He wheezes but keeps his fucking grip and I’m damn near out of options, especially if the others decide to move in.

He starts shaking me, growling in my face and then both our bodies hit the dirt with a loud thud.

I start coughing, scurrying back a few feet to try and gain a breath while he rolls around in pain. Pretty sure his head slammed real good.

When I look up, I find Maddoc.

And Royce.

And Captain.

What the fuck?

Movement to my right has me bouncing to my feet. I quickly knee one of the guys as he throws himself at me while each boy lays out another.

Royce grabs my shirt and starts pulling me away when more voices and more footsteps grow closer, so I grab my backpack and run with him, but when I glance back, I see Maddoc is still laying it on the guy who had me by the neck.

I slow my steps and Royce pulls harder.

“Let’s fucking go!” he shouts, but I yank free, drop my bag and run back.

I catch Maddoc’s arm in the air and pull.

He spins, ready to throw a punch but when he sees it’s me, he freezes. His face travels over mine, inspecting for damage it looks like, before meeting my eyes.

I nod. “We gotta go.”

His face tightens, his jaw clenching so I nod again.

“Now!” Cap hollers in from behind me and an engine roars.

Maddoc hops to his feet, gripping my hand to pull me with him, but I free myself and am one step ahead of him.

Royce holds open the back door and the three of us jump inside. Cap puts the pedal to the metal and we’re gone.

I go to climb over the console to hit the front seat and make more room, but Maddoc pulls me back down.

And yet again nobody says a goddamn word during the ten-minute drive back.

We pull up in front of the girls’ Bray house and Cap screeches to a halt. Simultaneously, all their glares fly to me.

“What?”

They say nothing.

With a roll of my eyes, I go to hop out, but Captain hits a button, and gee look at that, child fucking lock.

“What you did tonight was reckless.” Captain’s eyes narrow.

“You basically summed me up in with one word. That’s what I do, that’s who I am.”

“You could have gotten yourself hurt.”

“Newsflash lost boys, this life isn’t new to me. I get my hands sticky and I figure it out. Sometimes it’s just more complicated.”

“You did all that so we could sneak off,” Royce says, sitting forward like he wants me to see him better.

I look off instead. “I did it so I could get back before Maybell found out I was gone.”

“Bullshit,” Maddoc drags out and I glare his way.

“Why else would I?”

“Don’t be a pussy, Raven,” he calls me out. “Say it.”

I look between the three, all waiting for the obvious answer.

With a growl, I throw my hands up. “Fine. You guys were trippin’ on those men. You knew them or of them, something. Either way, you recognized the voices and didn’t want to be found for a reason. I, on the other hand, don’t fucking care so I figured I’d distract them for you.” I glare at them. “You were supposed to leave ... unseen.”

They eye me, but no one says a word. I haven’t decided yet if quiet Brayshaws are worse than rowdy Brayshaws.

It’s kind of annoying when you’re the one they’re staring at but you’re not privy to what’s happening on the inside.

They have the same look on their faces – a look that gives you nothing. But there’s something rolling around in their minds, a thought not spoken but understood among the three.

I will admit, it’s hella cool how they’re connected on a deeper level then what outside eyes can see, they seem to know exactly what the other is thinking.

This must be a part of why they’re loved and feared. Or secretly hated, but respected nonetheless. Because in the company of others, they work as one.

They’ll speak, mull over how to move forward from here.

But not in my presence.

Because who am I?

Just the latest trash dropped on a rickety doorstep with not a soul’s back to lean against. Forever the unwanted outsider, something I’ve always told myself I was okay with.

A click sounds, so I try the door again and it opens.

I grab my bag and don’t look back, headed for my bedroom window.

I slip inside undetected and change my clothes. I hit the bathroom and rinse what I can with the sink water turned on low so it doesn’t wake the entire house – showers aren’t allowed after lights out or I’d hop right in.

When I exit the bathroom, Maybell is standing there with her little nightlight in hand and I freeze, but she only nods.

“Go on to bed now, child.”

I don’t bother making up a lie. I have a feeling she knows more than she leads on.

I step around her, heading back to my room, and slip into bed. I turn on my flashlight, plug my headphones in and blast the music. I reach for my knife, place it in the hem of my shorts and stare at the door, waiting for sleep to force my hand.

My eyes just start to close when a figure flashes at my side. I quickly flip open my switch blade, my arm lifting to block the person’s hand when it reaches for me.

The blade makes contact with skin and the figure jolts back.

I scurry across my sheet to grab my flashlight, and point it on the person.

Maddoc is in front of me, glaring down at his shirt, a red spot forming just above his hip.

His eyes fly to mine. “You fucking cut me.”

“What the hell are you doing here?!” I hiss.

He ignores me and lifts his shirt over his head to inspect the wound.

And fuck the wound ... hello abs, and son of a shit, those hip bones. Thick rooted veins offering the perfect path to follow with my tongue, starting a few inches past his belly button and disappearing into grey joggers. Joggers that do nothing to hide the size of his package as it fights against the smooth cotton.

He’s thick.

I bet with the tiniest of tugs, his drawstring bottoms would slide right down, granting better access to the prize he’s clearly packing.

When a deep rumble leaves him, my eyes fly back to his.

Oh right, I kinda cut him.

I scoot across the mattress on my knees before standing in front of him. I lick my finger and swipe across the wound to remove the blood and he twitches.

“Chill. I hardly broke the skin, can’t hurt that bad.”

He shoves my hand away when I dab at it. “It doesn’t hurt at all.”

My hands fly in the air and I drop back on my bed. “I’d say my bad, but it’s yours ‘cause you snuck up on me.”

He licks his lips, staring at me, his shirt hanging in his hand.

“Why you here?”

“Making sure you are.”

“You dropped me off, did you not?”

“That don’t mean shit.” He shrugs.

“So you wanted to know if I was really here or if I snuck into someone else’s bed for the night?”

He doesn’t deny it. Doesn’t confirm it either.

“Well I’m here, guess you can go now.”

He ignores me and moves to grab my knife, but I yank it back.

His eyes flash. “Why do you have that?”

“Habit.” Not a lie.