Broken Promises (Heights #2)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

RAVEN

M usic thumped from my house as drunken laughter reached my ears, and I sighed as I made my way along the side of the house to my bedroom window. I popped it open and made sure no weirdos were inside before I climbed in and locked it behind me, double-checking the lock I’d installed on my bedroom door.

Something smashed in the house, and I heard Dad fake scolding someone between laughter about breaking the TV. All they’d done since they’d appeared a week ago was destroy the house and party all damn night, making it impossible to sleep.

Anything that hadn’t been broken, the pricks had sold for booze, including all the meat in the fucking freezer that Rory had given me and the guys.

I’d luckily stashed some snacks and my cigarettes under the bed and installed the lock the morning after my rude awakening, or they’d have taken those too.

I got into bed without getting changed out of my old jeans and hoodie, leaving the belt on for extra security. Just because Dad’s buddies hadn’t broken into my room yet, didn’t mean they wouldn’t.

If anyone tried to get my pants off in my sleep, I’d know about it.

It was three in the morning, but my eyes refused to close as I listened to the usual sound of my door handle twisting, clutching my knife under the pillow.

“Raven? Let me in, baby,” someone slurred, and I gripped my knife even tighter. I’d heard them all talking about me more times than I could count, so I knew exactly what they wanted.

My phone buzzed, and I hesitated before reaching for it, knowing exactly who it was.

Logan: Please talk to me.

All the guys had been texting me, but I didn’t answer any of them. They’d tried to talk to me through Beckett too, but she’d just threatened them with violence to make them back off.

Instead of replying to Logan, I texted Beckett, knowing she probably wouldn’t be awake, but wanted to try.

Raven: You awake?

I was surprised when she replied instantly.

Beckett: Annoyingly, yes. Do you need attention? You’re needy.

Raven: I can’t sleep.

Beckett: Have you tried putting your phone down and shutting your eyes?

I snorted.

Raven: Smartass. I was thinking about going out and thought I’d see if you wanted to hang out.

Beckett: I can do that. Want me to pick you up?

I didn’t want people knowing Dad was here just yet, so I quickly told her to meet me at the abandoned school, and got back out of bed. The door handle was still rattling slightly as the drunken prick mumbled to himself, and I shoved my shoes on and unlocked the window, pocketing my knife on the way back out.

I pulled my hood up as I walked along the road, keeping an eye on my surroundings to make sure no one could sneak up on me. You never knew who you’d run into at three in the morning out here.

Once at the school, I lit a cigarette while I waited, and Beckett’s Mustang rumbled into the parking lot a moment later.

“Hey,” she said as she switched off the engine and climbed out, a frown on her face. “Who’s having a party at your house? I drove past on the way here.”

“My dad,” I mumbled, blowing smoke at her. “Don’t mention him to anyone. The guys will kick the damn door in if they know he’s back.”

“Should I go and kick the door in if the guys have that kind of concern about him?”

“I think you out of anyone knows how to mind your own business,” I warned, not surprised when she shrugged.

“Fine. Don’t say I didn’t offer. Why did you want to meet here?” she asked, lighting her own cigarette and locking her car.

“I wanted to sit on the roof,” I replied, her eyes narrowing.

“You’d better not jump. I’ve had enough of your drama this week, and I don’t feel like going back to prison for a second murder charge. I have a feeling this one would stick and they’d put me away for a lot longer this time.”

I snickered, flashing her an amused grin. “No one would miss a lowly Heights trash kid.”

“I don’t know, pretty sure the prick living in my spare bedroom would make some noise about it,” she deadpanned, following me as I started walking towards the building to let us inside.

“Don’t worry, I won’t jump. The last place I want to die is here, and my luck, I’d just bounce off the ground and end up with brain damage.”

We made our way through the halls and up to the roof, sitting on the edge and looking out into the night.

“Do you want kids?” I asked randomly, and she scrunched her nose at me as she tossed her cigarette butt over the edge, mine following.

“Right now? Fuck no. Maybe one day though. I know Jett wants kids, but Maddox is on the fence about it. I think he likes the idea of it, but logically, he knows it might be too risky. We know what it’s like to grow up within a crew environment. I wouldn’t change anything, but a little less gunfire and kidnapping would’ve been nice. I’m not sure if I want to continue the pattern, you know?”

“I know what you mean. I want kids one day when I can provide them with a stable home,” I sighed, my eyes drifting in the direction of Ashburn Valley. “If I hadn’t been attacked, I’d still be pregnant. I wouldn’t have a choice but to raise a kid in my rundown house, not knowing if I could afford to feed them. A small part of me feels guilty for being relieved that I don’t have to put them through that, but it’s also kind of destroying me at the same time that I won’t have the chance to be their mom.”

My voice broke a little, and I cleared my throat, not expecting her to reach out and pat my head like I was a puppy.

“Uh, it will be okay,” she said, not sounding confident, but I could appreciate the effort. “Do you want me to say something to make you feel better, or do you want me to give you my blunt opinion?”

“I like how blunt you are. You don’t sugarcoat shit.”

She shuffled back, obviously uncomfortable with comforting me. “It’s a good thing that it happened. You can’t feed yourself half the time, so you can’t even sacrifice your own food to a kid. You’d have to neglect their health care because you don’t even have your own insurance, you go without electricity and water regularly, and you’d become another statistic of a Heights parent whose kid is in the system because you couldn’t look after them. I’m not saying you’d be a shitty mom, but the world dealt you a shitty hand. You need to get yourself out of here and set yourself up better before raising kids.”

“That’s what I try to tell myself,” I mumbled, the pang of guilt hitting me in the chest. “Doesn’t mean I don’t feel bad about it.”

“You’re allowed to feel bad. You’re human. Diesel wanted to let you know that you don’t have to help with the foster kids if it’s going to upset you, but the offer still stands.”

“I still want to,” I replied quickly, knowing I needed the money more than ever now that I was on my own.

“You want to crash at their place tonight? I can drop you off on my way back to mine. Poppy would appreciate the help in the morning, and you’d get to avoid your dad,” she offered, and I frowned.

“How do you know I’m avoiding him?”

“Why else would you want to hang out with me at an abandoned school at almost four in the morning? It’s obvious you’re avoiding the house,” she said dryly, lying back with her legs dangling over the edge. “He’s a drunk piece of shit, right?”

I shuffled back so I could draw my knees to my chest, resting my chin on them. “Yeah. If we ever had money when I was little, it went to booze. I don’t know how we didn’t starve to death as babies. The foster system should’ve taken me and my brother away before we were even home from the hospital, to be honest. Mom was just as much of a deadbeat as Dad, they didn’t hide it. They didn’t even call it in when Josh went to the hospital for a broken arm when he was three. The neighbor took him.”

“You were abused a lot?”

“Josh more than me. He was always protecting me. When Josh died, I was both angry and relieved that Dad only came back for proof before leaving again. I was twelve, I just wanted my dad to give a shit and comfort me, but I also knew if he’d stayed, he would’ve just spent the time drunk and blaming me. Reid stepped up since Dad wouldn’t.”

“That’s a lot for him to take on as a kid himself.”

“I know. I’m pissed at him right now, but I’ll always be grateful for the sacrifices he made for me and Logan,” I said, glancing at her. “And yeah, I might crash at your parents’ place tonight. Maybe helping Poppy when I wake up will be good for me.”

“Or you’ll come back here and jump off the roof from lack of sleep and children screaming at you,” she chuckled, lighting another cigarette and blowing the smoke into the air. “Logan freaked the other night when he found out you’d gone to the Pit by yourself.”

“I’m perfectly capable of stabbing creeps or breaking noses if I’m forced to,” I answered dryly, grabbing a piece of broken glass from close by and tossing it off the roof. “I made a deal last year with Reid that if he promised not to race on the streets anymore, then I’d stop fighting for the fun of it. Logan’s probably worried I’ll get attacked with a knife again for starting shit.”

“You got stabbed in a fight?”

“I wouldn’t say stabbed, I got cut. Wasn’t that bad, but the guys freaked. So, they don’t want me fighting anymore,” I grumbled.

“You should show the world your teeth more. Fuck them. Make sure people know you’re not hiding behind any guard dogs,” she mused, staring up into the night’s sky. “I know you’re not a little bitch or anything, but people underestimate you because they think you rely on the guys to save you. You’ve got fire, I can see that, but I’ve never really seen you hold your own either.”

I smirked, accepting what was left of her cigarette as she offered it to me. “Maybe I like it that way. Let them underestimate me then see what happens when they make a move. Just because I don’t wave a gun around regularly or give people beat downs in the street anymore, doesn’t mean I can’t. I’ve always let the guys protect me because it kept the peace, and it stopped Reid and Logan going back to the street races after Reid healed.”

She sat up, eyeing me with amusement. “If you ever want to watch people beat on each other or have a fight yourself, come to the Shed on fight nights. You can win good money sometimes too, and if anyone pulled a weapon, they’d be dealt with.”

“I try to avoid crew activities. I know how easy it is to get wrapped up in them,” I sighed, and she shrugged.

“I won’t force you, but you’re welcome whenever there’s fights.”

She got to her feet and stretched, and I did the same as I flicked the cigarette butt onto the roof to squash with my shoe, knowing she wanted to leave.

We didn’t talk as we walked back through the school and headed towards her car, where two kids in hoodies were looking it over. One of them reached out to try the handle, and Beckett shot at the ground by their feet, scaring the shit out of them.

“No touchy,” she scolded as she approached, shoving the hood off one of them and giving the boy a once over. “How old are you? Twelve? Go home.”

I recognized him as Gregory Butler, who lived on my street, and the little shit relaxed when he noticed me.

“Raven?” he asked, his friend calming a little too.

“Greg. Probably don’t try to jack cars without knowing the owner. Especially nice ones,” I warned, his friend going rigid as he pulled his hood off and recognized Beckett.

“Dude—”

“Will their parents notice them missing if I take them for a ride in the trunk?” Beckett asked in a bored tone, sizing them up. I chuckled, moving around to the passenger side.

“Yeah, probably. Then again, Greg has a lot of siblings. Maybe his ma wouldn’t notice one missing.”

I was joking, obviously, but the poor kid didn’t know that.

“I won’t touch it again!” he panicked. “Sorry! Mom forgot to pay the rent last month and now she’s behind, so I just wanted to try and make some money for food. I gave my sisters my lunch the last two days because we don’t have enough.”

My heart hurt for him, it was like looking at a little Reid all over again. I was surprised when Beckett opened her wallet and pulled out some bills.

“How many siblings do you have?” she asked, and he eyed her with suspicion.

“I have four brothers and four sisters. My two older brothers are in juvie, and my older sister isn’t home unless she’s coming down from something. My sister’s baby lives with us too, and my brother’s kid.”

The boy’s eyes widened as Beckett held out the money, her voice firm. “This is for food and things like diapers. Don’t use it on anything else.” Then she turned to the other kid, giving him a look. “Why are you out trying to steal cars? Just helping your friend?”

“My sister’s sick and needs medicine. Dad won’t buy it,” he mumbled awkwardly, flicking his eyes to me. “He’s too busy drinking at Raven’s house to come home and look after her.”

“What do you mean she’s sick?” I asked, his voice cracking as he replied.

“She’s really hot and keeps crying.”

“How old is she? Where is she right now?”

The kid winced, guilt on his face. “She’s almost one. She’s at home, I had to leave her there so I could try to make some money to help her.”

The look Beckett gave me told me we weren’t going to bed any time soon.

“I’ll head back to Ashburn for some medicine. Are you okay staying with the boys? Text me the address?”

I nodded, stepping back from the car. “I can do that. I’ll walk the boys home. They won’t get in your car, I know that much.”

Gregory took a step back too, proving my point. Kids around here knew better than to get into cars. It was how people went missing.

Once Beckett left, Gregory’s friend frowned at me. “Why are you helping?”

“I’m not really doing much, it’s all Beckett.”

Gregory stared at the money in his hands, hesitating before handing some over to his friend and breaking my heart again.

“Here, she needs formula, right?” he asked his friend, and I blew out a breath.

“Let’s get walking. I’ll help your sister until Beckett gets back,” I stated, encouraging the boys to start walking. I had no idea where this kid lived, and I knew he wasn’t happy to tell me his address, but did it anyway.

His house was similar to mine, rundown and dirty, an old car parked on the front lawn with grass growing higher than the roof of it.

I watched my step as I eyed trash all over the lawn and sidewalk, heading up the front steps and into the house, hearing the screaming baby before we even opened the door.

I stepped inside, the dim room making me realize the poor kids didn’t have the power on, finding the living room lit up, thanks to a flashlight. The house was a mess, and I could smell dirty diapers and old food, making me wonder when an adult had been here last.

Gregory’s friend, who was named Frank, talked loudly over the baby’s crying as he led me along the hallway to the bedroom.

“I can’t make her stop! I tried everything!”

The bedroom stunk, and I winced when I peered into the crib to find the screaming baby clinging to the side as she stood to try and escape. The bed was wet and Frank sighed, noticing it too.

“I can’t change her for another three hours or I’ll run out of diapers. I have to space out her changes,” he explained, and I reached down to lift her, feeling the wet diaper start to dampen my shirt as I held her against my chest to try patting her back.

She was choking on her own screams, her poor throat probably hurting, and I carefully carried her back to the living room so I could sit on the couch with her.

I texted Beckett the address before I could forget, trying to soothe the baby but failing.

“When did she eat last?” I asked over the noise, and Frank’s sad eyes glanced away from me.

“This morning. I have two bottles left for her. She hasn’t had any of that baby food in a couple of weeks though, it’s too expensive. I’ve been trying to space her bottles out too, so she at least gets some food each day.”

“That’s smart,” I promised, hoping the poor kid knew he was doing a good job.

The baby screamed until Beckett arrived, the boys on full alert as other people followed her inside. I wasn’t surprised to find that Lukas was one of them, he was good with kids, but I was a little surprised to see Marco. He seemed to be more about murder and mayhem than babysitting duties.

Him and Hunter ran the Devil’s Armada crew, both of them also being Beckett’s dads.

All of Beckett’s dads were good parents, some were just more gentle and patient than others.

Marco walked over and squatted in front of the young boys, holding his hand out to shake.

“Hey. I’m Mark. I heard your sister’s sick. Can I look at her?” he asked in a soft tone that didn’t match him at all, Frank hesitating before shaking his hand.

“Frank. She’s my sister, yes. She’s really hot.”

Marco turned to me, reaching out to place the back of his hand against her cheek. “She’s burning up a little, definitely.”

“She’s hungry and needs changing, but Frank’s had to ration her things to make it last,” I said, knowing he was going to ask. “She’s soaked.”

“We brought some stuff,” Lukas stated as he walked closer, placing a bag on the floor that I hadn’t noticed. He pulled out some wet wipes and I handed the screaming baby over to Marco, my shirt feeling cold where the wet material was.

Frank glued himself to her, not letting Marco and Lukas take her too far from him, and I took the opportunity to speak to Gregory, who was standing by me out of the way as he watched.

“They’re good people. Do any of your siblings need us to look at them too?”

“Maybe my sister’s baby. She’s coughing a bit,” he said slowly, holding my gaze. “They won’t call CPS, right?”

I looked at Beckett, who shook her head, and relief filled me. The kids needed help, but the system would split them up. The babies always got adopted out into nice families, leaving the older kids in group homes or abused in shitty placements.

“No. They just want to help. They help lots of people,” I answered just as Beckett joined the conversation.

“Is your sister home right now? Is she watching the kids?”

“She took off two days ago. She’s got an older boyfriend, but he doesn’t like us being around, so she stays at his place. He buys her drugs,” he mumbled, making her frown.

“How old is he?”

This conversation was sickening because I knew the situation already, and it was unfortunately very common around here.

“I don’t know. He has a car,” the kid shrugged.

“He’s twenty-three. He was a year ahead of Josh at school,” I mumbled, turning my gaze to Beckett. “Greg’s sister is fourteen.”

You could see the disgust flicker across Beckett’s face, but she didn’t let her thoughts out.

“She has a baby with this guy?”

“He’s not the dad. The dad was one of the men that paid to fuck her,” Gregory said casually, my stomach twisting at how normal the kid seemed to think that was. “He went to prison and got killed in there. Which is a good thing. He used to smack my sister around.”

Marco joined us, letting Lukas try to feed a bottle to the baby.

“Where are your parents?”

“Mom works nights. My dad’s dead. The only one of my siblings who speaks to their dad is my oldest brother, but his dad’s in prison,” Gregory explained, motioning to Frank, who was still glued to his sister across the room. “Frank’s Mom ODed last year, and his dad is currently at Raven’s. He’s been there all week, I think.”

Marco turned his eyes to me, frowning. “Why’s he been at your house?”

“My dad’s back. They’ve been partying non-stop,” I replied. “I don’t know who his dad is, the kid just said he knows he’s been there. Dad’s had a few friends over this week.”

He hummed, thankfully dropping it. “Maybe you can take Beckett and Raven to your house while we finish helping Frank. Just to make sure they’re in bed.”

Gregory tensed, not liking the idea of leaving his friend alone with these strange men, and I tried to look convincing as I smiled.

“Marco and Lukas are really good people. I trust them.”

“I don’t,” he answered bluntly, just like I’d expected. “We’ll wait. They’re fine.”

Marco didn’t argue with the kid, simply nodding. “We can wait.”

It took over an hour to settle the baby and get her to sleep, Frank looking ready to fall asleep himself as Lukas wrote down the medicine instructions to simplify it for him. Once Frank thanked us, we left and headed to Gregory’s house.

Beckett went in the car with her dads, while I walked with Gregory, his eyes darting around for danger the entire short walk.

We passed my house on the way, and I cringed at the loud laughter and music coming from inside.

“It doesn’t get better when you get older, does it?” Gregory asked absently as he glanced in that direction too. I could’ve lied to him, but kids like him preferred the truth.

“Nope. The only thing that changes is CPS can’t take you away anymore,” I replied, eyeing Beckett’s car up ahead as it waited on the side of the road. “Make sure you hide the money Beckett gave you. Beckett’s family bought me food, and Dad came back and sold it all. I don’t know what your family’s like, but I assume they’re like mine.”

“Does your dad try to get you to use your body for money? My sister said Mom didn’t make her, but I heard them arguing one night,” he admitted.

“Mine probably would’ve if he’d been around. Luckily, I had Josh and the guys to look after me. You’re a good brother, and I hope one day you can all get out of here and have a better life.”

“Me too,” he mumbled, clamming up when we joined Beckett and her dads. He trusted me because I was Heights, but it would take a lot for him to trust outsiders.

He led us into the house, which was mostly quiet, other than a little boy sitting on the couch watching TV. I was pretty sure it was Joseph, Gregory’s four-year-old brother.

He grinned as Gregory walked over to him, not minding us in the slightest.

At least the house didn’t smell too bad.

Gregory grabbed a blanket and made sure the kid was comfortable before motioning for us to follow along the hallway, and I was suddenly grateful for the bigger house I’d grown up in.

Mattresses covered the bedroom floor as small bodies slept, and Gregory snuck in and carefully plucked the baby from one, rubbing her back as he carried her out to us.

I let Marco handle it, leaning against the door frame to watch the kids for a second, only moving away when Beckett called down the hallway to me.

“What happened to her?” Lukas asked Gregory gently, my eyes focusing on the baby now that we were in better lighting. Her face was bruised, and she had a scar on her cheek.

“My sister was coming down from something and got mad at her for crying. I try to look after her so my sister doesn’t hurt her,” Gregory replied. “She’s ten months old.”

Beckett moved to stand beside me, speaking quietly. “His sister was twelve when she got pregnant?”

“Yep. You’d be surprised how common that is,” I said under my breath so the kid couldn’t hear me, looking around the room. “Most girls are groomed from young ages to please men. The younger the girl, the more money the pricks pay. Then, the next generation of drugged up hookers start and the cycle continues.”

She made a sound of disgust, and I glanced down as a tiny hand grabbed onto mine, finding one of Gregory’s sisters looking up at me. Nancy was eight, but she looked no older than six. Her growth was severely stunted, and her eyes had always looked too big for her face.

“Hey, Nancy,” I smiled, making her giggle.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, peeking around me to see what was happening.

“We just wanted to check on you guys,” I explained, motioning to Beckett. “This is my friend, Beckett.”

“Hi, Beckett,” Nancy said sweetly, walking towards her brother without waiting for an answer. Gregory kept talking to Marco and Lukas about the baby, but he was aware of Nancy joining him as he lifted an arm and put it around her, keeping her close.

It looked cute, but the reality of it was that he was protecting her from the strangers in the room. No twelve-year-old boy should have to be the man of the house like that.

I made a mental note to check in with both Gregory and Frank again soon to make sure they were both okay.