“No fair.” Rhys banged one fist on the door as he walked by.
“No worries. I have a small bathroom off of my room.” Thatcher’s voice echoed down the hall.
The water did the trick, providing a ringing clarity to the day that I wasn’t so sure I wanted. Should Jonah even go to school? The smart thing to do, would be for him to hide out here until the meet up tonight. I squeezed my eyes shut as the jets from the nozzle beat against my face. Sounded painful, but it was one of the top five best feelings ever. Especially when Jonah’s stubbornness came to mind. If he felt it made him have a better fighting chance, like how he pretended to wear glasses, then there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d miss a day of school. The geek probably had perfect attendance.
Thirty minutes later Beck pounded on the door. “Come on, pretty girl. It’s time to go to school. I think you’ve hidden in there long enough.”
“I’m not hiding.” I grumbled as I opened the door. Beck’s gaze drifted down my body and I tugged against the hem of my shirt to cover imaginary skin. When I’d grabbed stuff from my room last night, I hadn’t paid attention to what it was. I just stuffed some items in my camera bag. Today he wasn’t looking at boho Astrid. He was looking at biker Astrid. I’d accidentally snagged clothes out of my closet from two years ago. Skinny jeans, which paired quite nicely with my combat boots. And a black T-shirt that had a picture of a skull with red lipstick and the tagline ‘poison me, baby’, scrawled out in fancy writing underneath. Okay, the T-shirt wasn’t actually a biker shirt. It only felt like it because it was a size too small, hugging my almost non-existent curves, and it was black. Black was the universal color for bikers in my book.
“Who are you and what have you done with the hippie?” Beck stepped forward and let his fingertips flutter down the side of my waist.
“I ate her. She was too antisocial and awkward to spend time with a rock star.” I deadpanned.
He rolled with laughter, flashing his lone dimple. “Well, in that case, I’m sorry I don’t have my Triumph with me. I thought it would look weird to have Jonah riding bitch, but now I’m thinking it would have been worth it to have you behind me today.”
His subtle flirting warmed my center and I slapped a hand on his chest as I pushed by him. “Real smooth, but now I don’t think I can ride on the back of your bike without picturing Jonah pressed tight, resting his cheek on your shoulder.”
The humor was quickly replaced with a grimace. He shook his whole body as he made an ‘ew’ sound.
Leaving him in the hallway, I joined the others in the kitchen. Rhys handed me a banana as Jonah handed me a flavored water. Then Thatcher was next with a bag for lunch. I grinned, this was the picture of domesticity at its finest.
“What’s so funny?” Jonah eyed me suspiciously. Out of all the guys, he had never loosened up as the others had. Although, with everything going on, I wasn’t surprised. Maybe after the Devil’s Hands was behind him, he’d relax a little.
“Nothing. Thanks for the food, guys. Are we meeting here after school?”
“I have to grade papers for Dan, but I guess I could do that here.” Thatcher bit into his own banana.
Jonah nodded.
Beck stopped directly behind me. “As soon as my shift is done. It might be more like five.”
Rhys was the last one left, and I wanted to kick myself at the pain etched into his face. “Yeah. I’d have practice, but I’m pretty sure that’s done now.”
Silence fell over the table and we all avoided eye contact of any kind. Beck cleared his throat and pointedly looked at the time on the microwave. “It’s time to head out. I need to make up some time for this weekend.”
We all said goodbye for now, since I’d see the others in a short while, and walked our separate ways.
Beck and I were the first to leave the parking lot, but he didn’t take the quickest route to school. “Where are we going?”
“Taking a precaution. I need to make sure no one is following us.” He checked the rearview mirror repeatedly.
I let him do his thing as I messed with a new photo app I’d recently downloaded. We’d only been driving for about five minutes when Beck let out a string of curses.
“Mother fucking, cock licker.” He sped up and I grabbed onto my seatbelt.
“Beck.” I had nothing else to say.
“Someone’s following us. Fuck.”
Beck took us down a side street and I opened the group message to let the guys know we were being followed, when Beck slammed on the breaks.
Tires screeched. The smell of burned rubber blew through the vents, and my phone landed somewhere in the floorboard. Two black motorcycles blocked the front of the car and three more stopped right behind us.
“I’d tell you to hide, but they’ve already seen you. Don’t say anything, okay?” He manually rolled down his window and waited for the bikers to approach. The only sign of his anxiety was his fast shaking knee. Otherwise, he looked normal.
We didn’t wait long, as one of the riders behind us swung off of his bike and removed his matching black helmet. Thick, luscious hair fell down around his face as he shook it out. He was masculinity incarnate, but if I had only seen the back of his head, I’d have been positive I was looking at a woman.
The clomping of his boots resounded around the slender alley until he bent and nearly stuck his head through the open window.
I sucked in a breath. This man was gorgeous. Too perfect to be anything mortal. Would they notice if I got some shots in? My phone was half laying over the toe of my boot, and I slowly tucked my boot under me to bring the phone closer.
There was a coldness in this man’s eyes, such unbearable coldness as he studied Beck before turning his ice gaze my way.
In a blink, his face warmed as he grinned and slapped a tatted hand over Beck’s shoulder. “I was surprised you called last night. Dad will be glad to see you. Who’s this?” He jerked his head my way.
Beck worked his jaw back and forth, not returning any of the friendly vibes this guy was suddenly throwing off. “No one.”
“Christ, lose the attitude. I’m better at it anyway.” He actually winked at me.
“Then why are you trapping me here? That’s a bitch move.” Beck threw his elbow over the steering wheel and turned sideways, effectively blocking me from the other guy’s view.
“Seriously, you need to calm down. We’re having fun. Saying good morning. Bring no one with you tonight.” This beautiful man pointedly looked my way, then back at Beck with a silent warning. He stood up, tapped the hood of the car two times, and retreated back to his bike. He let out a sharp whistle and circled his hand in the air before pointing back down the way we’d come.
In less than one full minute, all five bikes were gone as if they’d never been there at all.
“So, I’m guessing you know that guy.” I raised my eyebrows at him.
Beck grunted. “Angel? Yeah, I know him.” Then he clammed up so tight, little white lines formed around his mouth.
He roughly threw the car into drive and it scared me. He treated this thing like it was his baby, but at the moment it could have been any random car. I’d most likely make things worse and cause Beck more pain if I asked questions. I had the finesse of a rhino on a fast melting ice surface. But fuck it. I was going for it. He might feel better for talking about it, and I wanted him to know he could talk to me. I would keep his secrets. And that’s what this felt like. One whopping secret.
“How do you know him?” If I didn’t look directly at him, he may be more open. The deepest secrets were often shared in the dark of night. I’d pretend I couldn’t see him to put him at ease.
“You’re going to be the death of me.” Beck scrubbed an impatient hand over his face. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll tell you what you want to know, if you go on a date with me.”
That was not where I saw this going.
I’d avoided the dreaded conversation as long as I could. Rhys already had his. I could at le
ast tell Beck now. “I’d love to go out with you… But I have some conditions. Please don’t make me choose you over the others. I can’t, Beck. I… I like all of you. And if you tell me I have to choose, then my answer is no.” I held my breath.
This was a bit like beating a dead horse. I’d had some variation of this conversation three times when it was all said and done. Well two, because I avoided it like the plague with Thatcher. Every time it chipped away at my heart a little more. Was this a rollercoaster ride that I’d soon found out had a break in the tracks? The thrill of our friendship and the satisfaction of our time together gone, in the blink of an eye?
We stopped at the end of the street, and Beck surprised me by smoothing a thumb over my finely arched eyebrow.
“Pretty girl, I won’t make you choose. I won’t lie, it hurts that you can’t commit to me, or cut me loose. But I get that you don’t want to ruin what we have. You’ll have to choose at some point, and you must realize that friendships can be as easily broken then as they would be now. And the others might not like sharing. If I’m lucky, I’ll be the only one left standing and then it won’t even be an issue.” He traced the lines of my lips and nose, coming to rest on my eyes. “You’re a very special girl. To me, you’re worth a little heartache, and the chance to win yours in the end. No matter what the others decide, I’m with you.”
In the words of Ryan, I couldn’t even. I. Couldn’t. Even. With those words.
Timidly, not having any idea what I was doing, I leaned toward him. His breath was warm on my lips as I hesitated with mere centimeters separating us. I brought my own hand up to rest on the warm skin at the crook of his neck. We locked gazes as I tried to gather all of the tendrils of my courage to close the distance. I kissed him.
Just like last time, his lips were warm, and firm. Slightly chapped. The kiss was relaxed and so intimate, breathing each other’s air as we moved together in a sensual rhythm as old as time. My tongue darted out to touch his top lip, right as I lost my nerve and sat back.
He stared at me, wide eyes and panting. Then he was on me, gripping the back of my head, pulling my mouth to his as his tongue thrust inside my mouth.
It was hard. Passionate, and over much too quickly. This time I was left panting when he separated us.
“Wow.” I breathed as I touched my fingers to my lips.
“Worth it.” He whispered as he resumed driving like he hadn’t just blown my mind.
These boys. They were going to kill me with their kisses.
The fear of what would happen later that night caused the day to sift through my damned slippery fingers. I couldn’t stop time; I couldn’t clear the sickly-sweet scent of fear hovering over all of us.
On the beautifully bright, sunny side of the street, there were no run ins of any kind with any trouble. Except if you counted the slurs tossed Rhys’ way as we walked to our last class.
“What a fucking brute. He starts a fight with his cousin and Trey gets punished. Unfair.” One girl whispered so loud, she might as well have shouted it from the top of the trophy display case.
“Are we sure he didn’t grow up on the other side of town?” A football player brayed as he slapped his buddy on the back.
Somehow, Trey had spread what happened last night, making himself out to be the victim. He wasn’t even here and he was causing trouble. Luckily, the principal didn’t know, or they’d be looking at a much more serious suspension.
I grabbed Rhys’ hand, comforting him in the best way I knew how.
“It was probably over that slut.” One of the wannabe twitch bitches said. She had to be a freshman, but had the ego of a thirty-year-old, successful tycoon. The way the real twitch bitches were looking at her, it wouldn’t be long before she was brought down a few pegs.
Rhys ground the bones in my hand together as he stiffened, his muscles bunching as if her were ready to pounce on the girl.
“Let it go. She’s not worth the trouble.” And it would be a hellish amount of trouble if he attacked a girl in the hallway. I didn’t actually believe he would harm her, but Rhys was losing his golden boy status fast and these flaming idiots would love to throw him under the bus for giggles.
He let me lead him out to the cars where Jonah was waiting. He’d ridden with Rhys this morning since we were all staying at Thatcher’s.
“Why does Rhys look like he wants to peel someone’s skin away very slowly before dipping them in salt and vinegar?” Jonah pressed deeper into the car.
“That’s a very colorful description.” I glanced at Rhys as he unlocked the car. “And very accurate.”
I relayed what happened in the halls and Jonah shook his head. “Have I said how much I can’t wait until we’re graduated? Small minded, cocksucking fucktards. All of them.”
I whipped around from the front seat. Jonah was always so proper; it was odd to hear him curse like that. Beck was clearly the influencer here.
“They don’t matter.” I pushed my oversized sunglasses up the bridge of my nose, and connected my phone to Rhys’ stereo. The opening notes of Cough Syrup by Young the Giant floated through the speakers as we cut off a car full of twitch bitches, and sped out of the parking lot.
“You’re not seriously considering taking her?” Thatcher crossed his arms and glared at Beck as if to say, the fuck she’s going.
“You don’t get it. They caught us. They saw her. If I don’t take her, they’ll go looking for her, and they won’t let us leave until they’ve brought her there. I don’t have an option.”
Thatcher growled under his breath, and Rhys was just as livid in a deadly calm kind of way.
“I’ll go. Maybe I can even take some pictures in case we need evidence.” I held up my phone, shaking it from side to side.
“Fuck no.” Beck yelled. “That’s what got dipshit here in trouble in the first place.” He jerked a thumb at Jonah.
In the corner, Jonah’s cheeks were once again mottled red, but he didn’t speak up in his defense. Which was ridiculous. He couldn’t play the martyr forever. He made a bad decision. Okay, he made a few bad decisions, but it wasn’t right that he had to live under that black cloud for the rest of his life.
“Fine, that was a bad decision. But I’m still going.” I stabbed my finger at the floor to make my point. There was safety in numbers. They needed me as much as I needed to be there to assure myself they were walking back out again.
“Whatever. Get Astrid on their radar. Fine fucking idea. I’m going to my bedroom. Knock on my door if you come back, so I know you’re alive.” Thatcher stormed off down the hallway, slamming his door and rattling the pictures in the living room.
Rhys stepped up to Beck, clenching his fists at his side. “Bringing her back isn’t an option. All of you come back.” Then Rhys snatched his keys off of the counter with restrained fury. Where Thatcher’s exit was the brutal heat of a hurricane, Rhys’ was the severe calm of a blizzard. And now it was just Jonah, Beck and me.
The frown line on Beck’s forehead deepened and he gestured toward the door. Without another word, Jonah and I jogged down the steps where Beck’s Mustang was parked front and center.
“You take the front, Astrid. I don’t want anyone to recognize me, just in case.” In case they wanted to stop us like they had earlier in the day.
Ever since recounting what happened, Jonah had withdrawn more and more. In the backseat, he was currently hunched and a thousand miles away. The kind of person Jonah was, he was probably burdened down by guilt. Wondering if he was walking us into a trap, or worse. At least, that’s what I would think in his place. But the ugly truth was, you couldn’t force people to listen to you, not even to protect them. From the aura of sadness hanging around him, tinged with a little resignation, Jonah was learning that now.
But we all made our own choices, and mine was to do what I could to save Jonah.
The drive was long and nerve-wracking. The closer we got, the more my hands started to shake. These were the men that cornered Jonah i
n the alley. That answered the door at his house. People who clearly didn’t hold any regard for others, and had the empathy of a tarnished penny.
The tension in the car grew thicker and thicker by the minute. As we cruised down a bumpy dirt road, Jonah vibrated with so much fear? Apprehension? That if he flew through the front windshield it wouldn’t have surprised me.
Our headlights cast long, sinister shadows across the road, the tall trees bending over us. Not a very welcoming sight. We came to a fork, and Beck took the right, driving with a confidence that bothered me. Was it common knowledge where the Devil’s Hands resided? I didn’t think it was. Criminals hardly wanted people to waltz by to get a look at what they were doing.
“We’re almost there.” Beck murmured as he flipped on his blinker, signaling to all the cars that weren’t on this deserted road, we were turning. The wide, paved driveway wound back through trees so we could no longer see the road.
“Beck, how did you know where this place was?” Shit. He scrambled my naïve brain so much this morning I hadn’t thought to continue with my questioning. Now I was feeling like I really, really should have.
“Most kids from our side of town know.” He mentioned distractedly.
I glanced back at Jonah who absently nodded. “How do you know Angel?” My gaze was still locked on Jonah when he snapped to an upright position.
“Damn it. I hadn’t wanted to talk about this, but now that we’re here, I’m afraid you’re going to find out anyway.” He was almost hyperventilating as he parked at the rear of a mess of shiny motorcycles. When the car and lights were all off, it was so dark I could barely see his profile. That’s when he continued. “Angel’s my…” He gulped. “He’s my cousin.”
“What the fuck!” Jonah bent forward, staring at Beck with fragile betrayal. “This is your family? After all the shit you told Astrid about me, this is your family?” Jonah’s voice was rising so loud, he’d bring attention to us if he didn’t quiet down.
Ugly Truths: A Contemporary YA Romance (Astrid Scott Series Book 2) Page 21
