Full Moon (16 page)

“Lucky for you, I can.”

“But then how will you get back?” I
asked.

“I can walk.”

“No, it’s way too far, Jesse.”

“I’ll be fine.” He bit his lip and looked
down at Julie as if he was worried. “It’s best we sneak out of
here.”

I furrowed a brow. “Sneak out? Why?”

“You see that guy she was dancing with?”

“Yeah. She told me his name, but I
forget.”

“It’s Jonathon, and he’s an absolute psycho.
I’m afraid he might follow her home if he sees her leaving.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “Are you sure?
That’s insane.”

“I heard him claim her, and I heard some of
the other guys claiming you. They may look like your average
drunken frat boys, but they’re beyond dangerous, Taylor. The nice
guys are outnumbered here. I’ve got a couple of buddies here, but
we’re no match against the others. They’ll jump us, and I’m not
sure I can protect you.”

“Wait…claiming people? Just what kind of
party did she bring me to?” I muttered to myself.

“A dangerous one,” he retorted, overhearing
my conversation with myself. “My buddies will distract them while I
sneak you two out the back door.”

“Great idea,” I said. “Maybe they won’t see
us leave.”

“That’s the plan.”

Jesse wrapped his arm around Julie and
helped her walk out the back door of the cabin. Gripping my purse
tightly, I followed. A cool breeze blew through my hair, and I
shuddered, wishing I’d worn a coat. I couldn’t believe the extreme
temperature change; earlier that day, I’d been sunning on the
beach, and now Mother Nature had invited Jack Frost over for a
nightcap.

“How much did you have to drink?” Jesse
asked Julie.

“She’s had way too much,” I answered for
her. “I bet she’ll puke all over the truck.”

“Hey!” Julie said. “I can answer for
myself.” Her gaze turned to Jesse. “Mr. Gorgeous, Handsome Prince,
I had lots of beers, a Long Island iced tea, beers, and some
shots,” she answered. “Oh, and there was this one bubbly purple
thing the color of that dinosaur on the kids’ show and—”

“Do you remember where the keys to your
truck are?” he said, cutting her off before the confession could
continue.

“Hmm. Maybe you’ll have to frisk me, Officer
McHottie,” she said in a flirty tone.

I rolled my eyes, mouthed an apology to
Jesse, then reached into her pocket and grabbed them. “They’re
right here.”

“
Hey!” she said. “I didn’t want
you
to frisk me!”

“This isn’t the time for games, Julie,” I
said. “We have to get out of here and back home.”

“I’m freezing!” she retorted. “Who turned on
the air?”

I reached in the back seat and handed her a
blue sweater. “Wear this.”

She put it on and smiled. “Mmm…so warm.
Gosh, I’m so drunk. Thank you though.”

Jesse helped my intoxicated new best friend
into her pickup. She sat between us and laid her head on his
shoulder, and when he glanced at me questioningly, all I could do
was shrug and apologize again on behalf of my drunken friend.

“I guess she had a little too much to
drink,” I whispered.

“A little?” He laughed.

Julie tapped him. “Are you Prince Charming?”
she asked.

“What?” he asked, turning the key in the
ignition. “Because I helped bandage you up?”

“Are you the hot guy from the woods?” she
asked. “The hero who saved Little Red Riding Taylor from the big,
bad mountain lion?”

My cheeks blushed. “Julie!” I said.

Before he could answer, she continued, “You
have black hair and eyes like that crayon. Taylor told me all about
you.”

My cheeks grew even hotter with
embarrassment, and I suddenly wished with all my heart that my life
had a rewind button.

“And Taylor was right,” she continued. “Your
eyes are gorgeous, like the sky.”

I cleared my throat and glanced at him
awkwardly. “You do have pretty eyes,” I admitted.

He grinned back at me. “And so do you.”

I couldn’t stop grinning from the compliment
as we sped along the road, until something jerked us forward.

“What the heck?” Julie said, stunned.

“Feels like we blew a tire,” I said as we
came to a jerky stop.

“That sucks,” Julie slurred. “I don’t have a
spare.”

“We can just walk,” I said. “I don’t think
we’re that far away.”

Jesse shook his head. “Absolutely not. I’ll
call somebody.” He flipped his phone open and began talking to one
of his buddies.

“Julie,” I said, “how are you feeling? Are
you doing okay?”

“I’m fine. I forgot to tell you I drank a
Long Island iced tea. Do you know how much liquor they put in those
things?”

“Yeah, you told me already. How’s your
neck?”

“Fine, but that stupid vase nailed me real
good. Wanna know the worst part though?”

“What?”

“I didn’t even get the blond’s phone number.
He was so hot.”

Jesse cut in. “Trust me, you don’t want that
guy’s number.”

“Yes I do.”

“He’s way too dangerous.”

“A bad boy, huh? I like that.”

“Not a bad boy. He’s a bad man—a real bad
man—and like many of the guys back there, he’s nothing but
trouble,” Jesse said. “You two had no business being at that party
out in the middle of the woods with a bunch of older
strangers.”

“Yeah? Well, I guess we were lucky you were
looking out for us,” Julie said.

He smiled.

“So what can we do about the tire?” she
asked.

“My friend’s coming,” Jesse said. “I’ll wait
outside for him. You two stay put.”

“Why not stay in here with us?” I asked.

“Because I have to make sure the big, bad
wolf doesn’t come and eat you.”

“Ooh. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!”
Julie slurred.

I laughed as he slammed the door shut.

“He’s cute,” Julie said, “and funny
too.”

“Yeah, but if that party was so dangerous,
what was he doing there?” I asked.

“Maybe he’s just as dark and dangerous as
they are,” she said in a creepy voice. “Boo!” she said as she
grabbed my arm.

I jumped and screamed, “Julie! Stop
that!”

She began laughing like a crazy person. “Oh,
man! You…Taylor, you shoulda seen your face! Priceless.”

“Ha-ha. Very funny.”

“I’m sorry the party didn’t work out, but at
least you found Prince Charming. Wasn’t that the important thing?”
She shot me a sly smile as she gave me a fist-bump.

Grinning, I bumped her back.

“Look at you, all lust at first sight for
our bad boy.”

“There’s definitely a connection, but I
don’t think it’s lust…and I don’t think he’s a bad boy.”

“That’s too bad. But anyway, it’s obvious
that you’re attracted to him like there’s no tomorrow.”

I smiled and couldn’t possibly deny it.

“You’ve got it for him big time, don’t
ya?”

“Yes,” I admitted.

“Then why are you sitting in here talking to
me when he’s out there all by himself, glistening in the
moonlight?”

“I’m sure girls throw themselves at him all
the time. I don’t wanna be like that.”

“Going out there and saying hello would not
be throwing yourself at him, unless you intend to take your top off
while you do it,” she said, then winked.

“Very funny,” I said, then laughed again.
“Okay.”

She grinned as I hopped out of the
truck.

Outside, Jesse was sitting in the truck bed,
his gorgeous black locks blowing in the wind.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey.”

“Need some company?” I asked.

His eyes twinkled in the moonlight. “I’d
love some.”

I jumped into the cab and sat next to him.
“Keeping us safe from all the wild animals out prowling
around?”

“Lots of dangerous predators hunt at
night.”

“Like the bobcat? I know they’re nocturnal.”
I smiled, then gazed into his eyes.

“I almost didn’t come tonight,” he said.
“Now I’m glad I did.”

I smiled, nervously tossing my hair to the
side. “If you knew it was dangerous, why did you—”

Before I could even get the question out, he
turned to the left and glanced into the towering woods. “Taylor,
get back in the truck and lock the doors,” he said.

I smiled, thinking he was joking. “Why? Are
we being stalked? More mountain lions?”

He didn’t laugh, though, and his face
remained stern. “Please get back inside the truck.

Knowing he was dead set on protecting me and
realizing how serious he was, I didn’t protest. I opened the door
and climbed in.

“What’s going on?” Julie asked.

I tried to get a glimpse of some hungry
wildlife, but I saw nothing. “He thinks something’s out there.”

“Like what?”

“Like a wild animal.”

She blew out a breath and glanced out the
window. “He needs to get his butt inside too. I don’t wanna watch
him get torn to shreds!” She rolled down the window. “Jesse, get
your butt in here.”

While we looked out at Jesse, who was
pacing the road and staring deep into the dark woods, I began to
get really creeped out.
Where the heck is this friend of his?
I wondered, knowing we needed
to get back on the road and get home before Julie’s mom did. She
had worked the nightshift at the hotel, but she would be home by
eight a.m. at the latest. If we didn’t make it home before she did,
my own mother would find out, and I’d be grounded for
weeks.

BANG
!

Suddenly, something shattered the
driver’s-side window of the truck. I ducked as flying glass sprayed
everywhere. Disoriented, I glanced up at my friend.

“
Now
you’re
bleeding!” Julie shouted. “Where’s that medic when we need
her?”

Chapter 5

I glanced down and realized that some of the
glass from the window had cut the top of my hand. “It’s okay,” I
said. “I just got cut when the glass shattered.”

Suddenly, rifle shots echoed through the
darkness.

I froze, and a cold chill shot down my
spine.

“Somebody’s shooting at us!” Julie said, her
voice wavering as she stated the obvious. “We’re being robbed or
somethin’.”

The words remained frozen in my throat, and
I could only shake my head in shared disbelief. I reached for my
phone and quickly called 911, but the call wouldn’t go through. “No
signal!” I said.

“Same here,” Julie said, trembling with
fright.

“Jesse!” I shouted through the broken
window. I glanced around for him, but he was nowhere in sight.

BOOM
!

More glass shattered like rock candy,
spraying us with shards as the windshield was shot out.

“We’ve gotta get outta here!” I said. “Some
crazy person is shooting at us, and I’ve kinda got the feeling he’s
not gonna stop until we’re dead.”

“No!” Julie said. “I’m not leaving. If we
step out of this truck, it’ll be like target practice for our
trigger-happy stalker!”

“Julie, if we stay in this truck, we’re as
good as dead.”

She met my gaze, her eyes wide with terror.
Clearly, she’d been scared sober.

I gripped her hands. “We can hide in the
woods.”

“No way! Haven’t you ever seen a horror
movie in your life? The hockey mask guy always chases girls into
the woods, and I don’t wanna be chopped up with a meat
cleaver!”

“That’s just the movies, Julie. I’ve been in
those woods already. I know it’s dark, and there are so many trees
and shrubs and boulders. He’ll never find us.”

“But what about Jesse?” she whispered.

Droplets of sweat rolled down my face. “I-I
don’t know. I don’t see him anywhere.”

“So he just abandoned us? Your knight in
shining armor left two damsels in distress?” she snapped. “Humph.
Some Prince Charming he turned out to be.”

I tentatively glanced out the window, and
another chill shot up my spine when I noticed a puddle on the
street, glimmering crimson in the moonlight. “Oh my gosh!”

“What?”

Biting my lip hard, I pointed. “Blood!
Jesse’s hurt.”

She cautiously glanced out, peeking through
her fingers the way someone would look at a car accident, then let
out a trembling breath. “Wh-where did he go?”

A cold feeling washed over me, and I felt as
if all the blood had instantly drained from my face. “I dunno.”

BANG
!

More glass shattered as a bullet destroyed
one of the side windows, garnering another scream from Julie.

I gripped Julie’s hand. “We’ve gotta get out
of here. We’re sitting ducks if we stay.”

She nodded, finally realizing I was
right.

I opened the glove compartment and fumbled
around through all sorts of junk, everything from gum wrappers to a
tire gauge to coupons for fast food places. “You got a flashlight
in here or under the seat or anything?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I know I
should, but I didn’t expect to be…”

As she trailed off, I heard an unmistakable
howl echoing in the distance, and the hair on my neck rose.

“Did you hear that?” Julie frantically
whispered. “Maybe my Little Red Riding Hood joke wasn’t so far off.
There are wolves out there, Taylor! Wolves!”

With that cruel realization, I
second-guessed my decision to run into the woods, but staying in
the truck and being easy pickings for the deranged Rambo wasn’t an
option either.

Swallowing hard, I slipped out of the
passenger’s door and stayed low. Adrenaline spiked in my veins, and
I had to force myself to take slow breaths. I motioned for Julie to
follow me, and we slowly crept into the woods. Eerie shadows
stretched and shifted in the trees like ghouls. Darting forward, I
jumped over logs and zigzagged through the towering trees, going as
fast as the burning muscles in my legs would allow, with dry leaves
and twigs crunching beneath my feet. I continued checking over my
shoulder and was glad to see that Julie’s drunk had worn off enough
that she was having no trouble keeping up; the moonlight glinting
here and there off of her sparkly shirt let her know she was right
behind me. I spun and found an alternate route, squeezing through
the clustered trees in the hopes of escaping our pursuer.