Killshot (Icarus Series Book 1) by Aria Michaels Read Free Book Online Page A

It’s soooooo hot! (7:23 pm)
                  Y R U not texting me back? Zander get ahold of U? Is he picking you up? (8:16 pm)
                  I called the Windmill. Ur weird boss said U already left? Text me ASAP (8:49 pm)
                  Ok. Seriously? W T F R U Liv!? (9:17pm)
                  “I suppose we should get up there,” I said, finally texting Riley back.
                  Sorry Ry. Here. Come let us in.
                  “Right, of course,” he said, running his fingers through his hair. He slid his hat back on and looked around nervously.
                  “Riley’s on her way,” I blurted, shuffling my feet against the sidewalk. I smiled awkwardly and then quickly glanced away. A second later, I heard the door click open.
                  “Jesus, finally ,” yelled Riley, sticking her head out.
                  “You must be Riley?” Zander smirked at her. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
                  “I’m sure,” Riley said, tapping her foot impatiently. “I don’t suppose you heard how much I hate being kept waiting?”
                  “Nice to see you too, Ry,” I said, shaking my head, as Zander and I approached the doors.
                  “I have been texting you all night. Where the hell have you been?” She grumbled at me but held her hand up, cutting me off before I could respond. “You know what, it doesn’t even matter. Let’s just go. The news says Icarus is more than two hours ahead of schedule. It’s going to happen, like, any minute!”
                  I took extra care not to trip over my own feet as we followed Riley through the gym. Just past the locker room doors she broke into a run. Zander and I followed blindly in her wake, trailing after the echo of her footfalls. While I had a general idea where the door to the roof was, I was not entirely sure I could find it in the dark. I picked up the pace, with Zander following close at my heels.
                  The silence of the empty gymnasium was surprisingly disorienting. Without the noise, the crowds and the usual chaos, it felt haunted. One set of bleachers was still extended from the game that night. Zander and I skirted around them, trying to keep pace with Riley. The hollow thump of our boots against the polished floor bounced back eerily from the concrete walls. The faint glow of the exit sign threw menacing shadows across the floor.
                  “Come on, you two,” Riley popped her head back through the doorway, before disappearing back into the stairwell.
                  I stepped into the dark and groped blindly for the metal railing. The door clicked behind me as it closed and Zander slipped into the stairwell. I could hear the faint shuffle of Riley’s ballet flats as she dashed up the concrete stairs ahead. I envied her sure-footedness, as I aimlessly searched out the step in front of me.
                  It was slow going, but Zander and I finally rounded the corner together and headed for the second flight of stairs. I had just gotten my rhythm down, when my toe caught the edge a step and sent me hurtling, face first, toward the concrete. My hands shot out in front of me, bracing for impact, just as a strong arm encircled my waist. It halted me just inches from a serious face-plant.
                  “I’ve got you.” Zander’s warm breath skated across my neck.
                  The shock from my fall and the warmth of his skin against mine left me feeling breathless and shaky. His hand slid to my hip, steadying me as I slowly regained my balance. When I was upright, my back rested against the hard muscles of his chest, and I felt his heart beating against my shoulder. The sensation set my skin ablaze with goose flesh.
                  “Are you okay,