Page 79 of Break Me (Brayshaw High 5)

All over.

From root to tip, my body reveals me.

Royce’s gaze pops up to mine, and either the sun shifts above us at that exact moment, or the brown of his eyes deepens before me.

His thumb floats along the freshly cleaned spot in slow, back-and-forth motions, in the slightest of sweeps. It’s as if he’s hardly grazing the skin, maybe not even at all, his touch is so light.

I could be imagining it.

“That hurt?” he rasps.

“Does it look like it hurts?”

He pauses, but only for a split second, and then a low laugh leaves him.

He lets go and I roll my eyes at myself, pushing my hair behind my ears.

I’d make fans out of my hands if it wouldn’t be completely humiliating, and not for fun either, but because I’m legit sweating right now.

“My bad, that was embarrassing.”

He chuckles, pushing to his feet. “Nah, all part of my superpowers.”

I shake my head with a grin, but it smooths out as he watches me closely, indecision in his eyes.

A slow breath leaves him as he looks away.

“Our world is fucked-up,” he says as he puts the bat and first aid kit away. “It’s dangerous and always shifting. Right when things begin to calm, a wave of new bullshit comes in and it rolls on from there.”

“Think it will ever stop?”

“Not a chance in hell.” He shakes his head. “Ninety-seven percent of people want power, money, and the three percent who don’t? They’re the crazy fucks you have to watch out for, ‘cause they’re coming after your soul, your blood, your whole fucking world, and for no other reason than to say they took it from you if they succeed.”

“People with nothing to lose.”

“People okay with losing.”

I swallow and try again. “Tell me what happened.”

Royce pauses for a second and then reaches in to grab a bat once more.

He turns to me and holds it out, so I wrap my hands around the grip.

He walks toward my brother’s busted up car, and I follow his lead.

Royce steps around the back of it, tearing the tarp off completely.

A lost look covers his face as he inspects the car from the back window to the passenger one.

He plants his feet there and stares inside.

“My family was dealing with some straight Jerry Springer shit for a minute, fucked-up family members, connected bloodlines and things you’d never believe. Hit after hit until it all started to crumble. Your brother pissed us off, but when it came down to it, we trusted him more than anyone, so when the one person who meant as much to each of us as we meant to each other needed an extra eye, he was the only one who could do it.”

I swallow. Raven.

He puts his hand on the doorframe, leaning in to look inside with a tight frown. “Me and Maddoc were headed to see our niece when Captain was... unable. We came around the corner to find two cars in the middle of the road, one we didn’t recognize and one we’d seen a million times. Smoke and small flames, and the body of a girl on the ground was all we could see.”

I step around the driver’s side, listening as I too focus on the car.

“We hopped out with the car still rolling and ran. Bishop had this asshole by the neck, a knife to him.”

I must gasp as his eyes pop up to mine briefly.

“Then we spotted Raven falling against the car—the girl on the ground wasn’t her. She was white as a fuckin’ ghost, about to fall on her ass. She called for Bass, and he didn’t hesitate, dropped the guy instantly. He left his back blind and went for her, just like that.”

I take a deep breath.

“We were running up right as the motherfucker stood. It was a guy we trusted not long before that. Our friend, his friend.”

“Who was it?”

He hesitates and then says, “His name was Leo, he was a towheaded little bitch, sharpest shot we’d ever seen. In Leo’s mind, Raven took a place he wanted, but he was too dumb to realize it wasn’t a place we knew would be filled. Bass was already ahead of him, but they were cool, so when Bass was suddenly the one called on, Leo grew even more bitter. He was fucking up before then, but obviously, it took over his weak little mind, enough to try to take our own out.”

Jesus. I swallow. “So what happened when Leo got up?”

“He ran for Bass’ back, a big-ass piece of broken glass in his grip. Maddoc went for Raven.”

“And you helped my brother.”

His eyes snap to mine. “Shouldn’t have had to. He should have called when she asked him to take her somewhere.”

“But he didn’t, and you still had his back.”

Royce glares at the busted airbags. “He had hers, and not just that time.”