Boys of Brayshaw High (Brayshaw, #1)

by Meagan Brandy

“This won’t turn into some fucking four-way, b...

“Not what the fuck I meant, and you kno...

“Fuck, man. I know. She makes me fucking crazy. She’s not gonna believe it just because I say it. She’s eve...

“Yeah well, she won’t even get to consider believing it if she doesn’t ge...

“We really sitting here pretending? We knew having her around would help with the Graven shit,” Captain spits. “Just because we started to like having her around don’t mean there wasn’t purpose behind it in the beginning.” “Yeah, but—” “There is no ‘but’ as far as she’s concerned. We did what she expected. She’s not mad at us...

“Ask for her help instead of being sneaky about it.” “She had no reason to say yes.” “No reason to say no either.” Captain shrugs. “She’d have done it and you know it.”

Royce drops onto the couch. “Go fix it, Madman.” I nod,

knowing damn well what Royce said a minute ago is true, she’s under my fucking skin. Problem is I haven’t decided if I’m going to let her stay there or not. Or, if she even belongs. Either ...

By the time I’m done, it’s finally past lights out at the home, so I head down the stairs, deciding to walk down the dirt road to the Bray house. I’m almost at the edge of the trees when the smell of weed hits my nostrils. I clench my teeth together, knowing what I’ll fucking find when I step past the trees.

A car pulls up at the curb and they head for it, but something has her glancing back. She scans the trees, so I take the two steps forward into the light. Her eyes shoot wide and my chin lifts. That’s right. Busted. Now get that ass over here ... She flips me off,

Just when I think she’s gonna slide into the seat and take the fuck off, she turns to face me. Crossing her arms over the top of the door, she leans her chin against them, calling me over with a crook of the finger. I was already headed for her and she damn well knows it. Raven smirks

“You were right. You were there to divert. You’ve been around specifically so we could climb in your head and see what your angle was, so we could use it against you first if needed. But you knew that already,” I whisper, and her eyes fly between mine. “Now ask me what’s changed since the beginning. Ask me ... what keeps me up at night, Raven.” “I don’t wanna know.” She tries to hide her swallow. “Yeah, you do.”

Like Cap said, she’s not mad we used her, but she wishes she was.

She doesn’t have that tick inside her to care and she hates that about herself. She doesn’t give a damn, because she expects it.

but then the engine rumbles in the distance and she glances over my shoulder. She rolls her eyes and steps out so she can close the car door. She dips her head in the window. “We’ll follow.”

“Not even gonna fight me on it, huh?” I tease, and she scoffs. “Please.” I catch her by the back belt loop, quickly spinning her around and she yelps, but her fucking smile

“You think you’ve got me all figured out?” “I know you enough to know how that’d have ended.”

“How would it have ended,” I rasp, slowly moving ...

The light squeal of brakes has her jerking back.

Captain rolls to a stop beside us and Royce hangs out the window with a grin. “RaeRae, sneaking off already, are we?” he tsks. “Not sure that’ll work for us.”

“I’m not sure I care,” she ...

she pushes through her edginess with a laugh, turning to look out her side window. She’s got tension rolling off her and I don’t like it. I like her in fuck it mode. That’s who she really is. Just ... wild.

I turn, whispering in her ear. “Royce’s right. Not sure this arrangement’ll work.” “What arrangement is that?”

“The one where you’re in your bed and...

“Well, you don’t have to worry about a thing like...

“Yeah, why is...

She looks back to me. “‘Cause I don’t have a bed. I’m only borrowing one.”

“Dude. Should we be here?” Royce looks from Captain to me. “Half these fools do work for us. We don’t hang with them for a reason. Business and pleasure, Madman. Not good.”

“If shit goes down here, cameras could roll.” “They won’t. We feed these fuckers.”

“Yeah, but you know Graven’s been poking around a lot more ...

I look back to Raven who stands there, lighting ...

“You’re right. But I’m not leavin...

“I can’t ask you to stay.” “To watch Raven?”

“Yeah, man. You can. Three for one, brother. That’s how it goes.”

My brothers, loyal no matter what.

Raven tips her head back, blowing smoke into the night, smiling as it disappears. She catches me watching and winks, but when her eyes slide to Royce and she lifts the joint, my head snaps his way. He quickly glances off, scratching the side of his head. He’s fucking smoking again?

I swoop in, wrapping my arms around her middle. She chuckles. “What do you think you’re doing, big man?” “Showing these people what’s mine.” “Hmm ...” She muses, spinning in my arms. She looks up,

She whispers, “Funny ... ‘cause you haven’t even showed me yet.” She pulls away in good nature. I let her.