“That is something you learned from where I left you.”
“Thanks?” I snap.
He changes the subject. “Your mother was raised in this very house, you know. It’s quite fitting you being here now.”
“Yeah, about that.” I look around. “My money hungry mother would never stay away from a bankroll like this.”
“She’s the one who ran away,” he says.
“Call me crazy, but the Brays I know wouldn’t allow such a move.” I watch him closely and the muscle in his cheek twitches.
“What is it you’re trying to say, Raven?”
“Someone – maybe even you – was well aware of where she was the entire time. Maybe she never really ran. Maybe, she was hidden.”
He tips his chin slightly. “And what reason would one have to do such a thing?”
“Come on, it’s basic math, yeah? I’ll be eighteen in a few months, which means she was pregnant with me when she ‘ran.’ So, tell me, who’s my father, Rolland?” I ask him point blank.
He hesitates a moment and then lifts his hands slightly. “I don’t know.”
“You can stick with that, for now, but you have to know the truth will come out eventually. If I know my mom, it’ll be when she’s ready to claim what she thinks she’s owed.”
“She relinquished her rights to everything related to the Brayshaw name when she left.”
“That’s not how her brain works.”
“That’s how we work,” he says. “We do not bend for those who break loyalty.”
“Yet you spent eleven years in prison and paid her all through that time. Weird.”
“I did what I had to do.” He glares. “I could have easily been free, but there was a bigger role that needed filled.”
“So you admit to a crime you didn’t commit, to what?” I use air quotes like an asshole. “Protect me?”
“I had to keep your existence a secret. It was the only way to fix what she ruined. It was my sacrifice.”
“And they were your chosen sons.”
His jaw ticks. “They had a good life.”
A humorless laugh bubbles out of me. “A parentless life.”
“I did what needed done,” he reiterates.
“In order to what?” I sit forward. “What is your goal exactly?”
“My goal remains the same,” he states calmly. “To see the Brayshaw name stay on top, continue to be the strongest and best there is. To stop Graven from trying to overthrow what no longer belongs to them.”
“You were doing all that just fine, Rolland. If all that is true, you had no reason to bring me here.”
“It was my duty.”
“So was being a father to the three boys you left behind to keep a name on top and stay the strongest. You’re nothing but a power-hungry, selfish prick.” I push to my feet, looking down at him. “Make sure you tighten up your responses before your sons come looking for answers. They happen to be full of questions.”
I start to walk away, and he snaps, “I am not done speaking.”
“Well, I’m done listening.”
“Raven,” he booms. “Do not move.”
I pause and slowly spin around.
Is he fucking serious?
He stands, walking toward me so he can be the one to look down. He eyes me for a long moment, the edges of his eyes tightening with each passing second.
“Have I underestimated your hold on my boys?” he asks, and I’d swear there’s a tinge of anxiousness in his words.
Before I can stop it, my smirk grows and his eyes narrow.
“No, Rolland. You underestimated them. They’re not the boys you left behind anymore. They’re the boys with the ability to bring a grown man down with a snap of a finger.”
He inches closer. “Are you threatening me, with my own sons?”
“Do you feel threatened?”
His jaw tics. “Be careful, Raven. Your place in our world is in my hands.”
“You act like anything I do will change your plans.”
“You can’t run from your duties. If you want to blame someone, blame your mother for her inability to keep her legs closed until her wedding night.”
“Wedding night...” I trail off.
“She is debased.” The doctor’s words ring in my ears.
A virgin. My mother was supposed to be a virgin on ...
When my confused expression lands on Rolland’s, his smirk grows. A smirk that has the muscles in my stomach tightening, but I don’t show it.
“Is it starting to make sense now?” he mocks me. “I think I’ll take your advice on this and ... speak to my sons first. If you’ll excuse me.”
My eyes trail his retreating figure until he rounds the corner, but my feet don’t move.
Whatever his plan is for me, no good will come of it.
Question is, when it comes down to me versus him, who will his sons choose?
“Raven’s gonna be pissed.” Royce’s knee keeps bouncing as he glances around the labs waiting room.
Cap went back not ten minutes ago.
“She wanted to be here. She’s gonna wring our necks.” He sighs.
“Something’s going on, Royce.”
His eyes slice to mine. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t see it?” I ask him and he frowns. “First off, where the fuck is Collins? Second, Dad shows up but has been avoiding us for the most part, he lied and said he wanted to keep Donley in the dark when it turns out he knew all a-fucking-long he was home. The bastard went after Raven, on Bray grounds and managed to pull in the chick from our group home to help him. Now Cap is wigging out over Zoey and obsessing over Perkins. I get it, but all this shit feels like the timer to the bomb that’s about to drop.”
Royce considers what I say but waits for me to continue.
“Why would Donley, who never comes near us, make such a bold move?”
Royce frowns. “He wouldn’t unless he benefited from it.”
“Exactly.”
“You thinking Cap knows something we don’t?”
“He suspects.”
“But he’ll tell us.” Royce’s eyes bounce between mine. “Right?”
I nod. “Even if he doesn’t want to.”
“Why wouldn’t he want to, Madman?”
“When does he ever not tell us when something’s bothering him?”
“Fuck.” Royce runs his hands down his face, falling back against the chair. “Can’t be coincidence he chose today to make Perkins bleed either, can it?”
Nope.
The ride home is a quiet one, and when we pull up, we find Dad’s town car parked right in the middle of the driveway.
Cap turns off the engine and Royce immediately jumps out, rushing up the steps.
I reach for my handle, but Cap’s hand on my arm has me pausing.
I look to him and his eyes fall to the steering wheel.
“Cap.”
“Can I ask you something?”
I pause, tension lining my brows. “Since when would you ask?”
He lets out a small laugh. His features tighten, and my muscles follow the move. “Would you do what she did?”
When I don’t respond, he looks my way.
“Raven. Would you protect her, no matter the cost like she was ready to do for us, even if that meant losing her?”
“Why you asking me that, Cap?”
“Answer the question, brother.” A wretched expression takes over his features. “I need you to.”
“Yes. Without a second thought.”
He stares a moment before blinking and looking away. “So would I.”
“I know you would, just like I would Zoey.”
He slowly meets my eyes again, a lost look in his. “You always have my back.”
“No matter what.”
“You trust me?”
My pulse kicks at his question.
Captain doesn’t ask useless questions. “With my life.”
“Good.” He no
ds, looking away. “Let’s go inside.”
Together, we make our way in the front door, finding Royce coming down the stairs with Victoria.
She gives a tight grin. “She’s asleep.”
“I’ll drive you back,” I offer but she shakes her head.
“I’m good, but make sure you clear things up with my teachers, like you said.”
I pull out my wallet, but she lifts her hands, shakes her head and walks out, closing the door behind her.
Royce frowns from Cap to me. “Dad wants us in his office.”
“Fuck,” Captain hisses, then quickly shifts toward us. “Guys, look I have to tell—”
“Boys.” We turn, finding our dad standing in the hall. “Come.”
With one last look at each other, we head his way.
He steps in before us, moving to sit against the edge of his desk.
When Royce doesn’t shut the door behind us, he motions toward it.
“It’s fine,” he tells him. “The girl’s gone. It’s just us.”
“And Raven,” he corrects.
“Exactly.” Royce eyes him. “It’s fine.”
He nods, mumbling to himself, “I was afraid of this.”
“Afraid of what? What’s going on?” I ask.
With a deep breath, he meets each of our eyes. “You know she’s of Brayshaw blood.”
“Just learned,” Royce glares.
Our dad nods. “I’m sorry I wasn’t forthcoming right away and you had to hear it from someone else.”
“Why would you hide this from us to begin with?” Captain asks almost as if he’s baiting him.
My eyes tighten.
“All these years, I had a plan,” our dad says. “But it seems I may have made a wrong move somewhere, which makes things a little trickier.”
“You don’t need a big lead up,” I tell him. “We’re not your men, we’re your sons. Just talk.”
He nods. “You boys are aware our world extends beyond our territory. There are several families, like us, that lead lives as we do, each offering something different in their zones, but serving the same purpose. We keep our towns clean, our people honest, and clear out the garbage. We do these things to not only protect the way of life we have chosen, but to punish those who decide to hurt our people.”
“We know all this already,” I say.
“You met the family from Riverside?” he asks.
“They came to warn us, said someone was looking to burn down the warehouses.”
“Yes.” He nods. “It was Vienna Sproud, one of the girls in the group home.”
“Whoa, what?” Royce snaps.
“She was sent by Collins Graven, of course, but still. Seems she disappeared for now, but she’ll be found and dealt with.”
“She won’t be back,” I tell him and his frown meets mine. “Raven already banished her.”
“Raven banished her,” he draws out. “And how would she have the power to do that?”
“She earned respect before she learned who she was. Our people welcomed her when she was nobody to them.”
“Good to know.” His brows furrow, an irritated look crossing his face, and I grow tense.
He didn’t like hearing that, but why?
“I’ve got a meeting set tomorrow,” he announces. “You’ll miss class and accompany me out of town where you’ll meet the head of each family.”
“Why tomorrow?” Captain asks, stiffness in his tone. “What’s the rush?”
“Things are moving rather quickly, which brings me to my next concern.” His eyes bounce between us again. “I asked you to keep Raven from the Gravens and you failed to do so.”
I take a step forward, but Cap’s eyes hit mine, a warning burning, and I force myself calm.
“He showed up at our game, we were in the locker room. We—”
“The why doesn’t matter at this point, son. Fact of the matter is, Graven has laid eyes on her earlier than planned, so now we are out of time. Things will move.”
“What things,” I force past clenched teeth.
“If you’d have done what I asked,” our dad repeats himself. “We’d have more time. You would have more time. I needed it to be on our terms, but what’s done is done.”
“Why keep her from them if you expected them to find out anyway?” Royce asks him.
“To ensure the same actions would be taken, to solidify the terms and make sure, this time around, it was solid proof.”
“You need to give us more than that! I’m tired of this roundabout bullshit!” I demand, my anger threatening to boil over.
“Ravina Brayshaw,” he booms, not one to be over spoken. “Was promised to Felix Graven.”
My head snaps back.
“The deal was set, the plans made, and then she ruined it. She left.”
“What the fuck does this have to do with anything?” I growl. “What the hell are you saying to me right now?”
“A Brayshaw and a Graven,” Cap whispers, his eyes hitting mine.
“Holy shit.” Royce gapes at our dad. “That’s why you brought her here. She was a fucking means to an end for you!”
My heart pounds against my chest so hard it might just rip right fucking through.
No fucking way he’s saying what I think he’s saying.
“No, son, she is the end. She is the pawn.” Our dad speaks as if he didn’t just threaten to tear apart our fucking world.
As if his words are final.
As if we’re supposed to nod and accept his explanation.
As if we’ll blindly let him lead us into what comes next.
As if ... we won’t stand against him, our father, head of the Brayshaw name.
He just fucked up, and he doesn’t even know it.
He has no idea what she means to us, no fucking clue what we’ll do to protect what’s ours.
And Raven. Is. Ours.
Eyes on the ground, I shift to stand in front of him, my brothers moving to stand beside me.
With my head dipped low, my eyes slice up to lock with his, and slowly my chin rises until we’re eye to eye, chin to fucking chin.
I raise mine higher.
“No.”
To be continued ...
Quick note from the author
YOU GUYS!!! Are you okay??? LOL!
When I started this series, I thought I knew what was to come, but I was so wrong! Raven took me on a journey I never expected. She is so much more than I ever imagined her to be, and the boys! I die! They’re so incredibly similar, yet so very different. Thank you for coming on this journey, and I hope to heck you’ll be here for Raven and Maddoc’s final book! I can promise you, you have NO IDEA what’s coming!
And speaking of book three, it had a title, but book two took a turn I never expected, and now I’m not so sure it fits anymore, so I’m waiting to announce until I’m sure it’s right!
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Goodreads link: Brayshaw, book 3
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More by Meagan Brandy
Did you enjoy Alec, Oakley and the gang? Read their story, The Wrong Blaze, today!
___
THE WRONG BLAZE:
He wants me to be his...but I’m in love with his brother.
I had it all figured out, knew exactly who and what I wanted in life, then he came back, determined more than ever to prove me wrong.
He's forced his way into my world, demanded my attention no matter the cost.
He pushed until I fell.
And then he knocked me down.
But nothing is ever as it seems.
Hate is where it started.
Love is where it was headed.
Lies are what destroyed everything.
Find it here: The Wrong Blaze
____
FUMBLED HEARTS:
He’s the persistent playboy who refuses to walk away. I'm the impassive new girl with nothing left to give.
Things are about to get complicated...
After months of refusing, I finally agreed to make the move to Alrick Falls. My family thought it was best - that a new scene would be good for me—and I was sick of having the same conversation.
So here I am, and the plan is simple. Smile through each day and avoid her at all costs.
It's perfect.
Until the cocky quarterback comes into play.
The last thing I want is his crooked grin and dark brown eyes focused on me.
Yet here he is, constantly in my space, pushing me, daring me to care. Telling me what I think and feel, as if he knows.
He doesn't know anything. And I plan to keep it that way.
_____
DEFENSELESS HEARTS:
After months of silence, here she stands on my front porch, waiting to be let in again. But it's the same play every time, and I know how this ends - I give her all I have and she carries it with her on the way back to him.
I should turn her away, but I won't. Couldn't do it if I tried.
Because no matter how many times she pops back up, pulls me in and drags me under, it will never be enough. I'll always want more.
More of her.
More for us.
And she'll always choose him.
Trouble at Brayshaw High Page 27