“This is different.” He leaned back in his chair as the cell phone chirped with directions from Wendy. “How are things at the café?”
“Fine.” I glanced at my cereal bowl.
Should I tell Uncle Henry about the Norwood staff? He’d never asked about them. What if saying something to him meant quitting my job? Kaleb said I shouldn’t be there. Did he know something I didn’t? It’s not as if the Norwood staff came to the café a lot when I worked. Even Ethan had said I needed to stay away from Kaleb and his friends.
“Everyone’s talking about the Norwood Festival,” I said. “Sounds like a big deal. The hotel’s fully booked with tourists waiting for Norwood Isle to open.”
“That reminds me. You’re helping Norma in the tent this year.”
“What tent?”
“At the Norwood Festival. Norma’s in charge of the fortune-telling tent. That’s why I’ve been pushing you to study those books.”
He glanced at his watch. “Follow the rules. Don’t think I’m giving you a free pass to do whatever you want.”
I nodded and finished eating my cereal. Uncle Henry said something about a meeting with the Elders as he hurried out of the kitchen.
* * *
I followed Wendy’s directions to a large field on the east side of town. Her car sat at the far end, near a dirt path. It was the same dirt path described in her text message, which led to Lake Sweeney.
After locking the Jeep, I followed the dirt path toward a blue speedboat tied to a small dock. A guy in black shorts and a white t-shirt stood on the boat, shuffling through one of the side compartments. When he looked up, my chest tightened.
“You’re the friend Wendy invited?” Kaleb crossed his arms.
“I didn’t know you were coming.” I looked over my shoulder at the dirt path, wondering if I should go home. The last thing I wanted was to stir trouble, but Kaleb didn’t look upset. “Where is she?”
“On the other boat.” He jumped onto the dock and untied the ropes, tossing them onto the boat.
“Wendy didn’t say anything about boating.” I glanced toward the lake. No sign of another boat, and I was only five minutes late. Why hadn’t she waited or told me about Kaleb? She knew he didn’t like me working at the café. “Should I leave?”
“You do what you want.” He untied the last rope and grinned. “I’ll tell her you changed your mind. Say you’re afraid of being alone with me.”
“You wish.” I climbed onto the boat, hating that he looked even sexier when he grinned. Why tell Wendy I was afraid? He looked strong, but he didn’t give off that creepy vibe like some guys.
“You’re coming?” He climbed onto the boat and put the ropes into one of the side compartments.
“Why not? It’s either this or drive home to an empty house. I promised Wendy I’d show up.”
He threw an orange life vest at me. “Don’t expect me to rescue you again.”
“Like I’d ever ask you—”
The roar of the engine drowned out my words as he pushed the throttle forward and tossed me toward the back of the boat. I hugged the life vest with one hand and gripped the side handle as cold water sprayed my face. After taking a deep breath, I silently counted to ten, determined not to let him ruin my day.
The dock disappeared and water surrounded the boat. About a mile straight ahead, two boats bobbed in the water.
As we got closer, Kaleb pulled alongside one of the other boats, where three guys and two girls sat. The girls didn’t look familiar, but the guys worked on Norwood Isle. They all wore the standard Norwood Isle collared shirts, including Markus, who sat with his back toward us as he chatted with one of the girls. Wendy and a familiar guy wearing a Norwood Isle shirt sat on the third boat.
I tossed the life vest aside and waved to Wendy, hoping she’d ask me to join them. She waved back, and snuggled up against the guy, laughing at whatever he’d just said.
Markus turned around, and looked shocked to see me. “How’d you get her on the boat?”
“She wanted to come,” Kaleb grunted.
“With you?” Markus carefully climbed onto our boat and sat on the backseat. “You’re the girl Wendy was talking about? The one with a crush on Kaleb?”
Kaleb’s head jerked back. His angry gaze flashed toward Markus.
“What?” My voice cracked. Had Wendy really said I liked Kaleb? I thought he was sexy and arrogant. I hadn’t said anything about having a crush on him, or how being near him made me tingle all over.
“Chill.” Markus winked at me. “I’m joking.”
Kaleb kicked his shoes off, tossed aside his t-shirt, and jumped into the water. He obviously didn’t like Markus’ joke and seemed bothered by the possibility of me liking him.
“Isn’t that water cold?” I held onto the side rail, leaned down, and touched the water. It was much too cold for a swim.
“Kaleb loves the cold water,” Markus replied. “It clears his mind.”
One of the guys on the other boat cranked the engine and steered the boat in the same direction as Kaleb. They followed him as he swam farther away as if they were his private security detail.
“Aren’t you jumping in?” I asked.
“I don’t swim.” Markus lowered his voice. “Tell me, you got a death wish? Standing up to Kaleb at the café and now getting on a boat with him? No Romani ever gets that close.”
“He’s not so tough. I bet his bark is worse than his bite.”
Markus laughed. “You’re not what we expected. I heard you’re half-Romani. Is that true?”
I nodded, wondering whom Markus was referring to. Had he and Kaleb talked about me? If they had, what had Kaleb said?
Kaleb headed toward us, swimming effortlessly as the other boat followed twenty feet behind him. When he reached our boat and climbed on board, I caught myself gawking. His wet shorts hung low, giving me a good look at his V-shaped torso and six-pack abs.
Damn, he must spend a lot of time at the gym.
I looked up to find Kaleb staring at me. He said nothing. Only wiped his chest with a towel as I glanced away, trying to appear uninterested in his physique.
“Cole, are you racing?” Kaleb shouted to the guy who sat on the boat with Wendy.
“We’ll catch up later,” Cole replied.
Markus nodded his head toward me. “She needs to stay with them.”
“No one’s stopping her from getting off,” Kaleb said.
I sat on the backseat, not wanting to be a third wheel with Cole and Wendy. “I’m staying.”
“That’s not a good idea,” Markus said. “You shouldn’t be—”
“She stays.” Kaleb locked eyes with me and started the boat’s engine. “Remember what I said.”
“I know how to swim.” I rolled my eyes.
Kaleb waved to the other boat and sped off in the opposite direction. As Cole and Wendy’s boat disappeared in the distance, Kaleb shouted over his shoulder to Markus. The wind drowned out his voice, preventing me from hearing what he said. He pushed the throttle forward and quickly turned the steering wheel. Our boat spun in a circle, several times.
I screamed and squeezed my eyes shut as I flew toward the other side of the seat. My leg slammed against Markus, and then I slid back to my side. I grabbed onto one of the handles and finally opened my eyes.
Kaleb spun the steering wheel again. This time, I didn’t move. I tightened my grip on the handle and glared at him when he smiled at me. He eased off the throttle and sped toward the other boat, which was ahead of us now.
I turned to Markus, determined to chew him out for not warning me.
Markus was gone.
“Stop the boat!” I yelled, remembering what Markus had said. He doesn’t swim.
As Kaleb slowed the boat, I spotted Markus’ head bobbing in the water and his arms thrashing. He didn’t look okay. In fact, he was in full panic mode.
Without thinking, I grabbed the boat’s flotation ring and jumped into the water.
; Chapter 9
Cold water hit my body and sent an immediate chill all the way from my feet to the top of my head. I pushed forward thinking of warm things, like the heat on my skin in the Texas summer, and a blazing fire. It seemed like the farther I swam, the blurrier my vision became, and the more my teeth chattered.
When I finally got close to Markus and his gaze met mine, his eyes looked strange … like they glowed yellow before he went under the water again.
“Markus!” I yelled, but his head didn’t reappear.
I frantically looked around and released my hold on the flotation ring. I dove into the murky water where I’d last spotted Markus, reaching out for his legs, arms, anything I could grab onto. Then something hit my lower back, and a hand yanked my shoulder.
I grabbed onto Markus’ waist and pushed us both upward. What felt like forever, was only seconds until we reached the surface. I coughed and took several short breaths, expecting Markus to panic and pull us under. “Are you okay?”
He coughed up water and grabbed the flotation ring as water splashed behind us.
I glanced over my shoulder at our boat less than twenty feet away. Kaleb had jumped into the water and was swimming toward us. As I held onto Markus tightly, he coughed again and went limp in my arms.
Kaleb took Markus out of my arms without saying anything or even looking at me. His focus remained on Markus, and nothing else.
The other boat slowed near us. The guys pulled Markus onto the boat as Kaleb said something about getting him to Norwood Isle. They sped away while Kaleb grabbed the flotation ring and swam toward our boat, pulling me along.
Water splashed on my face as I shivered several times. When we got to the boat, Kaleb released the ring and grabbed the edge of the boat with both hands. He pulled himself up and leaned down over the side of the boat, holding his arm out.
I grabbed his arm with both hands and he lifted me out of the water with ease. He set me on the floor and used a pole to pull the flotation ring out of the water. I tried to stand but ended up in his arms as he carried me to the backseat and wrapped a towel around me.
“Thanks,” I managed to say, through chattering teeth. How could he not freeze in that cold water? He must be one of those crazy people who like polar bear plunge events.
“What were you thinking?” snapped Kaleb.
I wrapped the towel tighter around my body, surprised to see him pissed. I’d saved his best friend’s life and instead of thanking me, he was acting like a jerk. “You’re mad? Markus said he couldn’t swim.”
“So, you jump in?” His green eyes looked darker. Almost black.
“What did you expect me to do?” I glanced around, looking for Cole and Wendy’s boat, hoping they’d seen what had happened. All I could see was water in every direction.
“You don’t risk your life for us.”
I shook my head, pissed he thought I should’ve let Markus drown. “Don’t give me that crap. If you weren’t so busy trying to get me in the water, this wouldn’t have happened. Why did Markus come? Everyone can see he’s scared of the water.”
“He doesn’t leave my side.” Kaleb glanced in the direction of the other boat disappearing over the horizon.
“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes. “Are you afraid to be alone?”
“Is that your plan? Did the Elders tell you to get me alone? Charm me with your pretty eyes?”
“The Elders? What does—” I gripped the side of the boat and took several short, rapid breaths as pain radiated along my back; something didn’t feel right. Wait. Did he say my eyes were pretty?
“Are you hurt?” He grabbed the first aid kit and sat next to me.
“I’m fine.” I lowered my gaze, taking in his lips … his chest … his abs … and finally, his leg touching mine. I inhaled and let the air calm the flutter in my heart as I convinced myself that liking Kaleb was a very, very bad idea. “Take me back to Woodlake.”
“Show me your back.” His voice took on an authoritative tone—the same tone he used when talking to the Norwood staff.
“You can’t order me around like you do everyone else.”
He sighed. “Can I please see your back?”
I turned and let the towel fall from my shoulders. “I think it was a fish. I felt it when Markus grabbed me.”
He pushed my hair aside and slowly lifted the back of my shirt. He muttered under his breath, too low for me to hear.
“Am I going to live?” I attempted to make light of the situation, considering I’d never shown my backside or my bra to a guy before. I couldn’t even remember if I wore a nice bra today.
“You’ll be fine.” He touched my back, making my stomach muscles clench. After rubbing ointment on it, he covered my scratch with a bandage. “Thanks for saving Markus.”
“You’re welcome,” I replied.
“I’m surprised your boyfriend lets you work in town. He’s not worried about you being close to the wolves?”
“What boyfriend?”
“Ethan. That guy from the reception.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” I clutched my stomach and laughed at the idea of Ethan and me dating. “I could never date someone like him.”
“He’s the golden Romani boy, with perfect looks and family money. How can you not be interested in him?”
I turned to face Kaleb; surprised he’d said Romani and not gypsy. “What about you? Jenny has perfect looks and perfect boobs. But I didn’t see you jumping at the chance to hang out with her.”
“She’s not my type.”
“Well, Ethan’s not my type.”
“I heard he was everyone’s type.” Kaleb got up, shoved the first aid kit back into one of the side compartments, and looked at me. “You should take your shirt off.”
“What?” I jumped up and pulled the towel around me again. Not really the words I’d expected to hear.
“You can’t go home like that. Your shirt’s ripped along the bottom.” He grabbed his shirt out of the captain’s chair and turned it inside out. “Here. You can wear my shirt.”
I eyed Kaleb closely. If Uncle Henry saw me with a boy’s shirt, he’d freak out. How bad could my shirt be? A slight tear wasn’t a big deal. “Turn around and don’t peek.”
He turned around, chuckling. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” I sat again, took my shirt off, and examined it. It looked like sharp claws had shredded my shirt
… but that didn’t make any sense. What kind of fish could do that? Maybe piranhas, but they didn’t exist in Michigan.
“That night at the reception. You told Ethan you didn’t know me. Why didn’t you tell him the truth?”
“I was afraid I’d lose my job. You said I shouldn’t be at the café, and Ethan said to stay away from you. What if the Elders agreed? I couldn’t take that chance, so I lied.” I pulled Kaleb’s shirt over my head, loving the way it smelled like him. I’d have to sneak into the house and quickly put on another shirt. “You can turn around now.”
“The Romanies have strict rules about lying.” He sat next to me again. “Be very careful with what you say. Coming on the boat with me and saving Markus, you keep that to yourself. Do you understand?”
“I’m not an idiot.” Being alone with a boy, and on a boat, went against every rule, but how did Kaleb know? I planned to leave those facts out if Uncle Henry asked what Wendy and I did today. I didn’t plan to say anything about boats, or the Norwood staff. “How do you know so much about Romanies?”
“It’s my job to know.”
That made sense. The tourists probably asked the Norwood staff plenty of questions about the Romanies. “So if I have any questions about the wolves or Romanies, I can ask you?”
“You can ask me anything.” He leaned back on his elbows, and I noticed a strange mark on his upper chest. It was a quarter-sized mark that looked like someone had branded him.
“What’s that?” I pointed to the mark.
“It’s my birthmark. My mom calls it
a beast mark, says I’m meant for greater things.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it.” I leaned closer to Kaleb and ran my fingers over his birthmark. He smelled so good, and his skin felt warm. He didn’t look like a beast, except for his large muscles. His heart beat once beneath my fingertips, and then stopped for thirty seconds before beating again. “That’s weird. Your heartbeat is strange.”
“You probably shouldn't—”
“I’m sorry.” I pulled away, feeling foolish for invading his personal space. “I shouldn't have touched you.”
“It’s okay. You didn’t know.” He sat up and scratched his chin. “Are you going to the Norwood Festival this weekend?”
“I don’t have a choice. I'm helping at the fortune-telling tent.”
He laughed. “You're going to read palms and look into a crystal ball?”
“I’m sure it won’t be that bad,” I replied. “What about you? I heard Norwood Isle has a booth.”
“I'll be around, keeping an eye on things.”
“Maybe we'll see each other?” I held my breath, hoping he got the hint that I wanted to see him after today. He wasn’t so bad once you pushed past his tough exterior. “You could come by and let me read your palm.”
When his gaze met mine, he looked surprised. “That’s probably not a good idea.”
“You’re right.” I shrugged, feeling disappointed, but he was right. Ethan would be in town this weekend. What if he saw Kaleb and me talking at the fortune-telling tent? Ethan might wonder if I’d lied about knowing Kaleb.
“We should head back.” He sat in the captain’s chair, started the engine, and steered the boat toward Woodlake.
Soon we arrived at the dock, where Cole and Wendy waited for us. The smile on her face disappeared when I climbed off our boat.
“What happened?” She asked. “Your pants are wet. Why are you wearing Kaleb’s shirt?”
“She fell in the water.” Kaleb tied one of the boat’s ropes to the dock.
I glanced at him, not wanting to contradict what he’d said. Why lie about Markus? “I wasn’t holding on tight when we were racing.”
Romani Blood (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 1) Page 6