Slashing Away: A Dark Psychological Thriller (Gushers Series Book 2) Read online

  She toyed with several ideas. Zoe needed the plan to be perfect, so it would rid her of the loose ends while solidifying her grip on the top of the heap. She could kill many birds with one stone. Remove Aiden and Leah. Put Todd and Jordyn back in line. Scare the shit out of Ryan so he man’s up. And remind Spencer who the true leader is.

  Zoe giggled. She liked controlling her friends. If she couldn’t manipulate them for her own purposes then she failed to find a reason to keep them around.

  She yawned and stretched under her comforter. Zoe felt like taking a nice long nap. Then she would see what Spencer was up to. Find out if he wanted to work on some new rituals for The First Cut. Something fresh to shake things up and bring new excitement to the group. Or what was left of it.

  Zoe buried herself under the covers, content with her course of action.

  Chapter 6

  Jordyn called Todd to discuss what happened. She felt a little better after confiding in her mother. Jordyn hadn’t intended to reveal the nature of their activities but she was so worked up. Once the words were out in the universe, Jordyn went along for the ride. Her mother had been much cooler about it than she ever would have anticipated. Jordyn knew her mother was more forward-thinking than most mothers. Now she had a new respect for her mom since she could talk to her as a friend without fear of reproach.

  Todd was still pissed off about the fight. Ryan’s decision to follow along behind Zoe like an ugly duckling bothered Todd more than anything else. He kept repeating how he and Ryan had been through so much together through the years. How could Ryan choose her over me? Why did Ryan always follow his dick instead of his gut? How could he trust Ryan ever again to have his back?

  Jordyn wished Todd would focus on the real issue instead of his hurt feelings about Ryan. She prompted Todd back to the heart of the matter. They needed to make a stand against Zoe. Zoe had bossed them all around since they were little. They should be able to speak their minds and not worry about Zoe’s attitude. After all, Zoe needed them more than they needed her. To Todd and Jordyn, Zoe was just one friend of many. To Zoe, Todd and Jordyn, and the others, were minions for her power trips. Without them, Zoe HAD no power.

  Todd agreed with Jordyn. He thought he should try to reason with Ryan first. Then Ryan can team up with them to face Zoe. Jordyn didn’t think that plan was best. She told Todd to forget about Ryan for now and keep his attention on Zoe. And Spencer. As powerful as Spencer appeared to be now, Jordyn reasoned he would most likely fall back in line once Zoe saw their side. So all efforts should be centered on Zoe.

  And what IS our side, Todd had asked?

  He stumped Jordyn. She had to think to herself for a moment before answering his question. Ultimately, they wanted the club to be something fun and different. They wanted their classmates to be jealous about the trend they set, forming a sexy and trippy club. Somehow, it derailed from that track and became about real blood. And real power. Jordyn proposed they explain to Zoe it was all supposed to be fun, not serious. If The First Cut remained the same then they would wish to leave just like Aiden.

  Todd said Zoe will never buy it. They had a better chance of winning the lottery than convincing Zoe to go along with fun as opposed to her wishes. He returned to his notion of working through Ryan’s weakness.

  Jordyn cursed under breath. She brought up the fact that Aiden and Leah were clearly outside the group now. Maybe they should work with those two about how best to proceed. Four against three was much better odds in their favor. And Aiden had much more to bring to the table since he was physically attacked for his beliefs. She still couldn’t believe Spencer beat him and stabbed him. Jordyn hoped Aiden was okay. She realized she had been so self-absorbed she never once thought of checking on him.

  Todd felt bad too. He liked Aiden even though he was a member on the periphery. He felt sorry for taking Aiden’s friendship for granted all these years. Todd was impressed with Aiden’s willingness to swim against the stream for once. He asked how they should approach Aiden and Leah.

  Jordyn suggested she try to speak with Leah. She figured the situation called for a female touch. Besides, Aiden might be in the hospital or something. She would see if Leah felt like talking. If she could get through to her, then Jordyn would tell Leah they were both on their side. And she would suggest the four of them band together to force Zoe to change course.

  Todd didn’t like waiting on the sidelines. He was used to taking action but he agreed it would be best not to jump in with both feet. He wasn’t sure his temper could remain in check. If Aiden gave him shit for not being completely on his side then he would get angry enough to want to hit Aiden. Which he didn’t want to happen. Todd needed time to think and calm down.

  He brought up Ryan again.

  Jordyn huffed and told Todd she had to go. She really didn’t want to sit through more of Todd’s hurt feelings with his buddy. They got off the phone and promised to touch base later tonight.

  Jordyn slumped back against her bed. She felt the pit in her stomach form. She knew it was going to be a battle. Getting Zoe to do anything was a battle. Let alone doing something opposing what she wanted.

  She started to dial Leah’s cell phone. While she waited for Leah to pick up, Jordyn remembered her mother mentioning the Fishers coming over tonight. She wanted to be anywhere but home if the adults were going to be cruising the yard and the house. But where could she go? Who would she go with? The group was in shambles and she refused to be trapped alone with Todd if he was going to cry about Ryan all night.

  The call went to voice mail. Jordyn hung up. She wanted to speak directly with Leah, not leave a message. A message which could be replayed or shared with anyone. Situations like this called for direct communication. And spoken words, not typed words.

  Jordyn sulked because her immediate inclination was to bang out a text message. She wondered how people talked before cell phones and email. It must have taken all their time to pick up the cordless phones and dial all your friends one by one. Living without group chat must have been living hell.

  She went to the window and glanced through the blinds. Jordyn attempted to see across the street. Her room was directly across the street from Leah’s room. Leah’s shades were drawn. Jordyn figured Leah was sleeping in or maybe hiding out after last night. She couldn’t blame her. Jordyn wanted to hide away too. But they had to unify and stop Zoe from ruining their senior year. There wasn’t much time left in their high school careers. Wasting it fighting with each other didn’t make sense.

  Jordyn released the blind and returned to her bed. She felt like crying again. The First Cut had been so much fun. She finally got to be with Todd and draw attention away from Zoe with her killer body. Now it was all gone.

  Jordyn thought about taking control of The First Cut so she could get what SHE wanted. Maybe if she was the leader they would all go back to enjoying the ride. The last thing Jordyn wanted was to lead the group. She would stick to the fun stuff and let the crazy people fight for the top.

  Crazy people like Zoe.

  Chapter 7

  Holden worked on his fifth scotch. He couldn’t believe Rebecca had pulled it off. Samantha appeared to be enjoying herself. Turner was more talkative than Holden had ever seen him. And Rebecca had not been overly suggestive about sex all night. Not in front of the group anyway.

  Samantha and Holden arrived to find a feast awaiting them. There was sushi and salad. Tons of fresh fruit and vegetables filled bowls interspersed among the table. And Turner had concocted homemade white wine sangria. While Holden preferred his scotch, Samantha and Rebecca were delighted with the sangria.

  The back yard was bathed in red bulbs which irritated Holden’s eyes until he became accustomed to the hue. It made for interesting shadows, especially where cleavage was displayed.

  After they finished eating, Rebecca asked Holden to help her clean up. She suggested Samantha and Turner start to soak in the tub. Samantha’s eyes widened at the prospect of being alone with Tu
rner. Holden knew Samantha had been apprehensive about tonight’s event. She had worried all day about her body in comparison to Rebecca’s. She spent what seemed like hours “grooming” herself in the bathroom. Holden had teased her that nobody would see it in the darkened yard.

  Before Holden could places the dishes in the sink, Rebecca grabbed his crotch and massaged it for a moment. He became instantly aroused, looking around nervously in case somebody followed them inside. Rebecca giggled in that seductive way she had. Holden often thought how her mannerisms reminded him of young high school girls he had dated. Rebecca used the same tactics of over-emphasizing her horny intentions.

  He had managed to fend Rebecca off, and talk down his erection before going back outside. Rebecca’s dirty talk made it difficult. Holden resorted to his go-to tactic of picturing his football coach’s pock-marked face. The image helped him scare away boners and last longer in the bedroom.

  As they approached the hot tub, Holden was glad to see Samantha laughing at something Turner had said. They were sitting very close to each other on the far side of the tub. A spike of jealousy worked through Holden’s gut as he imagined wandering hands beneath the bubbles. He found it strange that he felt jealousy when he had been running around behind his wife’s back. Samantha had been faithful to him. He scorned himself for being a hypocrite.

  Rebecca gestured for Holden to climb in first. He sat next to Samantha, stroking her leg under the water. When he glanced up, Rebecca was doing a sultry dance as she stepped down into the tub. Turner cheered her on. Samantha giggled nervously. Holden couldn’t take his eyes off Rebecca’s body. Her hips swung from side to side and her breasts strained around the cloth of her bikini top. His erection returned instantaneously.

  The four of them continued to drink and laugh while enjoying the atmosphere. Holden began to wonder if any funny business would ensue. It had been several hours of drinking and chatting. Until Rebecca claimed it was too hot in the tub. She stood up and removed her top. Everyone fell silent as she tossed the bikini outside and squeezed her own breasts. Rebecca made some sexy cooing noises and then slinked down upon Turner. She began to kiss her husband and rubbed his chest.

  Holden glanced at Samantha. Her eyes looked scared but her expression showed something else. She was biting her lower lip like she did when he played with her body. As he stared into her eyes, Samantha groped his cock under the bubbles. Holden sat up straighter and pulled Samantha to his chest. They kissed passionately. Kisses Holden hadn’t felt since they first got married. The rawness and reckless abandon of Samantha’s tongue, searching his own, increased the intensity he felt for her.

  Within moments, Rebecca pulled Turner up to the surface. She slid his bathing suit down and began to suck his cock. While she buried it deep within her mouth, she stared into Holden’s eyes. The fear of Samantha noticing caused him to lift his wife out of the tub. He pulled her one-piece bathing suit aside and probed her with his tongue. Holden didn’t want to waste time fighting to get her suit off. He found a pleasant surprise waiting for him as Samantha had shaved all her hair off. The smooth skin felt better than tufts of hair tickling his nose.

  Holden’s back was to Turner and Rebecca. Under the water, he felt a feminine hand groping his scrotum between his legs. Holden wanted to glance over his shoulder to see if Turner was aware of Rebecca’s bravery but he chickened out. He kept his face buried in Samantha’s lap. His wife moaned with pleasure. He felt better that she was more relaxed now about the evening they all had expected.

  Samantha grabbed Holden and turned him around. She shucked off his shorts and climbed on top of him. She inserted his cock inside her and she began to buck and ride his lap hard. Holden knew she was self-conscious of her body so she probably wanted this position in order to keep her back to Rebecca. Holden turned to see Rebecca following suit with Turner. She straddled her husband as Turner played with her tits, mashing them together and lifting them upwards.

  Rebecca faced Holden the entire time. She forced Holden to hold her stare. He did so even though his instincts told him to focus on Samantha. Holden felt the urge to explode inside Samantha at the thought of fucking his wife with Rebecca nearby. He glanced up at Samantha to see she was watching him the whole time. His stomach knotted up with guilt. She had caught him staring longingly into his neighbor’s eyes while his wife made love to him.

  Holden forced a smile at Samantha. She didn’t smile back. Her face showed total ecstasy. She kept licking her lips and opening her mouth with moans of pleasure. But her eyes seemed distant. Holden no longer worried about finishing too soon because his mind tried to figure out the meaning behind Samantha’s eyes.

  Did she suspect him of cheating now? Did she feel jealous? Could she tell there had been an intimacy between he and Rebecca that she had not suspected before?

  Holden labored through the rest of the fucking. Rebecca and Turner finished and a moment before they did. Holden heard Rebecca make the same soft laughing noise she always made after they finished fucking. The sound cut through him like an ice pick. Samantha slid off his lap and back under the water. Her eyes were closed as she rested her head against the cushion inside the tub.

  Holden felt beneath the bubbles for her hand. He stroked her fingers and tried to interlace his own. But Samantha closed her fist against her leg. His stomach churned. Holden knew he was in trouble now. Rather than enjoy the afterglow of the wild session, Holden tried to come up with excuses and lies to hide the truth from his wife.

  He felt horrible. He never wanted to hurt Samantha.

  Chapter 8

  Leah covered her mouth with a hand. She wanted to hide the laugh so Aiden wouldn’t get upset.

  “What’s so funny about that? I almost died.” Aiden grimaced at her reaction.

  Leah got herself under control. “I’m sorry. I just can’t believe your parents bought a wild story like that.” She waved a hand in front of her face to get some fresh air. For some reason it tickled her that Aiden’s parents accepted his blatant lies regarding his injuries.

  Aiden had snuck out of her house this morning to make his way home. He had woven a wild tale on the walk, completely changing the story they had cobbled together in her room. Aiden told his parents that he and his friends had horsed around in the Kings Supermarket parking lot. According to Aiden, it was his idea to go for a ride in one of the shopping carts. Todd and Ryan had warned him he could get hurt, but he insisted on acting like a clown. He told them to push the cart across the lot but they had given him too much speed. The cart met with one of the cement parking blocks, catapulting him out of the shopping cart. Aiden told them he hit his head and scraped his neck on the bumper of a parked car. Apparently they accepted his story. But they were still angry with him for not coming home for treatment or letting them know right after it happened.

  Leah patted Aiden’s shoulder to make him feel better. She felt a little guilty for finding his situation humorous. “Aw, it’s okay, little baby.”

  Aiden’s grimace turned to a scowl.

  Leah felt the presence of another set of eyes in the room. She glanced to her right and saw her brother Tommy staring at them from the doorway. His arms were folded across his chest as if he were displeased. Leah started to giggle some more because Aiden and Tommy were posed exactly the same without conscious effort. Her brother shook his head and walked away.

  Aiden glanced at Tommy as he left. “Your brother creeps me out. He’s always giving me the stink eye.”

  Leah sighed. “Yeah, he gets that from his father. Tommy doesn’t like anyone which is why he is so good at sports. He likes to win and abuse the opponents at will.” She folded her leg from under her rump. She had been sitting on the couch for too long in the same position. The sensation of pins and needles tingled through her. “Sorry about him being around. My parents made me babysit him tonight while they went across the street to Jordyn’s house.”

  The explanation didn’t seem to comfort Aiden. “So did you talk to Jordyn yet?�
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  Leah remembered a moment earlier today when Jordyn had tried to call her. Leah saw the caller I.D. and allowed it to go to voice mail. She had chickened out at the last second. Leah felt more comfortable if she were the one starting the conversation. It helped her feel more in control. She didn’t want to tell Aiden she skipped the call.

  “No, not yet.” She looked away while she lied to Aiden. “I’m going to call her tomorrow. I got tied up with helping my mother clean the house before she left. Sorry.”

  Aiden finally settled down. He glanced over his shoulder at the doorway to the kitchen again as if he felt Tommy’s gaze on the back of his skull. “Once we get back into The First Cut, IF we get back in, how are we going to pull off the plan? Are we going to expose them to the school? Or do we want to tell their parents what they’ve been doing?”

  Leah raised her eyebrows. “Seriously? Your plan is to tattle on them?”

  Aiden reddened. “I don’t know. What else are we supposed to do? I can’t beat them up.”

  “Exposing them to our classmates is useless. We only have a few months of school left and then we will all move off to college. So embarrassing them in front of everyone will only be a short-term pain. And telling on them is worse. Spencer’s parents don’t care what he does. Zoe’s parents are afraid of their own daughter. And Ryan’s parents are useless. All their folks will do is shrug and shut the door in our faces.”

  “Just because I can’t beat them up doesn’t mean I am going to stab them, you know.”

  Leah chuckled. “Aiden, I know you don’t have a mean bone in your body. I would never suppose you would do anything to physically harm them. The punishment should fit the crime though.”

  “How so?”

  “Your neck might be scarred for life now. A constant reminder of their evil selfishness.”