Sorry for the delay everyone. The updates are going to become a little less frequent than what they have been lately due to life but never fear. I WILL NOT not stop posting. This story is actually finished, it's just a matter of me typing it up so bear with me. I will get it all up. Maybe a chapter every week and a half to two weeks but I won't go more than two weeks without updating. I will let you know otherwise.

It was closing in on one a.m. by the time Detta reached the Boardwalk but she had a feeling this was still early for those boys. The crowd had started to thin out some amongst the rides and game but not so much. The bonfires were still rolling and she could smell the alcohol on the air. Marko didn't give her a specific place to meet them but she wasn't worried. They were bound to see her, or she them. As much as they all looked like the rest of the punks around here, their presence stood out from the rest of them. Detta took extra care to cover up the bruises on her face, and Max took notice. Like a doting father, he didn't approve of her associating with those boys. 'Be careful,' he had said. 'Boys will be boys.' If anything, Detta was overly cautious and sometimes she didn't want to be. She didn't care about the bruises on her arms, and the ones on her legs were hidden mostly by her dress and boots anyway. Since no one was staring, she guessed no one else noticed either, or else didn't care.

"Damn girl. Looks like you were hit by a truck," Paul yelled to her.

Detta looked forward and there in front of her sat the boys on their motorcycles, a stark contrast to the carousel music playing behind them. Granted, to her, the music sounded sinister so it matched.

"Funny, Paul. That's funny beyond laughter," she retorted, a sarcastic look on her face.

"What can I say? I'm a funny guy. Look great though for…getting hit by a truck."

"Um, thanks?"

"Healing nicely."

Detta turned to David, his look one of monotone. It didn't really show much emotion. "There wasn't much damage to heal. Just lucky, I guess."

"Very." She didn't like his tone and couldn't tell if this was his usual snide self or if it was something deeper. She looked over at Marko who had been staring at her intently. She raised her eyebrows in greeting and he released a small smile. "We ready to go?" David called out to no one in particular and then looked at Detta. "Unless you're going to fly, I'd recommend getting on a bike."

Detta fathomed she didn't know David very well but from what she did know, he was being extra bitter to her tonight. "Thanks for that Captain Obvious. I don't know what I'd do without you," she replied sardonically as she walked over to Marko's bike.

As she mounted behind him, she leaned her lips towards his ear and whispered, "What the hell's his problem?"

Marko leaned back and said," Don't know. He's been like that since your accident. Maybe he cares and doesn't know how to handle it. It'd be a new feeling for him to master."

"Glad I could be the first," she said, pursing her lips.

Marko leaned down to adjust a strap on his boot and on his way back up brushed his fingers up her boot and onto her knee. Detta gave him a sly smile.

"Slick."

"You know it."

"Lets go!" David yelled over the engines and this time Marko led the way, giving Detta a start when his bike pushed forward.

She wrapped her arms tightly around him, this time not clamping her hands but wrapping them around as far as they would go, gripping onto his sides with opposite hands. This time she didn't pull her hand back when she felt his skin but kept it in place, reveling in the feeling that was echoing through her fingertips. Her body was pressed up as close to his as she could get it, pushing her legs against either side of his. She wouldn't lie. She wanted to touch him like that but she also had that lingering fear of those oncoming headlights. She buried her chin into his shoulder and looked ahead but the smooth ride of tires on pavement didn't last long. She held her breath as they soared down a flight of stairs and thudded onto the beach.

She didn't like what she saw. A bonfire with a makeshift ramp positioned in front of it. The main road was now completely gone from sight.

"We're not going to jump that." It was a defiant statement with no trace of a question.

"Hold on!"

He aimed his bike straight at the ramp and Detta quickly realized that yes, they were about to launch themselves over a bonfire. Her eyes widened and just before they hit the ramp, she screamed and buried her face in his back. She felt the bike lift off the ground and, a few seconds later, rejoined the sand with a thud as it continued on.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" he called back to her.

She didn't answer but slowly lifted her hidden face only to see they were about to weave their way under the tail end of the Boardwalk. As much as she wanted to hide her head again, something pulled at Detta, told her to keep her eyes open and looking ahead. And she did. Her stomach rose and fell as they wove in and out of the wooden pillars, soon reaching a wooded area that dropped and turned and dipped. But Marko, or any of the other boys, didn't slow down. She guessed they had done this hundreds of times and could probably travel the path with their eyes closed. Just before the exiting edge of the wood, Detta loosened up a bit, releasing her vise grip on Marko's body and sat up a little straighter. She looked behind her and saw the other three boys close behind, Paul and Dwayne with huge grins on their faces. David looked intent on ending the ride.

Detta brushed the hair from her eyes and faced forward again, realizing they had come upon an open stretch. Up ahead of them was a light that seemed to grow brighter and then fade in a perpetual repetition. A lighthouse? She could feel Marko starting to slow his bike down as they drew closer to the light, like moths to the flame, and they eventually stopped. Detta remained on the bike, almost winded from exhilaration.

"Looks like you started to enjoy the ride," Dwayne said as he walked past her and to the rickety set of stairs in front of them.

"Guess I did," she said after him.

Detta was finger-combing her hair when David walked past. "Ugly scar."

She looked down and realized that her dress had ridden high enough to reveal the stitches on her thigh. "Thanks for noticing." He smirked at her and followed Dwayne to the stairs.

"But a nice set of stems!" Paul hooted as he trotted by.

"Thanks, Paul."

"Anytime," and she disappeared down the stairs.

It was rather loud up there, what with the crashing waves but she couldn't tell where they were.

As if reading her thoughts, Marko answered her unasked question. "It's called Hudson's Bluff. We like seclusion, like someone I know."

He helped Detta dismount from his bike and she gave him a broad grin. "I have no idea who you're talking about," she said jokingly.

At that moment, she wanted more than anything to kiss him, throw him onto the ground and ravage him out in the open air. Extra eyes be damned. She didn't know what came over her when she was around him. Since their kiss, she felt like a teenage kid, or an animal. There probably wasn't that much of a difference. But she controlled it the best she could, not wanting to make the move. She still wanted to play the hard-to-get game.

He led her up and over a set of old wooden stairs and down onto a small bridge that rested just above the water line. She could feel the cold spray on her legs. Next was the maneuver around the chain link fence and through the darkened cave tunnel.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Home! Watch your step."

Marko went into the opening first and held out a hand to help Detta down the stone stairs and into the…lobby? Oil drums were filled with fire all around the cave. Numerous knickknacks and baubles hung from all places, candles littered what looked like an old fountain in the center of the room, posters and pictures of rock stars were all over the walls, a beat box sat in a corner, ramshackle furniture was scattered about and there were numerous tunnels leading to who-knows-where.

"What is this place?" Detta asked in sheer awe.

"Home," David answered. "Used to be a hotel around the turn of the century. Popular place too. It's a shame, really, but thanks to that earthquake in 1906, we now have a place to stay."

"You sound almost nostalgic."

"Maybe I am," he said as he threw himself into a high-backed chair.

"You guys live here? Are you runaways?"

All four of them laughed. Marko answered her. "Just like you like your house, we like our cave. It's just a preference."

"You must eat a lot of fresh food then."

"Loads," Paul laughed wickedly. "Speaking of food—"

"We'll eat later," David cut him short, "after Detta leaves. You're not hungry, are you?"

"No, I'm fine."

Marko ushered her over to a tattered couch to sit her down but he remained standing. She looked up as him. "Do you ever just relax?"

"I do. Just not right now."

"He's just a little nervous," Dwayne said, sitting down next to her.

"About what?" she asked, looking from Dwayne to Marko.

Dwayne just laughed silently and Paul chuckled out loud. David grabbed a bottle from a nearby shelf and offered it to Detta. She eyed it suspiciously. It looked like a wine bottle decorated in jewels and worn gold. David caught her frowning at it and pointed it at her. "Drink?"

She gave him a soured look. "No thanks."

"You should try it. It's good wine."

"No," she said flatly.

"It's the least I could offer you…"

"Insistent, aren't you? Still, no."

"Afraid?"

"That's not going to work this time."

David smirked and uncorked the bottle, taking a long swig from it, looking to be savoring every bit of flavor it contained. "Last chance."

"No need. I'm good." Detta looked around at the group of boys and realized she felt rather closed in upon. They were all gathered around her expectantly, waiting to see what she would do. She looked at them nervously, not quite sure what to say. "So…how long have you guys been living here?" she asked as she stood up and began to wander around the sunken lobby, inspecting the delicacies that were scattered about.

"We've lost count. It's been a while," Dwayne answered, reclining further onto the couch. Paul got up and jumped up onto the fountain, crouched down and pulled up a second beat box, like pulling a rabbit from a hat.

"Will that play without being plugged in?" she asked, looking at Paul fiddle with the buttons.

"Have faith, mama." He pushed play on the box and the wail of a guitar rang out of the speakers and Paul began to rock on. "Batteries, girl!" he said as he head banged to the tune.

"We make our own fun," Marko said, walking up to her. "Some of us are more easily amused than others," he whispered into her ear. She smiled and continued walking around the cave.

"So you guys have known each other for a while?"

"A long while," Paul answered, laughing and playing his air guitar.

"You guys have your own rooms…areas…not sure what you call them."

"You could say that." Detta gave a jump when David answered from right next to her. She didn't even hear him walk over. But then again, it was hard to hear much of anything over Paul's stereo. "We all have certain corners and our rooms, if you want to call them that, are down different tunnels. We're close but sometimes a man needs his space."

"Aren't you worried about cave-ins or another earthquake?"

"That's something we'll deal with when it happens," David said as he continued his walk around the fountain.

She noticed a few books in a pile stacked on the floor and crouched down to rummage through them. Her fingers gently touched each spine and froze when they came to the last one.

"My god. This is an original Dr. Faustus. Who's is this?" She turned, wide-eyed, to Marko.

"Those are Dwayne's."

"You found my collection," he said, getting up from the couch and walking towards her. "I only collect originals. Makes the read that much more interesting. The older something is, the more alive it feels. You know what I mean?"

Inadvertently, Detta looked straight at Marko. "Yes, I do." She quickly recovered and looked back to Dwayne before replacing his book.

"Come on, man. I'm hungry!" Paul bellowed from atop the fountain.

"That boy has no patience," Dwayne mumbled as he walked back over to Paul. "In a few minutes, man. Don't worry. You'll eat tonight."

"You guys eat rather late, don't you?" she addressed Marko.

"Well, when you don't have the most normal of sleep patterns, you don't have normal eating patterns either."

"We need to get going soon, Marko," David yelled from across the lobby.

Detta rolled her eyes at him and he just continued to stare at her. "Guess that's my cue, huh?"

"He's just not—" Marko tried to cover but Detta cut him short.

"It's ok. I should get going anyway."

Marko looked disappointed but he wasn't going to fight. "I'll take you home then." He ushered her to the entrance and made his way up first, turning to help her.

"Night movie mama! Watch out for those trucks!"

"Couth as always, Paul. Thanks."

He just laughed and continued rocking to the beat of his own drummer. Dwayne gave her a farewell nod and David continued to stare but just couldn't let her leave without saying something. "Enjoy the rest of your night, Detta."

She stared at him, searching for some specific emotion on his face but she found none. His voice sounded hollow, deliberately void of anything. She nodded at him. "David."

She tuned back around and took Marko's outstretched hand to help herself into the entrance. Once they were at the bikes, Detta couldn't help herself. "What's the deal with your friend? He keeps dripping disdain on my boots."

"He's not always like that but lately something seems to be getting to him. We can't figure out what, though. All I can say is let it slide. He'll just feed off of your reactions."

The ride home with Marko erased all of her angry feelings towards David and renewed her teenage lust for Marko. She wanted nothing more than him when he walked her to her door. He leaned in close, forcing her back up against the door, him leaning on his arm that was placed next to her head.

She looked into his eyes and smiled. "No invite tonight, buddy."

He just smiled his patient smile at her and laughed a little. "I'll just have to sneak in through your window then."

She chuckled a throaty chuckle. "I'd like to see you try."

He moved his lips closer to her's. "Is that a challenge?"

Their lips brushed against each other's, their bodies pressing together. "Maybe it is."

He tilted his head in and kissed her, she bringing her chin up to meet his mouth. Their kiss this time was seductive, taunting. They both wanted something they knew they weren't going to get.

He pulled his mouth away just far enough to speak. "I might have to take you up on that offer."

She looked at him hungrily and gently clamped her teeth onto his bottom lip, pulling him towards her into another embrace. He released a moan into her mouth and it tumbled down her throat, into a place deep inside her that wanted to devour him whole. He ran his hands through her hair, gently grabbing at it, trying desperately to keep himself in control. He wrapped his arm around her waist with every intention of lifting her up when she yelped in pain. He had found yet another one of her many unhealed bruises.

She rested her forehead on his shoulder and he placed his chin in the top of her head. "You'll have to tell me when that's gone."

"I won't have to tell you. You'll know," she said, a sly smirk spreading across her face.

He brushed his hands gently on the good side of her face, taking her every feature in, drowning in her eyes. He kissed her again, cupping her face in his gloved hands. "I'll see you."

"Soon," she whispered into his mouth.

He gave her one last peck before turning back to his bike. She opened the door and, as she was walking in, he revved his engine to get her attention. When she looked, he smiled at her and sped off. She couldn't help but feeling…frustrated.

Before she fell asleep, she couldn't help but think of his hands on her, that powerful feeling she felt when they kissed, his mouth on her, his teeth nipping at her skin. She wanted his skin against her's, feel his tongue on her body. She wanted him to release that fire that he had burning inside him, the heat amidst the cold, all onto her. She wanted to tear at him, get pleasure in the pain he would instill upon her and she on him. It was as if she had found a piece of her that had been missing. She released herself, all of those ravaged images running through her head and she couldn't help but think how animalistic she felt. And how, for the first time in years, she felt truly alive.

Reviews are always appreciated.