Page 41 of Boys of Brayshaw High (Brayshaw High 1)

The boys have to be at their truck now.

Time to get out of here.

I go to slip right, but one steps closer blocking my move, his slimy body brushing me, his excitement disgustingly present through his dirty jeans.

I laugh, but it comes out choked and then it’s them who’s laughing.

“Think you can handle a party of four, baby? We’ll treat you good. Might not be able to walk tomorrow, but you hookers get off on that sort of thing, right?”

I grin, but it’s tight and so is the grip that wraps around my wrist.

“Yeah, I think you’ll like it. Why don’t you—”

My free hand flies up, the heel of my palm cracking against his nose and instantly it starts gushing blood. The guy staggers back, his eyes wild, and one more moves in.

I swing my bag to hit him, but another wraps around my back. I relax every muscle, forcing him to hold my dead weight and the little bitch isn’t strong enough.

My feet hit the ground again and I use that as leverage to kick the one coming at me from the front in the nuts.

It works for a second, but in the next, my throat is in bloody hands and I’m lifted off the gravel.

My hands move to grip his, but his lock is tight and not going anywhere, so I pull my legs up, forcing him to hold me there until I can get a good, flat-footed kidney shot.

He wheezes but keeps his fucking grip and I’m damn near out of options, especially if the others decide to move in.

He starts shaking me, growling in my face and then both our bodies hit the dirt with a loud thud.

I start coughing, scurrying back a few feet to try and gain a breath while he rolls around in pain. Pretty sure his head slammed real good.

When I look up, I find Maddoc.

And Royce.

And Captain.

What the fuck?

Movement to my right has me bouncing to my feet. I quickly knee one of the guys as he throws himself at me while each boy lays out another.

Royce grabs my shirt and starts pulling me away when more voices and more footsteps grow closer, so I grab my backpack and run with him, but when I glance back, I see Maddoc is still laying it on the guy who had me by the neck.

I slow my steps and Royce pulls harder.

“Let’s fucking go!” he shouts, but I yank free, drop my bag and run back.

I catch Maddoc’s arm in the air and pull.

He spins, ready to throw a punch but when he sees it’s me, he freezes. His face travels over mine, inspecting for damage it looks like, before meeting my eyes.

I nod. “We gotta go.”

His face tightens, his jaw clenching so I nod again.

“Now!” Cap hollers in from behind me and an engine roars.

Maddoc hops to his feet, gripping my hand to pull me with him, but I free myself and am one step ahead of him.

Royce holds open the back door and the three of us jump inside. Cap puts the pedal to the metal and we’re gone.

I go to climb over the console to hit the front seat and make more room, but Maddoc pulls me back down.

And yet again nobody says a goddamn word during the ten-minute drive back.

We pull up in front of the girls’ Bray house and Cap screeches to a halt. Simultaneously, all their glares fly to me.

“What?”

They say nothing.

With a roll of my eyes, I go to hop out, but Captain hits a button, and gee look at that, child fucking lock.

“What you did tonight was reckless.” Captain’s eyes narrow.

“You basically summed me up in with one word. That’s what I do, that’s who I am.”

“You could have gotten yourself hurt.”

“Newsflash lost boys, this life isn’t new to me. I get my hands sticky and I figure it out. Sometimes it’s just more complicated.”

“You did all that so we could sneak off,” Royce says, sitting forward like he wants me to see him better.

I look off instead. “I did it so I could get back before Maybell found out I was gone.”

“Bullshit,” Maddoc drags out and I glare his way.

“Why else would I?”

“Don’t be a pussy, Raven,” he calls me out. “Say it.”

I look between the three, all waiting for the obvious answer.

With a growl, I throw my hands up. “Fine. You guys were trippin’ on those men. You knew them or of them, something. Either way, you recognized the voices and didn’t want to be found for a reason. I, on the other hand, don’t fucking care so I figured I’d distract them for you.” I glare at them. “You were supposed to leave ... unseen.”

They eye me, but no one says a word. I haven’t decided yet if quiet Brayshaws are worse than rowdy Brayshaws.