Reign of Brayshaw (Brayshaw High 3)

“Raven.”

“Donley.”

“I must say, this is unexpected.”

“Yeah, you’re telling me.” I step farther into the room.

His eyes rake over my face and he frowns. “I’m afraid, if you’re here to ask to change our deal, I can not accommodate you. If the boy is handsy and you weren’t aware of this before, you’ll need to find a way to live with it. That, or give it time. You’ll learn what he will and won’t allow, how he’ll react, and you’ll mold into what he needs of you.”

A scoffed laugh leaves me before I can stop it and he glares.

“Man, you are seriously a piece of work, aren’t you?”

Donley pushes to his feet, smoothing his suit jacket down.

“Captain would never harm me in any way. Ever. You should know that, you’ve been watching them all their lives.”

“A man is different with a woman behind closed doors.”

“Was Felix?”

Donley’s eyes narrow. “Pardon?”

“Felix. Was he different with my mom behind closed doors?”

Donley fixes his tie. “How did you get in here, Raven?”

“I walked through the front door,” I tell him.

“My staff didn’t notify me of any visitors.”

“I’m no visitor.”

He leans against the shelving behind him, slowly folding his arms over his chest. “Is that so.”

“It is.” I look around. “This is my house now, remember?”

His head jerks back, brows knitting before a deep belly laugh escapes him. “Now don’t go getting ahead of yourself there, little girl. Not until after the marriage, it’s not.”

My brows snap together.

He doesn’t know? Collins found out, told the entire fucking school, but the news didn’t make it back to his stand-in grandfather?

I slowly lift my left hand, dropping all my fingers but the middle one, flipping him off, crown side up. “It fits me better here.”

Donley swiftly moves around the desk while I keep my feet planted where they are, my head held high, finger up.

“When?” he asks almost wistfully.

“Eight weeks ago.”

Donley smiles wide, but traces of a scowl line his eyes. “Yet you’re here, and with bruises. Am I right, is he rougher than you expected in bed?”

Piece of shit.

“Do you have the video I requested?”

I hold in my glare. “Not on me, but yes.”

His hands lift, coming together in one solid clap. “I must admit, I wasn’t sure I’d ever see the day.”

“You won’t see the night if you don’t get out of my house.”

He freezes where he stands. “I’m sorry?”

“In the contract, it says the Graven Estate becomes ours after the marriage. It’s after the marriage, Donley.” I step aside, holding an arm out.

He eyes me a moment before glancing at the empty doorway behind me. “Where is your new husband, Raven?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Donley gives a dark chuckle, nodding his head as he steps closer to me. “Okay, Mrs. Graven. I’ll tell you, I’m quite happy you’re so eager, but you do not call the shots, nor will you ever. That is what you have a husband for. Once I have the video, I will gladly have my things moved to another property, and not a second sooner.”

“Suit yourself.” I shrug, turning to leave.

Donley reaches out, gripping my arms between his fingers and I whip around to face him.

“What are you playing at, Raven?”

“You’re missing pieces, Donley.” I jerk free. “How’d you get the blood bags, hm? Did you draw it from her arm yourself, or did the good old doc do it for you?”

He shoots straight. “How do you know about the blood bags?”

“Are you gonna stand there and pretend you didn’t know she’d show up here? Isn’t that why you went to her, to let her know how even all these years later, Graven still wins?”

“What do you mean still wins?” His anger is starting to show. “We lost, if you remember correctly. Ravina abandoned her responsibilities and Graven was forced to pick up the pieces after she destroyed our future leader with her betrayal.”

“Right.” I eye him. “So, no answers from you today, hm?”

I take backward steps away from him, but he keeps toward me.

“Where is Captain?”

The shatter of glass echoes from down the hall and Donley’s head snaps right.

Another follows.

His glare slices to me. “What the hell is going on?”

He stalks into the hall, glancing around.

“I told you to go.”

The Riverside family walk around the corner just then, minus the wife.

“Trick,” Donley draws out. “What are you doing here?”

Trick glares at him, but says nothing, walks straight past us all while Alec and Gio stop beside me.

“Twelve minutes.”

“What the hell is going on here?” Donley shouts.

Alec spins, getting in his face. “Wanna live? Leave.”

With that, he glances to me, so I turn for the entrance.

Donley shoves past us, and out the front door.

My eyes fly across the grounds as staff rushes for the head of the property line, most piling onto matching golf carts.

Donley glares at Bass and then Victoria, his eyes lingering on her for a long moment before his car pulls around the grounds.