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

by Summer Rose

  The next step would have been to run and tell the cops, but there was no way we could tell them without revealing how we had made our discovery, so we concluded. Since Kaleb still didn't know we knew he was alive, we would wait for him to stalk me again, and when he did, we would be prepared.

  I closed the book I was pretending to read at our spot with the hopes that Kaleb would come looking for me there again, but it had been hours, and he was still nowhere to be found.

  Picking up my bag, I stood up and started to walk away when I was stopped by someone. "Mason…" I whispered.

  He looked everywhere but at me, his hands shoved deep in his pockets with a blank expression on his face. "Can we… can we talk?" he bit out.

  "Of course," I said immediately, grateful that he was finally speaking to me. We both walked toward the nearest log of wood and sat down. "I'm sorry," I said, breaking the tense and awkward silence.

  "Why?" he turned toward me, finally staring me in the eyes.

  "For getting your brother killed."

  The silence resumed, lasting for close to a minute before he spoke again. "My brother wasn't always crippled, you know. When we were eight, a set of gunmen came into our house looking for our parents, and when they didn't find them, they tried to kill me. Connor, he… he ran in front of me, and they got him instead. Thankfully, the shots had alerted the neighbors, and they had called the cops who came just in time, but my brother could never walk again,” he released a bitter laugh. "You would think that would get my parents to stay home and protect us, but they simply kept Connor hidden while they continued with their political aspirations."

  "I'm sorry, Mason," a sob caught in my throat.

  "The worst and most painful part is that those same men had been the one to kill him, and I think Connor knew that too. They've been after my family for years because of something my parents got involved with, something they wouldn't even tell me about,” he kicked a rock off in a rage.

  "Mason…" I reached out a hand to pat him but quickly pulled it back when I remembered that I had a hand in his brother's death. "Mason, I'm sorry."

  He pushed back his hair roughly as his beautiful blue eyes watched me with naked pain and regret. "No, I should be the one that's sorry. I'm sorry, Kat. For not telling you about my incredible twin brother, for hiding him away from the world like my parents did…" Tears fell from his eyes as he spoke, and it made my heart hurt for him. "I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me the most, and I'm so sorry for making you feel like any of this was your fault when it wasn't. I'm sorry for being a coward Kat. Forgive me, please?"

  I nodded my head frantically, my own eyes shimmering with unshed tears as I tried to stay strong for him. "Of course, I forgive you, Mason. You did nothing wrong. I should have been there for you, but I was too much of a coward. I was worried about what you'd think of me, I was worried that you didn't want me anymore or worse that you hated me and couldn't stand the sight of me.”

  "Never, never Kat. I would never feel that way about you, and I will never stop wanting you either."

  "I know that now," I agreed, finally coming to my senses and feeling my broken heart being mended almost immediately.

  He lifted his hands to place them gently on my cheeks as he gazed lovingly into my eyes, the hurt in his eyes now cleared by the love we felt for each other. "You are my everything Katrina Dawson, and I am irrevocably in love with you," he whispered to me.

  Pulling his head to mine, I kissed him with vigor, pouring my heart and soul into the kiss so he would know how much I loved him. "You have my body, heart, and soul, Mason Welsh, and I am never going to stop loving you," I whispered back.

  He stood up and held his hand out, which I took before getting picked up and twirled around in his arms. Giggling loudly, I held on to the love of my life before planting several kisses on his face that made him laugh, his eyes sparkling with delight.

  "Well, it's about time," Aaron said, standing a few feet from us beside Jake, who whistled loudly, causing us all to laugh.

  "I love you, Katrina Dawson," Mason said with a wide grin, placing me on my feet while still holding onto my waist.

  "I love you, Mason Welsh."

  His head lowered, his lips closing against mine, causing my body to light up in a way it hadn't in a long time, and everything was right in the world again.

  CHAPTER NINE

  M ason and I had only been back together for a few hours now, and those were the best hours of my life. We had spent most of it in each other's arms, kissing and touching, yet we still couldn't get enough of each other. Seeing him come to pick me up for school the following morning simply made me lightheaded.

  Giggling as he tugged me into the school building and into a broom closet, I followed obediently, eager to feel him against me. My breathing increased when he shut the door behind us and pushed me against the wall.

  "I want you, here, now," he whispered, his eyes searching for permission, and I nodded immediately, granting him what he wanted.

  I felt Mason's mouth cover mine in a kiss, our tongues clashing and urging the other to succumb. He pulled me against his body and my thighs brushed the growing bulge in his pants, causing him to release a deep groan.

  Within seconds, Mason tugged off the straps of my flimsy, flowery gown, leaving the red lacy bra I had worn explicitly for him exposed.

  "Fuck, this is… beyond sexy, Kat,” he whispered and continued to trail kisses from my lips down to my bare neck.

  I tightened my hold on his forearm as I tilted my head, leaning into his kisses as my insides quivered in anticipation. Loving the feel of his mouth against mine, I felt his hand trace my thighs, gingerly pulling up my dress as he went higher while his other hand unfastened my bra. He cupped my now exposed breasts in his calloused palms, rolling the stiff peak between his fingers and squeezing ever so gently, making my nipple pucker and turn a bright shade of red.

  My back arched, and I pressed my breast more firmly against his hand, letting out a moan. I felt his mouth descend over my sensitive tip and I lost all sense of reasoning. He held complete control over my body, rendering me powerless as wave after wave of heady sensations crashed through me. Heat spread across my skin and rushed between my legs as they shook and I gripped his broad shoulders more tightly to brace myself as his demands grew more frenzied.

  I felt his fingers slide higher, deep between my thighs, and with one last tug on my breast, Mason lifted his head to watch my reaction as his fingers entered me. A loud moan escaped me, all thoughts that we were in school and someone could hear us flying out of my brain, but he quickly kissed me to suppress my moans.

  "I can't wait anymore, Kat," was all Mason said before he hoisted me against the door and entered me in one swift move. I hadn't even noticed him unbuckle his pants or put on a condom.

  I threw my head back and savored the pleasure as he pounded into me fast yet gentle. It was nothing like our first time together when I had felt a little tinge of pain. Now all I felt was nothing but intense, hot sensuality.

  My breasts bounced as he continued to thrust in and out of me and my breathing quickened in short gasps as he continued to stir my body into a wicked frenzy of need. I could feel the pressure elevate until I thought I would burst, and I knew what was coming, craved it even.

  "Cum for me baby,” Mason whispered in my ear and I surrendered to the soothing caress of his voice until I clenched and then finally shattered, just as Mason groaned out loud and followed after.

  Still feeling high from our recent activity, I entered the classroom with a broad smile and rosy blush while Mason's arms were wrapped around my waist. I took my seat and grinned when Mason stole a quick kiss before taking his seat.

  "Whore,” I heard someone mutter.

  Sighing with resolve, I turned in the direction of the insult and saw Noelle, who glared at me. "Do you have something to say to me?" I snapped at her.

  "Nothing, just to congratulate you for finally succeeding in getting them
all. It's all you've ever really wanted anyway.”

  I rolled my eyes and turned back to face the board.

  "You don't want to be ignoring me right now, Katrina," she spat my name out like it was venom.

  "And why can't I do that?" I glared at her with equal dislike.

  "Back off, Noelle," Aaron said, coming to my rescue as Mason's eyes met mine. I shook my head to let him know it was okay.

  Noelle laughed. "Of course, you'll defend her; after all, you are in love with her and constantly shoving your tongue down her throat while her actual boyfriend is stuck at home mourning his brother."

  My head snapped up at her words, suddenly remembering the kiss Aaron and I had shared in his parent's kitchen. "How…?"

  "I saw you both through the window when I went to study at Giselle's house." Giselle, who happened to be another classmate of ours, was Aaron's next-door neighbor.

  "Kat… what's she talking about?" Mason's voice drew my eyes to him, and I could see the confusion there, an emotion that would soon turn into pain and hurt when I confirmed it was true.

  "Mason, it was nothing… I didn't…"

  He stood up abruptly, betrayal shining in his eyes as he watched Aaron and me.

  "I can't believe this, did you kiss him too?" he yelled bitterly as he pointed to Jake, the entire class now watching our fight.

  "No, no, I didn't. Mason, you have to believe me; it didn't mean anything!" I stood up too, raising my hand to hold his, but he quickly pulled away from me. "Mason, please, I was sad and alone…"

  "Mason…" Aaron began.

  "You stay the fuck out of this," Mason screamed back, looking at him with rage. He turned around to me. "And I suppose that was enough reason to kiss someone else, huh? What else did you do, sleep with him? This whole time, you didn't come to see me because of him?"

  "No, no, Mason, please! You know that's not true," I cried, my voice cracking in between sobs.

  "I don't know what to believe anymore," he screamed at me just as the teacher came in.

  "Miss Dawson, Mr. Welsh, have your seats, please…"

  Instead, Mason looked at me and said, "We're over, Kat. I can't do this anymore." He picked up his bag and walked out of the class.

  "Mr. Welsh, get back in here," the teacher called just as he called my name when I ran after Mason and Aaron and Jake's words when they ran after me.

  By the time I reached the school building entrance, I had seen Mason drive off in his car, taking my heart with him.

  CHAPTER TEN

  "Kat…"

  "Katrina…"

  The voices called after me, but I kept running anyway even though I knew there was no way to meet up with Mason's car.

  "Katrina…" They finally caught up with me. "Wait," Jake said. "Please, you have to stay calm." ‘I couldn't stay calm, though,’ I thought with heaving breaths.

  "Let's go back inside. Come on, Kat," Aaron said, but I couldn't bear to look at him or be around anyone else.

  I shook my head and pushed them off me. "I need to be alone," I whispered tiredly.

  "Katrina, please…" Jake began, putting more steel in his voice.

  "I need to be alone!" I screamed at them, "Don't come looking for me," I said before running off again, and this time, they didn't follow me.

  Just a few miles before Redwood's neighboring town's boundary stood a really high cliff that had a massive lake spread out beneath it. On several occasions, students from Redwood High and the neighboring town have been known to go cliff diving at this particular spot. I wasn't a fan of extreme sports, which was why I headed there; it was the last place the boys would come looking for me.

  Seated at the very edge of the cliff with my legs swinging, I stared blankly ahead as I threw rocks unconsciously into the water, thinking of how I could have stopped any of this from happening.

  ‘I never should have kissed Aaron,’ I thought for the umpteenth time, wondering again what was wrong with me and why I found it difficult to just choose Mason and stick with him. Why did I have to be attracted to all three of them initially, and why had I found comfort in Aaron's arms instead of looking for Mason?

  It was very glaring to me now that I couldn't live without Mason because I knew none of the others could affect me the way that he did. When Jake had stopped hanging out with me or when I had stopped kissing Aaron to go after Mason, I hadn't felt this crushed and alone. It was Mason; it had always been him.

  Someone whistled behind me, and I quickly turned around to see who it was. When I did, my heart skipped a beat.

  "Little girl, fancy seeing you here," he said, his dreadlocks swinging as he walked toward me. "I told you I would come for you," Kaleb grinned sinisterly.

  I shot to my feet and made to run, but I was no match for him, and he grabbed me immediately.

  "Where do you think you're going? We haven't even had any fun yet, hmm?" He swept my hair away from my face and sniffed my neck, causing me to shiver in fear.

  "Let go of me!" I screamed.

  His loud laughter filled the air. "You know, back in that warehouse, I ached so much to kill you. There was just something about you, something different from others, and I just knew how much satisfaction killing you would bring,” he said, licking the side of my face.

  I whimpered, his touch making my skin crawl. "Please, let me go."

  "Good, beg…" he screamed, "Beg me." He began to walk with me in his arms toward the edge of the cliff.

  "No, no, please," I begged as I tried to push myself back to no avail; I couldn't swim, not after being traumatized by my dad's death. His body had been found in his car at the bottom of a lake, and from my experience in the massive pool at Mason's house, it was crystal clear that I was going to drown if I was tossed into the lake.

  "Help!" I screamed, hoping someone would hear me, but my voice merely echoed back.

  Kaleb's hand closed against my neck, squeezing it and choking me. "There's no one here to help you, little girl. Oh, how I will enjoy watching you fight for your life," he whispered before chuckling devilishly in my ear. "Goodbye, Katrina Dawson," he said and tossed me right into the lake.

  Free falling, I screamed for no one else but my dad because, at that moment, he was all I could think about, and I recalled what Dr. Martin had said. I needed to come to terms with his death.

  "I love you, Dad," I said just as I fell into the water.

  I didn't bother to try and swim out of it because it was of no use and I didn't want to give Kaleb the satisfaction of watching me struggle for my life.

  Letting myself go, I sank deeper and deeper into the blue waters with one voice echoing in my head. "You are my everything Katrina Dawson, and I am irrevocably in love with you."

  Far, far away, I could hear a familiar voice call out for me, and I wanted to reach out to it, but I had no strength left. Fading away just seemed more comfortable and there was no pain left anymore.

  "KATRINA!!!" I heard again, then the darkness came, and I embraced it.

  TRANQUILITY

  A Dark High School Romance

  The Brotherhood- (Redwood High) Book 5

  Summer Rose

  CHAPTER ONE

  I had never really thought about how I would die, just like most people. We all think about death, some of us going as far as wondering what life would be like when we were gone. But, usually, we never think of how it would happen.

  Ever since my father’s body was found in his car, drowned at the bottom of the lake, the trauma has caused me to stay far away from any large amount of water. However, that hadn’t stopped me from encountering large amounts of water twice since then.

  The first time, I had been pushed into a large, deep pool by a vexed classmate who wanted to avenge the death of a friend that I didn’t know. I didn’t think she had intended for me to drown, but for some reason, I couldn’t find my way back up as images of my father’s death flashed before my eyes. Thankfully, I had been saved.

  However, as I sank freely into the deep ab
yss of blue water, two things made this time different from the last. The vile human that pushed me into the lake – whom I could still catch a faint glimpse of as he watched me drown with a smirk – had intended for me to die, and this time, there was no one to save me.

  “You should never have come here,” my subconscious laughed at me, mocking me in her own way, and I knew what she meant.

  I should never have come to Redwood.

  From the very moment I set foot in the small town, it has been a curse to me. And no, it wasn’t just because of the silly high school dramas that had me confused between which boy I liked and which one I wanted to choose. That was the least of my problems now.

  From the moment I moved to Redwood with my mom to start a new life after dad’s death, misfortune has followed me. First, it was a boy I had come to care for and trust killing off girls for my protection – and turning out to be my father’s murderer as well. Even though they didn’t die by my hands, their blood, I believed, was on my hands. Then it was the psychopathic assailant who killed women he was obsessed with after having his fun with them. He had taken my mother, and I put someone I loved in danger in my bid to rescue her. Thankfully, he survived, but the events that followed weighed me down with even more guilt than I could bear, causing me to pull away from him.

  Everything seemed beautiful again after I got him back; it felt like I could have that wonderful happily-ever-after they talked about in books and movies. But once again, I hurt him, which inevitably led to the events unfolding now.

  Maybe it was better this way. With me gone, I won’t cause any more pain to those around me. Kaleb’s thirst for blood and vengeance would be quenched with me gone, and he won’t go after my mom or Mason.

  Yes, everything was better this way.