Striker: A Dark Bully Romance (Redwood Rebels Book 1) Rachel Leigh (the reading list book .TXT) 📖

“Why did you kill him?” I ask in a hushed tone. “I know he was a creeper, but to take his life—why?”

“Josh wasn’t just an ass; he was a monster. He deserved what happened to him, even if it was an accident.”

“If it was an accident then I’m sure the cops will understand. Can’t you just explain whatever happened?”

He snaps at me, “Stop talking.”

We reach the bottom, and Talon shines the light down a long and narrow hallway. Old broken floorboards rattle beneath us. The walls are covered in everything except fresh paint. There is more graffiti, dirty handprints, and some weird occult symbols in the middle. A feeling of dread washes over me, chills spread like tiny spiders down my spine, and a cool breeze is felt on the right side of my body as I walk past it. “What is this place?” I mutter under my breath.

Not expecting him to answer, he surprises me when he does. “It’s a sanctuary for secrets. Nothing between the walls of this building leaves. Empty souls, dark desires, last wishes. They are stuck in this building for eternity.”

“Sounds creepy,” I say, folding my arms over my chest and hugging myself tightly.

Reaching a door at the back of the house, Talon shines his light and tilts his head with a scowl, directing me out. With the sleeve of my sweatshirt wrapped around my hand, I push the metal handle to the screen door, opening it up. The smell of the fire strengthens in the dry still night.

All three guys are standing around a large barrel in the middle of the backyard. At least, I think it’s a yard. It’s more of a wide-open space that looks like it hasn’t had landscaping attention in ages. The only thing back here is an old shed off to the side, a rather large pole barn, and the barrel full of blazing flames that stretch at least three feet over the guys’ heads.

“Let’s get this over with. I’m ready to get drunk and get laid,” Lars grumbles with agitation in his voice.

Tommy is tapping into his phone and Zed is looking at me with this blank stare. There is nothingness behind his dark eyes. He always looks so angry and cold. Like he can be standing in a room full of people and he’s still alone in his own thoughts. I’ve never really talked to the guy, but I don’t feel like I’m missing out on much. I don’t take him as the type to hold conversations easily. There were times in class where I would watch him as he stared straight ahead, his expression never changing. There were also times that I wanted to get inside his head, just to know what he was thinking because he’s never given light to any emotion. Though, I imagine it’s scary as hell inside his thoughts.

All four of these guys are easy on the eyes. Each one holding his own appeal. They don’t have that athletic, jock appeal. They’re more grunge and darkness. Mysterious and alluring. There is a blackness about them. A more than confident ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude that everyone wishes they could have at one time or another. People follow them, but never walk beside them. They’re loners, and for good reason—they have secrets—dark and dangerous secrets.

“Alright.” Tommy tosses the phone he was playing around with to Talon. “Let’s do this.”

With his eyes glued to mine, Talon walks slowly behind me and sticks his hands and the phone out in front of us. “Toss this in the fire.” After I take it, he moves a couple steps back.

Looking around from one person to the next, my body shivers. Even in the heat, I feel coldness ride down my back like the ghost of my future is standing directly behind me. “Why?” My voice cracks.

Talon snaps, “Because I told you to. Now do it.”

“Whose phone is it?” I look to Zed, who appears to be recording me.

He catches my stare. “You have two choices. You throw the phone in that fire, or we throw you in that fire. What’s it gonna be, Little Thorn?”

Pressing my lips together tightly, I grip the phone and shut my eyes. Without even looking, I toss it in front of me. When I hear Talon breathe a sigh of relief behind me then squeeze my hips, I know that it went in.

Tommy begins clapping. “Atta girl.”

Opening my eyes, I pull away from Talon aggressively. “What? You don’t like to cuddle?” He smirks.

Rolling my eyes, I turn to walk away as quickly as I can, but someone runs up behind me, grabbing me and lifting me up in the air. “Let go of me.” I begin kicking my legs. “I did what you wanted, now I’m going home.”

“Oh no you’re not.”

Talon.

“You think that was the end? That was just the beginning, baby. You do what we tell you to do. You go where we tell you to go.” He sets me back down by the fire, where the guys are all watching and finding humor in this insane situation. “Now we’re celebrating, and you’re celebrating with us.”

“Celebrating what exactly? Getting away with my murder?” I eat my words immediately when Talon jerks my body to his. Gripping my face in his hands, he pushes his fingers so far into my cheeks that I could bite down and feel the space they are invading in my mouth.

His teeth clench together so tightly that I think I can hear the crack of a tooth. “Don’t you ever fucking say that again, do you hear me? We didn’t murder anyone. Josh was a psycho, and it was an accident. We did what we had to do, and now you’re gonna do what you have to and keep your mouth shut, do you understand me?” He presses harder.

All I can do is nod. In a swift motion, he pushes my face back. I rub my hands on my cheeks, where I’m sure