Free Undertow by K Conway Page B

between us.
    “Ladies,” said a rich voice emanating from the wall. I looked up and all I saw was broad shoulders cloaked in a black t-shirt, topped with a head of straight, shoulder-length ash blonde hair.
    Whoever he was, he had a solid build, but I couldn’t see his face since his attention was turned to Nikki. He was bracing the roaring cheerleader so her arms couldn’t reach around him and tear my limbs off. He seemed to contain her easily, even though she was channeling the aggression of a rabid hyena.
    “Calm down. Calm Down! It was an accident,” said the wall.
    “Like Hell it was!” screamed Nikki. She let loose with a tirade of what she was going to do to my life, accentuated with more foul language than most sailors could muster.
    Over her ranting, MJ called out to my defender. “Get her out of here, Kian!” he said, pointing to the door.
    Kian? This wall of black is Raef’s brother?
    As if on cue, Kian glanced over one shoulder and down at me. He must have been at least a foot or more taller than me. Like his brother Raef, Kian was handsome on a whole different level. He looked like he had been picked out of a broody, high-end clothing ad.
    “You okay?” he asked me, his voice cool and deep.
    “Uh, yeah. I’m fine,” I said, though the hairs on my neck stood on end. Adrenaline is a funky chemical.
    Nikki managed to twist herself around Kian to look me in the eye. A tsunami didn’t throw as much fury. “You just made the biggest mistake of your life,” she growled.
    “You’re right. Wasting a milkshake from this place is a true crime. We will all mourn the loss.”
    I had a death wish, without doubt.
    Someone snickered and Nikki made one last attempt to launch herself at my throat, but Kian was unyielding. MJ pointed firmly to the door again and Kian nodded, hauling the chocolate covered teen from the shop. Her minion, finally regaining her senses, hurried out to her owner.  Chairs scraped along the tile floor as everyone stood in near unison and watched her through the windows.
    Kian dragged her to her convertible and she screamed at him. He stood there, arms crossed, not reacting to her tirade. Eventually, she got into her car with PomPom and tore out of the parking lot onto Main Street. She must have been doing 60 by the time she was roaring past my home. We all watched out the windows as her engine’s sound faded. 
    Jesse and Cara were standing at their booth, staring at me in amazement. A sophomore sitting at the counter finally looked over to me and broke the strange silence in the shop, “You are some type of brave, but completely suicidal.”
    I turned to her, my legs getting wobbly with the fast-fading adrenaline vacating my system. “Some things are just worth the pain,” I said, smiling. “Besides, who wants to live forever?”
    Apparently not me, the way I was going.
    “Jeez woman!  You are crazy,” said MJ with a bold smile. “Here, have a seat before you keel over!” MJ turned to the crowded shop, which was slowly starting to regain its normalcy, “Sorry folks!  All over now!  Please enjoy yourselves!”  He reached up to a high shelf and turned the station up a little louder to coax the casual back into the stunned patrons.
    The cowbell rang as Kian returned. “Well, she was delightful,” he said, his voice rich and smooth.
    “Thanks Kian,” responded MJ, somewhat stiffly. He came around the counter to clean up the milkshake that had cascaded all over Nikki and the floor. I felt bad that I made a mess.
    “Oh here, let me clean it up,” I said to MJ, reaching for the rag.
    He quickly put up a hand to stop me, “You, my friend, earned all the brownie points tonight. It is my pleasure to tidy such a historic moment.” 
    I sat back down on my stool. Kian took a seat next to me and MJ glanced at him briefly, almost coldly. Kian may have been a big help, but MJ didn’t seem thrilled he was here.
    Kian’s presence made me nervous. It was a sensation not unlike