Her Striker by Charlene Raquel

Chapter Five

 

 

Six miles at a fast clip had done nothing to improve Drew’s disposition. After a seriously disturbing night and an unsettling encounter with Gwen at the beginning of his run, he knew there wouldn’t be much he could do to shake off his rotten mood.

He had been at Stonewall University for only one day, and he ran into his ex-girlfriend twice and was kidnapped by psycho, secret society members. He had heard rumors of an ultra-secret society that ruled the campus and even had ties to numerous powerful men and women around the world. No one spoke about it, but everyone knew it was there and feared those who were involved in it.

His brother, Landon, had let it slip that he had passed his initial judgment for the Scorpio Society once when they had met up for drinks. Landon was the only person from his family that he had kept in regular contact with. He dutifully visited his mother on Christmas but always made an excuse to leave right away. Any longer than an hour, and he was bound to argue with his father and older brother.

Because Drew had always gotten along with Landon, leaving his brother behind when he left home had been hard. Even though they had been miles apart, he made sure to stay in contact and sneak visits often. Just thinking about him made Drew miss his little brother so much.

He jogged up the steps to his third-floor apartment. It was in an old Victorian that had been converted into several apartments. He loved that he had the top floor to himself. A porch wrapped around the outside of each floor of the house, and steps led up to a roof deck. As he approached the landing at his level, he noticed his door was open about an inch. Drew glanced around the porch for a weapon of some sort, but there was nothing but a worn and faded welcome mat.

Drew carefully pushed open the door with his left hand as he stayed back away from the opening. After the night before, he was not going to take any chances. He didn’t think they would be back so soon, but his luck was not the greatest.

“Awww man! You suck!”

Drew quickly pushed the door all the way open and stomped inside. “What the hell are you doing here?”

His best friend, Dean, was sitting in the middle of his couch, leaning forward with an Xbox controller in his hand, yelling at the large screen.

Dean glanced at the door and grinned. “It’s about time you got home.”

Drew closed the door and flopped down on the couch next to Dean. He glanced at the empty 2-liter bottle of Dr. Pepper on the table and the empty bag of Flamin’ Hot Nacho Doritos. “Looks like you’ve been here a while.”

Dean shrugged. “I must have just missed you.” He paused the game. “Dude, all you have to eat here is a couple of protein bars and Gatorade. You need to go grocery shopping.”

Drew ran a hand through his hair. “I just got here yesterday, and I had practice in the afternoon. I didn’t have time.” He kicked the empty bag with the toe of his shoe. “Looks like you brought your own.”

“You never have any good stuff. I knew I would have to stock up. It’s a good thing too. I’m starving.” Dean stretched his arms over his head and arched his back.

“Are you going to tell me what you’re doing here?” Drew was happy to see his best friend but suspicious of his motives.

Dean took his time rolling his head around to get rid of the stiffness in his neck. He was also purposely taking his time to annoy Drew. “I figured I better get settled before classes start.”

Drew narrowed his blue eyes. “Explain that.” He had a feeling his buddy had ignored his warnings and done something stupid.

“Man, you’re grouchy. Let’s get breakfast and I’ll tell you my plan.”

Drew groaned. “Oh shit. I’m getting a shower first.” He started toward his bedroom, pausing when he got to the second bedroom. It was full of Dean’s stuff.

Drew ran his hands over his face. Dean’s plans were always fun as hell but tended to get them in a ton of trouble. That was a major reason why he had wanted his best friend to remain at the University of Maryland where they both attended until Drew transferred.

There was a good chance he would share the same fate as Landon, and he didn’t want Dean anywhere near the trouble he was seeking out.

 

~*~*~

 

An hour later, Drew leaned back against the seat of the booth at the Diamond Diner. “I’ll have to remember this place.”

Dean patted his stomach, content. “I’m actually full. This place is great.”

“There’s a shock. You’re usually a bottomless pit.”

“I can’t help that I’m always hungry.” Dean shrugged. “I’m a growing guy.”

“Whatever.” Drew rolled his eyes.

Dean eyed the toast that Drew hadn’t touched. He snatched it up and took a bite.

Drew ignored his friend and glanced around the room. He didn’t see anyone paying attention to them. “Now tell me this crazy plan of yours.”

Dean’s attention was across the diner on a cute waitress.

“Yo. Stop checking out the freshman and pay attention.”

Dean watched as she carried a tray with four meals over to a table. “I don’t think she’s a freshman. A junior at least.”

“Dean,” Drew growled.

“What?”

Drew glared at him.

“Oh, right.” Dean threaded his fingers behind his neck. “I transferred here for our last year of school. Before you start arguing, just listen. There is no way I was staying at UMD for my last year of college without you. I’m not letting you stay here by yourself to do what you have planned without backup. You know you can’t do this by yourself. You need my help.”

Drew would never admit it, but he was happy Dean was there with him. He hadn’t thought he would need backup until he was kidnapped last night. He would have to tell Dean what happened.

“It’s dangerous. Way more than I had thought.” Drew explained how his night ended up.

“Damn man, your first night?” Dean cracked his neck back and forth. “Why and how are they judging you?”

“I don’t know.” Drew blew out a breath. “I might have to call my brother, Carter. He’s an ass, but he might tell me if that was part of the initiation of the Scorpio Society. They said I was a legacy, so I’m sure Carter and probably my father were both in it. It seemed like something they would want to be a part of.”

“I can do some research on it.” Dean’s hazel eyes sparkled. He loved digging for information that he shouldn’t have access to.

“One of these days you are going to get caught.”

Dean shook his head. “Never happen. I’m that good.” He was back to watching the waitress. She had a nice ass that filled out her jeans perfectly. The royal blue t-shirt was just snug enough across her boobs to make him want to peel it off her.

Drew kicked Dean under the table. “Pay attention, and stop eye-fucking the cute little server.”

“What?” Dean pulled his attention away from the little redhead. “Oh, and I got you out of Senior Ethics. We aced it at UMD.”

Drew grinned. “I owe you one. That class would’ve sucked.”

Dean noticed two assholes on the other side of the room giving the redhead a hard time. They were purposely making her fetch them things. He didn’t realize he growled.

“Dude. What are you doing?” Drew followed his gaze. “Don’t start anything. We need to stay under the radar.” His best friend may appear to be a computer nerd, and he was, for the most part. Dean had also mastered a couple of different disciplines of mixed martial arts and could kick just about anyone’s ass, except maybe his older brother, Jeff, who was a Special Forces badass.

“I won’t do anything right now.” Dean glared at the assholes. “I changed a few registrations so we could have a class together.”

Drew narrowed his eyes. Dean was up to something. “What class?”

“History.” Dean glanced back over but didn’t see her.

“Why are we taking history?”

Dean shrugged. “We needed to fill another class since we don’t have to take Ethics, and I heard that the visiting professor is pretty cool.”

“What aren’t you telling me?”

Dean laughed. “Probably a lot.”

“Was your dad pissed you transferred?” Drew loved Dean’s whole family. He usually went home with Dean on breaks from school. His friend’s mom had pretty much adopted him as soon as she discovered that he didn’t speak to his family anymore.

“No. He was glad I came to keep an eye on you.”

“Dude. You told your parents what I’m doing?”

“Not everything. Just enough.” Dean shot to his feet and slammed his palms on the table. “I’m stopping this shit right now.”

Dean stomped over to the table where the two guys were sitting, one had a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes and the other had his long, greasy hair pulled up in a man-bun. They were too busy laughing about smacking the waitress on the ass to realize Dean stalked up to them. “You two are finished your breakfast.”

Man-bun pursed his lips in a sneer. “Get the fuck out of here.”

Baseball Cap chimed in, slurring his words. “Yeah, man. You’re bothering us.”

Dean rolled his eyes as Man-bun started chuckling like Beavis and Butt-head. “You’re bothering your waitress. You need to apologize and take off.”

Baseball Cap stood up and pulled his arm back to hit Dean.

Dean grinned widely over his shoulder at Drew.

“Dean.” Drew had thrown some money on their table and followed his best friend. Dean didn’t need him as back-up. Drew was making sure Dean didn’t hurt the two assholes too much.

Baseball Cap obviously missed the eager anticipation in Dean’s eyes because the idiot swung his arm in a wide arc toward Dean’s face. In a move that stunned the entire diner, Dean quickly had the guy’s arm twisted behind his back and his face smashed into his almost empty plate of runny eggs.

Man-bun attempted to stand up from his seat, but Drew’s glare and presence at his back held the man in place.

Dean leaned his weight on Baseball Cap. “Now apologize. Both of you.”

The redhead gasped, not realizing that Dean had seen her approach.

The two idiots mumbled.

“What? I can’t hear you.” Dean pressed harder.

Man-bun attempted to rise, but Drew grabbed his shirt and pushed him back into his seat. “Stay there, asshole.”

Baseball Cap grunted but finally uttered, “Sorry.”

Man-bun slunk down in his seat. “Sorry.”

“Now pay your bill and leave…” Dean glanced over to where the waitress nervously lingered and read her nametag. “Sam. Leave her a very nice tip. We’ll be watching.”

Dean let Baseball Cap go and stepped back next to Drew. He glanced at Sam. Now, he knew her name.

The two drunks threw a bunch of crumpled bills onto the table and scurried away.

Drew turned and faced the other diners. “Nothing to see here. We just had to take out the trash.”

He heard a few chuckles, but most of the patrons returned to their meals.

Samantha pulled herself out of her temporary, stunned silence to turn her glare onto the vigilante who made a scene in the diner.

Dean’s huge grin slipped a little when he saw the fire in Sam’s eyes, but that didn’t deter him. “Hey.” He could usually charm his way out of trouble with the ladies.

Sam’s fists settled on her hips. “What was that?”

Dean cocked an eyebrow. “They needed a lesson in manners.”

Drew backed away to let his buddy deal with the little spitfire. She was barely over five feet, but she was all fire and sass.

Sam rolled her eyes. She’d had to deal with cocky guys her whole life. “What the hell were you thinking?”

Dean smirked at her, which was probably the wrong thing to do. “I’m thinking you could thank me.”

“Thank you? You made a scene! I didn’t ask for you to strut over here, puffing out your chest and acting like a wannabe Vin Diesel.”

Dean’s eyebrows shot up. “Wannabe Vin Diesel? That’s who you’re comparing me to? Drew, you hear that?” He flashed her a cocky smile. “I’m Dean, defender of your honor.”

Sam’s green eyes flew over to Drew and narrowed even more. “You! Both of you need to leave right now!”

She grabbed Dean’s arm and pulled him along toward the door. When she got to Drew, she pushed him too. “You are not welcome here. Don’t come back. She turned to Drew. “And stay away from my friend, you jerk.”

She spun on her heel and stomped into the diner.

Dean stared after Sam. “What the hell was that about? What’d you do to her friend?”

Drew held his hands up. “I have no idea.”

“She sure knew you.” Dean cracked his neck. “Obviously not one of your groupies. Did you blow her off?”

“I’ve never seen her before.”

“That didn’t go like I planned.” Dean headed toward his Ford Ranger.

Drew followed his friend. “So, you’re coming back tomorrow for breakfast?”

Dean grinned. “Of course.”