Reign of Brayshaw (Brayshaw High 3)

“Yeah,” Royce scoffs. “If she hits him with a prenup.”

“Royce!”

Cap smacks him in the back of the head and his hands lift. “Sorry, fuck I know. I gotta stay pissed or make fuckin’ jokes, man. I don’t have an in-between. It’s either this, I fuck my way through the cheer squad, or choke everyone out with bare hands.”

Cap shakes his head. “Let’s go, she knows we’re talking about her.”

“Yeah, meet you out there in one sec.” Royce bounds up the steps and the two of us move for the car.

He’s back down within a few minutes, tossing Raven her iPod and headphones.

She picks it up, frowning at him, but he just shrugs.

“Keep ‘em with you in case you want to drown out everyone. Plug ‘em in, turn it on and fuck everyone else, RaeRae.”

She nods lightly and does just that.

We head for the donut shop, Raven at my side, happy to go get her dollar fucking coffee and maple bar, not at all affected by how only five minutes ago, she became an instant multi-millionaire.“You gonna eat that?”

I tilt my head back to spot Victoria.

She drops onto the grass beside me. “You realize the grass is wet, right?”

“And you just sat on it.”

She grins. “Never said it bothered me.”

I laugh lightly, offering her the donut I only peeled a small corner of maple off of, but is otherwise untouched.

She shakes her head. “I was kidding. I don’t like sweets.”

“Well I do, and I’m pissed I can’t eat it. My stomach is still turning. I couldn’t even finish my coffee.”

She gives me a side-eye before shifting her frown to the basketball courts where the guys are jacking around, shooting hoops before the bell rings. Why we all woke up at the asscrack of dawn today, I don’t even know. Guess we had too much on our minds to sleep.

“Maybell tossed out all of Vienna’s shit last night. Straight into the dumpster, carried it out herself even. Guess she heard what she did?” She looks back to me.

“That woman knows more than any of us could guess, I’m sure. You’d have to being around this family as long as she has. Secrets on secrets on... secrets.”

My brows pull in.

Maybell.

“Uh-oh.”

I look to Victoria. “What?”

“You have your ‘I just figured some shit out’ face on.”

I slide my eyes to her. “Since when do you want to know things, I thought your MO was the less you know the better?”

“It is.” She glares. “Did I ask you what you figured out? No. I didn’t. I just recognized your I’m gonna make a sneaky move that will piss them off face.”

“I thought it was my I figured some shit out face?”

“Yeah. Which means the same damn thing in Raven language.” She laughs.

I can’t help but laugh with her. “You know, you should rethink your position on the not wanting to know front.”

Her smile is suddenly washed away, her frown now focused on nothing. “It’s more complicated than that, Rae. Honestly, I shouldn’t even be sitting here talking to you, and I sure as hell shouldn’t have been with you guys these last several days. The fact that I want to chill with you kind of annoys me.”

“You’re making me think I shouldn’t trust you.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t.” She stares at me dead on. “I’m not gonna lie, there are things you won’t like about me, maybe even hate me for. I can also swear I’m not malicious, even though I have things to hide.”

“What the fuck am I supposed to do with that, Victoria?”

She gives an unapologetic shrug. “Do what you want with it, but I’m being as honest as I can. I can stay away, no problem, but at the risk of sounding like a weak bitch, I don’t hate having someone around who gives fewer fucks than me.”

“You do sound like a weak bitch,” I joke, still a little on edge from her confession, but damn, I mean, she volunteered that, right? That has to count for something. “But I could use another vagina around sometimes to balance out the dicks a little better.”

“What RaeRae means is, to balance on the dicks,” Royce teases as the guys grow closer. “As in...” He trails off wiggling his eyebrows. “Ain’t that right?” He looks to me, a big ass, innocent grin on his far from innocent face.

I glance at Victoria who blinks up at him, her head tilted the slightest bit, and a laugh bubbles out of me. I reach for Maddoc’s hand when he extends it, letting him pull me up.

“Nope.” I chuckle. “Not at all what I meant, ponyboy.”

“Ah, come on.” He wraps his arm around my shoulder. “Don’t lie. ‘Ponyboy’ proves you were thinking about the ride, even though it should be more like massive steed.” He grins. “Tell her how good we are, RaeRae. I’m thinking Cap wants to bone her down. Me and him could keep her up through the night, I’d bet.”