Shifters (Shifters series Book 1) (12 page)

Chapter 18

My First Haircut—Well, My First Non-Mom Haircut

–TANNER–

I hate to admit it, but I think I may be having as much fun shopping as Solé and Ryland. I seriously haven’t shopped for myself ever. My mom used to make me go with them to the mall in Wethersfield when we were little. I always asked her why I never got anything new. “Honey, Ryland’s a girl. I know you won
’
t understand until you
’
re older, but girls need nice things to . . . make them feel pretty,” she would say, trying to sound empathetic.

So I would sit there, watching Ryland get her hair done and pick out pretty panties and dresses and leggings and whatever else she wanted. I grew up wearing everything Bryce outgrew, including socks and underwear. I know, gross.

Anyway, both Kai and Kyle are definitely not as into this as I am. Kyle starts grabbing things like he knows exactly what he
’
s doing. Kai gets into the act with him, proceeding like he
’
s trying to get through this as quickly as possible. They grab stuff for themselves and start holding shirts and pants up to me, trying to figure out what will fit. We head over toward the socks and underwear. I can
’
t believe what I
’
m seeing. I totally had no idea there were so many kinds and colors of boys’ underwear. The only kind I ever knew about were the plain white ones.

“What kind work for you?” Kai says grabbing various colors.

“What?” I ask pulling my eybrows together.

Kyle grabs several packages of BVDs and adds them to the collection.

Kai shakes his head and says, “Here . . . you
’
ll appreciate these,” throwing several Jockey boxer briefs at me in all kinds of colors.

This is so embarrassing.

We walk by the salon, and Kai looks at me like he
’
s sizing me up.
“We need to do something with you,” he says as he walks up to the counter.

“Shouldn
’
t we get back to the girls?” I ask.

Kyle smirks and says, “They
’
re girls. We could be here for days.”

Kai sets me up with a young stylist and tells her I
’
m looking for a change. She steps back holding her chin between her forefinger and her thumb. “I know just what he needs,” she says and leads me to the back of the salon.

Kai and Kyle leave me with her to pay for the new stuff, saying they
’
ll be back in a few minutes. This is so cool. This pretty girl is washing my hair and rubbing her hands all over my head. She keeps telling me how I have such great hair and stuff. She says me her name is Heather and about her boyfriend and where she plans to go to school when she gets enough money.

I’m totally loving the attention when she steps back and says, “There. What do you think?” as she holds a mirror up.

I almost don
’
t recognize myself. This is so weird. I look like a different person. Kai and Kyle come back dragging some suitcases and several large shopping bags. Kyle throws some of the bags at me saying, “Here! Carry your own stuff.”

Kai thanks the girl and gives her a huge tip, like fifty dollars.

She winks at me and says, “Come back soon, cutie. Any time. I
’
ll be here.” She holds her hand out. I tentatively reach out and put my hand in hers. She pulls me close and kisses me on the cheek and whispers into my ear, “I
’
m a huge fan. I won
’
t tell anyone.”

I look back as we’re walking away. Heather stands there watching us leave with a smile on her face. She gives a little wave as we walk around the corner.

“Wow! What was that?” Kyle asks.

“What? Heather?” I shrug.

“Heather?” Kai says, raising his eyebrows.

“Yeah, she
’
s nice,
” I say, trying to hide my smile.

“What
’
s going on out there?” Kyle asks pointing to the glass doors.

We run out and hear the security guys trying to tell us Solé is a shoplifter. Kai and Ryland are defending her. I see Solé almost in tears with a freaked out look on her face when she suddenly vanishes. The guards don
’
t know what to do. I look across the street and spot her hiding behind a mailbox, looking like a scared child. I feel so bad for her.

The security guys walk back in the store after we cross the street. As soon as they’re out of sight, I run over to Solé. Kyle sees her and runs up behind me. She walks right past me and collapses into Kyle
’
s arms. He holds her close to him, saying, “It
’
s okay,” as he rubs the back of her head.

She pulls away and looks up at him with tears in her eyes saying, “I didn
’
t . . . I wasn
’
t trying to . . . I wouldn
’
t . . .”

Kyle pulls her close and says, “I know, baby. It
’
ll be fine.”

Baby? What’s up with those two?

“Come on, love birds,” Kai says as he slaps Kyle on the shoulder. “I think we
’
ve had enough excitement for one day. Let
’
s get to the rooms.”

We walk to the hotel entrance and start to go inside. As the door closes, I see that creepy old guy across the street taking pictures with his cell phone. Why would somebody be taking pictures of this place?

We all get into the elevator and go up to the fifth floor. Kai and Ryland go to doors next to each other, and we go inside. Kyle and Kai open the shopping bags and start placing the clothes into two of the suitcases.

There
’
s a knock on the door in the middle of the room. Kai walks over and unlocks it. Ryland walks into the room with a smile on her face and says, “This is so cool. Have you checked out these rooms?”

Kai gives her a suitcase and tells her to put their stuff in it.

“Ahh! We just got here,” Solé complains from behind her.

“We need to be ready to move,”
Kai explains.

Ryland takes the suitcase into the girl
’
s room.

Solé runs into our room and throws herself onto our bed saying, “Isn
’
t this amazing?” She jumps up, runs to the window, and waves us over. “Isn
’
t this view wonderful?”

We’re all walking over to look out the window when we hear a scream from the other room, “
Kai!
”

We all crowd at the door to see two FBI agents standing in the room. One of them has a gun pointed at Ryland who has just zipped up the newly packed suitcase.

–RYLAND–

Okay, so I have to admit—grudgingly—that Tanner did a half decent job setting up our predicament. That being said, I’m definitely the right person to tell the interesting part of the story. The part with fighting and action and stuff.

So, these two guys—
cops, Keepers, Shifters, Feds, whatever
—
burst into our hotel room, guns drawn.
“Freeze!” they shout simultaneously.

I do since they have guns pointed at my head, but I scream “
Kai!
” as loudly as I can. And I can scream. I
’
ve got some lungs.

No, I don’t know why I screamed Kai instead of Tanner or Kyle or anyone else. I guess he just seemed like the logical choice. He
’
s a fighter, he
’
s more experienced, and he
’
s calm under pressure. It has nothing to do with him being cute. I don
’
t even know why you would think that.

Kai, Tanner, and Kyle burst into the room. “This isn
’
t right,” Solé keeps murmuring over and over, shaking her head.

Even I have to admit Solé looks like a beautiful mess in that moment. Her silvery blonde hair arcs around her head, and her shaking body looks so small in her skinny jeans and new T-shirt. She’s the embodiment of a damsel in distress.

Or she would be. Except I
’
m the one with the gun pointed at my head. Somehow, that doesn
’
t stop Kyle from trying to walk over to console her.

“I said, ‘freeze!’” The smaller guy says, aiming his standard issue Glock nine millimeter at Kyle
’
s chest.
“
I don’
t want to hurt you, but I will shoot.”

“Okay,” Kyle says calmly, holding his hands over his head in an act of surrender.

The slightly older guy, who looks suspiciously similar to the younger guy says, “We
’
re the police. We’re here to collect these terrorists.” He nods at Tanner and me.

“No, no, no!” Solé begins muttering, but ends in a shout.

“Look,” the younger guy shakes with his hands gripping his gun tightly. “We aren
’
t here for you. We
’
re only here for Tanner and Ryland.”

“Well, you can
’
t have them. So march your rookie selves back outside this room before you get yourselves hurt,” Kai spits venomously.

“Shut up!” the older officer shouts, face reddening.

“Whoa,” Kyle says. “Everyone breathe for a minute.” He surveys the room slowly. “Do you mind if I sit?” he asks, nodding toward the chair to his right.

The officers glance at one another, unsure. Slowly, the younger one nods.

Kyle takes a seat. “There’s been a misunderstanding. They aren
’
t terrorists, murderers, or whatever else you
’
ve heard.”

The older officer shakes his head. “
I don’
t care. They can sort it out in custody.”

“
You ignorant little . . .”
Kai starts, but Kyle
’
s icy stare cuts him off.

“
You can
’
t take them!” Solé shouts, frightened out of her wits. “
You aren
’
t supposed to!”

The older cop swings his gun toward her, and I swear it feels like my heart explodes. Everything doesn
’
t just slow, it practically stops. I rush him, grab his gun, rush the younger cop, and grab his gun.

I run back to the window and leap straight out. I don
’
t know what I
’
m thinking. I can
’
t explain it. My chest feels like it
’
s on fire. I ditch the guns on a balcony two floors down, and jump back up to the window.

I grip the ledge with the tips of my fingers and haul myself back in right as everything resumes. My chest still aches.

Both cops stare at their empty hands. “What the . . . ?” the older one starts.

“How did you . . . ?” the younger one asks.

“You have no idea what you
’re doing!
” Kai snaps. He walks forward and decks the older cop right on his jaw, knocking him into the younger one.

“
Kai, stop!
” Tanner shouts. “They
’
re just doing their jobs!”

“So were the Keepers who murdered my parents!” Kai shouts back.

“Grab their phones,” I say.

“Does anyone know where you are?” Kyle asks, the only logical one. “Where is your backup? This is not protocol.”

“We came alone . . .” the younger guy says weakly. “Our uncle told us he saw you.”

“Shut up!” the older brother snaps, rubbing his now red jaw.

Solé is slowly calming down now. “Why didn
’
t I see this?” she asks, gray eyes distant.

“We
’
re going to take your phones,” Kyle says. “
We don’
t want you telling anyone where we are.”

“What are you?” the younger cop asks, staring at me in awe.

“Just think of me as . . . special,” I say with a slight grin. I can
’
t believe how badly my chest is aching. I must’ve had an unhealthy level of adrenaline coursing through my veins.

I notice the edges of my vision are going dark, and my stomach is growling like a starving dog over an old bone. When did I eat? I need to focus!

“We have to go,” Kai says. “If they
’
ve found us, the others will, too.”

I nod, but it feels like I
’
m submerged in water. I
’
m moving so slowly now. Is this what being normal feels like around a Shifter? No wonder they hate us.

That
’
s the last thought I have before I pass out.

Chapter 19

Crazy, Party of One

–TANNER–

Ryland doesn
’
t even make it to the floor as Kai appears below and catches her. He stands with her in his arms like he
’
s carrying his bride. He ever so gently places her on the bed. The two guys
’
eyes are as big as bowling balls. The bigger one looks back at the door.

Kyle steps behind them and puts his hand on the door, saying, “You
’
re not going anywhere.” He motions to the two wingback chairs next to the table by the window, “Why don
’
t you two have a seat?”

The two of them look at each other then back at Kai, who
’
s giving them a death glare before they quickly move across the room and sit.

Solé looks at the two sympathetically and says, “Don
’
t worry. We won
’
t hurt you.”

The older guy rubs his jaw and looks at Kai.

“Don
’
t fool yourself,” Kai says with sneer.

I
’
m at Ryland
’
s side saying, “Is she okay? What
’
s wrong, Kai?”

“We need to get some food. Anything. Whatever we can find. She needs calories,” Kai quickly says.

The younger of the two guys pipes up, “The mini bar.”

“Get me anything—soda, chips, candy, whatever,” Kai snaps, giving the cop a glare.

Solé and I jump and grab everything we see and bring our stash to the bed.

“
Help me sit her up,
” Kai says frantically.

The younger guy jumps up and pushes her up to a sitting position.

The older guy says, “What are you doing?” He gives the younger one an angry stare.

“She
’
s sick. We need to help,” he explains to his partner.

Kai reluctantly accepts his help. He takes the lid off of the soda and says, “Get her to drink this,” as he hands the soda to the cop guy.

“Come on, Ry. You need to drink this,” Kai begs.

“What? What are you doing?” Ryland says with a groggy voice.

“Just drink, please,” Kai says to her. “Open these,” he tells me as he points at the chips and candy. “She
’
s going to need more than this.”

I have no idea what’s wrong, but Kai seems to know what to do. “What’s wrong with her?” I say in a panic, trying to stop my shaking to open the snacks. I’ve never seen her like this. She looks so pale, and she
’
s mumbling something about beautiful and sweet. Clearly, she’s hallucinating.

“My mom was a Flyer. They use a lot of energy. They can over do it,”
Kai explains.

“What in God
’
s name is a Flyer?” the older cop asks.

Solé, Kyle, Kai, and I yell, “Shut up!”

“Get her to eat this,” Kai tells the guy.

“Rick,” the younger cop says as he starts to get my sister to eat.

“What?” Kai says.

“My name. It
’
s Rick,” he says reaching his hand out.

“What are you doing?” the older one says.

“Shut up, Jon,” Rick snaps.

“Thank you, Rick,” Solé says with the warmest smile.

We get some food into her, and Ryland starts to come around. I feel a huge weight lift off of my chest. That was so scary. I seriously don
’
t know what I would’ve done if something happened to her. I may not like her, but I do love her.

Ryland regains her wits and tries to jump up, yelling, “Get away!”

Kai holds her down and calmly says, “It
’
s okay. Relax. This is Rick, and I take it that
’
s Jon?”

“They
’
re going to arrest us!” she says frantically.

“We can
’
t actually arrest anyone,” Rick says apologetically. His partner gives him a glare as he admits, “We
’
re not actually cops . . . yet.”

Ryland sits up and turns to look at him.

“Okay,” Jon says. “When our uncle called and said he thought he saw the fugitives, my brother and I thought if we brought you in they would be begging us to be on the force.”

“That
’
s why I didn
’
t see it,” Solé says, acting totally relieved. “You
’
re friends.”

“I still don
’
t get it. Where
’
s my dad
’
s gun? How did you get it away from us?” Rick asks.

“And you were all the way across the room when she went down. How did you catch her?” Jon asks.

“Trust me. You wouldn
’
t believe it if we told you,” Kyle says.

“Are you like hypnotists or something?” Rick asks, trying to make sense of everything that just happened. “Did you really kill those FBI guys at the school?”

“And that family on the freeway?” Jon asks.

“Those poor people,” Solé says quietly.

“
We haven
’
t killed anybody,” Kai says.

I can
’
t stand it anymore. “They
’
re all lies! Every time, they get the story all wrong! We didn
’
t blow anything up! We didn
’
t crash that car! The FBI chopper shot the car because they thought we were in it! They did it! All of it! I
’
m sick of them telling everyone
we’re
the bad guys! They are! They
’
re the bad guys!”

Kyle grabs me from behind. I didn
’
t realize I was pounding my fists on the bed, but I’m so frustrated. We didn
’
t ask for this! We didn
’
t ask for any of it.

“Just a few days ago we were normal kids! I didn
’
t know anything about Shifters or Keepers or aliens or what we are! Now everybody’s trying to kill us! We didn
’
t do anything! I just want to go back to being a normal kid,” I say starting to calm down.

Clearly the two brothers have no idea what I’m talking about. What would I have thought if someone told me about this a few days ago? Oh . . . Kay . . . crazy, party of one. Your table is ready.

–RYLAND–

To be honest, I missed most of that. Even when I was awake, I was too groggy to realize what was going on. I
’
m really genuinely sorry I missed Tanner go insane. I always hoped I
’
d be responsible for that. It
’
s every little sister
’
s dream.

Anyway, so I was still pretty out of it. The whole thing felt like one huge nightmare. Like I was going to wake up in my bed at home with my alarm clock blaring, a normal school day ahead of me.

Only I couldn
’
t wake from this nightmare. And somehow the young cop guy is now helping us. What on Earth is going on?

So, we need to leave. No one knows we
’
re here. For now. But Kai is paranoid.

They gather our stuff as the young cop asks me questions. Which, in my state of mind, is not a great idea. “So, I get that you
’
re not terrorists, but what are you?”

I laugh a little. “We
’
re like superheroes. Aliens sent to Earth when they were orphaned. Born with talents we’ll use to protect the human race.” As ridiculous as my answer is in this giggly state, it
’
s completely accurate. According to the prophecy and all.

“Is that how you disappeared?” he asks, his nose wrinkled.

I shake my head violently. “I didn
’
t disappear,” I say, wide-eyed. “I just moved really fast. And flew.”

He splutters and coughs. “You flew?”

I shrug. “Yeah, I
’
m pretty freaking spectacular, even for an alien.”

Tanner comes over and says, “Ry, it
’
s time for us to go. Can you walk?”

I try to stand, but my legs feel like Jello—the lime green kind no one ever eats because it
’
s disgusting.

Kai shakes his head even as he walks in the room. “She
’
ll need dinner and a good night
’
s sleep. She doesn
’
t understand her limits yet.”

My head’s starting to clear, but I
’
m so tired. Kai walks over and picks me up. I
’
m vaguely aware of the trip down the hall, the elevator, and out to the car.

The motion brings back a memory from my childhood. My dad carrying me, my mom screaming, and my oldest brother in tears. We were running. It was so loud.

If I were aware enough, it might occur to me that this is important. This memory might unlock something more. But I
’
m so tired. So, so tired . . .