Page 36

W e were playfully jostling each other as we walked through the brush on the way back to the shack when suddenly, Riddick grabbed me by my wetsuit and jerked me back away from the tree line.

“Riddick, what?”

“Shh!” he hissed, and I followed his line of sight to find two men walking up my driveway, clearly heading toward the shack.

They were around Riddick’s age, and they both had tawny skin and dark hair.

The guy on the left was leaner, with a short mop of hair and a serious frown.

The guy on the right was roughly the same height but a little more built.

His black hair was long and fell to his shoulders.

He’d pulled the top half back in a half ponytail, and his features were prettier than his friend’s.

“What the fuck are they doing here!?” Riddick hissed, but I could tell he wasn’t actually asking me.

“Who are they?” I whispered, and he glanced at me. He looked… worried.

“Kai and Jet.”

“Your old surf buddies?” I asked, suddenly feeling excited. Riddick took one look at my excited grin and grew even more tense.

He glanced down at my still-open wetsuit and snatched up the zipper, ripping it back up.

“Cover up,” he snapped, and I frowned, cocking my head to the side.

“Why? They kinda gay, too?” I joked, but Riddick didn’t seem to find it funny.

“Jet is,” he grunted, and I raised my eyebrows, feeling the familiar twinges of mischief brewing in my belly.

“Ooooooh, I love it when you get all growly and jealous,” I teased in a low whisper.

“I’m not jealous!” he hissed back, and I chuckled.

“Well, if you’re not jealous, let’s go say hi. Why are we hiding in the bushes like a couple of creeps?” I asked, though I made sure to stay quiet. If he didn’t want them to see us, I wasn’t going to draw attention to us until he was ready.

“I can’t,” he said, his voice sounding strained and full of pain. He glanced at me, and suddenly I wasn’t laughing anymore. He looked genuinely upset. Like the kind of upset you got when someone you loved died or your life as you knew it was about to change forever.

“Okay… you want me to tell them to go away?” I asked, and he stared at me for a long moment before swallowing.

“Just… stay here. They’ll leave on their own when no one answers,” he muttered, though I could tell he was still worried.

“Okay,” I agreed and settled in to watch and wait.

They banged on my door and waited for longer than most people would to see if someone would answer. Then, finally, after a while, they gave up and headed back down the drive to a car that was waiting for them.

I narrowed my eyes as I watched them climb in, realizing that it was Blake’s car.

What the fuck?

I glanced at Riddick, whose jaw was clenched so tightly I could see the muscles in his cheek fluttering.

“Hey, they’re gone,” I whispered, reaching up to stroke his face. He jumped at my touch as if he’d forgotten for a moment that I was standing there. When he looked at me, my heart skipped a beat.

“Riddick… Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” I asked, and he closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

“I think… my time is up.”