“Chocolate sprinkles and hot chocolate,” Royce tells him, and I fight a grin.

“Coffee,” Maddoc tells him and then Captain looks to me.

“Don’t be difficult—”

“Two maple bars and a coffee, half cream/half coffee.”

He frowns.

“What?” I ask straight-faced. “Thought I’d turn down sugar pretending to be a rabbit eater?”

Captain nods. “Yeah, for some reason I did.” He heads inside.

I sit back, letting out a little sigh, excited about my treat.

Maddoc’s lip tips up the tiniest bit and I jerk my stare forward.

“You don’t have to pretend not to enjoy us, RaeRae.” Royce grins in the mirror at me. “We’re quite awesome to be around. You’ll see.”

“Will I now?”

“Yep. You will. ‘Cause you’re on lockdown, baby. Where we go, you go.”

“Why?” I ask, but I’m looking at Maddoc now.

“Because that’s where we want you.”

“Again. Why?”

His eyes roam over my features before he faces forward again. “Not sure yet.”

Right.

Captain comes back and passes out everyone’s stuff, and when I open my bag, I find a third maple bar staring back at me.

I smile at the sugary goodness and pull some cash out of my pocket.

His grin disappears and a hardened glare takes its place. He shoves my hand away. “Do not try to hand me money again. If I offer you something, I’m fucking paying for it, do you understand?”

My pride screams to argue, but the look in his eyes tells me this is more than pride to him. He has a natural need to care for someone and my not allowing it will tear at what I’m gonna guess he’s worked hard – or is working hard – to achieve. It’ll tear at the type of man he wants to be.

I thank him, and his easy smile has something in my chest thawing a bit.

I bury my face in my food a moment to hide the confusing feeling.

So, Captain is the nurturer.

I look to Royce who grins like a little boy at his candy covered treat then turn to Maddoc who quietly bobs his head to the music, sipping on his black coffee as he watches the rainfall from his side window.

From where I’m sitting, they seem so simple. Just three teenage boys headed to school.

I wonder what Royce and Maddoc’s roles are in their threesome?

What would mine be?

The thought has me jerking upright in my seat. The fact that I even stopped to wonder this tells me I need to get the hell out of this vehicle, which is why the second we pull up to the school, I reach for the handle but yay fucking me, child lock again.

Royce laughs and I turn his way.

“Precaution. Can’t have you ditching us.”

“You think forcing me off a bus and locking me in this bitch will help you on your incessant need to have me around?”

“Would you have come if we asked?” he challenges.

“No.”

He tries to frown but grins and damn it, mine follows.

I laugh lightly and drop back in the seat. “So what’s your guys’ plan, for real? Why am I in this car with you right now? What purpose does this serve?”

“Nobody does a damn thing for us because they want to. They do it when they want something. You didn’t hesitate. Didn’t think twice, when you probably should have, so ... now we’re curious,” Captain says.

“About what?”

When both Captain and Royce look to Maddoc, I do the same.

He stares a moment before he says, “Everything.”

The way he says it, combined with the frenzied look in his eyes tells me he ain’t lying. He, for one, is curious about ... everything.

“Not that I’d believe you, but for the fuck of it, tell me ... do I need to watch my back when it comes to the three of you or is this a temporary treaty of sorts?”

“Treaty?” Maddoc raises a brow, a smirk on his thick ass lips.

“Yeah, your highness. Can I piss in peace or not?”

“Bad example, RaeRae, ‘cause now we’re all picturing you with your pants around your ankles.”

My eyes snap to Royce’s just in time to see him slapping at the air like he’s smacking ass and I can’t help it, I bust up laughing.

Captain reaches over and pops a chuckling Royce in the back of the head and Maddoc frowns at me.

I shake my head, licking my lips, ignoring how all three sets of eyes have zero self-control and each land on my mouth.

“Okay, you guys are way too dick-driven for a girl to be in your mix. Maybe you should rethink—”

“Out of the car, Raven. Time to put on a show.”

A show.

Right.

I try the handle again and the damn thing opens.

I attempt to delay this little sighting they’ve clearly set up, but Maddoc is quick to tell me to hurry up.

All the boys, sexy and domineering in their own way stand at the front of the vehicle, tall and broad and untouchable, even by the rain it seems as the sky begins to clear. Gone are the easy smiles and teasing grins. Their eyes are empty, their stares blank.

This is who the world gets – cool, cold and calculated.

I hitch my backpack up over my shoulder and slowly move for them. I meet each one’s stare, nodding as a silent message passes, and not just between them, but for me as well.

Here, they’re not three boys who need more, they don’t smile at donuts, or enjoy the rain.

Here, they’re the Boys of Brayshaw and nothing else.

So why did I get to see a little from the inside?

An even better question, why does it make me feel ... I don’t know how I feel.

Annoyed. Confused.

Optimistic...

I shake it off and together the four of us make our way up to the front. Once we hit the doors, Maddoc grabs my elbow and pulls me to the side.

I look to him with drawn in eyebrows, but he glances away.

We stand there a few moments and then the doors burst open, a man in a suit leading one of the teachers out, shining cuffs slapped across his wrists.

His head is down but as he passes it pops up. He spots the boys and pales, jerking his stare forward.

My eyes follow them down the steps and around the corner.

I didn’t even spot a cop car.

I turn around right as a girl shuffles out, fear I recognize etched in her eyes as she cradles herself more with each step, a seemingly loving mother crying at her side.

The girl’s eyes discreetly lift, quickly skating past the guys and instantly her tears fall. She grips her mother’s hand, giving me a tight smile as she passes.

I cut my tense expression to Maddoc, but his eyes follow the mother and daughter to their car at the curb.

And then nothing else is said.

Royce pulls open the door, winking at me as I slide past him and again we fall in line. Every few feet more join, falling behind us. Leo, the guy who gave me a ride to the party, being one but he doesn’t acknowledge my presence, which is fine. The rest of the guys I recognize from gym – their teammates, I think.

No females walk over. But oh, do they stare.

When their feet stop moving mine do too.

Captain looks to the guys behind him and everyone scatters.

“She was abused,” he tells me.

I nod, having gathered that, but it doesn’t explain what just happened.