I shrug, my hand slowly sliding along Lux’s smooth leg, and give her a wink. “Sorry. It’s hard to remember when you both look the same from behind anyways.”
Her mouth drops open in shock, and I hear Lux let out a small laugh before pushing her head into my shoulder. “This is my girlfriend by the way,” I feel the need to add and I don’t know why. Lux seems to be holding her own.
Allie sputters out a reply, “At least she knows how big of a dick you are!”
“Oh, I know,” Lux leans forward, her lips curving up while she eyes me in a way that makes my breath hitch, “his big dick is one of my favorite things about him.”
Allie scoffs, clearly upset she didn’t get the response she wanted from me or Lux. She cranks her key and takes off, sending a small spray of water right at us. I stand, even though I don’t know why, only to hear a snort of laughter behind me. My head turns and Lux is half lying across the back, her eyes squeezed tight, hands clasped, while she laughs her ass off.
My lips quirk on their own and I have to cough to get myself under control. “Are you done?”
“I’m sorry.” She laughs harder, now laying a hand against her chest. “Did you see her face though? And yours?”
She continues laughing, a few little hiccups are thrown in before finally pulling herself together. By then, I’m back to sitting and some of the tension in my chest from earlier has dissipated. “Can you hold on now so we can head back?”
Lux’s head tilts back and she laughs again. I sigh, feeling both parts amused and annoyed. “I’m sorry,” she manages to wheeze out, “I think I’m overtired or something.”
I swallow the emotion I feel at her statement, realizing she isn’t used to this life or the crazy situations that come up. My way of coping is to always keep moving, keep going, while my mind processes. I feel protective of Lux instantly, the urge to get her back so maybe she can take a nap or something enters my mind, and I feel my body tense.
Lux’s eyebrows pinch together, and her head tilts while she looks up at me. “What are you thinking about so seriously?”
I turn my head and clear my throat. “You’re probably tired,” I shrug, “we can head back so you can rest, if you want.”
She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, eyeing me. “I’m fine, Silas. It’s just been awhile since I’ve had to survive on less than four hours of sleep. Living with the Saffrans has sort of spoiled me, I guess.”
My brow pulls together while I study the small traces of what looks like guilt flint across her features. “Lux, you’re sleeping more because you’re finally safe,” I tell her. My fingers itch to touch her skin and reassure her. “You don’t have anything to feel guilty about. People deserve to feel safe; it’s a basic human right.”
“I know,” she answers, sitting up straighter, her cheeks tinging pink. Her body suddenly looks smaller under the life jacket she’s wearing when her shoulders hunch in. “I’m just not used to it, Si.”
The vulnerability in her voice is a trigger to my own soul, and again, I have to look away. My mind feels jumbled between wanting to protect and also to keep a distance. She is still a target, whether she is here with Matt’s friends or not. At the same time, I can’t shake the feeling of being pulled toward her. There is more to Lux than she lets me see, I think.
I start up the jet ski again, and turn us back toward the landing. Off to my right, I can see Kai and Oaklynn are also heading in, so it must be time for us to get back soon. My head swivels around looking for Ciaran, but I don’t see him. Lux is now quiet, her fingers almost trembling when they latch on to my life jacket. I ignore it, though. Something tells me acknowledging Lux’s weaknesses could set her off, and the last thing I want is to hurt her. Again, she is a target. She is in Rogue for a reason and I need to respect her privacy as well as give her the opportunity to feel in control of herself.
I catch up to Kai easily, who nods his head at me, smiling. Oaklynn is also smiling and waving at Lux. I feel one of her hands leave my side, so she must be waving back. As we get closer, I notice that Ciaran is already loaded up and getting ready to drive off.
“Something happen?” I turn to Kai, who snorts and shakes his head. Oaklynn huffs behind him.
“He needs to chill. All I did was suggest Saylor spend winter break in New York with me so maybe we could look at NYU together. For me! And next thing you know, Ciaran is glaring at Saylor and dragging her away.” She shakes her head.
I turn to Kai, who’s giving me a knowing look. Of course Ciaran would get pissed. He is all bent out of shape over leaving Saylor behind. My friend needs to take it down a few notches though, Saylor will be staying with Matt.
“Obsessive.” I hear Lux giggle and Oaklynn rolls her eyes. “More like possessive.”
Lux shrugs her shoulders. “He loves her.”
“Crazy Midwest boys,” Oaklynn responds, her brow lifting, and she eyes Kai, who only winks at her in response.
Shaking my head, I steer us into the landing and close to the dock, so Lux can hop off. Kai and I work alone to get everything back on the trailer. The sun is sitting low in the sky by the time we get back to the cabin. I leave the group to head to my own area to shower and get changed. We still have our game tonight and after everything going down, I’m ready to take my aggression out on the field.
“I had no idea you guys did this.” Saylor looks around at the growing crowd. Everyone in town usually stops by for the softball tournament that kicks off tonight and will play through the weekend. Kai, Ciaran and I have been playing for the past few years with some of the local guys in the area. Our team usually makes it to the championship game, our only real rivals being the guys from Robin Lake. Sunday’s game tends to be more cutthroat and always ends with some type of sportsmanship penalty. Not that I mind and neither does the crowd. Most of the spectators look forward to that as much as the games themselves.
Instead of answering Saylor, Ciaran leans into the fence and kisses her. I groan in frustration; it’s fucking gross because she’s my sister. Shaking my head, I turn away from our little group of cheerleaders and focus on the opposing team. Unfortunately, it’s made up of men, mostly my dad’s age or older, the local shop owners, and they already appear buzzed. My hope of burning off the last fragments of adrenaline and anger crackles under my skin, slowly fizzing out and leaving disappointment in its wake. I crack my neck side to side, fighting to hold onto any form of competition until I see Pete from the Fish and Tackle Shop almost trip over the pitching mound on his way out on the field.
“I think they have a few beers on us.” I hear Kai chuckle next to me. My gaze lingers on him for a few minutes and takes in his easygoing nature. I wish I could channel his calm and find a way to be as relaxed as he is when it feels like our world is being breached.
Sure enough, Ian, who works at the local diner and makes a mean omelet, is practically stumbling his way to second base.
“Jesus fuck,” I mutter under my breath, huffing in irritation.
“Chill, Si.” Ciaran stands next to me. “If they’re this blitzed, it gives us a chance to survey them more.” His head tips toward the crowd. I know he’s right. I should be more concerned with running surveillance, noting who’s here, who’s local, who’s a new face and seeing if they are with anyone we know.
“I’ll start on the right,” I tell them both, my eyes briefly scanning the area and counting about twenty five people on that side of the bleachers in just the top two rows.
After the initial count, it doesn’t take long for me to find my stride. Hit, run, count, run, analyze, on and on. We play while also doing our due diligence, scanning the crowd and memorizing faces that stay the same and looking for any changes. My brain does it automatically, a skill I know is most useful to Rogue, and sometimes I laugh at how easy it is. In my peripheral, I see Kai shake his head, my ability to facially recognize everyone always throws him a little. Matt likes to remind us that this is what makes us all a good team, our unique individual gif
ts that when put together create a solid unit. When we were younger, I never understood it. I walked around madder than anything, and only enjoyed time where I was out of my house and hanging out with my friends. I never thought of myself as gifted or important until Rogue.
We don’t play to our fullest, taking it easy on the local older guys, but we still pull off a victory anyways. The entire time I’m vaguely aware of the curious set of deep brown eyes that follow me around. It’s almost as if I can hear her thinking about me, trying to find a box to put me in, in her mind. Unfortunately for Lux, I don’t fit in a perfectly square-shaped box. My edges are rough, bent, and misshapen by everything that makes me who I am. Still, her curiosity makes my stomach muscles tense and my skin feels like it’s on fire every place her gaze lands.
After our win, I find her in the crowd easily. My gaze collides with hers. She jumps a little, almost as if she is anxious I caught her watching me. I smirk and I briefly let her see how much she intrigues me as well, because that’s all this is right? Curiosity.
“Si!” Ci waves me over, and he has his phone out. I jog over to him.
“Anything?”
“Nope,” I shake my head, “just the usual with the exception of our growing crowd.”
Ci shakes his head, and Kai scans over the bleachers that the spectators are now vacating.
“How can we be missing something?” Kai mutters, only loud enough for us to hear.
My head drops and Ciaran blows out a breath. “We tried. At least we know things are still safe right now then.”
My jaw clenches and Kai’s face turns grim. Safe for right now. That’s all we can offer and that knowledge eats at my insides. This is not who we are or how Rogue operates. My fingers tug at the length of my hair in frustration, until the ends stand up from sweat.
“What’s Matt’s plan?”
Ciaran shrugs. “Keep doing what we’re doing. They’re making contact with every house they can just to check in. Nothing else has popped up and Erika has been total radio silence.”
“Something is coming,” Kai responds to us, while his eyes stay focused on the small group now waiting for us behind the fence.
Ciaran glances over at them as well. “I feel it too. We better get going though, before they get suspicious.”
The three of us walk off the field, each a different mask of indifference on our faces. It’s a look I’ve perfected over the years, molded and made my own. I push down the nagging feeling I have, wanting to reach out to Lux for more. It’s not like I can offer her anything. And even if I could, I’m already too damaged. Remaining how we are is just how it has to be.
Lux
I went to bed tossing and turning, my mind already caught between what has happened and what else there is to worry about. Watching the guys play softball was a diversion, only I could tell they were distracted. It was in the minimal, small gestures that showed they were barely concentrating on the game. Silas’ eyes strayed to the crowd more than the outfield. Every time he looked up, I felt Saylor stiffen next to me. I don’t even know if she was aware she was doing it. Somehow the guys’ team still managed a victory.
Afterward we all came back here and called it a night. It took forever for my legs to not feel restless and for my eyes to feel heavy. My brain wouldn’t stop trying to pull me into memories I wish would stay hidden. Even in sleep, my stomach feels tightly coiled. So when a hand clamps down on my arm, it’s automatic for my mouth to drop open, ready to scream, before another hand slams over it at the same time I fling my free hand out, trying to punch at the threat.
“Easy, Karate Kid,” I hear Silas, breathing next to me, and I quit fighting, my body finally realizing I’m safe.
My eyes turn to him, seeking out his face in the darkness. A light flickers over where Saylor is and I see her shoot up quickly. “We have to go,” Silas tells me, his voice low, and he gives my arm a small tug.
I don’t think twice. I untangle my legs and jump out of bed, barely having time to grab the discarded hoodie off the floor, before Silas is maneuvering me in the dark and out the bedroom door. In the hallway, I hear Saylor make a choking sound, but Ciaran has her wrapped tight in his arms, leading her through the house.
Silas pulls me behind him out the front door where Kai is waiting, his eyes scanning over the property, and for the first time, I notice he’s holding a gun with a vest strapped to his chest. He nods at Silas, who nods back, before Kai moves in behind me. With Ciaran leading, we head over to his truck and jump in. No one speaks the entire drive, the guys are all quiet, their eyes studying the darkness around us. I’m vaguely aware of Silas’ grip on my arm still, my body tucked neatly into his side, his body a barrier between me and any unseeable danger. I glance up at him, taking in the clenched muscles of his jaw and the way his eyes are narrowed. I shiver slightly, despite the humid air.
After a few minutes of driving, Ciaran pulls off onto a dirt road that takes us to the boat launch. Red and blue lights flash in the distance. When we pull to a stop, I notice Matt is speaking to a sheriff. He waves us off to the side, and the two men go back to talking with their heads lowered.
“We only have fifteen minutes.” Ciaran turns to Silas and Kai. Both of who nod, then we’re moving again. We all step out of the truck and start toward the dock where Jason is standing.
My eyes dance around, taking in the glow from the lights, the stillness in the air and the sound of crickets and frogs, who are completely oblivious to our small group moving in the darkness. Jason turns to us as we approach, his phone is out and he’s talking in low tones to someone on the other line. A crude noose hangs from the pillar of the dock, and barely held up out of the water, a head of short blond hair is visible. I slam my eyes shut, not wanting to see more, counting to ten and trying to breathe through my nose.
“Griffin only bought us fifteen more minutes before we have to be out of here,” Jason talks in low tones.
“Who called it in?” Silas asks, his eyes moving toward the water as he comes to a stop in front of his dad, my hand still clasped in his.
“It was an anonymous call. Thankfully Griffin is the one who intercepted it or else this would be a different story right now,” Jason answers.
“Or they knew Griffin was with us and meant for him to get the call,” Kai muses.
I look between all of them, realizing from their grim expressions and tight lips that it’s a thought they’ve all had.
“I collected as much evidence that could relate to Rogue as possible and took pictures, but Griffin still has to call in the coroner and make a report,” Jason explains before glancing back to the water. “We found Craig.”
“Fuck,” Kai murmurs, stepping back from the group. His hands go into his long hair.
“So we have defectors in Rogue and a killer who is taking them out to protect us,” Silas states.
“And we’re waiting for Julie to turn up still?” Ciaran asks, his brow raised. I notice Saylor moves closer to him.
Jason glances at Ciaran, before settling his eyes back on Silas. “Judging by the crude way the eye was carved into the chest, I’d say that the person was in a hurry. It’s only a matter of time until Julie shows up too.”
“This just keeps getting better,” Kai quips, but I can see the strain on his face.
A fear I haven’t experienced in months creeps down my spine. The chill that comes from knowing you’re being watched. My eyes dart around us, but all I can see is trees and blackness. My stomach dips, and instinctively, I step closer to Silas, craving the protection I instantly know I’ll find when my arm grazes his, and even through the thick fabric of my sweatshirt, I can feel the heat radiating off his skin. Safe. When his arm wraps around me, and I’m pulled into his side, some entirely new emotion unfurls in my chest and squeezes around my heart. I keep my gaze locked on the dark material of his t-shirt and take deep breaths, trying to calm the thundering in my chest.
“Patrol will be here soon, and then they will most likely move the
body to the county morgue.” Matt’s voice cuts through the tension, and we all turn to face him.
“Griffin have any information on the caller?” Jason asks, while sliding his phone into the pocket of his flannel shirt.
Matt shakes his head. “No name, untraceable. The voice sounded garbled, probably some type of device. I gave Erika the number to see if she can get anything, but the odds aren’t looking good right now.”
Everyone is quiet, lost in their own thoughts, when Kai speaks up, “Now what? What does this mean for us?”
“We aren’t alone up here like we thought we were,” Silas answers, his voice rumbling against his chest, and I burrow further into him. My eyes meet Saylor’s for a second, and I realize I don’t care that she sees.
All my fight or flight instincts are ramped up. The only thing keeping me somewhat grounded, or from puking my guts out, is the faint smell of bonfire and fabric softener on Silas. I don’t care that they are all here right now, or that I want to climb Silas like a tree and hold on for dear life, because he feels like shelter and protection. Even when my arm shifts and the butt of his gun, tucked away in the waistband of his jeans, bumps against me, my first thought is that I’m thankful he has it.
“We have targets here,” Kai’s voice wavers, full of emotion, the look on his face almost devastated, “and the Saffrans, who could easily be mistaken for targets, or worse, collateral damage.”
Saylor inhales sharply, and Ciaran wraps his arms around her, pulling her back to his chest. Matt’s head lowers and his hands rub across his face. “If they were tracking us up here, that means it’s our group they are after. We have someone they are looking for. If we go back now, without knowing where Julie is, we are potentially putting our whole community at risk. Here, we are at least more secluded.”
“We also know this area and these woods better than any locals.” Silas raises his head. “If we can’t have the battle on our home turf, this is the next best option for us. Tomorrow, we should set up extra cameras along the outer perimeter. We obviously missed this on our cameras.”
#SummerGirl Page 7