Betrayal 2012
Authors: Amber Garr
Betrayal
Book Two of The Syrenka Series
by Amber Garr
Copyright © 2012 Amber Garr
www.ambergarr.com
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.
Cover Design by PhatPuppyArt
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my group of beta readers who have helped make this story what it is today. For Mom, Sandy, Marisette, Celia, Elizabeth, and the Palm City Word Weavers…thank you! Your comments and critiques have been invaluable. To those who bought
Promises
, I hope you enjoy reading this next journey as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Prologue
Justin Bernard got ready for high school just as he’d done for the past four years. Only two more weeks and he would be finished forever. No more teachers. No more annoying community service requirements. And most importantly, no more immature high school girls. At the end of the summer, he was going off to the largest state university in California with a full athletic scholarship. Partying, girls, and football games were how he intended to make the most of his college years.
Yet Justin suddenly forgot those frivolous dreams once he walked into the coffee shop on his way to school. He couldn’t remember how it happened exactly. One minute he was picking up his order and the next second he turned and bumped into the tall blond man.
“Oh, hey sorry,” Justin blurted the apology even though the other guy blocked his way.
Brushing a few splashes of coffee from his expensive jacket, the man smiled down at him. “Not a problem. You’re Justin, right?”
Staring up into his pale blue eyes, Justin thought it was weird that this stranger knew his name but he felt compelled to answer. “Yes.”
The man wrapped his long arm around Justin’s shoulders and ushered him to a small table in the back corner of the shop. A warm wave of calmness rushed through Justin’s body as he shuffled along with the stranger.
“Um, I have to get to school,” Justin managed to say as they reached the table.
“Yes, I know. This won’t take but a minute.” For some reason, Justin trusted this man and he willingly sat down with him. The man seemed daunting yet his voice soothed Justin’s mind. As he slid gracefully into the chair, Justin continued to stare at the handsome smile on his face.
“Justin, I need you to do something for me.”
“Sure. Anything,” Justin replied quickly. It was like the words flowed without conscious thought.
The man’s smile widened and his eyes seemed to glow in the early morning sunlight. “Do you know Eviana Dumahl?”
Justin was taken aback by his question. Sure, he knew who Eviana was. They went to the same small school. But other than an occasional word here and there, they never really spoke.
“Yes, but I don’t know if she’s still there. I haven’t seen her in a while.”
“What about her friends?”
“I know a few of her friends.” Justin’s mouth turned up into a crooked smile. “One or two in particular.” He had impressed some of the girls when he personally invited them to one of his parties. They were all too eager to express their gratitude later that night. The stranger nodded.
“Perfect. Now, here’s what I need you to do.”
Justin left the coffee shop in a haze. The gift the stranger had given him felt heavy in his hands and his words filled Justin’s head with images of rewards and girls. He only had one thing to do, and right now, that was the single thought in his mind that propelled him forward.
Upon arriving at school, he immediately searched for Eviana’s friends. There were still a few minutes before the first class and most of the students were hanging out in the courtyard until they became trapped inside all day like prisoners.
The small group of girls stopped speaking when he walked toward them. He noticed the slight blush rise to their faces and the nervous way they shifted to greet him. Normally, this would have been flattering, but ever since the stranger’s request, nothing else mattered. As though he were disconnected from his consciousness, he opened the rectangular box and looked down at the gun the man had pushed into his hands.
Nothing else mattered right now except for hurting Eviana Dumahl.
One
I wanted to punch him in the face.
For at least the hundredth time today, I swung my fist towards his infuriating smirk. He easily dodged it, of course, and proceeded to look down at me like a child. “You’re getting closer,” he teased.
Throwing my arms down in frustration, I shook my head. “How am I supposed to learn if you won’t even let me get a hit in?”
He laughed and resumed a fighter’s stance. “How are you supposed to learn if I just stand still and let you pummel me? That’s not ever going to happen in the real world. Now, try with your legs.”
I rolled my eyes and shifted my feet so that my stronger right leg was in front. Ideally, I’d be having this battle underwater where my legs were not an issue.
“Protect your face,” he yelled at me and I lifted my fists up to nose level. I could do this. He’d taught me how to incapacitate my enemies.
Just go for the knee
.
I faked a few smaller kicks, pretending to hesitate. Then, like a ninja, I struck. The underside of my right foot was directly on target and I expected it to land a perfect hit to the side of his left knee. Only it didn’t happen.
Out of nowhere, he grabbed my ankle and I was suddenly airborne. The world spun around me once before I landed with a thud on my back, effectively knocking the air from my lungs. I even saw some stars floating by. My training sessions were getting harder every day, and after this debacle, I decided that it was time to quit.
A shadow moved above me and I used my hand to block out the rest of the sun. Looking up at his ominous figure I said, “I’m done.”
I heard another laugh rumble through my trainer’s chest as he reached down and grabbed my arm. In one swift motion, he pulled me up off the ground.
“You would have broken my knee with that kick, Eviana. I had to stop you.” I glared at him. “What?” he continued. “I’m not going to
let
you hurt me. But you did well. I knew that you’d learn eventually.”
I jumped towards him as fast as I could, intending to get him in a choke hold. My arms slipped around his neck, but my body kept rolling over him as he bent forward and used my momentum to toss me towards the ground. In less than two seconds, I was on my back again with a forearm pressing against my throat and my pride seeping away into the dirt.