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Right there, in the center of the street, stands Maddoc and Captain, blank expressions on both their faces, one solid black SUV idling at their backs.
The back door opens and Raven steps out.
Her eyes fly from Royce to me and narrow.
He steps up to her and after a short stare-off, she finally slips back inside, Royce following.
He doesn’t shut his door and when I look to Maddoc, he drops his chin expectantly.
I don’t realize I’m moving forward until I’ve reached him.
“Get in.” He glares past me.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. He’s mad at me.”
“It wasn’t a question.” The command is short and sharp. His eyes shift to mine, and while they’re brimming with a heady warning, there’s no anger there.
Room for discussion? Definitely not, but no anger.
He faces forward, and only then do I look behind me.
The house and back yard must be completely empty now as every partygoer is scattered along the front catching the show.
There isn’t a single one who isn’t staring at me. At Maddoc. At the car behind us and back to me.
Micah breaks through the crowd then, tension lining his features, and for a second I’m relieved. Maddoc must sense it, because he shakes his head, and in the same exact second one brother tells me no without a word, another wraps his fingers around mine hanging loosely at my sides.
I look down, following the tattooed forearm up until my eyes collide with a pair of clouded brown ones. Royce hangs half out of the door, holding on to me.
He tugs, and for some reason, even though he was a giant jackass just now, I let him.
I climb in beside the drunken playboy, trying to ignore how his hold on me grows tighter, more possessive, with each passing second, and pretending his lips aren’t slightly brushing against the side of my neck.
They are, but every time they meet my skin fully, they disappear, taking the air from my lungs with them.
I don’t know what it means or that he’ll remember this tomorrow.
I don’t know why he said what he said, did what he did, or if it even matters.
And I don’t know why, when the night basically went to crap, thrill burns me to the core.
I know it’s reckless.
But I’m not sure I can control it.
I’m also not so sure I want to.Chapter 17Royce“Daddy, look it!” Zo runs ahead of me, damn near tripping over herself while trying to carry a giant-ass panda bear that’s a solid foot bigger than she is.
Captain comes around the corner with a grin, his steps slowing when he spots her, the panda, the new stuffed penguin backpack she has on and the two black bears in my hands.
His eyes pop up to mine and he frowns, but when he drops to his knees in front of his baby girl it’s with a smile.
“Uncle Bro taked me to make stuff, see!” She smiles, shoving it in Cap’s arms and runs to me, snags the bears and runs back. She hops into Cap’s arms, knowing he’ll catch her, and pushes the ballerina and basketball player dressed black bears in his face.
I laugh, wiping at my mouth in an attempt to hide it, and Cap’s grin doesn’t fall until Zoey is running around the corner to go show Victoria.
He hops up and punches my shoulder.
I laugh. “Hey, Madman’s playin’ dirty. Had to show him up. I’m her favorite.”
He chuckles. “All right, but no more animals. Pretty soon we won’t be able to find her in her bed, she’ll be so covered.”
“Fine, fine.” I grin. “I’m gonna put this away.” I lift the small gift box at my side.
Cap’s grin widens and he slips closer. “What’s in there?”
The fucker knows it’s for the soon to be here baby Bray.
“Nuh, uh. That’s for me to know. I’m the special one.” I grin and he laughs.
I leave his ass there laughing.
The second I’ve got the box stuffed in my closet, my phone rings.
“What up, MacMoney?” I answer.
“Your girl’s in the pool.”
I freeze, squeezing my phone. “I don’t have a girl.”
“All right.” I hear his punk-ass smile. “Brielle hopped the fence, she’s in the pool.”
“At the school?”
“Yup. The sensors went off, that’s how I know.”
“How the fuck did she of all people manage to make her way up that fence, it’s three times the size of her.”
Mac laughs. “Right. You want me to go get her out?”
I’m already down the stairs and out the front door. “I got this.”
“Yeah... figured you did.”
“Fuck off. But, aye, keep your phone on you in case I need backup.”
“Oh, for sure man, five-foot silver-haired girls can be dangerous.” He laughs. “Make sure you turn off the cameras if the need presents itself.”
I groan and hang up.
He jokes, but for real though... she might be.
For me.
I went off half-cocked last night.
