“My mum wants me to deposit money into the bank,” she tells me, pulling open a small cupboard in the corner of the hall and unlocking the safe. She counts notes, about eight hundred pounds’ worth, then shoves the pile into her purse.
“He wasn’t that Bryan guy, was he? I remember you describing him differently. That one was hot. I’m digging the smile and the shaggy blonde hair. Plus, he’s tall.”
I huff, scrunching my nose at her calling Chris hot. He’s nothing but vulgar in my eyes. “No. That wasn’t him. ”
“Well, whoever he was, please keep it in the bedroom,” she says, tilting her head towards the door. “Come on. I can give you a lift to Lu’s.”
The drive is filled with Tylar reeling off the rules of the studio, and I stare out of the window as I offer sounds of acknowledgment. But when she tells me that a house is currently on fire in Branchton, I look at her with pinched brows. No casualties, but apparently the homeowner was beaten to a pulp.
The name hasn’t been released.
My phone vibrates, and when I look down, I roll my eyes. The usual threat. One that used to make my skin crawl and dread returning home. But now it’s just routine from him.
DoNotAnswer: Be a good girl tonight.
I snarl at the screen, my fingers moving before I can stop them.
Me: Leave me alone.
The drive to Luciella’s takes us through to the loch, and the trees surround the road. We stop at the electric gates of the extravagant manor I still find breathtaking. Tylar tells me she’ll catch up in a few hours before driving off.
Once she’s gone, I ring the bell; the two dogs start barking like crazy, which has me smiling.
As soon as the door swings open, my smile drops, and I’m trapped under Kade’s dark scowl. It’s full of so much hatred and betrayal. If I’m not mistaken, he’d rather see me beneath the wheel of his motorbike than standing on his doorstep.
His two Dobermanns, Milo and Hopper, who are usually away with him at university, sniff at my legs and hands, both growing excited when they recognise my scent .
Instead of cowering with my tail between my legs or backing down from their owner, I lower myself to fuss over the dogs while I level him with a look just as grim.
He breaks eye contact first, turning his large muscular back to me as he whistles for the dogs to follow. He’s wearing a hoodie, a backwards cap to hide his messy hair and has a beer bottle in his hand. I’m guessing he’s not going out tonight.
I roll my eyes and mumble, “Great,” under my breath as I close the door behind me.
This will be fun.
3
STACEY
“If I wear the red dress then I can’t wear a red top tomorrow,” Lu says, alternating pressing each hanger to her chest. “But the blue is a little short.”
“Then wear another – you have plenty of dresses,” I tell her as I paint my nails, a towel wrapped around me and wet hair down my back. I’m lying on my front, on her bed, while she loses her shit every five minutes about what to wear.
“But I want to wear the red dress.”
“Then wear it,” I say, twisting the lid onto the polish and blowing on my nails.
“You aren’t even helping me, Stacey!” she replies with a huff and tosses both hangers onto the floor. “I can’t wear red. I’m wearing a red top tomorrow.”
My best friend is insufferable at times.
“Oh yeah, I meant to tell you that Kade and the others aren’t going out tonight. They cancelled their plans when Dez told them I was having a party.”
“I gathered,” I reply, not looking up from my screen, staring at the annoying messages from Chris I’ve left unanswered.
I’ll eventually have to respond, because if I don’t, he’ll track me here, and that’s the last thing I need.
When I go home, I’ll dodge him. There are five rooms he can’t unlock from the outside; I’m well versed in the manor’s hiding spots.
One day, I’ll be free. But I guess that’s the same day I slash his throat, because other than death, I’m not sure anything will stop him until I’m fully his.
The thought of giving in to Chris makes me feel sick.
Lu chucks a pair of rolled-up socks at my face. “Did you hear me?”
“What did you say?”
She sighs. “I know you’re not a fan of Kade and his friends. I’m hoping they stay away so you don’t leave.”
I snort. She knows me too well, but I wouldn’t be leaving because I can’t stand them – I just can’t stand the looks he gives me. “Did you tell him to stay on his side of the manor?”
“God, yes. I don’t think I can handle Base and his constant need to talk about sex. If they decide to have a full-on orgy again, I’ll kill them all.”
“You weren’t even there,” I say. “It’s not like you witnessed it happening.”
“I sat on the sofa Base was humping on two days later,” she mumbles.
I giggle, trying to rid myself of the memory as if I hadn’t been there without my best friend knowing. Tylar wanted to spy on Dez at the pool house, because she was still head over heels for him. She asked me to go with her, and obviously, so I could catch a glimpse of Kade, I agreed.
I wish I hadn’t.
We walked into the building and froze on the spot while a full sex-fest went on in front of us, music blaring.
Base, the Russian heir to an entire empire who never takes his eyes off Luciella, was snorting lines of coke from a set of tits while getting his dick sucked.
Dez had someone bouncing over him and froze when he saw Tylar.
Kade kept his scowl on me as he took his place behind a blonde bending over a pool table, naked, unbuckling his belt with a slowness that made me grit my teeth.
He didn’t take his eyes off me as he pushed into her.
I hadn’t felt pure rage until he smirked.
Bastard.
“I think Base just tries to get your attention,” I say. “To make you jealous or something. He’s been trying with you for years.”
A darkness unravels over Lu’s face. “Well, he can stop. Just like Dez and Tylar stopped. It never ends well.”
Ty and Dez had a thing; Lu found out and went crazy, declaring that none of her friends should go anywhere near Kade’s little trio. As much as I tried to tell her to calm down, that they were harmless, Ty called things off with him.
And I know it hurt her and Dez when she did.
Tylar and the rest arrive an hour later, and the night begins as we stand in a circle, taking shots that burn my chest.
Luckily, this house is big enough that Kade’s little get-together is non-existent compared to the party Lu is throwing. And since alcohol is slowly slithering through my veins, a part of me is wondering if they’ll invite loads of girls over.
The music’s loud enough that my ears are ringing. Someone brought strobe lights. The flashing has bodies glitching while they dance.
My phone vibrates, and I tut.
DoNotAnswer: If you don’t reply, I’m coming to get you from whoever it is that you’re fucking.
I roll my eyes, muttering, “Asshole.”
“Who the hell is that?” Tylar asks with furrowed brows, looking over my shoulder.
I put my phone in my bra, shrugging as I take her glass and down the vile, strong drink it contains.