The Insiders (The Insiders Trilogy 1)

His words echoed in my head first.

Worry for Matt hit me second.

And third, I was seared.

Peter had walked away from me again.

I should have been used to it by now.

THIRTY-THREE

Kash called the security team on Matt, and we were pulling up outside of a dark mansion two hours later. It took us that long to get his location.

“Where are we?”

Kash flashed a quick grin at me, pocketing his keys. He had chosen to drive us himself, in a sports car. Two SUVs pulled in behind us. I recognized the guards.

“We had a team following us?”

Kash had skimmed a look over me before focusing on the road again. “There’s always a unit on us. They might not be in the car with us, but they’re around.”

The house wasn’t in a gated community. That felt wrong, but the road was isolated. I didn’t see any other houses along it, just forest. Tree after tree blanketed both sides of the road as we drove here, giving us an isolated feeling. The house itself was three stories. The driveway wasn’t long, but three cars were parked in front. I recognized a Lamborghini and assumed that was Matt’s. The others were just as expensive looking.

Kash walked ahead of me, pocketing his keys and phone. He took my hand, leading me up to a fence. He gazed up at the camera perched on top of it and, without saying anything, pushed a button. The gate swung open for him.

Strobe lights lit up the backyard. Low bass filled the air. The smell of bonfire and marijuana was strong, too. But the view. Man. The view was spectacular. This was why this house was built here. A drop-off opened up to a valley filled with lights from each of the homes nestled along the side, and the river at the bottom had bobbing boat lights.

Lush green lawns spread out until the drop at an edge.

Neon and sparkling crystal lights lit up the entire backyard.

I was getting another glimpse into a world that was so far from the one I grew up in.

Kash led me forward, circling around to the back, and we turned the corner of the house. A couple was in the pool. His lips moved down her throat.

Kash walked past without a second glance. Like it was nothing new, like it was something he saw every day.

Going through the rest of the house, we saw other couples. All having sex.

Kash tightened his hold on my hand as he opened a door that led to the basement. The bass we had heard outside was louder here. We were headed right to its source, and a sick feeling overcame me.

I didn’t know what we were going to see down there. Kash did. His face was rigid and masked, and that told me enough. But I kept with him.

More couples. More orgies.

This place—Matt was here. And he was hurting and he was here and there were drugs and I didn’t know what state we would find him in, until finally, finally, Kash pushed open a back door.

Matt’s pants were undone. Shirtless. A girl was bent over in front of him and he was thrusting inside of her. Another girl was beneath her, her mouth on the girl’s breasts.

There was more movement in the back.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I recognized Chester, Tony, and the other guy from the tent earlier. All three were nailing a third girl.

Kash flipped on the main light.

No one reacted.

Well, that’s not true.

Matt looked right at us, and even through the glaze, I could see the ugliness. He didn’t stop thrusting. He grabbed her hips and pounded even harder until he came.

Once he was done, Matt pulled up his pants, coming toward us. “You come for the show?” He passed us by, going into the hallway.

Kash didn’t follow, not right away. His gaze was on the girls on the bed. His jaw clenched before he swung his head my way. His eyes met mine, and a look passed between us. He was trying to warn me, remind me again. Kids who grew up wanting nothing, who had the power to get anything.

They could use people for their games.

Anger was building in me. They didn’t know how privileged they were.

Kash saw it coming. “Bailey.”

A growl erupted from me. I couldn’t, I just couldn’t. Storming off, going blindly through the house. Down the hallway, through the room, up the stairs, through the door, and I was lost again. Kash’s fingers curled over my arms. Taking the lead, he tugged me the rest of the way. My head remained down now. I didn’t want to see what else was happening, where the moans were coming from, what was being snorted.

Matt was outside, waiting for us.

This world—I didn’t want it. But if things had been different, I would’ve seen this long before now. I was reeling, feeling like I was half stumbling.