Boys of Brayshaw High (Brayshaw High 1)

Vienna shrugs and glances around, smiling when she spots a guy staring at the end of the bar. “Don’t worry about me,” she says and walks off.

“Okay then.” Victoria snorts and turns back to me.

I pull two twenties from my back pocket, letting her know I’m covered.

We step up to the bar and give our order, but when the dude comes back with our drinks, he doesn’t take the money, only points to a group of guys at the nearby table.

The guy at the end leans back in his chair, and blond hair appears.

“Oh hell no.”

Collins waves two fingers and I yank Victoria’s drink from her hand.

“Hey!” she shouts and follows after me.

When I stop in front of their table, she yanks it back, glaring.

“Raven Carver.” Collins leans back with a grin. “Surprised to see you.” He glances around.

What he really means is he’s surprised to see me without the guys.

“We can pay for our own drinks.”

He looks to my cup. “Came straight front the bartender, it’s safe. And if you leave it, it’ll be wasted. No point in that.”

I look around seeing they’re all drinking beers like pussies.

I snag Victoria’s back, lift both our Jack on the rocks and fling the alcohol across their table.

“What the fuck?!” they shout.

I slam the glass tumblers on the table top and move back for the bar, signaling for two new drinks.

“What the hell, Raven?” Victoria complains, sliding up beside me. “That was free!”

“I’ll buy you another one. We’re not taking shit from him.”

She scoffs. “Look who’s feeding into all the Brayshaw and Graven shit now.”

I spin, getting in her face. “Brayshaw problems or not, Collins is a piece of shit. You want something from someone who will put hands on you without permission, be my fucking guest.”

I grab our fresh drinks and turn to hand her hers.

She eyes me warily. “Did he ... I mean, were you ...”

I shake my head. “He’d only got brave a split second before my boys showed up.”

She fights a grin and I frown.

“Your boys, huh?”

I drop my eyes to the floor, a light laugh leaving me. “I don’t even know. Feels like it sometimes but ... anyway they’re for sure flippin’ their shit right now.”

“Well ...” She trails off and I look up. “Gotta keep them on their toes, right?”

I scrunch my nose and she laughs.

She’s not half bad.

“Come on, let’s dance.” She pulls me along and Vienna meets us halfway, drink in hand.

“You two kiss and make up?” she jokes, but we shrug it off.

We’re quick to finish off our drinks and after a second trip to the bar, I’m feeling good. The lights die down, the music shifts, and my body starts to roll on its own.

With Vienna dancing in front of me, Victoria and her new dance partner to my right, Mello and the redhead on my left, I relax a bit without my newfound shadows and let loose, pushing all thoughts from my head for first time in weeks.I toss my water bottle in the trash, glancing around the store parking lot.

We came here after the school officials kicked us off the grounds so they could lock up.

“Dude, where the fuck would she go?” Royce complains. “You sure she wasn’t in the bathroom?”

“I told you, I checked myself.” Captain shrugs. “She wasn’t there.”

“Think she left with Bishop?” he asks me.

I shake my head. “Bishop was gone before she was. She was talking with that chick from the home.”

Leo turns to us then. “Vienna?” he asks, and I glare, waiting for him to talk since it seems he knows who she is. “She was with that Mello chick from West Wood earlier.”

“If she’s with West Wood girls, they’re—”

My phone beeps in my pocket right then and they look at me.

“It’s Buck.” I look to my brothers. “She’s at The Tower.”

“Fuck.” Royce shakes his head and we slide in the vehicle, Leo and our boy Mac with us.

We head south on the highway and ten minutes later, we’re walking toward Buck and the other guard dog.

“You sure she’s in there?” We give props and he nods.

“Girl you sent me that picture of a few weeks ago and told me to tell you if I ever saw her coming in? Yeah, man, I’m sure.” He waves a few girls in and they slip past us, dragging their nails across our shirts as they do.

I shrug the last one off and look back to Buck.

“I’d have called you earlier, but got caught up. Dickheads in line started brawling.”

I glare. “How long she been here?”

He shrugs. “Hour or so.”

Royce shoves past and into the club. We follow.

Leo and Mac make a move for the bar while Cap, Royce and I scan the room.

I tilt my head, peeking through bodies when the ones in the front shift left.

My eyes zone in on shiny black hair.