“And this time?”
“This time it didn’t seem like she was lying.”
“Oh.” Taylor paused a moment, then shrugged. “Well, it’s just something I heard.”
“Yeah I … called around. It’s definitely a rumor that’s going round.”
“Well there you go. Now take a drink.”
Leah inhaled. She picked up the glass.
Taylor flashed a smile. She picked up the nearest liquor bottle and clinked it against Leah’s glass.
As Leah took a sip she watched as Taylor took a violent swig.
“Who would have thought,” Leah murmured.
“Pardon me?”
“You drank that like a drunken sailor.”
Taylor shrugged. “I think I’m starting to feel this party. Maybe it was a good idea that I came along after all.”
“Who said it was a bad idea?”
“Well, come on, Leah. Lucille’s 21st. Hello.”
“Yeah,” Leah nodded. “Why didn’t you go to that?”
Taylor grinned. “I wish I could give a truthful answer. But I can’t.”
Leah blinked. She took another sip.
Taylor climbed over the bar and sat in the chair beside her. Bottle in hand.
“What else aren’t you telling me?” Leah asked.
“Huh?”
“Nothing,” Leah muttered. “Forget it.”
“No. Say what you were going to say.”
Leah looked at her intensely. Taylor was all fired up. Inhibited.
Drunk.
“How’s your father doing?” Leah asked.
Taylor licked her lips. “What?”
“Your father. Still in prison, right?”
Taylor exhaled. “Why the fuck are you bringing that creep up?”
“To see your reaction.”
“Yeah, well … my reaction is go fuck yourself.”
“You’re such a cunt.”
As the words left Leah’s mouth she was just as shocked as Taylor she’d said them.
Taylor’s face reddened. She gripped the bottle.
“I don’t talk to him, alright?” Taylor said. “None of the family do. He can fucking die there for all I care.”
“You think about him much?”
Taylor snorted. She took a drink. “We try not to.”
“I think about him.”
Taylor’s face began to twist. “You think about him? You mean … what he did…”
“Yeah. That shit.”
Taylor looked away. “Why are we talking about this?”
“I’m curious. How you deal.”
“Well, it was like seven years ago, so … I’m done thinking about it. Can we change the subject?”
“It was lucky my Dad turned up when he did,” Leah said. “Lucky he opened the front door. Went through your house. Found us in the backyard. We were so lucky he was there.”
“You were lucky,” Taylor said. “What about the day you weren’t there. What about the day nobody showed up? When it was just me … and him.”
Silence.
The waves stirred below them.
“Did you fuck my Dad, Taylor?”
CHAPTER TEN
The plan was set. Finn and Bryonie were going to go and find Perry and Erin while Darien waited with Colton. When they found them and returned, the boys would attempt to carry Colton up to the roof so everyone would be together and they could figure out what to do.
Despite the obvious tragedy, Bryonie was glad to have Finn one on one again. She thought about telling him about her arguments with Leah, but at the same time she was worried he would react badly. There was no way to tell. Still it was enough to have him beside her. To be able to reach out and touch his hand.
“Do you think he’ll survive?” Bryonie found herself asking.
“He should do,” Finn answered. “Colton’s made of strong stuff.”
He went to say something else, but hesitated.
“You’re worried though, aren’t you?” Bryonie said.
“I am,” Finn confessed. “He’s one of my closest friends.”
“Has anything like this happened before?”
Finn looked at her.
“I mean, before me and my crazy friends showed up.”
He sighed. “We have seen our fair share of adventures. But no one’s had a gun on board this ship before, that I’m aware of.”
“I’m really sorry,” Bryonie said.
“What do you mean?”
“You must think me and my friends are pretty fucked up.”
“Did you know Taylor’s cousin well?”
“I – I never even met her before today.”
“You know it’s funny, I actually thought I recognized her.”
“Who? The cousin?”
“Yeah. It’s bugging me. I can’t think from where. But she’s very familiar.”
“Do you believe what Darien said about her trying to shoot everyone on the roof?”
“Well there must be some truth to it.”
“Obviously.”
“I guess we just have to trust him for now.”
“Mmm.” Bryonie thought about him touching her hair. “You do trust him, don’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Uh. It’s nothing. I just … you know all these guys right. Colton. Perry. Darien. They’re okay, aren’t they? They wouldn’t do anything behind your back?”
“Well, you never know for sure,” Finn said. “Something like that happen to you?”
They were coming up to Erin’s room.
“Something like that…” Bryonie trailed off.
Erin’s door was wide open. There were pieces of wood on the carpet.
“Shit,” Finn muttered. He grabbed hold of the door and pulled it towards them. “The lock is busted.”
“Someone broke in?”
“Looks like it.”
“What the fuck…”
“Wait out here,” Finn said. “I’ll check it out.”
“No, I’m coming too,” Bryonie said pushing her way into the room. “Erin’s my friend you know.”
The bathroom door was also open. Bryonie bobbed her head through and saw the shower was on, but no one was inside.
The contents of Erin’s handbag, along with her clothes, were strewn about the room.
Finn stepped in beside her.
He went into the shower and switched it off.
“What do you think happened?” Bryonie asked. “This is really weird.”
“It’s like they just left,” Finn said.
“Without her clothes?”
“Maybe she got changed into a swimsuit.”
Bryonie pursed her lips. “But why would she leave her bag here? And her phone?”
Finn shook his head.
Bryonie bent down and picked up the phone. She saw there were several missed calls from Kieran. Bryonie pressed redial.
“Who are you calling?” Finn asked.
“Just a friend.”
Kieran quickly answered. “Erin. You’re back. Thank God.”
“No, this is Bryonie. I have Erin’s phone.”
“Okay, Bryonie. Don’t hang up. You need to hear this.”
“What?”
Finn was watching her carefully.
“Is there someone there named Finn?” Kieran asked.
“What?” Bryonie replied.
“Just answer the fucking question!”
Bryonie swallowed. “Uh… Yes…”
“The cops have been calling me. They’re saying Lucille and Penelope were kidnapped. This guy named Finn is behind it. He’s supposed to be some sort of serial killer –”
“Whoa, what the fuck are you talking about?” Bryonie spluttered.
“What’s he saying?” Finn asked.
Bryonie turned away from him. “Kieran?”
“I’m still here,” Kieran replied. “You need to stop interrupting.”
“Okay.”
“Finn is a killer.
This whole time the cops have been trailing his ass, using you girls as bait. They even sent some undercover agent in with you, but she’s dropped out of contact –”
“Undercover agent? Who would that be?”
“I don’t know I –”
Kieran cut out. There were people talking in the background.
“She’s pretending to be Taylor’s cousin.”
Bryonie’s hands began to tremble. She suddenly felt sick.
“Are you still there, Bryonie?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“You need to get away. You, Taylor, Erin, Leah. Get the hell out of there and away from Finn.”
Bryonie could feel Finn standing behind her.
He could hear Kieran’s words.
“I have to go,” Bryonie said and hung up.
She turned to face Finn.
He did not seem happy at all.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“What did he say?” Finn asked. “Was he talking about me?”
“Why would he be talking about you?” Bryonie said trying to stall.
“I heard him say my name. What did he say about me?”
Bryonie forced a smile. “It was nothing. Forget it.”
“And the undercover agent? What was that about?”
“I don’t know…” Bryonie murmured. She took a few steps to the side. So she was closer to the door.
“You’re not being honest with me,” Finn said. “You better tell me what’s going on or I’m going to start to get worried.”
Bryonie winced. “I think … I think we should just focus on finding Erin.”
“And Perry.”
“Him too.”
Bryonie took a step back. She was seeing Finn differently now. The way he was looking at her.
She was reminded of Darien in the elevator.
“What Bryonie?” he challenged, leaning forward.
She was almost at the edge of the door.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
Bryonie was panicking. She had no words for him. She could not think of a convincing lie.
“Holy shit,” Bryonie exclaimed looking over Finn’s shoulder.
“What?” he mumbled, turning.
Bryonie whirled round and bolted out through the bedroom and into the corridor.
Finn’s heavy boots stormed along after her.
“Bryonie!” he shouted.
“Leave me alone!” Bryonie shouted back.
“What did he say?” Finn demanded. “Tell me what he fucking said to you!”
Bryonie couldn’t answer this time. She couldn’t look back. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t bear the idea of what she would find.
She reached the elevator and hit the button quickly.
The doors opened for her and she smashed the automatic close button once inside.
Finn was standing at the doors as they were about to close.
“Sorry,” Bryonie muttered to herself.
She went down to the ground floor. To her left was the entrance to the stairs. If Finn was going to chase her, he’d be headed that way. It was a shame, because that was also the same direction as her room where her belongings were. She’d be able to lock herself in there. Call the police.
Footsteps.
Boots on concrete steps.
“Shit,” Bryonie exclaimed.
She went right down the corridor, looking along the doors for something that didn’t resemble a room. Eventually she found one unmarked.
She passed through it into another hallway and rushed along till she reached the end where there was another door. Through here she found herself in a wide open area. She could see a restaurant straight in front. A gym to her left. An indoor pool to her right.
Bryonie rushed over to it and opened the steal door. She spied a light switch on the wall and flicked it off, putting the room in near darkness. As her eyes adjusted she could see some light reflecting in from windows near the ceiling. Bryonie hurried along to the back of the room and sat herself down in the shadows.
She put her hands around her knees.
She waited.
CHAPTER TWELVE
After a few minutes of hiding in the dark, Bryonie felt her heart begin to slow. The air in her chest ease down. Was Finn even after her? How long was she going to stay here exactly?
She lowered herself onto her bottom and let her feet stretch out. She felt like crying. She wanted to cry. This day was too much for her. Seeing Leah turn like that. How their friendship came crashing down as the result of one wrong word against her. Was Leah even really her friend? Was Taylor? Was Erin? Were any of them?
She didn’t want to think about it. How things had been. Yet she allowed her mind to go there.
Lipstick. Lipstick on a bathroom mirror.
Bryonie sucks cunt.
Wasn’t true. Didn’t mean anything. Except the person who wrote it didn’t like her. And anyone who saw that lipstick probably wouldn’t like her too.
She thought about the time Leah had told her it had been her. Not Erin, not Taylor – but Leah. The good one of the group. She’d said it when they were in the library between classes – said it like it was nothing. They were probably talking about something else at the time. Who knows how it came up.
It was only a little later that afternoon that Bryonie had found herself back in the school bathroom, washing her hands, only to see some girl she didn’t know smirking at her from the corner of her eye.
It didn’t matter that Leah and her were friends now.
It didn’t matter that she was Taylor’s friend.
That random girl knew what she was. She knew the truth about Bryonie.
Bryonie sighed with dismay. She didn’t want to think about these things. But it was so lonely here in the dark. She knew that there was some parallel universe out there where it would all work out. She’d come out of hiding to find Finn, laughing at her – laughing at what a fool she was. There was no reason to fear him, because he loved her. Silly Bryonie. He’d hand her the phone and Kieran would be on the other end, saying how he made a right fool out of her. All that stuff he was saying about Finn, he was making it up. And then she and Finn would go back up to the roof where Taylor and Erin and Leah and the guys would all be drinking and partying like nothing bad had ever happened. Leah would apologize. Remind her how important Bryonie was to her. They’d swear to never fight again. Later on, she’d go home with Finn to his mansion in the clouds.
And they’d live there.
Happily ever after.
Bryonie looked up and saw a dark shadow standing outside the window overlooking the pool. His eyes were alight. Sucking in all the power.
Tears streamed down Bryonie’s face.
She crawled onto her stomach and dragged herself forward to the edge of the pool.
The figure moved by the window and went for the door.
Soon the lights were on, but it was still pitch black for Bryonie. She’d closed her eyes and allowed herself to fall into the bottom of the pool.
She sat on the floor, her arms covering her eyes.
She couldn’t see.
She couldn’t breathe.
And the shark was moving towards her.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
She felt his coldness. His slippery body against her. Bryonie didn’t know what was in the water with her. Only that it was a monster of some kind. It buried its head in her belly and gently nudged her up till she reached the surface. Bryonie opened her eyes there, water spilling from her mouth. She took a deep breath in and fell underwater again where the shark’s body moved underneath her.
Panic suddenly gripped her.
There was a shark.
In the pool.
“AAARRIIIEIEGH!” Bryonie squealed.
She swam blindly as fast as she could, choking on the water once more.
There was a lot of splashing. It was going up in the air everywhere.
“It’s okay,” Finn’s voice echoed through the deep. “It’s on
ly me…”
Bryonie twisted herself around. She saw the head of the shark moving directly towards her.
She clenched her teeth together. Bracing for it.
“Oooh…” Bryonie shuddered.
But then she could see the shark was changing its form.
It really was Finn.
He took her up in his arms and locked her in his embrace.
“Finn,” Bryonie gushed. “Don’t – don’t hurt me –”
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Finn said.
He guided them towards the nearest wall.
Bryonie stared into his eyes.
His sparkling.
Definitive.
Gentle.
Eyes.
“They think you’re a killer,” she said.
“It’s not true,” Finn said.
“But – but –”
“If I’m a killer, wouldn’t I be trying to kill you now?”
Bryonie shrugged. “Maybe you just like me.”
“And would that be so bad?”
Bryonie looked at him. She shook her head. “No.”
“You see?”
“See what?”
“You do trust me. Don’t you?”
“I don’t know, Finn. How well do I even know you?”
“You tell me.”
He put his hands to the back of her head and kissed her.
Warmth radiated through Bryonie’s body.
It was surreal.
Her lips fell away from his. “What the fuck is up with you being a shark?”
Finn grinned. “Looks like you found out my secret.”
“Is this what this is then? Some shark shifter sex romp? Are you all bleeding sharks then?”
Finn nodded. “Any other day of the week you’d be right. You’d just be some girl for one of us to toy with. But I’ve fallen for you Bryonie. I can’t figure it out. You just turn me on so much.”
His hands moved down to her legs. He ran them up and down her sides.
“You’re not just saying that, are you?”
“No,” Finn said. “I’m not just saying it.”
He thrust himself into her and kissed her passionately, forcing his tongue into her mouth. Bryonie reciprocated, realizing with her own hands searching that he was naked. She gripped his swelling cock in her hands and guided it into her.
Finn’s eyes flashed with color as he entered, his tongue all over her, his hands latching onto her breasts.
Cruisin' With Sharks (Paranormal Mysteries #1) Page 11