Sequoia Valley: Risk (Free Preview)

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April 2000

“Aren’t you supposed to be in school?” a deep, unrecognizable male voice asked.

Aileen lifted her eyes to the speaker and was mesmerized by the vision before her. He stood tall—at least six feet—with broad shoulders and an athletic build. Wavy black hair contrasted with a pair of cobalt-blue eyes peering at her while a charming grin lit up his face. He was obviously older than her by a few years. She pegged him to be between nineteen and twenty-two.

“Maybe,” she said with a shrug, wondering why she couldn’t usually attract such a specimen. The first time it happened, it was someone who wanted to know why she wasn’t in school.

To her surprise, he sat down across from her. “How old are you, kid?”

“I’m not that young,” she said defensively. “I’m sixteen.”

Before he could reply, Joey arrived with her order and set it down before her. “Anything else, Miss?”

She shook her head and he walked away. When she finally glanced at her companion, he was studying her in that way boys did when they liked what they saw. No one looked at her like that—at least not the ones she thought she might like to spend time with. The ones who did were creeps like Dave Kerrick.

He offered a hand. “I’m Jeremy Quinn.”

“Aileen Byrne,” she said and slipped her hand into his; and as she did, a jolt of electricity zipped up her arm from the contact.

When she looked into those blue eyes that stared right back at her, he was smiling and her heart thumped at the sight of his dazzling grin. She had met him. She had met the one who would take her away from everything.