Trouble at Brayshaw High - Meagan Brandy Page 0,50
walls are – far too well for my liking – they heard every word spoken, but the can hitting the door is what got their feet moving.
Maddoc’s eyelids twitch. “I will pick you up and fucking move you if you don’t get out of the way.”
I squeeze past him and while his glare jerks inside the trailer, he groans and follows, like I knew he would.
I spin around, walking backward with my hands thrown up. “Go on, Big Man, do your thing. Walk up in there, threaten the whore for telling your little secret.” I stop at the back corner of the SUV where we’re blocked from others to see and far enough away now she won’t hear.
His head draws back a second before a murderous glint slides over his eyes and he moves closer. “You seriously think for a fucking second I knew, that any of us knew?” He gapes at me.
“Are you seriously gonna stand here and pretend that you didn’t?!” I shout right back. “Are you really claiming mister ‘I have to know every-fucking-thing about every-fucking-one and some’ didn’t know the name of the person responsible for putting his dad in prison?!”
He gets in my face, speaking through clenched teeth. “A Graven put him away, that’s what I know. If it weren’t for that piece of shit coming in and playing lawyer, he never would have been convicted. And just so you know, no. We didn’t fucking know. Those files mysteriously disappeared from public fucking record, Raven, at his own hand!” He flicks his eyes across my face. “This isn’t some playground, this is real fucking business, real life shit, and every Graven will pay for that one’s mistake. Crossing a Brayshaw the way he did was over the limit. Seems your ma was the easy target they pulled in to start the process.”
“Why would your dad want the daughter of the woman who helped nail down his coffin?”
“I have no fucking idea.”
My nostrils flare, frustration and uncertainty threatening to boil over inside me. “Why the hell should I believe you?”
“Because I’m telling you to,” Maddoc growls, and pushes closer. “Because I want you to. Because I fucking want you with me.”
“Yeah, RaeRae—”
“Shut up, Royce,” I cut him off, eyes on Maddoc. “Want me here so Daddy doesn’t get mad at you for losing a handle on his ticket home, or should I call myself his possession?” I spit. “Maybe I’m meant to be his little plaything—”
“Watch it,” he warns, his eyes growing more fiery by the second. “And that’s not what I meant, and you know it.” He inches closer.
Royce pipes up again. “You saw how we acted when you weren’t with us. Bunch of little boys throwing tantrums. We need you here.”
“People do stupid shit for good reasons, Royce.” My eyes slide between Maddoc’s.
“Maddoc,” Captain warns and Maddoc’s nostrils flare. “Tell her, man.”
“Fuck. Fine! Were we expecting you?” Maddoc raises a brow. “Yes. Were you picked from a crop of misfits? Yes. Were we specifically asked to watch you? Yes, like we are all of them, but that’s the point of having these houses, not out of the kindness of his fucking heart like was said yesterday. Do we offer them better lives? Yes, but there’s a purpose. We find assholes like us, but who come from real life nothing, that value respect and loyalty because they know that’s the only way people like them can survive and bring them into our fold. The ones who get here and don’t fit, are none the fucking wiser. We leave them where they are until they age out or fuck it up on their own and are gone. We’ve been doing this on our own the last two years, and we’ve built a fucking fantastic team. When we’re done, we’ll be the strongest this town has ever seen, and no fucking Graven will be able to get in the way.”
“You’re creating an empire.”
“We’re building our fucking kingdom.”
A chill runs down my spine and his eyes heat.
His knuckles find my jaw, and he runs them across my cheekbone, a rare gentleness seeping into his next words spoken. “You want more honesty, baby? Fine. Truth is, I’m not above something like this. I’d play someone even harder – anyone, anywhere, in a fucking heartbeat – if it meant saving my family, which now includes you. By choice.”
The corner of my eyes tighten, and I attempt to look away, but he shifts his head to follow my stare. He locks