The Tainted Read online

  A flush worked up her chest. Her father had done her no favors keeping her inside. She worked hard for Harbor, but she had also received special treatment even though she never asked for it, nor wanted it.

  “Shut up,” Colton said. “She did her duty like everyone else.”

  “If you say so,” Gen sniped.

  “Enough,” Aaron commanded, strolling up to her side.

  She peeked up at him, feeling out of sorts and self-conscious.

  His hardened gaze met hers and softened a touch. “You ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” she murmured.

  He squinted at her like he was trying to read her mind. He must have found what he was looking for, because he nodded and again gave her a little nudge forward. “This area has been cleared, but you still need to keep an eye out. Safety is just an illusion out here.”

  She swallowed and picked up her pace, her gaze darting left to right. There was no way she wanted to be left behind once they entered the forest.

  Hazel hesitated only a moment at the tree line. Her gaze flickered back to the open field before she turned and stepped into the forest. A deeper darkness settled over her as the large trees blotted out the moonlight. Her eyes adjusted, and she stifled her gasp. It was beautiful. Trees stood like giants above her, twisting together to form what looked like some sort of pagan dance.

  “Do you like it?” Aaron asked quietly from behind her.

  “It’s lovely,” she breathed, while moving forward. Her breath caught when she rounded a lichen-covered tree, and for the first time, she saw her creek. A small break in the foliage allowed moonlight to shine through, causing the creek’s surface to glimmer like it held a million crystals. Her pace picked up until she stood at the water’s edge. Fine sand faded into smooth multi-colored stones that decorated the bottom of the creek.

  This was worth the risk. It was more beautiful than she’d ever imagined. Even if this was the only thing she got to experience tonight, it was worth it.

  She squatted and reached a hand out toward the water. Aaron’s tanned hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled it back. She glanced up at him in surprise.

  “It’s dangerous, Hazel. Venomous fish and snakes like to hide underneath those smooth rocks. You wouldn’t even see one before it bit you.”

  Wide-eyed, she glanced back at the creek. “But it’s so beautiful.”

  “Most dangerous things are.” He gently tugged at her hand, pulling her to her feet. “There’s a log bridge over here. We’ll cross there.”

  He dropped her hand and she followed him, casting incredulous looks at their surroundings. She’d dreamed of this moment for so long, but never thought she’d see it realized.

  Aaron paused when he came to a huge tree that had fallen over the creek. He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Do you have good balance?”

  She smiled and moved past him without answering. Since she was a little girl, she had been climbing onto their porch railing and walking the edges. She’d about given her mama a heart attack the first time she did it. Aaron cursed and followed her. He didn’t have anything to worry about; the creek was only seven feet wide, and the tree trunk was huge.

  For a wicked moment, she thought about doing a cartwheel across the log, but reason grabbed hold of her. Aaron didn’t deserve to be scared like that, and there was always a chance an accident could happen. It only took a few steps to cross before she hopped to the ground and grinned at Aaron as he landed beside her.

  “A simple yes would have sufficed,” he muttered, looking severely put out.

  “Sorry.” She wasn’t, but he was clearly upset. In a move uncharacteristic of her, she popped onto her toes and placed a kissed on his whiskered cheek.

  His eyes widened and then shuttered. “What was that for?” he asked.

  “For bringing me out here.” She glanced around and then back to him. “It’s like a fairy tale.”

  He shook his head. “You’re so ... fanciful.”

  “Sometimes.” She shrugged, trying not to be affected. His words bit. They were all too close to something her father would say, but she wouldn’t let them dampen her evening. As it was, she was filing away each second, so she could relive each moment in the future. “If you’re always serious, how will you find joy in life?” she asked, striding forward.

  “It wasn’t a criticism, Hazel,” he said, matching her pace.

  “It sounded like one,” she murmured, soaking in the sights.

  “I meant you’re different.”

  She arched a brow at him.

  “You better stop before you dig yourself too deep,” Colton called from ahead of them. “Holes are hard to get out of.”

  Aaron rolled his eyes. “Different is good.”

  She hid her smile and nodded. Silence descended over them as they weaved through more trees and stopped when they reached the rest of the group. Hazel gaped and pointed a finger at the vehicle they were pulling tarps off of.

  “Is that a Jeep?” she asked.

  “It says Jeep,” Gen drawled, pointing to the rusted emblem.

  “How?”

  “It’s my dad’s,” Colton said, slipping into the driver’s seat. “He managed to finagle this from those fanatics years ago. He keeps it here for personal use.”

  Hazel eyed the gasoline-run vehicle with no doors. “And it won’t blow up on us?” Gasoline was a thing of the past. From her studies, she knew it was highly unstable, unlike the corn-based fuel they used now.

  “It’s safe,” Jessy commented from the front seat.

  “And it hasn’t gone bad?”

  “It’s not like it’s a vegetable,” Colton quipped.

  “You know what I mean,” Hazel said.

  “Get in, founder girl, or go back,” Jessy snarked.

  She ignored his taunt and circled the Jeep. He would not heckle her into something that might kill her. She glanced up and met Gen’s narrowed gaze as Gen slid into the middle seat. That settled it for her. Gen was a self-centered brat. There’s no way she would sacrifice herself just to go out to a party. Gen liked herself too much.

  Hazel pulled her bow off her shoulder, wrapped her hand around the dirty roll bar, and pulled herself into the small back seat. She winced as the cracked leather poked through her thin tank-top and her quiver pushed into her back. Shifting to the side, she bumped into Gen and offered her an apologetic smile. She jumped when a finger brushed her bare shoulder. Hazel followed the arm back to Aaron, who lifted his chin at her. Huh? What did that mean?

  “You ready?”

  That’s what it meant.

  “Yeah,” she said nervously.

  Colton grinned at her from the cracked rear-view mirror. “Let’s see if she’ll run for us.”

  She gaped and braced herself, placing her bow across her lap. Oh, God. It wasn’t the Tainted or her father that was going to get her; it was a gasoline-run machine.

  The Jeep didn’t so much as clunk; it turned over and purred. Colton jerked it into gear and soon they were bumping along the path. She leaned forward, her fingers wrapping around the headrest, and asked, “Can’t the guards hear the engine?”

  Colton shook his head. “They can, but they’ve been paid off.”

  Her eyebrows rose, and she darted a look at Aaron, but he wasn’t looking in her direction. He was listening to something Gen was whispering in his ear.

  “You have a problem with paying the guards, sweet thing?” Jessy asked.

  “No,” said Hazel slowly. “I’m just surprised is all.”

  He snorted. “I’m not surprised. I’m sure you have a skewed view of what Harbor’s really like. You’re naïve.”

  “I’m not naïve.” Hazel glanced away from him as they left the forest and began driving across the red sand littered with spiny plants and outcroppings of sandstone rocks.

  “So says the girl who’s never been outside our walls.”

  “So says the girl who works harder than most for Harbor and helps those that t
he rest of the people deem unworthy of their attention.” She glanced around the vehicle when everyone went silent.

  Colton glanced at her in the rear-view mirror. “You’ve lived a privileged life, and you get a choice.”

  “I’m not debating that I’ve led a privileged life, but with that life comes more responsibility.” She chuckled bitterly. “As for a choice, I’m just as helpless as y’all. We have to survive, and to do so, things must be done a certain way. I don’t get to choose any more than you do.”

  “You get to choose who you marry,” Gen said, crossing her arms. “Most of us marry whoever can afford us the best protection.”

  “You think I’m any different?” Hazel met her angry gaze and shook her head. “I’m not. I have to choose someone who will benefit Harbor as a whole. What I want doesn’t even matter.”

  “And what do you want?” Aaron asked quietly.

  “Freedom,” she whispered, watching the moonlight-painted earth rush past them. “But I’ll settle on someone who will put others first.”

  “Speaking of which, have you made a decision?” Colton asked carefully.

  Tension thickened around them; the fist around her lungs tightened, threatening to suffocate her. “No.”

  She had.

  She knew from the beginning who it would be. Hazel just didn’t want to admit it to herself. Leaving Harbor just confirmed it. Jessy was always out of the question. He didn’t care for anyone but himself. Colton was quirky and courageous, but his gaze wandered too much. She’d seen him with women. Harbor needed someone who was stable, or at least discreet.

  That left Aaron.

  She swallowed hard and squinted at the copse of trees in the distance. He was as responsible as he could be at his age. With time, he’d turn into the perfect little copy of her papa. Not that there was anything wrong with her papa. She loved him, but she didn’t want to be married to him. At least she knew what being married to Aaron would be like.

  There wouldn’t be any surprises.

  Hazel brushed the hair from her face and placed her cheek against the back of Colton’s headrest. She let herself drift in her thoughts of everything and nothing as they traveled along a gully dotted with cactus and sagebrush. To some it might be ugly, but to her it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. The moonlight brushed along red stone arches, turning them a violet color that would be forever seared into her mind.

  Even if she couldn’t have the freedom she longed for, she had tonight, and Aaron had given that to her. The others wouldn’t have invited her. It was a calculated move to get what he wanted, but Hazel appreciated it anyway. It was an unexpected gift, one she’d always treasure.

  Colton weaved around rocks like he’d done this a million times before. He probably had. Trees seemed to sprout from nowhere and her open view was cut off. Her body slid forward as Colton slowed to a stop and cut the engine. He hopped out and threw his arms open wide. “Your party awaits, my lady.”

  She rolled her eyes and hopped out of the Jeep, smiling despite herself, and swung her bow over her shoulder. He was a man-whore, but he had style. She’d give him that much. After the ride, the silence seemed so much louder. She cocked her head and listened. It wasn’t completely silent. There was faint music.

  Jessy shoved a grinning Colton and headed off toward the music without so much as a backward glance. Colton held his arm out to her. “May I escort you?”

  “What the heck.” She threw her hands in the air and looped her arm through his. “Why thank you, kind sir. What I would do without your guidance?”

  His eyebrows rose, and his smile grew. “Here, I thought you were a stick in the mud.”

  “And here, I thought you were a rake.” She arched an eyebrow of her own. “And I was right.”

  His teeth flashed at her in the darkness. “You are too perceptive.”

  She shrugged and followed his lead as he directed them through trees.

  “You know,” he said slowly, “we would make a great-looking couple.”

  Hazel steeled herself for the pitch that was surely coming her way. “Oh, yeah?”

  “We would make pretty babies.”

  “I’m sure, as I’m also sure mine would not be the only pretty babies.”

  He glanced down at her sharply. “You don’t think I can be faithful?”

  She shrugged a shoulder, spying firelight in the distance. “You forget that I’ve been raised with you. You may not know me, but I’m well aware of you and your reputation.”

  “Life with me would be fun,” he added with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

  That did make her grin. “I can imagine, but Harbor needs stability, not fun.”

  He nodded and stared toward the light. “You’re not what I imagined.”

  “I doubt you’ve spent your time imagining me.”

  “You’re right to a point, but I like mysteries. You’re a founder’s daughter and yet you blended right into the walls. I can’t remember a time where you stuck out.”

  “Thanks,” she said dryly.

  “I didn’t mean it negatively. I meant that you’re an enigma. Not good, not bad, just different.” He looked over his shoulder and back to her face. “So, it’s Aaron?”

  “Seems that way,” she murmured.

  Colton pursed his lips like he had something to say.

  Hazel grinned. “Come on. You’ve been brutally honest until this point. Why hold back?”

  “He’s not fun.”

  “Yep.” He’d always been in the popular crowd, but it looked like he never enjoyed it. He was what she liked to call a perpetual frowner.

  “He wants power.”

  “That’s nothing new.” Everyone wanted power.

  Colton blew out a breath. “He’s a cold fish. Be careful.”

  Hazel eyed Colton. That was unexpected. “I will. Thanks for the warning.”

  What an odd evening. Colton had never said more than a handful of words to her and here he was warning her about another guy.

  “It’s the least I could do for my almost-wife.”

  She giggled and slapped her hand over her mouth. What. The. Heck? She hardly ever giggled. It was all too much. She’d broken out of Harbor, left with people who had never looked her way, and now Colton was flirting with her. It was like being in an alternate universe.

  Colton grinned down at her, flashing white teeth in the darkness. “Why Hazel, I never guessed you’d have such a charming laugh.”

  An embarrassing snort escaped, followed by more giggles. “I’m so sorry,” she managed to get out between laughs. “It’s just so surreal. Maybe I’m dreaming.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows at her again. “You dream about me at night?”

  Hazel snorted again and slapped his arm. “You wish.”

  “You know it,” he teased.

  She shook her head and focused on the firelight peeking in between the foliage ahead, the music growing louder. That sobered her. Apprehension stirred in her chest. What would everyone think when they saw her? Most likely, they’d stare and make comments under their breath. The comments she could handle. It was the stares that bothered her. She went unnoticed most of the time, and when someone did notice her, it was to ridicule her. Her stomach churned.

  “Hey, you okay?” Colton asked softly.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said.

  “Your grasp says differently.”

  She glanced down to her fingers digging into his arm and released her hold on him. “Sorry.”

  He snatched her hand back before she pulled completely away and again weaved her arm through his. “It’s no problem. I don’t need that arm anyway, especially if I get to walk into the party with a beautiful girl clinging to it.”

  “Clinging is an understatement,” she mumbled.

  “They’re just people,” he said, pulling her closer to the light.

  She stiffened as voices began to trickle through the trees.

  “Wipe that look from your face right now.”
/>   Hazel’s gaze snapped to his face.

  He paused just outside the meadow. “You look scared, miserable, and stuck-up all at once.” His opposite hand touched a corner of her mouth. “Smile, Hazel.”

  She forced a smile for him.

  “It looks like you’re being tortured.”

  “That’s because I am,” she muttered, earning a smile from Colton that she mirrored.

  His smile grew. “There it is. That’s the smile you want to show everyone.”

  “Are you serious?” Gen stomped through the trees, Aaron trailing behind her. She smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Smiling won’t change who she is.” With that parting remark, she sauntered through the shrubs and into the meadow.

  “Ignore her,” Aaron grumbled. “I do.”

  That startled a laugh out of her at the unexpected joke. At least, she thought it was a joke. She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “I can do this.”

  “Yes, you can. Let’s go, princess,” Colton said.

  Taking the final step into the meadow wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be, and much to her relief no one threw her out. What surprised her most was the amount of people dancing in the firelight and drinking. How did they manage to get away with this?

  “Breathe, Hazel.”

  She released the breath she didn’t know she was holding and smiled as pleasantly as she could as people noticed her.

  “Well, sweet, sweet, almost-wife, do you want me to introduce you to anyone?”

  “Heck, no,” she said, peeking up at him through her lashes. “I’m going to find myself a quiet corner with Baz and Mesa and enjoy the evening.”

  “I figured as much.” He leaned closer and surprised the heck out of her by brushing a kiss along her cheek.

  She jerked and tried not to gape at him. “What was that for?”

  “To keep them guessing. Never let them see you sweat.”

  He pulled her hand from his arm and squeezed once before strolling into the gaping crowd. Part of her wanted to giggle at the wide-eyed disbelief. She ignored the looks and searched the crowd for Baz and Mesa, but she couldn’t see them anywhere. Baz was so tall, he was hard to miss.

  “You sure Baz and Mesa are here?” she asked Aaron, who had planted himself by her side.