A Dark High School Romance The Brotherhood – (Redwood High) Series Books 1-5

by Summer Rose

  “Jake’s back, baby,” Mason hollered, and Liam joined in while Aaron looked on with a dazzling grin of his own.

  My eyes met Jake’s, and when he mouthed, Thank you. I replied with a nod. My boys were all together.

  *****

  The bell rang, and we all walked to the gym for fourth period. As soon as the boys moved over to their section, it was like an alarm had gone off, and I was suddenly accosted by Leila and her gang.

  She approached with her arms crossed and her friends behind her. “Well, well. If it isn’t Miss Whore…”

  “Excuse me?”

  “All three of them weren’t enough for you? You just had to have the bad boy too, didn’t you? What’s it like fucking all four of them, huh? Are you that much of a slut?”

  “Miss Hamilton! That language isn’t tolerated on school grounds, especially not to a fellow female! Do you understand?” said Mrs. Peters, our gym teacher, who had suddenly appeared from nowhere and had overheard that last sentence.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Leila directed a glare at me before turning to walk away with her friends.

  “Back to the routine, everyone,” Mrs. Peters yelled, blowing her whistle as we all took our positions. We were doing a gymnastic routine, and my post was at the top as six other girls held me up, two on each level.

  Suddenly, out of nowhere, Leila crashed into us, and from the look of pure contempt she had thrown at me, it was clear that her action was intentional.

  As expected, the girls holding me up staggered, and I could feel myself falling. There was no time for me to even yell, and I landed with blinding pain and the sound of a crack.

  Screams filled the air around me, but I couldn’t tell who was yelling. Briefly, my eyes opened, and even though the images swirled dizzily before me, I could still make out the people that stood right in front of me.

  Liam, Aaron, Mason, and Jake were all in front of me and they look furious.

  *****

  The following evening, I lay in a hospital bed with my leg raised in a cast and my head bandaged. My mom sat by my bedside as the boys came in and solemnly told me that Leila had been found dead that morning. Her body had been crammed into a locker. Her friend, Gina, had seen it and let out a bloodcurdling scream that had alerted everyone to the utterly gruesome sight.

  The cops had ruled it as murder, and they had started an investigation. What was even worse was that Jake, although cleared as a prime suspect, was taking the brunt of something he didn’t do.

  The whole town had their suspicious eyes on him once again, and everyone was accusing him of killing Leila because she had messed with me, just as he had done to his father.

  Tears fell from my eyes as the boys told me Jake hadn’t been at school for a while and I couldn’t wait for my ankle and my concussed head to heal so I could go in search of him.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  I didn’t have to go looking for Jake because as soon as I got home, he came climbing into my room.

  “Jake,” I limped into his open arms, relief coursing through my veins. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered into his ear and pulled him to sit on the bed with me.

  “I was hoping to get in on that,” he said with a smile, raising a pen as his eyes came to rest on the cast around my leg.

  I returned his smile. “I saved you a spot.”

  I felt a tingle as he simply signed his name.

  “What, no heart?” I asked.

  “I think you’ve got more than enough hearts already,” he replied, referring to the many hearts the other guys had drawn, including Aaron.

  “What if yours is the one I want?” I asked boldly, looking into his eyes as I felt the butterflies rise in my stomach. It didn’t take long for me to notice the shift of emotion in his eyes, from playful to naked lust in an instant.

  Suddenly his mouth was descending toward mine, and I couldn’t wait any longer. I met him halfway with a hand on his shoulder.

  The kiss was everything I had fantasized about and more. It was mind-blowing and it overpowered my senses. One palm slid into my hair and the other caressed my face as we reveled in the taste of each other.

  Wanting more, I leaned into him and released a breathy moan when his hand dropped to cup my breast. My hands tightened on his shoulder just when I felt a vibration against my thigh.

  Quickly, we jumped apart, too flustered to say a word.

  He pulled out his phone and read the message he had received.

  “Be my date,” he suddenly said and continued when I simply stared at him in confusion.

  “Mason’s parents are out of town, and he wants to throw a party for you. A welcome home party. Be my date?” he asked, and this time, I nodded with a huge smile, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks.

  I didn’t know what Jake and I were yet, but at least he didn’t dismiss it as a one-time thing. We talked into the night like we had been doing every other evening.

  *****

  The following night, I was dressed in a beautiful shimmery, red dress, and silver heels Tiffany had picked out for me. She was the closest thing I had to female friendship, and when she had offered to help me get ready for the party, I jumped at the opportunity. I didn’t want to look like a tomboy on my first date with Jake.

  “So, you and Jake, huh? I love it,” Tiffany said in excitement as she styled my hair into voluminous curls.

  I grinned. The idea of Jake and me as an item was doing wonderful things to me, even if it made me nervous. “What about you and Liam? Are you two still fighting?” I had missed a lot while at the hospital but judging from the huge smile that appeared on her face, it seemed like things between them had gotten better.

  “Oh, he finally agreed to run for homecoming king,” she said airily. “My Liam can’t deny me anything.” She smiled with the confidence and assurance of someone that knew she was well-loved. “There, we’re done.”

  When I looked in the mirror, I was beyond wowed.

  There was a brief knock on the door to my room, and it opened to reveal my mom. “Oh my, bebé. You look absolutely wonderful. My beautiful daughter.” She walked up to stand behind me while Tiffany smiled.

  “You’ve done a wonderful job here, Tiff.”

  I rolled my eyes. Sure, she could shorten Tiffany’s name but not mine.

  Soon, we heard the familiar sound of Jake’s truck - which had been my ride to school twice when my mom couldn’t drop me off - and we all went downstairs. Of course, my mom embarrassed me a little by taking pictures of me with Jake, but she soon released us.

  It was a typical high school party, and Mason’s monstrosity of a house made it even more fun. The boys and I goofed around while Tiffany dragged around an unwilling Liam to campaign for votes.

  I was on my second dance with Jake - a slow romantic one by the pool with the boys and other students outside the house - when all hell broke loose.

  Leila’s friend, Gina, suddenly came at me screaming, despite the hold her friends had on her. “It’s because of you she’s dead you bitch!” she yelled just as the boys stood up, and Jake pulled me behind him. “Your killer boyfriend murdered her because she pushed you.”

  She could insult me or do whatever she wanted to me, but I wasn’t going to let her accuse Jake of doing something that had almost destroyed him once before.

  I pushed away from Jake and stood before Gina, ready to defend Jake’s honor when suddenly she yanked me toward her and pushed me right into the pool. I couldn’t breathe…

  The pool was large and not deep, but there was something about being in the water that completely freaked me out. I had always prided myself on the fact that I was a good swimmer, but for some reason, I simply couldn’t breathe.

  I tried to yell, but nothing came out. Water flooded into my mouth and lungs, choking me in the process, and I felt myself slipping away.

  Someone jumped into the pool and carried me out, and I could hear frantic screams urging me to open my eyes. I wanted to, but they felt heavy.

  Seco
nds later, I surrendered to the darkness.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  I was seated on the couch in front of the fireplace back at home covered in a thick blanket while my hand gripped the scalding hot cup of tea my mom had made me. The boys had gone home, and only Jake was left with us.

  I watched as my mom paced in front of the TV with her palm clutching her forehead.

  “I can’t believe she threw you into the pool. I’m definitely going to have a long talk with her parents, and the school principal. I will make sure she doesn’t get away with this. And you…” My mom swiveled toward me. “Why didn’t you swim out? You are usually an excellent swimmer.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know, I just freaked out.”

  My mom scoffed. “You just freaked out? You could have died, Katrina. What the hell were you thinking? It’s just water, and the pool wasn’t even that deep.”

  Suddenly I felt a flare of anger, and all the emotions I had felt since we moved to Redwood flooded out in a violent rage.

  “Well, I’m sorry my dad's death made me traumatized, and I haven’t gotten over him as quickly as you obviously have!” I yelled at her.

  “Katina…” Jake began.

  “Stay out of this, Jake,” I ordered him.

  “You think I’m over your father?”

  I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “Well, aren’t you? You’ve been all happy and excited that we were moving here, away from everything that reminds you of him. Did you even love him?”

  I knew the slap was coming before I felt it, and I didn’t even blink. Instead, I gently placed the cup on the table, threw off the blanket draped around me, and walked out of the door with nowhere in particular to go.

  “Katrina!” Jake called from the porch and ran after me. “Katrina, wait!”

  “What?” I snapped at him.

  “You shouldn’t have said that to your mom,” Jake said. “She was just scared. Hell, we all were. We thought we had lost you and saying those words to her only hurt her. You really should go back inside and apologize.”

  I stared at him in disbelief. “You are going to take her side? Seriously?”

  “This isn’t about taking sides, Katrina…”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” I interrupted. “It isn’t. Just stay the hell away from me and don’t come looking for me.”

  I knew I was being unreasonable; it wasn’t his fault. But I was so angry that I needed to let off some steam, so I walked out on him, and to the only place I knew would calm me down.

  In my third week at Redwood, the boys and I had discovered the perfect place we now called ‘our spot’ just a little way down from Aaron’s house. It also wasn’t far from my home or Jake’s. We had been on a study date when we’d found the spot.

  There was nothing extraordinary about it. No lake, no flowers, no meadows; it was just a plain stretch of grass with scattered logs of wood around. Yet we had claimed the place because of the calmness it provided. No insects or birds chirping, just complete and utter silence. However, as soon as I got there, I was caught by surprise.

  “Aaron?” I called when I saw the brown-haired figure sitting on a log of wood with his back to me. When he turned to confirm my guess, I said, “I didn’t realize anyone would be here at this hour. What are you doing?”

  He shrugged. “I could ask you the same. It’s late, Kat, and you’ve just been through a major accident. Why aren’t you in bed?” he asked with furrowed eyebrows.

  I explained that I had a fight with my mom and Jake. “I just expected Jake to know where I was coming from, you know? And my mom, I just couldn’t stand another day of knowing she had moved on from my dad so easily like he never meant anything to her in the first place.”

  He put an arm around me. “Don’t say that, Kat. She’s your mom. Of course, she feels the need to be strong for you, and if there’s anything I’ve learned about adults it’s that they never show their weaknesses around a child they’ve sworn to make life easy for. I’m sorry you feel like this, but you need to really think about it. Has she truly moved on, or has she just been being strong for you?”

  Something about what Aaron said jolted my memory, and I remembered that, even while my dad had been alive, she had never been that overly excited every single day. I turned to face Aaron and threw my arms around his neck in a hug.

  “Thank you, Aaron,” I said, even as he sat completely still. I watched him with worried eyes. “What’s wrong?” I asked, pulling back.

  “Kat, I need to do something,” he said, and then he leaned forward and kissed me.

  The first bout of shock left me, and I found myself returning his kiss, feeling the fireworks brimming inside me. My kiss with Aaron, though different from Jake’s, elicited a similar response. And just like that, as the thought of Jake crossed my mind, I pulled back breathlessly.

  “Aaron… I have to go,” I stuttered and stood immediately before walking away from him. I could have handled that better. I could have said something, but I was just so confused.

  I picked up my phone as I made my way to Mason’s house, which was a little bit farther. “Hey Mason, could you come out for a bit?” I asked and saw the light come on in his room.

  The door opened a minute later, and he joined me outside. “Kat? What on earth are you doing out here at this time? You just…”

  “Yeah, I just suffered a major accident. I know.” I waved him off. “I need some advice.”

  I told him everything, from the fight with my mom and Jake to my kiss with Aaron. “I didn’t know Aaron even felt that way about me.”

  He looked at me thoughtfully. “Yeah, Aaron has had the hots for you since day one. Who wouldn’t? You’re smart, funny, nice, not like the other girls, and so beautiful… there’s just something about you that draws us in…”

  I stopped him. “Us?” Then I really looked at Mason and saw in his eyes the same emotion I always saw when Jake was with me. The same one I saw a few minutes ago in Aaron’s eyes, and the same one I saw every day whenever I thought about Jake while looking in the mirror. “You have feelings for me?”

  He looked embarrassed. “It’s okay, Kat. I know you might not feel the same way about me…”

  I interrupted him. “I didn’t say that,” I found myself saying.

  What the hell has gotten into me? I thought. Why was I suddenly thinking about what it would be like to kiss Mason, too?

  He must have sensed my apprehension because he was quick to reassure me. “Look, Kat, I don’t want you getting all worked up because of this. Jake, Aaron, and I are grown men, and we can handle our feelings. In the end, it’s your choice,” he said, and I slowly nodded, my brain relaxing for a second. “Now, let’s get you home.”

  The car ride back to my house was quiet and intense. But that was quickly forgotten when I found my mom clutching a bottle of vodka with tears running all over her face. She was sitting on the floor by the fireplace with my dad’s picture in her other hand.

  I had never felt more horrible in my life. I quickly ran to her side and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry, Mom,” I crooned. “It’s okay. Everything’s going to be fine. I’m here now.” I rocked her in my arms and we both cried.

  The next day, we received a call that Gina’s body had been found at school that morning by the principal.

  CHAPTER NINE

  A fter Gina’s murder, the school canceled classes and shut down for investigations. The cops suspected that they were dealing with one killer. Jake, of course, had an alibi, which was my mom, so he was once again cleared as a suspect.

  My mom traveled for a convention in the morning and wouldn’t be back until the following day, so I was left alone at home with my thoughts.

  Just yesterday, I had been thinking about seeing how things went with Jake, who I was insanely attracted to. Suddenly, I had three guys I couldn’t stop thinking about, and now Gina, another girl who had bullied me, was dead.

  It was a good thing Liam was in a relationship or w
ho knows what might have happened there? It was nighttime when I decided to call Liam. Since he was in a stable relationship, maybe he would have some advice for me.

  I was just about to pick up my phone when I heard sharp knocks at the door. I opened it to reveal a panicked Tiffany.

  “Quickly, lock the door!” she screamed, but I wasn’t quick enough as Liam ran in after her.

  “Seriously, guys,” I said. “It’s ten o'clock at night. Did you fight again?” I noticed the menacing look in Liam’s eyes, and then my eyes fell on the ax he held.

  “Kat, Kat… he’s the killer. Stay back, he’s the killer,” Tiffany cried as she hid behind me.

  My face contorted in confusion. “What are you talking about?” I turned to face Liam, who still sported that murderous look in his eyes. “Liam, what’s she talking about? What’s going on?”

  Liam heaved a sigh and moved to sit on the couch while I continued to stand with Tiffany, still hidden and shivering behind me. “She saw me kill Gina last night, that’s why she’s being such a pain.” Then he picked up a picture of my father and stared at me with utter disbelief. “Is this your dad???”

  “Yes, Liam… but what do you mean you killed Gina? Are you high?”

  He ignored me and continued to stare at the picture, almost talking to himself. “He was wearing a blue shirt and jeans the night he died.”

  I froze. “How do you know that?”

  “Because…because… I killed him…”

  Tiffany gasped behind me as I tried to comprehend everything that was going on.

  “Listen, Kat, I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.”

  He came to stand before me. Tiffany ran to stand behind the kitchen counter with a knife gripped in her hand, but Liam took no notice.

  “Explain yourself, Liam!” I found myself yelling.

  He began to talk.

  “My father took me on a holiday to LA over the summer, and one night he said he had a business deal to sort out, and I was to stay in the car. We drove to a clearing, and then things got a little bit physical with someone outside, your father. Your dad was winning, and he was so close to killing mine, so I got out of the car and hit him with the largest rock I could find.” I inhaled a sharp breath. “It was an accident, Kat,” he continued. “I didn’t mean to kill him, I just wanted to stop him from hurting my father. When we realized he was dead, we covered it up and came back to Redwood; no one knew what we had done.”