“Yeah?” I rasp, trying with everything I have to push from the floor, but I only manage to scoot an inch left. “And what’s that? You realize you’re now a dead man walking?”

“No, miss.” He shakes his head. “I find an impossible decision in front of my eyes, one that, if the wrong move is made, will be the end of my life. But the other ... will lead to the loss of another’s. An innocent,” he whispers. His eyes implore mine, an urgency in his that has sweat building at my hairline. “Tell me, miss, what shall I do?”

I clamp my teeth together, speaking through them, “Leave.”

With a grim smile, he sets an envelope near my head, patting it lightly. “You’re proof, Ms. Brayshaw. And once you’ve figured out the secret we now share, you may seek me out, should you wish. You’ll know where to find me.”

And then he too leaves.

The second the door slams, there’s no longer any question if I’m crying. Tears roll into my ears as I stare at the black felt roof.

I wiggle my fingers and toes, but that’s as far as I can get.

I lie there, vulnerable, weak ... worthless.

And angry.

I refuse to lie here thinking of the helpless little girl I swore I’d never be again, so I count to one hundred over and over, until finally, I’m sitting, and then standing. I step from the vehicle, seeing we’re only blocks up from the school, parked in front of a church of all places.

There’re a few men standing at the entrance, both glance over but refocus their attention elsewhere just as quick.

I open the driver door, finding the cab empty and slip into the seat, instantly digging through the console and glovebox. A business card for Brayshaw High catches my eye and I freeze, pulling it out. Printed on the back, the contact information for their proud leader, Principal Connor E. Perkins.

“What the fuck,” I whisper to myself.

I fall against the seat, my eyes closing as wooziness hits, then with a deep breath, I force it away and step back out. I grab the envelope from the back, make a left and keep walking. With each few steps, my strength returns. It won’t take long until all my muscles are once again mine to control.

I keep forward, not stopping until I get to where I need to be.

After our team meeting and showering, it takes a good half hour for us to walk back into the gym, all three of us pausing when we find Raven’s seat is empty. Only a few stragglers waiting for some of our other teammates are left, but not my girl.

“Where is she?” Cap sighs.

“There’s that group home chick.” Royce nods his chin. “Let’s ask her.”

We make our way to Vienna and she turns with a smile. “Oh, hey.”

“You see Raven?”

Her shoulders fall a little, but she nods. “Oh, yeah, actually, she asked me to tell you.”

“Tell us what?” I step closer to her.

“She took some shots with a few of the girls at half time and got pretty wasted, but she wanted to stay and watch you guys play. She walked home, said she’d see you guys later.” She shrugs.

“She’s at home?”

“Yeah.” She looks between the three of us. “Why, should she not be there without you? Alone, I mean?”

“She lives there, girl, she can be there whenever the fuck she wants,” Royce snaps and we move past her.

“Someone’s lying,” Royce whispers. “Raven wouldn’t want to be there alone with Dad. She doesn’t trust him yet.”

“I know.”

“Fuck,” leaves Captain.

We only make it to the edge of the walkway before none other than Donley fucking Graven steps from the parking lot.

“Well, if it isn’t the three degenerates, the bastards of Brayshaw.” His eyes move over the three of us. “Interesting game, huh?”

Why is he here? He wasn’t even at the game.

“Fuck you,” Royce growls. “You pay off the refs to call in your favor, Grandpa?”

Donley chuckles. “Even if I did, you boys were off yours tonight. Almost gave us another win.”

“And without your precious grandson,” Royce goads him. “Tell me, Graven, how’s physical therapy going for the boy?”

Donley glares. “I will take great pleasure in what comes next. There was a clear miscalculation on his part,” he muses.

His part...

My eyes narrow and his eyes gleam.

Fuck, he knows.

“Tell me.” He clasps his arms across his front. “Does Rolland know which one of you she’s fucking? He’ll pay a high price for that.”

I jerk forward, but Donley’s security appears from all corners and just like that the three of us are surrounded.

“Maddoc...” Cap speaks, slipping his hand into his pockets, a move that doesn’t go unnoticed.

“No need for the knuckles, son.” Donley grins. “I was just leaving anyway. I was only waiting for verification the car I came here in was ...” He tilts his head back and forth slowly, a slight grin pulling at his lips. “Vacated. You tell your principal I said thanks for an interesting night, will you?”

His driver pulls up and he slides in, but before he can take off, he rolls the window down, his silver hair a deep contrast against the black paint.

“Make yourselves useful and get this to Ms. Brayshaw.” He smirks, tossing an envelope from the window before he’s gone.

“The fuck?” Royce’s head pulls back.

Captain moves for the envelope, quickly tearing open the seal.

His eyes scan over the paper, widening as his jaw goes slack.

“Cap?” I ask, but he doesn’t say anything. “Cap!” I snap.

His eyes cut left, his forehead tightening.

I rip the paper from his hand, tilting it so Royce can read as I do, but when I get a better look at the document, taking in the large state seal at the bottom edge, my muscles grow tight.

My head fucking swims, making no sense of what I’m seeing.

“Ravina Brayshaw?” Royce says, then cuts his disbelieving eyes to mine. “Ravina fucking Brayshaw? Does that ... so is...”

“Raven Brayshaw,” I think I say out loud.

“Holy shit.” Cap runs a hand over his face, looking at me. “Something’s happening.”

My phone rings and I pull it out, seeing Bishop’s name flash.

I don’t even get a word in before he says, “Get here. Now.”

“Raven?” I guess, meeting my brothers’ frowns.

“Hurry.”

The line goes dead.

“She’s not at fucking home,” Royce growls and right as he says it there’s laughter behind us.

We spin, finding the group of girls coming out behind us, Vienna in the middle. She freezes when she spots us, then slowly starts walking again.

“Uh, hey. Still here?” She smiles tightly.

Without a word, Royce moves for her.

Her eyes widen and instantly tears form as she shakes her head, but Royce pulls a bandana from his back pocket, gagging her with it.

The girls at her side yelp and scream, running off as Cap pulls his hoodie off and over her head backward, tying the strings loose enough so she can still breathe but tight enough to keep it from falling off her head.