This shit’s not happening.

I drop onto the bed, covering my face with my hands.

This is not okay.

“Why not?”

I sigh and look up. “Spying?”

“No. You’re thinking out loud.” Maddoc drops in the desk chair across from me.

Yes, there’s a desk and a chair and a fucking brand-new computer in here.

Mine, they say.

“I can’t live here.”

“Why?”

“For one, and it’s a big one, I hardly know you guys.”

“You’ve got your knife.”

When I scowl his lip twitches.

“Two, I owe no one in my life and I like it that way. Moving me into a big house with new shit and a ridiculously comfortable bed” —he chuckles lightly— “is like a lifetime of payback that I don’t have, can’t and don’t want to give.”

“We’re not asking you for anything.”

“Come on, nobody rides for free.” I lift a brow. “Unless they ride for free. Feel me?”

He frowns. “Are you serious?”

“It’s normal where I come from.”

When his jaw clenches, I chuckle.

“I didn’t say I’m guilty of it. I’m just saying ... people don’t do shit to be nice in my world.”

“You’re in our world now.”

The way he says it ... so strong, indefinite. It worries me even more, because deep down I like the way it sounds, and because he’s wrong.

“I may not fall into the category you tried to force me into, but I’m still the outsider. And to be honest, I have to question your guys’ reason. A few weeks ago, you wanted everyone to think I was a dirty bird only to put some protective shield around me the next. Now I’m like the shared rag doll.”

“Thought you didn’t care what they thought?” he snaps.

“I don’t,” I sass back. “I care what I become. We already had a little freaky Friday fun. I’m not looking for another situation where I turn three shades of Jenna Jameson.”

“That won’t happen again.” He glares.

Right. Not like they wanted it to happen, they just had to shut me up.

Annd now I sound like I wanted it to happen. Multiples aren’t my style.

I shake my head.

“For real, Maddoc, I’m not comfortable with this.”

A small grin tips his lips.

“What?”

“Maddoc, huh?” He pushes to a stand and heads for the door. “Sounds like you’re getting more comfortable by the second.” With that, he walks out.

I throw myself back on the bed, and when I hit the comforter-covered mattress, I wiggle.

So soft.

With a sigh, I turn my head, my eyes landing on the window. Curiosity gets the best of me and I move toward it. I finger the fancy fabric hanging in front of it, it’s not a material I’ve felt before. Almost silky but still has texture.

I push them aside and glance out, groaning as I do.

The window is wide and looks out over a fresh and green orchard. Nothing but trees and a blue-sky line to follow for miles.

It’s freeing.

“The back of the property goes on for about three miles.”

I turn to find Royce now walking in.

“There’s a heated pool, hot tub and basketball court out there you can use at any time.” He throws himself on the bed and does the same wiggle move I did.

“Damn, this thing is nice.” He looks to me with a grin that quickly morphs into a frown. “What’s the problem?”

“I can’t stay here.”

“Don’t start. Look at all this.” He waves his hands around the room without bothering to sit up. “It’s more than you had at the Bray house.”

“It’s more than I’ve had ever.” I flick at the curtains. “Never even had these, we had old sheets tacked to our windows to keep the sun out.”

“I tried to hang my Spiderman sheets to my window when I was a kid, Maybell ‘bout whooped my ass.”

I laugh lightly and move to drop on the mattress beside him.

“I don’t understand any of this, Royce. Don’t get why you guys go out of your way to have me around. Don’t know if I should go with it or fight it. Don’t know a damn thing.”

There’s a nagging in the back of my head telling me I’m missing something.

Royce’s hand comes down to grab mine and he lifts it.

I look to him.

“Don’t fight us. Stay.”

“Come downstairs.”

We both look to the doorway to see Maddoc standing there. His face is blank as it shifts from Royce to me and then he turns and walks away.

Royce stands. “I think I’ll place a bet.”

“What kind of bet?” I step in line with him and head down the stairs.

“On how long it’ll take before he jumps your bones.”

I scoff, whispering, “Not exactly convincing me to stay, Royce.”

“Who you kiddin’, RaeRae?” He puts his arm around my shoulder. “We both know you’re staying. No reason to not and you got shit to go back for.”

“How do you know? Maybe I have a secret love child I’m hiding away.”

Royce tenses lightly and a tight chuckle leaves him. “Funny, but a lie.”

The other two are sitting on the couch so we make our way over. I go to drop on the coffee table but stop halfway down and straighten again, making them laugh. “My bad.”

“You can sit on it, doubt your ninety-pound self could break it,” Captain says.

I go ahead and sit. “Far from ninety pounds, but thanks?”

Nobody says anything for a few seconds, and it gets awkward.

“Okay so...” I roll my wrist to get them talking so we can get this over with.

“That was your mom.”

“Wow, jumping right into it, huh?”

“Raven.”

I square my shoulders and look between the three. “Obviously, yes. That woman who doesn’t reflect a day over twenty-five and looks like she stepped straight off the set of Whores-R-Us, is my mother. Every dirty and used, cocaine infused inch of her.”

“Don’t get defensive. We only want to understand better. With your staying here, we need to know.”

“So you set me up to stay in your house in exchange for my life fucking story. Hard pass.”

“Look, this is a free fucking place for you to be. Nothing will be expected of you here as far as earning your keep and all that. But there will be a few things you need to agree to.”

“I don’t need a place to lay my head at night, big man. I lay where I land. Always have. Don’t sit there acting like you’re doing me a huge favor by sticking me in your tower.”

He completely ignores me. “Your mom. Why is she here? Maybell talked to social services, she wasn’t given the go-ahead to get you. She wasn’t even given your location. How did she find you?”

“I don’t know how she found me, and cleared to get me back or not, she wouldn’t try to. She never wanted me to begin with. I was a means to a monthly check.”

“And that check’s gone.”

“She’s inventive when it comes to money.”