Intended Series Collection: Books 1-6, Abigail Grant [best thriller books to read txt] 📗

Kassy and I are at some dance club, standing at the bar with Liam and Max. I assume this is where I will be later tonight and I'm freaking out because I have that disturbing feeling in my chest again.

Max says something to Kassy that makes her let out a belly-bursting laugh and Liam rolls his eyes. He turns to say something to me about dancing and it sounds like I respond in some way. I turn back to Kassy to tell her we are going to dance, but she isn’t there anymore. I grab Liam and we go looking for her. With a death grip on Liam’s hand, I drag him along with me as we search the club for Max and Kassy.

Liam angrily says something to me that doesn't register in my ears. He is complaining about something, but I wave him off and continue searching. The bad feeling has now spread to my stomach and I feel nauseous. We come around a corner in the club into a low-lit hallway leading to the back exit.

Kassy is in the hallway with her back up against a side wall, her feet off the floor and Max's hands are around her neck, strangling her. Liam acts way faster than me and lunges on top of Max, knocking him to the ground and punches him hard in the face. Max doesn’t even respond. It’s like he is sleepwalking. I run to Kassy, trying to catch her as she falls to the floor unconscious. With tears in my eyes, I hold my limp friend in my arms and struggle to find her heartbeat.

Max crawls away from Liam and stands up. He surveys his surroundings, looking confused and lost. Liam and Max are shouting at one another but a ringing in my ears makes it hard to understand them. Something catches my eye at the end of the dark hallway. I squint to see a smirking black-eyed creep sneaking out the back exit…

I jerk awake from my nightmarish vision, terrified and shaking. I’m unsure of where I am as my blurry eyes try to adjust to reality, but I feel very warm and I'm completely surrounded by a delicious spicy pine scent. I turn my head to the right and my nose rubs up against a stubble covered cheek which sends familiar tingles to my dry lips.

Warm brown eyes are mere inches away from my own and watching my slow movements with so much raw concern and something else, desire or a need maybe. The way Gavin watches as I lick my dry lips only makes my shaking more rapid.

“Hey, there. How are you feeling?” he whispers to me in a deep, rough voice, his warm breath fanning my already hot cheeks.

“Um… I’m not sure, yet.” I scan our position, wondering how I ended up this close to him, and find that I am curled up on his lap in the passenger’s seat of an extremely nice car. I can feel my cheeks redden to what I’m sure is a deep crimson. “What happened, Gavin, and where exactly are we?”

Gavin looks apologetic as he shifts me a little on his lap, so our faces aren't as close, but it doesn’t make me any less aware of his strong arms around me, keeping me upright. “You must have uh... fainted or something. I caught you before you face-planted into the grass and then I brought you to my car so that we wouldn't make a big scene. I figured you wouldn't appreciate being gossiped about for the next two weeks.” He stares at the steering wheel while he explains what happened and I wonder what he could be so shy about when he is normally so smooth. “I thought I'd just sit and wait here for you to come to. I was starting to get worried.”

I run shaky fingers through my messy curtain of hair and smile at his thoughtfulness. “Thanks. I definitely would not want the other students to see me like that. I'm embarrassed enough that you had to see it and take care of me when you don't even know me that well.” I look into his eyes. “Honestly, Gavin. You really should stop helping me. It seems that hanging out with me might be more work than it’s worth.”

He chuckles softly, the soothing vibration hits me from his chest. “Hey, I don't mind rescuing the damsel in distress now and again. Besides, this isn't the worst position to be in.” He looks down at our bodies still pressed against one another's, his arms still holding me up on his lap.

I scramble off of him and over to the driver's seat, a permanent blush etched into my already pink cheeks. I offer him my hand to shake and try to show a little dignity. “Thank you for looking after me, Gavin. I definitely owe you one after literally running into you outside class and then suddenly fainting on you.” I actually can’t believe he even bothers with me at this point.

He takes my hand, sending that familiar tingle up my arm. I never want that to stop. “No problem. Next time you might end up rescuing me and then we'll call it even.” His hand lingers in mine a little longer than it needs to, making me feel like I'm plugged into a power source that is feeding me a steady stream of soothing energy.

Gavin finally lets me go and I feel like I need to fill the silence before it becomes awkward. “This is a sweet car by the way. Quite the chick magnet, I'm sure.” I settle into the seat and feel like I could take a long relaxing nap in here. Everything looks like it was built for luxury with its black leather seats, soft carpet and brand-new stereo system.

He grins and gestures around the car like an over-eager car salesman. “This beauty is one of my favorite possessions. It was my dad's, which he built out