Fuuuck. Now it makes sense why they freaked after my meeting with him.

He got in her head.

“She was gone after that. Took off, hid away, and came back in the summer. When school started, she was suddenly going to Graven,” he continued.

“I didn’t care. I wanted nothing to do with her when she showed back up, wrote her off completely. But someone wanted me to know.” He looks to his brothers who offer small nods of encouragements. “Found delivery records in my gym bag two weeks into school. Confronted her, finally got the truth from her. Then I found out she signed over her rights, gave my little girl up.”

“She can’t just do that. How did she just ... do that?”

“She lied to the right people. Said she didn’t know who the father was, so there was no one to fight her on it.”

“Captain...”

He drops back in his chair. “I went straight to Maybell. She helped me get everything ready so I could bring her home, but Perkins showed up the night before the hearing.”

“Here?”

“Here. He had been collecting shit on us, did some digging, found out some things. Said I’d lose her for good if I tried. Said no court would let her go to a home where we lived with no adults and had a few dozen troubled fuckers on our property. Technically we can’t live how we do, but Maybell makes sure we’re covered there. It was too risky. So I went, took what the court offered when I should have fought harder. They gave me visitation twice a month, fucking supervised until they decide I’m fit to parent.” His laugh is hollow, and I want to cry. “My daughter can’t even meet her uncles.”

I shoot from my seat and move to the other side of the table. I drop onto his lap, aware the other two are watching, aware Maddoc is watching, and run my hand through his hair, until he looks up at me. I don’t care that it seems intimate. He needs this. “You did what you thought you had to be a part of her life. There’s nothing wrong with that,” I whisper.

His hand slides up my leg and I move mine to cover his, squeezing lightly. Deep creases frame his eyes and his nostrils flare. His grip on me tightens.

I slide my hand down the back of his hair, bringing my forehead to his.

“Captain,” I breathe and his shuddered exhale fans across my mouth. When he swallows, I tip his head back slightly so I can softy press my lips to his temple. It’s not much, but something tells me he needs it.

I pull back, my hands sliding down until I’m cupping his cheeks. “Don’t ever feel like you’ve failed her. You didn’t. You made an impossible decision because it guaranteed you a place in her life. It’s what a good man would do.”

He blows out a ragged breath, drops his forehead to my shoulder, nodding against me.

I move back to my seat.

When I glance at Royce, I find him watching me. He winks and cuts his eyes to Maddoc.

I look to my left, but Maddoc’s gaze isn’t on me. He’s frowning at his plate, so I grip his chin and force his stare to mine.

I drop my hand to squeeze his knee, and his shoulders relax a bit.

When I go to finally take a bite, a flash of blonde clicks in my mind. I gasp, my head snapping up to meet Captain’s eyes. “Oh my God!”

“What?” he asks wearily, looking from the boys to me.

“Raven,” Maddoc rumbles unsure.

With a groan, I run my hands down my face. “That was her, wasn’t it?”

First, he frowns and then a grin splits his lips.

“I punched your baby mama, didn’t I?”

The wretched look in his eye disappears, and he starts cracking up, Royce too. But Maddoc’s lip only twitches.

“Aye, yeah.” Royce leans forward. “What made you do that?”

“I saw her look at you guys, saw the guilt in her eyes, watched her watch Captain.” I shrug. “I could tell she deserved it.”

If I’d have known what I do now then, I’d probably be in jail. Taking away a child from a loving parent like that is sick. I don’t care who the person is.

Captain looks down a moment, and when he lifts his head, a fierce glaze comes over his eyes. “She’s mine when I turn eighteen.”

I nod, having expected him to say that next.

“Why did Perkins step in at all, what was the point?”

Captain looks to Royce then Maddoc, who tips his chin. “We’re still trying to figure that one out.”

When Captain glances at Maddoc before dropping his gaze to the floor, I turn to look at him.

“What?”

His eyes shift between mine, tension clouding his features.

“Look.” I pull my legs up on the chair. “You guys started talking first so naturally I have questions, but that doesn’t mean you have to tell me shit. We can keep talking, or we can clean this shit up and go to your little party. It’s whatever.”

“We found old yearbooks in a couple boxes in the rafters out back,” Royce throws out before anyone else has a chance to speak. “There’s a picture of our dads with Perkins and another guy. His arms around his shoulder and they’re smiling. Prom or some shit.”

“Okay... so they knew each other. You think something happened?” I ask and they nod.

“We don’t know anything else. We’ve searched through everything over the last fucking year and found nothing.”

I lick my lips, hesitation pulling at my brows. “When you say you looked through everything. What do you mean?”

“Old files and records, random shit our dad saved.”

I take a deep breath and stand.

Fuck it.

“Where you going?” Maddoc asks, low and cautious.

“I have something that might help.”

“The fuck does that mean?” Maddoc leaps to his feet. “Have what?”

I don’t answer but run up the stairs, ignoring all their chatter as I do. I dig the binder I stole from Maybell’s out of the back of the closet where I stuffed it when I got here and head back down the stairs.

They jump to their feet when I appear on the stairs, heading back down.

I lift it higher and Maddoc charges for me.

He glares at the item. “What is this?”

“I stole it from Maybell.” I hand it over, but he only stares. “I think it belongs in your guys’ hands anyway. Take it, Maddoc.”

His face turns hard and he locks his eyes on me as he snatches it from my fingers. He lifts it over his shoulder and Royce appears, pulling it from his hand.

Maddoc steps back, and all three stare my way, anxious and angry. Maybe a little unsure.

“What’s in it?” he asks.

“Look for yourself.”

“I asked you a question, Raven.”

I gesture toward the binder. “Bunch of shit, I don’t know.”

“Did you read them?”

“Flipped it open, saw the letter in the front but didn’t read it or anything else in there.”

His jaw locks. “Why should we believe you?”

I look between the three. “You shouldn’t.”

“Raven,” he growls, and it has my spine vibrating as a small slice of fear hits me.

“Look, I know some things I’ve heard from the girls at the house, but I didn’t read anything in there to know if any of it is true.”