by Wendi Wilson
I sat down next to her and wrapped my arm around her back, pulling her in for a half hug. “You’re a better person than you were,” I said. “You’re with us, now.”
She smiled, thanking me with her eyes. Her issues with her parents reminded me of my own.
“I need to call my mom,” I declared, grabbing my phone from my purse.
I tapped the screen, pulling up her number. The phone rang twice before she answered.
“Happy birthday, Honey,” she said when she answered. “I was just about to call you.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I replied. “How are you guys doing?”
“Oh, we’re good. Dad’s at work, but he wanted me to tell you he loves you and to have a great day. How is your vacation going?”
“We’re having fun,” I said.
We talked for a few minutes more, her telling me the mundane day-to-day things she and Dad had been up to. I listened intently, searching her words for any clues that there was something off. There wasn’t. They really were fine.
There was no worry in her voice as we exchanged goodbyes, no questions about where we were, no admonishment to hurry home. My persuasion was still in full effect. When the line went dead, I set my phone down, guilt eating at me.
“They’re fine,” I expressed to the others. “No mention of Dr. Patton at all. Whatever he’s planning, he hasn’t enacted it. Yet.”
“We’ll figure out a way to protect them, Savanna,” Beckett vowed.
“Yeah,” Wyatt said, “we will. But you shouldn’t be thinking about our asshole of an uncle, especially today.”
“Before we change the subject, can I ask you something?” Lizzie asked.
“Sure,” I replied, giving her an encouraging nod.
“Did you guys do something to Brother Earl?” Her lips turned up at the corners. “I saw him a couple of days after you disappeared and he was wrecked. Black eyes. Swollen face. And he was holding his stomach like his ribs hurt.”
Jett smirked. “He tried to take Savanna,” he said.
“Savanna had other plans,” Wyatt added, grinning, and Beckett chuckled.
“I panicked and tried to persuade two truckers to beat him up so we could get away,” I said. “I used too much power and every person in the diner came out and took him down.”
She bit her lip and nodded. “Good.”
“So, what do we do now?” I asked. “The Madsens were kind enough to take us in, but will they take Lizzie in, too?”
“I’ll figure something out,” she said.
“I’m sure they’ll let you stay here with us,” Beckett offered.
“I couldn’t possibly—” she started, but Jett cut her off.
“Beckett’s right. I know they’ll insist you stay.”
Lizzie’s face looked uncertain, but she didn’t argue again. I agreed with Jett. Having gotten to know the Madsens, I was fairly certain they’d invite Lizzie to stay as long as she needed.
“Are you guys celebrating something?” Lizzie asked, pulling me from my thoughts. She nodded toward the box that held my new boots and the crumpled wrapping paper on the floor next to it.
“Today is Savanna’s birthday,” Wyatt said. “She’s officially legal.”
Lizzie’s mouth fell open. “Oh,” she muttered, “I didn’t know. I would have gotten you a gift.”
“You’re here,” I said, trying not to focus on how odd it was that Lizzie was talking about buying me a present. “You came to warn us about what you heard and you’re on our side. That’s the only present I need.”
She smiled. “Well, happy birthday,” she said.
“Thanks,” I replied.
“Do you guys have something planned? Please, don’t let me get in the way of your celebration.”
It was strange, having her be so considerate. She’d never actually been outwardly cruel, except when she’d been doing Dr. Patton’s bidding, but she’d never been kind either. She had always been in the background, giggling at Fiona’s vindictive antics and otherwise pretending I didn’t exist.
“We were trying to get Savanna to admit what she wants to do when you showed up,” Wyatt said.
“I really don’t have anything in mind,” I insisted.
Lizzie laughed. “Well, whatever you decide, I’ll be fine on my own.”
I stared at her, a realization dawning on me. Lizzie could be my friend. The idea caused warmth to bloom in my chest. I’d never had a girlfriend before. I never thought I’d needed one, but the possibility of her and I becoming real friends…
“Nonsense,” I said, standing up. “We should all stick together.”
My statement earned a surprised look from Jett and a soft smile from Beckett. Wyatt grinned, as usual, and rubbed his hands together. Slinging an arm around my neck, he kissed my temple.
“Well?” he asked. “What are we going to do?”
I bit the inside of my cheek and hummed. “This is going to sound stupid, but can we go to the mall?”
“The mall?” Jett said, disdain evident in his voice.
Wyatt’s hand flew out and punched Jett in the shoulder. “Of course, we can. What the birthday girl wants, the birthday girl gets.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I have a few things I need to get and besides,” I shot Jett a smile, “hanging out at the mall like normal teenagers who don’t have a maniac after them sounds like heaven.”
Jett’s face softened. “Sounds like fun.”
“Liar,” I laughed, “but I appreciate the effort.”
“Then it’s settled,” Beckett stated. “Savanna, you should probably get dressed first.”
I looked down at myself and laughed. I hadn’t even realized I was still wearing my pajamas with that embarrassingly tight football shirt over it.
“Oh, thank God,” Lizzie declared. “I was trying to figure out how to tell you I couldn’t be seen in public with you like that.”
One side of her mouth lifted into a smirk, letting me know she was kidding.
“Ha. Ha. Ha,” I muttered, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’ll be right back.”
I trotted up the stairs, leaving the boys to show Lizzie where she could freshen up. I grabbed some clothes from their room where I kept mine stashed and dashed to the bathroom, heating up the shower while I brushed my teeth. I stripped and hopped under the spray, careful not to get my hair wet. I scrubbed myself quickly and was out in under five minutes. I didn’t want to keep everyone waiting.
After dressing and pulling a brush through my hair, I swiped on some mascara before heading downstairs. Everyone was waiting for me in the living room. The boys looked delicious, as always, and Lizzie had changed into a fresh pair of jeans and an ivory sweater with three-quarter sleeves that complimented her light brown skin and black corkscrew curls.
She really was beautiful, even more so since she escaped Fiona Butler’s oppressive shadow. If I wasn’t so secure in the Patton brothers’ love, I might have been a bit wary of her spending time with us.
But I was secure. And I believed that Lizzie really did have good intentions and wanted to earn my trust. I took a leap of faith and decided to let her in. With Dr. Patton and his followers planning something against me, and possibly my parents, I could use all the friends I could get.
Chapter Five
The mall was fun. After grabbing some fruity iced drinks, we wandered along the path that led from one end of the building to the other. The boys took turns going into each store with me so that I had a little alone time with each of them.
“Here, try these on,” Wyatt said, handing me a pair of jeans.
I held them up for inspection and saw rips stretched across the thighs in the front. Arching a brow at Wyatt, I asked, “These are little revealing, aren’t they?”
He waggled his eyebrows at me. “They are perfect.”
I laughed. Throwing the jeans back toward him, I said, “I don’t think so, buddy.”
He caught them with a chuckle and tossed them onto a nearby table. His e
xpression turned mischievous as he looked from left to right before grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the back of the store. Before I knew what was happening, I was inside a dressing room with him, the door clicking shut behind us.
His mouth was on mine before I could protest, and any thoughts of stopping him flew right out of my head. My hands wrapped around his neck, my fingers delving into his hair. He backed me up against the wall, his fingers digging into my hips and his mouth working magic against mine.
It seemed like months and since we’d been together like that, not days. I got a little carried away, sounds of pleasure escaping my throat as his tongue brushed against mine again and again. In that moment, I probably would’ve let him do whatever he wanted but, luckily for me, Wyatt kept a clear head.
Breaking away, he took a step back. There was a fire in his silvery eyes, the sparks threatening to set me ablaze. It took everything I had in me not to jump him again. Our breaths came out loud and heavy, seeming to echo through the whole area.
“Do you think anyone knows what we’re doing in here?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Wyatt shook his head. “Don’t know, don’t care.”
My lips lifted into a grin, which quickly turned into soft laughter. Of course, Wyatt didn’t care. That boy had no shame. Apparently, I didn’t either. Because there I was, standing in a dressing room of a busy store, making out with one of my three boyfriends while the other two waited outside.
Taking his hand, I unlatched the door. I pulled him out behind me, my head held high as we marched through the store to the front entrance. I didn’t even check to see if anybody was watching us, judging us, because I realized that like Wyatt, I didn’t care.
The others were waiting for us just outside the store, and I pretended not to notice when Jett’s gaze zeroed in on my mouth. He flicked his eyes to Wyatt and back to me again before taking my hand and asking me which store I wanted to hit next.
I glanced at Wyatt, noting that his lips were red and slightly swollen. I was sure mine were, too, and everyone knew what we’d been doing. A little thrill shot through me as Jett pulled me forward, his grip on my hand firm, yet gentle. I didn’t miss the spark of desire in his eyes. He wanted what Wyatt and I had just shared.
“I need to hit the bath and body store,” I said. “I’m almost out of shampoo and lotion.”
Jett didn’t comment, just changed direction and led us to the store I’d mentioned. Beckett, Wyatt and Lizzie headed to the food court, promising to order us some food. Jett released my hand as we entered the store, and I felt a sting of disappointment as he headed for the back of the store.
I browsed the shampoos, flipping open the cap of several different bottles and sniffing each one. I found one that smelled like lemon and held onto it, liking the sharp tang of citrus. I found the matching conditioner and grabbed a bottle of that, too.
I headed to the back of the store where the body lotion was displayed, looking around for Jett as I went. I didn’t see him anywhere. I shrugged to myself, thinking he must have headed back up front without me noticing. I stared at the labels of the many bottles and tubs of lotion, looking for something that smelled like honeysuckle.
“Savanna.”
Hearing Jett’s whisper, I looked around but didn’t see him. “Jett?” I called out.
The swinging door to my left creaked open and Jett’s head poked through the crack. He jerked his head, motioning for me to come to him. I looked around as I stepped in his direction. The two employees were otherwise engaged, one ringing up another customer and one stocking a display table of candles.
“What are you doing?” I whispered as Jett’s hand snaked out and latched onto my wrist, pulling me into what appeared to be a storage room.
He answered by wrapping his arms around me, lifting me up and setting me down on a work table. He stepped into the gap between my legs and pressed his mouth to mine, his tongue brushing against the seam of my lips. My bottles of shampoo and conditioner tumbled from my grasp, the, thankfully, plastic bottles bouncing against the tile.
“Wait,” I said, panting. “What if someone catches us back here?”
“They won’t,” Jett promised, kissing me again.
Though it was hard, I pulled away again. “How do you know?”
Jett sighed. Meeting my eyes, he said, “I know because I persuaded the employees to stay out of here.”
He flinched a little, like he expected me to scold him, or something. His fear wasn’t that farfetched. I’d gotten on his case for the flippant use of persuasion more than once. This time, though, I wasn’t angry or disappointed. Quite the opposite.
“For how long?” I asked, the left corner of my mouth lifting.
His eyes widened and his mouth attacked mine as I wrapped my legs around his waist and locked my ankles behind him. He moved even closer, pressing his body against mine. My hands found their way under his shirt to caress the skin of his back.
We kissed for a few minutes or a few hours, I wasn’t sure which. Jett’s hands roamed all over my body, ratcheting my internal temperature up to an almost unbearable level. I knew, in some rational part of my brain, that we needed to stop, that what we were doing couldn’t head to its natural conclusion. Not in the storeroom of a shop in the mall.
But I couldn’t bring myself to end it. Not yet.
I kissed my way along Jett’s jaw and he looked up, giving me access to his neck. I ran my lips down to where his throat met his shoulder, letting my teeth graze the skin there. His fingers flexed where they gripped my hips, tightening his hold on me.
I wanted to bite him. To feel his blood rush into my mouth and taste its coppery flavor on my tongue. A shiver ran down my spine, but I pulled away.
I looked into his eyes, which reflected back the depth of hunger I felt. My tongue shot out to wet my lips as I fought to get my erratic breathing under control.
“We should probably go,” I said.
He nodded, but none of the intensity left his eyes. “To be continued,” he vowed. “Soon.”
My body flared with heat at his promise. It must’ve shown in my eyes, because he groaned and kissed me again. It was hard and fast and over way too quick. Pulling away, he held out a hand. I took it and slid off the work table, using my free hand to straighten my clothes as Jett bent over to retrieve the bottles I’d dropped.
I tried not to blush as we walked up to the register, but the store employee only smiled and asked if I’d found everything I was looking for. Jett grinned, his face positively devilish as he answered her.
“Oh, yeah,” he said, his voice bordering on suggestive. “We found everything just fine.”
I brought the heel of my boot down on his foot, never letting the smile drop from my face. He grunted under his breath, but otherwise didn’t react. Releasing his hand, I pulled out my wallet and paid for my purchase, thanked the shop girl and pulled Jett from the store.
He chuckled at my haste, and my embarrassment faded. I smiled without looking at him and shook my head as we made our way across the mall toward the food court. He squeezed my hand in response, then tilted his head over to whisper in my ear.
“I love it when you blush like that.”
His warm breath brushed against my ear and a shiver ran down my spine. His vow to continue what we’d been doing still rang in my ears, making my temperature rise all over again.
I’m an insatiable hussy, I thought.
“Stop it,” I said aloud.
Jett laughed, a knowing look on his face. Before I could come up with a snarky response, we arrived at the food court. Lizzie spotted us and waved her arm in the air. We headed over and I plopped down into the chair next to her. Beckett slid a giant piece of pizza across the table.
“Thanks,” I said, smiling at him.
I realized I was starving. I picked the slice up with both hands and took a bite, my eyes drifting closed with pleasure. Gooey cheese hung in strings, connecting the pizza to my mouth. Twirling my tong
ue to wrap the cheese around it, I opened my eyes to find Beckett’s silver orbs trained on my mouth, burning with fire.
Our eyes met and he cleared his throat, running a hand through his dark hair as he looked away. My eyes flicked to first Jett, then Wyatt, but they were busy cracking jokes and taking swigs from Jett’s flask and hadn’t noticed my exchange with Beckett.
I looked to my left at Lizzie. Her honey-colored eyes locked on mine, dancing with amusement. She didn’t say a word, thank God, before looking away and taking a bite of her own pizza. I felt a moment’s gratitude before she looked back at me, mischief written all over her face.
“So, Savanna,” she said, drawing the attention of everyone at the table, “did you get everything you need, yet?”
It was an innocent enough question, one that drew curious stares from Jett and Wyatt. But they couldn’t see her face from their positions on her other side. She had her bottom lip trapped between her teeth as she waggled her eyebrows and darted her eyes between me and Beckett.
I glanced at Beckett, letting my eyes rest on him for barely a second. He was looking at Lizzie, one corner of his mouth lifted into a slight grin. I wanted to frown at him, maybe kick him under the table, but I couldn’t react or Jett and Wyatt would catch on to Lizzie’s teasing. I took another bite of pizza instead.
I don’t know why I’m embarrassed, I thought. Beckett is my boyfriend and if we want each other, it’s perfectly normal. In fact…
“Actually, I do have one more store I need to hit,” I declared, giving her a bright smile before looking back at Beckett. “You wanna go with me?”
His chair screeched across the tile floor as he stood, making his haste obvious to everyone. Lizzie chuckled, giving me a wink before turning to look at Wyatt and Jett.
“I saw an arcade on the second floor,” she said. “Are you guys up for some video games?”