“Really?” I raise a brow.

He frowns but then winks and moves to whisper in her ear.

Maddoc glares at me, but I laugh and pop a shoulder, right as she fights to hold in her moaning.

I lean closer to Maddoc, speaking for only him to hear. “We could make this a competition, Big Man? Go right here on the table where they can watch this time?”

He glares harder and I laugh loudly.

Obviously, I was joking, and he knows it.

After an hour or so, everyone is kicked out and the cleaning crew arrives.

We move to the porch to wait for them to finish up.

“Hey, what ever happened to those guards from the warehouses? The ones from the night you guys first followed me?” I ask.

“The ones who tried to take advantage of you?” Cap lifts a brow.

“Yeah, those ones.”

“Put ‘em on a bus to nowhere the next day.” He eyes me.

“As in...” I slide my finger across my throat, and he tips his head.

“No. As in, never again allowed here or in any of the other towns our people run. Forced to go with nothing but the clothes on their backs. We always try the easy way first.”

I look to the other two who nod, agreeing.

“And if they fight you on your choice?”

Royce mimics my move, running his finger across his neck and I laugh.

Right.

“Come on you guys, let’s go home, they can lock up when they’re done,” Cap stands and we all follow, climbing into the vehicle.

Royce tosses me my shredded hoodie and I open my mouth to speak, only nothing comes out, so I shrug.

All three laugh, Maddoc pulls me close to him, and then we’re moving.

His lips find my neck and slide across before he tilts back and closes his eyes. We didn’t sleep that much last night.

I glance from his swollen lips to his long, dark lashes, and then shift to look at the other two. Cap meets my eyes in the mirror and gives a soft wink and Royce bops around in his seat.

A deep sigh leaves me, and I look away.

My mother was right, I do wanna stay.

Maybe even permanently.

The realization isn’t as scary as I thought it would be.

“Fuck no.” Maddoc glares.

“Hell to the no,” Royce laughs.

Cap frowns.

“Uh...” My head pulls back slightly. “I’m sorry, did you miss the part where I said, ‘I’m going’? Pretty sure there was no question in my sentence.”

Maddoc crowds my space. “Heard it just fucking fine. Fuck no, is my response.”

I roll my eyes but don’t step back. “I owe her one, we haven’t talked since she helped me out that night. I only need an hour.”

“No.”

I look to Captain, the freaking logical one for help, but he lifts his hands and steps back.

“Traitor,” I spit, and he cracks a grin, so I flip him off and turn back to Maddoc. “I’ll be back before you have to leave for practice.”

His jaw clenches and his eyes snap to Royce who shakes his head no, then Captain who gives nothing but a shrug. He groans, then levels me with a glare. “One fucking hour.”

“Dude!” Royce shouts through an adorable pout. “Are you getting pussy whipped or what? Tell her no!”

I grin and head out front, but when I step out and reach behind me for the handle, I’m shoved out of the way and Maddoc joins me on the porch, closing the door before the others step through.

I look from it to him with a frown.

He moves toward the railing and pulls me to him, so I’m standing between his legs. His frown morphs into something different, and he drops his forehead to mine, closing his eyes before he speaks.

“Do you understand me like I think you do?” he whispers and the pit of my stomach heats.

“I like to think so, yeah.”

“Why do I demand things from you?” His eyes pop open. “Why do I make decisions for you?”

“You mean why do you try to make decisions for me?” I whisper.

He chuckles against me, his hands moving to my belt loops. “Do you?”

I nod and his eyes heat.

“Say it.”

I take a deep breath. “Because you can’t handle not knowing where I am, but it’s not in an aggressive way. It’s possessive and carnal and all a part of your need to protect me – even if I don’t think it’s necessary.”

His grip finds my hips and squeezes. “Keep going.”

“You want me safe, and you can’t think straight if you don’t know for sure that I am. It fucks with your head, which fucks with your concentration and throws off everything you’ve taught yourself to control...” I trail off.

He buries his face in my neck, rumbling, “It’s the most frustrating fucking thing I have ever felt.”

“I bet you hate I have that power over you, just as much as you don’t.”

“You bet right.”

I laugh lightly.

“Do you hate it?”

“I love it.” My grin is slow.

He nods, running his fingers through my hair. “Well, I’m pretty fuckin’ sure I love you, so I’m glad you’re on board.”

I freeze in his arms and his other hand slides up my side. He kisses my cheek then steps around me. Without another word or looking me in the eyes again, he disappears inside.

And I stand on the porch still frozen with my hands in the air for several minutes until the front door closing snaps me out of it.

I glance back to find Captain looking all fresh with his keys in his hands.

“You good?” he asks me, and I shake my head.

“Yeah, fine.” I swallow, running my tongue over my teeth. “Can you drop me at the house on your way out?”

He raises a brow. “Promise to get out?” he teases, and I laugh, shoving him and get in the passenger seat.

“Do you meet her at the same park every visit?” I ask him, and his features tighten.

“Yeah.”

One word is all I get until I’m climbing out.

“Raven,” he calls. “You could come, if you want...” He trails off, not meeting my eyes.

I walk around to the driver side, forcing him to look at me. “I will go with you each and every single time you go. Always. But only if you ask me.”

His eyes tighten around the edges and he reaches out. Gripping my neck in his hand, he gives a curt nod and slowly releases me.

Captain’s phone dings right then and he laughs quietly, lifting the screen for me to see.

Maddoc: 47 minutes, Raven...

With a playful groan, I walk backward and Cap winks, but then his eyes lift over my shoulder and his face is wiped of all emotion.

The blank look of a Brayshaw takes over and he rolls forward.

I turn to find Victoria leaning against the porch.

Her eyes follow the black SUV until it pulls away, then slowly slide back to mine. “You’re a few solid weeks past ‘tomorrow,’ Rae.”

The night I was jumped, she and her friend scared them away and she brought me back here. I promised her the money I won in betting that night, but I took off the next day before I could make it right with her.

I hold out the cash and she frowns. “A deal is a deal.”

Her features tighten. I know she wants to turn it down, but she’s a poor girl living in a group home.