Underground Secrets (The Underground #1)

Underground Secrets

Book 1

In the Underground series.

by S.A. Sproston

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

UNDERGROUND SECRETS

Copyright © 2016 S.A. SPROSTON

Cover Art by P.S. Cover Design

To everyone who encouraged me to write and to keep going, even when I didn’t think I could.

Thank you.

Prologue

8 years ago

“
C
OME ON,
M
ARLIE.
Y
OUR PARENTS WOULD
kill us if they knew we were here,” Gemma whines at me.

I look over at her nervous, little self, “It’ll be fine, Gemma. They won’t find out. Remember, I told them we were staying at your place tonight?”

She rolls her eyes and continues to walk with me through the large mass of people. I adjust the large tote that’s slung over my shoulder for what feels like the one hundredth time. It’s heavy, and people keep knocking into me, making the straps slide off my shoulder and down my arm. I wish I had just brought my backpack instead, but I don’t want to give away that we’re a couple of teenagers trying to hang with adults. Gemma is almost a dead giveaway as it is. She looks paranoid as hell, which in turn, is making me paranoid that someone will say something to us. I was invited, sure, but I don’t see anyone close to our age here. There has got to be at least a few hundred people here that I can see and probably more that I can’t see.

“Really? When was the last time you and I both stayed my house? I mean, I practically live at yours.”

“Hey! It has happened… occasionally.”

“Whatever. I am not going to even ask how you found out about this place.”

I turn and smirk at her and hold my hand up with my pinky finger standing at attention, “Good, because I didn’t plan on telling you. I was sworn to secrecy.”

She rolls her eyes at me again, “What exactly is this place? And how long are we going to be here? It’s freaking hot as hell out and I want air conditioning.”

“Can’t you see what it is?”

She slows her walk and so do I. She looks around and shrugs. “No. Not really.”

I point out in front of me where there is a small break in the crowd. “Look. Right there. You see that?”

“A track?”

“Yes. And do know what usually happens on a track like this?”

“Racing?”

“Absolutely!” I say with pure glee in my voice. I can feel my excitement practically radiating off of me. Maybe it’ll hit Gem and seep into her skin. God knows she needs to chill. I basically had to drag her out here tonight.

“Uh-huh. And what kind of racing? This doesn’t even look close to being legit.” She never wants to do things that could get her in trouble or ruin any chance she may have of getting into one of her dream universities.

Me on the other hand, not so much. My mom likes to tell my dad that I am going through a rebellious stage, but I like to think of it as me just being me. I have always liked walking fine lines. I hate school and I don’t really like a lot of people either. The kids at school are preppy, snooty, and mean. Mean to me especially because I don’t meet their rich lifestyle standards that their mommies and daddies afford them.

My first year here after moving from Indiana was tough. Though it was four years ago, it certainly hasn’t gotten any better. Shit, last year, Molly Cunnings, the most popular girl in school, tripped me when I was walking to my next class and I got all sorts of laughs directed at me. I was completely embarrassed but I was more pissed off. So I got up and whooped her ass. I ended up breaking her nose and got suspended for the next three days. My parents were furious but I didn’t care. I reveled in the glorious victory of her having to walk around with a cast on her pretty little, and now crooked, nose.

Gemma gets teased just for being friends with me, but she doesn’t care. Besides, they don’t even bother her compared to how they treat me. Gemma has never cared about status or the fact that she is one of the richest kids in school. The only thing Gemma cares about nowadays is that she wants perfect grades and to get into her college of choice. Other than that, she is one of the most real people I have ever met. I am lucky to call her my best friend. She has been by my side since the first day I moved here. I remember it like it was yesterday; her tall, scrawny, figure and red-headed freckled face practically ran me over with her bike when she was coming to say hi. We have been inseparable ever since.

We are completely different though; like night and day. While I do pretty well in school, I hate it. Not to mention it is completely boring. Boring assignments, boring tests and most of all, boring teachers. With Gemma, it comes so easy for her and she loves every second of it. I cannot wait to graduate and never look back. That is, if I don’t get expelled for more fights before then.

“Please don’t tell me this has anything to do with that new boy at school. You know, the one who has tattoos, piercings, and reeks of booze most of the time? What is his name again? Carver?”

I smile at her, “It’s Carter, and no, it doesn’t have anything to do with him.” I look away trying to hide the smile behind my lie.

“Uh-huh, of course it doesn’t. So we won’t be seeing him tonight then?”

“I didn’t say that…”

Gemma grabs me by the arm and brings us to a stop. “Look Marlie, this whole obsession with the bad boy is cute and all, but I want you to be careful. I have heard… things, and none of them are good.”

“Yeah, well things are said about me, and you know they’re not true. You need to lighten up a little, Gem. Seriously. I just want us to have fun and see something different tonight.”

She looks at me for a second and sighs. I can see the defeat in her eyes and her shoulders drop down. “You know what? You’re right. I do need to lighten up. I am just stressed over school. You know how I get every year when it starts.” She reaches over and grabs a beer from the tote filled with a 12-pack of beer and a baggie of smoke. She cracks it open and drinks half of it right there.

I laugh at her little scene and link my arm through hers and begin to weave through the crowd once again. “You know you will be fine. You are one of the smartest people I know.” She smiles at me nervously as I try to find a good spot to watch the show.

We are literally in the middle of nowhere. I almost gave up on the way here and turned around. The only reason I didn’t was because I finally found the little blue plastic strap tied to a tree, hinting to where we should be. We get to the front of the crowd on the west side of the track. I am short and it’s kind of hard to see, so I turn around and look to see if there is anything I can use to get a better view. My eyes land upon a big, burly man with a shaved head, goatee, and more tattoos and piercings than I want to even attempt to count, leaning against the hood of his huge, lifted Chevy truck.

Perfect.

I walk towards the man and then stop right in front of him. I hold out my hand to shake his, “Hey, I am Edna and this is my friend Betty.” I give the guy ridiculous fake names and point my thumb behind me to where Gemma is standing looking like her eyes are going to pop out of their sockets at any time.

He returns the hand shake, “Bill.”

“Hi Bill. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind letting us sit on the roof of your truck. As you can see, I am terribly short and don’t want to miss all the good stuff ya’ know?”

He gives me a toothy smile and nods his head. “Sure thing. Anything to help out some pretty ladies.”

His comment only makes me slightly uncomfortable but not enough to scare me away from the prime seating he is gladly letting us have.

“Sweet! Thanks Bill!”

I grab Gemma’s hand and pull her to the back of the truck. “Come on, Betty.”

“Are you crazy? The guy looks like he eats people! I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to die by that guy’s hand at the age of seventeen! He looks like that creeper from
Joe Dirt
. He’s probably going to kidnap us, put us in a hole, and make us moisturize so he can wear our skin!”

I try to subdue the laugh wanting to escape from my throat because of her hilarious description, since Bill looks nothing like that guy from that movie. “Relax, we are in a crowd full of people and I brought my pocket knife.” I pat my front left pocket so she knows I really do have it. I hop up to the bed of the truck and wait for her to follow.

She gets up but not before arguing a bit more, “In a crowd full of criminals!”

A few people turn their heads at her statement and glare at us. I ignore her comment not wanting to draw more attention to ourselves, and sit on the roof of Bills truck. As we sit and wait for the race to begin, I look around the track. There are no light posts around, only the headlights of people’s cars and trucks to light up the track and a small white tent right in the center of the track. The track itself looks run down and could probably use some TLC. But I guess that’s what you get when you are running an illegal race.

I don’t really know much about what goes on with these races, just a few tidbits I had been told. All I know is that this is small compared to the ones they do the month before, in July. Apparently this one is just for fun. When they have the big races, they pay off a shit-ton of people to block the streets on a whole other track. They really like to do it in smaller towns where they can pay off the cops too. I am not a bad driver, but I certainly wouldn’t be able to do racing. It sounds so fun and so thrilling.

Fifteen minutes later an older man who appears to be in his mid-to-late forties, I’m guessing, with lightly peppered hair brushed off to the side, dressed in a black tux, comes out from the white tent and stands before the throng of people with a mic in his hand. Everyone in the crowd starts to go crazy, cheering for this man.

“Hello, ladies and gentlemen.” He pauses, smiles, and waves as the crowd continues in an uproar. He puts his finger to his lips and the wild audience grows quiet. “Last month was amazing! Am I right?” The crowd grows loud again and I can’t help but feel the contagious outburst of all these people. So I stand up and start cheering with them, leaving Gem still sitting.

“This next year will be a special year for me. An immensely dear person in my life will be joining in on the festivities; my nephew, Carter. Come on out here son!”

The mass of listeners clap and cheer as Carter, the only boy that has ever made my head turn, walks out with a smile framed by his dimpled cheeks and waves to the people.

I met Carter on the first day of school two weeks ago. Everyone was talking about this new kid; a criminal, who was hot as hell with a mean look to him. I have the reputation for being the bad girl at school, so I wasn’t so quick to judge; even if there is some truth to the rumors about me.

I had yet to see him until I was walking to my last class of the day. And then there he was, just standing there, leaning against his locker, looking at me. I knew it had to have been him. I stopped in my tracks and he started to walk towards me. I looked around thinking he surely wasn’t coming towards me, but he was.

“Hey,” he said with an edge to his voice. I was nervous and didn’t know what to say. I mean, he had to be the hottest guy I had ever seen and he was talking to me. He was tall and lean, with light brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing ripped jeans and a white tee with a few tattoos that I could see and an eyebrow piercing. His appearance alone made my legs shake. He was damn fine.