Page 76 of Broken Promises

“That was praise? He said I suck.”

“If you were hopeless he wouldn’t have encouraged you to keep going. Out of most of my dads, Skeet is the harshest critic. It’s what made him a good mentor when I was training. You don’t get an award for showing up, you only get it if you earned it. It’s what turned my hands into weapons and pushed me to impress him.”

“I can’t imagine growing up with a parent who pushes you to thrive. My dad just couldn’t wait for me to grow up so he could pimp me out for money,” I said quietly as we got into her Mustang.

“My parents are proud of you,” she said, throwing me for a loop.

“What? Why? I didn’t do anything.”

“You don’t give up. You don’t turn your situation into your entire personality, and you keep wanting more for yourself. You know only you can change the life you lead. So many people in the Heights settle. Don’t come at me, but they do. They let the helplessness take hold, and they get hooked on drugs and alcohol to cope, pimping themselves out and continuing the cycle. You want out, so you’re trying to make it happen. None of your guys are hooked on drugs, you’re not exchanging sex for money, you hate handouts but you shove your pride down and accept it because you’re not an idiot, and you threw away the only friends you felt like you had because you didn’t deserve how they were treating you, even if that meant you’d be alone. You’re a fighter, Raven. Mom sees it, my dads see it, and I promise you that everyone else sees it too. Hold onto that flame inside you, and don’t let anyone snuff it out, okay?”

“You should write a book, you know?A Bad Bitches’ Guide to World Domination,” I joked, wanting to hide how much her words had actually meant to me.

“I’ll keep that in mind for if my criminal career goes south,” she teased, starting the engine. “So, how about we wash up and go cause some trouble? Show me your stomping grounds.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

RAVEN

Itook advantage of Beckett’s fancy shower, turning the hot water up high since I wasn’t paying for it. She loaned me a shirt and sweats so we could have lunch while my clothes were in the washing machine, since they were drenched in sweat, and she tossed them in the dryer before we stepped outside to smoke.

The afternoon sun was nice on my arms, and I closed my eyes to enjoy its warmth.

“Where are the guys?” I asked after a moment of silence. I’d been prepared to have to see Logan, but he and Zavier must have gone elsewhere to hang out.

Were they at a party or something?

The thought soured my mood, and Beckett swatted the back of my head, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Stop thinking about them. There’s more to this world than dick. They’ve turned you into a fucking nympho,” she scolded.

“I was just wondering since it’s so quiet and Zavier left to hang out with Logan this morning. I assumed they were here, that’s all,” I threw back.

“Maddox is in Stoneleigh with some others on business, Jett is making himself useful and is helping out at Devil’s Dungeon,and Logan left to pick up Lopez so they could hang out at the Thieves’ compound today. Don’t stress that they’re gangbanging some skank, Logan doesn’t shut up about you, and Lopez is as loyal as they come.”

I hated that she saw right through me. I never wanted to be one of those insecure girls, but it was difficult.

“How do you trust someone who hurt you?” I asked, not meaning to say it out loud.

“Their actions speak louder than their apologies. Maddox hurt me, but I learned to trust him again,” she offered, making me wince.

It probably helped that the girl that kept getting between them was dead.

“I was so mad that you got us involved,” I mumbled, knowing she understood what I was talking about when she nodded.

“I know. Logan had her wrapped around his finger. It made sense to use him to lure her into a trap.”

“I always wonder if things from our past will come back to bite us. That night is one of them.”

“There are others?”

I sighed, looking towards the road. “The guys who killed Josh. I always expected them to come back and kill the rest of us. We witnessed them kill him, and they weren’t covering their faces or anything. What kind of shitty murderer leaves witnesses?”

“Hey, I let you live,” Beckett muttered, tilting her head as I glanced at her. “Do you know who the guys are that killed him? I can dig around to see where they’re at?”

“No idea. I was twelve. A bunch of guys shot the place to shit, kicked the door in, and murdered Josh. I was a little bit too traumatized to ask for their names,” I shrugged. “Half of them were teenage soldiers. Other desperate kids like my brother had been, just needing money.”

“No crew jackets or club branding?”

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