I open the door and jump out, slamming it shut behind me. “What in the fuck was that, Cole?” I demand.
He stands there, his blue eyes narrowed on me. His legs wide and hands in the front pockets of his black jeans. He still wears his black hoodie, but the hood is back.
“What the fuck?” I look to my right to see Deke, staring down at me with wide eyes and mouth opened. “You let cemetery girl help you?” he asks in surprise.
The other three look back and forth between Cole and me, trying to figure out what the hell is going on and who the hell I am.
My chest rises and falls fast, my heart racing. “You almost got me arrested,” I snap.
“You should have kept up,” he says.
My eyes bug out. “Kept up? I didn’t know you were going to steal a car,” I snap. He just stares at me. That look of hatred on his face. He should be thanking me for not turning him in. “Take me home,” I demand.
“Deke.” He looks at him. “Give her a ride home.”
What? “No!” I say, taking a step toward Cole as he turns and heads back toward the house. “You take me—”
“Gladly,” Deke says, interrupting me and taking a step toward me. I shut my mouth and take three back. He stares down at me with a smile on his handsome face, but the light shining down on us from the side of the barn makes him look crooked. Or maybe it’s the fact that I know just how truly twisted he is.
“I’ll just take your car,” I say with a smile, and he stops walking away. His back still toward me. Then I look down at it and smile. “I knocked off the mirror.”
“You what?” he snaps, turning to face me.
I give him the biggest fuck you smile I can. “I ran into the cops, and they threw a spike strip out.” His brows rise. “I was able to dodge it but hit the side of the mountain. It knocked off your mirror.”
He fists his hands down by his sides while Deke laughs. The other three still stand around, not knowing what is happening.
“Who is this girl?” I think it’s Kellan who asks softly. I can’t remember who Shelby said was who.
“I’m Austin.” I answer his question when neither Deke nor Cole makes a move to do so. “Austin Lowes.”
All their heads snap to look at Cole. And Deke looks down at his feet, but I don’t miss his jaw hardening. Cole stares at me for a long moment as silence falls around us. And I feel like I’m back in the cemetery with him and Deke. Like he’s trying to think of his next move.
Is he going to stab me this time? Let Deke shoot me?
Finally, he looks away from me and to Deke. “Take her home,” he orders and then turns, giving us all his back. He walks into the barn, letting the door shut behind him.
“Let’s go home, baby,” Deke says, walking over to me.
“No …”
He grabs my upper arm and squeezes, making me cry out as his fingers dig into my skin. The other guys turn their backs on me and walk into the same door as Cole. Deke drags me across the gravel and over to the side of the building where a black Range Rover sits. He tosses me in the passenger seat and then climbs in. I press my body against the door.
He chuckles. “I’m not the one you should be afraid of, baby.”
“What does that mean?” I demand, pissed off over what Cole put me through tonight.
“It means …” He starts his SUV. “That Cole is the only one who decides if you live or die. Not me.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
COLE
I RIP MY hoodie off and then my black t-shirt. I toss them both to the floor and raise my fists in front of me. I start bouncing around and hit the punching bag that hangs from the rafter.
I hear the door open and then Kellan’s voice. “Cole, what is going on?” he asks.
“I’m handling it,” I say, hitting the bag again.
“That’s not what it looked like from where we stood,” Shane argues.
I snort.
“She’s Bruce’s daughter—”
“Yes. I know who she is!” I snap, interrupting Kellan. I drop my hands and turn to face them. “I’m well aware of whose daughter she is.”
Kellan looks like he’s seen a ghost, but Shane smiles. “She’s perfect.”
I let out a growl. “She’s mine!”
He doesn’t even try to hide his smile at my possessiveness. “No. I mean she’s perfect for what we need.”
Kellan shakes his head. “Absolutely not. I’m not gonna be responsible for her.”
“Between the five us, she would be fine.”
“Look at what happened tonight,” Kellan snaps, arguing with Shane.
“Were you not paying attention?” Shane asks. “She managed to get away from the cops. And she didn’t even have any help.” He points at me. “Cole left her to fend for herself.” He smiles as if he’s proud of her. “And I must say, I’m impressed.”
I, however, want to strangle her. She fucked up my M4. I just bought that car. And the cops saw her, which brings up another thought. Why were the cops there? We disabled the alarm, and no one was around for miles. That warehouse is there for a reason; no one is ever in that part of the town. Barnes is a little town full of elderly people who live in retirement homes. Who would have seen us to call the authorities on us?
“I say we bring her in. See how she does.” Shane nods to himself. “Challenge her. She seems like the kind who wouldn’t back down from a fight.”
“And?” Kellan asks.
“And what?” Shane looks at him.
“When she gets us caught and we’re all in jail, then what?”
“That won’t happen.”
“How can you promise that?” Kellan snaps.
Shane looks back at me. “Because she won’t turn on someone she loves.”
I look at Bennett, the only one who has kept his mouth shut this entire time. He meets my eyes, and my chest tightens at the look in them. “You know damn well that she would be the best piece no one ever saw coming,” he says.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to see it’s a message.
Deke: The princess was dropped off. Unharmed. You’re welcome.
I put my cell back in my pocket, close my eyes, and let out a long breath. “You guys know what this means, right?” I ask.
When silence falls over the room, I look them all in the eyes before I speak. “We’re throwing a party.”
AUSTIN
Shark: Party tomorrow night at my house. Be there at ten.
Cole sent me that last night while I was in the bathtub. As soon as Deke dropped me off, I jumped in the bath to clean off. To wash the day away. I never responded, but I don’t think he expected me to. He had summoned me, and he knew I’d show because well, what else do I have to do? And I want to know what those boys are up to.
Three had looked at me like I was a disease. Cole looked like he wanted to kill me, and Deke looked amused.
First, they kill a guy, then they steal a car? Like what is their deal? Was the car one of their dares? Shelby had mentioned how they were always getting into trouble.
And she had called them Great White Sharks? In and out of the water. That’s why I put his number under Shark. I could use them on my side at school. It’s the second semester of my senior year at a new place. And the town is a stuck-up, wealthy city. I’m sure all the students are little brats, so I could use someone on my side who others are afraid to cross. Or five someones. Even if I’m afraid of them too. Deke said that my fate was in Cole’s hands. So he runs the pack. That was obvious, though. As long as I stay on his good side, I should be okay.