Lawless Kingdom (Reign & Ruin 1)

“You know what my favorite part of that night was? Besides placing an invisible collar on your ass?”

I swallowed and shook my head, slowly closing my legs.

“I fucked the only girl I’ve ever been warned to stay away from. Fucked her so hard my dick was chafed the next day.”

Confusion worked its way into my mushed-up brain. “What are you talking about?”

“Ask the Clermonts. They know my family well.”

My surprise was barely containable. His statement snapped me back to reality. Cognizant my house was a mere few yards away, I grabbed my satchel, opening the door without another word.

Judas said something about the morning, but I shut him away without a reply, hurrying the rest of the way to my house.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Rhiannon

I understood now.

Audrey said there had been rumors.

Dax claimed the families weren’t who they pretended to be.

What happened between Judas and me made a hell of a lot more sense now. I wasn’t sure what it was they were into, but I knew it involved shallow graves and dark secrets.

None of that bothered me.

I couldn’t pretend it did. Judas knew it didn’t. I was beginning to wonder if the others did too. That would explain why they were so readily accepting of me. Their close-knit circle had never been breached before. It was impenetrable. I was in now whether I wanted to be or not—deeply, if Judas had anything to do with it.

This is what bothered me.

What right did he have to think he could take control of my life? I knew I could handle him. It would shred every part of the girl I wanted to pretend I was, but I’d be fine in the end.

But would Audrey? She was involved now too, and I knew it was because of me. And then there were my parents. Judas said to ask the Clermonts. That implied I wasn’t one. I could’ve been thinking too hard about this. I knew better, though.

Judas may have spoken in riddles, but they would always make sense when deciphered. Though some part of him clearly enjoyed my confusion or misery. Probably both. A knock sounded on the bathroom door. I jumped, causing water to slosh onto the floor.

“Yeah?” I called out.

“Dinner’s ready,” Dad replied.

“I’ll be right there!”

I pulled the tub stopper to let the water drain and climbed out.

After dressing quickly in simple cotton shorts and a tank, I tossed my hair up into a bun, surveyed my reflection in the mirror to make sure my orgasmic bliss wasn’t obvious, and then headed downstairs.

The smell of spaghetti and garlic bread filled the air, but for once my appetite was non-existent. My head was all over the place. So much had happened over the past few weeks. I wished life would pause for a second before throwing any more curveballs at me. I also knew just for daring to want such a thing, ten more would be coming.

I helped Mom set the table and even served myself a regular portion for appearance’s sake. The usual questions followed.

“How was your first day?” Dad asked.

“It was okay, made some friends.”

“Of course, you did. You’ve always been well liked,” Mom said.

If it hadn’t been for the day’s events, I would have missed the smallest hint of bitterness hanging at the end of that sentence. I twirled some pasta on my fork, watching her from below my lashes.

Sitting there looking at the two of them had me remembering that morning. I forced a bite into my mouth, telling myself that I was being paranoid.

“So, Audrey didn’t mind bringing or taking you home?” Dad asked.

“Actually,” I began, making a split-second decision as to how I wanted to play this, “my chaperone gave me a ride home.”

“Oh, boy or girl?” Mom sat taller in her chair, eager for my answer.

“Boy…”

She smiled. “Is he cute?”

Dad gave her a look that could have shot a bird down from the sky.

“He’s gorgeous,” I sighed, all dramatic like.

“What’s his name?”

“Judas Barron,” I replied flippantly, scooping up another bite of unwanted pasta.

Echoing silence blasted through the air. I glanced between the two of them as some silent communication went down.

“I told you,” Mom said suddenly.

“Told me what?”

“She was talking to me,” Dad replied. “Are you sure he’s the best person for you to be hanging out with, sweetheart?”

I fought to keep my expression neutral. If his grip on the fork was anything to go by, he wanted to say something much different than he just had.

It was the little things about people you had to pay attention to. Body language. Words could be dipped in sugar and smiles were forced at the drop of a dime.

“We aren’t ‘hanging out.’ He gave me a ride home.”

“So, then you gave a complete stranger our address?” Mom checked.

Now that she mentioned it, I hadn’t told Judas where I lived. He just knew. Furthermore… “Wait. You were just excited that a cute boy brought me home. An actual cute boy did bring me home, but this one is a problem because…?”