Lawless Kingdom (Reign & Ruin 1)

Popping the button on my bag, I dumped the contents onto Audrey’s magenta bedspread.

She strode over in all her silk under-garment glory and snatched up my dark cameo skirt.

“Ohh, I love this on you. Makes that ass look even more fantastic.”

That wasn’t why I’d chosen it. Not really. Okay, maybe it was a little bit. I was a firm believer that if you had it, you should flaunt it. Female body empowerment or whatever.

“So,” I snatched the mini skirt from her, “where are we going?”

“I told you already. Some place magical.” She studied my black bodysuit and nodded to herself as if to confirm something before spinning on her heel. She walked across the room and disappeared into her closet.

“If you’re referring to Virtue, please spare me.”

Her responding laughter carried through the air. I wasn’t amused. Virtue was a secluded hilltop in the woods. Someone had started calling it that after a dozen girls were taken there to give away their virginity, because apparently risking it all in the back or front seat of a car was romantic. It was a ridiculously stupid concept in my opinion.

I didn’t think it mattered so much where it went down but how it went down. Unless you were at church or something. That’d probably be a bad idea.

Anyways, now it was used for nothing more than hooking up. I’d never been there personally. My virtue ship sailed two years ago and nothing about the experience had been sweet. It was brutal. Filthy and exhilarating.

It’d been the one night I felt free, and at the touch of a stranger. The events that led to us coming together in such an unchangeable way could never be discussed or spoken of if not between the two of us. But I hadn’t seen him since, and I never got his name. If that made me a slut, so be it.

“Look.” Audrey appeared in the closet doorway just as I was about to take a stroll down memory lane. In her hands was a camisole crop top that matched my skirt.

“We can color co-ordinate.”

“Is that thing going to securely hold those bean bags attached to your chest?”

She flashed me a mischievous smile. “Who says I want them to be secure?”

“If your dignity could speak, probably her.” I began gathering up my few items so I could get ready.

“Have you heard from Dax?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Oh, yeah. He asked me what I was doing tonight. Won’t he be there? Wherever there is.”

She made a sound under her breath that I took as a yes, but suddenly she couldn’t seem to hold my eye.

“Okay. Spill. What the hell is going on?”

“We should get ready.” She moved from her closet to the attached bath and shut the door, completely ignoring my question.

“Audrey?”

“I’ll tell you in the car!”

I stared at the sole barrier between us, debating if I wanted to throw a fit and demand she tell me whatever it was that had her acting cagey.

We didn’t usually keep secrets from one another, especially where boys were concerned.

The only one I held close to my heart was more for her safety than anything else. Plus, I trusted Dax. For the most part. The way she was behaving made me start to wonder if I’d been wrong in doing so, because this was obviously about him.

That was ridiculous, though. Wasn’t it? If you trusted someone then it shouldn’t take something this trivial to doubt them.

Then again, it wasn’t as if the two of us had some epic teen love thing going on. Maybe I was searching for any viable excuse to just be done with this. I tried shaking off the funk that came on the heels of these thoughts, but it was too late.

A seed had been planted.

CHAPTER TWO

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 threw the best bangers. But at every place I expected Audrey to turn or slow, she kept going.

I reached out and cut off the stereo, interrupting 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, look for the house that sits by itself.”