The Unraveling of Raven (The Unraveled Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  The Unraveling of Raven

  Copyright© 2014 by Theresa Sederholt

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in the book review.

  The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentions in this work of fiction:

  Starbucks, Raiders Inc., LaCanda Verde, Trufflepalooza, Bloomingdales, Apple, Droid, Forbes, Dr. Who, Wounded Warrior Project, Battersea Dog and Cat rescue, Jaguar, Die Hard, When Harry Met Sally, Nutella, The W Hotel.

  The following songs and their performers:

  Snow Patrol’s Chasing Car’s and Run. Katy Perry Part of Me, Lady Gaga Do What U Want, The Police Every Breath You Take, One Direction Little Things, Half a Heart, Nickelback I’d Come for You. Ellie Goulding, and Florence + The Machine.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  ISBN: 978-0-692-02665-6

  Cover created by Tracy Beavers: [email protected]

  Edited by Jacquelyn Ayres

  Formatted by Champagne Formats

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Coming November 2014

  Acknowledgements

  “RAVEN?” KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK. “Raven?” Knock, knock, knock. “Wake up, Raven! You’ve overslept for the second time this week!”

  This can’t be happening. “What the hell, Marco! How could that be?”

  He can’t be right.

  “Your alarm has been going off for the past forty minutes; it’s now 6:30 a.m..”

  Oh crap! School starts at 7:30 a.m.. “Why the hell didn’t you wake me up sooner?” Why didn’t I hear the alarm? Damn it all to hell! I jump out of bed, grab a quick shower, do a fast make-up job, and run out the door—smack into Manhattan rush hour traffic.

  I’m trying to make some sort of normal look with my long, wavy black hair as I race to catch the train. Thank God I only have three stops to go! I make it to my usual Starbucks with little time to spare. I must look deranged. I’m bouncing from one foot to the other while the girl in the front of the line starts asking about calories in the muffins! Really, lady? If it looks or tastes good, spit it out, damn it! Finally my turn and the Barista already knows my order: large redeye with two pumps of sugar-free hazelnut, no cream, and a bottle of water. I don’t need anyone’s drama today. It’s a big day for my second graders and I need to be there now.

  I run out of the door, and crash into someone with a chest like a brick wall. My coffee lid pops off and douses both of us. I can feel the weight of his stare as I try to wipe the coffee off of his chest, and I feel like I’m being zapped with a stun gun.

  “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”

  He growls, “Lady, please, just stop. You’re not helping matters any.”

  As I look up to protest, I’m hit with the deepest blue eyes I have ever seen.

  At this point, I’m a flustered mess and all I can do is run away, leaving him with half the damage from the rough start of my morning. What the hell was that anyway? I have no time to dwell on it as class starts in five minutes. As I run to class, I toss Mick his bottle of water. “Nice catch, Mick.”

  I teach second grade at Weinstein Academy, a private school in midtown Manhattan. It just so happens that today is “Bring a Parent To School Day”. And not only did I oversleep, douse the most beautiful man and myself with coffee, I now get to meet said parents with a wet shirt. Luckily, Jackie, my best friend and co-worker, has a spare shirt I can borrow. However, with her being smaller on top than me, I now look like a hooch woman!

  WHAT THE FUCK WAS that? Or, more to the point, who the fuck was that? I’m left standing outside Starbucks with a wet shirt, courtesy of a beautiful woman, and I didn’t even get her name! Her delicate fingers, trying to wipe off the coffee, didn’t help. I was instantly hard and all I could do was stare at her in disbelief. She had the most beautiful violet eyes. Eyes that felt as though they could look into my soul. Then she ran away! I head inside and ask the Barista if he knows her name. He says he only knows her drink. He then informs me that she comes in every morning for her usual large coffee and a bottle of water for the homeless guy, Mick, across the street.

  “She buys him water every morning?”

  “Yeah, and when she’s not running late, she buys him breakfast.”

  I order a breakfast sandwich, instead of my usual, and head out across the street. I walk up to the man and hand him the sandwich, “I figured you might be hungry since the girl that usually buys you breakfast was running late.”

  He looks at me apprehensively. “Thanks, she’s a sweetheart.”

  I need to know more than that. “What do you know about her?”

  He gets really quiet, but I wait. “What’s it to you?”

  I can tell I’m not going to get much past him. “Well, I could stand here and feed you a line of bullshit.”

  “Yeah, you could, but that doesn’t mean I would tell you anything about her.”

  Well, at least he’s honest. “Look, mate, she ran into me this morning, as you can tell by my shirt. I just want to know who she is.”

  Great, now he’s looking me up and down. “By the looks of you, you can afford to buy another shirt so, again, what’s it to you, who she is?”

  I offer him my hand. “My name is Jax. She is beautiful and I want to know more.”

  He just looks at me. “Well, Jax, my name is Mick, and yeah, she is beautiful, but more so on the inside. Not very many people will even give me the time of day, let alone buy me breakfast. I’m back from the war and things just aren’t right sometimes; she just gets it. She doesn’t judge me. What she gives me is more valuable than money—her time. She just gets it. If you want to know more about her, come back tomorrow, she’s here every day. That’s all you’ll get from me, Jax.”

  He’s done talking and I know when not to push my luck. “Okay, Mick. Thanks.”

  As I head up to my office, I’m even more intrigued. I change my shirt into one of the spares I keep here. Sitting at my desk, overlooking the city, I’m aware that I have all the money I will ever need and yet I’m bored. I own Raiders Inc., a multibillion-dollar company. I raid companies that are in trouble, either because the owners are stupid or greedy. There are only so many companies you can raid before it just gets old. Nothing holds my interest anymore—not work or parties—nothing. At least, not until this morning. I have to find that girl. Her eyes were a beautiful violet color, eyes that looked right into my soul, and her hair was as dark as a raven.

  Maybe I should have Max help me find her. Max is my best friend and the head of my security. I hired him away from the Q
ueen, one drunken night, in a seedy, London pub. After the mess with Erica, I usually have Max run a check on anyone I go out with. I don’t bring any women out in public, if I can avoid it. The paparazzi are ruthless whenever I step out with anyone. I will have to stalk that Starbucks until I find her.

  I’m lost in my thoughts when my new assistant, Duke Jensen, rings to inform me that my sister, Isabella, has arrived. Great, just what I need, more family, reminding me that I’m thirty-three years old and not married. I don’t see what the big deal is; I’m happy with my life. Yes, I’m bored, but putting myself out there again just isn’t an option that I want to explore.

  Bella comes storming into my office, “Jax, Michael got stuck at the airport in Atlanta and can’t make it back in time, so you have to cover for him.”

  I throw my hands up, “Cover for him, Bella. Do you think I don’t work for a living?” She has the nerve to think I do nothing!

  “Come on, Jax, this is for your nephew. They’re having a 'bring your parent to school' day, and Michael is stuck in Atlanta.”

  I’m not his parent. What the hell would I do at his school? “Well, last time I looked, Bella, you’re his parent too.” Oh boy, she’s giving me the evil eye. This is not good—she’s almost as bad as Mum.

  “Don’t be an arse, Jax, no young boy wants to bring his mum to school. Just go to the school and talk a little bit about whatever it is you do all day long. Tell them all the places you go and about all your toys; boys love that shit.”

  Hmm, let’s just see what I can get out of her. “What do I get if I do this for you?” She’ll guilt me, I know it.

  “Jax, besides the fact that you're doing it for your nephew, I will run interference for you next time Mum wants to match you up with one of her friend's daughters.”

  Well it doesn’t take me long to agree to that one, anything to get my mum off my back. “Okay, where and when? But don’t forget—you owe me.”

  I HEAD OVER TO the school and sign in before they escort me to my nephew’s classroom. I open the door, walk in, and am hit, square in the face, with those violet eyes. My nephew's teacher is the same beautiful girl that doused me with coffee this morning. I never had a teacher like her. I would have made sure to be held back, if I did. She keeps her eyes fixed on me as she walks towards me.

  “Can I help you?” She extends her hand and, upon grasping it, I feel a jolt of electricity from her touch.

  “I’m here for the 'Bring a Parent To School Day'. I’m Michael Vizzano’s uncle, Jaxson Phillips. His dad is stuck in Atlanta.”

  She introduces herself as Miss Raven Anderson, and directs me to a table, in the back, with other parents. I apparently have to wait until its Michael’s turn to introduce me. I don’t do waiting very well. Who am I kidding? I never wait for anyone or anything.

  I can’t stop staring at her. I can see that’s she’s changed her shirt. She must have borrowed it because it’s much smaller, accentuating her ample chest. Her skin is olive, but her eyes are the deepest violet I have ever seen, they are mesmerizing. Her hair looks so silky. How the fuck does my nephew get any work done? She keeps tugging on her ear, and I’ve no idea why, but it’s making me crazy.

  As I’m sitting here, thinking of all the ways I can shag her, my cock instantly hardens. Oh no, it’s my turn—fuck! Michael goes to the front of the room and announces to the class that his Uncle Jax is here with him today. I go up front, doing my best to hide my raging hard-on, and begin to talk a little about the life of a corporate raider in a way, I think, they can best understand. When it’s time for questions, of course the first one is, do you have your own plane? I don’t understand what the big deal is, but when I tell them I do, they get excited. Michael stands up and announces, “My uncle has lots of toys because my mom said he raids companies.”

  Great! Now the other parents are looking at me like I’m a dick or an evil monster, putting people out of work and taking all their money. I look at the kids and tell them I’m not like that; I help companies that are in trouble. I don’t think the parents are buying it. I glance over in Raven’s direction. Oh no, big trouble! She’s tugging on her ear, causing me to lose my train of thought. I need to focus on the kids and their questions instead of my wicked thoughts of what I could be doing . . . with her.

  Class is finally over and I hang back to wait for Michael while Raven and I keep staring at each other. Between the constant tugging on her earlobe and the way she has those violets locked onto me, I swear the hair on the back of my neck is standing at attention. I can’t take this anymore; it’s not like me to be so nervous. I’m just going to lay the “Jax charm” on her. “Raven? Would you like to get a cup of coffee that we can drink rather than wear?”

  She’s looking at me like a deer in the headlights. “I’m sorry, but I have a couple of hours of work ahead of me, maybe another time, sir.”

  Sir? How fucking old does she think I am? Before I can say anything, she picks up her stuff and runs out the door. Why the fuck does this girl keep running away from me? Just like that—she’s gone and I’m left with a raging hard-on, wondering what the fuck that was all about.

  AS JUNIOR AND I head back to my office, I decide to pump him for information. Okay, I know I shouldn’t, but I have to find out what he knows. “So, Junior, do you like your teacher?” That’s a stupid question, even to my ears; what’s not to like?

  “She’s pretty cool, and funny too.” I can’t ask him if she has a boyfriend. Okay, maybe there is a way I can. “Does she ever talk about her family?”

  He shrugs his shoulders, “I don’t know, why?”

  Oh shit. Okay, what to say here? “I was just wondering, since all of the kids’ parents got up to tell what they do and a little about their families, that’s all.” I don’t think he’s buying it but then he starts telling me something that his dog, Vito, did. “Junior, that dog only likes you. He’s afraid of your grams, but everyone is terrified of her. By the way, if you tell Grams what I just said, you're in trouble.”

  He laughs at me. “Don’t worry, Uncle Jax, your secret is safe with me. Vito knows when Grams is coming; he hides under my bed!”

  I knew that dog was smart. “He’s very intelligent, that’s why your dad got him for you.”

  We get back to the office to find Bella waiting for us. “Did everything go okay?”

  What the fuck did she think I was going to do? “Of course, what did you think . . . I was going to steal all their possessions and run away? Oh, and why the fuck did you tell Junior that I raid companies? Do you know what that made me look like?”

  “Jax, what do you do for a living?”

  I just stare at her. “I would have explained it a little differently for Junior.” I have to watch what I say here, Bella and I can read each other like an open book.

  “Hey, we never sugar-coat anything in this family so why start now? And why are you so ruffled?”

  I growl, “I’m not ruffled for Christ’s sake. I just don’t want my nephew thinking I’m a prick.”

  She’s glaring at me. “Oh no, Jax, no, don’t you dare!”

  Fuck it all, I’m so busted. “Dare what, sis?” The evil eye is back!

  “You met his teacher, Miss Raven. I can see it all over your face!”

  I can’t look at her without laughing. “If you must know, I met her for the first time at Starbucks this morning, so technically, I already know her.” She shoots me a look like she’s going to strangle me.

  “This is why you’re good at what you do. You could split hairs with a bald man!”

  I need to get her out of here before she sees how interested I am in Junior’s teacher. “I have work to do. Glad I could help you today, but don’t forget your promise to run interference for me with Mum.”

  Junior looks up from his homework. “Uncle Jax. Why does Mum have to run interference for you with Grams?” I just laugh, now Bella will have to deal with the questions.

  “Junior, I’ll let your mum explain it to you on the
way home.” I hug Junior as I push Bella out the door. “Bye, sis.”

  “MARCO, ARE YOU HOME?” It figures, when I need my crazy-ass roommate the most, he’s not around. Why did I say no and run away? Probably because when he looked at me, I felt it down to my frigging toes—that’s why. I could never get involved with someone like him, he’s way too intense. Plus, I would never date one of my student’s parents or even his uncle. Besides, love stories are for other people. My life is anything but normal.

  I decide to make some tea while I wait for Marco to come home. Finally, he comes through the door, and of course, he is complaining about something. “Marco, can we go out and celebrate the weekend?” He takes one look at me and I can tell he knows something is up.

  “Okay, baby girl, what happened? And why are you wearing a shirt that’s way too small for your boobs?”

  He won’t believe this one. “Well, after running late this morning, I was in Starbucks and got my coffee which I ended up not only spilling on myself, but on the most beautiful man I have ever seen. His hair was as dark as coal. It looked so silky and wavy, but his eyes are so blue and when our eyes locked, I swear he looked right into my soul.”

  His eyes light up; Marco loves a juicy story. “Oh, do tell, baby girl.”

  I curl up on the sofa, “Oh, trust me, Marco, this gets better. Today was ‘Bring a Parent To School Day’ and one of the kids’ fathers couldn’t make it, so his uncle came instead. Guess who it was?”

  He looks at me with his mouth wide open. “Oh no, Starbucks guy?”

  I reach over and lift his chin off the ground. “Yep, Starbucks guy! Apparently, he is some corporate raider, who tried to downplay what he does, so that he didn’t seem like a total dick. He asked me to go for coffee that we can ‘drink rather than wear’.”

  Marco curls up next to me. “That was clever. So what did you do?” I don’t know why he’s asking when he already knows exactly what I did.

  “What do you think I did? I freaked out and told him I have too much work to do; maybe another time.” Here it comes; he is going to ride my ass for running.