* * * *
“Why are you really going to this party?” Tamara demanded once they got into his car. Subie had given them directions to the beach even though Sam knew where it was. “You hate going out. I saw how you acted back there with that cop. He wasn’t the one making you nervous. The crowd was.”
“You don’t know everything about me,” he snapped. He was nervous but she didn't need to know that. He hadn’t been to anything close to a party since before he’d left the states. Even on the Fourth of July he had to lock himself in his room with his headphones on. Some of those fireworks hit a nerve that could send him diving under his bed. Or worse, trying to find the M4 he hadn't held since before he lost his leg.
“You just want to ogle Subie some more.”
He shrugged, happy to let her think that. “She’s got a nice body and she’s not afraid to flaunt it,” he said. Inside his guts were twisting at the way he was treating her. She deserved better, but wasn’t that why he was doing this?
“She’s dating Brock, so why would she be interested in you?” Her comment cut him deeper than he was willing to admit. “Besides, my body is just as good as hers. Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy the other night! You were still dripping down my legs the next morning.”
Sam heaved a sigh. He wanted to pull over, rip her shirt off, and ravish her in the back seat. Why was it that the way she wore his shirt was more alluring to him than if she were in that skimpy swimsuit
“I'm no good for you, I'm too old and you're too, uh, too young. You've got your whole life ahead of you, Ta-Tamara.” He almost called her Tammy. He remembered how upset she’d become when Brock had called her that earlier, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He was being mean enough. “You need to find someone your own age.”
“Shouldn’t it be my call, who I go after?” she seethed. “I’m old enough for you. Old enough to make you say my name when you were fucking me silly!”
Sam didn’t respond. He couldn’t, because he was afraid he’d admit that she was right.
If she wants to be with me, then what’s the problem? How upset will my ex be when she finds out I landed such a hot young woman?
Thinking of his ex reminded him of his kids. What would they think if he was dating a girl barely older than them? He didn't have an answer. They remained silent until they reached the beach where the party was.
Adrian shoved a beer in his hand as soon as they walked onto the sand. “I’m glad you came. The party’s just getting started. Help yourself to anything in that yellow cooler over there, it’s ours.”
Sam looked around and had to fight back a groan. If this was ‘just getting started,’ he didn’t want to know what ‘full blown’ was. Music was thumping from someone’s iPod and boom box. People surrounded the beginnings of a large fire. Bloody images danced in that fire, but Sam pushed them away. It couldn’t hurt him. Not here and not now. He was safe on American soil.
“Where’s Brock and Subie?” Tamara asked. She had an odd expression on her face as she looked at Adrian. To Sam's chagrin she gripped his arm possessively.
“Probably up the beach somewhere. You know how those two are,” Alex said as she joined them.
Sam pictured the strong man pounding into Subie’s tight body, rolling around in the sand, and grinned inwardly. Brock was a lucky bastard.
“What are you grinning at?” Tamara asked him, striking his stomach with the back of her hand. Apparently he hadn’t been hiding his grin so well.
“Any news on your car?” Sam asked, trying to change the subject.
“No. The cops wrote up a report and said they'd look into it. Brock must have been drunk when he got the car, he put insurance on it so they sent him another one.”
“That’s good,” Sam responded. An awkward silence fell. It was a mistake coming here, he realized. He turned and saw more people walking onto the beach. He took a deep breath and looked around. People were playing in the surf and all over this place. Everywhere he looked bodies walked, sat, played, screamed, burned, or lay dying.
Sam jumped when Alex’s phone went off with a shrill tone that contrasted the blaring music. He gasped for breath and only Tamara's strong grip on his arm kept him from stumbling and falling.
“It’s a text from Subie. Hmm, that’s odd,” Alex said, looking at her phone.
“What’s that?” Adrian asked. He walked over and looked over her shoulder. “That is odd.” Adrian looked up at Sam and waved him over. “You live around here. What do you make of this?”
Alex turned the phone so he could see the picture on the screen. The light in the image was poor. Sam couldn’t make out whatever it was in the grainy photo. The phone chimed again, and Alex pulled it back.
“They’re up the beach a bit and want us to come check it out.”
“Sounds like a great idea,” Sam said a little too quickly. He didn’t care why, he just knew he needed to get away
Alex and Tamara stared at him, but he followed after Adrian. He had to concentrate to keep his left leg from tripping in the sand. Tamara caught up to him after a few steps. She grabbed his hand again and asked, "Hey, Sam, are you okay? You looked upset."
“Good, you’re here,” Brock said as he met them near a large rock outcropping.
“Where’s Subie?” Alex asked, looking for the woman.
“She’s really shook up. Maybe you can help her. She’s right over there.” Brock pointed inland and back the way they’d just come. Alex walked off to find her.
“What did you find?” Sam asked, wondering what could shake the confident woman.
“I can’t explain it. I tried to take a picture from my phone, but it wouldn’t work for some reason. That’s why I had to use Subie’s. Even that didn’t turn out well.”
“Tamara, maybe you’d better go with Alex and see about Subie,” Sam said, getting a sinking feeling. Considering the events of the day, he didn’t know what to expect.
“I’m a big girl. I can handle it,” Tamara argued. Sam gave her the look he used to give his daughter when he wasn’t willing to be argued with. For a wonder, Tamara was the one to finally shrug and follow after Alex.
“What did you find?” Sam pressed again, hoping to get a better answer as Brock led them around the Rocks.
“That,” he said, pointing to the remains of a fire. The fire wasn’t what was interesting, if interesting was the right word to use.
Sam had seen some nasty stuff, serving as a combat medic in a war zone, but what was in front of him made him feel sick. He downed his beer instead. Suddenly the loud and crazy party seemed like a much better place to be.