Page 78 of Rayne

She made the mistake of thinking if she ignored us, we would stop. Oh, sweet Tempest. How sadly mistaken you were.

The harder she fought, the more she became like gasoline. And I was the fucking match.

I was ready to burn everything down for her, until we were all soaked in ashes.

When the inheritance came in, I knew I had a choice—stay and keep fighting her battle, or leave and see what she did once her worst fears came true.

But that's the thing… Jett and I always watched. Every step she took, every decision she made, every breath she inhaled—I knew about it.

"Give her until thirty," Jett had said. "The twenties hit differently. She needs more time."

Reluctantly, I agreed. I spent all my time building my own business, determined to make something of myself and Jett. Maybe, when we came back, she would see things differently.

But she's too fucking blind to see anything except everyone else's lives.

Coming back to Phoenix was always in the cards. But finding her at the Wicked Temptation key party? That was fate.

I saw her walk into the club that night, all awkward, like she didn't belong there. And it made me so angry. She belongs wherever she wants to go, and seeing how nothing had changed, I knew what we had to do.

I knew fate had me draw her name out for a reason, and I had waited long enough.

And it all came down to this very moment.

Inside the Stanford stadium, there's barely any room for people to move. A sea of black gowns and caps, I hide among the families and friends of the graduates, easily spotting her.

Rayne is seated next to a girl with black hair, the two of them muttering happily to each other. Paisley is her name, and I could easily tell you her social security number, where she was born, and even the date she purchased her Honda or childhood pet.

As the ceremony starts, I wait with Jett in the shadowed corner of the stadium, in an aisle near the exit tunnel as the law school celebrations start. One by one, students collect their rolled-up diplomas, looking out in the sea of people for their loved ones.

"Rayne Elizabeth Spencer," the speaker calls out over the microphone, and I smile as she steps forward to shake hands and grab that piece of paper she's been longing for since she was a teenager.

I watch as she starts to descend the steps, eyes scanning the crowd. My gaze narrows on her frame, and like she can sense it somehow, she looks directly at the tunnel entrance where I'm leaning against the wall.

"I think she spotted us," Jett laughs.

My lips twitch as I fight back the urge to laugh. The surprise in her face, the way her soft lips parted—I know she did. She can feel us here.

"Yep," I answer simply, turning to head toward the exit. "Let's go. We have a long drive back to Arizona."

"We should have just flown," Jett groans, following. "Instead you insisted on torturing me with your music choices."

I snort, reaching into my pocket. Flinging the keys at him, he catches them with ease. "Here—you drive then," I say amused.

Jett jingles the keys in his hand, raising an eyebrow at me. "What do you have planned?"

As we reach the Porsche, I make a direct beeline for the passenger door, pulling my cell out of my pocket. "I need to check in on something."

He looks at me with a quizzical glance. "The house?"

I nod, pausing as I catch his eye over the top of the car. "Spot on, Brother."

If Rayne thinks she can purchase a house under my radar, she has another thing coming.

The moment she had submitted a formal offer, my PI called me with the details. Immediately, I was onto the agent, making sure he knew he was to persuade the sellers to accept.

I could have offered money, just like I paid her tuition, but I didn't. This house was her achievement. She needed that win, that little sense of accomplishment for her golden soul.

I knew they had accepted before Rayne did—which also meant I had her address too.

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