by T. L Hodel
“You could write a paper on the founding families,” Harper suggested. “Mr. Harris has a bit of an obsession with them. It’s a guaranteed good grade.”
“The founding families?”
What the hell was she talking about?
She sighed like this was something I should know. “Seven families founded Ashen Springs. Four of them are still here. The Kessler’s. The Hudson’s. The Whitley’s, and the Creswell’s.”
Huh? Well, I guess that explains why people around here acted like the sun shone out of their asses.
“What happened to the other three?”
“Don’t know?” She shrugged. “Moved away or died out I guess?”
“Well, there’s got to be a record somewhere.”
“Not that I’ve found.”
Harper must not have looked very hard. Either way, it looked like I found the subject for my paper.
“I’m gonna go look,” I said, leaving her at the table to go riffle through the town archives.
It turned out Harper was right. Not only was there no record of the three other families, but their names were blacked out in the archives. I got why some parents didn’t want their kids learning about stuff like the Holocaust – which I personally thought was stupid – how can we stop history from repeating if it was hidden from us? But to wipe family names out of the history books? There was one person I knew who might have some information.
I pulled out my phone and called Marnie. She’d done extensive research into the town for an article in the school paper. If anybody knew anything about this, it was her.
She answered on the third ring. “Hi, Riley, how are things at Ashworth?”
“Is that Riley?” I heard Trina call from the background. “Ask her why she hasn’t invited us over yet?”
“For Christ’s sake, Trina. She’s only been there a week. Let her get settled,” Marnie growled. “Sorry, Rye.”
“It’s okay,” I said, knowing how her twin could be.
“She’s only mad because she wants to nail Logan.”
I groaned. Of course, she does.
“Hey,” Trina yelled.
I could see Marnie giving her sister a sideways glance as she challenged, “Tell me it’s not true.”
“Well, I want to see Rye too . . .” Trina conceded.
“Anyway,” I rolled my eyes, “I called to ask you about the founding families?”
“Let me guess,” Marnie said. “You want to know about the three missing families?”
“How did you–” I stopped, remembering that Marnie was a born reporter. Last year she busted the girl’s volleyball coach for sleeping with one of the players. Which, obviously did not go over well. “You know what? Nevermind. Do you know anything about them?”
“I’ve found a few things, but I’m swamped. Collin has me covering the cheerleading try-outs today, and the football team for the rest of the week.”
Bet Marnie loved that. She hated when her parent drug her to games. Watching her sister jump around with pom-poms was not her idea of fun.
“Why don’t we get together this weekend?”
“Okay.” I didn’t really want Micha around any of my friends. so I added, “We can go for lunch at Mays. How’s Saturday?”
Mays was a burger joint down by the docks that everyone loved, even the rich kids went there.
“Great, see you then,” she said, and hung up.
I sighed at the bookshelf, wishing I didn’t have to go to Marnie for information. Then again, I could always do the report on something else. Unfortunately, now I needed to know. Who were these families? Why did the town want to forget them?
I shook my head. “Curiously killed the cat, Riley.”
“Still talking to yourself, help?”
I slowly turned my head to glare at the big guy blocking my exit.
What was Lance Peterson doing here? The king of Ashen Springs high shouldn’t be at Ashworth. I eyed his letter jacket, remembering there was a game tonight.
Lovely. More assholes in the hall.
I sighed. “I’m flattered that you came down here to find little old me, but it kind of comes off as desperate.”
Lance’s light eyes raked over my uniform and his lip curled. “Think you’re better than me now Adams?”
“Oh no,” I grumbled, rolling my eyes, “I’m sure your superior ball throwing skills will get you far in this world.”
“She still has a mouth.”
I glanced over my shoulder and saw two more members of Ashen Springs’ football team, Evan and Jax.
What, was this asshole day?
Evan and Lance had it out for me since I caught them cornering a girl outside the school last year. They got benched for a week, which was the end of the world to a football player. Guess I should be glad Noah wasn’t here. He seemed to take that shit personally.
Evan smirked. “Told you we’d find her in the library.”
“Well, this was fun,” I said, “but if you don’t mind, I have some work to do. Be sure not to look for me at the next reunion.”
I tried to slip past Lance, but he pushed me back into Evan. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Yeah,” Jax snickered. “Didn’t you miss us?”
Evan leaned down and whispered, “Because we missed you.”
A shiver of disgust raced up my spine. This wasn’t good.
“Don’t you brush your teeth?” I turned my glare on Evan and grimaced. “I can taste the last girl you had your mouth on.”
He reared back and slapped me across the face, twisting my head roughly to the side as I fell on the floor.
“None of your little friends are here to report back to Daddy.” Lance seethed down at me. “You’re all ours.”
Before I had a chance to blink away the tears the sting in my cheek caused, Evan yanked me off the ground and pinned my arms behind my back.
“We’ve been dying to break in the sheriff’s daughter.”
Lance pressed in with an unmistakable glint in his eyes. My heart was pounding so hard, I could barely breathe. I struggled to get away from Evan, but what chance did I have? I did the only thing I could. I screamed.
Evan quickly clamped his hand over my mouth. “Quite down, kitten, we don’t want anyone interrupting us.”
“Come on, guys,” Jax argued. “You’re taking this too far.”
“Don’t like it, Jax.” Lance growled, “then fuck off.”
I lashed out, kicking my legs, hopping I’d land a strike and make Lance think twice. It didn’t work. He grabbed my flailing ankles and held my legs around his waist. I fought, jerking my body around in a desperate attempt to get free, but I couldn’t fight one, let alone two.
“I get her first,” Lance said, sliding his hand under my skirt.
Their hands were all over me, pawing at places that made me want to vomit. Swallowing the bile rising in my throat, I screamed again as loud as I could behind Evan’s palm. I was going to be raped in the library, trapped between their sweaty bodies and mingled breaths. This couldn’t be happening. I didn’t put up with all of Micha’s shit, just for this to be my fate.
Suddenly Lance was gone and I was laying on the floor.
“Mouse, look at me.”
“Stop it!” I shrieked, swinging my arms and striking the flesh in front of me. “Get away from me!”
“Mouse!” Micha barked, snapping me out of it.
I blinked my eyes open. “M- Micha?”
“Shh,” he hushed, pulling me tightly into his warm embrace. “I got you.”
In that moment, I didn’t care that he was the enemy. I wanted to stay safe, hiding in his arms . . . even if he was one of the things I should be hiding from.
“Piece of shit,” Logan growled, his green eyes wild with rage.
He looked feral as he kicked Lance, who was curled up on the floor. Mason was on the other side, throwing his fist into Evan’s face. I didn’t know where Jax was, but I didn’t care. I tucked my face into Micha’
s chest and wrapped my arms around him.
“You came for me.”
“Of course, I did.” He kissed my head, and cupped my face. “I’ll always come for you. You’re mine, remember?”
I tried to hide back in his chest, but flinched when his thumb dug into my cheek. His whole demeanor changed in the matter of a second. Micha’s body went stiff and his eyes darkened as they locked on what I was sure was the bright red mark from Evan’s hand.
“Who hit you?” He growled low and menacing. “Tell me who the fuck hit you, Mouse!”
I kept my mouth shut. Not because I didn’t want Micha to hurt Evan, but because I was scared that he might kill him. I couldn’t have that on my conscience.
“God damnit Mouse!” Micha roared. “Why fuck are you protecting these assholes?”
“Evan hit her.” That’s when I noticed Jax standing off to the side of a bookshelf. “I’m sorry, Riley I . . . I didn’t think they’d take it that far.”
“Don’t fucking talk to her,” Micha growled, throwing an angry finger Jax’s way. “The only reason you’re not bleeding on the floor with these two is because you came and got me.”
Jax got Micha?
“You so much as look at her again and I’ll rip your fucking eyes out! Got it?”
Jax cleared his throat and guiltily turned his gaze to the floor.
“I, however, don’t give a fuck if your conscience suddenly kicked in.” Logan sauntered up to Jax and grabbed the collar of his letter jacket. “That there, is my sister, and if you don’t tell me which one of these pricks is Evan, you’ll take his place.”
Jax audibly swallowed and tipped his chin at Evan. I couldn’t blame him. Not only was Lance coughing up blood, but Logan had this elated look on his face, like he enjoyed it and wanted more.
“Don’t know if there’s much left of this one,” Mason said, pushing Evan on his back with his foot. “I fucked him up pretty good.”
That was an understatement. Evan’s face was somewhere under all that blood.
I looked at Logan, Mason, and Micha, with blood on their hands and rage in their eyes. I was afraid for Evan. These weren’t high school boys; they were unhinged creatures full of bloodlust. Not only would they kill Evan, they’d get away with it too. I couldn’t let that happen. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I grabbed Micha’s face and kissed him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Micha
She kissed me.
For some fucking reason, Riley was protecting him. The guy hit her, was going to rape her, and she still tried to save him. But her distraction tactic didn’t work – I still fucked him up. I may have gone a little too far; I mean, he was still alive. Fucker could thank Mouse for that.
She was scared enough watching me pound the shit out of him, and I wasn’t going to make her watch me gut the fucker, too. He should’ve known better. Everyone in this town knows not to fuck with mine. And Riley Adams was mine.
Maybe I’ll pay him a visit when he gets out of the hospital . . .
I needed some space after my outburst. I need you, what the fuck was that? I didn’t need anyone. That’s what I thought, until I saw her walk down the hall in that fucking skirt. It was impossible to ignore her but so fun to watch her squirm.
My mind went back to her kiss. It wasn’t an ‘I want to fuck the shit outta you’ kiss, like I would’ve given her. It was a simple, and closed mouth. Not quite long enough for me to taste her, but long enough for me to still feel her mouth, soft, sweet, and innocent.
She kissed me.
“What the fuck are you smiling about?” Parker asked, bracing his elbow on my Jeep.
Logan leaned over, looking past me at Parker and smiled. “He’s probably thinking about deflowering my littler sister again.”
Parker’s brow rose. “Deflowering?”
“You know, popping her cherry. Claiming the maidenhood. Skinning the fish. Stamping the V-card. Going where no man has gone before . . .”
Both Parker and I shook our heads.
“What? I’m just doing my brotherly duty.”
“Your brotherly duty is to keep asshole’s like him,” Parker nodded at me, “away from her.”
“Yeah right?” Logan barked out a laugh. “I bet that shit goes over real well with Ava.”
Parker’s older sister wasn’t some fragile princess. She was a demon sent to punish mankind. Ava and Preston were twins in every aspect, mirroring each other in more ways than one. When someone got on Preston’s shit list, he showed them the ninth plane of hell. Ava fucking ruled it.
Speaking of demons sent to punish mankind . . .
My brow arched at Preston’s red BMW pulling in the parking lot.
“What the fuck is my brother doing here?” Parker had the same confused look as me.
“The better question is,” Logan crossed his arms and leaned back against the hood of my Jeep, “why the fuck wasn’t he watching Riley today?”
Parker cocked a brow my way. “You put my brother on security detail? Are you trying to get your girl hurt?”
I watched Preston get out of the car and head over to us. “He won’t do anything.”
“Tell that to my dog,” Parker muttered.
“Do I want to know?”
“Probably not.” he said, shaking his head. “Poor fucking Max.”
“Are you still whining about that dog?” Preston rolled his eyes at his brother. “That was twelve years ago. Let it go.”
Parker puffed up, which I found comical. He was a good three inches taller than his brother, yet he still felt the need to make himself bigger. Mase did the same thing. Maybe it was just a little brother thing?
“Shouldn’t you be on campus?” Parker challenged. “What if Ava needs you?”
“Since when does our sister need anyone?”
I once saw Ava walk home on a broken foot, without shedding a single tear.
“Besides,” Preston said, waving his hand through the air, “she has some new boy toy.”
Poor fucker.
Parker’s light eyes narrowed. “I think I should meet this guy.”
We all turned and looked at him. If anything, Parker should make sure the poor sap she was with was okay.
Shaking my head, I turned my attention to Preston. “Where the fuck were you today?”
“Had some shit to do.”
“Riley was attacked,” I explained.
“I heard.” Preston nodded. “She’s fine now. Just checked on her at home. She threw some crap at me, so I threatened to cut her arm off and fuck her with it.”
Parker looked at his brother. “Just threatened?”
“I may have been playing with my knife when I said it.”
I sighed and scrubbed a hand down my face. “So why the fuck are you here, instead of with her?”
If she were going to run, now would be the time. Riley was pretty pissed at me for fucking up that asshole. Slapped me pretty hard.
“Your dad called. It’s time.”
My eyes snapped up to his. “Dominare la paura?”
He nodded.
Well fuck.
All future Kings had to complete the dominare la paura. I’d known this shit was coming since I turned eighteen, just didn’t think it would be this soon. Preston was halfway to nineteen before he did his.
“Come on,” Preston said, walking over to his car.
I sighed and followed him, waving at Parker and Logan.
“Have fun,” Logan snickered.
I flipped him off and got in the car.
“What?” I grumbled, noticing the strange look Preston was giving me.
“Nothing,” he said, turning the key and bringing the engine to life. “Thought you’d be more anxious is all?”
I shrugged. “It’s just another test.”
“No, It’s not.”
“I’m sure I can handle it.”
Couldn’t be any worse than the first time I killed a man. Pulling that trigger was harder than I thought.
Back then life meant something. I didn’t have that problem now. All the memories and hard work people put into their lives, meant jack shit when they were dead. All they left behind was a pine box six feet down and a headstone no one would visit.
Preston rounded a corner and I sat up, eyes narrowing on Cherry Lake.
“I know you can’t tell me anything about this shit,” I said, glaring the glistening water, “but can you tell me where we’re going?”
“HQ.”
Why the fuck were we going this way?
I gritted my teeth at the children playing on the beach.
“Why don’t you get a real fucking car?” I growled, rolling my neck.
“What’s wrong with my BMW?”
“It’s fucking uncomfortable.” I slid the seat back and stretched my legs. “What is it with you and Logan and these small fucking cars?”
“You never complained before.”
My jaw clenched at the receding lake in the rearview mirror. “I’m usually the one driving.”
Fucking cunt!
By the time we pulled into the burnt-out ruins of Manning Keep, I was more than ready to be done with this fucking day. I stepped out into the setting sun, and cracked my knuckles. Maybe I’d get lucky and this test would involve pounding the shit out of something or someone?
Manning Keep was once one of the finest houses in Ashen Springs. I should know, my family owned this land along with half the town. It burnt down over a hundred years ago and nature had taken over. Green leafy plants covered brunt out husks of wood and grew up stone pillars. I couldn’t help but wonder how Riley see this place. That dragon she painted, I didn’t just see the loneliness in his eyes, I felt it. Could feel it still.
I walked over to the only red marble pillar left standing, brushed the hanging ivy out of the way, and took off my watch, bearing the raven tattoo on my wrist for the electronic reader. The town records said this place burnt down in a freak forest fire but that wasn’t true. Manning Keep was destroyed over a hundred years ago, when the factions of the Order were at war. Though there weren’t any wolves left, we kept the name. Sentimental, I guess?
A red panel of marble dropped, and I pressed my hand to the display screen while inserting my key in the slot below. I used to keep it with my other keys, but after what Logan had to go through when he lost his, I decided the safest place was secured around my neck. A motherfucker would have to kill me to get from there. The key alone wouldn’t do them any good though. They’d have to have a tattoo and my prints. The tattoo scanner registered body heat and blood vessels, so they couldn’t just cut that shit off.