He laughs lightly. “Checking on you is all. Seems the Brays get more protective of you by the day.”
“Seems so.”
“Wonder why.”
I keep my face blank, not answering him. Cleary, he has something he wants to say. Best way to hear it is to let him do all the talking.
“But so do you, don’t you?” He steps closer. “I could tell you, if you want. Because there is a reason.”
Pressure hits my chest but I ignore it.
“And what is it that you want, Collins?”
“Just you.”
A laugh bubbles out of me. “Liar.”
When he scowls, I stand taller.
“You want to feel like you’ve won something of theirs, gain an upper hand somehow. For whatever reason, you’ve decided that thing should be me. But you’re wasting your time, Collins. I’m as disposable as the next to come along.” I run my tongue along my teeth as acid fills my mouth at my own words.
“If that’s the case, why don’t you come home with me tonight, Rae?”
“Disposable or not, I’m not stupid.”
“You sure, not even for quick cash? You get down like your mom, right?” He tilts his head. “Tell me you can’t use the ten grand I promised.”
“You know, you’re not a smart as I thought you’d be, it’s no wonder you’re forced to be overly aggressive in your efforts.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“You’re getting braver, Collins. Cornering me in here like this, alone, with all three of them sitting just a few feet away. This means you’re more desperate, and you’re showing your cards. You want me away from the Brays and bad. Makes me wonder why you’d go through all the trouble just to take me off their hands. You and I both know, nothing good ever comes of a curious female.”
He blanches before he can stop himself but it’s quickly replaced with anger. “You seem to think I give a fuck what trash like you thinks. You know nothing about this world you were dropped into. Your eyes aren’t as open as they should be. You’re a fucking fool, Rae. Take the money.”
This bitch.
“The fact that you’d waste ten grand on paid pussy tells me how pathetic and underperforming you must be.” I step around him.
“You don’t belong with them, Raven.”
When I pause a moment, a dark chuckle leaves him.
“You’ll see.”
I exit the restroom and for a second, worry he won’t let me, but he doesn’t even attempt to keep me back. And that tells me all I need to know.
Collins has or does know something, or at least he thinks he does and he’s waging on my confronting the boys about it, trying to force fouls between us, but I keep my mouth shut.
Whatever it is doesn’t matter because, at the end of the day, I know where I stand, if not by their doing then by mine.
I knew from day one this was only temporary. It has to be.
I glance at Maddoc, right as he looks to me and unexpected dread fills me.
All of it.
“So what’s the deal with you guys versus them?”
“What?” he teases. “You didn’t read it in the files?”
I roll my eyes while dropping onto my back beside him. “Told you I didn’t read them.”
“I know.” He pauses staring at me a moment before he continues. “The Gravens and the Brayshaws used to run this town together. They were the most powerful families, stronger by two than one. Nothing happened here without their permission, down to nomads, families not tied to theirs, even moving in. They were all screened and had to be given the green light to live here and raise kids. Jobs were earned based on loyalty. It was like their own little royal world.”
“Until...”
“Until a Brayshaw son decided he wanted to be a black-tie gangster instead. Brayshaws and Gravens were given respect because of who they were and the control they had here, but that wasn’t enough for old-day Brawshaw. They wanted respect, but they also wanted fear. Eventually, they had both.”
“How’d they get it?”
“Blood and money. Power in numbers. That’s when our families were brought in. The Brayshaws were top tier, but the Malcaris - my born last name - were their second hand. It wasn’t until my great grandfather that Royce and Captain’s families were brought in. Four families became one. It didn’t take long before it was all about the Brayshaw empire, leaving the Gravens out completely.”
“So the Brayshaws were in charge and your families worked under them?”
“Basically, yeah, but for the core members, they saw each other as family. To them, they were all Brayshaw, like we are all Brayshaw now.”
“What did they actually do?”
“They all held power positions, still do. Judges, lawyers, engineers. Help keep the town in check. Watch the crime, control the gangs, shit like that. But we evolved when my dad took over.”
“How.”
“We find things out, then make sure people pay for it. Clean, if we can.”
Wait ... “The teacher. That was you guys?”
He nods. “He moved in with her mother last year. Has sexually assaulted her every day on the way to school since.”
My stomach turns. Jesus. “How’d you find out?”
“We don’t know. Another clue left lying there, just like the delivery papers left for Cap when Zoey was born. Or the email sent from Captain’s email to Royce’s warning us that chick you choked out with the hose had a video that needed destroyed.”
“The girl had said it would ruin your season. How?”
He considers lying, I can tell by the way his eyes tighten at the corners. But he doesn’t.
“Our coach is a good man, he just loves someone he shouldn't.”
“So the video...”
“Was him doing something he shouldn’t have been, especially with a wife at home.”
I push away slightly. “Why would you hide that? Let the wife find out, he’s a piece of shit for it and deserves to be busted.”
Maddoc’s eyes slide to mine. “She blackmailed him, Raven. Trapped him and his money in a marriage he never wanted a year ago.” His eyes bounce between mine. “He doesn’t love his wife, but he loves the girl in the video. Who would be fucked if that got out?” He shakes his head. “Not the wife.”
“You’re Saints,” I joke, honestly a little in awe of all this, and he laughs.
“So what about the Gravens, Collins?”
He groans, fake complaining and turns me onto my side. He pushes up behind me.
“Collins is Graven. Like we’re the last of our families, other than my dad, he’s the last Graven other than his mother and grandfather. Where we know we’re a fucked-up bunch and own up to it, the Gravens are dangerous because they pretend to be noble when they’re not. You saw the officer who searched us on the courts the day we found you smoking there? He’s their runner, so to speak. His badge gets him access to shit other Gravens blackmail our people for. He’s not Graven blood or brought in, but he’s on their payroll. Collins is the gutsiest Graven they’ve seen in decades. He challenges us, but we’re stronger.”