Hollow (Hollow Point #1) Read Online Free Page B

glued to the clock wondering where the hell Tatum was.
    Lucas and Liam sat on the larger couch, animatedly telling a story as they talked over each other so no one could understand what they were saying but it had something to do with a set of twins and a bottle of Tequila. They were brothers, but they didn’t look like they were related at all. Liam was over six foot tall and scrawny with shaggy dirty blonde hair. Lucas was barely five foot and stocky with hair black as coal.
    “You got a fight this week?” I asked Topher, who had been glaring at me since they walked in.
    “My sister was asking about you today.”
    I rolled my eyes, leaning back in my seat as I stretched out my legs. “Are we going to start this shit again? How long are you going to be pissed off at me?”
    “I dunno, Knox. How about I take out little Tatum and see how you feel about it.”
    I sat up as Liam’s hand slapped across my chest to keep me from jumping out of my seat and beating the shit out of him. “Watch your fucking mouth,” I snapped. “I don’t want to get blood on Greta’s carpet.”
    “We can go at it anytime, asshole.” He held his hands out, challenging me.
    I leaned forward, clenching my jaw as I struggled not to say something I would regret. I knew why Topher was acting the way he was. I would be worse, much worse if someone messed with Tatum.
    “It’s between us . It’s none of your goddamn business.”
    “She’s family. She is my business,” he snapped.
    The front door handle turned, and our conversation went quiet.
     
     
     

 
    THREE

Riley
    We stepped inside of Tatum’s home to a living room full of guys. Their conversation fell silent as all eyes locked onto us.
    “Damn, Tatum. What happened to you?” One of the guys asked, his eyes lit up before Knox smacked him across the chest with the back of his hand.
    “Shut up, Liam,” Knox barked. The other guy’s mouth snapped closed. It was evident Knox was the leader of their little group. They looked like the kind of people that would make me cross the street if I saw them coming but Tatum didn’t seem the least bit scared.
    “Just a makeover,” she replied nervously, her eyes cast down at the floor¸ embarrassed. We’d have to work on her self-esteem because no friend of mine could act like a damn wallflower.
    “Whose your friend?” Another guy asked as we walked across the room. My eyes flitted to the man with the buzz cut and a tattoo that was creeping out of the collar of his t-shirt and up the right side of his neck.
    “Mind your business, Topher,” Knox warned.
    “Sorry, man. I didn’t know you were already tappin’ that too. It’s getting hard to keep track.”
    “I’m above your pay grade,” I muttered as we walked by and the other guys all laughed at him.
    “Bitch,” I heard him whisper as I followed Tatum up the stairs into her room.
    Tatum closed the door behind us before letting out a small squeal. “Did you see that? None of Knox’s friends have ever even spoken to me before. Well, not that he’d let them.”
    “Why would you want them to?” I groaned but her enthusiasm was contagious, and I was lying if Knox’s face didn’t permeate my thoughts. “It’s amazing what a little makeup can do.” I was beaming with pride at the reaction my little transformation had garnered. “Just wait until school tomorrow. Bryce is going to lose his shit!”
    A light tapping at the door cut off our giggling.
    The door opened without waiting for a response and Knox stepped inside, his arms folded over his chest and a scowl on his face. “What the hell did you do?” He asked, staring at me as if I’d kicked his poor, homely puppy.
    “It’s called a makeover. She looks great. You almost can’t tell she’s local.” I shrugged.
    “She looked great before, and there is nothing wrong with being from here.”
    “You mean before your friends ever noticed she was alive?” My eyebrow rose, challenging him. Who the hell did he think he