Page 3 of Savage Start

“You have your phone?” She popped her head out of her bedroom and grinned.

“Funny.” If anyone overheard that, they would think nothing of it. They would think I was a typical kid. We both knew I never went anywhere without a lifeline to her or my uncle and vice versa. For a normal teenager, that had a different meaning, which was what she was riffing on. Our lifestyle wasn’t normal.

I grabbed one of the spare keys, shut the door behind me, then set out toward the beach. Street lamps glowed overhead, lighting the way through the quiet neighborhood. A dog barked a few houses over, and I heard a car door shut, followed by the whir of a garage door. We were blocks from the beach, close enough that I didn’t need to drive. I wanted to check out the area, even though the people in the grocery store had given me a pretty good idea of what I would be dealing with and I already knew the goth look I had going on would not work. But I was tired, and bleaching the temporary dye from my hair and then returning it to a color similar to my natural shade would take time.

The closer I got to the beach, the bigger the houses were. I studied the soaring mansions—some with turrets, others with columns and multiple garage doors. All were huge. I couldn’t imagine wiping fingerprints out of one of those babies. Mom and I had only had to do that once, when we squatted in some guy’s house. When a different man broke in and tried to stay with us, Mom had to hit him over the head with a skillet. He went down. Not dead, but he must have had one hell of a headache when he woke up.

But that was in the past. This was the present. I didn’t look back often, only forward. Living with my mom taught me about what mattered.

Between two houses, I caught a glimpse of the water, thanks to the moonlight and backlights from the surrounding houses. The area wasn’t well lit, but that served my purpose to get to the beach without being seen. I took care to walk on what I thought was the property line of a nearby house, trespassing on the sandy beach. Hanging a left, I angled closer to the shoreline. The rhythmic sound of the water breaking against the sand was hypnotic, relaxing, and addictive.

Wind whipped off the water, sending tiny refreshing droplets in its wake. I should have removed my makeup, the fake nose ring and piercing, and all the earrings that adorned my ears. My head ached in a slight pulse since I’d had my hair in a bun on top of my head for the drive. I’d been too anxious to get to the beach to do any of those things.

Music and laughter grew louder, competing with the tranquil sound of the surf. It wasn’t hard to find the source. A house with lights blazing not too far ahead had to be the site of the party.

A few more feet, and I was at the back of the house, able to see what type of party it was—just my kind, based on the approximate age of the people I could see. I scanned the area, looking for my best entry point. It wasn’t the biggest house on the beach—quite small compared to the rest—but enough of a McMansion to support a serious party.

Considering I hadn’t yet changed my appearance, this wasn’t the ideal time to make my debut. But it had been so long since I’d done something normal with people my own age that I had an irresistible urge to check out the party. It shouldn’t be hard to slip in and out.

I crossed the beach, where a few wooden stairs led to a gate. I found it unlocked and went in.

I couldn’t help the grin that stretched across my face. This was a party. There was a swimming pool full of kids and a keg with Solo cups next to it. I grabbed one, not bothering to fill it. Ice filled a cooler full of those hard seltzer drinks, but I was more interested in the house. I hung back in the shadows, mostly unnoticed, with the red Solo cup in hand, pretending to sip on beer.

The kids here looked older, pampered, and nearly perfect. It was weird. Mom and I had become experts in makeup and hair, but this was a whole other level. I felt like I’d entered the land of Barbie and Ken. The girls were too put together, and I wondered how many had already had a little plastic surgery. Gross. I couldn’t imagine. Not the way I wanted to live my life, especially not at sixteen.

There were several groups, and I pieced together the hierarchy of the kids based on their facial expressions, athletic build, clothing—if they wore anything more than a bathing suit—and general attitude. Snippets of conversations gave me clues as to who lived in the house. When two guys—and holy hotness, I understood the admiring looks they were getting—refilled their drinks, a girl attached herself to one of them but directed her comment to the other. “Great party, Phoenix.”

I wanted to laugh. This was too easy. I wove around the outskirts of the party until I could slip inside the back door. This place was crazy expensive. Two leather couches were in front of a large flat-screen TV mounted above a fireplace. The kitchen was beautiful, with countertops that were either marble or granite. I wasn’t one to know those details. White cabinets and stainless-steel appliances. Fancy. Mom said we needed money, so it wouldn’t hurt to scope the place out.

Most of the people inside were as wasted as the ones on the patio, which made slipping past them relatively easy. I spotted the stairs and took them to the second story. I found the first three doors locked. The fourth was not. I went inside, shut the door behind me, and flipped the switch. Light filled the space, and I sucked in a breath. Books lined two walls, and several bucket-seat chairs were clustered near them. I couldn’t believe it. This place had a fucking library. To my left were two desks along the wall, where I found a gold souvenir to take with me.

I wanted to take one of the laptops but decided against it. A wave of exhaustion went through me, the long drive finally catching up. It was time to go. Shutting the light off, I headed back downstairs, my gaze focused on my feet. After a few steps, I slammed into the chest of another super-hot guy.

“What the fuck are you doing upstairs?” he demanded.

I backed up a step, which returned me to the landing. “Phoenix told me to come up.”

His green eyes sharpened. I backed up some more. He followed in a way that seemed like he was stalking me. My heart rate kicked up a notch at the predatory way he moved.

“How do you know Phoenix?”

I lifted my chin, feigning a confidence I didn’t feel. I had a fifty-fifty chance of guessing. “I’m his cousin on his mom’s side.”

Shit. The lighter I’d stolen was still in my hand. I slipped it into my back pocket. I could smell alcohol on his breath. He stepped closer. There wasn’t much room for me to back up more. A wave of attraction hit me hard, and I almost leaned into him. I shook my head. I had no idea where that came from. Something about him made me feel like a junkie, and he was my crack. Not good. His six-foot-plus frame boxed me in, and I inhaled his wild scent tinged with alcohol.

There wasn’t anywhere for me to go, and I backed up another step. He used his body to push mine against the wall, and my nerve endings swirled with the feel of him against me. Tempting. His hands found my hips, and I didn’t struggle, even as he slid one hand around me and into my back pocket where I’d stashed the lighter—who had a gold lighter with initials on it anyway? Before he took it, he cupped my ass and squeezed. Sharp need sliced through me with a speed that made my head spin. What was going on? I’d never reacted to anyone like this, especially some alpha asshole. My heart pounded in time with the music pumping through the indoor and outdoor speakers.

Frozen, I didn’t move until he stepped back enough to shove the gold lighter in my face. Snapping out of whatever the hell that had been, I scowled right back.

“Get the fuck out before I call the cops.” Menace flashed in his green eyes. “Phoenix ismycousin on my mom’s side.”

I straightened from the wall, my anger igniting along with his. “Seems you might’ve enjoyed feeling around in my pocket to get that.” My grasp on control slipped. Whoever this guy was, he pushed my buttons. “Is that why you’re in such a hurry to get rid of me… because you’re a scared little virgin?”

What the hell just came out of my mouth?

A taunting smirk curved his lips. “Want me to prove I’m not?”

Deep laughter caused shivers to hijack my body temporarily. By the wicked, lust-filled way he was looking at me, it was clear that I shouldn’t have taunted him. Because the truth was, I was the scared little virgin.Wait. What did he say?I opened my mouth to respond, but he was on me before I could.

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