Page 42 of Break Me (Brayshaw High 5)

She lost a lot of time.

“She’s in my AP calculus class.” Katie tries to cover up her pointless question. “Smart as hell, I guess.”

“Why you say that?”

“Well for one, she’s a junior and in calculus.” She sips her smoothie. “That and I heard Coach Von tell her she could help grade papers after school anytime she wanted.”

I force myself not to react, play bored and flick my eyes past my brothers.

Now that’s some interesting shit.

Invite the new girl after class so quickly, freshly fucked-up face and all?

“Maybe she’ll do my homework.” Raven plays it cool, shifting the conversation to safer zones.

Katie’s full of starry eyes as she stares at her queen. “I don’t think there’s anyone here who wouldn’t do whatever you asked them to.”

Raven looks away. She wouldn’t ask a soul to do shit for her. Anyone who knows a thing about her, knows that much.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I dig it out.MacMoney: Micah’s about to grab her.I lock eyes with him from across the room, and when I give no signal for him to intervene, he grabs his girl, the two disappearing as Micah steps up.

His arm slips over her shoulder and she leaves it there, allowing him to lead her across the cafeteria, right to where most of the guys from the home kick back along with a few others who don’t live on our property, but work out at the warehouses.

She smiles and waves along with the group, laughing at something as she pushes Micah’s arm off her. One of them shoves out a chair and she doesn’t hesitate to sit.

She puts her elbows on the table and joins their conversation with ease.

Captain’s eyes narrow. “They’re never that friendly that quick.”

“They’re afraid of her brother,” Raven teases.

So not just a group home chick. One protected by her brother’s name.

“Wait, who is her brother?” Katie leans forward, a gleam for gossip in her gaze.

Maddoc looks to me and I nod, sliding my eyes to Katie.

I tap on her ass and her leg muscles clench.

She pauses but knows better and removes herself from my lap. She walks away and I lean forward, dropping my forearms on the table.

“If she’s in her class, her last name would have stuck and she’d know who her brother was,” Raven says.

My features smooth, and I lean back in my chair. This can only mean one thing.

“They don’t know.”

Cap’s eyes narrow and he guesses, “Maybell.”

“She must have hooked her up.”

But why?

Raven eyes the group curiously. “So, they don’t know Bishop is her brother. She’s been here, what, three hours, and they like her already?”

“I mean... look at her, you guys.” Victoria shakes her head, a smoothness taking over her face as she does what she does best, reading words that aren’t there. “She’s not like we were, standoffish and disgruntled, angry.” She pauses. “Think about how she was this morning when we scared the shit out of her. She didn’t get freaked out or even get embarrassed, she looked at us like... I don’t know, but there was a gentleness to her and not in a fearful way. And then right now, she walked up to a group of rough-ass, bruised up, tatted and pierced punks and thugs with zero hesitation and a smile. A real smile. No judgment in her tone, not unease or tension they can sense. She’s soft, calm-like, and she doesn’t realize it. People are drawn to that, even if they don’t know what to do with it. They just... want to be near.” She looks to Captain. “Zoey would like her.”

He grins, squeezing her thigh.

The pit of my stomach clenches, folds over, but I shake it off. This is nothin’ but bullshit talk.

Useless.

A waste of fucking time.

The table jolts as I hop up and low laughs float from the girls. “There’s ten minutes left, let’s shoot some hoops.”

“Need to let off some steam, brother?” Maddoc smirks.

I flip him off.

“You know they wouldn’t be so friendly if they knew she was with us.” Raven raises a brow.

“She’s not with us. She works for us, same as a couple dozen others.”

Maddoc pushes to his feet, helping Raven to hers and coming to stand beside me.

He clamps a hand on my shoulder. “Your knuckles are lookin’ white, brother.”

“Your eye’s about to look black, brother.”

He tips his head. “You know I’m dying to spar.”

I nod, leading us toward the back door. “Okay, fucker. Me and you, gloves tomorrow.”

The others chuckle behind him, and I hold the door open for them to pass through, but before I step out, I cut a quick glance at Brielle.

The second my attention lands on her, her head happens to shift, and I know she’s spotted me, even if I can’t see her eyes behind the frames.

I pause, waiting.

And waiting.

And she turns away, laughing at something the dude across from her says.