Nine

Pov

Mason

I feel an arm wrap around my shoulders and tense up before hearing my brother's voice in my ear, "You're drowning in tequila. We should've held you in the pool and put an end to our misery."

I grumble my agreement because a similar thought crossed my mind. No woman should have this much control over me. I'm fucking Mason Slade. A Raven of Hollow Hill. They bow to me.

He slides onto the stool beside me and leans both elbows against the top of the bar, intertwining his fingers to rest his head against them.

"Shot for shot? Winner gets to f…"

"The winner gets to fuck what?" Grey interrupts, clearly cutting off whatever topic he's handling.

"What's up with McKenna?" I nod towards where they were talking.

"Rhett wanted me to discuss some long-term business plans and make deals with him. I'd rather do that in a house full of Ravens than one-on-one." I have no idea what Grey's dad is up to, and you know what, it's not my place to ask. One thing I learned growing up on this mountain is to pick your battles. Rhett Bishop is a battle I'm not choosing.

We're lining up shots because the three of us are more tense than Grey's underwear when all the girls try to leave the mountain without us.

They haven't succeeded in their little missions yet, but it's fun watching them try.

"I hate to break up this little idiot circle you guys are doing, but being the ever dutiful friend, I'm here to tell you that Tessa just messaged me," Remington interjects, and I'm surprised he pulled his head out of Mia's ass long enough to bother checking his phone.

All the Ravens are here tonight, and he's so wrapped up with Mia that my eyes narrow at him. What's he been up to?

"Weren't you out with Mia about an hour ago? We all thought you'd be balls deep in her and passed out by now," Grey levels Rem with his own glare as he questions him. Well, good to know I'm not the only one wondering what's up with him. He's been awfully quiet and avoiding the mountain.

"Watch your fucking mouth or I'll have Em joining Mia and me next time. Don't test me, fucker, Rhodes. You're all grown up and a pain in the ass." He murmurs the last part, but I notice the slight pale look on Remy's face at Grey's words. He should've thought better before instigating the bastard.

"Anyway, back to Tessa. She's bolting and thinks with all her heart that I'll take her down the mountain to Arbor Ridge. I don't give a damn. She's Mia's best friend. If she leaves, it's one more reason for the girls to plan an escape."

"She's not going anywhere. She's lost her mind," I exclaim.

"Look, you two fucked up need to get your shit together. Share like the good Slade boys you are, or neither of you will get her. I don't care at this point, but after this, I'm done helping you two out. If I have to decide how this will all go down, you two will be left alone with only your hand locked in the Hollow Hovel," Grey tells us, and I can't help the shiver that briefly flashes on my face. I hate Hollow Hovel. It's a goddamn health violation waiting to happen if anyone reports it.

I lean forward to look around Remy and lock eyes with my brother. He gives me a nod and a shrug, then says, "One way or another, Tessa is going to learn firsthand that you don't leave the Ravens. And you definitely don't try to get another Raven to help you. Let's hunt, Mase."

I grumble my acceptance of this plan and then turn to listen as Bennett and Grey begin to outline how this will happen. I don't care about the brainstorming bullshit and have no problem letting them handle it.

The chase is thrilling and just what I enjoy. Tessa Clarke is choosing me tonight, one way or another. I'll fuck her senseless on the land of the mountain I own.

Pov

Tessa

"Where are you going?" Harlow peeks into my room and looks at me expectantly. I keep stuffing clothes into the backpack I stole from the hallway closet. It's Grey's, but I'm risking that by the time he notices, I'll already be gone. I plan to disappear as soon as I leave this mountain, but it's really what I feel like I need to do. Everything I touch turns into an absolute mess, and I think starting over where I don't feel like a burden or ruin things for other people is the only way forward from here. Although I think my cousin might be petty enough to order a full search team just to pry this bag he never uses out of my hands. I push my hair over my shoulder before zipping up the purple fleece Emerson gave me on my birthday and finally make eye contact with Harlow.

"I just need some time to breathe. I'm sure you already know what happened with…" I stop mid-sentence because I really don't want to talk about the Slade brothers saga, that's been my personal nightmare for as long as I can remember.

She moves into the room and flops onto my bed. Her long brown hair is in French braids, and she's wearing one of Uncle Rhett's Hollow Hill Construction hoodies. She's swimming in it, so the shorts I'm sure she's wearing underneath aren't visible. I think she does this on purpose to annoy my uncle because he's always harping on her to put some clothes on. I guess because I've always felt a little like an outsider in the Bishop household, it's allowed me to notice things about everyone living here that they probably don't notice themselves. Uncle Rhett lets Haley run wild. He definitely knows she sneaks out and runs with the guys on the mountain, but he doesn't say a word. Harlow let a guy drive her home once from a Raven party, and Uncle Rhett yanked him out of his vehicle through the window and scared him within an inch of his life. He's not as strict with Emerson, but he really doesn't need to be because Grey does that for him. If she breathes the wrong way, he's on her, and I kind of wish I could stick around long enough to see her put him in his place. My cousin Grey is hailed as King of Hollow Hill because he's just a tad more ruthless than the other four Ravens. But I've seen him fight with Emerson before, watched him throw a wrench at the windshield of one of her beloved vintage trucks because she said she was going to a party he said she couldn't attend. It must've been half an hour later that I watched him slap a helmet on her head, purposefully mussing up her long blonde hair before letting her hop onto the back of his matte black Ducati. She's soft and sweet, but when it comes to Grey, she doesn't give him an inch. The two of them are like fire mixed with gasoline, and I'm never sure which one will come out on top.

I look up to see Harlow pouting at me, her pink lips pursed and her big sad gray eyes. "Are you coming back?"

"I don't know, Lowy," I grimace because as soon as I step off this mountain, I lose the Ravens' protection, and whatever happens to me if I try to come back will be worse than anything a stranger could do to me.
My two half brothers: Uncontrollable Desire
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