The Punk and the Plaything (When Rivals Play #3) - B.B. Reid Page 0,82

me wince. I knew that if he wasn’t holding my hand, his hand would be in a fist, probably pummeling Jason’s face right about now. Noticing my pain, he eased his grip, and then, a second later, he let my hand go. I tried to ignore the disappointment, but my hand suddenly felt colder than it should have on a summer night.

“A couple of years ago, I got in trouble for hopping a rail that was three feet high,” Vaughn said when Jamie only stared Jason down. “Their security office is a mobile trailer that’s one loose screw from being condemned. We can get in.”

“We’ll get in trouble if we’re caught,” Jason continued to argue.

Realizing the longer we hesitated, the deeper the crap Ever found himself in, I said, “And our friend will get in trouble if we don’t try.” Turning on my heel, I started back for the carnival.

“Do you see anything?”

I was currently crouched on Vaughn’s shoulders, forgetting all about the dress I wore, and peering into the dirty window of the trailer Ever was being kept in. Pretty soon, the cops would arrive, and because of all the crap Ever had given them before, they’d have no trouble identifying him. I knew my insolent best friend well enough by now to know that he hadn’t told the security guards squat. Not even his name.

Looking around the rectangular room that was empty save for an old desk and several chairs pushed against the wall, I spotted my friend sitting in one of them. Ever’s hands were tied with plastic cuffs, and his eyes were closed, appearing perfectly relaxed as he leaned his head against the wall. With parents as rich as his, who foolishly bailed him out of trouble every time, I guess he had no reason to worry.

“I see him!”

“Is he alone?” Jamie questioned a little too casually. Rescuing Ever had been my idea, but now that we were actually doing it, I couldn’t keep my heart from racing. I wasn’t sure if it was from fear or excitement. Right now, they felt like one and the same.

“No. There’s a guard with him, but he looks bored. Distracting him should be a piece of cake.”

“Oh, really?” Jamie said. I heard the challenge in his voice long before I gazed down at him. He was standing close while Jason served as the lookout a few feet away. Before I could respond, his hands circled my waist and carefully pulled me from Vaughn’s shoulder. “Then work your magic,” he whispered as soon as my body was pressed against his.

I couldn’t quite catch my breath as I stared into brown eyes that always seemed so full. What was happening to me? I’d been crushing on Ever for weeks, but those feelings were nothing compared to what Jamie had done to me in a matter of days.

I heard a throat clear and then, “Uh, guys?”

Vaughn was watching us, and I could tell he was more than suspicious and just a little weirded out. Stepping away from Jamie, I made my way around the trailer, blocking out the sound of them whispering—more like arguing—as soon I was out of sight. When I reached the trailer door, I took a deep breath before knocking. Immediately, I heard chair legs scraping across the floor and then the fall of heavy feet growing louder. Seconds later, the door creaked as it swung open, revealing a bespectacled older man with kind eyes and a white bushy beard. He reminded me a little of Santa Claus except without the huge gut and the flying reindeer, of course.

Immediately, I knew what to say to draw him away from the trailer. “Hi, c-could you help me? I lost my p-parents, and some weird man keeps following me.”

“Oh, you poor thing!” he said, rushing down the short steps. “Come inside, where you’ll be safe while I check things out.” I began to panic when he ushered me inside the trailer and locked the door behind him before shuffling away.

Crap! Crap! Crap!

Now what?

“Bee?” I spun around at the sound of Ever’s voice. “What are you doing here?” he asked, sitting up with a frown.

“Well,” I huffed, planting my hands on my hips, “I was busting you out, but it looks like we’ll have to go to plan B.”

Despite being in handcuffs and a world of trouble, he flashed me a crooked smile. Seeing it, I waited for my heart to skip a beat as it had done so many times before,