My lungs began to burn, my energy expelled from trying to fight the brick wall that was Trayton Nacht.
I grabbed his swim trunks and tried to yank them down as a last resort.
The tie held.
He couldn’t just drown me. But something about the way he held me had me second-guessing that assessment.
My limbs began to tingle.
My need to breathe taking over in a convulsion that had me opening my mouth.
And sweet air suddenly hit me in the face, causing me to gasp in agony.
Dash and Charlie were laughing hysterically.
But Tray’s eyes were on mine, an intensity in them that had me blinking rapidly and sputtering liquid from my mouth. “Let’s see you finish that lap now,” he taunted, harshly shoving me away from him.
I didn’t think, my arms and legs already moving as I fought the ache building inside my chest. A tidal wave rode my tail, the trio having taken off after me like some sort of screwed-up chase.
I dove under the lane lines, searching for the side of the pool, and forced myself out of the water before they could catch me. Every part of me trembled, from my head to my toes, the vivid sensation of drowning haunting each fresh inhale.
Tray reached the side first, but rather than jump up after me, he placed his arms on the edge and looked me over. Charlie and Dash weren’t as casual, their anger palpable.
“What the fuck was that, man?” Charlie demanded.
Tray’s lips curled briefly, and he winked at me before his features fell behind a cool mask. “What the fuck was what?” he asked, glancing at my tormentors. “The mouse got away. We’ll chase her again soon.”
“Because you used my torso as a fucking springboard,” Charlie snapped, pulling himself out of the water.
And sure enough, he had a red mark forming on his abdomen.
That’s interesting. I was almost jealous.
“My bad, man,” Tray said, releasing the wall. “I was eager to play with my new toy.”
My stomach churned. I am not a fucking toy.
“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m ready to swim some laps. We’ll catch up after.” He released the wall and floated off on his back. After a few flutter kicks, he turned onto his stomach and took off toward the other end with long, strong strokes.
No wonder he’d caught me.
The dude was a freaking fish.
“This isn’t over, Cindersoot,” Charlie hissed, drawing my attention back to him.
“It never is,” I muttered, forcing myself to stand on shaky legs. “But I’ve had enough for today.”
With that weak retort, I headed to the one place they couldn’t follow me—the girls’ locker room.
Chapter Four
Tray
My blood boiled, magic flaring at my fingertips. It took physical restraint not to lash out at Charlie and his buddy Dash. Drowning them would have been too easy.
Also, I couldn’t. They deserved to suffer for their crimes against Isabella. And she needed to be the one to make them pay for their years of torment.
However, the two females leaning up against my car now would serve as the grand finale.