Page 34 of Surge

Chapter Ten

Islipped out of the car and sent a text to Ivy. I understood that she was concerned about me, but she didn't need to be. I was trying to find answers, but so far I was more confused than ever.

Were they part of some kind of mafia organization? I was starting to wonder if it was possible after what I overheard. I shivered at the thought.

I turned on my phone's flashlight and looked around the garage. It was more square feet than the first floor of my townhouse and had off-roading vehicles, a boat, and two motorcycles. Lined on a shelf were different motorcycle helmets. I spotted Morgan's motorcycle and figured we must be at his house.

I slipped off my shoes and put them behind what looked like a trash can and tried the door. It opened and I took a deep breath before slipping in, hoping there weren't cameras.

I was in a hallway that led to a large living space. I stayed as close to the wall as possible and peeked around the corner. The house was gigantic.

Everything was sleek, modern, and clean. The entire back wall was glass, looking out onto a giant swimming pool. Surrounding the outdoor area was a railing, and then the ocean stretched as far as my eyes could see.

I hunched down and tiptoed into the room, hiding by the kitchen island. The kitchen was all white and smelled of lemons. There wasn't a crumb on the floor or counter. The stainless-steel appliances had not one fingerprint of grease splatter.

I peeked over the counter. They were in the pool, swimming laps. They must have gone straight outside and jumped in. The lights in the pool made the water look like it was the ocean.

I eyed the stairs and then dashed up them. I stopped at the top and listened to make sure they hadn't seen me. There wasn't a sound.

The first door on the right was cracked open, so I peered inside and pushed the door open the rest of the way. The room was a mess, and I could tell from the helmets and motorcycle posters that it was Morgan's room. I wondered who he lived with since his parents were deceased.

I didn't know what I was looking for, so I started with the desk, which was just as messy as the floor. I wasn't the neatest person in the world, but his room took it to a whole new level. I moved some papers around and only spotted notes. The desk drawers had a lot of junk and papers crammed inside.

I looked at the nightstand on the side of the bed he slept on. I only knew because he left it unmade. I stepped over a pile of clothes and pulled out the top drawer. Did he really need that big a box of condoms? I shook my head and opened the next drawer.

He had eye masks, a ball gag, wrist cuffs, and a switch in the drawer. I shuddered and closed the drawer. I might have been a virgin, but I was a well-read and knowledgeable one.

In the nightstand on the other side of the bed there was a roll of money that was all hundreds. It was tempting to take a few, but my conscience wouldn't allow it.

I left his room and shut the door the way it had been. The door across from his was open all the way. I walked in to a much more organized room. The bed was made and only a few shirts lay on the back of the desk chair. One of the walls was plastered with prominent black sports stars, and another with a giant canvas painting of sea life.

I ran my thumb over Jax's name signed on the bottom. I had no clue he was a painter or so talented. The painting looked like it was a photograph instead of done by hand.

I went to the desk where books were stacked neatly. There was a small container holding sticky notes and sticky flags and a cup with pens and highlighters.

I opened a drawer and pulled out a folder that looked jam packed with papers. Inside were printouts of college admission criteria. There were color coded highlights on each page. I flipped through them and spotted an opened Salinity Cove High envelope addressed to Blake.

Did Morgan and Blake live together? I wracked my brain, trying to remember if I'd ever actually seen any of their families. I hadn't been paying enough attention to them in the past to recall.

I knew exactly what it was by the seal broken on the back. Curiosity got the best of me and I pulled out his transcript. He had straight As and was ranked in the top ten percent.

I put it back inside the envelope and folder. Blake didn't act like a top student in class, but that didn't mean he wasn't one. The rumors about him paying people to do his assignments was still likely.

After his room turned up nothing, I tried the rest of the rooms. One was a guest room and another was locked. The last room was behind two double doors at the end of the hall.

I knew as soon as I cracked the door open that it didn't belong to anyone's parents. Jax's scent hit my nose, and in the corner of the room was an easel with a drop cloth laid underneath.

They all lived in this house without their parents? I thought that only happened in movies, but I guess when you're rich anything is possible. They were all eighteen as far as I knew, but leaving three guys to their own devices seemed negligent.

My eyes took in the master suite, which was way too luxurious for an eighteen-year-old still in high school. Like downstairs, the entire wall of the room was windows with a small terrace that looked out at the ocean.

I shut the door and stepped farther into the room, turning toward the bathroom that was encased in glass. The shower was against the glass wall, looking out to the ocean, and there was a giant tub right next to it.

Voices came from outside in the hall, and I looked around frantically for a place to hide. Where the hell was the closet door?

I heard a door shut down the hall and cursed under my breath. I ran to the other side of the bed and dropped to the floor right as the bedroom door opened. I saw his bare feet as he walked to the bathroom.

I needed to wait until the opportune moment and hightail it out of there. It was a completely stupid idea to hide in the back of the SUV and then come inside and snoop. I'd clearly lost my mind and my common sense over the past week. If I got caught they might call the cops, and then what? I had no one to bail me out.

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