Reign of Brayshaw (Brayshaw High #3)(49)

Not Maddoc.

I close my eyes again, giving a small nod.

This is all my fault. A little girl almost lost her dad today because of me. Everyone will have questions. They’ll ask me why she was there, what she said, and what followed. Questions that will lead to more questions, most of those being ones I have no answers for.

She spoke in riddles that were lost on me, acted like she was doing me a favor by walking in there with a gun and attempting to take a life, then following up with trying to take mine.

I could have stolen the gun from her hands when Bass distracted her, but she doesn’t like to fail, especially if it’s against me. She’d have tried again, and again, like the pathetic woman she was, she’d have caught me when my back was turned.

Things were too far gone at that point – my move was the only one I could afford. I have a lot to process, but one thing was crystal clear – she thought he was Graven, a true Graven, and wanted him dead.

Why?

I look back to Bass. “Tell Royce you’ll bring me.”

“I don’t think—”

“You’re not here to think, Bass.” I glare.

His eyes narrow, but he doesn’t argue, only looks away with a nod. “You should wash your face, might cause a riot looking like that.”

Shit.

I drag myself to a sitting position, wincing as the pounding hits harder.

Bass points to a bottle of Tylenol and cup of water sitting beside me, so I take it and drag myself into the bathroom.

He somehow got me to another hotel, got Captain to a hospital, and, I have no doubt, got my mom’s body off the floor.

I stare at myself in the mirror.

There’s blood matted in my hair, my face is fucked and bruised, the corner of my eye swollen, a blood vessel seemed to have popped, but I can see fine and I feel nothing.

I strip and step into the shower, letting the water wash away what it can. I gingerly massage my hair, staring at the rosy water as it spins into the drain. The hotel provided soap is hardly enough to get rid of the grime, but it works good enough. All signs of my mother are now running down the sewer where it belongs.

When I step from the shower, I pull the shirt and sweats that magically appeared on the counter over me and look in the mirror again.

You killed your own mother.

Shouldn’t you cry, or hurt, or mourn?

Shouldn’t you feel anything other than the sour taste of relief?

I killed my mother.

Bass walks in, patting the countertop, so I turn and lean against it.

With a frown, he pours peroxide on a cotton ball and taps it against my face. When I don’t react, he presses a little harder, moving to the next, wider cut.

“Does it sting?”

“Not enough.”

He freezes, dropping his hand as he glares at me. “You saved him.”

“You saved him.”

Bass shakes his head and moves back to working on me. “All I did was walk in, and too late. I should have been there to stop her from getting that close. You were with them, so I stepped into a room to take a call.” He shakes his head. “You were all gone when I stepped out.”

I stare at him, my voice more of a whisper than I intended. “When did he ask you to start watching me?”

“The night he came home without you.”

Fuck.

“He trusts Captain to keep you safe, but he needed to know someone had your back if Cap could only have your front.”

There’s a hard knock on the room door and my eyes narrow.

“Told him what you said.” He shrugs, tossing the cotton ball in the sink as he backs out. “Told me to fuck off.”

‘Course he did.

The second the door clicks, it’s slammed against the wall and heavy footsteps bound my way.

A mess of dark hair and wild dark eyes hit mine. His shoulders drop and he rushes for me, his hands planting gently on my face, getting a good look. I keep my muscles loose so he can move me as he needs.

He tilts my head to the side and down, softly brushing against my hair to see the damage the gun made beneath it.

“You keep getting this pretty little head beat on, and you might forget us altogether, RaeRae,” he teases, bringing my eyes back to his. “On second thought, I could get down with that, maybe win you over first the second time around.”

My lips press together, a small laugh leaving me. I grip his wrist, bringing my forehead to his. “Yeah, ponyboy. I’m good.” I catch his eyes again. “I promise.”

With a deep inhale he nods, and then steps back, glancing across my body. “She get you anywhere else?”

“My ribs are a little tight, chest is heavy.” I look away. “Not sure what’s causing it, though.”

He grabs my hand and tugs me to him, wrapping his arms around me loosely.

“Imma need you to stop gettin’ your ass kicked, RaeRae. Let me take the hits for you.”

“I needed the pain today,” I mumble against him.

He jerks back, glaring at me, but he can only hold my eyes for a few seconds now that we’re back to the reality of the day.

They found out I married their brother, and without them. I know that’s what hurts Royce the most.

He was left out. He doesn’t know how to handle being in the dark.

“We didn’t want to force you guys to watch.”