Red Dawn by J.J. Bonds Read Free Book Online Page A

side?”
    “I’m sure you’ll manage,” I tell him deadpan as I begin climbing the steps to the bus. “After all, I don’t kiss losers.”
    “Harsh, Katia. Very harsh,” he replies, dropping my hand.
    “What? Can’t handle the pressure?” I ask, giving him my most dazzling smile. He’s not fooling anyone. Nik likes a challenge.
    We take seats in the middle of the bus and watch as more students file aboard. I look up just as Jade ascends the stairs with Trey in tow. She spots Nik and heads toward us, rudely evicting the girl sitting across the aisle so that she can take her seat. Evidently Jade’s not worried about looking like a bitch in front of the new guy. Maybe he’s already seen that side of her. Or maybe her willingness to provide regular whorgasms free of charge is enough to make him look the other way. Either way, I suspect we’re in for an eventful evening.
    Jade gives me a dirty look as she settles into the newly vacated seat and I wonder if she can read minds. Wouldn’t that be just my luck? Not that I care if she knows what I think of her anyway.
    “I don’t think we’ve met?” Trey asks, reaching across the aisle to shake my hand. He’s not unattractive and I can see why Jade would be drawn to him. They’re two of a kind. His sandy blonde hair is styled in a blowout not unlike any number of teen pop singers and he’s got the whole too-thin-emo thing going on. He definitely puts off the bad boy vibe, but I doubt he’s really dangerous. His is the look of someone used to getting what he wants and who knows that daddy will always be there to clean up his messes. If Jade has a heart, he’ll undoubtedly break it.
    “We haven’t, but your reputation precedes you,” I reply, shaking his outstretched hand. As a matter of fact, Trey’s all Jade ever talks about anymore. It’s a relief when she sits with him to feed so we don’t have to listen to her obsessive babbling. “Katia Lescinka. And this is Nikolai Petrov.”
    “Lescinka?” he asks, looking surprised. I guess Jade doesn’t talk about us when she’s with him. No great loss. “Any relation to…”
    “Yes, he’s my great uncle,” I cut in before he can finish the sentence. The look of interest on his face doesn’t escape Jade’s attention. She tries to hide her irritation, but her jawline hardens noticeably, giving her away.
    “Nikolai is quite the maze rat,” Jade tells Trey, ending any further discussion of my lineage. Unconcerned with the lack of privacy, she curls up against him and begins rubbing his thigh. “If you want to win, you’ll have to finish quickly.”
    “That’ll be a first,” Trey smirks. He tilts his head at Nik as if to say ‘you know what I mean’. Gross .
    I throw up in my mouth a little bit and Nik looks equally disgusted. Not only is Jade’s new boyfriend a troublemaker, he’s a pig too. Yep. Definitely going to be an interesting night.
    **********
    Nik and I enter the maze side by side, but once we’re in he takes the lead. I don’t protest. I just grab Nik’s hand. My game plan is simply to keep up with him, which I hope to do by holding on tight. Moving as quickly as we dare in view of the humans, we cut through the maze without a backward glance.
    It’s a crisp New England night. I greedily suck in the country air, enjoying the rawness of it all. Although the moon is waning, the sky is filled with brightly twinkling stars which provide ample light for our keen eyes. I try not to think about the fact that I’d rather be hunting and pocket my flashlight as we trample through the maze, squashing the remnants of corn that were cut down to clear the path.
    The walls of the maze are even taller than I’d remembered and I recall how easy it is to become disoriented since everything looks the same. I’m thoroughly impressed with Nik’s ability to correctly chart the way. If I were in the lead here, we’d have had to turn around about a hundred times by now.
    “How’re we doing?” I