Renegade Hearts (Rebels of Sandland Book 1)

by Nikki J Summers

  “Why haven’t you dated, Emily? Are you holding out for the one? Has Brandon hit the nail on the head?” He said that last part in a whisper and brushed his shoulder against mine.

  I scoffed at his suggestion. “No. It was my brother, Danny. He warned the guys off. He was protective.”

  Zak glanced back over to Ryan and said, “Is that so? Danny, huh?” He kept his gaze on Ryan as he sipped his beer and Ryan stared straight back.

  “What the fuck, man? Seriously?” Brandon snapped. “Tell me you were getting your fucking ducks in a row and not playing the pussy all this time.” He stared down at Ryan like he was ready to go at it with him. Ryan stood up and faced Brandon, the two of them almost nose to nose.

  “You know fuck all. Back off, or I’ll-”

  “Or you’ll what, huh? Make me?”

  I had no idea what was going on. It looked like Ryan and Brandon were seconds away from a fight.

  “Cool it, ladies,” Zak said to the two lads. “Not in front of the guests, please.”

  “I don’t fucking believe you,” Brandon said, throwing his bottle of beer onto the ground right by Ryan’s feet. Then he marched away, grabbing two beers in each hand as he did and storming off into the woods. Just as he reached the thick set of trees, he spun back around and shouted over to a girl who was dancing by the speakers.

  “Sarah, get your ass over here. I have tension I need to work out, and you’re the lucky girl who gets to sort that for me.”

  Like a bloody lap dog, Sarah trotted over to him, looking like she’d been picked for The Price is Right. There was no price in the world that’d make that shit right for me. But who was I to judge?

  Brandon strutted off into the woods without a second glance, and Sarah followed close behind, giggling and skipping as she went.

  “That dude has issues.” There went Liv, stating the obvious again.

  “He’ll have crabs by the morning too, if he hasn’t already,” Zak replied and we all laughed.

  “Who the fuck invited him?” Ryan suddenly snapped, standing up and giving whoever was behind us an evil glare.

  We all turned to see who he meant, and saw Chase Lockwood sauntering over with two friends either side of him. He had a cocky grin on his face and was staring straight back at Ryan.

  “Fucking Lockwood,” Zak said, turning back around. “You need to sit down.” He pointed his beer bottle at Ryan as he spoke, and I was totally floored when Ryan did exactly as he was told. He didn’t like it though. That jaw of his was clenched so tightly he could’ve cracked a walnut.

  “Do you not like Chase Lockwood?” Liv leant into Zak as she spoke.

  “Guy’s a total douche canoe.”

  “No, he’s not,” I answered, trying to stick up for him.

  “Maybe he is?” Liv said, leaning around Zak to address me. “I heard he wasn’t quite the gentleman we all thought he was last Christmas with Lyla Thomas.”

  “Don’t believe everything you hear on the grapevine.” I wasn’t sure whether what she said was true, but I’d trust Chase over these four guys any day of the week. We’d known him for years. Lyla Thomas wasn’t the most trustworthy either. But I knew to keep my wits around all of them. You didn’t grow up in my house without learning how to stand your guard. Everyone had an ulterior motive. Or so my father said.

  “I swear to God, he’d better stay the fuck away from me,” Ryan announced, and as if he’d heard him clear as day, Chase walked right over to us and sat down next to Effy.

  “Effy, Liv.” Chase nodded at my two friends. “Emily, hey. Are you okay? Did you manage to get home all right the other day?” His eyes were kind, but I felt like he was directing his concern to the group more than to me. Making some kind of statement.

  “Yeah, it’s all good. Ryan’s dad is sorting my car out.”

  “Good job he was there.” Chase took a swig of his beer and looked at Ryan as he spoke. “Funny how he managed to find you. Out of all the mechanics in Sandland, he was the one to save you.”

  “The fuck you saying, Lockwood? You trying to cause shit again, you little fucker?” Ryan looked ready to launch himself at Chase at the first opportunity he got.

  “Where’s your guard dog, Hardy? Did Mathers run away with his tail between his legs?”

  “You’re right about the chasing tail part,” Zak piped up, earning a chuckle from Chase at his effort at humour.

  “Probably saw you coming and decided he’d seen enough shit for one day.” Ryan flung his empty bottle onto the bonfire, making the flames crackle and sizzle higher.

  “What, no fight tonight? Not gonna use that mathematical genius of yours to rob us blind with your betting odds?”

  “You want a fight, Lockwood? It can be arranged.” Ryan stood up as if he was gearing up for a showdown, but Zak stood too and put his hands up, trying to show some peace needed restoring at this piss-poor excuse for a party.

  “Come on, guys, seriously? Are we gonna do this here? And in front of these beautiful women? I don’t think so.” Jeez, Zak was a smooth talker.

  “I would fight you, Hardy, but I don’t want to be accused of animal abuse.” Chase smirked to himself smugly, but Ryan just laughed and grabbed a beer off a guy walking past him, before sitting back down. That mist of fury had evaporated, and he was back to being his usual guarded self.

  “Anytime, mate,” Ryan said on a low growl. “I’ll go against you anytime.”

  “Okay, let’s try and pretend we’re here for a good time,” Liv said a little too chirpily and stood up, grabbing mine and Effy’s hands as she did. “Girls, let’s go and dance, or do something other than sit here watching these boys compare dicks.”

  We headed to another part of the clearing and it didn’t take long for Zak to join us.

  “Listen, I’m sorry if we scared you away,” he said looking regretful.

  “Oh, we know. That’s not how you scare girls away. You chase them down dark hallways in deserted warehouses, banging on the walls and laughing like a bunch of fucking freaks.” Liv was back into her bitch mode and obviously ready to fight my corner.

  “That was nothing to do with me, and for the record, I don’t think they really wanted to scare you, Em. I think they wanted to make sure they got noticed.”

  “There’s better ways to get into a girl’s knickers. Making her run for her life isn’t one of them,” Liv spat back before I could even form a sentence.

  Zak gave a low chuckle and ran his hand over his face.

  “Why were we invited tonight? We’ve never been welcome before,” I asked, hoping that of all the boys, Zak would be the one to give us a bit of honesty.

  “Who said you weren’t welcome? Okay, yes, Danny didn’t want you, well, any of you at our parties, but it was nothing personal. Now, we just wanna make amends.”

  “No, I don’t buy it.” I waited to see a flinch or something in his expression that’d give him away, but there was nothing.

  “What’s not to buy?” He shrugged. “Fine. I’ll level with you. My man, Ryan, he might have a little crush on you. He’s shit at doing something about it though.” I almost choked on my beer. That was the biggest crock of shit I’d ever heard. I told him as much too.

  “Bullshit! He told me I didn’t belong in this world. Told me to run away and never come back. What the fuck? That’s the furthest from a come-on that you could get.”

  “That’s his version of foreplay. Sweet talk. I told you he was shit at it.” Zak shrugged again. He obviously bought that idea and he was sticking to it.

  “I don’t believe you. Something is going on. I’ll find out what it is, and when I do, I’ll-”

  “You’ll what? Piss all over our business? Run to Daddy and tell on us?”

  “Careful, you’re starting to sound like them. Worried I’m the rat you all accused me of being before?” I said, nodding over to where Ryan and Brandon had been by the fire. Ryan wasn’t there anymore, and I did feel a jolt of something inside me, wondering where he was. I l
ooked around the clearing, but I couldn’t see him. Had he left already? Did I still want to be here? This party wasn’t what I’d thought it’d be, especially since Chase showed up.

  “I’m just trying to be a friend. We could all use one of those, right?” Zak gave me a sympathetic smile and I shrugged back.

  “I’ve got enough friends.”

  “Then keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” he said, then bowed down and walked away, leaving us to mull over that little nugget of wisdom.

  I’d drunk way too much, and the party was starting to blur into a hot mess of people dancing, falling about, and making out. I hadn’t seen Brandon or Ryan since we left the bonfire area. Chase had kept a pretty respectful distance too, just giving me the occasional nod or smile from where he stood. I glanced over to where Effy had been chatting to Finn, asking him about his carvings and trying to get blood from a stone in response. Funnily enough, they weren’t there. I looked around, but I couldn’t see them anywhere. Interesting.

  I could see Liv as clear as day though, glued to the front of Zak Atwood with her tongue stuck down his throat. Seems like both of my girls had gotten lucky tonight. I suddenly felt self-conscious and lonely and didn’t know what to do with myself. I was drunk and not thinking straight, clearly, since I decided that a walk around the woods to straighten my head out was a good idea.

  Why did alcohol force you to make the most ridiculous choices in the heat of the moment? And yet, I didn’t question myself once when I thought a breath of fresh air, away from the rest of them, was just what I needed. Just tattoo dumbass on my forehead now.

  I wandered to the left of me, into the thick darkness of the trees, taking small steady steps so I wouldn’t fall. I felt that awkwardness slide off me the further into the woods I went. My shoulders eased back slightly, and I felt less tense. There was no one here, in amongst the trees, to witness how awful I was at fitting in. That group back there wasn’t my group of people. I think I preferred my own company, really. Apart from a few select friends growing up, I’d always kept myself to myself.

  I took a few deep breaths, enjoying the cold bite of the air as it entered my lungs. The laughter and music had died down to a distant hum. Then realisation hit me like a smack in the face. I hadn’t realised I’d come out this far. Shit.

  Did I know the way back?

  I spun around, looking at the trees surrounding me, suddenly feeling dizzy and unsure of which way I’d actually come. I started to walk ahead, using my ears to try and find the direction of the party. That’s when I heard the snap of a twig not far behind me.

  There was someone else here.

  Someone was following me.

  My heart started to beat out of my chest, but I slowed my breathing right down, so I could focus on listening. I put one foot slowly forward, trying not to draw attention to myself.

  Maybe it was an animal? I was in the middle of a forest at night, there were bound to be all sorts of sounds I wasn’t familiar with.

  I heard another crack behind me and suddenly my whole world spun on its axis.

  I was yanked backwards into a hard chest. One strong arm wrapped tightly around my waist and another jammed in front of my face, the hand clamping over my mouth so I couldn’t scream. Then, as quick as a flash, before I could even register what was happening, I was pulled down to the ground and dragged behind a bush, well-hidden from sight. I tried to wriggle, tried to free myself from his grasp, but it was pointless. I was powerless in this man’s arms.

  “Shush!” A familiar deep voice tried to soothe me. “I’m not gonna hurt you. Just stay quiet.”

  Ryan Hardy had me pinned to his front and was shushing me like this was all for my own good. He kept his hand over my mouth and didn’t loosen his grip in the slightest when I made every effort to escape.

  What the fuck was his deal?

  I clawed at his arm, using my nails to scratch him and possibly get some kind of upper-hand so I could escape. My legs kicked out, but they didn’t connect with anything other than the woodland floor. My heart was beating like a bass drum in my ears and the adrenaline pumping through my veins was electric.

  “Quit wriggling and wait. Trust me,” Ryan whispered into my ear, and at that moment, I noticed movement in amongst the trees where I’d just been standing.

  I panted hard through my nose and tried to shake my head free, but when I saw Chase Lockwood walk out in front of us, I stopped. We both lay behind the bush, me being constrained, and him barely breathing, but tense as hell. His face was right next to my ear and the warmth of his breath as he hushed me one last time made my skin prickle. My drunken brain was now as sharp as a tack.

  Chase stood still and looked around him. Had he come to find me? Make sure I was okay? I was about to give him a muffled cry from behind Ryan’s hand, when Chase’s mobile phone lit up without making a sound and he answered it.

  “Mate, I lost her,” he said sounding disappointed and then he laughed. The guy actually laughed. “Looks like I’m gonna have to get my dick wet somewhere else tonight.”

  My stomach turned over, hearing him talk like that, and I stopped fighting against Ryan’s hold on me, and felt him tighten his grip, pulling me further into him.

  “Yeah, I swear her tight little pussy better be worth it. I’ve waited long enough.” He chuckled at something being said to him and smirked. “Oh, I know, mate. Virgin pussy is always the sweetest and Emily’s will be the ultimate.”

  I felt sick.

  I watched as Chase started walking back the way he came, muttering disgusting filth down his phone and laughing. So, nerdy boy was a prick just like the rest of them.

  I hadn’t noticed Ryan had moved his hand away from my mouth until he whispered into my ear, “You’re welcome.”

  I scrambled up from the floor and moved myself away from him as quickly as I could. I brushed the leaves and dirt off me and scowled at him.

  “What the fuck is it with you? Are you stalking me now? Jesus, make your mind up. One day you’re scaring me away, the next you’re following me in the woods like a creeper.”

  “Aren’t you glad that I did? Otherwise, your man Lockwood over there would’ve had you right where he wanted you.” The way he glared at me made me go cold.

  “Chase is not my man. He never will be,” I spat back.

  “Good.” He folded his arms over his chest and I faltered in my argument. I wasn’t expecting that answer.

  “Second,” I said, still frowning from his last response. “You’ve already told me to fuck off. So, why did we get invited here, today? Why the one-eighty?”

  “I meant every word I said last Saturday. You didn’t belong in that room, watching men kick the shit out of each other, with all the blood and filth. That’s not you.” His face had softened slightly, and he took a few steps towards me.

  “How do you know what’s me? We’ve barely ever spoken. You might’ve been Danny’s friend, but you know fuck all about me.”

  “I know enough,” he said, staring straight into my eyes like he needed me to understand him, to believe what he was saying.

  “You know what you want to know; see what you want to see. Don’t fool yourself into thinking I’m the weak little girl you accused me of being last Saturday.”

  “Did I say that?” He scrunched his face up in confusion.

  Yes, asshat. Yes, you did.

  “I’ve never seen weakness in you, Emily. But I know what I do see. I see you better than anyone.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. He saw me? What did that even mean? The guy was full of bullshit. Did he think I couldn’t smell it from a mile off?

  “If you see me better than anyone, then tell me, what do you see?”

  I couldn’t wait to hear his response. I was calling his bluff.

  “I see a girl who hates who she is… To other people. I also see a girl desperate to be herself. To live her life the way she wants to. To have just a fraction of the freedom that we have. Me, Brandon,
Finn, Zak; we have a life you can only dream of, but you want it. You want in so badly you’ll do anything to get it. At least, I think you will. Question is… How far are you willing to go, Emily? How far would you go to have it all?”

  “You’re really good at talking in riddles, aren’t you, Ryan? What makes you think I want to be like you?” I shook my head and turned to walk away.

  “You are like us.” He spoke with such conviction I could almost believe him. Almost.

  “No. I’m not.” I spun back around and stood my ground.

  “I think you are. In fact, I know you are.” He was so sure of himself. And me? I was getting more confused by the minute, but I wouldn’t ever show him that.

  “I’ve had enough of this. I need to get out of here.”

  I turned my back on him and started climbing a steeper incline at the edge of the woods.

  “Don’t do that,” Ryan shouted after me. “Don’t go up there.”

  “Why not? Why should I ever listen to you?”

  “Because that’s where the quarry is. Shit, you really don’t know your way around these woods, do you?” He was marching over to me now and looked pissed off. “Get your fucking ass back down here.”

  I didn’t like giving him the upper-hand, but I was fucked. I had no clue where I was or how to get back to Liv and Effy. So, reluctantly, I shuffled my way back down the incline.

  “Come on. Take my hand and I’ll get you back to your friends,” he said, climbing up the incline to get to me.

  “I can follow you just fine, I don’t need to take…” I missed my footing and skidded down the slope, doing the splits as my legs slid all over the wet leaves. Ryan reached out and grabbed my arm, stopping me from falling flat on my ass.

  “You were saying?” He gave a cocky grin then reached up and threaded his fingers through one of my curls. “I meant to say earlier, I like your hair like this. All the browns and golds. It suits you.”