by J. L. Weil
What the heck was with all the Zs, and how many were there?
And good grief, did they all have to look like dark Celtic gods? The accents…Irish? Welsh? I was no scholar. It was faint, but enough to make most girl’s hearts wobble. Zoe had a trio of troublesome brothers. I didn’t know whether to envy or pity her. So of course, instantly, I liked them, well, except for Zane. My feelings for him were undetermined. “Please tell me there aren’t more of you.”
Zoe handed me a drink. “That is a loaded question.”
I gave her a puzzled glance.
Zach chuckled. “Zoe is just sore that I’m older by five minutes. She hates being the baby, but uses it to her advantage at every single chance.”
“Hey,” she protested. “That is not entirely true.” But her tone wasn’t very convincing.
“So what do think of Raven Hallow?” asked Zach.
I swirled the yellowish liquid in my cup, which I figured was lemonade and probably vodka. Parties were my thing, but drinking, not so much. I hated the fuzziness and tripping over my feet. Add in the puking my guts out and the killer hangovers, and one time was enough for me. Poor Parker. I didn’t know what I would have done without him watching out for me and taking care of me.
The memory made me miss him that much more. “It’s not home.”
Zach pulled a swig from his cup. “I’m going out on a hunch here, but you don’t seem like the typical summer girl.”
“Summer girl?” I echoed.
He waved his drink in the air with his movements. “Yeah, you know. The rich girls who come here for the summer, looking for a righteous tan and a hook up with a local.” The smile on Zach’s lips said he had been one of those local hookups more than once.
“I am definitely not one of those,” I assured him.
“Gross.” Zoe wrinkled her nose. “Are you hitting on my new friend?”
Zach wiggled his brows.
I laughed, pegging him for a harmless flirt. Anyway, I was more interested in another Hunter. There was a strange pull inside me, confusing and unnerving. I didn’t understand why my body was on high alert when it came to Zane. We’d barely met, and yet I was ready to go under the dock with him for some intense, reckless lip-locking. What I wouldn’t give to get my hands on his totally touchable abs. Perfection.
I’d never even had a boyfriend before, and then, overnight I became a hussy. Not likely. I had standards, and it was time I took control of my raging hormones. Taking a sip from my cup, I hoped it would clear my head.
“Ignore him,” said a husky voice. It belonged to Zander, the eldest Hunter. “He hits on everything with a skirt.” It took me a moment to realize he was talking about Zach, not Zane.
“Good thing I left all my skirts in Chicago.” Needing to steady my legs, I took a seat in one of the empty lawn chairs beside Zoe.
She laughed. “I knew I was going to like you.”
Me too. Zoe was very easy to talk to, and normally girls and I didn’t mix, too much jealousy and drama. I didn’t need either in my life. Thank goodness for Parker, but having a guy for a best friend had complications in itself.
Zander took the seat on the other side of me. A piece of me was hoping Zane would have occupied the empty seat, but he couldn’t be farther from me.
The party was pretty tame compared to the ones I normally attended. No blinding rainbow lights. No Parker. No skimpy-dressed-boyfriend-stealing-bimbos. And someone had a serious love-fest with Brantley Gilbert as another one of his hits pumped over the beach. Most of the people were nice, but standoffish. The ones who did talk to me did so for only a minute for polite chitchat or a nod, before speaking with Zander. If it weren’t for Zoe, Zach, and Zander, the triple Zs, making me laugh, it would have been the pits. Zane didn’t say two words to me, but I caught his eyes on me constantly, and each time his scowl deepened.
WTF?
What was with this guy?
I was starting to think all he had going for him was his extraordinary face. He had the look of a guy who left a string of broken hearts in his wake, and I didn’t want to be one of his victims. Or did I?
The next time I caught him glaring at me, I held his with one of my own, raising a challenging brow, not that I thought he was the kind of guy who backed down from challenge. And he wasn’t.
Glowering, he didn’t look away, and I hated to admit that his arctic glare was making me uneasy. I blinked. It must have been a hell of a blink, ’cuz the next thing I knew, he was standing in front of me, blocking the heat from the crackling fire.
“Zoe, she shouldn’t be here,” he snapped.
I was taken aback by his harsh tone. It made the kitty cat inside me throw out her claws. “Are you always this welcoming, or are you just a classic douche?”
“Oooh,” his other two brothers chorused, bumping fists.
He shot me with icy daggers that were probably very intimidating to most, but I didn’t back down easily. Parker could attest to that and all the sticky situations he’d gotten me out of, except this time I was on my own.
“Douche,” he repeated. “How charming.”
I lifted my chin. No one pushed me around or told me where I could or couldn’t be. I wasn’t one of those placid girls. The sooner Zane Hunter realized that, the better, or we were going to be having many more confrontations. “I call it like I see it.”
Zane’s eyes flashed similar to the blue center of a flame.
“Take a chill pill.” Zander stood, putting himself between the son of Satan and me. They were almost the same height, topping over six feet. “Nothing is going to happen with me around.”
Huh? Happen?
What did he think I was going to do?
It was clear from Zane’s straight expression that he wasn’t convinced. “Oh, how could I forget? Zander is above the laws. It’s your funeral.” And with that lingering unpleasant thought, Zane sauntered his jean-clad butt into the shadows, giving me his back.
I didn’t know why I was even thinking about his butt. Asshole. I mentally flipped him off. “What the hell was that about? What is he talking about?”
Zoe offered the lamest excuse I’d ever heard. “I told you my brother was moody.”
I wanted to shake her. Moody? That was downright rude, hurtful, and senseless. “Maybe I should go. I don’t what to cause problems.” I shifted in my seat to get up before I made a bigger scene.
Zach stopped me. “Don’t let him get to you.” His eyes narrowed at Zane’s back. “He’s the black sheep of the family.”
“He’s heinous,” Zoe added with a cute pout that would have looked ridiculous on me.
I don’t know what it was about her, but I felt like I might have just made a legit “girl” friend. Look at me. Two days on this island and I’d made a friend and an enemy without even trying. I decided to stay.
“So what’s it like living in that enormous house?” Zach asked, smiling at me. The light from the fire caught strands of his raven hair. The Hunters all had that in common, dark, dark hair. And the accent.
Toying with my necklace, I replied, “I wouldn’t call it a house. It’s atrocious.”
For the next hour, the triple Zs kept me busy with the thousand-question game. The sun had completely disappeared over the oceanic horizon, and the burning wood snapped. He pretty much stayed out of my way and I his. As the crowd began to thin and the fire dwindled, Zane emerged from the shadows, appearing beside me.
And just like that, my body was on pins and needles again. Damn him. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to chase the sudden chill that prickled my skin.
Zach nudged him in the shoulder. “Zane, stop sulking for two seconds and give the lady your hoodie. She’s cold.”
I started to protest, but he had already scooped it off a wooden log and handed it to me. “Here,” he said, dark and sinfully beautiful.
I hated it. Hated him.
Liar. Liar. Pants on fire. My subconscious chanted.
It was on the tip of my tong
ue to tell him I didn’t need his stupid hoodie, but before I could utter the words, a shiver tore through me. It would be pointless to pretend, but what he didn’t know was the shudder was more because of his presence than the cold breeze blowing in from the oceanfront. “Thanks,” I grumbled, slipping my arms into the sleeves and tugging the soft material over my head. The fabric hung past my fingertips. Then, as if someone else claimed my body, I lifted the ends to my face, inhaling.
My heart missed a beat. It smelled of summer rain, smoky firewood, and a scandalous Zane. The three blended in an exotic fragrance that teased all the senses, making me completely forget myself. I lifted my eyes, and I wanted to climb into the nearest sinkhole.
Zane had been watching. He arched his brow.
I couldn’t believe I’d gotten caught sniffing his hoodie, especially after he made it very clear he didn’t want me here. Classic. Only me. My cheeks flamed. The darkness hid most of my face, but still, it was awww-kward.
“You’re in over your head, rich girl,” he murmured.
The claws came back out. “Good thing I’m not a rich girl.”
He snorted. “The big-ass house you’re staying in says otherwise.” He leaned forward, his face inches from mine. “You even smell like money.”
I exhaled the breath I’d been holding, his nearness causing a fleet of somersaults. That was funny, because I knew for a fact that I smelled like a five-dollar bottle of Pantene. “Show’s how much you don’t know about me.”
“Why are you here?”
What’s his deal? “Did I do something to piss you off?”
His eyes roamed curiously over my face. “You should leave before you get hurt.”
“Hurt?” Was he…? “Is that a threat?”
He shook his head. “No. A warning. One you should take seriously.”
Did I detect a hint of sadness? Of regret? I wasn’t sure anything could break his frigid exterior, so to hear actual emotion did something funny to my belly. “And that’s my cue.” I stood up. “I would like to say it’s been a pleasure, but it hasn’t.” Then I turned to leave, but not before I thought I caught a glimpse of a smirk.
Argh. Boys.
I gave a slight wave to Zoe, letting her know I was heading home. The night’s air washed over my face as my feet squished in the cold sand. If it weren’t for the huge moon tonight glowing gently, I would be walking around blindly. Its reflection cast an orb onto the vast waters. There was a peacefulness in the night here that the city lacked.
I had gone a whole ten steps when I heard footsteps behind me. Lifting my head, Zane’s looming form materialized. “Oh, here.” I started to shrug out of his hoodie, thinking that was why he had come after me.
“Keep it.” A slow grin tugged at his lips. “It looks better on you.”
Did he just compliment me?
Secretly, I was glad he didn’t want it back. Not only was it chilly, but there was something cozy about wearing a guy’s hoodie. Even if that guy was a drool-enticing ass.
He matched his strides with mine. “You shouldn’t walk home alone.”
My step faltered. He wasn’t going to start this again. Biting back a groan, I tried to reason with him. “It’s only a few beach houses down.” Being alone with Zane had to be hazardous for my health—if not, then definitely my heart.
“Still, it’s not safe at night, Princess.”
I scrunched my nose at the pretentious nickname. “You really know how to shake a girl up, don’t you? Guys like you need to come with a warning. And if you call me Princess again, I’ll probably unman you with my knee.”
He ran a hand through his already messy hair, but on him it looked dashing. “You are not at all like I expected.”
“I could say the same about you,” I mumbled.
He gave a soft chuckle.
We had just reached the street, and I could see the front gate of Raven Manor. It was hard to miss. A smart girl would have been cautious about walking alone with a guy she barely knew. I couldn’t explain it. There was nothing about the way he looked that should make me feel safe, but that was precisely how Zane made me feel. And that pissed me off. I wasn’t a damsel-in-distressed kind of gal. I was the kind of girl that took care of herself. No one was going to intimidate me or make me feel inferior.
The universe must have wanted to test my so-called self-proclaimed badassness, because just as I was feeling pretty damn good about myself, a noise clattered through the street. To me, the sound was like a cannonball, explosive and life-threatening, danger becoming a tangible thing in the air. My stomach ended up in my throat.
I jumped, bumping into Zane, and my pulse went wild.
“Hey, you okay?” He placed a hand on my wrist, steadying me.
A bolt of static vibrated up my arm, but I hardly noticed as my eyes darted over the empty road. Nothing stirred. “Yeah. I’m fine,” I said in a trance, convincing myself as much as him.
His lips twitched. “Good. I would hate to have to carry you home.”
I rubbed my eyes. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to freak out on you. It’s just sometimes, since my mom—” My voice choked. I couldn’t finish the sentence. I never talk about her. Especially to a guy a barely knew. What was wrong with me?
Great. He was going to think I was a basket case.
Aren’t you? Whispered a dark voice inside my head.
“You don’t have to explain. I get it.” His fingers casually stroked along the inside of my wrist. It was like the Fourth of July. Fireworks exploded inside me.
He did? I forced myself to meet his hypnotizing gaze. “Right. I guess you heard.” I had forgotten how small this island was and how fast news of this magnitude must have traveled. Obviously, he knew about my mom.
“Maybe. And even if I hadn’t, it’s not my business.”
Now we’d come to the awkward good-bye. This was far from a date, so why was I stressing? Between Zane and my overactive paranoia, my palms were sweating. “I think I can take it from here.” I placed a hand on the gate.
Zane leaned a shoulder against the brick post. “Let me give you a piece of advice. Stay on your side of the block. ’Night, Princess.”
I gaped. It was amazing that he could so easily wreck an almost palpable ending to the evening. To think I had almost forgiven him for being a dickhead.
Shaking my head, I pivoted, showing him my back, and walked away, but not before I got the last word, or in my case, gesture. I stuck out my hand, giving him the one-figure salute. Eat this.
I heard him laugh. Dark. Dangerous. Desirable.
It was obvious Zane Hunter was going to be a thorn in my side. To think I thought I was going to have a boring summer. He didn’t know it, but Zane had declared combat. His dark, brooding, and fierce eyes might work on everyone else, but not me.
I glanced over my shoulder, slitting my eyes, prepared to give him a dirty look. He was gone. What the—?
There was no way he could have disappeared so fast. It was just not humanly possible. Then again, the jerkwad probably wasn’t human.
I thought about checking in on TJ, but after the strange night, I just wanted to stew alone. So instead of going through the house, I went toward the terrace that led to my bedroom stairs. I had to admit, it felt like I was sneaking in, a concept that wasn’t foreign to me, but this time, I knew my mom wouldn’t be waiting on my bed to scold me.
I wished she were.
Flipping the switch, a soft light chased away the lurking shadows. I was exhausted, more mentally than physically. My so-called detective skills sucked. I had learned nothing about my mom, nothing about Rose I didn’t already know, and the guy I’d been crushing on made my head spin. He had a dizzying presence. One minute he was showing me the door, and the next, he was securing my safety.
Guys like Zane were hazardous to my emotions. I collapsed on the bed, fully clothed, my eyes fluttering shut, and the scent of Zane following me into sleep. He was such a d-bag. A hallelujah-have-mercy, smokin’ hot d-bag.
Within seconds, the dark whisper loomed over me. The nightmare was always the same. Mom and I were walking home, smiling and laughing, the wind from the lakefront teasing our identical shade of blonde hair. It wasn’t called the Windy City for nothing, but it was one of the great things about living here. Brick condos lined either side of the narrow street. In the distance, an impatient driver honked his horn. Ahh. The sweet, bustling sounds of Chicago.
In the dream, we were happy, just the way I remembered her. She laughed as we strolled down the road, a sound I will forever cherish, each carrying a plastic shopping bag filled with the delicious smells of Chinese food. She looped her arm through mine, maintaining our Friday night family tradition. Since before I was born, Mom and Dad had spent their Friday nights exploring the city’s culinary wares and Chinese was a family fav.
It was the sudden change on her face that sent the first signals of alarm. Genuine fear. She had stopped walking and was tugging on my arm, pleading with the men who came out of the shadows to let me live.
A gun.
One of them shoved it in her face. She stood ridged, shoving me behind her, our food splattering over the sidewalk. Sweet and sour sauce dribbled down the city drains, fried noodles spilling out of the container and egg rolls rolling down the street. Needles of dread stabbed my gut. No matter how hard I tried, I could never get a glimpse of their faces.
The gun went off, vibrating on the brick walls of the alley, followed by my hair-raising scream. Mom crumbled to the ground, and I fell to my knees beside her. It was at that point everything went fuzzy. But there was one moment that was crystal clear.
Blood covered my hands. Her blood. Hot. Thick. Sticky.
I bolted awake. Prickles of terror beading along my skin.
~*~*~
The recurring nightmare brought forth a memory from my childhood that I rarely allowed myself to dwell on. Ghosts. When I was little, I was convinced that I saw dead people. Bizarre didn’t come close to how seeing them made me feel. Like a freak. Curious. Scared. Uncertain. Sad. Disturbed. The list of emotions went on. I made the mistake of telling my mom. It was the one and only time she ever raised her voice at me, and the last time I ever brought it up. As I grew, those glimpses became less and less frequent until they stopped all together.