No matter what, he’ll be watching.

Maybe this is what he wants.

Maddoc walks up then, his arms wrapping around Raven and pulling her against him.

“Can I borrow your keys?” I ask him.

“I didn’t drive.” He studies me.

“But you have a set of keys.” I hold his stare. “I heard them in your pocket when she pushed her ass into you.”

Raven chuckles. “They all keep keys on them, in case we need a quick escape.”

Maddoc slips his hands in his pocket and holds them out, but before I can snag them, he closes his fist. “Why you want ‘em?”

“I have an idea.”

“I haven’t seen your ideas yet. Might be a shit one.”

“It’s not.”

“I should believe you, why?”

I shrug, a smirk playing at my lips. “I guess you’ll have to trust me.”

He scoffs, and we both know we aren’t there. We also know it doesn’t matter because the Brayshaws can spin anything, so if I screw up, they’ll clean up.

I’m not going to screw up.

It’s simple, really.

I take the keys, slip them in my pocket, pull my phone out and dial Micah.

He answers on the first ring, “Hey.”

“Just talk back.”

“What?”

I walk into the kitchen with my phone to my ear. “Are you sure?”

“Uh, Brielle?” Micah drags out.

Jenson grins at me as I walk in, nodding his chin in hello so I wave, but quickly look away and pull open the fridge door. “Taylor Simms.”

Enoch’s head snaps toward me, but he hides it by sipping on his drink.

“She’s there right now?” I keep going with my fake conversation.

Royce has stopped moving, staring at his drink now.

“Hang on, let me go outside, it’s too loud in here.”

I close the fridge and spin around. “Yeah, I’ll tell you what she told me. One sec.”

I head out front, quickly unlock Captain’s SUV, and slip the keys in the ignition.

“Girl, what the hell are you doing?” Micah asks through the line, his tone uneasy.

I hop out and push the door almost all the way closed and move to stand near the rear driver’s side.

“Can you see me?” I whisper.

“Front left,” he tells me where to find him.

I look, spotting his outline at the edge of the back gate.

He nods and then the front door opens.

I spin when it does, knowing Enoch is following and who will follow next.

“Yeah, so Taylor said she’s going out with you next week. Is that true?” I casually shift on my feet, confirming Enoch is out here, pretending to be checking something on his phone.

I wait until he’s a little closer, and drop mine, pulling my heel up so it bounces off my knee.

“Crap!”

“Here!” Enoch jerks forward instantly, seeing nothing but opportunity as he quickly stuffs his back into his pocket.

He grins, already bending down. “Let me help.”

He means let me pretend to help all so I can see whose name or number is on the screen when I pick it up.

He gets down on his knees, his hands planted flat against the ground as he tucks his upper body beneath the car, stretching to reach my phone.

I dash forward, rip open the SUV door, and hop in the driver's seat. I press the brake, and put the thing in neutral, the slight incline of the driveway sending it rolling backward, right over the left hand of Brayshaw High’s starting pitcher.

His scream is loud, panicked, and my heart leaps into my throat.

I put it into drive, ready to free him, but a hand comes down on my shoulder and I whip around.

Captain.

He pulls my fingers off the gear stick, shaking his head slowly.

I look toward the house to find Mac blocking the front door, Micah guarding the back gate, and in the rearview mirror, Maddoc.

That means...

I hop out, quickly spinning around.

Enoch’s body is curled over, his head down. His free hand has formed a tight fist, and he’s jammed it between his teeth in an effort to silence his own cries of pain.

Royce is crouched beside him, a crooked, criminal grin in place. He chuckles low and spiteful. “Well, fuckin’, well, Cameron. Would you look at that? And to think, we were only gonna snap three fingers, and my girl here got you for four, maybe even a couple of them bones a little lower, huh?”

Tears break from Enoch, his jaw shaking.

I drop my eyes to the ground at my feet, but then Captain’s fingers are sliding under my chin, and pulling it up, forcing me to face the scene I’m responsible for.

“Come on, girl. You’re a part of this,” he whispers.

I nod and stand up taller.

I’m a part of this.

“Hell of an accident, yeah, Enoch?” Royce grips him by the hair, tugging his head back. “Random as the broken scoreboard, ain’t it?”

Drool falls from his mouth, his teeth clenched tight to fight the pain.

Enoch nods.

“That’s right, and your old man will be happy to donate to the school? Replace the items that someone made off with, yeah?”

Another nod.

Royce dips close, whispering something in Enoch’s ear before shoving his head back down.

Royce pushes to his feet, his eyes finding mine when he plants himself in front of me. “That was reckless and could have easily flipped on you.”

I nod. “I know, but I knew you’d get to me before it could.”

He glares heavy, hard, and his hand comes up to rub across his mouth, but he says nothing.

He walks away.

Captain grips him by the arm on his escape, but Royce jerks free and disappears into the house.

Maddoc watches him go, dropping his eyes to me once he’s out of view. “He’s right, that wasn’t foolproof.”

“Is anything?”

“You were going to free his hand without making sure we were close enough to stop him should he come after you.”

“He did what he did in heartbreak. He had no reason to come after me.”

“He’s going pro, Brielle.” Maddoc frowns. “If he were to panic enough after getting his hand crushed, he just fucking might.” He looks to Raven and back to me.

“I didn’t think about that.”

“I know. Royce knows. That’s why he’s pissed. If you get hurt, it’s on him.”

“No—”

“Yes,” Captain cuts in.

Maddoc looks from Captain to me. “That was quick thinking, and a good move, but run through A to Z before you make decisions.” His eyes, they aren’t angry, but they are firm.

I nod and he motions for Micah.

“Get her in the back,” he tells him.

Micah’s hand finds my lower back and Maddoc slaps it away with a glare. “Get her in the back without fucking touching her.”

Reluctantly, I follow Micah into the back yard.

The lights of the SUV spear through the fence boards only seconds after we’re closed behind it.

We step into the yard, choosing to lean against an air conditioning unit rather than taking a seat on the main deck.

“Let me get you a drink?” Micah eyes me.

I nod, take a deep breath and look around.