“You don’t belong here, Bass.”
He smacks the paper against his thigh.
“You’re not a hands man, or security, or anything else that you could be here. You can never lead this place, but you don’t belong behind anyone either.”
“You banishing me, Mrs. Brayshaw?” he teases, but he can’t hide the unease in his tone.
“If I have to get you to go, yeah.”
He licks his lips, looks to the check again, then back to me. “This is a lot of money.”
“It’s every single cent of Donley Graven’s money.”
His brows jump.
“I talked to Victoria about it weeks ago, she wants none of it. Left it in my hands, and I want it in yours,” I tell him. “Take it, Bishop. Go, head over to Southern Cali, find a kingdom in need of a king, and become one. You’ve got it in you.”
He looks out across the orchard, and after a moment, blows out a long hard breath. His eyes come back to mine and a slow smirk stretches across his lips.
“I think I know just the place.”
“It’s the rich bitch who only dates rich boys, right?”
He busts up laughing but doesn’t answer, moving forward for a hug instead.
He pulls back just as quick, eyeing me. “Thank you, Raven.”
“Get out of my town, Bishop,” I tease, adding, “But come back if you ever need a Brayshaw at your back.”
“How ‘bout at my side?”
I wink, making him laugh.
He walks backward to his door, not taking his eyes off me. He smirks. “Later, Raven Carver.”
“See ya, Bass Bishop.”
With one more deep breath and one more look at the check, he slides in, backs out and then he’s gone, and so is the weight of the blood money he took with him.
A heavy sigh leaves me and not a second later, Maddoc’s chest hits my back. I smile, leaning my head against it.
“Couldn’t stay away, Big Man?”
“Never.”
I laugh, turning my head so he can meet my lips.
Heavy footsteps and loud laughter float from the door, and we turn just in time to see Royce run down the steps. Rolland walks out behind him, Zoey in his arms but he quickly puts her on her feet.
She runs to the edge of the porch, jumping into Royce’s open arms. He sets her down and she turns toward Cap who softly tosses her a little basketball.
She catches it and off she runs.
Maddoc swiftly kisses my cheek, then jogs for his brothers.
Royce jumps on Cap’s back playfully, making the other two laugh as he slips off, falling onto his ass, but jumps up just as quick.
They smile at each other, tethering their arms around one another’s shoulders and off they go, following the little blonde who has no idea how deep they love her, and how far they’ll go to protect her.
Rolland looks my way, a smile I’ve never seen from him taking over every inch of his face, and a heavy exhale leaves me as he turns and heads back in the house.
The crunch of gravel sounds behind me and I spin to find Maybell walking up, an ease on her face she doesn’t usually show.
“You made it home.”
I look to the house, nodding as I move my eyes back to hers. “I did.”
She steps up, and her eyes grow thoughtful. She pulls a small journal from behind her, holding it close to her chest.
I look from it to her with a frown.
She holds it out, and slowly I take it.
“Your mother’s,” she whispers.
My chest grows tight with uncertainty.
“The last entry was the day she found out she was pregnant with you. I thought you might like to read it. Maybe the rest too,” she whispers. “Get to know the real her.”
“There’s no such thing as the real someone, Maybell,” I breathe. “There’s only who we were and what we become.”
“That’s true, child. No matter.” She nods her head at the notebook. “It belongs in your hands, not mine. You don’t have to read it, but maybe one day you’ll want to.”
I swallow, nodding. “Yeah, maybe.”
She smiles, steps in for a hug, then turns and heads back for the Bray house.
I look to the expensive leather, running my fingers across the impression on the cover, a deep crease forming between my brows.
Brayshaw Wolves...
My head snaps around, but Maybell is already to the treeline.
I look back to the item.
On the ride to the cabins, the night before the wedding, the boys told me about the story Maybell shared with Maddoc when he was young. A story about how a raven only mates once, finds a home and protects it all her life, leading her wolves along the way.
I made them Google the raven and the wolves, and it turned out it wasn’t just some bedtime story spun with hidden meaning, it was true. It was nature working in weird ways.
It was inevitable.