Page 127 of Boys of Brayshaw High (Brayshaw High 1)

I snatch the money Royce has of mine in his hands and hold it out to Victoria.

She frowns looking from it to me.

I sigh. “Just take it, and please don’t say anything.”

“I don’t need your fucking money to keep my mouth shut.”

I grin. “I know. But I want to give it to you. This is me thanking you for tonight. You didn’t have to run over and scare them off, but you did, and you brought me here. Thanks.”

She eyes the hundreds and I can see the need in her stare, but her pride is keeping her from taking it, especially with them watching.

I wink and stuff it in my pocket, and she nods before heading down the dirt road. I’ll give it to her tomorrow when no other eyes are on us.

I blink a few times, grabbing my head and Maddoc steps closer. I look up and his forehead creases, his fingers moving to trail across my cheek making me wince.

His face falls. “Baby, who did this?” he whispers and something inside me thaws. I lean into his touch.

I try to clear my throat but fail. I look to Bass who frowns at the two of us.

“Come back in the morning. You’ll come in and we’ll talk.”

“Breaking all the fucking rules, huh, RaeRae?” Royce glares at Bass.

I don’t say anything as I walk away and head upstairs, and what do you know, three sets of feet follow me all the way to my room.

I ignore them as I move around slowly, grabbing fresh clothes.

“Raven.”

“Just stop. It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing!” Maddoc booms and I jolt, the sound making my head pound more. “You—”

I spin around. “I got jumped! Big. Fucking. Deal. It happens. Often where I’m from actually.”

“It doesn’t happen here,” he growls, his chest heaving. “And it will not happen to you.”

“My mom’s done worse, big man. I can handle it.”

“You shouldn’t have to!”

“I don’t live in a world like yours. I come from a different fucking place. There is no such thing as enough precautions where I live. You’re never fully prepared. There are possibilities and then there’s reality. Reality, is always worse. This.” I point to my face. “Is what happens in my world. Just because you say you put some sort of protective shield around me doesn’t mean it fits. Stop trying to pretend I blend. I don’t! Your world or mine, it means nothing! I’m still me!”

“None of this would have happened if you wouldn’t have taken off tonight!”

“Maybe not today, but probably the next!” I shout back. “When someone wants you jumped, they catch you anywhere.”

“That’s not the fucking point!”

“Then what is?!” I scream.

“They could have hurt you for real!”

“Who cares!”

“I do,” Maddoc shouts right as the other two say, “We do.”

“I...” I trail off, having no clue what to say.

My chest constricts, the pain in my ribs and the pain coming from somewhere completely different make it hard to breath.

Maddoc creeps closer to me, the veins in his neck throbbing against his skin. “Next time you pull—”

A bitter laugh escapes me and he clamps his mouth shut.

For a second there I thought maybe there was more going on here, but he just needed a minute to get to the threat.

There’s always a threat to follow.

“You’ll what, huh? Ruin me. Break me. Because been there, done that. The worst you could do is kill me, and even that will be a cakewalk compared to the shit I’ve lived. You wanna be pissed, fine. Wanna act out for things not going your way. Cool. But don’t pretend to give a shit about what happens to me when the real concern is your pretty little plan and the kinks I’ll cause in it. You fucking brought me here. Don’t forget that.”

Maddoc’s murderous glare burns through my skin, but I don’t falter. I stand like I’m strong when really I need to hit the warm shower to wash away self-hate.

He looks over his shoulder at his brothers, both standing nice and quiet like good fucking boys – too bad I know their silence is worse than words.

He doesn’t say anything yet still both leave the room.

Maddoc slowly makes his way toward me and I steel my spine, but he sees it, feels it even, the fight leaving me. My need for him that I refuse to voice right now but want just the same. Somehow he knows it, though.

He grabs my fingers gently, like he’s afraid they may be hurt too and pulls me toward the shower in his room. He closes and locks the door, moving to get the water going.

He undresses then helps me do the same. Dropping to his knees, he kisses my stomach lightly as he unbuttons my jeans and slides them down until I can step out.

He stands, running the back of his fingers over my cheek. He nods his head, motioning for me to go first, so I do.