Crowd of Lies (Kingsley Academy Book 2)

by Lisa Helen Gray

  But he’s not.

  I slowly look away, pretending I didn’t see them. I don’t show how much it hurts to see he went back to her so quickly.

  I guess he got what he wanted in the end.

  I still have plans to prove she was the one who set fire to my tent with Selina inside.

  “You okay?” Selina asks, but before I can answer, a group of lads walk over to us.

  The one in front swaggers towards us, a cocky grin on his face. I inwardly roll my eyes when he hooks his blazer on his finger, throwing it over his shoulder. He is everything I pictured a preppy rich kid to look like.

  He tucks a piece of his thick, curly blonde hair behind his ear as he starts to undress me with his eyes.

  “Sabrina, do you want to introduce me to your friend?” he asks, never taking his gaze away from me. “I’m Leeroy DeCamp.”

  I smile at his ridiculous name, and the fool thinks I’m smiling at him, like I’m charmed. His grin spreads.

  I tilt my head and in a sweet voice, say, “Her fucking name is Selina, and no, she doesn’t want to introduce her friend.”

  “Feisty, I like it.” His friends laugh as he takes another step towards me. “There’s a small party in Kingsley House tonight. You should come.”

  “Will you be there?”

  “Oh God,” Selina whispers behind me, but I ignore her, still staring up at Leeroy.

  “I most certainly will,” he tells me.

  “Then I’ll pass,” I tell him, inwardly smirking when his smile falls. I grab Selina’s arm and pull her towards the large wooden doors. “Come on. We have people to see.”

  The minute we’re out of earshot and inside the building, Selina leans into me. “Do you know who that was?”

  “Leeroy Denkins?”

  She laughs. “Decamp. His father was a footballer until he got a knee injury. Now he’s this big British actor.”

  I arch my eyebrow. “You say that like it’s meant to mean something to me.”

  She rolls her eyes. “I know, I know. But at least try to play nice. He’s captain of the rugby team and there are whispers he’s going to go far. He had scouts come to a game in high school, but he turned them down, saying he wanted to do two years of school. Personally, I think he just wanted to party a lot before he has to take life seriously.”

  “He looked like a player. I don’t care how rich they are, you stare at me like I’m another warm body, I’m going to say something.”

  “All right. But please, tone it down when we go to see Principle Hackett. I’ve only met him a few times, but he’s a hard arse. He’s been here for ten years, and from what the rumours have said, Kaiden has tried to get him fired more than once.”

  “Why did he try to get him fired?” I ask, trying to come across unaffected by the sound of his name.

  She shrugs. “I don’t know. There were too many rumours, but they did get one thing right: he is a sleaze.”

  “Great,” I mutter as we walk up a marbled staircase.

  It’s as dull as I thought it would be. Browns and beiges everywhere. The artwork hanging off the walls are set in gold frames. If they had them in my old school, they’d have been robbed and either pawned or used for scrap metal.

  As we walk down another hallway, I look out of the window at the view. There’s a large field behind the school before the forest begins.

  I squint my eyes as we get further down the hallway and spot something in the trees. “What’s out there?” I ask Selina, pausing for a moment to look closer. It looks like house, but from this far away, it could be a well-built shed.

  She stops a few steps ahead of me and looks out. She shivers. “That is the groundskeeper’s house. He’s creepy as hell. He’s been here for as long as anyone can remember.”

  “Weird. Does he live there all year round?”

  “Yes. It’s his home, I guess. Come on, we don’t want to be late.”

  I look away and follow behind her, glancing at the pictures on the walls. They’re all portraits, and I wonder if anyone knows who they actually are.

  A shiver runs up my spine when I notice the eyes in the pictures following me. I stop, walk back a few steps, and my eyes widen. Holy crap! Is this place Hogwarts? They’re definitely following me.

  “What are you doing?” Selina asks incredulously, standing outside an open doorway.

  I feel my cheeks heat and wave her off. “Nothing. He in there?” I ask, pointing towards the room behind her.

  She rolls her eyes. “Yes. Please, just… try not to offend him. He can make your life hell.”

  I step past her and into a reception room. They must really like their creature comforts, because there are sofas on either side of a coffee table and a coffee and tea counter along the wall to my left.

  In front of me, a lady sits behind a mahogany counter. She peers up, above her glasses, almost sneering at us.

  “Yes, Miss Farley?”

  “Miss Crapper, we’re here to report in with Mr Hackett.”

  I glance at Selina to see if she’s serious, and she is. I start laughing, which earns glares from both of them. It only makes me laugh harder.

  Selina’s eyes widen, and she shakes her head at me, silently telling me to shut up. I can’t though. Who keeps a last name like that?

  “Something funny, young lady?”

  I try to sober, feeling my cheeks heat. “No, nothing. Nothing at all.”

  She curls her lip and turns back to Selina.

  “Go on in,” she tells her before pressing something on her desk. “Miss Farley and her friend are here.”

  We leave Miss Crapper to her own devices and head down a smaller hallway. Selina knocks on the door and waits.

  “Come in,” a voice rumbles.

  The office is all dark wood, shelves lining the room, filled with books. Thick, square pieces of glass make up a window, some frosted so people can’t see through.

  Mr Hackett swivels around in his large leather desk chair and gives us both a stern expression, his brows lowered, mouth set in a hard line. He’s a middle-aged man, probably in his forties, with greying hair. He’s not large, but he’s not skinny either. And if it wasn’t for his sneering expression, he might actually come across as approachable. There’s just something about him that screams arsehole.

  “I told you to report to me by eight. It’s now half past.”

  Selina fiddles with the zip on her bag nervously. “We were late leaving this morning.”

  He stares at her for a moment longer, and it’s awkward and uncomfortable, before he turns to me, his gaze flicking to my chest briefly. “I guess you are Miss Monroe.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  His lip curls as he flicks through a folder on his desk. “I hear you like to get into trouble. I won’t tolerate it at this school, nor you becoming a bad influence on the students here.”

  “I—” I start, but he holds his hand up, glaring at me.

  “Don’t interrupt whist I’m talking,” he snaps sharply. “We shape young minds here at Kingsley Academy, do not disturb that. I understand you aren’t used to the finest education, but here, we don’t tolerate impudent behaviour.”

  When I don’t say anything, Selina steps forward. “We understand. We’ve come for her class schedule.”

  I narrow my eyes a little at the older man. He could have left my schedule with the receptionist but ordered to see me first. I guess the man wanted to put me in my place.

  I grit my teeth when his gaze goes back to my chest and he licks his lips.

  “Very well,” he states, handing me a large envelope. “Your locker is in the west hallway. There’s a map inside your packet, as well as your lunch code. You will be in the Manor dining hall. You’re dismissed.”

  He gets up from his chair and it groans in protest. He doesn’t seem the type to leave it, too fired up on the power he has in this school.

  Selina was right though, I didn’t like him, and it’s taken everything in me not to say something to him. Li
fe here isn’t going to run as smoothly as I thought.

  Selina walks out first, and just as I reach the door, a hand on my arm stops me. I startle a little, glancing back at Mr Hackett. “Get your hand off me.”

  His grip tightens, and I wince a little. “Mr Kingsley told me all about you, how you’ve caused trouble for his sons. Unfortunately for us, we can’t cancel your acceptance to attend here. It was verified by Mrs Kingsley herself. That can change if you step out of line. I have the power to have you removed. If you want to last here at Kingsley Academy, I suggest you think of ways to make me happy. One click of my fingers, and you’re gone, Miss Monroe.”

  I purposely glance down his crotch before looking back up at him. I arch my eyebrow and lean in closer. “I don’t think so. Try it with someone who cares.”

  I shrug his arm off me, and too stunned by my reply, he lets go. He probably thought I’d bend over backwards to please him, but if he had read my file, then he should have known I rolled over for no one.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  IVY

  The stares I get as Selina and I make our way down the hallway are becoming tiresome already. I know most are just curious as to who I am, others I’ve seen at one of the twins’ parties, but if one more girl looks at me wrong, I’m not going to be held responsible for my actions.

  Selina snatches the envelope out of my hand. “Let’s take a look at what you’ve got.”

  I move closer and watch as she pulls out a timetable. “Urgh, technology. My basic skills for a computer don’t go any further than knowing how to turn it on and start up a DVD. I’m going to come across thick if they ask me to do something more than that.”

  Laughing, she bumps my shoulder with hers. “You’ll be fine. You’ll have to use your own today though, the computer room is getting an upgrade thanks to someone’s dad.” She pauses, looking a little closer at the page. “You’ve got art, is that right?”

  “Yes, why?”

  She glances up at me, her lips parted. “Really?”

  I sigh. “Yes, what’s wrong with art?”

  She shakes herself out of it, smiling wide. “The art programme is really hard to get into. You have to truly have talent for them to even consider you. I didn’t know you could draw. When did you give them your entry piece?”

  I stop in front of her, backing her up. “What do you mean, entry piece?”

  She raises her eyebrow. “Um, to get in you have to show them pieces of your work. They usually select one. Didn’t you apply?”

  “No, Nova applied for my extra classes and I never gave her anything. I didn’t even tell her how much I liked art.”

  She sucks in her bottom lip and looks away. I groan, grabbing my phone out of my back pocket.

  “If you’re calling Nova, I’m going to head to class. Your first one is in the last room on the left,” she rushes out, looking guiltily at the phone. I roll my eyes and hit dial, waving Selina off.

  “Is everything okay?” Nova greets.

  “Did you get me into the art programme here?”

  “Of course. You’re very talented.”

  I close my eyes, walking towards the classroom. “Did you not think to ask me first? And how did you even know I could draw? Did you get hold of one of my paintings?”

  She clears her throat, clearly thinking of a way to answer me. I still don’t forgive her, but at least I can be in the same room with her without wanting to hurt her. It’s a work in progress.

  “I asked your old school for reports, and when they said you were an exceptional artist, I asked for some of the pieces you did. You’ll go far with that talent.”

  I pinch the bridge of my nose, stopping to lean against the wall. “I’m also an exceptional skateboarder, but I wouldn’t take it up as a career.”

  “That’s a kid’s toy, Ivy. This will take you so far in life.”

  “You’ve clearly never seen me on a board. I’ll go far, trust me,” I reply sarcastically.

  “Ivy, take it seriously. It’s a very hard programme to get in to. Even your father struggled, and he’s really good. He has an architecture business.”

  “Peachy. Look, I’ve got to go. First class starts soon.”

  “Okay. Call me if you need anything, anything at all.”

  I end the call, not bothering to answer her. She’s been feeding me more information on my father and what he was like when they were together. Sam has done the same, forcing me to get to know him. It’s like he believes if I make him a person in my mind, know things about him on a personal level, I’ll begin to care. However, all I care about right now is getting justice for my mum. She might not deserve my help, but she deserves to have justice for what was done to her.

  I let out a deep breath, dropping my phone into my bag. I don’t know what step to take next. I’m not a mastermind. I’m just a girl. To find Royce, I need connections, connections I don’t have or know how to get. And I don’t trust Nova, Sam or the police to find him and deal with him. I can’t trust any of them, no matter what they’ve said.

  I’ve barely stepped down the hallway when a hand clamps around my waist, pulling me into a room.

  I freeze for a terrifying moment before I finally open my mouth to scream. A hand clamps over my mouth, muting the sound. Visions of Royce coming to finish the job hit me. He could have me killed, just like my mum, and there’s not a person in this world who could do anything about it. Why would they? They didn’t help my mum, and she was someone to them. I’m no one, not really.

  My body shakes with adrenaline as I struggle to get out of the person’s hold. I’m not going down without a fight.

  My nails break skin as I claw at the arm wrapped around me. A smile lifts at my lips when I feel I’ve drawn blood. The only reaction I get in return is a light grunt, and the satisfactory smile is wiped from my face.

  The tension is palpable, and panic begins to set in. I scan the area, finding myself in a bathroom, looking for an escape, but when Lucca steps out of a toilet cubicle, zipping up his trousers, my gaze widens.

  The person who has me also seems to be taken off guard, dropping me to my feet slowly.

  I inhale, exhaling slowly to catch my bearings, when a girl steps out behind Lucca, flustered and nervous as she does up the buttons on her blouse.

  What the hell?

  “Um, really, bro? I thought you were past sexually harassing Ivy.”

  My body goes slack in his arms the second I realise Kaiden is the one who grabbed me. Now that my mind has stilled somewhat, I can smell his scent. My chest tightens as I remember all the nights we fucked, how intoxicating he smelled and how I couldn’t get enough. He always smelled manly, like the outdoors with a hint of musk and spice.

  “Leave!” he orders.

  At the sound of his voice, I close my eyes for a brief moment. It’s commanding and deep. A shiver runs down my spine, and I inwardly try to shake it off.

  Lucca glances away from me to focus on his brother, various emotions running over his face. He looks torn, conflicted. I just don’t know why. It’s not like any of them cared about me, not really.

  “Bro, maybe we should just go to class.”

  “Leave!” Kaiden barks, his voice harder.

  Lucca goes to talk but shakes his head, glancing down at the girl beside him. “Come on, Leana, let’s get out of here.”

  Automatically, I glance over at Leana, stunned when I see her gazing longingly up at Kaiden, fluttering her lashes.

  “Really?” I mutter, feeling awkward for her.

  When Lucca sees what I see, a laugh spills from his lips. He’s not at all bothered his latest screw piece is checking his brother out.

  “He’s not interested,” he tells her, not an ounce of anger in his voice.

  She flushes, glancing at the floor. I’ll never understand girls like her, ones who can freely share their body with one man to the next. I’m all for fun, but it can’t be safe or healthy. I guess sleeping with Kaiden the way I did doesn’t seem so bad when
there are girls out there who don’t care who they share their bed with. Or bathroom.

  When she doesn’t move, Lucca takes her arm gently, pulling her towards the exit.

  The second I hear the bathroom door shut, I finally become unglued and shove Kaiden’s arms away from my waist.

  As I turn to face him, my heart in my throat, I see his back is to me. He pauses by the door, and for a moment, I’m pissed that he’s going to leave. I knew I would have to confront him at one point. I just didn’t expect it to be so soon.

  The lock clicks into place and I freeze, stepping back to put more distance between us. I’ve got no idea what he’s up to or what he has left to say.

  He slowly turns to confront me, and I know I was wrong when I saw him outside. He doesn’t just look good; he looks fucking hot in his uniform.

  I scan him, head to toe, and immediately, my damn traitorous body reacts. I hate that he can still elicit this kind of reaction from me. I hate that I want him, crave him.

  I open my mouth to snap a retort, but instead what leaves my lips is, “I thought he only had threesomes with Ethan?” I inwardly groan the second it spills out, but I won’t deny it was bothering me.

  He watches me closely, tilting his head in that intimidating fashion. “It’s mostly a rumour. They think it’s cool and gets them laid more if they tell people that. Most of the girls have self-respect at this school, but there are some who want to rebel from the strict and suffocating upbringing they’ve had. Lucca and Ethan do participate in threesomes, but it doesn’t mean they don’t sleep with other people separately.” He takes a moment to let me digest the information. It makes sense. The day of their birthday party, I had a feeling they were flirting with the girl to get a reaction out of me, to see if I’d be disgusted if they slept with the same girl.

  Kaiden taking a step forward shakes thoughts of the twins out of my mind, and I become alert.

  “But that isn’t what you wanted to ask me, is it?”