Sons of the Dark: Book 3


Kyle started back down the path, determined to confront his friends. But when he reached the last hibiscus bush, Emily blocked his way.

�Why did you ask me to meet you here if you were just going to ignore me?� she asked, challenging him. �That�s so rude.�

Kyle stared at her, dumbfounded. �I�m sorry,� he apologized. �You must have misunderstood. I didn�t ask you to meet me.�

�I know what you said,� she insisted. Her face flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

�When?� he asked.

�Today!� She seemed to be trying hard not to become flustered. �In class. Did you forget?�

�That�s impossible,� he answered, shaking his head. �I cut biology today. To go to an audition.�

Her eyes widened, and then narrowed in a glare. �Do you think this is the kind of club I would go to on my own?�

He started to say no, but she didn�t give him the chance.

�Is this some kind of head game you�re playing with me?�

�What?� he asked, baffled, and studied her face to see if she were teasing. �Why would I do that?�

�Other girls warned me about you. I should have listened.�

He started to defend himself, then paused, considering. She seemed genuinely upset, but none of what she said made any sense. Maybe she was crushing on him and this was her weird way of letting him know she wanted to hook up. But Emily could have had anyone she wanted. So why would she have chosen him?

�Well?� she said, interrupting his thoughts.

�You didn�t have to make up a whole elaborate story,� he answered, grinning sheepishly.

Now she was the one that looked confused. �What do you mean?�

�If you wanted to go out with me, all you had to do was ask,� he continued. �I would have said yes.�

�You asked me!� she shouted. �You practically begged!�

To his astonishment, she turned and walked away. He watched her shove her way through the crowd, but before he could go after her, Berto found him.

�C�mon, we�re going over to Cantor�s for deli.� Berto acted as if nothing were wrong, as if he hadn�t just moments ago betrayed Kyle.

�I�m heading back to the loft,� Kyle answered brusquely. He couldn�t have it out with Berto, not here. Fights were starting to break out in front of the club, which meant the cops would be there any minute. He didn�t want to spend the night in a police station.

Berto stared at him. �What gives? You sound pissed.�

�Why should I be?� Kyle asked, and then something inside him let go. He needed to get away before his anger turned into blows. He stepped around Berto without saying anything more and jogged over to his rusted Chevy Impala. He started the engine. The tail pipe belched black smoke, and he slammed his foot down hard on the accelerator.

He hated the familiar emptiness in the pit of his stomach. It reminded him of his childhood, when everyone had been against him. But he wasn�t helpless now, as he had been then. If his roommates wanted to get rid of him, they didn�t need to spread lies about him. His life would be easier without them. He�d leave them behind and start over.