Harkham's Choice (Harkham's Series Book 2) (3 page)

He was searching for his mom everywhere over the last few days. Today he was especially obsessed with finding her. For once, the Internet was working fast because nobody else in the house was on it.

“You’ve spent all this time listening to all their songs, and we’re gonna miss it if you don’t shut that laptop off.” Mari stepped behind him and stroked his hair while leaning her hips into his shoulders.

“You can both go get in my car. I’ll be right out. I promise,” Adam said, his eyes straining. They hurt from looking at the screen so long.

“Promise?” Mari kissed his cheek.

“Promise. Thirty seconds and I’ll be there.” He waved them off without looking.

He heard their footsteps retreating.

“Get your ass down here, Adam Mathews!” Zach called out, chuckling, using Adam’s biological father’s last name.

That was it! Adam jumped in his seat.
She probably changed her name back to his biological father’s, or maybe her maiden name.

Why hadn’t he thought of that before?

He closed the laptop, kissed the lid and bounced like a bubble about to burst as he slid down the banister.

His mind was swirling, but not with numbers. They were absent.

He hummed one of Mari’s favorite Pearl Jam tunes and ran out to join them.

Sam was right outside the door, talking on her cell.

She acknowledged him with a curt nod and ended her conversation.

He took her hand and walked her to his car.

“Wanna drive?” he asked her.

“Why? So you can make out in the backseat? No thanks,” she said.

He chuckled and tried something new—he shoved her playfully like Zach and Mari sometimes did. His hands were careful not use more than fifteen percent of his strength and power.

Sam stopped. “Why’d you do that?” she asked in a shrill, tight voice.

“I was playing with you. You know—like we have fun together because we
like
each other?” He grinned like a dope.

“Whatever that’s supposed to mean. I like you fine, but you don’t have to get physical with me.” She straightened her sleeve on her shirt.

He shoved her again. “Come on, Sam, play with me.” He hopped around her, prancing from foot to foot and fluffing up her hair, twisting her shirt and sticking his tongue at her as he’d lean in. “Try to get me!” He pushed her with one hand. “Tag, you’re it!” he howled and took off running around the car.

Mari and Zach pasted themselves up against Adam’s passed-down Mercedes and watched, wide-eyed, as Sam tore after him.

“We don’t have time for this,” Sam whined, but smiled and swung after him as his legs carried him faster.

He ducked and swerved away, instincts like a jungle cat.

“You can’t get me!” he taunted in a sing-song voice.

Out of nowhere, she jumped and knocked him down. She smacked him and laughed. “You’re such a jerk, you know that?”

“But a cute jerk. That’s what Mari says.”

Sam removed herself from him and stuck her tongue at him. “You drive, cute jerk.”

“What if I don’t want to?” He tossed the keys to Zach.

“Awww, man, no!” Zach groaned. “I’m not gonna listen to you two smacking lips in the back while I act like a goddamn chauffeur.”

“That’s what I said,” Sam replied, grinning at Zach.

“I’ll drive,” Mari said, snatching the keys out of Zach’s palm.

“No! Mari, I . . . No!” Adam gripped the hem of her shirt. He bent over and whispered in her ear, “I had plans for us in the back.”

“I’m sure you did.” Mari smirked, stepped away from him and unlocked the doors with the fob.

His siblings got in the back, and Mari opened the passenger’s door for Adam, trying to help him in like he usually did for her.

He refused to move and wore a glum expression, his eyes zeroing right in on her breasts. She had on some kind of frosty bra with anti-gravity properties, because they were really high and round. Plus, her nipples were trying to poke through it. He wanted to feel them in the shadows in the back. At the concert, there’d be too many people around.

“Can’t handle a little role reversal?” Mari waved around inside the car in a grand gesture.

“I don’t like this. This night was supposed to be about fun.”

“It
is
fun. I’m enjoying myself a ton.” She kissed his cheek, patted the side of his leg and gave him a little shove.

He slipped inside the car and crossed his arms over his chest as he sunk down into the seat.

She shut the car door.

“Quit pouting. It’s unattractive,” Sam told him. She pushed his shoulder.

“I thought you didn’t want to play like that?” Zach said.

“Nuh!” she said, poking her tongue out at him now.

A second later, and they were both play-slapping each other’s hands like a girlie fighter would.

“You suck,” Sam said, giggling and continuing to flail her hands in Zach’s direction.

“Nobody sucks worse than you! I bet you don’t even know which concert we’re going to.” Zach’s laugh reverberated around the car.

Mari got in, snorted and broke into gut-busting laughs as she backed out.

Sam had Zach in a headlock and was spitting in his ear.

“Gross! Stop, stop!” Zach howled, and his laugh went hoarse.

Sam cackled. “Say I don’t suck! Say I’m Queen Samara of the rock world!” She spit again.

“Okay, okay! You’re Queen Samara of the rock world.” She let go. He sat up and added, “The lame end of the rock world that sucks toenail clippings.”

She jutted her foot out and started pressing into his stomach as he jammed himself up against the car door and laughed some more.

Mari drove safely, considering there were lunatic hyenas in the backseat.

Adam smiled and brushed his fingers up and down Mari’s arm, dreaming about kissing her and touching her where he wanted.

She looked over at him, her eyes bright, and she stifled her laughter over his family’s antics.

It was a half-hour drive, and Zach and Sam were giddy the entire time.

When they got there, Zach took off, running inside the concert arena without them. He told them he’d meet them at the car when the concert was over.

Unfortunately, Sam remained at Adam’s side and was no longer being silly.

She seemed on edge, walking with a sharpness to her steps. Her eyes roamed around like she was going to shoot anyone that came near.

“Where are we sitting again?” Sam asked.

“We’re on the green in the back. There’s no assigned seating. We could’ve brought a blanket to sit on, but most people wind up standing, singing along and dancing.” Mari moved ahead at a faster pace, leading the way to the venue.

“Oh, great. That’s the hobo junction section, filled with winos and potheads,” Sam complained.

Adam pointed to his fake smile. “Fun?
Remember
?”

“Yeah, whatever.” Sam’s tiny legs kept up with their frantic pace.

“God, I haven’t seen them perform in forever. I can’t wait!” Mari said, pulling on his arm as she almost ran.

They got in line, and once inside, Mari knew exactly where to go.

Adam beamed at her. She was so happy. Seeing her this way made his stomach feel like birds were flapping around inside it and trying to fly away. His chest was light, and his feet were hopping to keep at her side.

“I love being here,” he told her.

She kept moving at a brisk speed but looked over her shoulder and grinned. “I’m glad you’re here with me. And thanks again for paying for the tickets. You have no idea how amazing this all is to me—and
you
.”

He leaned in and kissed her quickly.

A few minutes later and they were at the back of the Ak-Chin Pavilion.

“Oh, Jesus, no. We’re on a grassy knoll? Are you kidding me? We paid a hundred bucks a head for
this
?” Sam dragged her phone out of her pocket and called somebody.

“Spoilsport,” Adam said, then clung to Mari, his arms wrapped around her with his head glued to her chest. He wanted to lick her neck, she smelled so good.

Mari made a face with her teeth tight together. It was kind of a smile, but more like an
I wanna bite you, you’re so cute!
grin. He loved it when she looked at him that way.

She swung them back and forth. “I love you!” she said in a funny growl.

“I do, too. And if any boy tries to touch you, I might dump them in the garbage,” he replied.

She chuckled and fisted his hair, then rubbed her forehead on his. After a few moments of that, she sighed like she was too happy to breathe and let go.

“All I know is, we’re gonna dance our asses off, scream ‘til our voices are gone and get so sweaty, we’ll look like we just jumped in a swimming pool. That’s what it’s all about.” Mari peered around Adam and looked over at Sam. She whispered in his ear, “And maybe make out some. Concerts get my juices going.” She kissed his shoulder.

His eyes went wide. “We need to go to more concerts,” he squeaked. Maybe it could mean having intercourse—finally!

They made out at home when they could, but it was never enough. If he could just get rid of Sam . . . It sounded like maybe he had a real chance tonight to get everything he needed.

Mari found them a spot to sit while the concert arena filled with people pouring in.

Twenty minutes later, after sitting and snuggling with Mari, kissing her neck absentmindedly and ignoring the pointed looks Sam gave them, the lights dimmed and the crowd erupted into deafening cheers.

The opening act was announced, and Mari whistled with two fingers in her mouth so loud he almost had to cover his ears.

She did it several times and jumped up and down.

The stage lights went on, and some band he’d never heard of began playing so loudly he could barely hear Mari when she told him she loved this group.

She thanked him several times for taking them here as song after song played.

Finally, the band left the stage and Mari said, “I’m thirsty from all this yelling. You want me to get you something?”

“A soda?” he mouthed the words and made sure Sam didn’t see.

Mari smirked and started to leave him.

His heart almost jumped out of his chest. He was surrounded by strangers, and he did
not
want to hold Sam’s hand right now. Numbers taking him down was not an option. No way! He was going to enjoy this entire concert at all costs! So, he’d figure out a way to deal with this.

Besides, holding his sister’s hand would feel wrong. People might think it was weird after he’d been kissing and hugging Mari so much for him to shift and hold hands with some other girl. They wouldn’t know it was his sister.

Oh
. . .

This was why she and Zach didn’t like holding hands with him in public and merely tolerated it.

He did that. To his brother and sister—all the time.

Wow.

He
did. He made them feel awkward and uncomfortable. Nobody else.

It wasn’t normal. Adults didn’t do that. He got it now.

He tripped as he raced after Mari, his heart hammering like crazy.

She turned a little, smiled and reached out her hand. He took it.

“I wanna go, too,” he said. “Don’t leave me behind.”

“Okay. I won’t.” She beamed at him, placed her free hand on his forehead and brushed his sweaty bangs back. “I would’ve missed you if you didn’t join me anyway.”

“And that’s a bad thing, right?”

She nodded, still smiling at him like he was better than this concert she loved so much.

He turned to see his sister looking miserable and all alone.

“Should I invite Sam to come, too?” he asked.

“Nah. She’s a big girl. Maybe she’ll meet somebody.” Mari walked away with his hand in hers, making him leave with her.

They ordered two sodas at the concession stand in the back. The place stunk of beer. It made him want to plug his nose, but instead he tucked his nose into her hair that smelled much better.

He eyed the cups when they were filled and handed to her, his mouth and stomach leaping with anticipation and joy. God, he loved soda and hadn’t had one in a while.

Thank God the cups were Styrofoam so Sam couldn’t see through the cup and know what they had. She’d get upset like she always did.

Why couldn’t she be more nice like the soda he enjoyed so much?

“Here you go,” Mari said, handing him his.

“Dr. Pepper,” he peeped at the last moment before they left the concession stand.

He never drank anything with caffeine. It was time he broke two rules. He giggled as he buried his face back into her hair.

She reached up and patted his cheek with her cool hand that had been holding his cup for those brief moments. It felt nice—like her. Cool to the touch and very inviting.