Chasing Forever Down (Drenaline Surf Series) by Nikki Godwin Page B

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    In the blur of craziness, one thing pops out – blonde dreadlocks.
    “Miles!” I call out, hoping he hears me.
    He stops and looks over then tells Dominic to go ahead. He jogs over to me, bends down to pet Dexter, and looks back up at me.
    “ What the hell?” I ask. I point to the entire block party of people running down the shoreline.
    The crowd b lends into one large mass now, what seems like half a mile down the beach. Cars crank up and shine headlights around one spot in the cove. The waves crash against the rocks in the glow of all the headlights.
    “ There’s an east coaster down in the cove,” Miles says. “Shit’s about to get fucked up crazy. You coming?”
    Well, that really explains things. “Not yet. Go ahead,” I tell him, motioning toward the crowd.
    He doesn’t need any more permission than that because he’s gone, running faster than most of the others, headed to the cove. I watch him until he fades into the crowd. Dexter’s bark draws me back in.
    “Reed!” I jump back when I see him standing next to me.
    “ Sorry,” he says. “I’m sorry…for scaring you. What’s happening?”
    His eyes are in the distance, watching the locals gather around. The crowd looks bigger from here, like everyone from the party called their other friends to come down and watch the excitement too.
    “East coaster in the cove – that’s what Miles said. What does that mean?” I ask, trying to redirect Reed’s attention.
    “ Oh God. No. Already? Seriously?” He rambles on, repeating himself, and pulls his cell phone from his pocket. “Yeah, I need a unit sent out to twenty-three eleven Dolphin Point.”
    He’s quiet for a second before saying the reason. “Trespassing.”
    Linzi and Alston come from between two condos. Linzi has stripped off her tank top and is sporting her purple bikini top. They’re both soaked and smell of chlorine.
    “I realize there’s a party going on,” Reed says into the phone, “but this has nothing to do with the party. Someone is trespassing on private property after making threats to the person who lives there.”
    “ What the hell?” Alston asks, grabbing Reed’s arm and jerking him around to see his face. “You’re kidding, right? Riley’s people are here?”
    Reed puts his finger over his mouth, but it doesn’t silence Alston. Alston rips the cell phone from Reed’s hand and begins shouting. “Twenty-three! Eleven! Dolphin! Point! You better get a damn unit out here now!”
    He ends the call immediately and slams the phone back against Reed’s chest. My heart races too fast for me to speak, and Linzi’s eyes bulge from their sockets.
    “What the hell?” she screams out at Alston, pulling him away from Reed. “What’s going on? All this east coaster Riley trespassing in the cove stuff? Explain something. Now!”
    Alston twists his fist into the palm of his other hand and heads down the beach like a madman. His eyes are wild and fuming. He doesn’t speak.
    “Logan Riley,” Reed says, walking quickly behind Alston. “He’s the Colby Taylor of the east coast. His guys have been sending threats for a month.”
    Linzi trips in the sand and stops walking long enough to rip off her flip flops and carry them along the beach with us. She does this goofy fairy hop through the sand, trying to listen to Reed and check on Alston simultaneously.
    “ Threats? What kind of threats? To who?” she asks, running all of her words together.
    “ Who do you think!?” Alston screams out. He stops in the sand and looks at Reed. “They’re going to have his windows busted out before the law ever gets there! You can’t play Mr. Nice Guy all the damn time!”
    Reed grabs Alston by the shoulders. “And you can’t curse out the cops!”
    I grab Reed’s arms from behind him, and the small of his back collides with my chest. He didn’t seem so tall before, but standing behind him with my arms locked to his, feeling the tension in his muscles, I’m actually