“It wasn’t an option. He never wanted to love or trust outside us either, Raven. You took that choice from him.”
“And now I’ve taken more. His future, his town, his brother.”
“His heart.”
I swallow. “How do I live with that?”
“You don’t have to.”
A sad laugh leaves me, and I give him a side-eye.
Captain turns serious and shifts his body toward me. “Today was tough, Raven. For all of us, but I need you to know I’m not forcing you into something you don’t want.”
“That is not what this is, Cap.”
He steps toward me, tips my chin up, eyes tight and full of sorrow. “Raven.” His voice is a low whisper as his stare slides between mine, deep creases forming between his brows. “Ask me to take you somewhere, anywhere you want, right now and I will. I won’t question you, I won’t be mad at you. I won’t even tell my brothers where I took you. You can walk away from all of this, we’ll get your money from the bank and you can start over without this weight. They’ll look for you, our family and the Gravens, but I won’t let them find you.” His thumb strokes my chin and my head starts to pound. “Your life, your choice, but I have to ask you to make it right now, before this goes any further.”
My eyes squeeze shut, and I lift my hand to grip his forearm.
Sweet Captain.
I should take him up on his offer, go and put this place behind me. Let them heal together instead of hurt apart.
It’s what I intended to do all along, but things are different than they were when I got here. To leave here wouldn’t only be abandoning them, it would also be turning my back on the home I never knew I had. This is where I am supposed to be, in this town with these people. With them.
With him?
Could be. Had Perkins taken his son when Captain’s mother was killed, Graven would have two princes for the pawn to choose between, Collins or Captain.
Maybe everything played out backward. Maybe it was never supposed to be Maddoc but Captain all along.
The secret Brayshaw and the secret Graven.
I shake my head at myself.
Pretending to believe that, even for a second, is wrong on every level.
My loving Maddoc wasn’t by mistake.
It was inevitable.
We were inevitable.
Still, none of this changes where we are right now.
I open my eyes and Captain’s drop but I squeeze, and they slide right back to mine.
“You’ve never lied to your brothers, Cap, you won’t be starting now, and definitely not because of me.”
“Raven—”
I shake my head, cutting him off. “I’m not leaving. I don’t want to,” I assure him. “Shit, even if I did, I couldn’t.”
“We’re doing to you what your mom did your whole life. Treating you like a damn throwaway.”
“Not even close. My mom never sacrificed a damn thing for me. She’s selfish, self-centered and as greedy as they come. You three are so opposite of all those things it’s not even funny. Just look at you, Cap. Look where you are right now, ready to give up everything you ever wanted just to make my life a little easier.”
“We would do anything for you, always.”
“I know.” I nod. “And even if you didn’t offer yourself up to them, if Maddoc refused to accept it or if Royce demanded a different outcome, I’d have stayed, married Collins just so I could be in the same place as you guys.”
I offer a small smile, continuing, “It is exactly why Donley still wanted me after he found out I wasn’t a virgin. It’s why your dad brought me to you guys first instead of giving me to them directly. Maybe their reasons came from different places, but they both came to the same conclusion.”
“What conclusion?”
“That I’d walk through fire if it kept you guys from getting burnt. Your dad wanted me to grow close to you guys so when I was passed over, someone on the Donley side would be looking out for you three. Donley wanted me because, for the first time, he felt he was taking something of value from Brayshaw.
“In his eyes, having me meant he had power over all of you, over this town and the Brayshaw name. I mean, think about it, Cap. He wanted my mom as a virgin bride who loved her future husband, yet he was willing to take me used and force me to marry Collins if he had to?” I shake my head. “He only wanted me because he knew, if he dangled any of you in front of me, I could be played as his puppet, do whatever he asked when asked. Be his little doll.”
Captain steps closer. “You won’t be a doll, or trophy, or side fixture. You will be treated with nothing but respect from every person in every room everywhere no matter where we find ourselves through this, I promise you.”
“You don’t even have to say it, Cap. I know, and I trust you.”
Captain moves his hands to my biceps. “I don’t... what do we do about...”
Maddoc.
Pressure builds behind my eyes, an ache taking form in my chest, so I give a small shrug.
Captain’s face contorts, pain and affliction laced through every inch of him.
I’m sure his loss hurts as much as mine, maybe even worse if such a thing exists.
My mind won’t stop racing, and what it keeps leading me to both settles and stings in some way.
There’s no longer such a thing as a good move, only an easier one, and what I’m thinking is easier, but not for me.
For him. For Royce.
I drop my eyes to the concrete beneath me. “I’ve been thinking. I know we can’t do anything about what happens later, how we feel or react in situations, but ... I think we can save us all from a lot of unnecessary grief.” I meet his stare.
He studies me, and after a minute, agrees. “I think you’re right.” He hesitates a moment before saying, “I know someone who can help.”
“Now?”
His forehead tightens, but he nods.
“Make the call, Cap.”
I didn’t sleep, but when the sun refuses to be ignored any longer, I open my eyes, meeting Captain’s sleepy ones beside me.
He gives a small smile, tension lining his brow.
“Stop,” I whisper, reaching up to wipe it away.
He grips my hand, squeezing, unease taking over his eyes more and more by the second. “Are you okay?”
I nod, dropping mine to his chest.
With a heavy sigh, he slides from the bed, quietly disappearing into the bathroom.
And the first tear falls, followed by another, and before I know it, I’m covering my face with a pillow to muffle my own cries.
Pathetic.
My tears are pointless, if I didn’t hear myself and if the heat from each one falling didn’t warm my cheeks, I wouldn’t even know I was crying. I feel nothing, felt nothing last night. Not even regret, which might be the worst part.
A heaviness forms against my chest and I gasp, searching for air I can’t find. I rush over to the little sink, quickly splashing water on my face, and rubbing it across my neck.
I tie my hair back, pausing to stare at myself a moment.
Of course, Captain steps from the bathroom right then, frowning when he sees me.
After a moment he walks toward the bed and grabs my sleep shorts from the floor, bringing them to me.
He spins around so I can slip them on under my long shirt, then turns back reaching for my hand. I allow him to lead me to the balcony, but we don’t step out, instead sitting on the edge of a little chair.
“Raven—”
“Don’t, Cap. I’m fine, I promise.” I pull myself to my feet, turning to look him in the eyes.
He holds mine a minute before dropping his to the carpet at our feet.
With a heavy exhale, I tug his hand so he’s standing and move us into the sunlight more. I step into him, and he wraps his arms around me in a hug.
“We need to get dressed so we aren’t late.” Cap pulls back, tipping my chin up to look at him. “Or we can ditch?”
With a deep breath, I shake my head. “There’s no point. We only have a few months left. Finish strong, right?”
He gives a light chuckle, but it falls off. “All right, come on.”
We’re dressed and heading out the door within twenty minutes, and not ten after that, we’re pulling into the Brayshaw High parking lot.
“Is that your dad’s town car?”
Cap leans over to look. “Yeah.”
“Did he tell you he’d be here today?” I frown.
“Nope.” Cap’s expression mirrors mine.
I’m about to ask what he thinks it means when I spot Chloe perched against her car chatting with a few of her friends, so I tell Cap to stop.
“When I first got here, Chloe said she could make me go away with one phone call. What did she mean by that?” I turn to him.
His eyes narrow. “Her dad is our head of security, has been since we were kids. She thought she could get him to send you packing for fucking with her. She was wrong. He didn’t tell her who you were right away, that’s why she acted the way she did with you. She never would have dared had she known beforehand.”
“You trust this man, her dad?”
“We do. He checks in on Zoey every day, calls me every night. We get daily reports of everything going on in this town. He’s a good man, strong and always dependable.”
“Yet his daughter is a bullying bitch, treats people weaker than her as just that.” I shake my head. “She should be the opposite of what she is. She should be standing up for the quiet girls in the hall who get pushed around, not doing the pushing.”
“Only a true leader stands for, with, and against others when they sense it’s needed.”
“Like you guys do.”
“Like you did before you even knew us.”
I look back to Captain, and after a minute I push my door open.
“You’re getting out here?” He raises a brow.
“Yeah.” I sigh, looking to Chloe. “I need a minute with her. Meet me in the middle, and we’ll wait for the others, then find Rolland together?”
He frowns but agrees, so I hop out.
Her eyes are already on me as I do and she pushes to her full height, dismissing her fan club.
She crosses her arms, tilting her head like an asshole. “Rae.”
“The boys trust your dad.” I get straight to the point.
That has her shifting on her feet, her head lifting some. “More than their own dad, I would guess.”
“You might think it sucks, not having influence over him, but it’s actually a really good thing. It means he’s honorable, dedicated to them and what they stand for.”
“What do you want, Raven?” She eyes me.
“You’ve steered clear of Leo since he got back. Why?”
“Why do you care?” she snaps.
“It’s because he showed his true colors, isn’t it?”
She rolls her eyes, but shrugs. “He may look pretty, but loyalty can’t be shifted around here.”
“That’s what I thought.” I nod. “Look, I don’t trust you, but I know you’re aware of what’s going on on the inside of things. You’re at least sneaky if not purposely informed.”
“If you’re referring to how you change guys as often as I change handbags, news flash, Rae, you’ve made it disgustingly obvious so no snooping would be necessary,” she sasses, but when I only stare, she rolls her eyes and looks away. “I found out about the contract the day you and Captain signed it. I didn’t know about the Captain and Principal Perkins thing though. Sucks for you I guess,” she says and damn if it’s not half sincere. “You really going through with it?” She studies me, an expression I can’t quite read, but has me wondering if she knows even more than she should.
I ignore her question. “I need your help.”
Her eyes narrow. “With what?”
“I need you to be what you should already. Stand up for people, show them they can trust those who trust Brayshaw. There’s been too many shifts in the last few months, you have power. Use it.”
“This is about that Graven Prep bitch being on Maddoc’s jock, isn’t it?” she crosses her arms.
“No,” I tell her honestly. “It’s not, but it is about Graven. We can’t let them come in and think they can take over where they don’t belong. This is still Brayshaw grounds, and they need to remember it.” I get in her face. “You considered this your school before I got here, right?”
She glares but can tell I’m not being a pompous ass about it.
“I don’t need the school, Chloe. I have the town. You can have a part in it, too, if you can prove it’s your people you care about more than yourself. Keep the fear you, no doubt, worked hard to create but direct it toward the right people.”
“Why are you standing here saying this shit?” She studies me.
“Because, before I got here, your entire world was different. In your eyes, I came in and took from you. All you wanted was one of them on your arm. I know what it’s like to have someone take what you think belongs to you from right under your fingers and not being able to stop it. It’s fucked up.”
Her eyes fall to the blacktop but raise back to mine just as quick.
“What the girls here don’t seem to realize?” My brows lift, and I give a slow shake of my head. “You don’t need a Brayshaw... to become one. All you have to do is earn it.”
As if she’s never thought of it, her face goes slack.
I leave her with the thought, turning to meet Captain a few feet away.
Royce steps up with Victoria right as I do.
“What’d you say to her?” Victoria asks.
I glance over my shoulder, finding Chloe smirking after me. “Nothin’.”
I look back to Captain, who side-eyes his brother, before moving his stare back to me only to ask Royce a question a moment later.
“Where’s Maddoc?” Captain frowns.
“Not here, brother. Not fucking here.”
Fuck.
Royce takes a few backward steps, saying nothing else on the matter. “Let’s go see what dear old dad wants from us this time. Maybe our fucking souls, huh?”
With that he spins on his heels, not waiting for us to reach his sides as he steps through the doors.
Something has me looking over my shoulder, but when no one stands there, I push through.
Mac meets us just inside, letting us know Rolland is in Perkins’ office again, so we rush straight there.
Both their heads jolt as we step inside, and Perkins even attempts to hit the back button on his screen, but Royce reaches across and knocks the keyboard off the desk before he can.
Rolland glares at Perkins, then looks to the boys.
“You fucking kidding me?” Royce spits angrily. “Hiding shit, again?”
Rolland stands straight. “If I were hiding, I wouldn’t be here in plain sight. Why Connor panicked, I don’t know, but I had every intention of coming to you all after.” He looks across the three of us and frowns. “Where’s your brother?”
“Probably still drunk and in bed,” Royce bites.
I scowl but say nothing.
Captain turns the screen, and we all freeze.
A picture of Zoey sitting on her porch, Maria at her side reading her a story fills the screen.
It’s a side angle, so taken from somewhere on the property, not from the outside gate.
“What the fuck is this?” Captain’s voice rumbles with rage and he whips his phone from his pocket, dialing. He brings it to his ear.
“This was sent to me this morning, addressed to you,” Perkins tells him, tension lining his face.
“And you called our dad instead of Captain?” Royce shouts.
“Maria,” Cap says into the line in the next second. “Where’s Zoey?”
I grip Royce’s wrist as we wait for another word.
“Show me,” he growls.
A second later, a small tap fills the room and then her little gasp sounds.<
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“Daddy!” She laughs. “Hi!”
My muscles relax, and I look to Royce when his hand covers mine.
He nods, tugging me under his arm.
Cap steps from the room for some privacy and I look back to Perkins.
“Who sent this to you?”
Right then, Rolland’s phone rings. He glares from the screen to us. “It’s him.”
“Donley had this taken?” I jerk forward.
Rolland nods then goes to answer the line, but Royce snatches it from his hand, puts it on speaker and sets it on the desk.
Donley’s chuckle grates every nerve in my body. “I see you’re at the school, old friend, guessing you got word of my email, just as I had predicted?”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I snap.
“Ah, princess.” His smile is evident through the line. “Lovely to hear your voice.”
“How did you get the picture?”
“Which one?” he jokes and my eyes fly to Perkins.
He holds up his hands – four pictures.
“Donley!” I shout, slamming my hand on the desk.
“Found a guy with a great, long distance camera. All he had to do was climb a small fence. He was in and out in seconds. No harm done,” he says.
“Are you trying to fuck yourself?”
“On the contrary, princess. I’m protecting myself. The girl is fine, safe and sound. Even sent her a new little bear from Grandpa Donley.”
I clench my teeth. “Stay away from her.”
“Oh, I plan to. Soon as you’re mine, or his rather, but I see it as one in the same, hm?”
“She’ll never be yours!” Royce shouts.
Donley only chuckles louder. “You all have yourself a nice day.”
He hangs up right as Cap steps back inside with a glare. “She’s fine.”
“Cap.” I turn to him with tight eyes. “Maybe—”
“He’s trying to intimidate us,” Cap rushes out, giving a subtle shake of his head.
Not yet.
“He won’t touch her.” Cap looks to his dad. “I want a guard every fifteen feet, rotating every hour.”
“Done,” Rolland agrees.
Perkins slowly stands. “If I can help in any—”
Reign of Brayshaw (Brayshaw High #3) Page 12