by Rina Kent
Rhiannon
I waited for Audrey to divulge whatever it was she was so hesitant to tell me. Ten minutes into the ride I strongly considered prying her lips apart and forcing it out of her. She was spared by our surroundings becoming a temporary distraction.
I watched the scenery blow past us, noticing the houses were getting more affluent. You know the type. Large with perfect lawns and flashy cars sitting in their driveways’. I was used to parties being at the wealthier homes in Crudele. As cliché as it was, the rich kids through the best bangers. But at every place I expected Audrey to turn or slow, she kept going.
I reached out and turned the stereo down, cutting off whatever Nicki had been about to spit.
“If you’re not going to tell me what’s going on with you and Dax, can you at least tell me where we’re going?”
Her nose wrinkled, and she shot me a disapproving frown before returning her attention to the road. “I know you didn’t mean it that way, but there is nothing going on with me and Dax. As for where we’re heading, watch for the house that sits by itself.”
Okay, so that wasn’t cryptic or anything. The second part at least. I’d never thought her and Dax were doing anything that would result in both of their demise. Audrey just wasn’t that type of girl. I know they say you can never really know someone, but when it came to my best-friend, I knew her as well as I knew myself.
As for whatever the hell she meant by a house that sat by itself, I was clueless. I had never lived on her side of town.
My family wasn’t low class or poor, but we sure as shit weren’t whatever these people were classified as either.
With squinted eyes I surveyed our surroundings more carefully, as if the house I was searching for would make an appearance off that action alone. I sat up a little taller when Audrey passed a no outlet sign that seemed to be split off from the rest of the neighborhood she was driving through.
It was like entering another realm altogether. The bushy green lawns were replaced with tall trees secured behind a large iron fence, all neatly trimmed but with an eeriness to them. They didn’t seem to have grown here naturally. Like someone purposely planted them to keep prying eyes from seeing whatever was on the other side of them.
“Are you sure there’s a house…?” I trailed off when my question was answered by a gap in the tree-line.
A set of rounded gates were wide open, granting access to a winding stretch of tarmac lined with tiny bushes.
“Uh. Do you know where this goes? I’m not partial to random car rides through the woods.”
“No. I thought I’d just drive this way for the fun of it,” she replied, her tone flat. “And this isn’t even close to being considered the woods.”
“Oh, well in that case.” I rolled my hand to indicate she could continue. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious to see who lived back here.
She turned off and slowly drove up the driveway. As we got closer, “demons come to test us sometimes,” resounded through the air, a heavy bass pounding beneath it.
With my gaze trained straight ahead, I spotted one pair of taillights right behind another. I’m sure they were all nice cars, but my full focus was on the gloriously large house sitting a few yards away.
It didn’t have a shape I could easily put into words. The roof was slanted this way and that to fit the odd architecture of the home’s design.
“Before we go inside. The thing is,” -- Audrey began, pulling her car up beside a sleek BMW-- “Dax didn’t want you or me here tonight. When I told you, he would meet us here, it was to see if we showed up or not.”
“What? Why wouldn’t he want us to come?”
“I don’t know, but that’s why we did. I would have rather went bowling or something.”
What the fuck? I rubbed my brow, contemplating why he’d want to keep me and Audrey away.
Obviously, for nothing good.
“Why are you just now telling me this?”
“Because he didn’t know I was coming for sure or that I was bringing you with me.”
“And now?”
“Now I’m hoping we have the element of surprise since you didn’t call and cuss him out.”
She had me there. If there was one thing about me, it was that I tended to and charge into things guns-blazing when I was pissed off. It was a terrible personality trait for the most part, occasionally it came in handy.
Logic would always win out over rash, though. Always. I tuned back into what Audrey was saying since she apparently wasn’t done yet.
“I think Dax adores you. But on the off chance he’s in here doing fuck boy things I’ll hold him down while you rip his balls off.”
I wouldn’t be going for his balls. I’d be tearing his head off his goddamn shoulders. I’d give him the benefit of the doubt first, though. He deserved that. Even if the logical side of my brain and the tightening in my gut were screaming at me that something wasn’t right. I needed to stop this line of thinking before I made a mountain out of what could be a mole hill, which called for a change of topic.
“So, who’s house is this?”
Audrey hit the button on her dash to cut the engine and unclipped her seatbelt.
“The Barron’s.”
I did a double take, looking from the monstrous stone structure, to her. She’d said that so causally.
I almost thought she wasn’t freaking out like she should’ve been, but then a giant fucking grin spread across her face.
“That’s the real reason you wanted to come.” I laughed.
“Well, it is a bonus. They’re only the most prominent, most talked about people in Crudele.’”
“Ah, yes. The saintly, all-American golden family who can do no wrong.” I rolled my eyes so hard I was surprised they didn’t pop out of their sockets.
You couldn’t live in this town and not know about the Barron family. Hell, they owned half of it. But I was in the minority of people who didn’t idolize them. Why should I? Their existence had no bearing on my life.
Which made me wonder…
“How the hell did you get invited to this? Their actual house?”
She checked her appearance in the visor and then opened her door with a scoff. “Geez, I’m not that far down the totem pole.”
I followed her, pulling my skirt down once my booted feet were on solid ground.
“I know. But you’re not this high up either. You’ve gone to school with these people for how long?”
Her silence proved my point.
She’d been on the rim of their social circle for four years and was just now being allowed to witness, for lack of a better word, its perks.
“One of those acquaintances I was telling you about invited me. She’s all the way in with them. Super cool chick too.”
“Fabulous,” I muttered, walking alongside her.
The music seemed to have gotten even louder in the time it took us to park and get our asses out of the car.
There were only a few people lingering out in front of the house and as we got closer it was apparent as to why. The smell of weed mixed with the aroma of meats on a grill. I would’ve happily accepted both. This girl loved to eat and chill.
We paid them no mind, going right to the glossy front door, entering the house without knocking. From the cars in the driveway, the amount of people inside added up perfectly. Not too many, but more than a dozen. Audrey turned her head slowly from left to right, the awe she felt reflected in her eyes.
“This is amazing.”
I nodded in agreement. I wouldn’t turn my nose up at living here. My eyes followed the pattern in the radiant teak flooring to where it switched and formed a massive, darker hued B within a shaded circle.
B for Barron. How original.
To the immediate right was a large living room with an octagon shaped sectional, loaded with a few bodies. To my left was a dining room meant to hold more than an average sized family. All the interior was done in warm tones with a splash of cool here
and there.
Audrey took hold of my wrist and pulled me gently to the side as I continued to look around. She opened her mouth, but whatever she was saying was too quiet to be heard over the rap music flowing around us.
My gaze drifted upward, scaling the vaulted ceilings until it landed on a broad-shouldered boy who had his upper half resting on the balcony railing. Well, ‘boy’ was subjective. He didn’t look too much older than me, but at the same time he was completely different than any other guy I’d seen thus far.
Tattoos were on both his arms, shaded sleeves on alabaster skin.
He was oddly familiar. Extremely attractive. Some might have said gorgeous or sexy, but those words didn’t really fit, and I couldn’t come up with anything else on the spur of the moment.
His jawline was so well defined it could cut titanium. The hair on his head was styled in a faded undercut, so dark it had deep blue undertones. Rather fitting for his choice of outfit. He was wearing all black, a fitted V neck and jeans, off-set with a gleaming watch.
Our eyes met, or more so, my eyes met his. He’d already been staring down at me with his brilliant silver hues. My skin prickled beneath the weight of his gaze.
The expression on his face remained unreadable until someone stepped up beside him, and then a brief hint of a smile touched his lips when he glanced away to speak to them.
I looked over at Audrey, the silent bystander to me and mystery guy’s mini stare down. “Who is--?”
“Rhia?”
At the sound of Dax’s voice. I turned towards the living room just in time to see the irritation written all over his face be wiped away with a frown.
“Surprise?” I held my hands out in front of me. He reached out and took hold of them, tugging me forward so that I was pressed against his chest.
“What are you doing here?”
“I imagine the same thing you are Dax. I came to enjoy a party. Why are you here?” I leaned back so I could see his features.
“Yeah. An informant let it be known you didn’t want her here. Can’t possibly figure out why.” Audrey feigned indifference.
Dax’s green eyes cut to her in a narrow glare.
“Stop the bullshit Audrey. We both know who that informant was. And to clarify, I didn’t want you here either.”
Oh, Dax cursing meant he was more than a little irritated. Now I was sure something was off. I cupped the side of his face, forcing his attention away from my best-friend, and back to me. “But we don’t know why you didn’t want us here. And we’re both curious.”
I let my tone carry my true implication. If he didn’t start talking, I would flip shit right here and now without giving a single fuck. I may have been unsure of things, but I wouldn’t be made a fool either.
“Rhia,” he sighed, running his hands up my arms. “Can we just...?”
As if someone had called his name, he turned and looked straight up at the balcony. I followed his stare and saw the same guy watching the two of us with what I dared say was interest and something…darker.
And he wasn’t the only one staring.
Quite a few party goers had their eyes trained on us. Or rather me, which was understandable. These people would know Audrey and Dax from their school. I on the other hand was someone foreign, new, and so unlike them.
“Let’s go talk.” He didn’t give me a chance to object. Taking hold of my hand, he led me away from the front door. “You too,” he called over his shoulder to Audrey.
It was much quieter beneath a gazebo. Of course, it was also so far from the house that all I could see were the upper windows.
The music and conversation were considerably less here too since not another soul was around.
“This is creepy, Dax. Why did you bring us out here?” Audrey questioned.
“If it was that bad you could have stayed back at the party.”
“And let you bring her out here alone?” She scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest, which lifted her tits even higher. I was surprised they’d fit in the crop top she had on, but she still looked amazing, as per usual.
“I’d never hurt Rhia. Or you, even though you piss me off more than anyone else ever has in my life.”
“That’s very touching, but can you tell me what’s going on?” I interjected before they could start going back and forth.
“I didn’t want you to find out this way,” he sighed and ran a hand through his tight curls.
I shared a look with Audrey. This wasn’t starting off too well.
“Find what out?”
“That’s just it, bae. I can’t even tell you all the details, only that you two didn’t end up here randomly.”
I internally cringed at his poor choice of words He knew the use of ‘bae’ irked me on so many levels.
Audrey laughed lightly, shaking her head. “Brianna came running up to me at the gas station. That’s not random? The two of us aren’t exactly hitting up the mall together when they have a sale.”
I had no idea who this Brianna girl was, but that wasn’t all that relevant to me right then.
“If you would’ve taken a second to think about it, no. This was nothing more than a ruse to lure you out. You’re fresh meat in Crudele.”
Lure us out? We weren’t hidden away. I would have laughed if he didn’t look so serious. The ‘fresh meat’ comment wasn’t particularly offensive by itself, but the way he said it gave me cause for concern.
“What the fuck does any of that mean Dax?” Audrey snapped. “Stop being so vague.”
“The Barrons, the Knights, the Rooks. They’re not who anyone thinks they are,” he stressed. “They’re not good people.”
I could tell he felt strongly about this. I mean, he sounded as if he were on the verge of a breakdown. I couldn’t validate or debunk anything he’d just said. I didn’t know any of the aristocratic families well enough to deem his words true or not. I didn’t know them at all, actually. He and Audrey were the ones who went to the same school as the younger generations.
“How would you know any of this?” she asked him, stealing my next thought right from my brain.
“I’m, here aren’t I? And unlike you two, I wasn’t invited. I’m supposed to be here since I’m family.”
Um. What? “What do you mean?” I asked at the same time Audrey repeated back, “Family?”
He reached for my hand, threading his fingers through mine. With another heavy sigh he exhaled the truth in a breath of words. “The Barrons and I our cousins by marriage.”
“I--.” Didn’t know what the to say. We’d been together six months and I hadn’t so much as heard a whisper about this from anyone. I didn’t involve myself in gossip, wasn’t a fan of participating or spreading it around, but I was certainly a different kind of whore for it. Always eager to receive the best parts.
“Dax…” I pulled away from him and rubbed my brow, still at a loss for words. If I could’ve cataloged this moment that I never in a million years saw coming, I’d have been able to look back knowing it was the first truths of many. None of them as harmless as they first seemed, especially this one.
“Why would you hide something like that?” Audrey asked, disbelief coloring her tone.
“I don’t have a choice. Think of it as a gag order. I shouldn’t even have told you two now, but I don’t know what else to do anymore.”
“I don’t understand. Is it…not safe?” I felt ridiculous asking that. I half expected him to give me his signature goofy grin and say he was just fucking with us.
“It’s complicated and I can’t explain it anymore right now.” He paused and looked off into the distance, towards the house.
“We’ve been gone too long. When we get back, we need to act normal for a little and then leave. And no matter what happens from here forward…don’t ever trust them. Either of you.”
That had a scowl overtaking my frown. “Why are you telling me—us—all of this now? Because we’re here? You wouldn’t have told me otherwise?”
I understood that more than he could possibly know because there were days, I still was unsure about our relationship, especially as of late.
That was a conversation for another time and the reminder kind-of made me feel like I had no right to be upset about this. So, I simply nodded. I couldn’t think of what else to do, unsure how to take in this news.
“This is all because of him,” he said so quietly I wasn’t sure Audrey and I were meant to hear it.
“What is?” I asked anyways. When he started forward, keeping hold of me so I would follow, I was expecting him not to answer. When he did, all his response managed to do was confuse me even more than I already was.
“He decided he wants you, and I’m not sure I can keep you safe. No one can.”
I stared blankly at the back of his head. Who the hell was he was referring to?
Chapter Three
Rhiannon
“Act natural.”
Dax spoke those two words nearly forty minutes ago. Almost three drinks later, also thanks to Dax, I was ready to go.
It wasn’t that the party was lame or anything, but my boyfriend’s cryptic ass revelation and ominous warning sort-of put a damper on the evening’s festivities. And for someone who had seemed rather eager to do the same, it felt like Dax was suddenly procrastinating.
The people around me didn’t suffer from my mental woes. Two naked girls ran past hand and hand, laughing as they jumped into the large pool out back. I didn’t have to turn around to know that’s where they were going. The splash was proof enough.
Their girls looked great. Perky and all that, but I could’ve gone my whole life without seeing those areolas.
I ignored all the curious eyes as I weaved around people holding the signature red party cups and brown beer bottles. Weaving was literal. My head felt as if it was being filled with fog or something and perspiration was gathering on the back of my neck.
I’d left Audrey with Dax so I could find a bathroom to get myself together and relieve my bladder. I’m sure she would have gone with me, but I was a capable girl. I didn’t need someone to help me wipe.
