The four of us exit the club.

I release her hand to give a couple twenties to Buck and Raven scoffs.

“Rat bastard,” she mumbles, making him grin.

“Name’s Buck for a reason, girl!”

She rolls her eyes, and steps ahead of us, her ass bouncing around, hips swaying like fucking crazy in those damn shoes.

“Damn, brother,” Royce grunts and I cut a glare his way. “You better wrap that shit up quick before someone else does.”

When I shove his ass, he laughs, shoving me back. “Not me, fucker. But hips like that are meant for a good gripping.”

Yeah, no shit.

Soon as she hits my ride, she spins on her heels.

Now out in the fresh air, her mind has cleared and she’s fired up again, but I’m not having it.

“I don’t care what you’re about to say.” She looks between the three of us. “I can and will come and go as I please. If that’s a problem—”

“Stop talking.” All eyes swing to me. “It is a problem and you know it. You’re also okay with it, and you do care. It’s why you left in the first place. You thought we were making plans that wouldn’t include you, so you bailed before we could.”

“Please,” she snaps but there’s no power behind it.

“It’s why you were glad when we arrived.” I get in her face and she doesn’t cower but cuts her eyes left. “It’s why, when Collins grabbed you for the second time, your eyes wanted mine.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She licks her lips and damn, if I don’t wanna do the same.

I step even closer. “You know, if I were with you, I never would have allowed him close enough to touch you.”

She stands tall, ready to sass me when I run my fingertips up her side and her thought dies on her tongue.

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

She drops her face into her palms, and I glance at my brothers.

Then she starts laughing.

“Ugh.” She pretends to be annoyed, hitting my chest but leaving her palms to rest there. “You guys are impossible!” She laughs, glancing from my brothers to me. “Fine, you’re right. There, I said it. Happy?”

“No,” I tell her and her eyes slice to mine. “I’m not happy because all this was unavoidable. We should have come out together, but you’re stubborn as shit and keep fighting yourself when you should have done what you really wanted back at the school.”

She fights a grin, want rising in those stormy eyes. “And what’d I really want to do, big man?”

“To put West Wood’s cheer captain in check.” When she drops her frown to the ground, I force it back up with a knuckle under her chin. “You really think I was up for that?

She shrugs, unapologetic. “Wouldn’t blame you if you were.”

“You should.”

Her features tighten, her eyes shifting to where my brothers stand, staring before coming back.

Leo and Mac step up before anything else can be said.

“Hey.” Mac nods. “What do you guys wanna do now?”

Royce shrugs, looks to the club, then back with a grin. “Wouldn’t mind some dancing.”

Raven scoffs. “Yeah, well, go on ahead then. I’m not going back in tonight after that.”

“Thought you didn’t care what people thought of you?” Leo asks and my head jerks his way. I don’t like the way his eyes narrow on her.

She steps out of my shadow. “I don’t. But I also don’t feel like spending half the night answering questions and telling girls to fuck off when they beg for introductions.”

“Why not introduce them?”

My brows snap together, and I look to Captain, who frowns at the two the same.

“Do you even know your friends, Leo? You think they’d ever entertain the idea of a girl who doesn’t have the balls to approach them on her own if she wanted to get friendly? I’ll help you out.” Her gaze flicks over his form. “The answer is no.”

He looks ready to say something, but she doesn’t give him the chance.

“We’re going home,” she lays down the law, then slips into the back seat without even sparing anyone another damn glance.

Royce laughs, salutes Mac and Leo and climbs in.

“You guys want a ride back?” Captain asks them.

“That’s what Uber’s for, man.” Mac steps forward to give props.

“Later.” Leo nods and they head back for the club.

Captain turns to me before we get in the truck. “She said home.”

I nod, I caught it too.

With a small grin, he pats my shoulder and makes his way to the driver’s seat.

Once all four of us are in, we head home.

I nearly spit all over myself when Royce stands up and starts gyrating.

Captain laughs, leaning forward to smack him and he falls back into his seat, pouring another.

“I told you, I dated a stripper once. She taught me some shit.” He winks at me, then gets punched in the arm by Maddoc.

“Okay, I’m done.” I lift my feet into my lap and yank off the black, closed toe wedges Mello leant me tonight. “I’m going to bed. You fuckers do you.” I wave at Captain and Royce then plant my feet in front of the big man who sits on a bar stool. I lean forward, looking up at him, my hands planted on his thighs. “You help me upstairs.”

His eyes move between mine and he nods. He stands and turns around, motioning for me to grab on. I lock my hands around his neck, and he lifts me from behind the knee.

We both ignore the light laughs from the shitheads downstairs as we make our way up.

When he reaches my bed, he spins releasing my legs so I can land on my feet.

I lean forward, whispering in his ear, “Thanks, big man.”

His shoulders tense beneath my touch and I grin.

He can’t escape quick enough and I laugh at his retreating body, knowing as well as he does when he makes his way back in here tonight, our hands won’t keep to themselves.

I make quick work of putting on some sleep shorts and a tank, then throw myself back on my mattress. I lay there listening as the other two make their way to bed maybe a half hour later.

I pull my knife from under my pillow and spin it around, careful not to flip open the switchblade when I’m still a little tipsy. I read the engraving again, understanding the notion a little more than I should for the very first time: family runs deeper than blood.

As if written specifically for them, it defines what the boys have with each other, a bond so deep they are brothers, even though they share none of the same genes.

Family runs deeper than blood, such a powerful statement when true.

I drop the knife beside me and plug in my earbuds, bobbing around to the girl song about revenge and redemption, but then the music shuffles and Ariana Grande comes on, singing to me about how dangerous her man makes her feel and my body grows hot again.

I kick off my blankets, flipping my pillow to the cool side, but it doesn’t work, and the look in Maddoc’s eye from earlier tonight flashes in my mind.

The unhinged look in his eyes, wild and wanting.

I half expected him to bend me over the knee so he could smack my ass in punishment and play, but that’s not his style.