Break Me (Brayshaw High) - Meagan Brandy Page 0,16

was right for her, keep her safe and away, or what-the-fuck-ever.”

“And you still paid the guy ‘cause you wanted him to push himself.” He nods.

Exactly.

Mac gets it, he’s moving up in Brayshaw and learning the ins and outs, the strength of our pull in the circle around us.

I lay it all out since he’ll be our main man soon, even if he doesn’t know it yet.

“The thing about our files?” I shake my head. “They ain’t copies. They’re straight from the fucking county servers, deleted from record the second they touch our hands. Hospital visits, police reports, school fuck-ups. Poof, shit doesn’t exist, never happened.”

He studies me, slowly dropping back against the door. “And when the Bishops’ files came to you guys, you were only freshmen, so you took your dad’s word after a quick look inside. You didn’t read them.”

I nod. “Only read one, a report on assault charges against Bass to get an idea of how good his hands were.”

“You came here with no clue who this girl was or what she was about.”

“Nothin’ but a name and address, my man, and that shit cost a fuck-ton to get my hands on, so when I got here, saw the look-alike cousin, I told my ass that’s her, done fuckin’ deal.” I raise a brow. “I almost got got, bro. If the cousin didn’t give her up, I would have.”

“Nah, man.” He shakes his head. “You’d have figured it out.”

Maybe.

Not very Brayshaw of me to jump to conclusions without proof.

My brothers would whoop my ass.

Or they’d try.

Raven definitely would, and then maybe Brielle’s for fuckin’ with me, if she wasn’t pregnant with my brothers’ kid.

Maybe even then.

A small smile finds my lips at that, but even the thought of my family isn’t erasing the shit swimming in my head.

Mac sees it.

“That’s not what’s hot on your mind.” My friend knows me. “Lay it on me, man.”

I lick my lips, glaring out the window.

“Bass asked us to send her here because he said it was what was best for her then, that her family here loved her. Wanted her. That she’d have more here, a life. A future to build off of, like we were offering him.” I turn to Mac. “That the vibe you got?”

Like I knew he would, Mac shakes his head no.

When I decided I was headed this way, my only clear thought was to get here and toy with the little sister of the fucker who ticked me off, to tease or test her out a bit. After that, I’d leave, and with a spicy story to share with the punk the next time I saw him.

But then what was supposed to be our dirty little meet and greet turned into a twisted ass grab and go, and fuck man.

I don’t know.

My instincts are teasing at the trigger, screaming something ain’t right.

Her cousin and all the bullshit she brings, the school...

The ease surrounding her while in a car with a stranger.

How it was nowhere to be found inside the school.

“You’re staying.” He eyes me, but he didn’t ask a question and a response isn’t needed.

I pull a joint from the glovebox and relax into the seat.

“Thirsty?” Mac asks.

I grin, lifting the joint. “’Bout to be.”

Mac laughs, puts the car in drive, and off we go.

I flick on the lighter, pull it to the tip and puff until it’s hitting good, the smoke rolling from my lips.

Brielle Bishop.

Tiny.

Feisty.

In for a fuckin’ ride.

Brielle

Right when I thought the nightmare was coming to an end with the glorious sound of the final school bell piercing my ears, I remember the way every Goosebumps book I’ve ever read ended, with realization the problem isn’t really gone, but still very much lurking, like the tattooed bad boy straight ahead, for instance.

He leans against the car with his arms crossed over his chest, staring straight at me.

I release a heavy sigh and continue to hobble forward.

With each step closer I grow, Royce’s chin lifts.

I stop a few feet away from him. “You’re still here.”

“And you’re damn excited about it.”

A low laugh leaves me, and I cut a quick glance away, but I’m pulled right back when his arms drop.

“You lied to me,” he says as he pushes off the curb, reaching out to blindly tug the back door open. “Now you owe me.”

“I’m not sleeping with you.” The refusal flies from me before I realize it’s coming.

Royce’s hand pauses on the frame, my words freezing him there for a split second. Once he