Twisted Magic (Ink) Read online

  Ink:

  Twisted Magic

  by Holly Hood

  Published August 2012

  http://hollyhoodblog.blogspot.com/

  Cover design by © konradbak – (Fotolia.com)

  Ink 2- Twisted Magic © 2012 Holly J. Hood

  All rights reserved.

  For my Meatloaf

  Other books by Holly Hood

  Ink Series

  Ink

  Wingless Series

  Wingless

  Polar

  Scattered and Broken

  Prison of Paradise

  Letters to you

  Back to Life

  Heart of Gypsies

  Love hurts Series

  The killing of Rose

  Perfectly Hopeless

  Summer Vacation

  Summer had begun. I came to a stop in front of the beach house, glad to be home and done with school for the summer. A lot changed since the summer. I enrolled in Ashwilder’s big sister school, Asu. I had Nona to thank for that. If it wasn't for Nona I would have never afforded such a place. College proved hard, but I loved every second of it. Although I had to admit I loved being home even better.

  Dad hurried down the porch steps. “There’s my girl. Welcome home, Hope.” He wrapped his arms around me tightly, not letting me get a breath in, I kissed his cheek before I pried his arms off of me.

  “Missed you guys too, where are Elliot and Easton?” I searched the beach, the house, anywhere they could possibly be. I knew the answer before Dad even said it.

  “Well you know how teenage boys are when they discover girls,” Dad told me. He took my duffel bag. “I barely see anyone anymore. It’s nice that your back.”

  I followed on his heels up the steps. Noticing the new paint job, Dad had a lot of time on his hands now. I wasn’t there to keep him busy and help him out anymore. It took a couple of months to accept that I couldn’t be superman. That he had to learn to survive without me, but I did, and looking at him now I knew that everything worked out just fine.

  Dad touched my hair. “New hairdo?” He smirked.

  I ran a hand through my longer style. “It’s trendy. All the girls on campus do chic.”

  Dad nodded, totally out of the loop and not caring in the least, as long as I was happy he was. “So what are the plans?”

  I opened the refrigerator, scrunching my nose at the lack of food. “Getting you some groceries,” I said. Dad shook his head, refusing to give in and admit he would be lost without me. When he disappeared into the living room, I raised a single finger at my palm, concentrating hard.

  “What’s that?” Dad asked, returning with a pile of mail. He handed it over.

  “Pudding cup,” I said, shaking the chocolate pudding at him. He gave me an odd expression.

  “That’s odd. I didn’t even know we had pudding.” He opened the refrigerator taking another look inside. I smirked.

  I finished unpacking my old room. My bed and dresser were still the same as when I left it. I looked around, remembering the fond memories and some bad ones. This was my house, my home.

  I did a lot of growing up in the beach house. I smiled at some of the moments. Winced at some of the bad ones, finally I dropped the last of my clothes in the drawer and headed out. Dad was in the shower, the boys still gone. This was my chance.

  I pushed open the front door, heading down the stairs and across the sands of the beach, knowing exactly where I was heading and who I wanted to see. Slade.

  I was sure Dad would understand my need to see the boy from the most incredible summer of my life. At one time, Crawford was my joy, my excitement when I came home from just about anywhere. However, Crawford passed away while I was at school, and he no longer was a part of my life. It made me sad, so I usually blocked it out altogether.

  The familiar scent from the ocean reminded my nose just exactly where I was, the memories of Slade and I together the summer before waged war in my mind.

  I stared at the red door of the rv. Parts of me were nervous. It had been awhile since Slade, and I had seen each other. I smoothed my hair, looking down at my jean shorts and white t-shirt, wiggling my toes in my strappy sandals. I hoped I looked decent enough.

  Finally, I shoved the anxiety aside and knocked. But nothing happened. All was still. There was no pleasant greeting by Lucy or Oz or any of them.

  I dropped down from the steps taking a seat. Had they all left? And why hadn’t Slade told me if he was moving away? It had to be a mistake. Slade and I might have missed seeing each other when I went to college, but he wouldn’t have just up and left me.

  I forced myself to believe I had it all wrong. The entire crew of Evil Kings of Ink wouldn’t have just abandoned their only home and took off.

  I stood up, letting out an annoyed sigh. I decided to head back to Dads instead of hanging around some deserted stomping ground.

  Each footstep toward the house made the ball of stress in my stomach that more obvious. I had to know that he was alright.

  Dad was toweling his damp hair as I made it back into the kitchen, my miserable expression catching him off guard.

  “You’re here for ten minutes, and you’re already sad and depressed?” He opened the cupboards looking for something.

  I sighed. It wasn’t like me to share my disheartening woes with the world. Nevertheless, I had missed Slade terribly while I was away. We talked on the phone every day, but the idea he wasn’t waiting in Cherry impatiently for me to return made my stomach ache. Secretly, he was the only thing that mattered. Sure Dad meant a lot to me and Karsen, but when you fell for that special guy, it was hard to see anyone else but them.

  “I just thought he would be here when I got back.”

  The instant exhale of air told me Dad was uncomfortable with the topic. He brought his hand up pretending to check the time.

  “Have you seen much of Slade while I’ve been away, Dad?”

  Dad gave me the come-on-you-can’t-be-serious expression.

  “Dad it’s not like I asked you to spy on him. I just want to know if you have seen him.”

  Dad shook his head, grabbing his keys from the counter. “No, I have not seen much of Slade. He’s not exactly the friendly type without you around. And I am not fond of death metal, so we haven’t hung out much.”

  I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm. And then realized he was leaving. I raised an eyebrow.

  “I promised to meet Lynette for lunch.” He kissed my cheek. Searching my eyes for disgust or something, I wasn’t sure what. “You can visit Nona while I’m gone.”

  I couldn’t believe Dad was still dating Lynette after everything I had been through with Tucker. I swallowed the resentment.

  “It's fine. I have to pick up Karsen at the airport in a couple of hours. I’ll stop at the grocery store.” I smiled faintly, heading to my room before I burst into tears. Not only had I been abandoned by Slade, now Dad was leaving me for his girlfriend.

  I climbed into bed curling into a ball and buried my face into my pillow.

  Before I knew it I drifted off into a comfortable catnap, oblivious to the time. It wasn’t until my phone was ringing that I was pulled from my sleep.

  I blindly searched for it on the end table. “Hello?”

  “You're a dirty bitch,” Karsen shouted in my ear. “I ask you to do one thing, and you fail.”

  I sat up, running a hand through my hair still discombobulated. “I’m so sorry, Karsen.” I winced at the time. It was an hour past the time I was supposed to be at the airport.

  “Your excuse better be good. And I mean earth-shattering. Like, I don’t know, you were abducted by aliens.”

  I swallowed, trying to come up with something. “I fell asleep.”

  Karsen h
ung up. I groaned. The first day home was not turning out the way I planned it. I dropped my feet to the floor. Suddenly, there was pounding on the kitchen door.

  “I’m coming!” I shouted, hurrying down the hallway. I pulled the door open, shocked to see Karsen and Kidd standing before me.

  I let Karsen and Kidd inside. Handing over bottles of diet soda—it is the only thing in the house at the moment. I finally had a bit of hope. Now that Kidd was in front of me. I knew I could get some kind of answer about Slade.

  “So,” I said, taking a seat. “How was your flight?” I couldn’t just come right out and ask about Slade.

  Karsen cracked the soda. She looked it over carefully. “This is a woman’s drink.”

  I gave her a confused look.

  “If I am correct your dad and brothers live here. Is your dad still dating that one woman?” Karsen’s jaw dropped. Kidd shook his head in disgust.

  “Yeah, they are at lunch as we speak. I am home from school, and he is having lunch with Lynette.”

  “I’m so sorry. Even so, don’t worry I’m here now.” Karsen flashed me a big smile. “This summer is going to be awesome.” She immediately took note of my lack of enthusiasm and shot Kidd a look. Kidd cleared his throat.

  I expected one of them to bring his name up. But all I got was compassionate looks from the peanut gallery. I felt like I wasn’t in on the big secret. I gritted my teeth.

  “Just tell me what is going on.” I looked away, feeling the tears building all over again. Since when was I so emotional?

  Karsen rounded the table. She placed a concerned hand on my shoulder. “We didn’t want to break the news to you like this.”

  I immediately began thinking the worst. “What's the news? What’s going on you guys? Is Slade okay?”

  Karsen looked at Kidd. Kidd sighed, finally filling me in. “Slade is downtown.”

  I shook my head in confusion. “He's downtown, as in jail?"

  They both nodded. I suddenly wasn’t feeling too good.

  “It gets worse,” Karsen told me. “Tucker isn’t in jail.”

  My heart sank.

  “They released Tucker the other day. Slade and Tucker got into it, and both were arrested. Only problem is, Tucker was free to go and Slade had to stay.”

  I cringed. “Let me guess. They want to press charges on him.”

  Kidd nodded. It was clear by the expression on his face he was as pissed off as I was.

  The kitchen door opened. All three of our eyes settled on Lynette and Dad.

  “Hey, Hope. Glad to see you,” Lynette gave a sweet smile. It soon faded when she noticed the angry expression on my face. One I couldn’t shake.

  Dad touched Lynette’s arm. “Give us a minute.”

  “Yeah, he needs a minute to explain what he is doing running around with you still,” I snapped.

  Kidd reached across the table, grabbing my wrist. “Don’t.” He warned.

  “Why not?”

  Kidd backed off. I shot out of my chair ignoring Dad’s angry glare and shoved the kitchen door open. I took a seat outside.

  “You can’t be disrespecting Lynette like this, Hope.” Dad started. I looked at him. His polo, his pressed khakis, it angered me. He was taking the time to be anything other than himself around her. And that he didn’t care her son was already making my life miserable again.

  “You know I was happy to be coming home, but not anymore.”

  “Why’s that?” Dad questioned, taking a seat next to me. “Because you found out your boyfriend is in jail for assaulting someone?”

  I looked at Dad in shock. “Tucker Sinclair is not someone. He is a lowly piece of shit.” And suddenly it hit me. Dad knew nothing about what occurred over the summer. I retracted the claws.

  “All charges against Tucker have been dropped. They said there is no evidence to prove anything,” Dad insisted. “You can’t be slandering Tucker, Hope. His father is on the lookout for anyone trying to make a mockery of his son.”

  “His father?” My heart picked up beats. The idea the two of them were free to roam made my insides swirl.

  “Yes, his father.” Dad stood up. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  I pushed my hair behind my ear. “No.” Like I was about to tell him how Tucker and his Dad tried to kill me, and that they got off on assaulting girls after drugging them.

  He squeezed my leg in a form of comfort, as he headed to the door. He stopped, handle in his grip. “I’d like you to apologize to Lynette. She has nothing to do with her son’s actions. And like myself, she loves him regardless of what he did or didn’t do, because she is his mother.”

  I nodded.

  Karsen and Kidd emerged from the house as soon as Dad went in. Karsen’s eyes were filled with concern. She immediately took the seat next to me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah fine,” I lied.

  “Kidd said they are getting the money together to bail him out of jail. At least, this way he is free until a court date or however, that stuff works.” Karsen shrugged.

  “How much more do you need?” I asked Kidd. He waved a hand dismissive.

  “Don’t worry about it. Lucy and Erica are taking care of it.” Kidd told me.

  “I am worried about it. He shouldn’t be in jail. I have money. I can help.”

  Kidd shook his head again. “Slade is not the guy to let a girl bail him out of his mess up.”

  “Well Slade can get over it. Let’s go.” I jumped up, prepared to save my criminal boyfriend.

  Such the storybook life.

  Welcome back

  There I sat with Karsen on the outside. Waiting for Kidd to retrieve the guy whom my parents probably would have warned me about if they had the chance, but it wasn’t like that at all. To the outside world, Slade fit the ideal role of the troubled guy from the wrong side of the tracks, but I knew different. Anyone close to him knew different.

  Karsen finally broke her silence. “Kidd said Slade messed Tucker up pretty bad.”

  I shifted in my spot in the backseat of Kidd’s car. Talking about why Slade was in jail was enough to make anyone uncomfortable. As much as we all loathed Tucker, it still made me nervous to discuss.

  “I’m sure he deserved it,” I said, shifting my gaze to the window. I wondered how long it took to bail someone out of jail. Was it a long process? Did you have to jump through a bunch of hoops to be free to walk?

  “Nobody deserves to be physically attacked, even a creep like Tucker.” Karsen shrugged, dropping her head back against the seat. “I’m not saying your boyfriend is wrong. I’m just saying he could have done things differently.”

  I sighed knowing full well Karsen wasn’t done giving me her two cents.

  “He left you hanging the entire semester. Sure, you talked to him on the phone, but he never even came for a visit. What kind of boyfriend does that?” She dropped her stare to her nails and continued. “I was the one left picking up the pieces. You were upset the entire school year, Hope. Is he really worth it?”

  I resented her words, as soon as she allowed them to escape her mouth. No other time in our friendship did I want to slap her for such a rude statement. “As opposed to what, Karsen?”

  “Don’t get mad at me.”

  “I’m trying really hard not to get mad at you.” I sat up, my body going rigid at Karsen’s attitude problem that seemed to evolve out of nowhere. “Do you think Kidd is any better than Slade?”

  Karsen shot me a dirty look over her shoulder. “Kidd has a hell of a lot better attitude that’s for sure. Slade walks around with a chip on his shoulder all the time. And I can’t believe you shelled out a grand to bail him out of jail.”

  I’d never been so angry at her in my entire life. When she broke my favorite Barbie when we were eight I laughed it off. And when we were eleven, and I started my period and Karsen blabbed it to the whole fifth grade. I let it go. Or, when we turned fourteen, and she stole Bobby Jenkins at the skating rink, when he so clearly want
ed to skate with me. I told myself Karsen deserved the chance to get to know Bobby.

  I crossed my arms staring out the window, a grand insult evading my mind.

  “I just don’t want to see you hurt. I know his type. And I don’t think you’re up for the challenge. No offense, Hope,” Karsen sighed, knowing she had said the wrong thing to many times.

  “I never had a type. And you got Slade all wrong. You know nothing about him. So maybe for once you should just keep your mouth shut.”

  “Fine,” Karsen said, crossing her own arms in agitation.

  “Fine,” I shot back.

  I climbed out of the car annoyed with our stupid argument. She should have been supportive not putting me down for helping Slade out. Instead, she picked on me and made me feel like the biggest idiot. I had to remind myself I knew Slade more than anyone else, and it was never going to matter what they thought about him.

  “Free at last,” Kidd hollered as he walked alongside Slade coming out of the doors of the county jailhouse. My heart did a couple flips, and my stomach ignited with excitement at the sight of him.

  There he was, tall, muscular and brooding like every time before. Black shorts and a black t-shirt, in his clutch was a brown paper bag. He slid a hand through his hair pinning the stray strands back. His eyes met mine, making my heart ache. I wanted to leap into his arms. However, I stayed where I was trying to act as if I had at least a little self-control.

  “Hey,” he said, he hooked a finger through the belt loop of my jean shorts pulling me close, our bodies meeting like old times. I immediately wrapped my arms around his neck planting my lips against his. Our lips meshed, and my heart was close to busting out of my chest.

  “Your lip ring.”

  Slade ran a hand down his face stopping where his ring had been. “They cut them off when you’re thrown in the slammer.”

  I nodded. He knew the way more than me when it came to doing time.