Prologue #2
The sun beats against our skin as we pull up to the lake, the water glistening under its rays in the distance.
Using Ryder’s leg as a springboard, I flip out of the backseat and land on my feet.
All those years of gymnastics coming in quite handy to get me out of the sweat fest the Jeep has become.
As I straighten out my bathing suit cover, and adjust my straps, silence lurks in the air. Why is it so damn quiet?
Behind me, all four of my guys have stopped dead in their tracks. Mouths hanging agape, and eyes blown wide, like they just saw a flipping three-headed guard dog take down a bulldozer. Oh that’s why.
“What? You all smell like sweaty boys, I had to extricate myself before it rubbed off and stuck to me,” I sass, a sly grin curling on my face. Grabbing my bag from the back, I remove and shove in my cover before heading for the water.
“Oh, that’s it,” is muffled behind me, followed by a shuffle, before four sets of feet are pounding against the path. The hair on the back of my neck stands up, and with a glance over my shoulder, I know I’m done for.
An unearthly shriek slips from my throat as Max’s hands grab me around my waist. His thick muscles pin my arms against my body as he hoists me into the air.
My bag is ripped from my hands and tossed to the side, Kade grinning at the action while throwing his towel down too.
I’m bouncing uncomfortably as Max continues to jog towards the water.
My futile attempts at getting free are doing nothing in my favor.
“Don’t you dare!” I scream, the shoreline getting increasingly closer. “I want to lay in the sun for a while! Max… I swear I’ll get you for this! You’ll regret it! Maxxy, please!”
All four of them laugh, the sound deep and from the gut as I get thrown—and I mean literally thrown—to Zane. He catches me, barely, throwing me over his shoulder and giving me an up close and personal view of his ass. My feet kick wildly, fists beating against his back, but it’s no use.
Time to try my superpower.
“Gemini, pleeease,” I drawl, throwing in a perfect pout and some puppy dog eyes for good measure.
“It’s not really fair! There’s four of you and only one of me!
I’m not even properly awake yet.” My eyelashes flutter as I feign innocence.
“What if I’m so sleepy, I’m unable to swim.
I could drown! Would you really chance my life like that? ”
My bottom lip is so far out a bird could perch on it, but if this works, it’s so worth it.
Kade has always been the one to fall for my helpless little girl routine.
His soft heart, and caring nature makes him more susceptible to my pleas.
At least that’s what I think happens, and whenever I’ve had to pull it out—which is very rare I might add—it’s always the same.
I beg, bat my lashes, push a few tears to my eyes and Kade caves.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Pushing up against Zane’s taut back to get a better look at Kade, my eyes connect with his intoxicating green orbs. Strands of yellow float throughout them, like little rays of sun dancing across the grass. They’re really pretty, though he never believes me when I tell him.
Kade likes to argue that the only reason his eyes look like hidden gems, is because it makes up for the fact they don’t work.
He’s the only one in our group who wears glasses, though he acts like that’s a fault.
He’s insecure about it and will often hide them in favor of contacts.
I personally think it makes him look dashing.
Glasses suit him, and I constantly remind him of that—and even nicknamed him Gemini for it—even if he continues to ignore me.
Kade closes the distance between himself and my hanging torso, and for a split second I think I’ve finally won. He’ll wrap his arms around me, pull me from Z and I’ll get to lounge on the sand like I wanted.
Wrong.
His hands reach out, fingers grabbing at my chin and my brows furrow. “Not happening you evil little siren. I’m not falling for it this time and you will be going in.”
He winks and if I wasn’t so bewildered from his denial, I may have drooled. However, as Zane’s pace picks up, running me to the water, I can do little more than shriek.
A final clipped laugh echoes throughout the air, and again I’m flying. But this time there are no strong arms, or walls of muscle to catch me; just the cold, unyielding crash of breaking the water’s surface.
Zane is right behind me, diving in like some elegant swan and just as my head pops out for some oxygen, there’s Max-a-million.
Vaulting off my shoulders as if we’re playing leap frog, he pushes me back under with all his might, making sure I’m sufficiently submerged.
I push off the lake’s floor, breaching the surface again, but this time with less grace.
With my screams and groans, I could probably be mistaken for a whale documentary, as my hair sticks to my face, and I flail like an octopus trying to dance.
“You are all sooooo going to pay for this!” I screech, my voice cracking from the high octave and lake water in my throat.
Moving the curtain of black out of my eyes, I catch sight of an unsuspecting Ryder as he walks towards the others.
I don’t think, don’t hesitate, as I dive under and silently approach him from behind.
Once close, I leap out of the water—spider monkey style—wrapping my arms around his neck, and bringing him crashing down with me.
Ha! Take that sucker!
We hung out at the lake all day, alternating between being in the water playing games, and lounging lazily on the beach. These are the times I enjoy, when there’s no deadline, no need to move fast, just me and my friends—relaxed.
A few guys from school kept trying to start conversations with me, but like magic, whenever they would stop and open their mouth, one of the four would appear out of thin air.
As if conjured by the mere thought of me talking to another male.
Whoever had stopped would then promptly take off, speed walking like someone set a fire under their ass.
I have no doubt that there was some sort of death glare happening, but whenever I would try to catch them, I would only catch a smile and a shrug.
Kade and Zane on the other hand had an entire swarm of women hanging off of them, following them along like lost sheep looking for their herder.
They would laugh and their hands would stroke down the guy's arm or chest. Some even got ballsy enough to lean completely against them, and that had a little green gremlin spurring in the hollows of my soul. Even so, I’m a lady and unlike their antics, I didn’t retaliate.
Hypocritical isn’t it? They have boobs practically drooling over them, but if another dick gets within five feet of me, they go all feral protective. I know I’m small in height… and general size, but I can protect myself! I think.
The ride home for me is silent. I’ve been deep within my head trying to figure out how to broach this subject with the guys. I don’t want them to be offended, but they really need to stop shooing away every guy that gets near me, like they’re my personal mafia escort.
Not that anyone here has really noticed my silence.
Max spent too long in the water and of course forgot to put on sunscreen, even with my reminders.
So, he’s whining in the front seat, red as a cherry tomato, and regretting his life choices.
Zane is laughing at his misfortune, along with driving and not killing us.
And of course Ry and Kade are in some deep conversation about a boxing match they want to watch tomorrow.
Staring off into the abyss beyond the window, a shiver runs the length of my spine as I’m consumed with my inner quarrels.
It drags me from my thoughts with an uneasy feeling that coats every cell of my body.
It’s distinct, the sense of being watched or hunted.
Like something is standing on the horizon just out of sight.
Zane slows, stopping at the light and my eyes search for where the feeling stems from.
My gaze catches on nothing and I’m about to let it go, but as the light turns green, I see him.
It’s clearly a man by the framework of his body as he stands against the lamp post smoking a cigarette.
His hood is pulled low, covering most of his face, including his eyes but somehow, I just know.
He’s the reason for my uncomfortability, for the vibration I feel deep in my bones.
A scar cuts across his lip, red, angry, fresh. A warning sign if there ever was one.
“Ryder, do you see that guy over there? Who is he and what’s his deal? I’ve never seen him in town before.” My arm swings behind me trying to catch Ry’s leg but misses by a mile.
Turning fully, both Kade and Ryder have given me their attention and are twisting in their seats to be able to look in the direction I had been staring.
When I move to join them and get some answers, the man I saw before is no longer there.
In fact, there is not a single pedestrian on the sidewalk at all.
What the hell? Where did he go? And how did he vanish that fast?
“What guy, Bear?” asks Kade, his eyes meet mine, the worry in them evident. I’m not losing it. I swear I just saw someone.
“Uhh… never mind, I guess. I thought I saw someone, but it must have been in my head.” I give them both a tight smile while I rub at my temples. I know I saw him there, I felt his eyes boring into me.
“Maybe you’ve had too much sun today as well, Adds,” Zane speaks up, catching my gaze through the rear-view mirror.
“Yea, maybe,” I mumble, but my answer is hollow. I give my head a little shake and lean it against the door. Are the guys right? Am I hallucinating from the sun?