Boys of Brayshaw High (Brayshaw High 1)

When he glances inside he pauses, glowering at me. He looks away a moment before he too walks in.

“We going for breakfast?”

“I’m too hungover for those twisty ass roads.” Royce slides down the pillows and tucks himself beneath my blankets.

For some stupid reason, my eyes slice to Maddoc.

He stares but still gives expressive reaction.

“Well, I’m starving,” Captain whines.

“I could always eat,” Royce adds and they both look to Maddoc.

He scoffs. “Fine. I’ll fucking cook, but if there’s still people upstairs, I’m kicking them all out.”

“Please do. That Bride of Chuckie, as RaeRae called her, is trying to stick around. Probably waiting to see Cap.”

“Wait.” I push to a sitting position and Royce reaches out with a grin, pretending to smooth my rat’s nest from my face. I smack his hand away, leaving my crazy hair crazy. “You and that chick?”

“She was pissed off. Makes for some good hard head.”

“She’s still up there?” I grin and Royce laughs, looking to Captain.

Captain raises a brow and I smile.

With a laugh, he pushes to his feet and squeezes past Maddoc to get to me. He holds his hands out.

“Let’s finish this, girl.”

He spins around, so I latch on.

When his hands wrap my thighs to help hold me up, Maddoc storms out.

Captain and Royce both chuckle but nobody says a thing.

The second Maddoc’s feet hit the top floor, he barks, “Get out.”

And the handful of people scramble for their shit and go.

Of course, the chick takes her time slipping on her shoes.

Her eyes hit mine first, then move to Captain, who doesn’t even acknowledge her but continues for the kitchen, where he bends until my ass hits the table and I let go.

He spins around, gripping my chin in his fingers and I stare, waiting for his next move, laughing on the inside at the anger flying my way from the girl.

Captain leans forward, asking with his stare if he can go for it, but before I can give him a sign, Maddoc grips his shoulder and Cap pauses.

He chuckles and steps back.

I glance over my shoulder right as she stomps out the door, and Royce is quick to lock it behind her.

He pulls the sheets from the futons and rolls them up, tossing them in the garbage by the door. “Good as new, RaeRae, come sit with me.” He plops his ass down.

I hop off the table, run down the stairs to grab the blanket off the bed and then back up. I drop beside Royce, tucking the blanket around me.

Royce flips through the channels, deciding on Red Riding Hood.

A few minutes pass and then Maddoc is standing in front of me, a hot cup of coffee in his hands.

I eye him as I slowly reach for it. “Thanks, big man.”

He doesn't say a word, turning around to head back for the kitchen.

“Yo, where’s my hot chocolate?!” Royce teases, jabbing me with his elbow.

Maddoc simply flips him off as he heads back into the kitchen, and not fifteen minutes later he’s announcing breakfast is ready.

Royce doesn’t hesitate to pop up and drags me with him. I move to sit at the cheap wooden table now topped with the fixings for chorizo and egg burritos as he joins them in the tiny kitchen.

I can’t help but track their movements.

One gets the condiments, a different for each, one the drinks, again, different for each and the last has the plates and silverware. It’s like they’ve done this a thousand times over.

So routine. Normal.

It makes me wonder if it’s always been like this, just the three of them looking out for each other. Victoria said they’ve been together since babies but observing the three function as one is more than I expected. They come across as punks on a power high, but they’re more than that.

I need to give them the journal I took from Maybell. It shouldn't be hidden in a house it doesn’t belong in.

“You don’t like it?”

My gaze snaps to Maddoc’s and I frown, but when I glance around, I find they’ve all made their plates already while I was sitting here staring into space the last few minutes. I look back to him.

“I do.” I don’t say anything else, and the way he cocks his head just slightly tells me he knows something was on my mind.

Nothing else is voiced, and we spend the next few minutes eating in silence.

“Thanks, brother, good as always.” Royce pushes to his feet. “I’ll do the dishes in a bit. Imma head over to Mac’s for a quick game. Catch you guys later.”

“Hold up, I need a workout too.” Captain follows after him and they both turn to look at Maddoc.

He pauses a moment before pushing to his feet. He looks to me. “We’ll be back.”

I nod, picking up my coffee to take a drink, and they walk out the back.