And I’m out.

I hop down and move toward the house, but Royce snatches me by my arm and yanks me back.

I spin around, my hand held up to slap him, but he catches it.

“Knock your shit off, I’m not trying to be a dick here. Sit the fuck down, finish smoking at least then you can storm off like a fucking child.”

My eyes harden, and I yank myself from his hold. “Fine. And only because it’s a free high.”

He gives me a side glance when I drop back beside him. “For real though, RaeRae. You can’t cause a power struggle at the school.”

“Fuck you and your boys.”

“Everyone already thinks you are,” he throws back at me.

“Yeah, thanks to you guys. Now I’m not only the newest school slut, but I’m the only girl ever known to have a pass to fuck all three of you whenever I want.”

“Yeah,” he winces. “I think that might of backfired on Maddoc a bit.”

“Yeah?” I study him. “And how’s that?”

He shrugs. “What was supposed to cause you problems, gave you power.”

“How do you figure?”

He tosses a perfectly good roach in the dirt. “There’s been plenty of Bray girls, but like you said, you’re the only one to get to fuck all three of us on no timeline ... and we appear to want more. That makes you the dominant female.” He stares at me. “There’s never been one of those before.”

I lick my lips and look off. Fucking great.

So much for laying low.

“Let’s pretend you’ll tell me.” I look back to him. “What happens now?”

“Nice try.”

I pop a shoulder. “Worth a shot.”

“Look, it’s complicated now.” He shifts toward me. “First you pushed us in front of everyone, we had to make sure the lines were clear. We run shit around here because we have to for shit that don’t concern you. Period. Yet you took it in stride. Then you showed up at the party, helped us get the upper hand back over the Graven douchebags. No Brayshaw students should have been there for any fucking reason, but since you were, we have to cover our tracks in case it gets back to the school. Better to pull you in than make us look weak by not being able to control one fucking female. Now, if it comes out that you were at that party, it’ll be because we allowed it, because we brought you along. Not because you went off on your own.”

I scoff, shaking my head and he shrugs unapologetically.

I watch him closely, deciding it’s fine to fish just a little since he came to me and started talking. “You called the cop from the courts a Graven.”

He opens his mouth to say something, but an engine is heard in the orchards behind us and Royce hangs his head instead.

“Fuck.” He gives a blank stare and I shift to look behind us. A black SUV, identical to this one, is rolling up beside us.

It stops once we’re in view of the driver window and slowly, the tinted window rolls down and Maddoc is revealed, Cap in the passenger seat. Both their eyes hidden behind those dark sunglasses they like so much.

I glance back to Royce and he winks before hopping down and offering to help me, but I move on my own and he hides a grin.

As he closes the back, I peek over at Maddoc, finding his jaw locked tight. I’m not positive, what with his glasses on and all, but it looks like his eyes are on Royce.

Guess his boy has stepped outta line by fraternizing with the enemy.

“I think you’re in trouble,” I whisper to Royce with a slight grin and he glares, moving to get into the back seat.

“Head back for the house, Raven,” Captain tells me from his seat.

I bend to get a better look at him. “Whatever you say, packman.”

He looks away, not entertaining me at all.

Maddoc’s grip on the wheel tightens and he jerks his head to me before slowly creeping forward and down the small path to the roadway.

I step around Royce’s now abandoned vehicle and glance the way they came from, seeing nothing but almond trees and a thin dirt road as far as you can see.

I head back for the house, high as hell and craving ice cream.

 

I hand the girl a five and she sneers when I wait for my change. Yes, it’s only ninety-five cents, but I’ve been down to that with no food before. Ninety-five cents can buy four packs of noodles or an entire loaf of bread at the right store.

She’s got an Apple watch on her wrist – my change will serve me better than it’ll do her as a tip. Yes, I’m judging, but I’ve been forced to latch onto the tiniest of details in my life. Sometimes it’s the things others don’t pay mind to that ends up being the key to keeping my head above water another day.

I exit the little shop and head the opposite way of the house, just cruising the street. When I pass a small sports supply store, a voice calls out.

“Hey, sweetness.”

I turn, finding the guy from the house party this weekend, Collins, and a couple other guys chillin’ at a small table.

“Oh, there’s nothing sweet about me,” I tell him.

“Bet that pussy’s sweet.” He smirks and his buddies chuckle to themselves.

When I laugh with them, Collins’ eyes tighten.

“You’ll never find out.” I let him know with a slow shake of my head, but he’s undeterred. His smirk only deepens.

“What I tell you, baby?” He stands and walks toward me. “Never say nev—”

“Raven,” an even tone calls from my left and we both turn.

Maddoc is parked the wrong way against the curb. “Get the fuck in.”

My head pulls back, and beside me, Collins growls under his breath.

“Fuck the right off.”

“Now,” he calmly demands which pisses me off more.

“No.”

The refusal has only made it past my lips when Cap hops out of the front and rounds the hood as Royce steps out of the back. Collins steps forward, his friends moving to stand as he does.

But they’re completely ignored as Cap bends slightly and with no effort at all, tosses me over his shoulder. I’m thrown in the back seat, the door closed and locked before I can even protest.

I jerk away from Captain only to bump into Royce on the other side of me.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I shriek, and they laugh.

I go to leap over the center console to the front, but Maddoc shoots a hand out, blocking me from climbing over. I fly back and hit the seat.

When I continue to try and escape, Royce sighs and pulls me on his lap, locking his arms around my middle to hold mine down, my back against his chest.

I growl, glancing over my shoulder. “I swear to fucking God ponyboy—”

“Re-damn-lax and I’ll think about letting you up.”

At that, Maddoc glances back doing a double take.

“Put her on the fucking seat!”

“You wanna come back here?” Royce shoots back. “She keeps elbowing, she’s gonna hit my nuts.”

“What nuts?”

“Baby.” With his arms still locked around me, his fingers move to dance against the jean covering my inner thigh and I jerk. “You felt ‘em real good when you rubbed—”

Suddenly, we’re knocked against the window when the car jerks to a stop.