Outsider: The Flawed Series Book Two Page 10

  But she’d already started wobbling, flailing her arms, fighting to maintain balance. Her foot came down hard, heel hanging off the edge. She came barreling straight at him, and just when she looked like she was about to lose it, he reached and grabbed her, the board sailing out from under her and across the parking lot, twenty feet away.

  He caught her full weight, her curls cascading over him. The scent of her hair made him catch his breath—what was it, peppermint? She grabbed his arms and he steadied her, placing her back upright.

  “Thanks,” she said, a bit breathless.

  Josh was acutely aware of his arms grasping her, the warmth of contact. Suddenly, he felt awkward, all limbs. He pulled away and shoved his hands into his pockets. His hair fell over one side of his face, and that veil helped him regain his composure, like the comfort of a security blanket. This was no pressure—just two friends hanging out, so why couldn’t he be chill around her? He cleared his throat and jogged over to retrieve the board.

  “Okay, that’s harder than it looks,” she said.

  “The falling?”

  She chuckled. “And here I thought I was going to be awesome on my first try, and you’d be all impressed.”

  She wanted to impress him?

  Josh pushed his hair back and smiled at her, but his heart was galloping. “That board has a mind of its own, sometimes. I think Cam put a curse on it. Want to try again?”

  “Yeah. I’m not gonna get beaten by the Cam Curse.”

  He rolled the board her.

  “Okay, let’s do this,” she said.

  Her bold smile was a little intoxicating.

  ~

  Alex tried for the fifth time to land both feet on the board and ride a short way without falling. So far it wasn’t going well, although Josh was more than patient. Her ability didn’t really help her with sports like this, but she was enjoying the challenge.

  She poised her foot on top and took a deep breath. Arms at her sides, she pushed off and slowly brought her free foot behind, placing it at the back of the board. A smile crept across her face. She rode ten feet, letting the board slow somewhat. She braked, coming to a clean stop in front of Josh.

  “Nice!” he said, high-fiving her.

  “Aww yeah. The Cam Curse is busted!” She threw a fist in the air.

  He grinned.

  “Thanks for teaching me to skate. I’m having a blast.”

  “Me too.”

  “Okay, this time, you stay here and I’ll try it on my own,” Alex said. She grabbed the board and took a few steps back, allowing herself the full breadth of the parking lot to try for a little more speed. Speed was her friend. She just had to get these wheels going the way her feet could.

  She kicked off harder this time. Sailing across the lot, she gave Josh a triumphant grin. He was watching but blinked, his focus sliding away to something behind her. She swung her head around and saw the lone car idly sitting at the other end of the lot—to her left. It was in an odd place, parked right in the center rather than in a marked space. She was pretty sure it hadn’t been there in the beginning, and she hadn’t noticed it pull up while they were practicing.

  The car’s headlights flashed on just as her momentum ran out. As she was trying to figure out how to get going again without losing her balance, the car’s engine revved. She kicked off in a frantic jerk but hadn’t gone far when the car peeled out and sped toward her. Whoever was driving was trying to hurt her? She could barely process it. All she knew was that there was no time to get out of the way.

  Headlights in her eyes. The engine’s roar. A shove from behind, and the board was flying away from her, launching her into the grass. Instinct made her tuck her head and roll. Something hard bit into her side just as she heard a thud and the screech of tires. The flash of a body as it was hit by the car.

  Josh?

  It took her a moment to get her bearings. She’d landed against a sign post. A million thoughts flew through her head. The car had hit Josh! He’d pushed her out of the way? That sickening thump had been Josh’s skull hitting the windshield. She couldn’t get the image of the spider-webbed glass from the impact out of her mind even as the car swerved and Josh rolled off the hood, falling limp onto the concrete. By the time Alex had sat up, the car was speeding away.

  “Oh, god! Josh!” As Alex pulled herself up and ran to him, she thought to check the car’s license plate. She managed to catch only part of the tag before it disappeared. Kneeling beside Josh, she searched his face. His eyelids were shut, but he turned his head to the side and groaned. She put her hand beneath his head, supporting his neck. There was blood in his hair, running down his ear, and on the pavement. She couldn’t see the wound, but it was matting his dark hair. She scooted closer to him, cradling his head in her lap to protect it from the rough street.

  “Josh! Are you okay?”

  He didn’t answer but moaned again, curling his arm around his stomach.

  She leaned onto one hip and pulled her phone out of her back pocket to call for help. After dialing 911 and then Chloe, Alex turned her focus back to Josh. She gazed into his face, worry bringing tears to her eyes. Careful to be gentle, she placed her hand on top of his.

  What had just happened? Her brain still reeled. Someone had run him down. They’d tried to run her down. But why?

  If he hadn’t pushed her out of the way, she’d be the one bleeding on the ground. She almost wished it had been her.

  Thoughts raced through her brain as she tried to put the puzzle together, but she was still in too much shock for any of it to make sense. Where was the ambulance? What was taking so long? Didn’t they realize he was hurt?

  Finally she heard sirens screaming in the distance. They were on their way.

  “Hold on. Just a little longer, Josh. You’ll be okay. You have to be okay.”

  ~

  Seething, Nic cranked the engine. She’d been in the right spot—right in the line of fire. The timing couldn’t have been better. But that stupid kid had jumped in and pushed her out of the way.

  If she hadn’t rolled off of the road, he could’ve swerved and hit her, too. But he’d missed his chance. Now he had to get out of here before the cops showed up. He had no magic eyes to save him this time.

  He cursed and banged on the wheel. Fury filled his mind, slowly flowing white-hot over his body as he floored the gas. His hands gripped the wheel, knuckles white. His body began to shake.

  His satisfaction at hitting the kid was superseded by his desire for revenge. It didn’t matter that the girl’s stupid boyfriend was bleeding on the pavement. Nic wanted her. Now he had to retool his plan, and next time he wouldn’t take chances.

  It was a good thing he’d caught Ethan—and a good thing he hadn’t killed him, since he might need the guy after all.

  The first thing Josh noticed was an annoying beeping like an alarm trying to pry him out of his slumber. He didn’t want to get up. That beeping was giving him a pounding headache. His brain hurt. He had to figure out how to turn it off.

  He cracked his lids a sliver, but the world beyond was too bright. White-blue light streamed through his lids. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter. Couldn’t he just sleep?

  When he took a deep breath, sharp pain stabbed his chest, yanking him into reality. Blinking, he discovered he was in a hospital bed. Cords went from him to a monitor tracking his vitals—the culprit of the incessant beeping. He must’ve lost one of the sensors while asleep. He tried to move his arm, but a flash of pain stopped him. He groaned.

  The door pushed open and a nurse entered, followed by Chloe and Alex.

  Seeing him awake, Chloe hurried to his side. “Josh! Josh, are you all right?”

  He tried to shake his head, but that made it spin even more. The pounding headache was still raging. And there was something taped to his head.

  The nurse quieted the monitor and began flipping through his chart.

  His sister put her hand on his arm.

  “Owww.” He grim
aced.

  She pulled her hand back. “Sorry. How are you feeling? We’ve been worried sick. Alex told me about the car running you down.”

  Then he remembered what had happened.

  “It was a hit and run?” Chloe said, wide eyed. “Do you remember anything about the car?”

  “Headlights,” he mumbled. “That’s about it.”

  He recalled getting hit, but nothing after that. He wondered what Alex had done after he’d passed out. Somehow he’d made it to the hospital.

  “Are you in a lot of pain?” Alex asked.

  “Not too mu—” He tried to adjust his lounging position to a sitting one. “Oww. Yeah, some pain.”

  The nurse slapped a blood pressure cuff on his arm and slid her stethoscope under it. He winced but didn’t complain aloud. Searching past her gray hair, he sought the gaze of her blue eyes. “How bad am I?”

  She watched the dial on the cuff for a few moments before taking the earbuds out of her ears and answering. Then she ripped the cuff off, tucked it into her pocket, looked him over, and met his gaze. “I’ll let the doc talk to you. Give me a minute, and I’ll send him in.”

  Josh swallowed and looked at Alex.

  After the nurse left the room, Chloe gave him an encouraging smile. “We called Mom, Dad, and Cam. They’re all on their way.”

  “Thanks.” It came out as a croak.

  The doctor entered, tall and dark-haired, reminding Josh a little of his dad except for the thin, wire-framed glasses.

  “Hello, son,” he said. “How’re we doing?”

  “My head’s really throbbing,” Josh said. “And it hurts around here pretty badly.” He gestured at his chest, wincing as he lifted his arm.

  “That’s to be expected, considering you have a concussion. And some bruised ribs.”

  “No broken bones?” Chloe asked.

  “Not this time. Sounds like you had a close call.”

  “It’s all a little fuzzy. It happened so fast.”

  “You flew up onto the hood of the car and your head hit the windshield. Busted it,” Alex said.

  Josh looked at her. He’d broken the glass? He couldn’t remember much past the impact. It was all just pain.

  “The car must not have been going that fast,” the doctor said. “You’re lucky. It could be a lot worse.”

  Josh touched his scalp gingerly. “So that’s why my head hurts so bad?”

  “That and we had to remove glass from the wound. I’ll have the nurse get you something for the pain. You’ll have to watch your stitches for the next few weeks. And you should take it easy for a while. I hear you were skateboarding when it happened?”

  “Yeah.”

  “None of that for a few weeks. You need to rest and let yourself heal.”

  Josh glanced at Alex. That sucked. He locked eyes with her, trying to measure her frown. Was she as disappointed to lose her skateboarding guide as he was not having that excuse to hang out with her?

  The doctor left, and a few minutes later Chloe’s cell phone rang. “I think it’s Mom and Dad. I’ll go find them. Be right back.” She answered the call on her way out of the room.

  Josh and Alex were left in silence. She was watching him from across the room, as if afraid to come too close. After a minute she took a few steps closer to his bed. Her hands were clasped behind her back, and they seemed to be moving behind her. He remembered how hard it was for her to keep still. She kept opening her mouth and then clamping it shut again, like she wanted to say something but couldn’t.

  Josh took a deep breath, wincing a little as he did so. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” she said in a soft voice. “I’m really sorry this happened.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  More awkward silence.

  “At least you learned how to skateboard…somewhat.” He managed a half-hearted grin.

  “Oh, man. Don’t say that. You’re making me feel worse.”

  “What?” Dang, now she looked like she was about to cry. His head was reeling with the pain and a general fuzziness. Was that just the concussion? He hoped he hadn’t permanently damaged something—

  “I feel bad enough as it is.” Her voice cracked, almost a moan. “This whole thing happened because of me. It’s my fault.”

  “What?”

  “I should be the one in the hospital bed. I was in front of the car, but you pushed me out of the way.”

  “I couldn’t let you get hurt. I mean, it was just instinct.”

  “Well, it was dang brave.”

  “Not really.” It had just been a reflex. Bravery meant knowing what you were getting into, accepting danger.

  “Thank you.” Her voice was charged with emotion.

  “Alex. Please. Don’t say any more about it. You’re fine. I’ll recover. That’s what matters.”

  She nodded silently, wide eyes still fixed on him.

  He couldn’t help thinking that despite what Jade had said, he didn’t deserve her. Maybe if he was like Cam or Logan. But he wasn’t special. He was just a regular guy.

  ~

  After the failed run down, Nicodemus needed an outlet to release his frustration. He was back to square one. He would eventually come up with a new plan for wreaking vengeance on the witch, but in the meantime he had other needs to fill.

  Nic walked up to Sterling, the familiar pattern of the exterior shrubs planted in threes making him smile to himself. It was the only place where he would actually eat other than the restaurant at the country club. Twin Rivers had a good selection of imported beer, but there were too many golf tees in the décor.

  He entered the upscale steak place that was lit by flickering votives and decorated with lilac roses in tall glass vases. The ambiance was much more classy. It was the perfect place for a date or an interview. And this instance was a little of both.

  Mercedes wasn’t used to preliminary consultations with new clients. Her pimp, Frankie P., had been dumbfounded when Nic had insisted on the formal interview. Nic didn’t mind throwing cash around when it got him what he wanted. He’d found that being precise about his demands was the only way to be truly satisfied by a woman.

  When he entered, a couple was waiting to be seated. Nic frowned at the man’s cheap suit, thinking he’d never be caught dead wearing anything with fewer than three buttons. The hostess sat her guests then returned. Nic met the tall, wiry blonde with a frown. Where was Carly, the petite voluptuous brunette who worked Thursdays? Her substitute stood nearly a head taller than him with her mouth open, chomping on a big wad of gum like a cow chewing cud. She didn’t greet him with as much as a glance. What was he—invisible? Irritation pricked at him.

  He considered whether to grab the stand in his fists, lean over, and bark in her face, or whether to just slap her upside her empty, blonde head. The debate was interrupted when Mercedes entered the restaurant.

  Nic recognized the angular face from Frankie’s snapshot. He took it all in: her violet eyes, her curvy figure cinched tight in the blue-sequined dress, her long legs that ended in gold peep-toe pumps that revealed purple toenail polish. That and the contacts had to go, of course. Purple was unacceptable. Apparently Frankie had failed to convey this. Nic would have to set things straight tonight.

  She gave him a coy smile. “Nicodemus?” When he nodded, she flung a heap of her straight-from-the-bottle red hair over her shoulder.

  When Mercedes stepped up beside him, the gum-chomping cow mouth immediately looked up. “How can I help you?” Cow Mouth spoke over Nic’s head, speaking to his date rather than to him. He lunged over the stand.

  “I have a reservation. It’s under Nic R.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Let me check. Here it is. Follow me.” Cow Mouth grabbed the menus and showed them to a table with a front-facing window.

  “This isn’t right,” Nic said. “I made reservations for booth nine. I always sit in booth nine.”

  For a moment she was caught off guard, but she regained her composure. “Right. Very sorry sir. Bo
oth nine it is. Right this way.”

  Nic crossed his arms and didn’t move. “It’s over there.” Cow Mouth was completely incompetent.

  “Um, okay. Why don’t you show me where you want to sit.”

  He wanted to sock that smug face of hers. Instead, he strode past her, wound his way through the restaurant, and stopped ten feet shy of booth nine. When he saw Mr. and Mrs. Two-Button sitting in the cozy booth in the back corner, he blinked. They couldn’t be sitting there. It was his booth. Heat rose from his chest and spread through his limbs. His hands clenched.

  He spun to face Cow Mouth. “How dare you seat someone else in my booth?”

  “They were here first, and I—”

  “I had a reservation!”

  “Sir, our reservations are for a timeframe, not a certain tab—”

  “Everyone here knows that reservations for Nic R. are for table nine. It’s the only decent table in this god forsaken place!” Mercedes was gaping at him. Heads were starting to turn their way, but Nic didn’t care. He’d make a scene if he wanted to. Someone had to pay for this mistake.

  “I’m sorry, sir. I wasn’t aware—”

  “Obviously you weren’t! I demand that you kick them out—right now!” His fists shook.

  “But I can’t—”

  “You can’t?” He spat out a string of curses. He grabbed a bread plate from an empty table and hurled it. It landed two tables over and broke another plate, sending shards of glass everywhere. A couple jumped at a table nearby, and a woman screamed. Nic ignored them.

  “You incompetent, ignorant, little piece of—”

  A tall man in a black suit strode up to them, stepped in front of Cow Mouth, and looked Nic square in the face. “Sir, I’m afraid you’ll have to leave.”

  Nic was about to protest when another man, larger, joined the first and stood with arms folded, daring him to make a move. He didn’t have a chance against the two of them.

  Seething with rage, Nic spun on his heel and strode out the door, knocking a place setting off of a table in the process.