Page 14 of Rebel

Rebel glanced down at the mask, pulling it from his pocket. He held it up for me to see. A creepy tragedy theatre mask. “Yeah, well, it’s generally a bad idea to let the victim see your face while you’re removing his kidney.”

I gaped at him. A shiver crept through me. “I hope that’s a sick joke.”

Rebel smiled. “Do you think I’m joking?”

“I think you need serious help. Go away, Rebel.” I didn’t want to hear this shit. Something told me that he wasn’t kidding around. The thought of him and his friends cutting out some unsuspecting person’s kidney scared me on a deep level.

He watched me with that creepy smile. Like he knew how to get to me with very little effort. He watched me flip to the house key on my keychain.

“Do you think you could make it inside before I caught you?” he asked, a strange lilt to his tone. “Should we put it to the test?”

My entire body tensed. Adrenaline sparked within me. I glanced at the door, still several feet away. Did I run for it? Did I stand my ground?

“I’m not playing this game with you,” I said, a slight tremor in my voice. Turning away, I slowly walked to the front door. It felt like turning my back on a predator about to pounce. When I glanced back, he was much closer. I hadn’t heard him move.

“You won’t always be able to escape me, Storm. Eventually, you’ll slip up. You’ll make the mistake that will have you running while I chase. I can hardly wait.” Rebel snapped his teeth together, a biting motion that would have been playful if it had been anyone else.

I jammed my key into the door lock, twisting the deadbolt open and darting inside. Closing and relocking the door, I leaned against it, my heart racing. Something was seriously wrong with Rebel. If there was a way to make him lose interest in me, I needed to figure it out. Fast.

Darting up the stairs to my room, I closed myself inside and let out the breath I’d been holding. Even after a shower, I still felt wide awake. It was getting ridiculously late. Maybe smoking a little green would help me sleep.

Gripping a joint between my fingertips, I let myself out onto my balcony. Surely Rebel would be inside his house. Or not.

I gasped when I spotted him, muffling a shriek. Sitting in a lounge chair near his pool, he wore that messed up tragedy mask. He stared right at me. I’d never been so creeped out.

Doing my best to pretend he didn’t bother me, I lit my joint and turned my back so I faced my bedroom. His piercing stare bore into me. I willed him to give up and go inside. I wasn’t rewarding him with my attention.

That didn’t stop me from feeling uncomfortable. My unease grew with every passing moment. When I finally turned back to find Rebel gone, panic gripped me. Did he jump the fence? Was he in my yard about to climb the lattice to my balcony? It was dark below. I couldn’t see a damn thing.

That thought was enough to chase me back into my bedroom. I locked the balcony door and closed the curtain. Maybe I needed to keep a weapon nearby. I wasn’t taking any chances.

CHAPTER NINE

STORM

My alarm went off, scaring me awake. I reached over to my bedside table to silence my phone. Did I even sleep?

I dragged my ass out of bed, pausing to stretch before standing up. It took several attempts to fully open my eyes and get moving. I really shouldn’t stay up so late on school nights. I was going to be wrecked today.

After brushing my teeth and doing my makeup, I dressed in jeans and a crop top. My hair was wavy from the braid I’d slept in, falling down my back. Good enough. I had no time to do anything different. I didn’t want to be late.

“Why did you get in so late?” Chase asked when I entered the kitchen. He sat at the large island, shoveling a waffle into his mouth. “Who were you sneaking around with?”

“Nobody.” I shot him a dirty look, wary of my mom overhearing. She must still be upstairs. “Not that it’s any of your business. I was at Athena’s place.”

Opening the freezer door, I scanned the interior for more of the frozen waffles Chase was eating. None. A glance in the recycle bin revealed the empty box.

“Couldn’t save any of those for me?” I eyed his plate, counting three more waffles. “Jerk.”

He shrugged, not giving a damn. “Grab something at school.”

My brother was the only person who could annoy me so deeply with his mere presence. Although Rebel was running a close second. Chase sat there stuffing his face, oblivious to my irritation. His short brown hair was mussed like he hadn’t bothered to comb it. A pillow crease lined his cheek. Moron.

Snatching a waffle from Chase’s plate, I stuffed it into my mouth, taking a huge bite. He made a pitiful attempt at stabbing me with his fork. Too late. I’d already darted out of reach.

“Asshat,” Chase muttered, glaring as I flounced out of the kitchen.

On my way out, I almost ran into my mother on her way to make coffee. She still wore her robe, her hair in a messy bun.

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