Found by the Rivers

by liberty freer

  His grip on my shoulder tightens, making the muscles in his forearm flex. He’s got a tattoo there, but it’s partially hidden under dirt and what looks like engine oil.

  “Who the fuck are you, and what are you doing sneaking around?”

  You can always tell who someone is by their eyes, and his are a little crazy. His jeans are dirty, and there’s a giant rip exposing his right knee. He’s got a fresh cut on the side of his face. Hmm, maybe from a fight. That would explain the crazy look in his eyes; he hasn't come down from the adrenaline yet.

  He’s too big for me to take on my own. This guy isn’t a little rich prick who gets things handed to him. This guy fights for what he wants and isn’t afraid to get bloody. I need to tread carefully here. “I got lost in the cornfield. I was just following the river.” I decide to go with the truth.

  His eyes search my face, lingering on my jaw before he looks to the right, towards a building several yards ahead that I didn’t notice before. “You’re on private property.”

  “I didn’t know.” I point in the opposite direction, not knowing if that’s where I came from or not. I do know that I want to be far away from him. “I’ll just go back and try to find the road.”

  He loosens his grip but doesn’t let go. “I’m going to need to check your bag, make sure you didn’t steal anything.”

  My hand slips into my back pocket, gripping the handle of my knife. “I didn’t take shit.”

  “Then give me your bag so I can see.”

  I smirk. This dude is crazy if he thinks I’m going to hand over everything I own. My eyes dart around, checking the best route for escape. I’m probably quicker than he is. If I can make it back to the cornfield, my chance of getting away is pretty high.

  “Don’t even try it. You won’t get far,” he says.

  Not taking his advice, I drop low, pushing his arm away. Now that he doesn’t have a grip on me, I dart to the side. My pounding heart brings a sense of déjà vu as I try to outrun him. I pump my legs as fast as I can, making it about ten yards before I’m grabbed from behind. My arms are pinned to my side as I’m hauled up. “Get off me!” Something in my bag pushes into my back as he tightens his hold. I continue to buck like a wild animal as we move farther away from dense trees.

  “Chill the fuck out. You were sneaking around our property. Going to bring you in and see what to do about you.”

  My trying to break free is useless; this dude has an iron grip and close to a hundred pounds on me. He acts like it’s nothing to carry my struggling body as he walks.

  “I wasn't doing anything,” I say through gritted teeth. As soon as he mentioned looking in my bag, I should have brought my knife out. Fuck.

  He laughs. “That’s what they all say. You outsiders know better. Who sent you?”

  I ignore his crazy ass, taking in the blue A-frame home that’s in the center of a cleared area. There’s a gravel road not too far behind it. That’s where I need to be. That will lead me outta here. The blue house isn't the only building on the property. Several small structures are tucked into the trees. I’d say they’re sheds, but they're too fancy for that with porches and multiple windows. What is this place? A campground?

  I suck in a breath as my gaze lands on three guys standing near the blue house. Their backs are turned away from us, so I can’t see their faces.

  My knees almost give out as I'm dropped without warning. Jerk.

  His arm darts out to grab mine as I move to the left towards the road. “I found a pretty little spy.”

  The three guys turn around. The same time I say, “Andrew?” he and Kelsoe say, “What the fuck?” I don’t recognize the third guy, but he looks young, maybe thirteen?

  Seeing the surprise on Andrew’s face, I lose it. I can’t control the laughter that takes over. “What are the chances? I’ve been trying to avoid you, and I walk right into your lair. I can’t seem to avoid the things I hide from,” I say in between laughs.

  “You know her?” the dude holding my arm says.

  He’s practically holding me up. I’m laughing so hard that I’m about to fall over. I’ve officially lost it.

  “Chris, this is the girl I found upriver yesterday,” Andrew says to the guy holding me up.

  Chris lets me go, and I stumble to catch my footing. Still laughing, but not as hard, I wipe the tears from my face.

  Andrew grins. “Guess you made it after all.”

  Kelsoe pushes past him and steps right up to me. “You follow us? You a spy, Red?”

  I roll my eyes at the nickname. Like I haven’t heard that before. I wave my hand towards the jerk. “Like I told Chris, I was lost. I didn’t follow anyone.” I’m not laughing anymore. I grip the strap of my bag. “And I’m leaving.”

  Andrew runs to block my path to the gravel road. “Hey, you’re already here. Just stay.”

  “Andrew, what the fuck? You don’t know her. Someone could have sent her here,” Kelsoe says.

  “No way. We came to her, remember? I told her we were downriver and to come by.” Andrew turns to Chris. “Where'd you find her.”

  Chris points to the right. “By the river. She said she got lost in the cornfield.”

  “I did. Figured the river would lead me to a place to…a place to fish.” I almost slipped up and said sleep.

  All three are quiet for a moment, and then at the same time, Andrew and Chris look to Kelsoe. He narrows his eyes like he’s trying to figure me out. Not going to happen. I haven't even cracked that code.

  “Come on, Kelsoe, look at her,” Andrew says.

  I roll my eyes as I head towards the road.

  “What the fuck,” Kelsoe says from behind, so I pick up my pace to an all-out run.

  Fuck these dudes. They can’t make me stay. Just as I reach the road, two dogs come from out of nowhere. I stop abruptly as they run towards me barking, and it’s not friendly barking. It’s a warning, one that causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand. One black and one brown, both dogs big as fuck.

  I spin around to run the opposite way and crash into a hard body. My bag is ripped from my back before the thief backs up: Kelsoe. I glance back at the dogs to see Andrew kneeling as they fight for his attention by licking and nuzzling his hands.

  Andrew turns to look at me. “They won’t hurt ya. They just didn’t know who you were. Come here, and I’ll introduce you.”

  I ignore him and focus on the idiot who took my bag. “Give it back.”

  “Come on, Kelsoe. Give her a break. She’s been through enough,” Andrew says.

  “She’s trespassing.” Kelsoe holds the bag up. “Technically, this is mine. It’s on my property.”

  I want to tell him to fuck off as I’m walking away, but everything I own is in that bag. I can’t leave it behind. Chris looks uncomfortable like he doesn't know what to think. I don’t see the kid that was out here earlier. I briefly wonder where he snuck off to and why, but I have bigger things to worry about.

  My fists clench as Kelsoe begins unzipping my bag. He looks up at me and smirks. Heat floods my face. I’m fucking sick of dominant males who think they can do whatever they want. Before I can stop myself, I’m lunging at him. The look on his face is comical. Did he expect me to stay down while he went through all my shit? My body connects with his. My bag falls to the ground as his arms wrap around my waist. He stumbles backward, absorbing the impact. I swing, but he catches my fist before I can connect with his face.

  “Chill the fuck out, Red.” He adjusts his hold so that my arms are pinned to my sides.

  My chest is pressed tightly against his. He’s solid muscle, feeling more like warm concrete than an actual person’s body. Damn, he must work hard for it. All these boys are huge. I’m fucking screwed.

  “Just tell me what the fuck I have to do to leave!”

  Kelsoe lets me go, taking a step back. Andrew’s by my side in an instant.

  He grabs my bag from the ground. “You okay?”

  I brush my hair over my should
er. “No, Andrew, I’m not.” I yank my bag from his grip a little harder than necessary. I’m sure he would’ve handed it over if I’d asked. “I want to get the fuck outta here. I’m seriously about to lose it.” I wouldn’t expect a stranger to be so accepting and nice like Andrew, but fuck, I wouldn’t expect them to be a total asshole like Kelsoe. This dude has my blood boiling.

  Kelsoe studies me for a minute. “Go.”

  I don’t wait, and spinning on my heels, I head towards the road. I’m going to get the hell outta here and not look back.

  “You’re such a dick,” Andrew says from behind, probably talking to Kelsoe because, duh, he is one. “Hey, wait up!” Andrew calls after me. His hand lands on my shoulder. “Kelsoe’s being an ass. Ignore him. Stay. Eat.”

  “Are you kidding me right now?” I wave my hand to where Kelsoe was but is no longer. Chris is though, and he’s staring at Andrew and me. “After all that, you expect me to, what, hang out? Are you delusional?”

  “The others won’t act like that.” He points to a miniature log cabin near the tree line.

  Vines cling to either side. The small front porch has a little black mat with welcome written in big white letters. “That’s my place. You can eat there then go or stay.” He picks a twig from my hair. “You can shower too if you want.”

  I move back as he attempts to pick something else from my hair. “Why? Why do you want me here?”

  Andrew smiles but it’s sad. “I was you once.” He lifts his chin towards Chris. “We all were. Just stay for one meal, please.”

  What does he mean by that? I study his face. He looks trustworthy, but so did Ted Bundy. I see the kid from earlier coming out of the blue house with a plate of food. His eyes lock with mine, and he holds the plate a little higher in offering before handing it to Chris.

  The smoky scent is enough to make me lose all sense. I can’t remember the last time I had a homecooked meal. A few months ago, Alex tried to sneak me a hot dog and chips out of the window, but his stepdad caught us. The plate landed upside down in the grass as I was hightailing it outta there.

  “Come on. There’s nobody at my place. I’ll even eat outside if you want to be alone.”

  I nod to his house as the kid walks inside.

  Drews smiles guiltily. “Well, nobody besides Zack. He’s new here. He usually hangs at mine or Kelsoe’s. He won’t bother you. He rarely talks.”

  “He’s new? I figured you all were brothers or something.”

  “None of us are even related. Well, except for Bob, Kelsoe’s dad, but that’s it.”

  Chris walks up. “Kelsoe’s being a dick. Here.” He pushes the plate towards me. “And sorry about earlier. I thought you were one of the townie’s spies.”

  I reluctantly take the plate. My mouth waters at the sight of a burger, hot dog, green beans, and mashed potatoes. “I guess I can eat real quick.”

  Andrew grins. “Great.” He places his hand on my lower back. “This way.”

  I step to the side. He takes the hint, his hand falling away. I know he’s just being friendly, but I don’t know him like that. He gestures me in, but I insist that he go first. I know myself; I’ll feel trapped if he’s behind me in what I’m assuming is a very small space.

  My brows come together as I follow him in. I’m tempted to walk back out just to make sure I walked into the right place. This is much larger than I was expecting. It’s an open-floor plan. The kitchen’s on the left and consists of a sink and a row of cabinets in between an oven and fridge. There’s a small table with two chairs, and Zack’s sitting at one of them.

  To my right, a leather recliner and matching couch sit against the wall and in front of a mounted flat screen. A large oriental rug takes up most of the wooden flooring in the living room. Everything is bright and clean. Besides the door we came in, there are two others. The one closest to the kitchen is slightly open. The light is off, but I can see a blue shower curtain. The other door’s closed.

  “This is yours?”

  “Yep.”

  He ushers me to the small table where the kid, Zack, is seated, phone in hand. He doesn’t take his eyes from the screen as I sit down. Andrew hands me a fork before slipping into the room with the closed door. Zack and I ignore each other as I eat, just how I like it.

  Quiet.

  The kitchen cabinets are a light gray with a butcher block countertop. Everything looks new, and I find myself wondering how a guy my age can afford all this. I guess it wouldn’t be ridiculously expensive with it being so small. Still, I’m sure a place like this would have to be close to twenty grand. I’ve finished most of my plate when Andrew comes into the kitchen holding a pile of clothes.

  “Thought you might want to take a shower.” His eyes meet mine and then widen. “I thought something was off. It was hard to get a good look earlier. Your eyes are two different colors? You got contacts in?”

  “One blue and one brown and blue. No contacts,” I say with a shrug.

  “It’s called heterochromia iridium and was first documented in Ancient Greece. It can be inherited or caused by genetics,” Zack says without moving his eyes from the screen.

  I don’t think I’ve met anyone that knew what my different eye color was called. I guess Zack does have a bit of a nerdy vibe. He’s skinny with short blond hair. He’s got a few freckles on his nose and thick, black glasses that sit a little crooked.

  “Whoa. That’s cool.” Drew nods quickly. “I think I have seen that. A movie star or something, maybe.” He uses his finger to lift my chin that I’ve dropped subconsciously like I always do when people start talking about my eyes. “What about that shower?”

  I could use a shower, and I’m already here. I search his face. “Shit, might as well.” I stand with my bag. “I’ve got clothes. Lead the way, Andrew.”

  He smiles like a kid in a candy store. Dork.

  The bathroom so close to the kitchen is a little strange. I never fully relax as I hurry through the steps of showering and then throwing on sweats and a loose tee. I take a few deep breaths before opening the bathroom door. Drew’s sitting in the chair I was in earlier. His face lights up when he sees me. It’s weird, and I’m not sure what to think of his hospitality. There has to be a catch.

  “Feel better?”

  “Yeah. Thanks.”

  He points to the couch where Zack is seated. “Want to chill for a bit? We could watch a movie.”

  “Thanks, but I think I’m going to go.”

  He frowns. “Okay. Let me make you up some leftovers. We always have too much.”

  I freeze at the sound of footsteps outside the door. The knob turns and then Chris walks in, his expression alert and a little worried. He stares at me a minute before turning his attention to Andrew. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

  “Yeah.” Andrew closes the fridge and turns to me. “I’ll be back in a few.” He points to the couch. “Have a seat.”

  Chris smiles at me before following Andrew out the door. I glance to Zack who’s focused on his phone. I’ll just wait a couple minutes. I could rest my legs before I find a new place to camp.

  The couch is what I’d imagine sitting on a puffy cloud would be like. I sink farther in, getting more comfortable. I feel like I’m floating as all the tension leaves my body.

  My consciousness soon follows.

  Chapter 4

  “There isn’t enough room.”

  “Bullshit. There is room.”

  “You’re just pissed she’s a girl.”

  “This will be bad.”

  “Look at her. She needs help.”

  “Send her to one of the hundreds of women’s shelters or, better yet, home.”

  “That’s enough arguing, boys.”

  Hushed whispers wake me from sleep. I didn’t even know I was sleeping. Was I supposed to be? Four guys stand above me. If I didn’t recognize three out of the four, I might have jumped up swinging. A gray blanket falls to my lap as I sit up. My head feels groggy. I’m still on the co
uch at Andrew’s. I move my attention back to the guys who are all staring at me, each one wearing a different expression.

  Kelsoe looks pissed off. This dude seriously needs to chill out. Andrew’s wearing a lopsided grin like a happy puppy. Chris has an intense expression, almost like he’s worried about me, but that can’t be right unless he knows something’s about to happen.

  I feel my body tense at the uncertainty of the situation. My eyes cut to the older guy as he clears his throat. His short hair is a mixture of black and gray while his mustache is all black. This must be Kelsoe’s dad; I remember Andrew mentioning him. They have the same green eyes and strong jaw. This guy's nose is narrow where Kelsoe’s is more Romanesque. He has a strong vibe to him. The same as Kelsoe. Another alpha.

  “Good morning. I’m Bob, Kelsoe’s dad. What’s your name?” he says with a tight smile.

  “Lenny.” Close enough to my real name.

  Andrew surprises me by letting out a belting laugh. Everyone turns their attention to him, giving me the perfect opportunity to sneak out. Or it would if this house wasn’t minuscule, making every movement magnified.

  “You serious?” Andrew chokes out between laughter.

  I shrug and nod causing him to laugh harder.

  Andrew quits laughing long enough to say, “Her name is Lenny, Bob. She’s practically a boy. She sure has the attitude of one.”

  Everyone in the room looks at my stomach and then at my face. Oh, right, it growled. Probably louder than what’s normal. I shouldn’t still be hungry after everything I ate, but I am.

  Bob’s gaze moves to the bruise on my jaw, and I clench my fists so I don’t cover the mark like I want to. “She can stay for now. We’ll see how things go.”

  “This is bullshit,” Kelsoe says under his breath.

  “Majority rules, son,” Bob says, patting Kelsoe on the shoulder.