Page 26

EMBER

How did I let Cara talk me into coming out to some frat party with her?

Oh yeah, that’s right, she used the whole ‘we have to watch out for each other’ speech.

Not wanting her to go alone and risk something happening to her, I merely sighed and changed out of my Nirvana tee shirt, putting on a blue top that my cousin Bethany bought for me.

There’s one thing for sure about spending time with Bethany, she knows how to pick clothes to compliment one’s figure. This shirt is one of my favorites.

Grabbing my cup I’d been drinking out of, I follow Cara out of our room.

“Why are you bringing a cup with you? They have those there.” I’ve been dreading the moment someone would ask me that.

“Yeah, they do but not with lids on them.” I shrug.

“So?” Cara angles her head to face me as we walk.

“So, I don’t go to parties without taking my own.

You don’t know who will try something. It’s a lesson I learned a while ago when I caught my friend’s boyfriend trying to roofie my beer.

Let’s just say that didn’t work out for him too well.

One, he lost his girlfriend and ended up soaked in cheap beer that night.

Second, he got a visit from Micah, one of the member’s little brother at my uncle’s club, due to the guy being underage.

After that, I never went to another party without a cup with a closed lid on it.

” I probably should be embarrassed by this, but in all honesty, I’m not.

I prefer to stay safe rather than be one of those women who find themselves drugged and taken into human trafficking.

Okay, so I kept that part out of my little spiel to Cara. The guy who attempted this was targeting girls for a group that dealt in the sex trade.

“Wow. I can understand that. Now let’s have some fun,” she murmurs.

Smiling, I follow her up the stairs into the huge white house.

Windows light up and music blares through the open front door.

Stepping inside, dread washes over my body.

This isn’t really my type of party. Then again, this is supposed to be my new beginning.

Be someone other than the MC princess to the Satan’s Keepers.

Shortly after getting to the party, Cara drags me through the room to talk to some guy as she calls out, “Hey, cutie.”

With a brief exchange, the guy and his roommate head off to grab a beer.

“What the hell, Cara?” I ask, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with this all.

“What? It was just Josh and Dex. They’re harmless. Well, Josh is, that’s for sure. I met him on the first day here and he’s a hottie. One I intend to party with tonight.” Cara giggles.

Oh God, kill me now.

We’ve been at the party for a while now and I’ve just lost Cara. I think she’s gone off with that guy. She said his name was Josh. I’m about ready to just head on out when I get an eerie feeling wash over me. You know, the kind when you feel someone’s eyes are directed on you.

“Hey, Ember, right?” a familiar voice says from a few feet beside me. I look over to see that guy I met before. I think his name was Dex, but I’m not too certain.

“Uh, yeah. And you’re . . . Dex?” I ask, hoping for confirmation.

He nods with a beer in hand. “Yeah, that’s me. Josh left me to the sharks, but it looks like Cara did the same to you.” He chuckles lightly, obviously finding some amusement in all this.

“Um, yeah, I suppose she did,” I stammer, not sure what to say. I’ve never really seen a guy look like him. Well, if you don’t count the guys at the club back home. They’re my family. Though, Dex has to be well over six feet, considering he towers over me at my five-foot-nine self.

“Eh, I guess we’ll have to keep each other company. You excited for classes to start, or are you dreading it?”

“I guess I’m more nervous than anything.” I shrug, lifting my cup to my lips to take a sip of water.

“Don’t be. College is easy compared to life itself. Shit, I’m here for Agricultural Engineering. My class schedule looks like a mixture of design, general education requirements, and weird computer shit. I’m fucked and I know it. What’s your major?” Dex asks.

“I haven’t really figured out what my major will be yet.

I want to either become a social worker that helps place kids in homes worth anything or work in the school system.

Either way, they have the same basics for the first year,” I state, diverting my gaze.

Something about Dex just makes my stomach feel as if it had butterflies and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s just an insta-crush.

“That’s sick. A lot of my friends and family are adopted.

Hell, my uncle, Zane, adopted my cousin Sydney.

We knew her birth parents and whatnot, but they died and he took her in.

The world needs a lot of people like you.

” I don’t know if he realizes what he said was sweet as pie, but it was, and now it’s only making my butterflies turn into a full-blown swarm inside my body.

“Thank you. I’m sorry your cousin’s birth parents died, but glad to know she had someone to take her in.

My uncles took me in and raised me after mine were killed in a house fire.

” Why did I just tell him about my parents?

I never talk about them. It hurts too much to bring up my mom and dad.

Due to issues with not only the De Luca family but a rival club, my parents paid the ultimate price, as did my aunt when she was killed in a car accident. All because of the De Lucas.

“Oh, Jesus. I’m sorry. That’s got to be hard.

” Dex looks at me with sadness in his eyes before he shakes his head.

“That’s how Sydney’s birth mom died. She was trapped in a fire and couldn’t get out.

We tried everything we could to get to her .

. . but we couldn’t. We couldn’t get close and .

. . well, you know. Fuck, you know more than anyone else would. ”

“Wow, I’m so sorry. It sucks that you guys weren’t able to get her out.

With my parents, there was no saving them either.

They were trapped, windows locked from the outside, and the door was barred shut,” I mutter as a chill races down my spine at the memory.

It pops back into my mind, flashing across it like a movie reel.

Turning my head, I look at anything else but Dex as I try to regain composure.

What was I thinking to bring up such a hideous subject?

It’s probably just as hard for him to talk about.

God, I’m so stupid.

Dex’s eyes widen and he runs a hand over his mouth.

“Saffron, Sydney’s mom . . . she was trapped too.

Shit. Who would’ve thought two random strangers like us would have something so specific in common?

Weird. You want a beer or anything?” I appreciate him trying to get me a drink, but I don’t trust anyone.

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Alright. I’m runnin’ low, so I’m gonna go get a refill. Mind if I come back in a couple minutes?”