Willow sat up on her elbows and shook her head, “I’m allergic to exercise. Ya’ll have fun.”
“Your loss.” Logan called back to her as we walked towards a makeshift volleyball court. It was basically a net with the surrounding court drawn in the sand. I’d played volleyball once and it definitely wasn’t a pretty sight. I was hoping my skills had improved since then, but I wasn’t too optimistic. With me and Noah playing against Carmen and Logan, I had a feeling Noah was on the losing end of that bargain. He palmed the ball, threw it in the air and gracefully served it over the net toward Carmen. She jumped and spiked it over the net before I had even realized what was happening.
“Come on, Stasia, the ball’s not going to defend itself!” Noah called out playfully, but I just rolled my eyes. The more we played, the more I realized volleyball wasn’t my sport. After a horrific showing on my part, Logan and Carmen high-fived as the winning shot arced over the net and through my un-talented arms. Noah came over and gave me a high-five anyway.
“Good game, partner,” He tried to give me a hug, before I moved out of his reach. “Ya’ll should come up to Rostrum and party with us.” He looked around tentatively and in a hushed voice asked, “Do you get high?”
“I don’t smoke.” I retorted, unimpressed.
“That’s not what I asked,” he sneered at me, stepping closer. I took a step back.
“I don’t get high, either.” I stood my ground this time and looked him in the eye with conviction.
“You don’t know what you’re missing.” He shook his head at me. His tone turned slightly condescending “You don’t have to be scared. There’s nothing wrong with it. Just like smoking cigarettes, really. Just better. And Logan’s mentor just made a run to Wilmington to get a bag of some really good stuff.” I got the distinct impression he assumed I was innocent and gullible, just waiting for someone like him to come along and corrupt me. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t innocent or gullible. I didn’t need lessons from him or anyone else for that matter. What he didn’t know was I’d been around drugs since I was about eight years old. When your foster parents choose partying for three days straight over feeding you, it tends to stick with you.
“I’m not smoking grass with you, Noah.”
“Well, well…” he smirked at me, not expecting me to know another word for weed, “maybe she’s not so goody-goody after all.” He stepped closer to me again and tried to put his arm around my waist. I twisted out of his grip and stared daggers at him.
“Do not make the mistake of thinking you know me.” I said through gritted teeth. I tried my best to suppress the buried anger he’d unknowingly triggered. I glanced back at Carmen for backup, but she appeared to be in deep conversation with Logan.
“Come on, don’t be like that. I thought you were gonna be cool.” He tried again to put his arm around my shoulder, but a strong tan hand clamped down on his first.
“Touch her again and I’ll kick your ass.” I jumped back in surprise at Finn’s voice. It was dripping with pure darkness, sexy and terrifying all at once. He was face to face with Noah and even though he was only an inch or two taller, it might as well have been a foot. Fear crossed Noah’s face, but disappeared just as quickly.
“What do you want Morrison?” Noah growled, but the slight tremble in his voice gave him away. I could tell it wasn’t lost to Finn’s ears. He stepped even closer and grinned at him with malice.
“Finally met a girl that won’t fall for your bullshit?” Finn’s face turned sinister and his blue eyes flashed, “She deserves respect and that’s the one and only thing you’re ever going to give her.”
“Whatever dude.” Noah tried to blow off Finn’s threat, but he wasn’t fooling anybody.
Logan walked up and eyed Finn, “We got a problem, Noah?”
“Nah,” Noah quickly looked me up and down and then smirked, “It’s not worth it.” Anger shot through me at his insult and I moved in between him and Finn.
“Screw you.” I pushed him as hard as I could and surprisingly, he flew back, landing hard on the sand. Everyone turned to stare at me except Carmen, who was suddenly standing right beside me.
“Get your boy under control before I whip his ass too!” she stared angrily at Logan. “Nobody talks to my friends that way!” I looked down at Noah who was rubbing his chest, and I saw two hand-
sized bruises beginning to show. Did I really do that?
“She deserves it if she’s hanging out with ‘death boy’.” He helped Noah up off the sand.
When he turned back around, Finn tackled him, holding him down in the sand by his throat.
“Finn!” I called out to him. People were beginning to gather around us. “Come on…let him go, let’s just leave.”
“Stay away from her,” he growled at Logan, and looked up at Noah, whose face was drained of color, “or you’ll regret it.” He gave Logan a smile dripping with evil and released him abruptly, pushing his head back in the sand. Logan rubbed his neck where Finn’s grip had left a red mark.
Every muscle in Finn’s body was tense and I had a feeling he wanted nothing more than to kill them both. He radiated malevolence and my stomach turned to ice as I remembered his hands around another guy’s neck right before he pulled out an axe.
“Asshole,” Carmen muttered towards Logan before walking away. Willow ran over to us.
“Are ya’ll okay? What happened?”
Finn looked back at the two retreating guys, narrowing his eyes, “We handled it.”
“And I’m never talking to Logan again.” Carmen added.
“I’m sorry Carmen, I didn’t mean for-” I began, before she interrupted me.
“It’s not your fault he’s a loser, I’m just glad I was there to watch you shove Noah in the sand! Those bruises will be a nice reminder to him not to mess with you. Let me see those muscles!”
She squeezed my biceps and Willow’s eyes got big.
“You did what?”
“Finn!” Two dark haired guys holding surfboards waved at him. “You comin, man?” Finn took my hand, pulling me away from Willow and Carmen.
He searched my face urgently. “I have to go,” he said, his tone solemn, “be careful who you hang out with, Stasia.” Before I had a chance to argue, he walked away. I watched as he took his surfboard from one of the guys, jumped in the waves and easily started paddling out.
When I got back to our blanket, Carmen was telling Willow what had happened and I felt my defenses go up at Finn’s warning. I didn’t need a babysitter. I could take care of myself. And besides, Noah wasn’t the one who was standing on the same beach where Nicolet was killed. I watched as he dropped into a wave, whipped his surfboard around the top of it and rode it out like he’d done it a million times before. He dove into the water, retrieved his board and started paddling back out to do it all over again. Everything he did was so controlled and poised. And incredibly sexy.
When there was a lull in the waves, the three boys sat and talked on their boards. It made me wonder what the Sons of Daimon did in their spare time. I saw them in class and surfing but besides that they were a complete mystery. Each one had an air of darkness, but Finn outweighed them all in that department. I could see why Noah was frightened of him…I got the feeling he’d never lost a fight. It was the darkness he exuded that made him so volatile and intimidating. Something inside me told me he would stop at nothing to protect someone he loved and he would definitely fight for what he believed in. It was a level of intensity that would tear a normal person apart, but Finn carried it with confidence and grace.
The sight of Kira walking along the beach pulled me from my thoughts. We hadn’t talked since the candlelight vigil. Instead of a bathing suit, she was barefoot and wearing a yellow strapless sundress. A long necklace of freshwater pearls hung from her neck and her blonde hair was swept up on top of her head. I jogged down the beach to greet her and her face lit up as she saw me coming.
“Look at you!” She glanced down at my bathing suit and beamed with pride, “We’ll make a beach bum out of you yet!” I embraced her in a hug and was hit with the scent of coconut and something fruity. I noticed the cup she was holding. It was filled to the brim with a slushy yellow concoction. A bright pink straw poked out. She winked at me.
“Come on, let’s take a walk and catch up.” We walked down by the water and she handed me the drink. It
