Corrupt

My skin crawled, and I yanked on a tank top and pair of jeans, wanting nothing more than to scream my fucking lungs off.

Assholes. All of them.

Slipping on some sneakers, I grabbed my black hoodie off the hook in the closet and hurried back down the stairs, hearing the shower running in the bathroom as I passed. The guys were probably getting ready to leave.

I grabbed my phone and keys from the entryway table and left through the front door, pulling on my hood and stuffing my hands into the front pocket of my sweatshirt.

Only October 30th, and the chill in the air already had a bite. Nearly all the trees were bare, and all the brown, orange, yellow, and red leaves that had fallen now graced the lawn. Mrs. Crist never made the gardeners remove them, knowing it would be the last bit of color we’d enjoy before the snow started in a few weeks.

The cold washed over me, and I slowly started to calm as I walked down the driveway.

The towering branches above, like veins across the sky, melted together, creating a bare, dead canopy over the driveway that would be right at home in any Tim Burton film. I half-expected to see some creepy fog floating across the ground at me.

Jack-‘o-lanterns lined the driveway, glowing with their firelight, and I inhaled the smell of burning wood coming from somewhere. There were several bonfires going tonight, everyone either enjoying the mischief or taking part in it.

There were also some parties, and I hoped Noah was up for some fun tonight. I needed a distraction.

Reaching the big gate, I stuck my key into the adjoining door which allowed anyone on foot to enter or exit without needing to disturb Edward, the butler, to open the larger gate. I used it often, since my home was close enough to walk back and forth, and Michael used it, since he took jogs off the property.

Closing the smaller gate—it automatically locked behind me—I turned left and kept to the side of the road as I made my way home.

My hair spilled out of the hoodie, hanging down my chest on both sides as I hurried down the black pavement. It was already dark out, but the roads weren’t completely without light. Lanterns from the Crist estate on the other side of the rock wall and—soon—lights from my family’s property offered some comfort from the fear of being out here alone. Especially with the desolation of having nothing but a forest to my right on the other side of the road.

When you were scared, your senses grew sharper. Fireflies in the night might look like a pair of eyes or the wind in the trees might sound like whispers. I walked faster, feeling the chill seep through my jeans.

But looking ahead, I spotted lights falling across the dark road. I spun around, seeing a car slowing to a stop right behind me.

I pinched my eyebrows together, my heart thumping harder in my chest as I kept walking backward.

What were they doing? They were on the wrong side of the road.

I chewed my bottom lip, holding my hand over my eyes to shield them from the bright headlights. I continued to back away, ready to bolt if I needed, but I stopped, seeing the driver’s side door open and black boots hit the pavement.

Michael stepped in front of the headlights, wearing jeans and the same black hoodie from today.

What was he doing?

“Get in the car,” he ordered.

My stomach flipped at his command. Get in his car?

I turned my eyes on the windows, seeing the three dark forms of Kai, Will and Damon inside.

But I steeled myself, having had enough whiplash from Michael today. He finally says more than two words to me and then turns around and acts like he doesn’t even know my name at the dinner table?

“Don’t bother,” I told him, not even trying to hide my sneer. “I can make my own way home.”

And I turned around, heading for my house.

“We’re not taking you home,” he said, his voice dark.

I stopped and turned my head, my heart thumping in my chest. His light brown hair, still wet from his shower, shined in the light, and I saw a dare in his eyes.

He turned around and walked for the passenger door, right behind the driver’s seat, and opened it.

I pivoted my whole body back around, facing him.

His voice was soft and sultry. “Get in.”

I DUG MY FINGERS INTO MY THIGHS, trying to keep myself from fidgeting as the presence of four men, all more than six feet tall and well over one-eighty each, filled the pitch black interior of Michael’s SUV.

He sat in front of me, driving, while Kai sat next to him in the passenger’s seat. Will sat to my right, and I could feel his eyes on me.

But it was Damon at my back that made the hair on my neck stand up. I tried to ignore the tension, but I couldn’t resist. I inched my chin over my shoulder anyway and glanced at him sitting in the bench seat behind me.

I immediately wanted to hide.

His dead eyes were on me as smoke drifted out from between his lips, floating above him, and it scared the shit out of me how calm he was. Both of his arms hung around the back of the seat, and he tipped his chin down, just holding my gaze.

I quickly turned back around again, spotting Will next to me, chewing a piece of gum and grinning at me like a cocky little shit who knew I was about to piss myself.

I wondered if they knew why Michael picked me up.

Let the Sparks Fly by Thousand Foot Krutch blared out of the speakers, cutting into my ears, and I forced myself to calm down, inhaling a slow, deep breath.

We drove through town, passing restaurants and local hangouts bustling with teenagers, and continued into the country. After twenty minutes of nothing but loud music, Michael turned down the radio and veered up a dark, gravel road, his SUV slowly climbing the steep incline into the trees.

Where the hell were we going?