The Stone Sisters: Lyssa (The Stones Sisters Book 1)

The Stone Sisters:

Lyssa

Bekah Clark

Cover Design: SelfPubBookCovers.com/
Shardel

This book is a work of fiction produced and owned by the author.
 
Please respect the copyright of the author and do not reproduce it without the express permission of the author.

© Bekah Clark

This book is dedicated to brother in law who has been there through thick and thin.
 
“Your eyes are number one.”

Prologue

Opening
her locker, Lexa grabbed a band and pulled her honey-gold hair into a thick curly ponytail.
 
Unlike her sister Lyssa, with her bone straight hair of the same shade, Lexa’s hair was always a mass of untamed curls.
 
Her gray-blue eyes flickered to the mirror and she checked her lipstick.
 
It didn’t need a refresher.

She looked around and noted a few girls staring at her.
 
They would lean to one another and then talk and laugh as they glanced repeatedly at her.
 
She knew they were talking about her.
 
What the exact details were, she had no clue.
 
It was still troubling.
 
At barely five feet, Lexa was petite, thin-framed and lacked in the curve department.
 
She was trying hard not to compare herself to them.
 
However, the way they were behaving caused a churning of emotions within her that just made her feel self-conscious and for a moment, she completely lost her self-esteem.
 
Taking a deep breath, determination not to be upset filled her.
 
When that determination didn’t work, she decided to just pretend.
 
So, she rolled her eyes and fluffed her hair in the mirror.
 
The girls kept laughing.

The hall was nearly empty as she finished transferring her books to and from her locker.
 
That was when a throat cleared behind her.
 
She didn’t have to turn to realize it was Jack.
 
The just fifteen-year-old freshman had been overjoyed when Jack, a junior with drop-dead gorgeous green eyes, had asked her out.
 
Lyssa had warned her to stay away from him.
 
But then, Lyssa warned Lexa to stay away from everyone.
 
That was her thing.
 
If there was one word to describe Lyssa, it was overprotective.
 
Lyssa had insisted Jack wasn’t interested in her the person.
 
That had actually been fine to Lexa because no one had ever really shown interest in her in that way before.

Sighing, she closed her locker and turned to look up at him.
 
Glancing aside, she could see a couple of his buddies making their way towards the two of them.

“What the hell do you want, Jack?”

“Listen, Lexa, I’m sorry,” he swallowed, “I was wondering, if you wanted to try again?”

“Are you freakin’ kidding me?”
 
Lexa tried never to swear.
 
Lyssa would have a heart attack if she heard her baby sister say anything worse than damn or hell.

“Yes.
 
Look, I’m really sorry and I was wondering if…”

“Yo, Jack, what are you doing?
 
Trying to get into Loose Lexa’s pants again?”

For a fraction of a second she froze.
 
However, it was only a fraction, because while Lexa may have moments of self-doubt, she was no shrinking violet.
 
Her eyes narrowing, she nearly yelled, “Are you fuckin’ kidding me?”
 
Yep, kid gloves were off, Lyssa’s sense of decency be damned.

“No, honey, that’s what Jack did to you.
 
He said…”

“Really?
 
Is that how he played it?”
 
Lexa cut off Craig like Lyssa would a slow driver on the road, “Coz I remember an attempted rape.
 
I also remember the two reasons I didn’t file charges.
 
One, my sister kicked your ass!
 
And two, I felt sorry for you when you whimpered out your apology.”

“Yo!
 
That didn’t…”

“Oh, yes. The. Fuck. It. Did.”

“Lexa, language.”

With that, Lyssa was there, standing between her and the boys.
 
Lexa didn’t know whether to be happy or pissed at the protection.
 
But, if it meant that Jack-Ass got his ass kicked again, it didn’t bother her.
 
At a little over average height, Lyssa was taller than Lexa.
 
However, that was the only thing average about her.
 
Lyssa arms were a little muscular.
 
She worked out and practiced martial arts like crazy.
  
People always said Lyssa and Lexa had the exact same face, but in Lexa’s mind Lyssa was beyond beautiful and she always compared the two.

Jack stared at Lyssa with a look that screamed, “Oh shit.”
 
Lyssa moved toe to toe with him and asked in a soft, decidedly deadly voice, “Are you talking to my sister?
 
Worse, are you making up stories about my little sister?”

Like Jack, Lyssa was only just barely seventeen.
 
The other boys opened their mouths but when Lyssa shot them a look, they just shut up.
 
Lyssa may have been projecting a little.
 
So much for subtlety, sis,
Lexa thought.

Jack stumbled back, “I… no.”

In that same deadly voice, so quiet Lexa wondered if anyone but her and Jack could hear she said, “You better run, Jack.
 
Run and pray I don’t find you.”

Jack turned and took off in a dead run.
 
His two friends looked at him, then Lyssa and ran themselves.

Once they were gone, Lexa sighed, “Seriously, Lyss, I had that.”

Smiling warmly, Lyssa turned her eyes onto her younger sister, “I know.
 
But I hate him and that was fun.”

As the day went on, the rumors got worse and soon girls were calling her ho-bag in the hallways.
 
Fortunately “Loose Lexa” didn’t stick.
 
At least Lexa hoped it wouldn’t.
 
She was also grateful there was only a little over a month left of school.
 
On the plus side as well, Jack-Ass was avoiding her like the plague.
 
Nevertheless, as comforting as that was, in the distance when she saw him, she could tell he was talking about her.
 
Great, things were going to get worse.

By the time she got home, she didn’t even care about homework or supper.
 
She just went to bed and told herself not to cry.
 
They were only stupid humans.
 

It didn’t help.
 

In the morning, she smelled Lyssa’s famous pancakes.
 
Famous because they were the one thing she could cook on the rare occasions she did.
 
With a grin, Lexa bounced out of bed and headed downstairs.
 
The news was on as Lyssa set down a stack of four pancakes in front of Lexa, hot maple syrup dipping down the sides.

“Eat up!”
 
Lyssa practically glowed.
 
No, she was glowing.
 
Lexa started to wonder what was going on when her hearing tuned into what the local broadcaster was saying.

“…Jack Colson is much loved in the local school.
 
Sadly, he remembers nothing about his attacker.
 
If you have any information, contact the local pol…”

Lyssa turned off the TV and sat across from Lexa, eating her pancakes with a smile.

“Dammit, Lyss!
 
Now we have to move again.”

“Maybe.
 
But, that guy will never try to rape another girl again.
 
And we were going to have to move soon anyway.
 
I’m thinking our new last name will be Stone.”

Lexa groaned.
 
Lyssa’s temper had them on the run before anyone realized just how dangerous the “Jacobs” siblings were.
 
Dammit!
 
She never should have gone out with that Jack-Ass.

Chapter 1

New
year, new school.
 
Lyssa hated the routine but it was better to constantly change than to leave open opportunity for people to discover the truth.
 
She wasn’t sure how she was going to handle college next year.
 
No, she had to admit to herself, she already knew.
 
After all, Lexa would still have a couple years left of school.
 
Forging transcripts was easy enough for Lyssa and when they moved to the new school next year, she could always repeat senior year.
 
It wouldn’t be fun, but at least then, she could keep a better eye on Lexa.

At that moment, Lexa came bounding down the stairs in a jean skirt that, as far as Lyssa was concerned, was too short and a smile.
 
The pale blue top she was wearing at least was somewhat modest.
 
Though, with Lexa’s thin frame clothing had to be pretty small to be tight on her.
 
Lyssa was far more modest in her black capris pants and red V-neck tee.
 
At least she should have been.
 
Lyssa was rather curvy and the V-neck just showed off her cleavage.
 
At this point in her life, Lyssa was over that.
 
She didn’t care, she had a big chest and that was it.
 
All she cared about was Lexa.

“Lyss, you sure you don’t want to borrow that jean skirt I have?”

With a smile, she replied, “Yeah, while you look cute in it, I’d look like a tramp.”

Lexa laughed.
 
Lyssa smiled and had to admit to herself how she dressed didn’t really matter.
 
She wasn’t looking to fit in, just not stand out too much.
 
On the other hand, Lexa always tried to fit in.
 
Smiling, Lyssa grabbed her keys, “Come on, let’s go.
 
I don’t want to be late.”

“You never want to be late, loosen up.”

“Loosen up?
 
If we cause a too much of a stir they will want our parents to come in.
 
I don’t want to fix things more than I have to.”

Lexa rolled her eyes as she quipped, “Yeah, yeah.
 
I get it.
 
But, you worry too much.
 
How about this year you relax?
 
We’re the Stone Sisters now.
 
No one knows who we are and they don’t care.
 
If we act like normal girls, all the better.”

“Well, you know how to act normal.
 
I don’t.
 
I have to take care of us first.
 
The only reason I’m in school is for you.
 
If I had my way we’d be in a cabin in the woods and I’d make weekly runs to town…”

“Damn, you’re so awful.
 
I’d run away if we did that.”

“Which is
why,”
Lyssa went on, “We’re in school and not in the middle of nowhere.”

“It isn’t like anyone is going to find us,” Lexa said with an ever so slight pout.

“We have more to worry about than just the Hunters.”

Lexa fell silent as Lyssa locked up.
 
After that, she got into the new red Audi TTS.
 
Whenever they switched lives, she always went out of her way to get them a fast and reliable car, just in case they needed a fast getaway.
 
Lexa often said it had more to do with Lyssa’s love of fast cars.
 
Her “secret love,” Lexa would teasingly say.
 
Lyssa kept quiet about that.
 
But then, she kept quiet about just about everything.
 
Her main focus was on keeping Lexa safe.
 
So much so that she never even thought about herself.
 
If it wasn’t for the fact that a fast car could get them away better than a beater car, Lyssa would not have allowed that either.

She slid into the black leather seat of the driver’s side.
 
Lexa had finally stopped asking her how she got their money.
 
It didn’t matter.
 
As long as they were safe from the Hunters, Lexa didn’t need to know what Lyssa did to keep them alive.
 
It was better that way.
 
As they pulled out of the driveway of their four-bedroom grey Victorian with its bright white trim and red door, Lexa let out a laugh as Lyssa gunned it and sped down the road.
 

“Gee, Lyss, we aren’t that late, what about cops?”

With a smile, she replied, “I checked before we left, at the times we go down each street, there will be no cops.”

“You can’t be one hundred percent certain of that.
 
You don’t have that kind of control.”
 
Lexa turned her gaze to the scenery, which sped by at an alarming rate.

“I’m getting better, each week.
 
I’m eighty percent sure.
 
I’m willing to risk it.
 
Being late will only draw more attention to us.”

“This car is going to draw attention to us.”

Lyssa laughed, “Our cover is spoiled rich girls whose parents are never really around.
 
It easily explains a lot of things.”

“Our cover is always spoiled rich girls.”

“When you graduate, you can come up with something.
 
I’d still rather we were out in the woods.”

It was an old argument.
 
Lyssa wanted to keep them isolated and away from most people, Lexa wanted to live amongst people and “have a life.”
 
The only reason Lyssa allowed it was that there was the possibility that by seeming normal, Hunters might not spot them.
 
Even though they hadn’t encountered many Hunters in the past four years, the possibility of their being caught hung over Lyssa like a dark cloud.
 
A dark cloud that Lexa ignored.
 
However, so long as Lexa was safe, Lyssa was content to let her pretend that there were no Hunters and that they were two normal girls.

As they pulled into the high school parking lot, many kids turned to look at their car.
 
Yep, it was the finest one in the lot.
 
But, there were other good cars there so it wasn’t like it stood out beyond all reason.
 
Or maybe she was trying convincing herself of that.
 
After all, Lyssa usually picked towns that were at least upper middle class.
 
Mostly because the cars she chose would stick out way too much if they didn’t pick that type of neighborhood.

After she parked, Lyssa got out of the car and they could hear some guy go, “dayum.”
 
She was used to men who judged her based on looks, so she ignored him.
 
When Lexa got out, her sister didn’t even notice the low whistle by another guy.
 
She really felt Lexa needed to realize how attractive she was.
 
Their last school had had a negative impact on her sister and Lyssa wasn’t sure what to do about it.

Sighing softly, she looked up at the high school.
 
The Stone sisters had finally arrived.
 
Now if they could just get through this year in one piece, Lyssa would be happy.
 
Hopefully this year there wouldn’t be any disasters.

After checking in with the office and getting their class schedules, Lyssa gave Lexa a quick hug and whispered, “Remember, blend in.”

Lexa rolled her eyes, “Like I don’t know the drill.
 
You blend in.
 
You never really do.”

Frowning, Lyssa headed off.
 
Lexa was right; she never really did fit in.
 
But it didn’t matter.
 
As long as Lexa blended, Lyssa would happily be the weird sister.
 
It didn’t matter.
 
Lyssa didn’t need friends, and she didn’t need a boyfriend.
 
All she needed was to keep Lexa safe from the Hunters.

Having memorized the school layout, Lyssa found her Physics class easily and got into one of the seats in the back, near the window, before anyone else arrived.
 
Everyone in this school had friends, so naturally they were all catching up before heading to their classrooms.
 
It didn’t matter.
 
Lyssa pulled out her phone and started scanning the net for any news on weird occurrences in the area.
 
Best offense was a good defense.
 
If something weird was going on, she needed to know so that she could determine if the Hunters were close.
 
Fortunately, many weird things may have been happening in the world, but they were not happening in Bedford, Massachusetts.
 
Well, nothing beyond the usual.
 

At the sound of someone walking into the room, Lyssa put her phone away and looked up into the most sensual chocolate eyes she had ever seen.
 
There were flecks of gold in those eyes that were studying her and they were set in a rather sexy package too.
 
He was almost six feet, black hair, and had warm tanned skin. He was also fairly built for a seventeen-year-old boy.

“You’re new.”

Lyssa had to stop this, she didn’t need to be harbor feelings for some boy at school, “Wow, you’re a genius.
 
Realize that all by yourself?”

She could see him start in surprise as she shut herself off and looked out the window.
 
It always worked, scared off everyone with the cold hearted bitch, as they would call her, act.
 
Lyssa hated that word, but it fit nonetheless.
 
Therefore, she didn’t expect him to sit down right in front of her, leave his bag on the table, and turn to her.
 
Lyssa’s gray-blue eyes grew wide as she took him in, looking at her.
 
Unfortunately, she also felt her cheeks heat.

“I’m Kyle.”

Lyssa arched a brow at him, “I’m not interested.”

“Girls?”

“What?”

“You interested in girls?”

Lyssa rolled her eyes at his assumption.
 
She replied, “The only thing I’m interested in is a proper education.
 
It’s the last year of school, no point in my making friends who I won’t even see next year.”

“You always this friendly?
 
I wasn’t trying to be rude, just curious about you, trying to understand.”

“Look, my parents move around a lot.
 
In the last three years, I’ve been to as many schools.
 
There’s no point in making friends.”

The beauty of that statement was the core of truth in it. Lexa and Lyssa had moved around a lot, Kyle just didn’t need to know they didn’t have parents.
 
Turning her eyes back outside, she figured he was done.
 
Don’t look at the sexy boy, Lyssa,
she quietly warned herself.

“Must be lonely.”

“Excuse me?”
 
Lyssa turned her gaze back to him.
 
What was with this persistence?

Kyle smiled at her and yep, it was just as sexy as the rest of him.
 
For a moment, Lyssa’s heart fluttered.
 
It had to be hormones.
 
She had never been attracted so much before.
 
Of course, most guys her age didn’t look like Kyle.