Page 1 of Betrayed

Chapter One

Seventeen Years Ago—September

Sixteen-year-old Logan Jackson ran down the dark hallway of the abandoned asylum, eyes set not on the flag he was supposed to be capturing, but on one of his best friends—AJ. Her long blond hair swooshed as she darted into one of the side rooms.

He followed. But she slipped out another door, a giggle giving her away. Zipping through the doorway, he expected to see her, but instead he ran into their classmate Miles.

“Dude. What are you doing?”

Logan needed to think fast. He wasn’t about to admit to the guy AJ had gone to homecoming with last week that he was chasing her, even if Logan and AJ had been friends since they were eight. “I’m sneaking through to get the flag. Will is across the hall.” His other best friend was on the opposing team.

“Have you seen AJ?” Miles asked.

“Why are you asking?”

“She denied me a kiss after the dance. Thinking tonight might be better.”

Logan tried not to swallow so loud Miles heard him. “I think she’s saving her first kiss for her wedding day.” A total lie. “So you’d better set your sights on the flag we’re supposed to be capturing. Or better yet, go keep an eye out for the cops.”

Logan didn’t dislike Miles. He was a great guy and a good friend, but seeing him dancing with AJ last Saturday had sparked something inside of Logan he couldn’t identify. No, he could. It was jealousy, but he didn’t want to admit it.

But maybe he was ready to admit he liked her a lot more than a best friend should.

Miles slapped him on the back and pointed in the direction Logan had come from. “I’m headed this way. I’m on defense. Go get the flag. I refuse to let Cooper gloat in my face again.”

Logan snickered. Will Cooper did like to gloat.

Miles left.

Glancing around the dark shadowy room littered with remnants of this being a mental hospital, Logan wondered where AJ had disappeared to.

A soft chuckle came from behind some old equipment. He lifted his flashlight and clicked it on. “AJ?”

“Get over here, you fool.”

He climbed through the junk. “How did you get back here without him seeing you?”

“He’s a dolt.” She grabbed Logan’s hand and tugged him down beside her where she crouched behind an exam table of some sort.

She wrapped her hand around his bare elbow. This must have been an electrical shock therapy room for the way the volts blasted through his arm.

“We probably should go find the flag.”

She pulled him close. “Why’d you get all tense when Miles said he wanted to kiss me?” She leaned so close he couldn’t breathe.

He couldn’t find his voice.

She licked her lips.

He looked away. “Gosh, AJ.”

She giggled. “I’m sorry I went to the dance with Miles.”

He relaxed a little into her nearness. “You don’t need to apologize for that. Like you said, I’m the fool.”

“Not hardly.” She leaned her head on his shoulder.

He dropped to the floor and drew her to him with his free arm. But what was he doing? This was his best friend. Did she understand what was actually going on inside of him?