The second Captain’s hand hits Maddoc’s shoulder he yanks free, drops the second chair he’s picked up and storms for the exit... the one I’m standing in the middle of.
He stops right in front of me, his heavy breathing fanning across my face.
A deep divot takes form between his brows, the vein in his jaw ticking hard against the skin.
Show me those eyes, Big Man.
He does.
He yanks the glasses from his face and everything inside me crumbles, bone after bone shatters and I have no idea how I’m still standing.
He senses it, and the strain in his eyes mirrors mine.
Pain.
Need.
Inability to have.
Our new reality.
He pushes past, but not before giving a quick whisper that stings harder than any cut.
“I changed my mind.”
Changed his mind...
“He can’t have you.”
I... oh God.
No...
“I’ll fix this, baby, just hold home.”
And then he’s gone.
My vision grows foggy, my muscles giving way, but before I can fall, an arm is through mine, holding me up.
“Stand up straight,” Victoria hisses, slowly turning and leading me into the hall.
“What the hell did I do?”
She pushes me against the wall to steady me, her eyes roaming over my face with a tight frown. “What do you mean?”
When I squeeze my eyes shut, shaking my head, she hits my shoulders against the wall and they fly open.
“Are you okay?” She eyes me.
My body grows even heavier, and I look away. “What’s that even mean anymore?”
“Raven,” she snaps.
“I’m fine, Vee,” I answer, rubbing my temples. “Just... a headache.”
Royce and Captain join us in the next second, deep frowns on both their faces.
Royce slides my way, wrapping an arm around my waist. He’s nonchalant about it but takes my weight as he intended. He leans over to whisper, “I told you, the chick is only for show.”
“Fuck her.”
“What happened just now?” Captain asks quietly.
Royce gives his brother a blank stare. “Fuck you think happened, man? He wigged out. You touched her, comforted her from pain he thinks he’s caused. The one girl he’d never fucking hurt.”
Captain’s eyes harden. “And I will keep doing it. She’ll never hurt alone. Ever.”
Royce gives a sad smile, his arm on me tightening. “I know, brother. So does he. Kinda makes it even harder to swallow.”
I hate this.
I look up at Royce. “Walk me to class?”
“Yeah, RaeRae,” he rasps. “I gotcha.”
The four of us leave the cafeteria, early for class for the first fucking time ever.
“Good afternoon, Wolves. Hope you enjoyed your lunch hour.”
My head snaps up as the intercom turns on, Collins Graven’s voice echoing throughout the school hallway.
Our school.
“I know I did.” He pauses for a moment. “It was particularly fantastic, in fact, with the return of Maddoc Brayshaw.”
My feet jolt, and I slowly push from the floor.
Royce’s eyes slice to the door, his brows snapping together when he spots me in a panic
“See, I’ve been holding something in for some time now, but finally, the gang’s all here and I can share the news, but let’s backtrack, shall we?” His arrogant chuckle muffles the speakers. “See, there’s this event coming up... a big event, the grandest this town has seen in some time, one I’m sure you’ll all go home today to find the invitations sitting in your mailboxes for.”
“Oh fuck,” I croak, and Royce pops from his seat, but I dash for the door and down the hall.
No, no, no...
I run as fast as I can.
“Raven Carver, who is really Raven Brayshaw, is supposed to be getting married soon. Now, I know some of you have heard, but in case you were left out of the loop, I’ll fill you in. She’s not marrying who you think, but none other than Captain Brayshaw, who, in an interesting twist, can technically claim Graven. So yes, folks...”
I skid down the entry, blowing past Captain when he suddenly jolts around the corner.
“Raven!” he shouts, but I keep going.
“Raven Brayshaw, your very own princess, is marrying Captain, as a Graven. I thought it would never happen, that we’d all get together and they wouldn’t show, but it seems... they were so eager to move forward, the two took it upon themselves to speed things along.”
I throw open his classroom door, freezing in my spot when I find Maddoc has his eyes closed, my earbuds in.
My shoulders fall, but like always, he senses my presence. His eyes snap open and he flies to his feet, worry tightening his features.
“...the two married in secret, and have been hiding it for weeks now...”
Maddoc tugs the wires from his ears, his stare quickly snapping around the room before landing back on me.
“...so if you see the newlyweds in the hall, be sure to offer them your belated congratulations ...”
A slow frown forms on Maddoc’s face, his eyes moving between mine.
One last time, Collins’ voice echoes above us, “So, congratulations on your private wedding, Raven and Captain, I hope you get everything you deserve.”
Silence.
Maddoc stares, not saying a word. Not moving an inch.
And no one around us does either, fearful of his wrath should they even breathe, everyone remains stuck where they stand.
In the next second, I’m jolted forward as a chest runs right into my back.
I don’t have to look to know it’s Captain, and with the worst possible fucking timing.
His hand shoots out, wrapping around my stomach to keep me from stumbling.
When he rights me, he freezes, slowly pulling his arms away.
Maddoc starts to shake, his head ticking to the side, like he can’t control it.
But it’s Royce who storms up, pissed off about being lied to, and wraps his brother by the neck, dragging him back into the hall.
I gasp, spinning around to look at them, but quickly whip back to Maddoc.
I walk right up to him, open my mouth to speak, but he jerks his chin, his eyes dulling before me.
“Guess I’m too little too late, huh, snow,” he breathes, a numbness to his words that has my chest caving.
My heart breaks even more when his eye contact does, and he steps around me.
I lash around, following him into the hallway.
He walks straight and tall right past his brothers who wrestle around on the ground, not sparing them a glance.
“Maddoc, wait!” I shout, but my feet are stuck to the floor. Fucking frozen in the spot as betrayal burns from my feet to fingertips.
Victoria steps beside me, looking over at the two who have finally realized their brother is walking away.
They both jump to their feet, neither able to look at me.
I glance to Victoria who shrugs, unsure of what to do.
“Bitch,” comes from behind me.
I spin around ready to fire the fuck off at anyone and everyone, but Chloe slips in, her back to me, face to the girl.
“Jealousy is as ugly as your last season Prada.” Chloe’s chin lifts slightly. “Watch how you talk to a Brayshaw, Camile. I won’t remind you again.”
Chloe doesn’t acknowledge me but spins on her heels and keeps down the hall. “Nothing to see here people, go the fuck away!”
I come out of my stupor and run for the front of the school, the boys’ heavy feet pounding behind me, but it’s too late.
He’s gone.
I drop my head back, looking up at the sky.
Fuck!
Royce shoulders past Captain and starts jogging toward the house.
After a few minutes, Cap ushers me to his SUV.
We drive back to the
hotel in silence, both knowing how fucked up this seems, but I can’t find it in me to regret it.
We did this for them, so they wouldn’t have to watch, so Maddoc wouldn’t drive himself mad on our wedding night, playing out what happens after. We planned to tell him, saying it’s over and done and he wouldn’t have to stand beside his brother while he married me.
It was supposed to make things easier.
Now, thanks to Collins, he found out in front of the entire school.
“I changed my mind.”
Fuck.
My chest pulls tight.
What the hell did we do?
He changed his mind, meaning fuck the world, it’s me and him no matter what, just like he promised me?
I let out a shuddered breath.
Fuck!
Captain opens our room door, and we step in, but we only get through the landing before Cap suggests we leave again.
“I think we should take off for a while,” he whispers, almost unconvinced of his own words.
“Leave?”
He nods, moving toward the balcony doors. He turns to face me again. “Just a week, maybe two.”
“It’s been weeks, he hasn’t been around. He just had an extra ten days.”
Cap nods. “I think he needs it, both of them at this point.”
In other words, we fucked them hard today.
I grind my teeth together, shaking my head. “What about Zoey, your visits?”
He swallows with a nod. “I can ask Maria to distract her, take her to Disneyland. We can FaceTime.”
“Miss her first Disney trip, Cap?” I drop my shoulders. “Come on now.”
His eyes hit mine, and the self-prejudiced flaring about knocks me on my ass. “I’m serious. And it’s okay, I can take her again. She’ll have way more fun with me anyway.”
“Where would we even go?” I ask.
He shrugs. “Mountains, city. Anywhere. We can pay someone to do our work from school, not lose credits. Please just... please.”
It’s been almost six weeks since we got married in secret.
Six weeks of lying to everyone around us, by omission, but still. One plus one is still two. And one secret from two Brayshaws is three lies told.
I look around this stupid fucking hotel room, our little jail cell, and then move onto the balcony.
I grip the edges, looking out.
Graven orchestrated everything so far. We deserve a say in some things.
I look over my shoulder at Cap who now stands off to the side behind me. “A honeymoon of our choice?”
It’s an awful joke, but a scoffed laugh leaves him and he nods.
I shift, leaning against the railing and reach for his hand, pulling him closer.
He wraps his arm around me, breathing into my hair.
We both know how much we hurt the boys today, and it’s a bitter bitch to swallow.
“I’ll never forget the look on his face today,” I whisper.
“I’m sorry, Raven. So fucking sor—”
A loud boom vibrates in my ears, causing me to tense as Captain’s body clenches around me, his arms tightening before slowly losing their grip.
I pull back slightly, looking up at him, and his eyes fill with water, his lips parting some. “Captain.”
He stumbles back, hits the patio table and falls to the ground.
I gasp, my eyes darting to the movement inside the room only to fly back to Captain and the blood spilling from his side.
“Holy shit!” I drop to my knees, touching his face, his side, his arms. Tears spill down my cheeks, clouding my vision and my eyes move back to the gun hanging at her side.
What the hell?!
“What the fuck did you do?!” I scream, pushing to my feet and running for the hotel phone. “Why are you here?!” I cry. “What did you do?!”
She rips the phone from my grasp, yanking it from the wall. In the same second, I snatch the base from the stand, whip around and hit her over the head with it.
I grip her by the throat and rush her backward until she hits the wall.
“What the fuck are you doing?!” I scream, slamming her against the frame. It shatters behind her, crashing at our feet. I slam her again, but this time she pulls the gun up and hits me over the head with it, but only with enough force to push me back a few steps.
She rushes forward, gripping me by the neck, so I move my foot behind her, and shove, both of us falling to the floor.
“Stop!” I yell, elbowing her while trying to push her hands down, but she’s strong.
Her knee comes up and she kicks me between the legs, making me fall forward. She uses that to wrap her arms around me and rams the gun into my kidneys.
I groan, rolling off her and she climbs on top.
She hits me across the face with the butt of the pistol and my vision goes black a minute.
“I’m helping you, you ungrateful bitch!” she screams at me.
Her body is trembling against mine.
I blink several times and move my eyes back to her.
Now that I can get a good look, it’s clear she’s wrung the fuck out. Dark circles, streaked makeup, overgrown roots, and bruising across her cheeks and arms.
“I need to call for help.” I shift beneath her and she pushes the barrel of the gun into my sternum.
She opens her mouth to speak but suddenly is shoved off.
My eyes dart to the side, and I take Cap’s extended hand but don’t allow him to pull my weight.
He drops against the mattress, slipping and falling to his ass with a groan. He’s pale, blood covers his side and pours out more by the second. He holds a hand against himself but it’s fruitless.
“Captain,” I shriek when his eyes start to close.
His head bobs as he tries to focus on me.
“Your phone! Where is it?!”
He hits his pocket, so I try to fish it out, but he suddenly shoves me away not a second before a lamp comes around and slams against him.
It doesn’t shatter, but he’s already weak, so it causes him to slouch over even more.
I crawl across the floor, scrambling for the gun, but she spins, catching me off guard and kicks me in the head. I fall back, allowing her to grab it once again.
She points the gun at Captain again, pushing the barrel against his head.
His eyes meet mine a moment before they roll closed.
“Don’t!” I scream, rushing to my feet, but my head is pounding, and I fall back to my knees.
“I warned them,” she says monotone. She cocks the gun back with both hands. Moving her finger to the trigger.
She braces herself, and only seconds before she shoots, does my blade pierce her gut, the move causing the bullet to only graze across Captain’s shoulder.
He flops, his head hanging lifeless against his chest, hand falling from his wound as he goes unconscious.
She crumbles too, and with me standing at her back, the sudden weight of her loose body takes me down with her.
I tumble to my ass while she falls on top of me.
My knife still in her side, she shifts in my lap, her watery eyes wide and on me. “I told them they’d never get another piece of me.” She coughs, blood now spilling from her mouth. She spits in my face, but I don’t even flinch as her mucus and blood splashes against my skin. “I should have shot you instead,” she realizes.
Sensing her next move, I grip the handle of my knife right as she swings the gun around, pushing it into my throat just beneath my jaw.
She grunts, her legs stretching out as her forehead tightens. Her breaths are coming quicker, shorter, now. “I have to.”
I push against the cool metal, my body shaking, unwelcome moisture building to the surface. “I dare you.”
She blinks once.
“Raven.” She states my name rather than saying it as she tries to smirk through the blood, a vile look in her eye. “It’s an interesting name... isn’t it? So much hidden meaning and only one letter short
.” Her entire body jolts with her coughs, and she groans. “You... you ruined... everything.”
I don’t speak.
“Still, he doesn’t get to have you.” She cocks the gun, her eyes hardening through her tears, but the tears aren’t for me, they’re for herself.
The door is kicked open, but I don’t dare look.
She does though, and it’s just long enough to distract her.
I smash my lips together and with a loud, angry grunt, I twist the blade, driving it deeper into her flesh.
She tries to swallow but chokes, her hand clawing at my arm.
Her nose turns red as her nostrils flare. Her eyes slice to mine, the first and only time I have ever seen regret or remorse from her. Her fingernails scratch across my stomach. “This is the only thing that will save you now.” Her body jolts as she fights for air. “Ha—” she croaks. “Happy birthday, daughter. I hate you.”
My nose tingles, but I bite into my cheek to hold onto myself. “Don’t worry, Mom. I know.”
A broken gasp leaves her. Her eyes squeeze one second, her body going limp in the next.
A pair of black boots come into view, and slowly I pull my gaze up.
Bass Bishop.
My mother dies in my arms.
At my hand.
What feels like an eternity later, must only be seconds as Bass is only now quietly pushing the door closed behind him. He props a chair against it to keep it from falling open since he busted the lock from the frame.
He rushes to Captain and feels for a pulse while looking me over.
“It’s not mine,” I tell him when he glares at the blood covering my shirt and lap.
He glowers harder at my head and the blood falling from it, and then pulls out his phone.
“Don’t call them.”
His eyes cut to mine as he slowly lifts his cell to his ear. He frowns. “Yeah... hi. I found a man bleeding in room 109 at Vermont, he was shot and he’s out cold.” He raises his finger to his lips, listening before he says, “There’s a woman, too.” He ends the call.
Bass stands, walking over, and crouches to his knees in front of me.
I don’t realize what he’s doing until his hand covers mine.
Mine drops at the contact.
“Let go of the knife, Raven.”
My fingers fly open, but he has to pull my hand back.
He gently reaches up and turns my head toward him. The sloshy sound of the blade being ripped from flesh fills the air and I double over, vomiting across his shoes and my right leg.
Reign of Brayshaw (Brayshaw High #3) Page 14