Shattered Secrets (Book of Red #1) (2 page)

“Enough with the apologies. How about you tell me what you’d like to do? We could crash a party, maybe have a few beers, start a few rumors.”

He draped his arm over my shoulder and pulled me close as we passed a couple guys walking the opposite direction, carrying my thoughts back in time to the fifth grade. Mark had just asked me to marry him. When I said, “No,” he wrapped his arm around me and said, “One day, you’ll say yes.”

My stomach knotted. I didn’t like Mark that way. Giving him any kind of hope was wrong. “Maybe you
should
take me home.”

He cursed on a sigh.

“I really am sorry.” Most girls would have killed for a chance to date Mark, and there I was crushing
him
. Megan would torment me for this, tell me if I didn’t move on soon that I’d be the most depressing person she knew. But I couldn’t move on, not when I didn’t know why I had to.

“You’ll come around.” He opened the car door for me, a crooked smile pulling at his face.

I climbed in and rubbed my hands up and down my arms, fighting the goose bumps off my nearly frozen skin.

“You do know it’s December, right?” Mark slid into his seat and watched me uselessly try to warm myself, then quirked an eyebrow. “
Oh
. I get it.”

“What?”

He turned on the heat and jammed his car into gear. “And here I thought you wore that sexy little shirt for me. You have it bad. I’m going to punch that idiot for treating you this way.”

Heat flooded my cheeks. I’d hoped Derick
would
see me all dressed up for someone else, but I didn’t want Mark to know that. I didn’t mean to use him or make him feel… “Mark, I—”

“I’m taking you home, then I’m visiting your neighbor.” Mark barreled down I-95, zipping in between other cars that were also going way too fast.

My body felt like lead. Thousands of helium-filled balloons wouldn’t have been able to hold me up. I didn’t need Mark interfering with my Derick problem—it’s not like he would’ve answered the door anyway. My heart would heal. Eventually. “Please, don’t.”

We were already winding our way down Truslow. So close to home, to Derick.

Mark glanced at me, took one hand off the wheel, then patted my knee. “Are you sure? I would really love a good fight.”

“
Mark
!”

“Fine. Fine. But if you change your mind, you know where to find me.” He parked the car and then walked me to the door.

Every light in the house was on. Mom probably wanted to get a good look at a kiss between me and Mark. She’d been more excited about tonight than I could ever pretend to be, asking if I needed help with my hair, offering tips to fill moments of awkward silence, even going so far as extending my midnight curfew until two.

Mom hated when I moped, and she didn’t share my fascination for Derick. Too bad for her I came home more upset than when I left.

I grabbed the handle and leaned against the doorframe. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up.”

A cheesy, coy smile that screamed
I want more from you
materialized on Mark’s square face—more he would never get no matter how mad I got at Derick. Mark took two steps toward me, wrapped his arms around my waist, then kissed my cheek, sending my nerves skittering inside the house. “I hope you realize you’re too good for him. Goodnight, Abby.”

He skipped down the porch steps, jingling his car keys, then disappeared into the night.

“Thank God.” I went inside then leaned against the door, closing my eyes rather than staring at the happy Christmas tree in the foyer. Mark wouldn’t tell anyone at school what a jerk I was—worse, he’d tell them we had a great time, probably start rumors about ‘us’. Monday was gonna be hell.

Before I could make a break for my room, someone knocked, and I jumped, my nerves still on edge from an almost kiss with Mark. Turning around, I pushed the curtain aside.

Derick stared at me through the window, eyes full of concern, and …
are those tears
?

“Are you going to let me in?” he mumbled through the glass.

Should I
? I crossed my arms over my chest.

“I’m sorry.”

My resolve melted away, and I opened the door. “What do you want?”

He didn’t look at my eyes, like he was sad. Typical guy, always making a girl feel bad for him, when
he’s
the one who hurt
me
. “A chance to explain.”

“What’s there
to
explain? We kissed. You didn’t like it. You didn’t like where our relationship was heading, even though
you
were the one who made the first move. Whatever. I get it, but why now, three months later after I’ve gone out
once,
do you come back here and say you’re sorry?” I clenched my fists at my sides, adrenaline surging through me so fast that my vision swirled, but yelling felt great. I was so mad at him, and to be able to tell him off…

A smile lit his eyes as his gaze roamed up and down my scoop-neck, black tank. “You look beautiful when you’re angry.”

“Good night, Derick.” I slammed the door in his face, then slumped to the floor and cried. For three months all I wanted was him to be my Derick, the quiet, charming guy I spent the last five years being best friends with, the guy who enjoyed long, lazy afternoons with me lying on a blanket in the sun, reading or talking about nothing and everything all at once. Then when he finally returned, I sent him away.

“You okay, honey?” Mom put her hand on top of my head then swept her fingers down my cheek, caressing in a way only a mother can.

I sniffled and looked up at her knowing eyes with faint age lines stretching from them.

She smiled, her thin lips glistening in the glow of the blue and white tree lights. “I’m proud of how you handled both boys. Sometimes your maturity astounds me.”

“Thanks?”
Parents say the oddest things
.

Mom laughed. “Your dad and I are going to watch a movie; I was just going to make popcorn. You want to join us?”

Movies with Mom and Dad on a Friday night? “No thanks. I think I’m just going to hang out in my room.”

“I understand, but can you call Megan? She’s blown up the phone all night, almost your dad’s patience, too. Said she didn’t want to call your cell and interrupt anything.”

Crazy girl. “I will. Sorry about her.”

“I was a young girl once myself, but your dad?” Mom laughed. “Good night, Abs.”

She took off toward the living room, and I made my way for the stairs.

Someone knocked again.

“I’ll get it!”
I’m going to kill him
. I balled my fists and marched for the door. “What
now
?”

I slapped my hand over my mouth and mumbled an apology.

Derick wasn’t at the door. It wasn’t Mark either. I didn’t know who this guy was, but he smiled like he knew me, and he held his finger to his lips.

“Come outside, quietly.”

Trembling, I glanced over my shoulder and saw Mom and Dad had already started the movie.
I could scream. I could scream, and Dad would save me
.

“
Dadd
—”

“Hard way it is.” The stranger grabbed my hand, pulling me outside, then covered my mouth with a white cloth.

Everything went dark.

knew two things: my head was killing me, and I was stuffed in the trunk of a car traveling down a bumpy gravel road. My wrists were bound behind my back, and I was gagged. Dust floated all around me, the millions of tiny particles glowing red from the taillights. Someone’s dirty laundry must have filled the duffel bag my head rested on; the smell would have cleared a skunk out of a room.

Even if I could scream, my voice would have been useless. The kidnapper and the road might have heard me, but nothing else. We were probably in the middle of nowhere, a place I’d probably never escape. No. I
had
to escape.

I craned my neck, trying to locate the emergency latch. All cars were supposed to have those. Maybe that’s why the guy bound me, so I couldn’t get away while he drove.

God, if I’d just talked to Derick a little longer or invited Mark in, I might still be safe at home
. What did this man plan to do with me? Who was he? Were my parents okay?

But I didn’t want details; I just wanted to go back to my mom, my dad, my overly pink bedroom, anywhere but here.

Shudders tore through me. I was cold. Really, really cold. The ridiculously skimpy black tank top I wore to make Derick jealous didn’t make appropriate
kidnap me
attire.

The brakes squeaked, and the car slowed. I didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. What if he planned to kill me? What if he… I didn’t want to think of all the what ifs.

I kicked at the side of the car and released a muffled scream. My hands throbbed from the duct tape wrapped around them and all my squirming, but I wanted out, away. I wanted to run.

The car stopped. I kicked harder and harder, but I hurt my feet and not the trunk. The door opened, then closed. Feet crunched on the gravel.

He’s coming for me
.

My abductor opened the trunk, and I pushed myself back—a futile attempt to get away.

Black painted the sky, and a dingy yellow light glowed brightly behind his head. At least it was still dark; I couldn’t be that far from home. He brought a cigarette to his mouth, then took a long, dramatic drag. Blowing the smoke toward me, he smiled, revealing a mouth full of gleaming white teeth. “We’ve been looking for you a long time.”

Looking for me? Why me? Maybe he abducted the wrong teenager. Maybe he had the wrong street or house—

“I won’t hurt you. I am a hunter from the land of Copper Rocks. My name is Boredas.” He offered his hand. Did he forget he’d tied me up?

I narrowed my eyes and stared at the psycho above me, memorizing his pale brown eyes, his clean-shaven jaw, his dark blond hair. He wore a light blue T-shirt and faded denim jeans. Take away the cancer stick and the kidnapper status and I might have found him cute. But since he’d bound and gagged me, he was anything but swoon worthy.

“Right. I should untie you.” He laughed. “Given the fact you don’t recognize me, it’s clear you have no idea what you and your people are capable of. I was warned of this.”

Capable of? My people? Add delusional to that list. Awesome.
I’ve been kidnapped by a psychotic, delusional idiot.

Boredas—I bet he was ridiculed for
that
name in school—reached in his back pocket, then pulled out a…
knife
.

This was it. My end. No high school graduation. No college. No life. I was going to die. I wiggled deeper into the trunk and bumped against the back of the seats, tearing at the tape around my wrists, doing anything for five more minutes of life. Five more seconds. Anything that might give me freedom, an ability to run away.

“Hold still.” Leaning into the trunk, he grabbed my wrists, then cut the duct tape.

Now was not the time to make a move. He could stab me before I got a chance to punch or shove him. I didn’t have a plan but needed one. Removing the gag from my mouth was the only thing I could think of doing. Houdini I wasn’t.

“We’ll return you to your true home soon.”

There are more psychos
? Fantastic.