“Moving her ass in is how we keep an eye on her. She’s gotta be here,” Royce says.

“It’s past keeping an eye on her and we all know it.” Maddoc looks to me admitting what we’ve tried to ignore. “We’ve already let her in.”

I nod, sitting back against the cushion. “And now we know she’s lied to us.”

“About big shit,” Royce adds.

“Life-changing shit.”

“Broke our trust.” Maddoc stares.

I tip my head. “Her loyalty is questionable.”

“She’s Raven’s blood.” Maddoc looks to her.

Raven licks her lips, eyes moving between the three of us. “And family runs deeper than blood.”

“Based on that, she’s everything opposite of what it means to be Brayshaw,” Maddoc points out.

“Fuck me,” Royce sighs as he pushes to his feet, the three of us following. “Still feels like she belongs, don’t it?”

“She does,” Raven says with unmistakable certainty. “I can feel it. She’s stubborn, yeah, but she’s—” She cuts off with a heavy frown when I lift my hand.

Movement in the hall confirms what I somehow knew—she’s stepped out of her room.

Victoria walks by, pausing in my doorway when she spots the four of us. She hesitates, and then her footsteps carry her down the stairs.

I look back to my family.

Maddoc smirks, subconsciously tugging Raven closer to him.

Nobody speaks, but the consensus is there.

We believe she does, but belief is not enough, there’s an order to be followed, and no one gets a pass. She’ll need to prove beyond reason she deserves her place.

She’ll be gone if she doesn’t.

“Gotta remember we have no clue what she’s capable of.” Royce looks across the three of us.

“Then we need eyes on her, always,” Maddoc adds.

Raven chuckles. “Did we just deem her the newest Bray Girl?”

We smirk.

Raven shakes her head, fighting a smile. “This could backfire on you so hard.”

“So how do we play this?” Royce asks, the question directed at me since she’s mine to handle.

Fuck, not mine, but mine to decide what to do with.

“In public, she’s ours, protected. Untouched. In private—”

“Still ours, aye, Cap?” He rubs his hands together, the corner of his lip tipped up.

Raven laughs, glancing between us both.

My chest thumps at the thought, and I start to tell him to fuck off, but the words don’t come and my frown smooths out.

Maddoc narrows his eyes but doesn’t say anything while Royce’s grin grows.

“By the way, douchebag Mike is handled,” he tells me.

I frown. “That easy?”

Maddoc frowns. “You sound surprised.”

“She was acting odd, edgy. Told me to send him away.”

“Prolly didn’t want him putting her on blast, shit from when they dated or whatever.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know. I don’t like him.”

They both laugh, and my frown deepens.

“‘Course you don’t, bro, he’s had what you want.” Royce grins. “But for real, he said he thought she was waiting on him, understands now she wasn’t, won’t be, ain’t his.” Royce bounces his brows. “Painted a real pretty, flesh-colored, picture for him, drove the point home a bit.”

I scoff, shaking my head and Raven grips Royce by the elbow, laughing as she tugs him out the door, but Maddoc holds back.

“You can want to kill her and keep her at the same time, you know.” He levels me with a glare. “You saw it with me and Raven in the beginning. Don’t share what’s meant to be yours.”

“I don’t trust her,” I say what he already knows. “And if I don’t trust her, I can’t keep her.”

He lifts his chin, tipping it to the side a bit. “So send her on her way.”

Now it’s me who glares.

A hint of a grin edges Maddoc’s mouth. “That’s what I thought, brother. You don’t trust her, but you want to. You don’t think she’s worth it, but you need her to be. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.” He steps closer. “Only thing to do is wait her ass out.”

“Brayshaw lockdown.”

“Nice and tight.”

“If she fucks up?”

My eyes move between his as he slaps me on the back and walks toward the door.

“Then we throw away the key, my man.” He meets my stare. “With the chain still bound around her ankles.”

He walks out and down the stairs, giving me the minute I need to shake the tension wrapped around my shoulders, and I then step into the hall.

Quietly, I move into Zoey’s room, kissing her on the forehead, and then make my way downstairs.

Victoria’s eyes lock onto mine the second I’m in view.

She’s propped against the wall by the door, her long blonde hair laying over her shoulder in the messy way it always does, not quite curly, more a windblown wave. Brown eyes blinding and bare, she stares at me with what I’m betting she thinks is a show of indifference.

It’s not.

Small creases frame her eyes, lips are pinched tight, and her thumb repeatedly flicks at the black nail polish on her ring finger.

She’s anxious, as she should be, as most liars are.

Whatever the hell that was Friday night, my body’s reaction to her, I have to fight it.

I can’t afford to ignore the risk she brings, not when I have Zoey to think about.

What I didn’t say to my brothers, but they understand all the same, is it’s more than wanting to trust Victoria, I get the sick sense I’m supposed to.

I’ve always been a good judge of character, able to see what others couldn’t, it’s part of my role in this family, but my vision of her is blurred, and I’m not sure what to make of it.

Royce hits me on the shoulder as he walks by, swinging the front door open. “Back to Brayshaw High today, assholes and assettes. Three months ‘til graduation and shit’s about to get even more interesting.”

Victoria pushes off the wall. “Too bad none of you will be graduating without summer school,” she says before disappearing onto the porch.

“Ah shit,” Royce says, loud and mocking. “She is capable of speaking some truth.” He follows after her. “Hey, VicVee, you’re ridin’ bitch.”

My dad and Maybell step inside right as the others disappear from sight.

Maybell nods. “You ready, boy?”

The three of us quickly go over everything for Zoey even though we’ve done this a solid dozen times in the last week, and then I’m sliding into the driver’s seat of my SUV.

We stop at the donut shop on our way to school, getting right back to our regular routine.

“Two chocolate sprinkle donuts for me, large hot choc,” Royce says, his face in his phone.

“Coffee, lots of creamer,” Raven tells me.

I look to Maddoc who eyes me.

He told me last night to swap her out for decaf if she asked—she’ll kick his ass if she finds out, and he’ll gladly take it.

“Black,” Maddoc says. “And grab her a maple bar.”