Keepers of the Flame (Trilogy Bundle) - By Melissa F. Hart Page 0,27

Keenan, this is Dylan, my boyfriend.” Would I ever get used to saying that?

A change came over Keenan then and absolute fury filled his face. “Your boyfriend?” he spat. “What kind of crap is that? Last night when you were with me you made no mention of a boyfriend. Or were you planning to date us both?”

We had attracted a small crowd by now and I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. I did my level best to avoid attention of any kind and now one misguided date with that creep was going to ruin things for me.

“What do you mean when she was with you?” Claire had noticed what was going on and had come to my rescue. “We all went out together yesterday, all four of us. We dropped Lu off at her place so what the hell are you talking about?” She walked right up to Keenan the Creep and got in his face.

“You stay out of it, bitch!”

I could hear the gasp among the onlookers. Claire looked like she was about to kick off her shoes and get into a boxing match right there and then. But Jason was one step ahead of her. He shoved Keenan roughly and the slimmer man went tumbling down.

“Watch your mouth,” he said mildly.

Almost as though he'd floated up, Keenan was back on his feet. He would have taken aim for Jason, but Dylan was right there, beside Jason. There must have been something in Dylan's countenance, which made him think twice about taking the offensive. With a scowl and a look of intense hatred directed at me, he walked away.

I stood rooted to the spot and every part of me was trembling. What had I done to deserve such hatred? I couldn't understand it and it bothered me deeply, in a place I hadn't known existed.

“Lu, are you okay?”

I looked up at Dylan in a daze. One part of me was glad to see him, but I was still wondering how I could have inspired such hatred in another person.

“I think I'll take her home now,” he told Jason and Claire.

Both guys shook hands and Claire came to hug me. “I think I like him,” she whispered in my ear.

I blinked then and gave her a small smile before returning her hug. “You're the best, Claire. Thanks.”

I turned and took Dylan's outstretched hand and we walked over to his car. The drive home was silent, we were both lost in thought. Or maybe I was the only one lost in thought as Dylan kept giving me searching glances.

We stopped at a traffic light and he turned to me.

“What's up, Lu?”

I shook my head in confusion. “Did you see the way he looked at me? Like he hated me.”

“Forget about him, he's not worth it,” he said taking my hands and rubbing them with his.

“But why would anyone hate me?”

“Because he can't have you?”

I looked at him in apparent confusion and he laughed shortly, throwing himself back in his seat.

“Have you looked at yourself lately, Lu?” he asked in exasperation. “You are beautiful, no, you are stunning! Any guy would kill to have you and you turned him down publicly like that. Of course he'll hate you.”

I got what he was saying, but I was still convinced it was deeper than that. Still, I decided to let it go for now and I smiled at Dylan.

“I'm stunning, huh?” I said, batting my eyelashes at him.

He looked stumped at the sudden change in me and sat there staring at me until an impatient beep behind alerted us to the fact that the light had changed.

“Women! I'll never understand you,” he muttered before driving off.

Chapter Six

As we drove up to the house, I knew instinctively that something was terribly wrong.

“Katrina,” I murmured in trepidation as I glanced at the house. The stone on my neck had begun tingling, which was scary. I had a stone which hung from a chain around my neck and last year, it had tingled or gotten warm anytime there was danger nearby. It still tingled sometimes but it hadn't gotten warm in so long. I reached up to touch it now and could feel the warmth on my fingers.

“Something's wrong,” I told Dylan.

He opened his door and turned to me. “Stay here, let me check things out.”

I watched him go up the steps. He looked around briefly before disappearing into the door. I undid my seat belt and rushed after him, there was no