Demon Hunters: Book 1 Faith [editing]

Chapter 39

Becca clung to Austin's arm and stared up at his tall frame. "You look so professional," she squealed. He wore a Mizzou basketball uniform—gold, sleeveless jersey and matching shorts. "I love guys in uniform." She giggled, stoking her fingers over the black number in the center of his shirt.

Austin smirked, straightening his torso. "I like you in your uniform too." She's a pretty girl. Those spandex shorts really show her curves. Just wish she wasn't so prudish. Last Saturday night, he had gotten her up to his bedroom. They had made out, with her lying on the bed and him hovering over her. She let him slip his hands under the shirt to tickle her across her stomach. She even let him kiss her around her bellybutton, but stopped him from lifting her blouse any further. He just only got a peek of the hem of her white bra.

"You're a pervert." She laughed.

He pulled her closer. "Only for you." At least for now. Maybe he'll be able to hook up with Stephanie Carmichael if she changed her mind or even Amanda Knox from the tennis team. Rumor had it she wasn't so uppity—not like Becca was.

Austin leaned against the side of the school building, and Becca buried her face into his shoulder. He scanned the faces of the crowd at the front of the school. He didn't want to be too obvious with Becca, just in case he had an opportunity with Stephanie.

"So, aren't you excited about the Homecoming Dance?"

Now she's being all clingy. Why wasn't she this way Saturday night? "Sure." He rubbed her back with his hand. Maybe he might have another chance after the dance.

He caught sight of Zoe standing with her friends by the flagpole and nearly lost his breath. At first, he didn't recognize her. She looked different wearing bright red and blue, beautiful and totally the hot girl-next-door. He might even have a chance with her.

"So, did you and Todd really get a limo?"

Austin nodded his head, but he kept his eyes on Zoe. She was laughing about something. He just had to have a photo of her. Instinctively, he fished out his cell phone.

"Oh, you want to take a selfie?" Becca smiled, turning around facing the phone.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Austin said and shifted the phone screen away from her vantage point. "Just need to set it up, babe." He recovered smoothly. Becca was easy to fool. "Okay, it's ready."

Becca turned her face to the side, flirtatious to the camera lens, admiring her image in his cell screen. "Cheese," she said.

He grinned. "Yeah, cheese."

When the picture was done, she wanted to see it, as if she hadn't just seen the image just before the photo was taken. "We look good," she almost exclaimed. "Send it to me. I so want to make it my wallpaper."

Austin shrugged. "Okay. If you want to." He wasn't one to argue against being told he was attractive. As he sent the photo, he glanced up again at Zoe. That leather jacket gave her a hard edge. Without it, she looks so much more approachable. Maybe that's it. He had come on too strong for her. What she might have needed was a soft touch.

The school bell rang, and the students funneled back into the school. Automatically, Becca flipped her arm into his. He hadn't even noticed her glued to his side until they reached the front doors, and he had to step behind her so that they could squeeze between a small mob of students. Instead, he kept thinking, Is there something going on between Zoe and Mason? Maybe, he had a soft touch?

"See you later," Becca said and reached up and pecked him on the lips.

"Okay, bye." He moved to the side of the hallway and searched down the hallway for another glimpse of Zoe. She stood in the hallway talking with Mrs. Rose. He needed to get her picture. He angled his phone and waited. As soon as Zoe turned, he snapped the image.

Totally cute, he thought. But, she looks so hot in that jacket like a biker chic. He wondered how Riley convinced her not to wear it. She knew it had to have been Riley. It was spirit week after all.

Wait, a minute.

He held up his phone and selected the camera app. It had been dark last Thursday night when he captured a video of some winged creatures hurling a desperate man into the sky. He uploaded the video to this computer and tried to enlarge it. He played it over and over, unable to capture the identity of either the man or the beast behind him. Whatever it was, it had hands.

He replayed the video once again, paying attention to the hands that wrapped around the screaming man's torso. They were small compared to the man's belly. But what as that fabric?

He could just make out a portion of the material. At first, he thought it was a dark shadow, then maybe a piece of the man's clothing, but he wasn't wearing anything dark. Now, he recognized the way in which the material refracted some of the light. A black, leather jacket.

~