Wrong Crowd (Kingsley Academy Book 1)

by Lisa Helen Gray

  Everything here is valuable, it’s just not valuable in money. I keep my thoughts to myself and tighten my lips at him.

  Elle steps out, her smile brightening when she sees the man. “Ed, meet Ivy, Nova Monroe’s niece.”

  “She doesn’t have a niece,” he says, not taking his gaze from me.

  “Yes, she does. This is her. Now lose the frown. She’s a guest,” she orders him, handing me a glass of what I hope is iced lemonade. I waste no time in gulping it down, not stopping to take a breath. “I’ll go get you another.”

  Her laughter fades as she moves back into the kitchen. I turn back to Ed, glaring back at him. If he thinks I’m going to suck up to him just to change his perception of me then he’s wrong.

  “One thing goes missing, girly, and I’ll be phoning the police.”

  “Carry on. I’m not a thief,” I snap.

  “Not what gossip around here is saying.”

  “Excuse you, but I’ve been to town once in the five days I’ve been here. All my time has been spent at the house I can assure you. You shouldn’t listen to idle gossip. If I were going to steal, I would have done it when I was hungry or when I needed some shampoo, not when I have more than I’ve had in my life.”

  He watches me a minute before shrugging and taking a seat at the table. I slowly sit down opposite him, wondering what he’s going to do.

  “Never listened to town gossip. Uptight people around here don’t know what’s going on inside their own houses, much less someone else’s.”

  “So why did you—”

  “My Elle is a good woman. She’s had a tough life and has been walked on by some of the people around here. And no offence, love, but you look like someone who is ready to murder the next person they see.”

  “Here you go,” Elle says, bringing out a jug and filling my glass up.

  “Thank you,” I tell her, drinking it more slowly this time.

  “How did it go, sweetie?”

  Ed looks to his wife, rolling his eyes. “My heart is fine, Elle. I keep telling you that. All is good.”

  “I’ll ask Lewis later.”

  He groans. “Woman, I’m fine!”

  “I’ll ask Lewis,” she confirms, looking from him to me. “Now that we have five minutes, do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?”

  I look between them. “Nothing is bothering me.”

  Ed groans as he lifts up from his chair. “My game show starts soon.”

  “You mean you need a nap?” Elle calls out after him.

  “Woman, I rest my eyes.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” she mutters before bringing her gaze back to me. “Now, spill.”

  “There’s nothing to spill.”

  She raises her eyebrow at me. “A girl like you always has something to spill. You’re hot gossip around here.”

  “So I’ve heard,” I mutter dryly.

  “Look, we might not know each other, child, but you can trust me. Something tells me you don’t trust a lot of people in your life, and around here, that will get you eaten. Everyone is out for themselves and you need someone on your side.”

  “And you’re that person?”

  “Not if you don’t want me to be,” she tells me, and I can see the truth on her face.

  I sigh, leaning back in the chair, feeling the sting of sunburn on my back. “I don’t know my mum.”

  “I thought your mum died?” she asks, her lips twisting in confusion.

  “She did. But I feel like I didn’t even know her. She was a shit mum, didn’t really care if I was fed or clothed, yet I loved her just enough to put up with it and learn to take care of myself.” I take a deep breath, not used to confiding in anyone. “Since I’ve come here I feel like people know more about me than I do, more about my mum. It’s like there’s this black cloud over her name, but everyone is talking in riddles. Then earlier, I found a photo of my mum. She looked so different, so young and happy, and I’ve never seen that side to her. Hell, I didn’t even know we had other family members. It’s always been just us.”

  “She was a happy child,” Elle agrees, and my eyes widen.

  “You knew my mum?”

  “Girl, everyone knew your mum. She was a sweetheart, always helping out at church, school clubs and social events. You name it, your mum was involved.”

  Perplexed, I can only stare into space for a moment, digesting everything she just said. “My mum was a drunk, a smackhead and a bum. We were poor as dirt and have been squatting in an old block of flats, scrounging for food. That doesn’t sound like my mum.”

  “Not sure what happened. We were busy with the stables, but she seemed to change overnight. Gone was the sweet girl everyone knew and in her place was a young woman, rebelling at everything.”

  “You don’t know what happened?”

  She doesn’t meet my gaze. “It’s not for me to tell you, child. Ask your aunt. There were a lot of rumours around at that time.”

  “When did she leave here, this place? I don’t understand; if she had all of this, then why did she leave or not ask for help?”

  “That, I don’t know. We watched her lose herself over the years. By the time all of her friends got married, had kids and stuff, she got worse. She didn’t hang out with them, mind you. She rarely hung around here at all, but a few days before she left, everyone felt the tension. We knew something bad was happening. Then she was just gone. It took a month for us to realise she wasn’t coming back. She’d taken off from time to time since finishing school, but never for that long.”

  “She just left and no one said anything?” I ask sceptically.

  “Yes. Rumours were going around, mind you. One was that she had died, that Royce Kingsley killed her.”

  “Royce Kingsley?” I ask, listening now. He was one of the guys in the picture.

  Her lips twist. “Yes. He was in their group of friends, but a bad seed that one. And Neil Tucker. Both of them had the wool pulled over everyone’s eyes, but I could see them for who they really were.”

  “I don’t—I don’t understand.”

  She places her hand on mine. “I’ve probably said too much. Just be careful of Royce and Richard. Your mum wasn’t born the woman she died as. She was forced to be it, and if I were to guess, it was to protect herself the only way she knew how.”

  She stands before I get the chance to ask any more questions, and I have a trillion of them. However, I have more to go on than I did when I woke up this morning.

  Something happened, something so bad my mum changed who she was and turned to drink and drugs to cope with it.

  I just need to find out why or who.

  I guess I’m going to a party after all.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  I stand at the back gate of the Kingsley’s property, fidgeting with the edge of my ripped denim shorts. I’ve never been to a party before, not like this. The parties I went to involved a bottle of cheap beer or cider, sitting in the park. We played music from our phones or just hung around chatting shit, while the lads looked for trouble.

  This party is something else. Music is blaring, and I can hear girls squealing and giggling. I can hear splashes as well, which is why I headed this way instead of going through the front door. My first idea was to go that way so I could ease into the party and maybe pretend to get lost—which wouldn’t be an overstatement since their house is huge—then snoop around.

  Then my mind drifted to Kaiden. Something tells me he’s the kind of guy who would be seeking me out. The front door would be the best place to do that, which is why I avoided going that way.

  Which leads me to here. Our main gardens are fenced off with perfectly trimmed evergreen shrubs, but the rest of the land behind me is shared.

  Pushing open the gate, my eyes widen at the scene in front of me. Girls in barely-there bikinis, some not even wearing the top half, are laying around the large pool and hot tub. All of a sudden, I feel overdressed, and before I was panicking about being underdressed in only my denim shorts a
nd white tank top.

  People are drinking, smoking, and if I can believe my eyes, one table are snorting up coke.

  This is not how I expected one of their parties to go. At all. Kaiden doesn’t seem the type to be social. However, this is the twins’ birthday, so maybe they are.

  Yeah, I really need to get out of here, but first, I need to find answers that might be in that house.

  Finding the wide double doors that lead into the house, I take a step in that direction when a tall, dark figure steps out in front of me, startling me.

  “Sorry,” I excuse myself, going to step around him, but he sides steps me, caging me in.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  Is this guy for real? Wait, is there anyone who doesn’t know who I am?

  “Was there an announcement on Facebook or something? I’m flattered and all, but this is too much. Now move out of my way,” I snap, moving around him.

  He blocks my path again, glaring holes into me with those dark eyes of his. “I said, what. The. Fuck. Are. You. Doing. Here.”

  “Who are you?”

  He blinks, grabbing my biceps. “You don’t get to ask questions, bitch. Now, why the fuck are you here? Come to score? Get laid? ‘Cause I’m telling you, no one is buying what you’re selling.”

  This guy is a serious fucking jerk. I take a step forward, poking my finger in his chest. “What the fuck is wrong with you people? You don’t even know me to talk crap about me. Who the fuck do you think you are?”

  He smirks, but his eyes roll in disgust. “Trust me, we know who you are, and who I am doesn’t fucking concern you.”

  I don’t like the tone in which he says it. I don’t. I push past him again, and he lets me, but I don’t get far before he’s gripping my bicep hard enough to leave a bruise this time. I shove him off, ready to knee him in the balls.

  “Watch your back. Your kind aren’t welcome here,” he sneers.

  “I must be an alien,” I snap, wondering what kind I am. There is no way they know where I’ve come from, and even if they do, it doesn’t make me a different species. For rich guys, they are pretty dumb. “And word of advice, the last person to touch me without permission is probably still icing his precious jewels.”

  He glares for a moment longer before storming off, shoving his shoulder into me. I fall to the side and collapse against a table, spilling drinks and glasses. The crowd cheers when they hear them break, and I close my eyes in embarrassment.

  Getting up, I wipe the drink from my hands. I thought I could do this; get in there and look around before leaving. I can’t though. I’ve been here five minutes and a wolf came out to play.

  “Seems you’ve pissed the prince off.” I look up to the girl who just spoke and groan. She’s represents everything Barbie, with fake boobs, dyed hair and clearly showing signs of having work done on her face.

  “Looks like,” I snark. I’m pissed about the alcohol on my top—not because it’s going to stain, but because it’s got that smell I loathe.

  “You really should watch your back. You’ll never fit in here.”

  I look up from wiping my top and tilt my head at her. “Because I don’t have fake boobs, blonde hair and plaster my makeup on?”

  Her eyes narrow into slits and her lips press together in a firm line. “No, because you’re a nobody. You’ll never be one of us, even if you are living with Miss Monroe.” She cackles, eyeing me like a peasant. “You’ve got balls coming to this party, I’ll give you that. But don’t, for one second, think that they want you here. They hate you. Everything about you.”

  “Katrina, don’t you have a hole to be filled?”

  I look over my shoulder to see both twins step up behind me. I’m kind of pissed I’m relieved to see him, because I was seconds away from making a fool of myself.

  She pastes on a fake smile for the twins. “Don’t be so crass, Ethan.”

  “Don’t be such a bitch then.”

  Her top lip curls at him. “You’re sticking up for her? Does your brother know? Grant?” She smiles sweetly now, a cunning look to her. “Maybe I’ll go tell them how you’re entertaining the guests.”

  Ethan and Lucca just sound bored. “How about we tell Grant how we caught you sucking Jamie’s cock last week in the front of his car.”

  “Screw you, Lucca.”

  They laugh as she shuffles off, her arse cheeks hanging out of her bright pink bikini. Could she find one smaller?

  Thank god that’s over. I can’t do this though. I might be a bitch at times and hard to get to know, but these guys are ruthless. I didn’t come here to be a punching bag for whatever problem they have with me.

  “Where you going, love?”

  I groan when the twins twist me back around. “Home, so get out of my way.”

  “Who did that?” Lucca asks, seeing the forming bruise on my arm.

  I rub it like it’s going to disappear. It clearly doesn’t. “No one. Now move. I’m going.”

  They look at each other before pouncing on me. Ethan, I think, swoops me up over his shoulder and slaps my arse. “Nope. You need to have a drink with the birthday boys. It’s not every day you turn eighteen. And we start school again soon. Don’t be boring.”

  “I don’t drink,” I snap, bringing my fists down hard on his back.

  Lucca grins, walking behind us. “Who doesn’t drink?”

  “I don’t,” I snap. “Now, put me fucking down before I bite you.”

  He quickly deposits me on the floor in a secluded area at the side of the building, glaring at me. “Put those gnashers away, Monroe. Fuck, you’re feisty. Just stay and enjoy the party.”

  I lean back against the wall. “I don’t know anyone.” I feel like a sulky teenager. I groan, wishing I did drink. After watching what it did to my mum, I stupidly tried it once to see why she did it and never drunk it again. I was ill for fucking days.

  “You know us two,” Ethan offers.

  I eye him suspiciously. The other day they were tearing me a new one and now they’re acting like we’re best friends.

  “That’s not really a good example, Ethan. You both sexually harassed me the first time we met. The second time isn’t looking good for you two either, since you manhandled me over here.”

  Just then, a girl in a scrap of material covering her sex and tits saunters over, swinging her hips side to side. Her bleach-blonde hair is up in a high bun, but she starts twirling a fallen piece when her gaze lands on the prize.

  The twins.

  Jesus, do they bleach everyone’s hair around here or what?

  I snort, nearly choking when I try to cover my laughter, when she nearly trips in her heels. The guys adjust their junk, and I roll my eyes. Typical males.

  Blondie’s gaze turns into slits when she sees me next to them. Guess she doesn’t like someone next to her prize.

  “Boys,” she purrs. “Would you like to come for a dip in the pool?”

  Both Ethan and Lucca turn to each other. They seem to be communicating something because Ethan draws his attention back to Blondie. “You want us to fuck you, is that it?”

  “It’d be good,” she drawls, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth.

  She can’t be for real. And in front of me.

  Wait, both of them?

  What world have I walked into?

  “Maybe. Why don’t you suck our dicks first, let us test the waters, so to speak,” Lucca replies, his voice low and seductive. A shiver of surprise runs up my spine at how blatant they’re being. Who talks to girls like that?

  Do they even remember I’m here?

  I look from them to Blondie, wondering how she’s gonna react at being disrespected like that. She pulls her shoulders back and her face morphs into excitement. “I’m willing to do anything.”

  I gag—I can’t help it. They aren’t fucking made of gold. Does she have no shame?

  “What are you looking at?” she snaps when she hears me.

  I tilt my head, gazing b
ehind her. “Just your dignity drowning itself in the pool.”

  She has the stupidity to look behind her. The boys begin to laugh, causing her attention to go back to them.

  “Shall we go somewhere private?”

  “Here’s good. We’re private enough.” Lucca grins, licking his lips.

  She only spares me a brief glance before bending to her knees in front of him.

  “You can’t be serious,” I snap, not looking down.

  Ethan winks at me. “Feel like helping her out, go for it.”

  “You’re going to do this—out in the open? What kind of party is this?” I hiss.

  “One where guests aren’t allowed upstairs. If we want to fuck, we’ll go there, but she’s sucking our dicks, not riding them,” he tells me, like it’s normal. Probably is for him.

  I hear the sound of clothing drop to the floor, and I have no idea what possesses me, but I look instead of running away. She has her hand on the base of his dick, and I squeak when his hard dick disappears into her mouth. He moans and I jump, meeting his gaze. He’s watching me, smirking while the blonde bitch bobs her head on his dick.

  “Oh my God,” I groan, rushing away. “Fucking hell.”

  “Come on, Ivy,” Lucca calls, laughter in his voice. “You’re used to seeing stuff like this, aren’t you? Or is it different seeing it from a bird’s-eye view?”

  “Arsehole,” I yell, moving through the crowd and ignoring their taunting laughter.

  I scan the area, avoiding the pool at all costs, when I notice another couple going at it under a canopy. They’re alone in there, but anyone could see. I can see.

  This is too much. I’m out of my element here. I knew parties could get rowdy, but not like this.

  I move faster when the girl starts to scream and find a quiet area in the back. I take a seat on a stone bench, shoving my face into my hands.

  “What was I thinking,” I groan quietly.

  Footsteps sound near, and I slink further down the bench and out of the light.

  “What the fuck is she doing here?”

  “Grant, she doesn’t know,” Kaiden replies, and hearing his deep voice sends a shiver down my spine.