Trouble at Brayshaw High (Brayshaw, #2)(40)

“Lights are on,” Royce notices first.

Raven sits forward, her face tightening as she drops back against the seat. She sighs. “It’s candles.”

Captain rolls closer, stopping right in front of it.

“She’s not alone,” Raven tells us, staring at the door.

“How do you know?”

“Because when she’s free for the taking, she leaves a pink boa tied to the door to let everyone know they can come play if they’d like.”

My stare slices to hers, but she’s not looking at me.

“And people just walk the fuck in, ready for her?”

Her tongue runs along her teeth as she glares at the piece of shit in front of us.

“And you’re the first thing they’d see?”

Finally, her eyes come to mine. “Thank hell for my knife, huh?” she snaps.

My frown deepens at her accusing tone.

“This is why you don’t fucking sleep, why you stare at the door all the time.” My eyes meet Royce’s for a quick second and his tighten. “Because people pop in at any hour and you never know when or what they’ll do.”

Her stare hardens and she forces her eyes forward.

Shit makes sense now.

The headphones she’s always wearing at night, that’s how she’d block out the noises. Her flashlight allowed her to see who would walk in, and her knife made her feel safe. Or fuck, safer than having nothing.

She couldn’t have always been this fucking tough, so at some point, she was nothing but a helpless little girl.

This is why she’s as hard as she is. She had no fucking choice but to be, there was no one else there to protect her.

She was on her fucking own...until us.

“What do we do?” Captain asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

“We wait,” she tells him. “She won’t spot us out here, not that she’d pause if she did, and she charges by the hour. It won’t be too long.”

I grind my teeth and force my eyes closed.

I can’t fucking let myself think about Raven in this place with a piece of shit like her.

“What are we doing here, RaeRae?” Royce turns around to look at her, a mix of worry and anger covering his face. “For real, the fuck’s this all about?”

She holds his eyes a moment before glancing away, but he keeps at her.

“We didn’t ask any questions, brought you like you wanted, avoided talking about the last few fucking weeks on the drive and now here we are, waiting outside your mom’s and we have no fucking clue what we’re getting into.” He watches her. “I’m not sure I’m up for any more fucking bombshells.”

No surprise when she gives him nothing and he glares my way.

None of us are okay with what’s happening right now, and we’re sure as fuck not used to doing things without knowing every detail included, but this is Raven and we’re trying to figure out why her brain works the way it does.

So, we’re bending a little.

A real fucking little.

Raven called it right, less than an hour goes by and a big burly fucker with a long, braided ponytail steps out.

He pauses at the sight of our SUV, but then quickly starts tucking his shirt in as he walks away.

Raven pauses a moment, then slips her hands between the seats.

I frown when she pulls out her knife.

She flips it open, turning it to inspect the sharpened blade, and I meet Cap’s eyes quickly, looking back when she snaps it closed. She squeezes it, her eyes stuck to the old metal before she slides it up her left sleeve, discreetly holding it there.

“Why do you feel the need to take that?”

“I take it everywhere,” she says flatly.

“Fine. Then why ready and waiting like it is instead of in your pocket or waistband like normal?”

Her eyes hit mine. “You think I’m unpredictable? She’s ten times me.”

“No. You are ten times anything she will ever fucking be.”

Her face contorts, a softness lining her eyes, but she washes it away just as quick as it slips. “She’s uncontrolled in a different way than I am.”

“You’re not convincing me to let you go in their alone.”

“You need to understand you’re not in control here.” She pushes open her door and steps out and I go to follow, but Royce’s hand shoots out, gripping me by the back of the collar.

With a growl, I yank free, spinning toward him with a glare.

“Give her a minute. Maybe this is about what Dad said, abuse or some shit and her mind is all fucked up.”

“Do you really think I give a fuck about that?” I shoot back.

“Maddoc,” he growls, spinning fully in his seat, anger flaring in his eyes. “She just fucking came back, man, and only because we went and got her. Your girl, your fucking call, brother, but damn. I don’t wanna lose her by pushing her. We all know how she gets when we do.”

“I’m with Royce,” Captain agrees.

I smack the back of the headrest and drop against the seat.

“Ten minutes,” I relent, slamming my eyes shut. “And not a second fucking longer.”

This is fucked.



Taking a deep breath, I pull open the broken screen door and step inside, letting it slam with a loud whack.