Wait. What?
“You talked to him?”
“Had lunch with him even, before he went home.”
Rolland lied.
“Tell me, are you a virgin?” Donley asks.
Panic fights its way up my throat, but I force it back. “Fuck you.”
He sighs, lifting a hand to the man at my feet. “Defiant, just like her,” he muses to himself.
The man at my feet moves to the floorboard. Propped up on his knees, he scoops his arms under me and pulls until my back hits the carpet beside him.
I try to scream, but it comes out as a rough whisper at best, and I watch, horrified, as the man unbuttons my jeans and yanks them down, freeing one of my legs. He pulls at my underwear next.
“Don’t touch me!” I hiss, but I’m ignored as he positions my feet so they’re planted flat against the floor, my knees up. “I’m not—”
“Stop speaking,” Donley cuts me off. “You had a chance.”
I grind my teeth together.
This asshole, he thinks I’m some dumb girl because he caught me slipping – never again.
Collins’ mom, Estella, looks out the window as I’m spread open right here at her heels.
“Don’t fight and it shall be quick.” Donley turns to Estella, who passes him a fresh drink without turning his way. “Doc?”
My eyes squeeze shut, and I think I feel moisture build at my lashes as pressure hits in my pelvic area, but I feel nothing other than disgust.
Only the weak cry.
“Doc,” Donley barks.
The doctor clears his throat, but even still, there is a slight hesitation before he speaks. “Hymen has been broken, sir. She is debased. And ... swollen, so recently active.” He clears his throat again, his troubled frown shifting away from the three of us.
Donley sighs, and I force my eyes to meet his. “I guess it’s to be expected with a mother like yours.” He downs his shot, not looking away. “The blood sample will confirm what I already know, which is I’m staring at the very last of the Brayshaw bloodline.” He blinks. “Well, besides Ravina, of course, but she’s not much use to anyone, now is she?”
“I ... huh?”
“That’s right.” He studies me. “Your mother is none other than Ravina Brayshaw, one and only child of Raymond Brayshaw. You, dear girl, are Brayshaw born, Brayshaw blood.” He slips on his suit jacket and reaches for the handle. “Fix her clothes and get the hell out of here. Won’t be long before her fight’s back and she puts you on your ass, Doc.”
And then he’s gone.
The doctor quickly slips my underwear, jeans, and shoes back on.
When his hand comes up to touch my cheek, I croak, “No!”
I jerk, managing to move my shoulders slightly, but he quickly pulls back, looking down at me.
Distress lines his aged eyes. “I’m not going to hurt you, Ms. Brayshaw. In fact, I find myself in quite a predicament at the moment.”
“Yeah?” I rasp, trying with everything I have to push from the floor, but I only manage to scoot an inch left. “And what’s that? You realize you’re now a dead man walking?”
“No, miss.” He shakes his head. “I find an impossible decision in front of my eyes, one that, if the wrong move is made, will be the end of my life. But the other ... will lead to the loss of another’s. An innocent,” he whispers. His eyes implore mine, an urgency in his that has sweat building at my hairline. “Tell me, miss, what shall I do?”
I clamp my teeth together, speaking through them, “Leave.”
With a grim smile, he sets an envelope near my head, patting it lightly. “You’re proof, Ms. Brayshaw. And once you’ve figured out the secret we now share, you may seek me out, should you wish. You’ll know where to find me.”
And then he too leaves.
The second the door slams, there’s no longer any question if I’m crying. Tears roll into my ears as I stare at the black felt roof.
I wiggle my fingers and toes, but that’s as far as I can get.
I lie there, vulnerable, weak ... worthless.
And angry.
I refuse to lie here thinking of the helpless little girl I swore I’d never be again, so I count to one hundred over and over, until finally, I’m sitting, and then standing. I step from the vehicle, seeing we’re only blocks up from the school, parked in front of a church of all places.
There’re a few men standing at the entrance, both glance over but refocus their attention elsewhere just as quick.
I open the driver door, finding the cab empty and slip into the seat, instantly digging through the console and glovebox. A business card for Brayshaw High catches my eye and I freeze, pulling it out. Printed on the back, the contact information for their proud leader, Principal Connor E. Perkins.
“What the fuck,” I whisper to myself.
I fall against the seat, my eyes closing as wooziness hits, then with a deep breath, I force it away and step back out. I grab the envelope from the back, make a left and keep walking. With each few steps, my strength returns. It won’t take long until all my muscles are once again mine to control.
I keep forward, not stopping until I get to where I need to be.
After our team meeting and showering, it takes a good half hour for us to walk back into the gym, all three of us pausing when we find Raven’s seat is empty. Only a few stragglers waiting for some of our other teammates are left, but not my girl.
“Where is she?” Cap sighs.
“There’s that group home chick.” Royce nods his chin. “Let’s ask her.”
We make our way to Vienna and she turns with a smile. “Oh, hey.”
“You see Raven?”
Her shoulders fall a little, but she nods. “Oh, yeah, actually, she asked me to tell you.”
“Tell us what?” I step closer to her.
“She took some shots with a few of the girls at half time and got pretty wasted, but she wanted to stay and watch you guys play. She walked home, said she’d see you guys later.” She shrugs.
“She’s at home?”
“Yeah.” She looks between the three of us. “Why, should she not be there without you? Alone, I mean?”
“She lives there, girl, she can be there whenever the fuck she wants,” Royce snaps and we move past her.
“Someone’s lying,” Royce whispers. “Raven wouldn’t want to be there alone with Dad. She doesn’t trust him yet.”
“I know.”
“Fuck,” leaves Captain.
We only make it to the edge of the walkway before none other than Donley fucking Graven steps from the parking lot.
“Well, if it isn’t the three degenerates, the bastards of Brayshaw.” His eyes move over the three of us. “Interesting game, huh?”
Why is he here? He wasn’t even at the game.
“Fuck you,” Royce growls. “You pay off the refs to call in your favor, Grandpa?”
Donley chuckles. “Even if I did, you boys were off yours tonight. Almost gave us another win.”
“And without your precious grandson,” Royce goads him. “Tell me, Graven, how’s physical therapy going for the boy?”
Donley glares. “I will take great pleasure in what comes next. There was a clear miscalculation on his part,” he muses.
His part...
My eyes narrow and his eyes gleam.
Fuck, he knows.
“Tell me.” He clasps his arms across his front. “Does Rolland know which one of you she’s fucking? He’ll pay a high price for that.”
I jerk forward, but Donley’s security appears from all corners and just like that the three of us are surrounded.
“Maddoc...” Cap speaks, slipping his hand into his pockets, a move that doesn’t go unnoticed.
“No need for the knuckles, son.” Donley grins. “I was just leaving anyway. I was only waiting for verification the car I came here in was ...” He tilts his head back and forth slowly, a slight grin pulling at his lips. “Vacated. You tell your principal I
said thanks for an interesting night, will you?”
His driver pulls up and he slides in, but before he can take off, he rolls the window down, his silver hair a deep contrast against the black paint.
“Make yourselves useful and get this to Ms. Brayshaw.” He smirks, tossing an envelope from the window before he’s gone.
“The fuck?” Royce’s head pulls back.
Captain moves for the envelope, quickly tearing open the seal.
His eyes scan over the paper, widening as his jaw goes slack.
“Cap?” I ask, but he doesn’t say anything. “Cap!” I snap.
His eyes cut left, his forehead tightening.
I rip the paper from his hand, tilting it so Royce can read as I do, but when I get a better look at the document, taking in the large state seal at the bottom edge, my muscles grow tight.
My head fucking swims, making no sense of what I’m seeing.
“Ravina Brayshaw?” Royce says, then cuts his disbelieving eyes to mine. “Ravina fucking Brayshaw? Does that ... so is...”
“Raven Brayshaw,” I think I say out loud.
“Holy shit.” Cap runs a hand over his face, looking at me. “Something’s happening.”
My phone rings and I pull it out, seeing Bishop’s name flash.
I don’t even get a word in before he says, “Get here. Now.”
“Raven?” I guess, meeting my brothers’ frowns.
“Hurry.”
The line goes dead.
“She’s not at fucking home,” Royce growls and right as he says it there’s laughter behind us.
We spin, finding the group of girls coming out behind us, Vienna in the middle. She freezes when she spots us, then slowly starts walking again.
“Uh, hey. Still here?” She smiles tightly.
Without a word, Royce moves for her.
Her eyes widen and instantly tears form as she shakes her head, but Royce pulls a bandana from his back pocket, gagging her with it.
The girls at her side yelp and scream, running off as Cap pulls his hoodie off and over her head backward, tying the strings loose enough so she can still breathe but tight enough to keep it from falling off her head.
We toss her in the bed of the SUV and head straight for the fucking warehouses, ignoring her kicks and muffled screams.
Cap makes it in record time.
It’s funny to think we were worried about being seen out here only weeks ago, knowing word would get back to our dad or worse, Zoey’s social worker. It was a bitch to slip in unseen just to pull Raven’s ass out that night.
Now here we are again, coming after my girl who doesn’t know how to fucking listen, but now we don’t hide. We won’t handle this quietly and behind closed doors.
Everyone gets to see who the fuck we are, like they did the night I made a statement out of Leo.
Freedom to do as we please, it’s the worst kind of addiction. A poison that wraps around every bone. A sickness that fuels our every step.
“Leave the girl?” Cap asks, reaching for the door handle.
“For now.”
We step out, and people turn, glancing our way and nodding before turning back to the games holding their attention.
We face forward, moving past everyone and following the sound of roaring onlookers.
Bass spots us and runs, literally, to our sides.
His eyes are wide. “I couldn’t fucking stop her. And you took too long.”
“What are you talking about?” I growl getting in his face.
“Maddoc!” Royce shouts, running forward.
I shift to see, spotting Raven in the center of the fucking ring, with a dude.
I grip Bishop’s shirt and push into his face, but Captain jerks me away.
“Her first, him next,” Captain yells.
“You’re fucking dead.”
“You think I want her in there?” he shouts, keeping up with me. “I work for the Brayshaw name! And apparently, that’s her. I had no fucking choice.”
I stop glaring at him.
“How—”
He slams a paper into my chest, and I glance at it. My eyes snap to Bishop’s. “She had this?”
He nods, eyeing me.
Son of a fucking bitch! Donley knew she already knew!
Did he get to her first?
“Maddoc,” Cap bites out.
With a growl, I stuff the paper in my pocket and charge forward. I shove through the few people in my way and yank her off him by the waist.
Her head flies back, nailing me in the fucking nose and I growl, “Stop.”
She tenses in my arms, her eyes flying over her shoulder.
As soon as they hit mine, her body loses all its fight.
She spits on the guy as we step over his bloodied frame.
I set her down and spin her to face me, frowning when I find a blankness to her I haven’t seen in a long time.
“Who is he?” I demand.
“Random asshole. Grabbed my ass my first night here. Without permission,” she says numbly, and glances at Captain.
“RaeRae.” Royce steps closer, reaching out to touch her arm and she flinches.
What the hell?
“I need to shower,” she tells us. “Now.”
I lick my lips and look to Royce, jerking my chin at the SUV.
He nods and jogs off.
She flexes her knuckles, inspecting the blood there, but before she can wipe it away, I stop her hand.
Her eyes lift to mine, then she hears her. The mumbles, followed by shrieks, then clear begging straight from Vienna’s mouth.
Raven’s grin is slow as she turns, locking eyes with Vienna.
Vienna’s widen and instantly she starts to cry. “Please, I’m sorry. I had no choice! Please!” she wails, and my brows pull in.
Raven calmly walks over to her and Vienna’s mouth clamps shut, her nostrils flaring with each labored breath.
Raven reaches out, chuckling when the girl balks as she runs her knuckles across her jaw, rubbing someone else’s blood across her face. She pulls back and taps her cheek lightly, shaking her head.
Right when Vienna’s shoulders relax some, Raven takes her by surprise, pushing on her head, until it slams into the crate at her side, just missing her temple.
She’s out before she can even scream, her body instantly flopping over and crashing to the ground.
Raven lifts her foot, ready to kick her but instead bends, whispering something in her ear.
She isn’t hearing what she’s saying, girl is knocked out, but nobody points it out.
Raven stands and looks to Bass. “Leave her there. No one helps her up, out, or home...not that she has one to go to anymore. Tell her if she sets foot in the Bray house, she won’t make it out.”
She starts walking and we follow, not a word spoken on the entire ride back, but when we turn onto the property, Raven says, “Get Victoria.”
Cap slows to a roll, meeting my eyes in the mirror.
“Tomorrow—” I start, but she cuts me off.
“I said ... get Victoria.” Her bloodshot eyes lift to mine.
I grind my teeth together, ready to flip the fuck out, but I know Raven. She’ll only talk if I make her think the decision is hers.
It’s not, but I’ll play along. For now.
I climb out and up the front porch.
Maybell steps out right as I reach the door. “Boy?” she asks worriedly.
I place my hand on her arm and slip past her into the house.
All the girls are sitting around the living room and look up when I enter, gawking.
All but Victoria, she sits in the corner, frowning at the TV, doing a double take when I step right in front of her.
She slowly sits up, cutting a glance at the others.
“What?”
“Get up, let’s go.”
“I ... what?”
I stare at her and after a minute she stands and follows me to the door. We walk out without another word.
/>
Victoria slides into the backseat, her eyes bouncing all around, finally landing on a blood-splattered Raven.
Victoria doesn’t ask and we don’t explain, all climbing out once Cap puts the SUV in park in front of our house.
Raven starts up the steps and Victoria glances to me with a what now expression.
“Follow her.”
She frowns but does, and the two disappear into the house.
“What the fuck is happening?” Royce asks.
“She shouldn’t be in there,” Cap says, glaring at the front door.
“I have no fucking idea what’s going on. We need to talk to Dad, I’m over these fucking surprises.”
“Fuck man, Raven a Brayshaw?” Royce whistles. “Crazy ass shit, but fuck if it wouldn’t make sense.”
“Nothing makes sense.”
Me and Royce head up the stairs but Cap opens the back door and fishes around inside.
“Cap?”
“I’m coming.” He pauses a second, stuffs something in his pocket, then lifts her sweater in the air, and we head inside.
“I don’t think he’s here,” Royce says.
“He’s not.” Cap frowns at his phone. “Guess he texted me, says he’s at the Empire tonight, he’ll be back in the morning.”
“Great, now fucking what?” Royce asks.
Captain moves for the bar, pulling down a few shot glasses and a bottle.
“Long fucking day, man.”
I nod, moving for an empty stool.
Cap pours us shots and we take them one right after another.
“Raven,” Victoria calls and I blink, looking around. “You’ve been standing still for the last five minutes.”
I clear my throat and dig through my shit, pulling out some weed and papers and slap them in Victoria’s chest, then turn back to yank some clothes from the drawer then dart across the hall. When she doesn’t move with me, I look back.
She frowns and follows, shutting and locking the door behind her.
I turn up the water, hot as I can get it and strip down completely.
I step inside, hissing at the water, but forcing myself under it.
I lather the soap between my fingers and scrub across my body, but the filth won’t wash away. It grows heavier and heavier, and before I know it, I’m frantically breathing, my hands flying over every inch of me.
Trouble at Brayshaw High Page 25
