Lawless Kingdom (Reign & Ruin 1)

You couldn’t live in this town and not know about the Barron family. Hell, they owned half of it. I was in the minority of people who didn’t idolize them. And why should I? Their existence had no bearing on my life.

Which made me wonder…

“How the hell did you get invited to this? To 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.

“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 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.

We paid them no mind, going right to the glossy front door and entering the house without knocking. From the cars in the driveway, the number of people inside added up perfectly.

There were bodies everywhere. Audrey turned her head slowly from left to right, awe reflecting 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 drunken couples. 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 music pounding the air 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 to any other guy I’d ever seen, which said a lot.

Tattoos were on both his arms, shaded sleeves on alabaster skin. He was oddly familiar and extremely attractive. His jawline was so well-defined it could cut titanium. The hair on his head was styled in a faded undercut, and so dark it had deep blue undertones. He was wearing all black, a fitted V neck and jeans, off-set with a gleaming watch.

Our eyes met, or rather, my eyes met his. He’d already been staring down at me. My skin prickled beneath the weight of his gaze.

The expression on his face remained unreadable until someone stepped up beside him. 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 our 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 by 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. 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. I’m pretty sure 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 between us, but I wouldn’t be made a fool of, either.