Real Girl (Aston Creek High 4)

On some level, he knows that this is our only option. It’s not just me and my family at stake anymore. Maria and Lucian Valentine are a threat to his family, our friends, our homes, and our future.

With everything we need, Slade steps in beside me as we walk the fifteen steps to the gate. It’s fucking massive. I’ve always known it was big but I can’t say I’ve ever stood under it like this, trying to work out how to get over it.

Rivers looks around at our small group. “You all know what to do?” he questions as though this is one of his marine missions. Rivers meets each of our eyes, making sure we’re all on board and not liable to fuck this up. After all, we don’t intend on getting caught tonight and one fuck up could have us all behind bars.

Rivers waits until we’ve all confirmed that we know our parts and with that, he looks up at the top of the gate. “Let’s go.”

Slade is the first to move, dumping his things at the bottom of the black gate and backing up a few steps. I watch him with wide eyes. I know he said he’s done this before but no…he couldn’t have. This gate is fucking huge. It’s not possible.

He strides forward, picking up incredible speed in such a short amount of time before launching himself up into the air. I gawk, unable to look away. He’s fucking amazing. I swear, there’s nothing this man can’t do.

His hands reach the top of the gate and with impressive strength, he hauls himself up to the top. Slade gets to his feet and turns to look back down at me, chuckling as he sees the disbelief on his face. “You didn’t think I could do it, did you?”

I shrug my shoulders as Noah moves in beside me and grabs Slade’s forgotten bags. “I mean, I had my doubts,” I say with a grin, reveling in the lighthearted banter that has me able to forget the heaviness if only for a slight moment.

Slade rolls his eyes as Noah launches the bags up at him. He catches them effortlessly and slips the bags onto his back as Noah turns back to me, interlocking his fingers and leaning down, preparing to propel me up to Slade.

Well, shit. This is either going to be a shitload of fun or an absolute tragedy. Let’s hope for fun. After all, he is propelling me up to the man I’m crazy about and in my book, that’s always a positive.

I step into Noah and put my foot up into his hands and Damian comes to my back, ready to catch me if I was to fall. “You ready?” Noah murmurs.

I nod. “Yeah, just do it.”

“Okay. 1…2…”

As the number three comes out of his mouth, I push up off the ground with everything I have as Noah throws me up into the sky. Slade catches my hands and easily pulls me up to my feet beside him.

“Holy shit,” I breathe, holding tightly onto his arm. I mean, I’ve never been afraid of heights, but I’m open to changing my mind.

With Slade needing to catch bags that are tossed up here, I sit down on the edge, gripping the thick gate and hoping I don’t fall.

Over the next two minutes, the guys start helping each other up and soon enough, the five of us are staring up at the big mansion which no doubt, still has a body lying in the hallway outside Lucien’s office.

Slade drops down into the grass below, landing in a low crouch and I watch in awe as the other three do the same thing. My brow raises and I peer over the edge. There’s no fucking way. I’d rather live for the rest of eternity up here than jump all the way down there. Though, wasn’t it less than twenty-four hours that I jumped down from Blake’s second-story window? It’s amazing how a little fear can motivate a person.

“Come on, Virago. I’ll catch you.”

I put the thoughts of my twisted ankle and impending doom to the back of my mind and close my eyes. I trust him completely. There’s no way in hell Slade would allow me to fall.

Feeling better about the situation, I stop wasting time and step off the gate. I quickly drop to the ground and just as promised, Slade catches me and steadies me on my feet. “Good?”

I look up and meet the eyes that I’ve missed so damn much over the past two weeks. “Good.”

His eyes soften and he reluctantly releases my waist. He turns to face the boys, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Alright,” he says, lighting up the screen and glancing down at the time. “It’s 2:23 am. We have seven minutes to get into position. You all remember where to go once you’re inside? Rivers and Noah, you guys are taking the south side, and we’re on the north.”