by Summer Rose
Danny barked out a laugh as if Noah had said the most ridiculous thing in the world.
“I’ve lost interest in you and your sister. It’s not like you two can do anything to stop me anyway,” he grinned salaciously.
He didn’t notice me moving closer and closer to him, hoping to slap the gun out of his hand. My mom saw what I was planning and shook her head furiously.
The moment Danny caught my movement, his head whipped towards me, and he immediately pointed his gun at me. He squeezed the trigger and my life flashed before my eyes.
“This is it,” I thought. “This is the end,” and the gun went off.
I had been so sure I heard the gunshot. I couldn’t figure out why was I still standing and unhurt. I opened my eyes and saw the answer to my question lying on the ground at my feet.
“Mason!” I screamed. He had jumped in front of me and taken the bullet. Danny must have gotten distracted by the commotion because I could now see, from the corner of my eye, that Jake struggled with him. He fought to wrestle the gun from Danny and won, hitting the killer on the head with the butte, causing him to lose consciousness.
“Mason…”
I cried helplessly as the boys knelt beside us and my mom placed her arm lovingly on my shoulder. Far away, I heard someone make an emergency call.
Hopefully, it wasn’t too late…
UNFOLD
A Dark High School Romance
The Brotherhood- (Redwood High) Book 3
Summer Rose
PROLOGUE
H iding like a coward, I saw it all but I made no move to help. What could I do anyway? These were dangerous men, not boys. It was quite clear that they were not to be messed with. Besides, even if I could have done something, my legs weren’t working. So I sat there and watched.
“Where is it, Connor? Tell me now, and I’ll spare you. We’ll put this all behind us as if nothing happened.”
The lean, tattooed guy who was responsible for my broken ankles said to the man in the wheelchair before him.
Two other men stood apart from the tattooed guy, although they all had tattoos. One of them, short and stocky, kicked out his foot in frustration as his hand gripped the gun. “We are wasting precious time, Jason! This bastard doesn’t have it. Kill him and let’s end this once and for all.”
The third guy, who was the biggest of them all, brushed back his dark hair in frustration before turning to glance around the room frantically.
“Kaleb is the right man. We’ve been at it for far too long. We have to get out of here.”
The lean guy, Jason, screamed in frustration, his large hands connecting with the cheeks of the guy in the wheelchair, who was bloodied and bruised.
“Dammit Connor, where’s the fucking package?”
Connor’s mouth curled back in a mocking grin before spitting out blood onto Jason’s boots.
“Just kill me already, you bastards! You already ruined my life once. You are never getting anything out of me again.”
There were so much bitterness and hatred in his voice. Even though I didn’t know what he was referring to, I could almost feel his pain. I didn’t think I could stand seeing Connor murdered.
“Fine, if you are going to be so stubborn we no longer need you,” Jason said as he pointed his gun to Connor’s head, bracing to make the kill.
Quickly, I shoved my fist into my mouth, muffling the whimper that threatens to escape. Those guys beat me so hard I had fallen unconscious, and they probably thought I was dead. It was best to keep it that way if I wanted to stay alive. Hopefully, help will come soon, I think again, just as I did months ago when my best friend, Mason, was shot by a mad serial killer.
In the seconds that followed, I deeply regretted choosing to hide like a bloody coward rather than helping Cooper. When the sound of the gunshot pierced the air and the body in the wheelchair went limp, I felt like my heart leaped out of my body and shattered into a million pieces.
Someone screamed so loudly that I was surprised the glass windows didn’t break. Then I realized it was me who was screaming, forgetting all about staying silent and keeping safe.
They did it, they killed him, was all I could think. Connor was dead, and I had never felt so afraid in my entire life.
“Shit,” I heard Kaleb say when I was out of breath to scream. I could hear my own erratic breathing through the rush of blood pulsing in my ears. “I thought you killed her.”
Jason kicked the wheelchair, which rolled off, colliding with the wall. I watched as Connor’s limp body tumbled to the ground. “Fuck Randy! I told you to check. Now she’s seen everything.”
“It… it seemed like she was dead,” the big guy, Randy, stuttered.
Kaleb groaned as he gave Randy the stink eye. “I’ll take care of the girl,” he growled as he began walking toward me.
Oh shit, what have I done?
I began to drag my body as far away from him as I could, knowing deep down that I could not outrun the man silently stalking me. From his dangerous smile, I could tell he sensed my fear, and he enjoyed it, reveling in the power it gave him.
Whimpering, I struggled to go faster - urging my useless legs to work - but it was no use. I knew what would come next, but I wasn’t ready for it. What on earth had I been thinking following Connor when my instincts had warned me not to? Two attempts had been made to end my life already, and I had prevailed. But I wasn’t optimistic about my chances this time.
Kaleb was almost halfway to my body when a bang shook the building. He stopped abruptly, shock registering on his face and those of the other men.
“We need to get out of here. Now, Kaleb,” Jason shouted at his partner. I discreetly heaved a sigh of relief. Maybe I wasn’t meant to die today after all.
However, the moment was short-lived as Kaleb continued walking toward me, faster now.
“No, no…” I whispered, shaking my head pitifully as I begged for my life. “Please…”
He didn’t listen; he just kept coming as I continued to scamper away from him, dragging my injured legs. Another bang filled the room. Someone was coming, maybe to rescue me. I screamed for help at the top of my lungs, praying whoever was there would hear me.
“Shit Kaleb, let’s move,” a now apprehensive Jason called out just as the knob to the door rattled. When it was clear Kaleb had no intention of being swayed from his path, the other two ran straight out of the window without looking back.
I turned to look at Kaleb, praying to whoever would listen that he wouldn’t go through with it. When his finger squeezed the trigger, I shut my eyes, awaiting the inevitable. I had no idea what I was about to die for it.
Bang, the gun went off, but instead of falling to my death, I felt a weight on me, pressing me to the ground.
It was Kaleb’s body. I screamed.
CHAPTER ONE
I must have fallen asleep on the chair because I barely caught myself before falling off it in my doze. Wiping my face with my palm, I adjusted myself and sat up straighter. I wasn’t there to sleep. I was there to watch over a friend.
The hue of the sunrise flowed in, lighting up the darkened room. Quickly, I rushed to turn on the lights before the nurses arrived since I wasn’t supposed to turn them off for any reason. I had broken the rule because I couldn’t sleep with the lights on.
With the lights back on, I sat down on the chair and watched the motionless body lying on the bed before me. It had been weeks now, and he still hadn’t moved a muscle. The doctors said there was nothing that could be done after the operation. He had to wake up on his own now, but it was becoming less and less probable.
Memories flashed in my mind. They seemed like long-ago nightmares, except the evidence that it had happened lay on the hospital bed, unmoving.
I had been carelessly running toward the distracted man who held a gun to my mother’s head in the hopes that I could save her. Instead, I had only succeeded in drawing his attention back to me. And then he had fired the gun.
Ju
st a few days ago, I had told my mom it would have been better if I had died that night. Then I wouldn’t have to watch my best friend suffer silently. If only I hadn’t made that careless move, Mason wouldn’t have run in front of me to take that damn bullet. Of course, my mom had immediately protested and said that it hadn’t been my fault. It still didn’t change the fact that I felt guilty beyond measure.
This – everything - was my fault. Somehow, ever since we’d moved to Redwood with my mom after my father’s death, I had brought danger to the people around me.
Sighing, I picked up the book by the bedside table and opened it, preparing to read to him for the millionth time. As I went ahead to read the tale of The Princess and the Frog to a comatose Mason, I struggled to understand why the fairytale book was his favorite. When I had asked, Aaron had told me he wasn’t sure, but it had something to do with his parents. The same parents who had only shown up once since their son had been admitted to the hospital.
The book, according to Aaron, was Mason’s most prized possession. So I read it to him every day, even though I couldn’t imagine the lively, energetic, social, and charismatic Mason enjoying this book. Mason was the most carefree person I knew; always happy and making funny jokes. He was without baggage, and now I had unintentionally added strife to his life.
Shaking off my thoughts, I continued reading the book - which I had already committed to memory - to him in whispers. As I read, I hoped that he could at least hear me. The doctors said it was a possibility. Thankfully, it was the weekend, so I didn’t have to worry about leaving him to go to school.
Just as I read the last line, there was a knock on the door. My mom, Aaron, and Jake all walked in.
My mom was tired; it was written all over her face. One would think it was her son lying limp on the bed. But Mason had saved her daughter’s life. Of course, she would be concerned about him. “Hey honey, how are you?” she asked as I stood up to hug her.
I shrugged in response, struggling to keep the tears at bay before turning to face the other boys. I fell into Jake’s open arms first; I always found comfort in them. His familiar scent wrapped around me as I buried my nose in his neck.
Untangling myself from his embrace, I proceeded to hug Aaron, who planted a kiss on my forehead, a gesture that never failed to leave me breathless and my heart pounding. “It’s going to be fine, Kat,” he assured me. Since he was the closest to Mason, he and I had been spending a lot of time together lately, and my feelings for him seemed to be evolving. We hadn’t acted on them, though. It was not the right time for that and I still had to figure out where Jake and Mason stood.
“So…” my mom heaved a sigh as she took a seat in the chair I had vacated. “Any news yet?” she asked, but her expression conveyed that she didn’t expect anything new.
“No,” I confirmed her suspicions through gritted teeth. “How can his parents do this?” I asked no one in particular as I began to pace across the room, my hand clutching my blonde hair. “He’s their son! You’d think they would put their political nonsense aside just to be here with him. What kind of parents are they?”
Every day that went by without hearing a word from Mason’s parents only made me angrier. The first and only time they had been to the hospital to see him, they couldn’t be out fast enough. They made promises to be back, but still, they were nowhere to be found. My mom had spoken to them on several occasions, but they kept postponing their visit.
Aaron pulled me to a standstill. “They’ve always been like this Kat. Everyone in town knows. They hardly see anyone, even their own son.”
“Well, that’s just fucked up.”
“Language, Katrina,” my mom reprimanded tiredly. I rolled my eyes rather than make a snarky comeback.
Jake smirked at me, causing my eyes to light up in amusement, but I didn’t have the energy to laugh or smile even. I sighed and proceeded to sit beside Mason on the bed, pushing back his blond hair.
“Everything is going to be fine, Mason. I’m not going anywhere,” I whispered to him.
I was about to stand up when I felt a hand grip my arm and a whisper.
“Kat…” Mason was awake.
CHAPTER TWO
S eeing Mason’s eyes open after they’d been closed for several weeks was so relieving and profound that it took all I had in me to keep from jumping on him and hugging him tightly.
I paced continuously while the others sat behind me in the waiting room. The doctors had sent us out of Mason’s room to examine him, but I didn’t have the patience to wait for the news. He had opened his eyes, held my arm, and whispered my name. Soon, I hoped, the doctors would tell us Mason was fully recovered and could go home. I longed to see those wires he was hooked up to removed from his body. He looked so frail with them and nothing like the lively Mason I had come to know.
I felt arms around me and I could tell immediately that they were Jake’s because his heavy, masculine scent filled my nose. It was something I had learned to do, distinguish each boy by their scent. While Jake smelled like wildflowers and rain, Aaron had a lovely scent of roses, and Mason smelled like cinnamon and morning dew.
Melting into his arms, I let Jake hold me and paused my pacing as we awaited any news. I cocked my head to the side and saw my mom was nodding off. Aaron returned with cups of coffee and offered her one. The smile she gave him was both thankful and fatigued. Once again I felt so much anger directed at Mr. and Mrs. Welsh for choosing to attend their socialite events rather than spend time with their sick son. As far as I knew, they were the only family Mason had. At least the boys and I were here for him.
Shifting in his arms, I turned around to face Jake. “Do you think he’s okay?” I asked in a faint, helpless voice, looking to him for some reassurance.
He brushed the tendrils of my hair that had escaped from my ponytail away from my face, before dropping a tender kiss on my lips. “Of course he will be okay. Mason is stronger than you know, Katrina,” he pulled back and said. For once I didn’t feel like kissing Jake back. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I was too tense.
Aaron walked up to us and I immediately fell into his open arms, whilst searching for any sign of jealousy in Jake’s features; I saw none. The boys really seemed to be okay with my indecision, at least for now. I had no idea why. I had seen Jake with Noelle a while back and freaked out because I couldn’t bear seeing him with any other girl. I was sure it must be the same for Aaron and Mason, too. So, I didn’t understand how they seemed unbothered by my feelings for all three of them.
This time, it was Aaron’s arms that wrapped around me. I needed the solace he provided and the embrace was short and tender. Seconds later, I heard footsteps leaving the hospital room and making their way into the waiting room.
Untangling myself from Aaron, I rushed toward the doctor, the boys trailing behind me. My mom slept in the chair, her weariness too deep for the coffee to overcome. My own cup lay forgotten on the tray by the foot of the chair.
“Is Mason going to be okay?” I asked Doctor Francis, getting straight to the point. If there was something wrong, I needed to hear it without beating around the bush.
The doctor scratched his scraggly white beard and placed a hand on my shoulder as he addressed all three of us. “Mr. Welsh is going to be fine. He is fully aware of his surroundings and is quite responsive. That is a good sign that the surgery went well.” At our relieved smiles and laughter, he raised a finger, causing my heart to skip a beat and my happy expression sour. “However, he is still in quite a lot of pain so he must stay here for a few days before going back home. As soon as his pain has become manageable, he will be discharged.”
I nodded, taking in every word the doctor said. At least Mason was awake and would stay awake; that was all that mattered. “Thank you, we really appreciate it.”
“Is it okay if we go and see him now?” asked Aaron as I pleaded with the doctor with my eyes.
He sighed. “Of course, but I should warn you that he is still
pretty fragile. So don’t do anything to agitate him,” he said pointedly and we quickly agreed. “I’ll need one of you boys to come with me and take a look at some paperwork.”
“I’ll go,” Jake offered and he left with the doctor.
I asked Aaron to wake my mom and tell her the news. I couldn’t wait any longer to see Mason. I walked toward his room and opened the door gently, not sure what to expect.
The wires were gone - well most of them anyway - and he didn’t look frail anymore. He was pale, but the smile on his face reassured me that my Mason was back. He was sitting up, one hand outstretched for me to take.
I quickly rushed to his side, placing my hand in his. He pulled me closer and captured my lips with his in a kiss that made me crave for more.
He pulled back, our foreheads connected. “Kat,” he whispered.
CHAPTER THREE
T he ride to Mason’s house - or mansion rather - was quiet and content. I sat in between him and Aaron in the back seat. My handheld Mason’s tightly, unwilling to let go, while my mom sat in the front seat and Jake drove.
It had taken another week in the hospital before Mason was discharged. Going to school when he was awake had been even worse than when he wasn’t. I barely listened to anything the teachers said and I was pretty sure I was going to fail the calculus test we’d had that Friday, but I didn’t care. All I had wanted was to get back to Mason and be in his arms again where I was sure nothing bad would happen to him. As stupid as it seemed, I did believe that I could protect him by staying at his side.
His grip on my hand tightened when the car jostled, as if afraid to let me go, so I turned to him smiling before raising my head and kissing him with a deep blush. He smirked when he saw the color tinge my cheeks, but did not point it out. My eyes met my mom’s in the car mirror.
I quickly averted my gaze; it was possible that my mom had seen me kiss all three boys and had no idea what was going on. Even I didn’t understand the situation between us. Still, I wasn’t ready to let go of them yet. Was I being selfish? Maybe, but I couldn’t help myself.
