her words were strained. He watched her carefully. The cover flew to the floor. Her legs were kicking against the couch cushions. Her head began to roll back and forth on the pillow and sweat beaded across her brows.

“No, don't hurt me,” she cried o out. “Please let me go.” Her voice was urgent and pleading. Raven wasn't sure if he should wake her. He moved closer to her to make sure she didn't hurt herself.

At last the woman opened her eyes and shot up to a sitting position. Raven could see the terror in her eyes. It took a while before she realized where she was. In a strange environment, with a strange man. Suddenly she became more frightened. She scooted back against the couch.

“Who are you? she asked in a startled whisper. “Where am I?”

Things were hazy. Her mind was in a fog. She could only remember bits and pieces of the last few days. Edgar. She remembered going to his house. She remembered nothing after that. He must have brought her here.

“My name is Raven. Raven Daniels. My uncle brought you here.”

She continued to look terrified.

“Don't worry,” he said softly, “I'm not here to hurt you. My uncle thought you needed help. He said you were in some kind of trouble. Do you remember what it was?

Raven reached for Rose's hand to look at her wrists, but she pulled away from him. She seemed very uneasy.

Rose didn't speak. Her eyes kept shifting around the room as if avoiding making contact with him.

“Do you know who hurt you?”

“No,” Rose responded a little gruffly. “No, I don't remember anything.”

“Are you in any pain?” Raven asked.

Rose shook her head but didn't speak.

He took the bottle of whiskey beside the couch and offered it to Rose. “Here, this will help dull the pain.” Rose just looked at it as if it were some kind of poison that would possible kill her if she were to drink it.”

He waved it in her face. “Do you want it or not,” he said a little to harshly.

“No thank you,” Rose replied crisply. “I don't touch the stuff and neither should you.”

Oh this was turning out to be great. Already she was issuing him orders. This would never work out. Who did she think she was? She was a guest, an uninvited guest at that, in his home. She had no right telling him what he should and shouldn't do.

Out of spite he took a large swallow straight from the bottle. He smacked his lips together and twisted the lid back on the bottle.

“Suit yourself,” he said, shrugging. “Are you hungry? I don't have much in the way of food. I don't usually entertain guests in my home. If I had known you were coming, I would have picked some groceries up at the store on my home last night. As it is . . .”

Raven let his sentence fall short. He was having the wrong attitude here. His tone indicated his irritation with her unexpected appearance. He knew he shouldn't be acting like this. But he couldn't help himself.

“I'm sorry to be intruding,” Rose apologized. “It's really not my fault. I didn't ask to be brought here. I went to Edgar for help. That's the last thing I remember.”

Now he really felt bad. She was giving him a guilt trip. What was he supposed to say now?

“What were you doing at his house so late at night?”

“Where am I?” she asked, ignoring his question. “Did Edgar bring me here?”

“You're in Canton, Ohio. And yes, my uncle brought you here. I already told you that, remember? What I'm supposed to do with you, I haven't got a clue.”

There was that sarcasm again. Why did he keep doing that. Especially when her eyes looked so lost. He really felt sorry for her. But right now she was being an irritant. He had some where to be. Some where important. She was making him late.

She eyed him suspiciously as she tried to get up off the couch. She winced and doubled over with pain, clutching her ribs.

“If you'll just take me to the bus station, I'll be fine. I'm really not your responsibility. I'm sorry that you're uncled sent me here.”

Raven let out a breath of hot air. He was growing frustrated and annoyed. Not with her, but himself. When he looked at her, he couldn't help himself. He was unexplainable drawn to her. He felt a compassion and sympathy he hadn't allowed himself to feel in a very long time. He was broaching dangerous grounds.

“I can't let you leave,” Raven explained. “You're hurt. You need a few days to heal. Then we will decide where and when you'll leave. Do you understand?”

“Of course,” she said sharply. “I'm not dense. Nor am I deaf.”

This woman, whoever she is, was beginning to get on his last nerve. She was pushing his patience. “Look, lady. I'm doing you a favor here. The least you could do is show a little appreciation. Would that be so hard to do?”

Rose squared her shoulders. “My name is Rose. And as for you, you've been nothing but condescending since you walked in here. My apologies if I seem to be ungrateful.”

Raven tried to control his anger. It wasn't easy. Suddenly his energy was spent. He felt weak and exhausted and his day hadn't even begun. How in the world was he going to survive with this woman even one day?

“Okay, lady . . .”

“My name is Rose. And I would appreciate it if you would use it properly.”

Properly? Where did this woman get her vocabulary. Obviously this wasn't going to work out between the two of them.

“Rose, look,” he stated, “I have a job to do this morning. It's imperative that I keep on a strict deadline. I must leave you here for a little while, alone. Are you going to be alright?”

Rose thought a moment. It seemed to take forever for her to form her answer. “Yes, Mr. Daniels. I'll be fine.”

“You can call me Raven,” he requested. “If we're going to be living together, we might as well make the best of it.”

There was the slightest hint of fear in Rose's eyes. “How long do you expect to be gone?”

“I will try not to be any longer than necessary. I'll be back as soon as I am possibly able to.”

Rose seemed to be relieved with that though she didn't say anything.

He turned and headed toward the door. Just as he reached it, Rose spoke out.

“Raven.”

He stopped in his tracks and turned to her. “Yes, Rose.”

“I'm sorry for intruding. I can tell you aren't happy with this arrangement. I promise I won't be here any longer than I have to be.”

Why is it that everything this woman said made him feel like a heel? He didn't have much time to ponder his thoughts and feelings. Instead he merely smiled and silently departed, making sure the door was locked behind him as he departed.