“Yeah, Daddy, come on or Imma press play without your word!” Royce’s shout follows hers.
I chuckle, grab Zoey’s blanket like I came in here to do before getting distracted, and head to watch a movie with my brother and my little girl.As soon as I step out of Zoey’s room, Royce is at the top of the stairs.
I nod my chin in question, a frown following.
He jerks his head, indicating for me to follow him.
In the living room, Raven sits on the couch, Maddoc right beside her with a hand on her thigh.
There’s no sign of Victoria. She might have gone to her room while I was putting Zoey to bed—anything to avoid passing me in the hall.
“What’s goin’ on?”
Royce sets a Hot Wheel on the coffee table, a little blue sports car.
“That’s not Zoey’s,” I say what they already know. “Where’d you find it?”
“After the movie, I went for some playtime. It was on my hood when I came outta Tracy Parks’ pool house.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “Don’t worry, didn’t tell her when we were coming back to campus, not even when she came at me with some good ass incentive.”
Raven chuckles and Maddoc flicks a glare her way.
“It was just the toy?” I ask, knowing he’s already filled the other two in while I was busy with Zoey.
Royce nods. “Sitting on a torn piece of blank paper.” He tosses it down. “So I wouldn’t hunt the fucker down for scratchin’ my shit, I’m guessin’.”
Raven leans forward, picking up the item and inspecting it. “This is how people tell you when someone’s fucking up and shit needs fixing? They drop puzzle pieces and make you work for it?”
“They trust us to read between the lines.”
“And,” Royce adds. “We figure it’s ‘cause nobody wants to be a rat.”
Raven’s lip twitches. “Now that makes sense.”
Maddoc frowns. “We haven’t heard shit in a minute, nothing more than the petty bull Mac handled on campus while we were gone,” he says.
Mac is one of the few we can depend on. He’s been doing work for us for several years now, but only recently slipped in as our go-to man. Before that, though, he was a trusted friend.
“Day Royce goes out, suddenly there’s shit going down?” Maddoc leads.
“It’s not like people are allowed here,” Raven says, looking his way. “Maybe it was the first chance they had.”
I eye Maddoc, and while his brows dip lower, he doesn’t say anything, looking to the car in Raven’s hand instead.
She passes it over and his gaze meets mine. “Only one blue sports car I can think of.”
“Jason Rowe.”
He nods, looking to Royce.
“Who the hell is that?” Raven’s head tugs back.
She looks to Maddoc, her eyes narrowing slightly when a hint of a smirk finds his lips.
Royce chuckles, catching her attention. “’Member a few weeks after you got to the Bray house? When that guy asked to go to our Stop Light party and you showed up in green when Madman told you to wear red?” She smiles wide. “The night Maddoc wigged out and laid claim on your ass… and puss?”
She laughs, pulling her feet up on the cushion. “It went down a little different, but yeah. I remember.”
“That was Jason, dick bag, Rowe from our basketball team.”
“You don’t like him?”
“Come on, RaeRae,” he teases. “We don’t like anyone.”
“Right.” She grins, dropping back with a yawn. “So, what now?”
“Season ended a few months back,” I say, glancing to Royce, knowing they’re thinking the same thing.
His phone is already in his hand. “I’ll call Mac.”
Maddoc turns to Raven with a grin. “Time we get the boys together for a game.”
“Yeah—” I cut myself off when my spine shoots straight, and not a second later, the reason reveals herself.
“Zoey will love that.”
Our heads jerk in the direction Victoria’s interruption comes from.
Immediately after she’s spoken, Royce is on his feet and creeping toward her, but that doesn’t stop her. She steps from the billiard room, headed right for us.
Raven takes the car from Maddoc’s hand and slips it in her hoodie pocket, her eyes on Victoria who doesn’t so much as flinch at Royce’s advance.
“You’re either smart as shit or dumb as fuck, girl, and I gotta say I’m going with the last part.” He pushes his chest against her. “Maybe Maybell pretended not to see you hidin’ in corners at the group home, but this ain’t the place. You’ll be gone as quick as you came, and I’m not talking ‘bout your midnight thoughts of Cap.”
Victoria gives a lazy blink, unaffected and already accustomed to Royce and his protective, pounce first, ways.
Her eyes slide to mine. “She’d love to watch you play.”
My blood runs hot beneath my skin and I move forward.
“Well, that was mighty fuckin’ brave, VicVee.” He glares, calling her by the dumbass nickname he came up with for her as he backs away, knowing full well I’m ready to take his place.