“That was some crazy shit at the rally the other day, huh?”

“We knew Collins was working his way in.” Royce shrugs and starts walking, so we all move with him, forcing Leo and Mac to stay behind or follow.

“But Raven, who would have thought,” the bastard keeps going, shaking his head.

“Every-fucking-body would have thought.” I swing a careful expression his way when I’d rather be pouring bleach down his throat for thinking he can speak freely on her. “She’s the daughter of a whore, what else would you expect? You really think we’d keep her around long?”

Acid lines my tongue at my own words, so I turn away before he sees the shift in my gaze.

“Speaking of whores,” Mac changes the subject, meeting my eyes a quick moment. “You guys hear Tisha Stevenson got caught sucking the judge’s dick at the cheer competition the varsity girls went to this weekend?”

“No shit?” Royce entertains him to help save face as Mac intended.

Leo gives a stiff laugh. “Yeah, we heard the coach walked in on it.”

Cap looks my way and I frown, following is stare when it shifts.

A group of girls stand in the middle of the hall chatting and I groan.

Fuck.

‘Course they’d all be ready and waiting day one.

I don’t bother covering my annoyance and keep toward my locker, but then laughter has me glancing down the hall in time to see Chloe step up to Mac and Leo and the others at the end of the hall.

Hmm...

I shift to Royce.

“Chloe?” He frowns, glancing down the hall and back, looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.

I shrug. “Why not let her run free on her, see if Raven cracks.”

“Not that I think Chloe’s brave enough to come hard at her, but this is Raven we’re talking about.” Captain glares. “She doesn’t crack.”

“Yeah, she cracks other motherfuckers.” Royce shakes his head, but then his attention is pulled down the hall and he frowns. “But if you wanna test the theory...” He looks back to me, anger and anxiousness taking over his features. “Mask your face, brother. She just walked around the corner. With him.”

I slowly shift my body to face the direction he’s looking, and as if lava was injected in my veins, everything inside me burns.

My eyes trail over her and my fists clench. My mind has been so fucked I didn’t even stop to think about how all her shit is still at our house – he must have set her up with clothes.

Keeping my cool is fucking useless and a deep crease takes over my forehead.

She tried to make it here, but these people know money when they see it.

Her head lifts and her eyes hit mine, but she doesn’t falter, not even for a second.

The hairs at the base of my neck tingle and my shoulders grow taut.

My eyes snap to Collins and sure enough, the little bitch is staring right at me.

His smirk is slow, and so is his hand as he moves to wrap it around her waist.

Oh, so he wants to get his ass fucking kicked, does he?

Instantly, her eyes pop up to mine, but she doesn’t flinch at his foreign touch and she doesn’t kick him in his fucking nuts like my Raven would do.

No, she lets his fucking hand touch her.

I take a step forward, but Cap half blocks me with his shoulder, hissing, “Chill. Not yet.”

They pause in the hall, and Collins moves to open what must be his fucking locker, conveniently right across from Perkins’ office door.

I force my stare away when movement catches my eye, spotting Chloe headed right for me.

I look back to Raven who has her blank stare locked on the back of Chloe’s head, daring her to make a move, pathetically wishing she fucking would.

Chloe stops right in front of me, so I reluctantly look down.

She smirks. “Good game the other day, Maddoc.”

“We lost.”

She doesn’t falter – she also doesn’t give a shit about the game. “Maybe you feel like coming to the country club tonight? All the members have a benefit dinner across town, so it’ll just be a group of us there.” She steps closer and I let her, her tits brushing against my shirt.

I glance to Raven, finding her eyes now on mine.

I stare right at her as I move my arm, placing it exactly where Collins had his on her. I lick my lips knowing Raven is watching for it. “Maybe I will.”

I pull back, purposefully giving a deep smirk and Chloe’s eyes darken.

This girl craves power and gets off on getting what she wants. Her hand lifts and she runs it down my chest.

Again, my stare locks on Raven’s.

Hers tighten around the edges, but then quickly jerk right, and mine follow to find Leo watching her.

What the fuck is going on with these two?

I shrug Chloe off, now that Raven’s attention is elsewhere, I bound forward, but she feels me coming and shoots up straighter, a smokescreen dropping over her eyes.

Collins knocks his locker shut and grabs her hand, pulling her down the hall, but I catch up and yank her by her free wrist, dragging her back to me.

She jerks from Collins’ grip, letting me pull her against me.

“Rae,” he barks behind her, but she doesn’t fight my hold in any way. She takes a deep breath and looks me right in the eye.

She blinks slowly and my pulse kicks.

“I’m watching you,” I force past clenched teeth, pushing even closer to her. “Every. Fucking. Move.”

I swear her lip tips up slightly before her eyes sharpen, and she whispers just for me, “What makes you think that’s not exactly what I want?”

My brows crash together, and she uses the moment to free herself of my hold.

She walks backward, turning when she reaches where Leo stands and steps right in his face.

He stands tall, lifting his chin and a slow smirk stretches across her lips. She laughs in his face then looks back to me.

“Rae,” Collins snaps and she spins, falls in line beside him and together, they walk away.

And I’m stuck where I stand.

“Nothing to see here people, move your fucking feet,” Royce shouts and everyone around scurries off, the bell had already rung for first period.

Captain steps in front of me with a frown. “Yeah, you got it under control, huh?”

I shrug past him. “Fuck off.”

I storm out the double doors and head for the outdoor courts.

Fuck class right now, and fuck Raven.

I grab a ball from the wet cart and charge down the court. I jump up to slam it into the net, grip onto the sides of the rim, and pull my body up only to drop back to my feet.

I growl, moving to grab another ball.

What the hell was that about? And what the fuck did she mean by maybe she wants me to?

Am I playing right into her hand?

Does she want me to pay close attention for another reason?

Fuck!

I move forward, stopping for a three-pointer, making the shot with ease.

Goddamn, I sound like a little bitch. I don’t let my mind get run by others, and I sure as fuck don’t plan on starting now.

Problem is Raven fucking Carver’s not just in my mind, she’s the resistance in every muscle in my body, fighting against every move, denying my push farther, closing me off to progression. She might as well grip me by the fucking balls and squeeze.