“Enough,” he finally said. “Practice separating at home, in a locked room you are not to leave. Silently. You need to be able to do it in an instant.”
“I will. But how do I make my hand glow the way you did, when you reduced the zombies to ash?” I’d done it once, but wasn’t sure how or if I could do it again.
“While I’m fighting, when I know I’m going for a death blow, it does it on its own.”
“You don’t even have to think about it?” Wow.
“Not anymore. Now listen.” His voice deepened with a disobey-and-suffer sternness. That tone was probably the reason he was leader of the group. “Do not practice that at home. You’ll accidentally burn down your grandparents’ house. For the time being, one of us will take care of killing any zombies you disable. But if your hand lights up on its own while we’re out fighting, don’t try to stop it. Just go with it. We’ll stay out of your way.”
Subtext: I could accidentally hurt each one of his friends. Awesome.
“Also,” he continued. “While practicing, never leave your body in a place people can find you. While fighting, allowances sometimes have to be made. Try not to, but if you must, do it. But never speak while you’re out. You can cause all kinds of damage, and it’s better not to risk it.”
“Got it.” Although, with practice, we could train ourselves to say only the right things. No need to mention that little gem now, while his lips were probably throbbing from my accidental command for silence.
“Frosty,” he called.
Frosty knew what Cole wanted without having to be told. He stopped the machine he was on, hopped off and grabbed a bottle of water, draining the contents in seconds.
“Your turn,” Cole said to me.
Well, what do you know? I’d get to run next to my least favorite person in the world.
“Did you bring workout clothes?” Cole asked me.
I licked my lips as I studied my shirt and jeans. I’d sweat through these in minutes and look ill instead of flushed with health like Mackenzie. “No.”
“No worries. I bought you something.” There was a hint of relish in his tone. “Bathroom’s through there. I put everything you’ll need in your locker.”
I had a locker?
The bathroom was like every locker room in every high school across America. My cubbyhole was long and red and next to Cole’s. Inside rested a blue sports bra and the shortest, tightest pair of spandex shorts I’d ever seen, plus a pair of socks and running shoes.
My cheeks heated as I changed. At least he hadn’t bought me any panties.
When I emerged, I felt naked. All of my stomach was bared, as well as the full length of my legs. I was probably flashing a little cheek, too. Cole, who was waiting for me next to the water cooler, whistled as he looked me over. Once again I felt like a bug under a microscope, only this time I felt like a bug wearing pasties and a thong.
“Nice.” The relish had been replaced by a husky note of approval.
“Your version of playing dress up sucks,” I muttered, tugging on the hem of the shorts.
He barked out a laugh. “I disagree. But if it makes you feel any better, I’ll be stripping down, too.”
“It doesn’t.” I’d probably mumble incoherently and drool.
His wanton grin suggested he knew exactly what I’d been thinking. “Come on, let’s get you started.” He led me to the treadmills.
Though Mackenzie never glanced in my direction, she stiffened, even stumbled. I checked out her time. She’d been running for an hour and a half. I also checked out her speed and her incline, and set mine to something faster and higher, though I waited to press Start. I wanted Cole gone first.
Of course, he lingered. “Ignore each other,” he commanded sternly.
She snickered. “Yes, Daddy.”
His eyes narrowed, but his focus remained on me. “Be careful. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but Mackenzie beat me to it. “This is truly pathetic. Both of you should be embarrassed.”
“Do I need to talk with you outside, Kenz?”
He had a nickname for her. How wonderful.
“No,” she snapped.
“Good.”
She added, “If I have to listen to another one of your lectures about making friends with the new girl I’ll feed myself to the zombies.”
“You won’t need to. I’ll ring the dinner bell and hand you over.” With that, he strode away, finally leaving us alone.
Get it together, Bell.
For the first ten minutes of my own run, Mackenzie and I both obeyed him. I don’t know why she did, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Cole. He’d removed the wife-beater and exchanged his jeans for black mesh shorts that hung low on his waist, revealing a trail of dark hair from his navel to the shorts, before joining Lucas at the weights.
His muscles strained as he lifted the bar. Lowered. Lifted. Sweat began to pop up on his skin, dripping down…down…
“I hope you’re enjoying his attention,” Mackenzie said, good behavior time plainly over. Her curling ponytail swung with her every pounding step. “It won’t last.”
I wasn’t even sure I had his attention, not in the way she meant. “Just because you couldn’t keep him doesn’t mean other girls will have a problem doing so.” Brave words from a girl who’d never been on a real date with him.
“Is this our little chat?” She wiped her brow with the back of her hand. “I’m disappointed. I expected you to throw a punch at the very least, but I should have known you’d prove to be a coward.”
“We’ll get to the punching, I promise you.” Already my thighs burned from the strain, my own sweat dripping down my chest and back. Did I allow myself to slow? Heck, no. “So why did you spread those rumors?”
“I didn’t.”
“Oh, please. Unlike your boys, I’m not stupid when it comes to a pretty face.”
“You think I’m pretty, huh? You’ve probably even had dreams about me.”
Kat’s ego I adored. Hers I felt a blinding need to smack away. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be lucky to still have all your teeth.”
“How original. Why don’t you think before you speak? I’ve made no secret of my dislike for you. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I want you gone. Like now. But resorting to rumors about your sex life? Are you kidding me? I’m not twelve.”
Not one time during her speech had she wheezed, the hooker. I was already struggling. “There’s no one else.”
“I kinda love to break this to you, baby doll, but there are plenty of someone elses. A lot of girls at Asher think they’re brave enough to vacation on the wild side and hook up with one of my boys, and a lot of girls are denied. You weren’t denied, and I’m sure envy has taken hold.”
“There’s a little flaw to your logic. No one talks about Kat, and she dated Frosty.”
“Actually, she fell in love with me,” Frosty called from his spot at the side of the boxing ring, unashamed of the fact that he’d been eavesdropping. “And I thought I told you her own friends dropped her for a while. Plus, all the rumors said that I was awesome.”
My hands curled into fists. “What’s the constant here?” I said to Mackenzie, making sure to lower my voice. “A girl dates one of your boys, and rumors are spread.”
“First, don’t listen to Frost. Her friends might have dropped her, but no one ever spread rumors about her sex life. No one cared. Second, I. Didn’t. Do. It.”
Something I knew from my dad’s training: emotions made people reckless. When people were reckless, they made mistakes. Not just physically, but verbally. Right now Mackenzie skirted the razor’s edge of fury. If I could push her over that edge, she might accidentally admit to what I was still certain she’d done. Maybe she’d even brag.
So, I went the extra mile and unleashed my inner tigress. “Do you ever wonder what kids say about you behind your back? You live with the boys I supposedly slept with. You threaten anyone those boys show an interest in. That smacks of envy, too, don’t you think? No reason to reply. It does. My guess is, you’re still in love with Cole. I bet you even—”
With a shriek, she launched herself off her treadmill and onto mine. We tumbled backward, her on top. When we landed, I took the brunt of the impact, oxygen bursting from my mouth in a dizzying explosion. My head cracked against the concrete floor, and stars winked in front of my eyes.
Is it sad that my first thought happened to be: Thank God I’m off the treadmill!
She straddled my hips and threw the first punch, her knuckles slamming into my cheek. Another bout of stars, brighter this time, as my brain rattled against my skull.
I didn’t wait for them to clear. I threw my own punch, right at her mouth, splitting her still-healing lip. Her head whipped to the side, blood spraying across the floor. I reached up and grabbed her by the nape, shoving her down and hefting myself over her. Punch, punch, a hard double tap.
More blood, now dribbling down her chin. She tried to fight while horizontal, but strands of hair were in her eyes and her aim was off.
I remembered Justin’s words about her inability to kick butt while on the ground. I could beat her senseless, right here, right now. But then, I’d never get any answers. I held up my hands and said, “We don’t have to do this. Just tell me—”
“Argh!” She jerked upright, nailed me in the stomach, and sent me sprawling to my side.
I fought for breath as I stood. “I’m going to—” Hard arms—warm, strong, familiar—banded around me and yanked me into an even harder body.
“Enough,” Cole barked, the boom of his voice making me cringe.
Bronx and Frosty grabbed Mackenzie.
She struggled to free herself, desperate to reach me. “You think I don’t know what people say about me? You think I’d ever put someone else through that, even if I hated them?” Every word was spit at me.
