looked up as I approached. At first, he seemed surprised, but then he smiled that easy smile of his like he’d known all along I’d change my mind. “Guys, do you know Mara?”
Several sets of eyes focused on me. I couldn’t tell who everyone was with their hoods over their heads, but if my guess was right, this group represented about half of the baseball team.
“Actually, maybe it’s better if you don’t make introductions,” I murmured.
Taggish snorted. “It’s Mara’s first time, so go easy on her.” His comment was met with a few snickers. Braden laughed outright and nudged my arm with his elbow.
“You guys know what to do?” Taggish asked, and everyone nodded.
I supposed I wasn’t one of “the guys” because I didn’t know what to do. But that didn’t seem to matter. As everyone else scattered, Taggish took my hand. “You stay with me.”
Gladly. Even though I was completely out of my element, I experienced an odd sense of security with Taggish holding my hand and realized that for what it was worth, in that moment, I trusted him.
“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing now?” I whispered as we inched closer to a large brick two-story house. The others had surrounded the house and were holding up the large rolling pins.
Taggish grinned at me over his shoulder and held up his roll. “Plastic wrap.”
Plastic what?
“Here, hold up my phone until I get it started.” He dropped my hand to dig in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight before handing it to me. “Shine it right here.” He pointed to the plastic roll. I shined the light on the seam and watched him struggle for a few seconds.
“Trade me,” I murmured, holding the light out to him while reaching for the roll. Taggish took the phone but held onto one end of the roll. It was enormous. I’d never seen so much plastic wrap in my life. What had they said as I was walking up? They had ten rolls?
While I struggled to pull the seam away, a few of the guys started walking toward us, each with their own roll.
“Oh, my gosh. Are we wrapping this house?”
“Shhh!” Several of their voices shushed me, but Taggish just smiled.
“Yes, that’s exactly what we are doing.” He talked softly into my ear. “Do you have it yet?”
Goosebumps rippled down my shoulder. Holy crap! That was all I could think as I struggled with the seam. Finally, I had the whole length separated from the roll. With trembling fingers, I held it out for him to see.
“Sweet. Let’s stick it on right here and get moving. We’ll work together.” Taggish turned off the light on his phone and stuffed it back in his pocket. Together we moved to the outer wall of the house, him carrying the roll and me keeping the separated edge from getting stuck back on it.
“Taggish, whose house is this?” I whispered as he walked backward, slowly unraveling the roll so it wouldn’t make any noise.
His white teeth flashed in the dark. We’d made it to the back of the house where no streetlights shone. But I knew he smiled. “Guess.”
“I couldn’t possibly.” My nerves were so shot, not even a single idea came to mind.
“Here. You hold the bottom, and I’ll hold the top.”
I took hold of the bottom of the roll. I didn’t think it would work, but it did. We moved together, our bodies so close, I heard his every breath. Even though I knew the other guys were nearby, I couldn’t hear them and could barely see them against the brick facade.
“Whose house?”
Taggish stopped moving. As close as we were, I could make out the features of his face. “You have to be quiet.”
“I have been quiet.”
“I know, but when I tell you.”
I thought I might throw up. Where were we? The chief of police? The mayor?
“Taggish,” my voice held a hint of a threat.
His face dipped until his lips moved against my ear. “Principal and vice-principal Gentry.”
8
Taggish
“Oh, my—” I slapped a hand over her mouth.
“I said be quiet,” I whispered, my body shaking with the effort to hold back my laughter. “Shhhh,” I whispered again when her lips moved against my fingers.
She’d surprised me. I’d thought for sure she would chicken out and stay in my car.
Mara trembled. Something about her brought out my protective side. She was out of her element, and I’d been the one who’d dared her to do it. I