AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Heath murmured darkly.
While the others were talking, Beau sidled up to my side and rested a hand on my upper arm. His finger began writing into my skin—his usual way of communicating with me—before he paused and dropped his hand to his side.
“Are you okay?” The dark, husky sound of his voice curled around me like smoke. It had a slight rasp to it from years of disuse but was as familiar to me as breathing. It was Beau’s voice—a sound I never thought I would hear again.
“I just want all this to be over,” I whispered back, twisting my head to meet his bright blue eyes. Endless warmth emanated from his gaze as he took my hand and gave it a squeeze.
“It will, B. Soon.”
Before I could respond, Aiden moved through the crowd and thrust something into my hands. I glanced down in surprise, my eyes widening at the sight of a pocket knife he must’ve stolen from the kitchen. The others were still arguing amongst themselves, completely oblivious to the weapon Aiden had handed me.
Beau’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as he stared at the knife.
“Aiden,” I whispered, “how many of these do you have?”
“They don’t usually keep knives in the kitchen,” he replied, his voice just as low as mine. He moved even closer until his lips were directly next to my ear. To anyone looking in, they would think we were lovers embracing and exchanging sweet words with one another. “I had to steal it off a professor who came into the kitchen.”
“Shouldn’t someone else have it?” I protested immediately. “If it’s the only one—”
“No,” Beau and Aiden both said at the same time. The latter pulled away and gave my shoulder a quick squeeze.
“Don’t let anyone know you have it, okay?” Aiden whispered, and Beau nodded his agreement.
“You don’t really think—”
“We should get going,” Heath, once again, interrupted. I quickly shoved the knife into my back pocket, though I knew this conversation wouldn’t be over.
“Is there, like, some time limit we don’t know about?” Tanner demanded with a scowl.
Heath didn’t answer, but for some reason, I took his silence as a yes.
The others must’ve thought the same because ripples of apprehension traveled through the group. Caleb, Brett, Sev, and Travis moved to stand closer to Kelly, creating a protective circle around her frail form.
When no one made a move to enter the bright, welcoming store first, I released a haggard sigh and took a step forward. Immediately, all five of my guys—including Heath—stepped in front of me.
“No way in hell,” Aiden growled out, his back straightening as he turned away from me to face the store. “I’ll go first.”
“Aiden…”
Before I could make a move to stop him, Tanner interlocked our fingers together and dragged me to his side. His strong arms banded around my waist as he rested his chin on my head. Beau glanced at us, but instead of the hurt or jealousy I expected, he appeared almost…relieved. He gave Tanner a nod over my head and then moved to stand in front of me, effectively caging me between them.
Kace positioned himself directly beside me, his eyes alert as he bounced on the balls of his feet. His red hair stood in all directions as if he’d repeatedly run his fingers through the strands. His eyes flitted from face to face, never stopping on one person in particular.
“Are you okay?” I whispered, reaching out to take his hand in mine. He gave it a slight squeeze.
“I’m good. I promise.” He offered me a reassuring smile, but I wasn’t quite sure I believed it or him.
Aiden, near the front of the line, pushed open the door. A twinkling bell announced his arrival as he stepped inside, the rest of us following.
I stood on my tiptoes to see over Beau’s shoulder at the normal-looking store spread out before me. A counter to my right held a cash register, lottery tickets, and numerous stacks of candy bars. Shelves of miscellaneous merchandise stood erected to my left. The fridges against the back wall, emitting a soft humming noise, showed beer bottles and other drinks. Freezers sat adjacent to the main entrance, and when I peeked inside, I noted gallons of ice cream and a few popsicles.
Normal.
Everything looked normal.
Icy terror skated down my spine, and I shivered.
Why did it look normal? What was waiting for us? The door was less than thirty feet away, yet it had never felt farther. I wanted to run to it, but for some reason, it felt as if I were walking through quicksand. My heart thumped erratically as terror threatened to consume me.
