Boys of Brayshaw High (Brayshaw High 1)

He opens his mouth to say something else but, Royce beats him.

“Speaking of the female species and horizontal positions ... don’t go around choking chicks or cutting off ponytails this weekend, aight? Pussy will be slim pickin’, and I want a new rider every night. No cockblocking.”

“Seriously?”

“Hell yeah.”

“So ... you expect me, the ghetto girl from the group home, a literal fucking charity case, to step into some rich kid zone, and let them run all over me if they try?”

Royce pouts like a child and Captain clears his throat.

“I might be with Royce on this one. Maybe you can get yours when we get back?”

“The fuck?” Maddoc bites out, making Captain laugh.

“I only meant, if you feel the need to kick someone’s ass, wait until we get back. Nobody will fuck with you, Raven.”

“Exactly,” Royce pipes up again. “So let’s keep the legs loose for the weekend.”

“For fuck’s sack.” I stuff the chips between the seats, cross my arms and look out my side window. They’re trippin’, hardcore.

Maddoc moves closer so he can whisper, “You really think we’d sit back and allow someone to fuck with you?”

“I have no idea what you’d do.” I roll my head to meet his stare. “You’re as hot as you are cold, big man.”

“Stop making me crazy and I won’t have to be.”

I scoff, speaking low since he is. “Whatever you say. But don’t act like I can’t handle myself.”

“I know you can,” he says slowly, the green in his gaze almost unseen as black takes over.

Want. Confusion. Need. It’s all there.

My body grows hot, and I fight the sudden urge to swallow. He’s got me all wanton crazy with this whole ‘fuck you while you fuck me’ thing he’s got going.

“We know you’re as capable as we are, Snow. It’s why you’re here.”

“Thought it was so you could keep an eye on me?”

The corner of his mouth tips up slowly. “That too.” His fingers find my wrist and feather across, leaving an eclectic shock in their wake. “But let’s be real, Raven. My eyes have been on you, haven’t they?”

I search his eyes for intent but come up short.

What are you playing at, big man?

“If you think you’re gonna catch me in some twisted shit, you’re wasting my time,” I whisper. “I told you before, I’m no planner.”

He hums, a smirk now coming out to play. He leans in, his mouth now grazing my ear right as Royce’s eyes find mine in the mirror.

“Those lips of yours will be on me soon.” His tongue hits my earlobe and I dig my nails into my thigh to keep from reacting. “Plan on that.”

He pulls back, moving over to retake his seat by the window and I close my eyes, forcing myself to repeat the national anthem in my head, over and over again until we’re pulling onto a dirt road surrounded by large trees.

The boys roll the windows down and the smell of fresh, clean air hits my nostrils.

I sit forward, reaching over to roll my window down as well and take another deep breath.

“What is that?”

“What?” Captain asks.

“The smell.”

He meets my stare in the rearview mirror. “Pine?”

When I shrug, he spins, looking over his shoulder at me. “Have you never been to the mountains?”

Suddenly I’m hit with a need to lie, but before I do, I look at the other two.

Again, no judgment stares back, so I go with honesty.

“No. Is it, I mean, is it always fresh like this? Like, clean air or whatever?”

Captain nods and continues to pull forward, swerving around a few large cabin homes.

“People live here?”

“Nah,” Royce answers. “These are vacation spots. Nobody stays year-round.”

Must be nice to have not one, but two homes.

“Is that?” I lean out my window and take another deep breath, ignoring the chuckles behind me. “Campfire?” I look over my shoulder. “Real campfire?”

“Is there such a thing as fake campfire?” Maddoc’s brow lifts but amusement shines in his eyes.

“Yeah, there is. We had bonfires all the time, but that was, I don’t know, a burnt, smoky smell. A fire kept going by beer boxes and trash. This is ... clean and” – I look out the window again – “intoxicating. Almost...” I can’t find the word.

“Peaceful?” Captain offers, staring at me in the mirror again.

I nod but don’t meet his eyes.

“Come on, Cap, move the car.”

Captain licks his lips and continues down the path again until we’re pulling up in front of a huge cabin.

It looks like a plain square, nothing fancy but with a porch that wraps all the way around.

When they get out, I do too, and the closer I move to the place, the more I see. It may be simple as far as the front goes, but there’s a huge deck on the back, held up by thick wooden beams, it sits at what looks to be the second story of the cabin.