Striker: A Dark Bully Romance (Redwood Rebels Book 1) by Rachel Leigh (ebook reader for comics TXT) 📕

tear off every cushion and even tip the couch back and still can’t find it. It’s like it just fucking disappeared. My mind replays the last time I had it. He was calling. I ignored it and set it down. Marni came home. I took her bag off her shoulder and tossed it on the couch.

Next to my phone.

That bitch!

My little rebel will pay for this stunt she’s just pulled.

11

“Thanks for meeting me.” I lean into Wyatt and rest my head on his shoulder. “I just had to get away from there for a little bit.” Nuzzling my head closer, I find comfort in my friend. Wyatt is the kind of guy who would drop anything for someone he cares about. He’d pick you up at three o’clock in the morning on the side of the road when your car broke down after a heated argument with your ex-boyfriend. He’d take you to the doctor for a pregnancy test when you thought that just maybe you were pregnant. And he’d also hold your hand when you get the results. Negative. We celebrated that night. He’s also the best person to sit in the bleachers with during football practices just to watch the guys in their tight pants. Though, he only has eyes for one guy—Shane West.

“I’d like to say that I understand, but I have no idea why you’re even staying in that house.”

“I wish I could tell you, but it’s better this way right now. I do need your help, though.” I lift my head and turn my entire body toward him, tucking one leg underneath the other. The weathered wood of the old bench pokes into my skin. The bench sits between a couple large trees down one of Miners State Park’s trails. It felt like a good place to go and not be found.

“Aw hell, Marni. Don’t tangle me up in this shit. You know those guys already hate me.”

“They don’t hate you. They just don’t know you and they look at you as an easy target because you’re too nice. Besides, they won’t even know that you’re helping me.” I place a hand on his arm. “I really need you, Wyatt. I don’t have anyone and there is no way I can ask Shay for help. She’s a parrot.” I love the girl, but if you want to keep a secret safe, don’t share it with Shay. She will repeat everything you say and the next thing you know, you’re hearing your own story in different words from someone else.

His expression becomes earnest. “You’re serious?”

“Dead.” I nod, while chewing on my bottom lip.

“Alright. What do you need me to do? Kick some ass? Kiss some ass? You name it and I’m on it.” He chuckles, searching for humor in this whole situation.

There’s a beat of silence between us before the wind picks up and rustles the dry leaves at our feet. Unzipping my backpack, I pull out Talon’s phone and hand it to Wyatt. “I need you to tap into this phone and get a list of every single call, text, and voicemail. Anything you can get for me, I want.”

“Woah,” he throws his hands up, “I’m not touching that.”

“Calm down,” I snicker. “It’s Talon’s phone. He was having a very in-depth conversation on it last night and I’m pretty sure it was about me.”

Wyatt gets to his feet and begins pacing in front of the bench. Pulling up the hood of his sweatshirt, he stuffs his hands inside the front pocket. “I can’t do this.” His head shakes continuously. “Do you know what they’ll do to me if they catch me with his phone?”

Unfortunately, I do. I’m more aware than anyone of what they could do. I’m also aware that they’d probably get away with it. I stand up and brace my hands on either side of his shoulders. “They will never find out. I wouldn’t ask you to do this if I thought you would get hurt.” It’s only a semi-lie.

I’m confident they won’t find out, but I’m not one-hundred-percent sure that they won’t come after me. Wyatt isn’t the most tech savvy guy around, but his dad owns Magna Tech, and they are a world-renowned tech company that specializes in cellular devices. They’ve helped crack cell phones for the local police, FBI, and even the CIA. It’s one little device and takes only minutes to download all data onto any SD card.

Chewing on the inside of his cheek, I can see that he’s nervous as hell. “Let’s say that I do this. What exactly do you plan to do with whatever information you're given?”

“That depends.” I’m not even sure. I just need something to go on that could explain what Talon has been up to. I’m starting to think that there is much more to Josh’s death than what the guys are letting on. They still haven’t even told me how he died. Just that it was an accident and he deserved it. I need more. If I’m involved, and possibly implicated, I have to know exactly what happened that night. “I do need you to promise me one more thing.”

“Nope,” he shakes his head, “I’m out.” He actually begins to walk away. I drop the phone back in my bag then zip it up, catching up to him quickly.

Wyatt is the guy who doesn’t do haunted houses, doesn’t even watch scary movies. He almost pissed his pants when a monster jumped out of a treasure box on Scooby Doo. “Please, Wyatt. I’m begging you.” I fold my hands in prayer. “The only promise I need is that you give the card straight back to me, without looking at it first. I don’t want you getting pulled into whatever mess they have going on.”

The same mess that I’m currently entangled in. I would never want Wyatt to know about what they did to Josh. Not because I’m worried he’d snitch, but because I know he wouldn’t, and he’d live