“You’re blushing, Winters. What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” Brandon waggled his eyebrows at me, yanking me out of my warped daydreams by the scruff of my neck. “Are you thinking about me?”
“God, no,” I bit back as Ryan banged something really loudly behind me, making me jump.
“Don’t scare the girl, Ry.” He smirked, then came to stand over me, trying to intimidate me no doubt. “Do you like being scared?” he whispered low into my ear and I leant away, feeling disgusted by his closeness. “Because if you do, I think we could have a lot of fun together.”
“I’d rather stick pins in my eyes whilst listening to Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” on repeat than spend a second in your company. Isn’t there a fist somewhere that you could be jumping in front of?”
Ryan laughed and came to stand next to me.
“I guess that’s my cue. I’ll leave you lovebirds to it.” Brandon winked and turned his back on us, sauntering back over to his car. Then he shouted over his shoulder, “I’m starting to like you, Winters. If he fucks it up, I’m right here waiting to pick up the slack.”
I had no idea what this guy was on. He was certifiably crazy. As if I would go anywhere near him. Dude scared the shit out of me in a bad way. He made my skin crawl. And what the hell was he on about, “If he fucks up?” He obviously didn’t know me at all. Everyone in this town knew I was single.
“I need your number,” Ryan said, breaking my trance. I turned to face him and gasped. He wanted my number? Why?
“So I can call you when the car is ready,” he said, rolling his eyes. I hadn’t realised I’d spoken out loud. I must’ve sounded like a complete idiot.
“Oh, right. Yeah. Hold on.” I scrolled through my phone to find my number and heard a friendly voice behind me.
“Hey there. You’re Alec Winters’ daughter, aren’t you?” Ryan’s dad was coming towards me. He wiped his hands down his overalls then held one out for me to shake.
“Yeah, Emily.” I took his hand and he smiled, a really genuine, heart-warming smile.
“I hope my boy is looking after you,” he said, giving Ryan a questioning look.
“He towed me here. My car broke down.” Nothing like stating the obvious.
Ryan’s dad slapped him proudly on the back. “He’s a good kid. I’m glad he was there to help you. Do you want to come into the office and we can get some paperwork filled out?”
“I’m sorting it, Dad. It’s okay.”
“You haven’t even offered the girl a drink. She’s been stood here for five minutes,” his dad chastised him.
“Two, actually, and she was just calling a cab. I’m getting her number.”
“I bet you are.” His dad grinned, and Ryan actually blushed. “You don’t need to call a cab. Ryan will take you home.”
“Oh, no. That’s okay, Mr Hardy. I can find my own ride.”
“It’s Sean, and we’re more than happy to see you home safely. Aren’t we, son?”
“She’s sorting her own ride, Dad. Chill out.”
Mr Hardy, Sean, shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He shook his head and laughed. “I’ll never understand your generation.” Then he walked back towards the office, leaving Ryan and I to our awkward stand-off.
“Your dad seems nice.”
“He is, but I’m not. Write your number on here and I’ll get one of the guys to call you when it’s ready.” He thrust a piece of paper and a pen at me, and I grabbed it, leant against the wall to write my number and slapped it back into his chest.
“Can’t wait,” I said sarcastically and strode away, heading towards a coffee house to grab a much needed caffeine fix to calm my shredded nerves.
It’d been four days and I still hadn’t gotten my car back. I don’t know why I was surprised. I doubt my little Audi was a top priority to them. It was a pain in the arse to have to keep relying on others for a lift though. To be honest, I was quite happy with walking or catching a bus, but to everyone around me that was like committing a heinous crime.
My mother hated public transport; thought it was unsanitary. Although she’d never admit that publically. That’d be political suicide. And my friends? They felt sorry for me, I guess. So, they messaged me daily to check that I was okay and asked me whether I needed anything. Hence the reason why I was riding shotgun with Effy to the hairdressers, while Liv sat in the back. I say sat, she spent more time leaning forward in-between the headrests than actually sitting down. I think she was scared she’d miss something if she chilled out.
“Have you ever thought of dying your hair, Em? I think you’d really suit blonde. Or maybe you could spark some more fire in you and become a redhead?” Liv said, popping her gum as she spoke.
“I’m happy with a trim. I like the brown. I know it’s boring, but it’s me.”
“I like the brown too,” Effy said in solidarity. “Chocolate curls. That’s your look, Em. Stick with it.”
I pulled the sun visor down and looked in the mirror, fluffing my hair as I did. Maybe a little something extra to brighten it up might work?
“I could add in a few highlights, I suppose.”
“Oh my God, yes. That’d catch the sun and make it pop. Do it.” Liv urged me, nudging her shoulder into me. “It doesn’t have to be a permanent colour, just try something out and see if you like it.”
I glanced across to Effy to gauge her reaction.
“Go for it, Em.” She smiled and pulled into the car park in front of my hairdressers.
Three hours later, and I was waltzing back out into the sunshine, sporting a new, shinier look. Steph, my hairdresser, had teased my curls until they fell in spirals down my back, and the chocolate was now complemented by honey and caramels to soften the look. I’d never dyed my hair before. Okay, so I hadn’t gone drastic and dyed it blue, but for me, this felt edgier. The first step to a new, bolder me.
I spotted Effy’s car across the car park. Bless her for coming back to pick me up, she really was the sweetest. I told her she didn’t have to, but she’d insisted. I was lucky to have such good friends. I got into the car to a chorus of “Ooo’s” and “Ahh’s.” Liv was sitting in the back still and reached forward to stroke my hair in appreciation. I pushed her off, laughing at her playfulness.
“You look amazing, chick. We need to…” Effy didn’t get to finish her sentence. The simultaneous ping coming from all three of our mobile phones stopped us in our tracks and had us all reaching for them. I tapped my unlock code onto the screen and saw the message waiting to be opened.
We’ve got you covered.
What the hell?
“The fuck is this?” Liv said, mirroring my own thoughts.
I opened the message and saw the coordinates for what I assumed was their next party. Question was, why were we getting this all of a sudden? They’d already said we didn’t belong there. Now they were sending us invites? It didn’t add up.
“I was about to suggest that we needed to take you out and show off that new hair, Em. Looks like we have the perfect excuse now,” Effy said, waving her phone at me to show she’d got the same message and grinning like she’d won the lottery.
“Fuck that. We aren’t going,” Liv spat back, throwing her mobile back into her handbag in anger.
“Aren’t we?” Effy frowned and glanced back at Liv. It was written all over her face, Eff wanted to go, and I found myself wondering what’d happened to change her mind. Days ago, she’d told me I needed to avoid those boys like the plague. Now, she was buzzing from getting an invite.
In all honesty, I was as curious as fuck to find out what the hell these boys were playing at. One minute we didn’t exist, didn’t even register on their radar; we were pariahs. The next, we were threatened, mocked and chased because we didn’t belong there, apparently. And now? Now, it was all weird mixed signals, mind fucks and secret messages. I had to know what the deal was here. These boys were starting to play with my head. Ryan Hardy was getting under my skin and I knew something wasn�
��t right about all of this.
“No, we’re not.” Liv wasn’t going to be easily swayed on this one. “They scared the fuck out of Em the last time. Didn’t make us feel all that welcome either. The music was good, but the company? I think it’s a hard pass, girls.” Liv folded her arms and sat back, looking out of the side window. She didn’t look chilled out though, she looked pissed as fuck.
“I’m okay, Liv,” I said, trying to calm her down. “And to be completely honest with you both, I’m kind of wondering why they’ve invited us in the first place.” Liv turned to me and shrugged, but I could tell she still wasn’t convinced. “We’ve never had these messages before. So, why now? I think we should go, even if it’s to find out what their game is.” Liv rolled her eyes and huffed. “I mean, why do they want us there? Is this some kind of trick or trap?”
“If it is, why do we want to fall into it?” she argued back.
“But we wouldn’t. We’re smart.” I gave her a wink. I knew she loved a challenge.
“Maybe we should think of a dumbass name for ourselves. We’d think of something a hell of a lot cooler than Renaissance girls.” Liv laughed and rolled her eyes again. She was starting to warm to the idea.
“Renegade girls,” Effy said smiling.
“Eff, I like your thinking. We’re the rebels.” Liv snorted at me, but I kept going. “The new rebels. We’ll defy anyone who fucks with us or tries to control us. Renegade warriors. Warrior queens.”
“Jeez, you girls are really getting ahead of yourselves. It’s a fucking party invitation, not a declaration of war,” Liv said.
“Isn’t it?” I lifted my phone as I spoke. “This right here is them throwing down the gauntlet. They think we’re weak little princesses who’ll crumble under the first sign of trouble. We need to show them that’s not true. We’re going.” I gave Liv a pointed stare. “We’re all going, and we’ll play them at their own game. Come on. It’ll be fun. I’ve never known you to stand down from a challenge, Liv.”
Liv huffed and gave me one last eye roll before saying, “Fine. We’ll go. Eff, you can be designated driver again. I’ll need all the alcohol to get through this.”
“This can’t be it, surely?” Effy said as we made our way down the dirt track, following her Sat Nav’s directions.
It was dark out, and the trees that hung over the path we were driving down enclosed all around us, like eerie death-eaters. Everything about this journey so far screamed set-up. Shit, in all our confusion about whether we would go or not, we hadn’t countered in the fact that we might be the only ones to get that message. What the hell were we driving into? Maybe we weren’t as clued up as we thought?
I needed to sharpen my brain if I was going to engage with these four boys. They always did their homework and then some. I was barely showing up to class. Had I just dropped a major ball putting us out here like this? Jesus, I’d probably painted a massive red bullseye on the three of us.
“And we have a winner,” Liv said, pointing ahead where we could just about make out a bonfire in a clearing up ahead. There were a few parked cars and trucks, but nowhere near the number of vehicles that’d been on that field by the disused warehouse last week.
“I’m not sure about this. It doesn’t look like the same type of party we went to on Em’s birthday,” Effy said, peering into the darkness ahead of her. “It looks… Exclusive. There’s not that many people here.”
“More chance for Finn to notice you then. Or is it Zak, still? I can’t keep up,” Liv joked, and I shot her a warning glare.
“The three of us should stick together. Safety in numbers. Let’s let them show their hand first. There’s a reason they invited us here tonight and I want to know what it is.” Effy blew out a low breath and Liv nodded along in agreement.
“Let’s do this, bitches,” Liv said, and opened her door as we rolled to a halt.
We picked our way over the uneven ground. I thanked my lucky stars I was wearing my ripped skinny jeans tonight paired with my trusty converse. I’d brought a pair of heels along too, just in case, but I didn’t think I’d be needing those. They could stay in the car.
There were about a dozen or so people sat around the fire. A few more were up and dancing close to where a truck was blasting out music. I guessed Zak had turned mobile D.J. tonight. He was sitting on the back of a pick-up truck, next to a set of huge speakers, and nodding his head in time with the beat. A girl with long dark hair walked over to him, swaying her hips like crazy to catch his attention, and handed him a beer. He grabbed it and took a long swig, then wiped the back of his hand over his mouth and grinned at her.
I had no idea who she was, but it looked like she’d caught Zak in her net already, hook, line and sinker. I peered across at Effy, but she didn’t seem to care. I don’t think she’d even noticed Zak. She was too busy staring at a particular guy sat huddled on the floor, next to a tree trunk. Finn was carving something into the tree, and the look of concentration he was giving it told me he was oblivious to the party going on around him. All his focus was on the masterpiece he was creating. Effy would need all the luck in the world to crack that one.
I was hoping to make a quiet entrance. Sneak across to the bonfire, grab a beer on the way from the cooler that was sat close by. But subtle entrances, exits, or any kind of grace seemed to elude me just lately. I wasn’t looking where I was going, too busy taking it all in and wondering where the last two demons in the devil’s foursome were, when I got my foot caught in the root of a tree and I stumbled forward onto my hands and knees.
Oh the shame.
I peered up to find every single person here looking straight at me. The girls were grimacing at how uncool and totally unwelcome I was. A few of the guys actually looked concerned, Finn included. But nothing could overshadow the smirks I was getting from Ryan and Brandon as they stood by the bonfire.
“Shit, chick. Are you okay?” Liv whispered, as she pulled me up from the floor. Effy went to grab my other side, but I shooed her away. I already felt like a complete idiot. I didn’t want to prolong the misery. I dusted myself down and winced as I felt the twinge of pain on my left knee. Great. I’d have a scab like a kid for the next few days. That’d be attractive.
“I’m fine, but I need a beer to numb the pain,” I hissed back.
“Are you really hurt?” Effy asked.
“Yeah, my pride is fucking crushed.” I tried not to limp too badly as we headed in the direction of the alcohol.
“Took a nice little trip there, Winters,” Brandon shouted over the bonfire at me. “Always knew you’d fall hard for me.”
“In your dreams, Mathers,” I shouted back as I grabbed a beer and then passed one to Effy and Liv.
“Always in my dreams, Winters. Me and you get up to all sorts of crazy shit in my dreams.” He took a sip of his beer then grabbed his crotch and leered at me like a sicko. Brandon was a shady motherfucker and the thought of being in his dreams, let alone near him now, made me shudder.
“I’d rather suck a rhino’s balls than go anywhere near you.”
He laughed at me and then winked.
“You like balls, don’t you, Winters. First you wanna get near my boy Ryan’s here, and now you’re getting me all hot under the collar thinking about you sucking mine.”
I sneered at him, having absolutely no clue what the fuck he was on about. Was this some sort of fucked-up mating ritual for him?
I glanced at Ryan and couldn’t help but notice how tense he looked. His eyes were boring into Brandon, but Brandon didn’t care. He was on a roll.
“Why don’t you come and sit over by me, Winters? I’ve got a really nice… Big… Lap for you to sit on. And maybe later, you can sit on something else?”
“Fuck off,” Ryan said to him in a low voice.
What the hell was that?
Was Hardy trying to step in for me?
That was fucking rich. The demon overstepping the devil. I didn’t need him doing his knight in shining armour shi
t. Even if it was a crap effort.
“Is the big guy bothering you?” Zak was standing behind us, smirking over at his boys.
“No, he’s not bothering me. I stopped paying attention about five minutes ago. Is he still talking?” I shrugged trying to look unfazed.
“Sit down, ladies. Where are your boyfriends tonight? Don’t tell me three beautiful girls came all the way out here on their own?” Zak shook his head with mock sadness. “Now, that’s a travesty. I think we’ll have to do something about that. What do you say, Ryan?”
I made the mistake of looking over at Ryan, to find his eyes were on me. Piercing me with a stare, and I couldn’t work out if it was threatening, goading, or just plain nasty. I guessed all three, seeing as every encounter I’d had with Ryan Hardy so far was more hostile than a wasp in a jam jar.
“We’re single,” Liv sang back, sounding pleased to have Zak’s attention. “Em’s never had a boyfriend.”
I almost choked on my beer and whipped my head around to tell her exactly what I thought about her little group sharing effort.
“What the fuck, dude?” I hissed and waited for the impending laughter to begin. It didn’t.
“No boyfriend? I find that very hard to believe,” Zak said, sitting down next to us and giving me a kind smile. I wasn’t fooled.
“She’s been saving herself for me,” Brandon chipped in. Not the reaction I was expecting from him. I’d have thought some put-down about me being a prissy virgin might’ve been more his style, or something about how he’d break me in later tonight. But no, he gave me a pretty tame response by his standards, and I’d take it. I would have told him, “In his dreams,” but I didn’t really want to go there again.
And Ryan? He sat down on the opposite side of the bonfire to us and didn’t say a word. More interested in his beer bottle than the conversation we were having. Zak was looking straight at him though, as if he was waiting to see what his contribution would be. When he didn’t get one, Zak turned his attention back to me.
Renegade Hearts (Rebels of Sandland Book 1) Page 6
