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I gape at him in surprise. “You definitely didn’t have to do that.”
“I know,” he says with a shrug, guiding me through the crowd.
“I don’t think I want to put them in anyone else’s vicinity. They’re a lot for me to handle, nevermind them tainting anyone else,” I grumble, and he squeezes my shoulder in support.
“We’ve got you, Dove. Always. The good, the bad, and the ugly.”
His words cause a stir inside of me, but I don’t get long enough to accept them before he brings me to a stop at another table. Eldon sits across from the seat in front of me, his mother to his left and Creed to his right. I take the free chair beside Brax while Zane drops into the seat to my left.
“Your father had to rush out, Zane,” Eldon’s mother explains sympathetically, but Zane quickly waves her off.
“It’s not a problem, Mrs. Rhodes. He warned me already that it might happen. You remember Raven, right?”
“Of course,” she gushes, a wide smile on her face as she takes me in. I do my best to offer her one back, but my head is a mess. “It’s so lovely to see you again, Raven. I spoke to your mother at the last event. She had wonderful things to say about you.”
My smile grows tight at the mention of my mother, but I quickly shake it off. If what she murmured to me is true, I can trust her. I hope.
“She has to, right? She’s my mama.”
Eldon’s mother chuckles at my response, her grin spreading from ear to ear like that’s exactly the kind of response she was expecting. I don’t add that if she had asked my father, he may have told her something else entirely, even though the words hang heavy on my tongue.
“I like your spark, Raven. Even when you were a young girl, you used to light up a room with your wit and presence.” My eyes widen at her remark and my body freezes at the mention of me as a child.
“You knew me as a child?” My voice is softer than I would hope, but she doesn’t seem to notice.
“Of course. Evangeline and I became fast friends when we attended Silvercrest Academy together. We lost contact when you two… went off the grid, but there are pieces of you both that are just as strong now as they were then. Shadowmoor can’t take everything from us now, can it?”
Shaking my head, my shoulders relax as her words soothe me in a way I can’t quite describe. “You’re right. It can’t.” She winks at me, and I can feel the guys all staring in my direction, but I keep my gaze focused on her.
“Eldon tells me Brax is being quieter than usual and he’s trying to bring me in as reinforcements to get our tough guy to break. Do you think it’s necessary too?” She asks, changing the subject, and my gaze whips straight to Brax’s.
I remember last night and how he whispered words into the darkness with no effort at all, only to fall into a pit of silence as he let his body do the talking. I’m certain my cheeks are reddening as I twist my lips.
Brax looks at me with hooded eyes, delving deep into my soul as the question plays on repeat in my head. The sound of someone clearing their throat jolts me and I quickly turn my attention back to Eldon’s mother.
“He’s been talking to me just fine.”
Her gaze flickers from Brax to me a few times before she braces her arms on the table and inches closer. “Bottled up?”
I shrug. “Maybe a little, but he’s a goddamn gargoyle. It’s never going to be easy piercing through his tough exterior, right?”
She chuckles at me again, leaning back and giving Eldon a pointed look. “I think the reinforcements are already there, son. Give him time.”
Eldon glares at that, pushing back at her like Brax isn’t even present, but I don’t hear a single word of it as Brax’s huge hand grips my thigh. His thumb runs back and forth, making my body weep with anticipation as I refuse to look at him.
“Okay, you’ve seen us in the flesh now, you good?” Eldon grumbles, rising to his feet as he looks down at his mother, who continues to grin.
“I’m good.”
“Awesome, because we’ve got other stuff to do,” he states, making his way around the table until he’s standing beside me and offering his hand. The others stand as well and I frown at him in confusion.
“Like what?”
He smirks at me as if it’s obvious, but I clearly haven’t caught on.
“Like you.”
EIGHT
