It takes him a moment, but then he nods, and off he goes.

I wait until his footsteps can no longer be heard and push up on my palm. My eyes lock with Royce’s. “Will you take me to Maria’s?”

His glare is instant. “Why you askin’ me?”

“Because anyone else will want to know why and ask questions along the way. You won’t.”

He pushes to his feet, coming to stand across from me. I’m sure he’ll say no, tell me to fuck off, but he doesn’t.

He steps back, pulls his keys from his pocket and presses a button on the little black box. “Get in. I’ll meet you out there.”

I toss the apple in the garbage, doing as he asks.

Five minutes later he’s sliding in his seat right as Raven starts walking down the porch steps, headed right for us.

I sigh, looking to Royce.

“I’m on babysitting duty.” He grins.

I can’t help it, a small laugh leaves me.

I go to open my door, but Raven catches it, slamming it shut, and climbs in the back seat.

“If you guys don’t stop acting like I’m fragile, I will show you real fuckin’ loud that I’m not. I can sit in the back seat of a giant, luxury ass car.” She chuckles, closing her door and getting comfortable. “There’re even ass warmers back here, I’m good.”

We laugh and Royce pulls out of the driveway onto the dirt road.

“So.” Raven sits forward. “Where we going?”

My head snaps toward Royce who smirks at the road.

“Go on, VicVee, share with the class.”

Damn it.

I sigh, spinning in my seat to face her. “We’re going to Maria’s.”

Raven’s mouth opens only to clamp shut as she meets Royce’s gaze in the mirror, quickly moving it to mine.

“What are you doing, Vee?” she asks, shaking her head. “You don’t ask one to do something the others wouldn’t like. Trust me, I’ve done it. It pisses everyone off, but that’s not the part I’m trippin’ on.” Her eyes narrow. “You asked him to take you somewhere, and he said yes. Something happened and he knows about it.”

I don’t say anything, but whatever she sees staring back has her dropping against the seat with a small, almost unnoticeable nod. “Turn the music up, Royce, and stop for ice cream on the way.”

He chuckles. “You got it, RaeRae.”

A few minutes into the drive, Raven asks, “You think Captain would be mad at you for wanting to see your mom?”

“She’s not my mom.”

“Even if you don’t claim her, she’s still your mom, just answer the question.”

I glare out the side window. “Should I care if he was?”

“I wouldn’t if it were me,” she admits. “I hated my mom, yeah, that was common knowledge, but she was mine to decide what to do with, no one else’s. No matter what she did or didn’t do.”

I hesitate before sharing, “Maybe it makes me fucked up, but I don’t want a relationship with her, that’s not why I’m doing this.”

“I’m sure you do, you just haven’t realized it yet,” Raven says. “But either way, if that’s not the reason we’re temporarily hiding our little trip from Cap, then why?”

“Zoey lived with her almost since birth, she cared for her day and night, and as far as I know she hasn’t reached out to anyone once since Zoey came home. That’s… I’d expect more from her. I’ve called her a few times and nothing.”

“Goddamn, VicVee,” Royce grinds out, his glare coming back. “You think something’s up. That’s what this is about.”

I shrug.

“You should have fuckin’ said somethin’,” he barks.

Meaning when trouble is or could be involved, his brothers should be too.

The rest of the drive is filled with music, and pulling over once so Raven can throw up the ice cream she ate on the way. When we get to the long country road leading to the home Zoey spent her first few years of life in, a chill runs down my spine.

Royce turns into the driveway, drives through the sky-high bush line, and then we reach the iron gate. He presses hard on his brakes, bringing us to a screeching halt.

The sudden stop sends dust into the air, the small gust of wind stirring up the ash and creating a scorning black rain.

“Holy shit.” Raven leans forward in her seat.

I reach for the handle, and then the doors lock, and my eyes fly to Royce.

He glares at Raven.

“Keep that ass in this car, I fuckin’ mean it, RaeRae. Move and I will tape you to the seat, I don’t give a shit. Got it?” He tips his chin, but it’s in fear and love for the girl who broke through his heart.

Surprising us both, she nods “okay” and sits back. “But you only get five minutes.”

Royce gives a curt nod, and the lock sounds. The both of us step out into the yard.

I reach for the fencing, but Royce’s hand flies out to stop mine.

“Hold up, we need to make sure the electricity is off.”

“It is,” I tell him, glancing where the little red light normally blinks.

I push and it begins to slide along its track.

We walk down the driveway, toward the pile of burnt wood and black powder, and then I see it, the garden on the side, the perfect curve and bright purple flowers, untouched and soaking in all the sun has to offer.

But it’s the new piece to the property behind it that has my airway closing.

A wall, built strong and tall and wide, from one end of the flowers to the next, a heavy ivy draped thick and full from top to bottom identical to my once was prison.

My chin unexpectedly wobbles, so I bite into my bottom lip. “For eighteen years she hid away, all to get caught in the crossfire in the end,” I breathe.

Royce’s head snaps my way, his eyes widening as trickles of red spill down my chin.

His shoulders square and he glances across the acreages, coming to his own conclusion. “Graven.”

Before I can blink again, Royce is dragging me to the SUV, shoving me in through his door and climbing in behind.

“Call Maddoc,” Royce tells Raven as he peels out, flying down the road.

“He’s on the court.” She shakes her head. “His phone has to be on the bench.”

A few seconds later she curses, shaking her head. “Cap’s not answering either.”

“He’s home, he should.”

“He was getting in the pool with Zoey, his phone must not be on him either. Talk.”

“The house is ash, burnt it down,” Royce says.

“Eye for an eye?” Raven wonders.

Of course, that would make sense considering it was on her word that one of the other counsel families came in and burnt Donley’s place, my once was home, the Graven Estate, to ash.

After he betrayed the system built over hundreds of years ago with his lies and greed, he was cast out by the head of all five families, a mutual decision among them all.

But that’s if you look at this at eye level.

This isn’t about the fire or revenge, or a home for a home.

This is about the beautiful, familiar wall built in its place, and the memories it’s meant to trigger, the promises made alongside it.