“Do it again, brother,” I wheeze. “Harder. Do it.”
His face goes slack before his forehead falls to mine. “Fuck, Madman,” he breathes, squeezes me tighter before pushing away completely with a shake of his head.
He takes a step away but turns back with barren eyes. “I know your entire fucking world is shattering, but so is mine. Shit, so is all of ours.”
“You sure about that?”
“You don’t get to do this. You made the final decision.” His jaw clenches as his lip curls, but the defeat in his eyes is what kicks me in the ribs. “At least he gave you the choice.” He takes a few more steps away, and with each one, more life drains from his eyes. “I had just as much to lose, and I didn’t get one.”
He picks up a barstool, smashing it against the wall on his way out, slamming the door with his exit.
With a cough, I push to my feet, taking a look around the room.
My eyes fall on my dad standing at the end of the hall, hiding away and watching like a coward, with his hands in his pockets, a frown on his face.
“You fuckin’ happy?” I spit, blindly throwing a pool ball at the trophy case, the shattering of the glass and the toppling of bronze and gold worthless accomplishments mocking me with every hit against the grain. “The Gravens got what they wanted, you’re still standing, and all it took was the fall of your own sons.” I shake my head. “We should have denied you, accepted the scholarships we were offered for basketball, taken her with us. We wouldn’t have needed a fucking thing from you or this place. We’d have lives, real lives, away from fake laws and faker people. Captain wanted time to focus on his daughter after graduation, now he has to run an empire that will take time from her, just like it took your time from us, like it took time from Ravina when her grandfather was in charge, and you saw what happened there. A girl, desperate for love, so desperate she agreed to an arranged fucking marriage from the first person to make her feel wanted.” I shake my head.
“Royce has connection issues; did you know that?” I don’t let him answer. “But with Raven here, he was getting better, she moved him in a way we couldn’t, loved him in a way he needed and never had. Bet that’s been blown to shit. And me?” I shrug, looking away. “All I ever had was my brothers and strength, it grew with her. Now I’m standing here, by my fucking self, having never felt so weak in my damn life.” My eyes hit his once more. “Guess that means I’m useless to you now, too, huh?”
I force my steps steady as I make my way to my room, but my feet carry me to hers instead.
I drop down, my ass on the floor, back against the bed.
Hours must go by as I sit there alone.
I take my time, replay every moment from the first glare to the last kiss, and I gulp when I’d swear my fucking chest plate is cracking open.
I’m so fucking sorry, baby.
Footsteps shuffle in, and after a moment a shoulder hits mine.
My eyes peel open, sliding sideways.
Royce glares as he passes a fresh cracked bottle of Crown. He looks away once I grab it. We take turns, passing it between us in silence until our hands are no longer steady and the bottle drops to the floor.
Both our heads fall to the mattress behind us and stay there until the sun is gone and rises again.
It’s futile, the time spent.
With the new light only comes more darkness.
“Fuck school,” I whine, glaring at the clock. “I feel like crap.”
“I feel you.” Captain fishes clothes from the drawer, glancing at me over his shoulder. “But Maybell said the boys didn’t go yesterday either, and Victoria told her Collins was there. We can’t abandon the school. Our people don’t feel safe when Graven is around and we’re not.”
“We are Graven.”
“Not yet, we’re not.” He shuts the drawer and spins, leaning against it with a frown. “We need them to see while things are changing, we aren’t, and they can still trust us to do what’s right there.”
With a huff, I push off the bed and move for the closet. I glare at the pile of shit I let fall to the floor the first night.
“I’m not wearing any of this garbage.”
The same time I say it, there’s a knock on the door.
I glance at Cap as he rubs a towel over his wet hair. He winks and disappears into the bathroom again, so I move to open the door.
My eyes widen in surprise, then close in relief when Victoria tosses a bag into my chest.
“I don’t have much, but I brought you a couple days’ worth of shit,” she says.
“Fuck yes.” I drag her inside, shutting the door behind her.
She slides her hands in her back pockets, looking around the room. “Fancy.”
I scoff, pouring out the bag and picking up the faded black jeans and long sleeve shirt covered in mini cheeseburgers. “Yeah, check out the freakin’ buffet, breakfast for two they said.” I roll my eyes.
She walks over to the expensive golden trimmed table, running her fingers across it.
I push the boxers down and tug on the pants. I grab one of the ridiculous bras from the drawer, sliding it under my sweater to clasp it.
I toss the shirt over my head, and right as I’m sliding my arms into it, Cap’s voice peeks out the bathroom.
“You changing?”
My eyes happen to hit Victoria’s right as he speaks, and a grape freezes at her lips. She frowns, slowly setting it down.
“I’m done.” I frown right back.
Captain steps out and she shoots up straight.
He nods at her, then moves for the closet for his shoes.
Her eyes bounce around the room, then lock on the bathroom door before the balcony and it hits me.
“No one else is here.”
Her eyes fly to mine. She wants to ask, and she might if Captain wasn’t here. She’ll have to work on that if she wants to make it in this place, and I need her to, so she’ll have to find her voice on her own.
I drop beside Cap on the bed.
“You ready?” he asks.
For day one in our new roles.
“Do we need a plan? I mean are we walking up in there announcing or are we letting them connect the dots.”
“We’ll help ‘em out a bit, but I’m sure Collins will make sure word spreads.” He eyes me a minute. “You good with that?”
I nod.
“Are you sure?”
“Don’t ask me that, Captain. I’m here.” I glare. “I’m sure.”
His eyes snap over my shoulder and hold, so I look and Victoria’s staring at us.
She takes the hint, silently stepping onto the balcony.
I turn back to Captain.
His eyes soften. “I don’t wanna push you. Everything may have changed as far as the next steps, but nothing has changed apart from that yet, if it ever even does. I need you to tell me when it’s too much.”
“I wouldn’t hesitate,” I admit. “So you shouldn’t either if it’s ever not enough. This world is fast-paced and we have to keep up.”
“I agree.” His eyes move to the balcony.
“Why did she seem like she expected Maddoc to walk out of the bathroom?”
“Because I asked Maybell to send her here with clothes for you.” He shrugs. “She had no reason to assume different.”
Right.
He looks to the food. “You didn’t eat.”
“I have no appetite.”
“You need to eat.”
“So do you.”
With a shake of his head, he stands. “We should head out.” He grabs the keys, pulling his phone to his ear right as the door clicks shut after him.
I stand and look to Victoria.
Her eyes cut from the bed to me. “Where’s Maddoc?”
“I don’t know. On his way to school?” My eyes harden.
Come on, Vee. Don’t be weak.
She frowns, her lips thinning a moment, but she starts past me.
My shoulders fall, but then she
whips around and finally asks what she wants to know.
“Why are you two here alone?”
I step up to her. “Don’t make me be that girl and do the whole shoulder to cry on shit. You want answers, and I need you to ask me for them.”
She glares a minute, but it fades the longer I stare.
“All right,” she agrees.
I jerk my head. “Come on, I’ll tell you everything on the way.”
Victoria didn’t say much when I broke down what I could on the way to school, but she’s deep in her thoughts now.
She confirms it when she says, point blank, “You wouldn’t agree to this. Captain, yes, but not you.”
My eyes slice to Captain.
He doesn’t take his from the road, but his hands wrap tighter around the wheel.
“There is no fucking way.” She’s adamant. “I know you well enough to know that.”
“I said no, at first,” I admit.
She doesn’t say anything, so I meet her stare with mine.
Victoria’s only narrow farther, irritation and revelation seeping through. “You let him force you into this.”
“What the fuck!” Captain shouts. “I would never force anything on her! On any fucking girl!”
“I’m not talking about you,” she tells him with her eyes on me. Victoria doesn’t back down. She twists in her seat and demands, like I asked her to. “I don’t know how you got to be the way you are, but you are not the watch out for yourself type, Raven. You would never do something you thought would hurt them, especially Maddoc. Tell me right now he didn’t threaten you with something.”
“Don’t answer that, Raven,” Captain snaps.
“Why?” she sasses back. “Can’t handle the truth?”
“You stop talking.” He flicks a quick glare her way and speeds up, whipping into the parking lot and killing the engine. He glances back at the two of us before stepping out and moving toward the hood to wait.
I look back to Victoria. “He said he’d leave them. I won’t allow it.”
Her brows jump, and she simply stares. After a few seconds though her face contorts, her brows meeting in the center as her eyes flick between mine. She gives something between a head shake and a nod. “You can say no, you can run. This isn’t the fucking eighteen hundreds.”
“You’re right, it’s not,” I tell her, eyes still on Cap. “Nowadays there’re guns and greed. Better locks and stronger walls. I could go, say no, but if I leave, they make their life hell and likely find a way to take me regardless. I get locked away and only serve purpose at night. They get themselves killed trying to save me from somewhere I never had to be. Besides all that, Maddoc will leave if I do anything other than this. It’s his way of guaranteeing I’m safe, knowing I won’t allow them to hurt at my hand.”
I say no or leave they lose each other, Zoey loses her dad. This town loses its hope and the Gravens win.
No.
“He’s extorting you.”
I look to Victoria. “How could I deny him?”
Her eyes move to the front windshield. She whispers, “This is big of you.”
“No.” I look to Captain just the same. “This is big of him.” Slowly, my eyes meet hers. “You like him, don’t you?”
“You’re marrying him, aren’t you?”
Tou-fucking-ché.
We’re both quiet a minute, then we step out together, meeting him at the front of the SUV.
Cap slips his phone in his pocket, his frown focused on the school. “Royce is running late. Maddoc isn’t coming today.”
And the separation begins.
“No point in delaying,” I manage to say through the anger and pain bubbling in my stomach, threatening to spew the water sloshing around in there.
I push forward but jerk to a stop when Victoria grips my elbow and spins me around.
I yank from her grasp and she frowns.
“You need to hold his hand,” she says, and I keep in my glare, but she knows it and lets hers form. “It’ll look different than the arm around the shoulder thing they sometimes do. If this is for real, if you expect everyone here to believe it—”
“I don’t give a fuck what people believe.”
“Well, you should.” She steps closer, so others can’t overhear. “You agreed to more than a marriage, you agreed to take over this town. They’ll learn of it soon. You think Graven can’t change their mind before it’s all said and done if they decide it’s not in their interest? They get rid of the things that don’t serve a purpose. If they think people won’t buy into you two...”
“For a girl who shouldn’t know much, you sound like you know a lot.” Captain crosses his arms.
She ignores him, but her features grow taut. “You know I’m right,” she says to me.
After a second, I look to Cap, and he holds a hand out for me.
I take it, and together, the three of us walk into the school.
I lean against the SUV, looking out over the parking lot, my annoyance growing more and more with each passing second.
It’s only been three damn days since we agreed to this and everything is continuously getting worse.
Royce won’t look me in the eye, Captain can’t meet my eye without sorrow creeping over his face, and Victoria glares everywhere but me.
The whispers started the second Captain and I walked in holding hands, grew louder when he kissed my knuckles before gym the next day, and the dirty looks came out to play when his hands hesitantly found my hips this morning.
People have restarted with their insults, girls are batting their lashes again, and the guys are suddenly braver.
Captain keeps quietly handling things while Royce has taken pleasure in letting his fists fly every chance he gets, and me? I’ve kept my knife in my jeans and my hands at my side. My mouth has stayed shut but I’ve cataloged every word with every face and when I snap, they’ll be the ones who feel it.
To make it all worse, still no Maddoc. Not a word from him, not a word about him.
Royce and Captain have to realize the only reason these assholes are acting this way is because we’re missing a link. Maddoc being MIA makes it seem like there’s a crack in our armor.
I’m fucking over it. They want to run their mouths, I’ll give them something good to talk about it.
They decide to push after that? We’ll shove harder.
I jolt off the bumper and move quicker than the others can follow, stopping beside Collins’ car, where he stands... with Leo.
Another disgrace let back in as a condition to our contract, a hand for Collins bitch ass to hold.
Both their heads snap my way, then toward the others I left with gaping mouths, deep frowns and clenched fists.
“Rae... whatcha doing?” Collins draws out, suspicious.
“Getting to know my future...” I make a show of pretending to trail off in thought. “What will it make you when I marry your cousin?”
Leo chokes on his drink, his wide eyes flying between the two of us.
That’s what I fucking thought.
If Collins hasn’t even confirmed to him, the only guy who can stand him here, then nobody else has heard. Their game must be the aftershock that’ll come with the knowledge, the storm it would create amongst the students here if they get left out.
Well, too fucking bad.
Collins licks his lips. “I guess it makes you a bit of a whore, hm?” He glares, a nice bite to his words.
There we go.
“Guess it does, huh?” I tilt my head. “How’s it feel to know you couldn’t even get the whore?”
His jaw clenches. “Guess I dodged a bullet then.”
“Guess you did.” I look to Leo, knowing he’ll never be able to keep his mouth shut. He’ll share what he’s learned, what half the damn school is likely already thinking. “I tested them all out, Captain won in the end. I’m sure Collins would love to have you as the plus one to the wedding.”
Leo is a weak bitch and can’t hold
in his shock – he’d be a useless hands man.
When Collins body shifts toward me, movement over his shoulder catches my eye.
Bass moves from behind a tree, takes a step forward only to pause a moment later.
“Raven.” Captain’s steady voice hits my ears.
With a masked face, I turn to him. “Baby.”
His eyes slide between mine, a blank slate for the others to see – concern clear as day to me.
I’m tired of that, too.
I’m sick of the concern, the worry, the eggshells that seem to have been scattered around me the last few days. I’ve been treated as the weak doll, and then to my own horror, I slightly filled that mold. I fell into a brand new type of fuck-it mode, let the jaded me fall away and allowed these people to run their mouths while I brushed it off, because fuck them, right?
Wrong.
This is my home now, was supposed to be all along, and now it’s more confirmed than ever before it forever will be.
I made a choice and we have to live with it. There’s no room for unnecessary emotions in a place like this. I gave away one Brayshaw while gaining another. I can’t sit here and claim I lost. It could be worse.
The Gravens, they wanted a Brayshaw, but in the end, gained two.
We’ll show them what that means.
These people, they fell into a comfort they shouldn’t have, privileged assholes who forget – this is only high school and once it’s over? They’ll be nothing but the rich of this town. Our town.
I push against Captain and silence surrounds us.
His brows drop low as he studies me, and slowly his hand slides around me. He pulls my body into his, moving us back a few spaces, his mouth hitting my ear.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“We’re losing respect by the second. Collins is back, Leo too. Maddoc isn’t here and in their eyes, I’ve traded more times than I can count now.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Show them we aren’t falling apart, make them think we’re stronger than ever.”
Cap pulls back and looks at me.
“We should be. That’s the point of this right, join the families? Create a power couple?” I whisper, my gaze flicking between his. “A couple in general.”
Reign of Brayshaw (Brayshaw High #3) Page 10