Wrong Crowd (Kingsley Academy Book 1)

by Lisa Helen Gray

  “They don’t hate you, Ivy,” she tells me, stepping closer. She surveys the area before pulling me in closer, keeping her voice low. “Keep away from the secrets. No good can come of them.”

  She turns to leave, and I chase after her. “Wait, Annette, I need to know. No one is telling me anything, and Nova is as tight-lipped as a nun’s vagina.”

  Annette gasps. “Do not say such crude things. I can’t talk about this. I’ll lose my job, and me and my husband love it here.”

  I don’t want her to lose her job, not when she has it good here. She doesn’t pay rent or bills here. If she were fired, she’d have none of that.

  “I’m sorry.” Tears of frustration gather in my eyes. “I just want answers. I’ve grown up both hating and loving my mum. I always thought she was weak and a waste of space, but something inside of me is telling me she was that way for a reason.” Deflated, my shoulders sag. “Or maybe it’s wishful thinking.”

  A cold hand clasps mine when I go to walk away. Annette blinks, watching me for a moment, deciding what she wants to say. “Why don’t you pick a nice book from the library tomorrow and sit outside.”

  The bizarre order comes out more like a question. However, it’s the fearful look in her eyes that has me mutely nodding. I stand in the foyer, wondering what world I’ve been thrown in to.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  I stare outside the window, feeling my eyes slowly droop from two sleepless nights.

  The night of the twins’ party did something to me. Not just the pool incident, but also what happened with Kaiden. It’s played over and over in my mind.

  I had heard them arrive back at around four in the morning, but I didn’t bother going to the window to check who it was. I felt emotionally drained, and I didn’t want them to see me that way. I couldn’t let them see me vulnerable, because like the pack of wolves they are, they would pounce.

  Nova was busy with work, but she did send Annette up to my room to bring me food when I refused to go down. I lied and told them I wasn’t feeling very well, but Annette knew the truth.

  I just need a plan, something to help me figure this shit out.

  I scream when my door flies open with a bang. I sit up in bed, clutching the thin bedsheet to my chest.

  For a moment, my mind went to Grant, thinking he had come to finish the job he started in that pool. But my eyebrows draw together when a slim figure with bright red hair steps through the door.

  “Cousin!” the loud girl yells.

  I look around, wondering if this is another prank. “Um...”

  “I’m Selina. Nova’s my aunt—kind of aunt. My uncle was married to her, until—you know…”

  Wait, Nova was married? She never mentioned that, but then again, I never asked. Hold on…

  “Does Nova have kids?” I ask, wishing I had asked Nova this when we first decided I was coming here.

  Selina’s eyebrows arch before she giggles, throwing herself across the bottom of my bed. “No, silly. I’m like a daughter to her. My dad is always away for work, and I think my mum forgot she had a child.”

  I know how that feels.

  “How can she forget she had a child?” More importantly, someone as bubbly as her.

  She rolls her eyes at me. “I know, right? She loves to shop though.”

  “Not to be rude or anything, but what are you doing in here?”

  “I’m staying here. School starts soon and usually I spend time with Dad, but the jerk went and booked a ticket somewhere for him and his mistress. I didn’t want to stay in London for four weeks on my own, so I came here early.”

  “That doesn’t explain why you’re in here.”

  “You really are closed off, huh? Nova did warn me.”

  I can’t help but grin. “Not really. But Nova didn’t even mention she had a niece.”

  Her mouth gapes open. “She didn’t mention me? But I’m the light of her life.” Exhaling, she drops down onto her back. “I guess I’m nothing now she has the real deal.”

  “Wouldn’t call me that. We don’t really know each other.”

  Rolling back over, she tucks her hands under her chin, blinking up at me. “Yeah, I heard about your mum. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It was the best thing to ever happen to her.” And it was. She was clearly suffering with her illness. It was cold and harsh, but it was the truth.

  Selina’s lips turn up in a pout. “Well, that’s dark. Nova said you’re working for Mrs White. Did you meet the husband?”

  I blink, trying to catch up with the change of subject. “Yes. He’s lovely.”

  Her eyes widen for a moment before she drops her face onto my blanket and begins to roar with laughter. “No way. There’s no way you can associate ‘lovely’ with Mr White. He’s an old, grumpy grouch. I asked Mrs White if I could ride my horse on her field, and he told me to go take a run and jump my happy off a cliff.”

  I begin to cough on my sudden laughter when she says that last part. That really does sound like Mr White.

  When I sober up, I ask her, “So you stay here and go to school?”

  “I’m starting Kingsley Academy this year. I can’t wait. I went to school here for my last year of high school, and boy are the lads fit. It’s like they spike the water around here.”

  “Looks don’t mean anything if they’re arseholes,” I murmur, my mind drifting to Kaiden.

  Selina grins. “You met Kai, I take it?”

  “You know Kaiden?”

  She shrugs. “Not personally. He’d never speak to someone like me, not even to get a blowjob. I talk to the twins, and if they weren’t like little, annoying brothers to me, I’d totally do the tag team with them. Every girl around here has fantasised about it.”

  “What does that mean?”

  She claps her hands twice. “I’d say the rumour is… but, it’s not a rumour. They always fuck the same girl. One right after the other. Not sure if they both tap it at the same time,” she says, her lips twisted in thought. “Although, even that sounds sexy as hell.”

  “They always sleep with one girl at the same time?” I ask, surprised. And kind of grossed out. Yet, I’m kind of intrigued. Who wouldn’t be? They’re extremely hot and there’s two of them.

  “Not sure if it’s true. I didn’t ask them outright, even though I wanted to, but apparently they like doing everything the same. If one does something, the other follows. It’s the same with their women. If they like someone, the other has dibs too. Neither has had a girlfriend, and the few that have tried soon learned where their place was.”

  “That can’t be healthy.”

  “It’s Lucca and Ethan; they can do what they want. Their dad and granddad pretty much own everything around here. Well, accept the Monroe’s. I think they own the other half.”

  “What if one likes a girl but the other doesn’t?” I’m more interested in the twins’ sex life than I am about who owns what. I should be telling this stranger to get out of my room, my personal space, but I find I like having someone to talk to.

  “It’s never happened. Not that I know of. But if it does, I wouldn’t mind being a fly on that wall.”

  “And you’re friends with them?”

  “The twins?” I nod and she continues. “Yes. We’re as close as they let me be. Not as close as they are to their brother and Grant, but no one will ever get that close. People have tried and failed.”

  “Why do people act like they’re gods?”

  “Because they are,” she says in all seriousness.

  “You can’t be for real.”

  “I am. Kaiden is like the king around here—fitting with his last name and all. People follow him, even Grant and the twins. People who go against him have been known to disappear, but that’s all hearsay. I’ve not known anyone personally who has disappeared.”

  “This world is fucking crazy. I swear, sometimes I feel like I’ve swallowed too many pills and I’m in a coma right now. All this is in my mind.” She pinches my leg hard, an
d I cry out. “What the fuck was that for, you psycho? Do you like your face?”

  “Woah there, tiger. Just proving you aren’t in a coma,” she tells me sweetly. I rub at my thigh, wincing when I can feel a bruise already forming. “I guess they haven’t been welcoming to you.”

  “Who?” I ask, distracted.

  “All of them; the Kingsley’s, Grant.”

  That has my attention. “What makes you say that?”

  She looks at me like I’ve got a third head. “Apparently they hate you. I don’t know why; my friend didn’t know either. She just said she heard them at the party talking about you.”

  “What were they saying?” Did she know what happened in the pool?

  “That they hated you and vowed to do anything to get rid of you. You can’t let them win though. I know your mum caused loads of shit before she left. People in my family still talk about it. I don’t know details, just that she’s the reason people led different lives to the ones they were heading for.”

  I scrub a hand down my face. “They do hate me. I don’t know why, either, but yeah, from what I can figure out, it’s about my mum. I want to know though,” I admit, trusting her a little. If my instincts are right, and they usually are, she’ll be a good friend, not a fake one.

  “Have you asked Aunt Nova?”

  I arch my eyebrow at her. “I know you’ve had happy pills this morning, but you can’t be serious. Every time I broach the subject, she deflects and talks about something else.”

  “They were twins,” she murmurs, deep in thought.

  “I didn’t even know my mum had family, let alone a twin sister. You’d think someone would give me a break.”

  “I’m sorry. It must suck.”

  Seeing the sincerity, I don’t snap at her pity. Plus, she’s like an excited puppy. I don’t want to make the puppy sad.

  “It’s fine. No one seems to want to talk about her directly, yet they don’t mind talking in riddles.”

  “All I know is that they were all best friends, really close.”

  “Who?”

  “Your mum, Nova, my uncle, Kai and the twins’ parents, and Grant’s parents. The men all own a business together too.”

  “They do?” I ask.

  “Yeah. My uncle owns majority of the oil company now though. Mr. Kingsley sold some shares to him years back when he ran for mayor here in Cheshire Grove. He went on to London to become an MP, but he had to resign for unknown reasons. To the public anyway. I heard he had an affair with an eighteen-year-old.” She laughs when I scrunch my face up. He might look good for his age, but he’s still old as shit. “I know. Anyway, I do know he tried to buy back more shares in the company, but Grant’s dad had also sold him shares. Not as much as Mr Kingsley though. It’s been tense because Dad also helps my uncle. He doesn’t have shares but he is partner. He also has someone manage his own business.”

  “So, you’re saying your uncle is more loaded than the other two?”

  She shrugs. “I don’t think so. Kingsley is seriously loaded, but it’s his wife’s money.”

  “What does that mean?” I ask, interested. All this is new to me, and the more I get to know about them, the more of a chance I have of finding out what happened to my mum. Selina doesn’t seem to mind spilling all their secrets either.

  “It’s actually Nina Kingsley who is rich. His family was wealthy, all into politics, but nowhere near as rich as Nina’s family. They founded this land and most of the buildings in this town. They own shops, schools, colleges, universities, and a boarding school not too far away. They have companies overseas and dabble in everything and anything. When her parents died, it was all left to her, but Mr Kingsley took over it all until it’s ready to be passed down to her firstborn.”

  “Wait, he took her last name?” I ask disbelievingly. Royce doesn’t seem like the type to be unmanned like that.

  “He was happy about it, probably wanted the connections the name gave him.”

  “Where is their mum? I’ve not seen her, but I did meet Royce briefly the day after I arrived.”

  She looks away for a minute, seeming troubled. “No one really sees her.”

  “But she’s here?” I ask, to be sure.

  She shrugs. “She’s not really with it. Whenever I asked my dad, he would avoid answering. Just said it was none of our business.” She scoffs, rolling her eyes at me. “He never has a problem gossiping about anyone else. Anyway, rumour is she’s away at a spa. Everyone around here knows that means she’s probably in a rehab centre.”

  “Really?” I breathe out, flabbergasted by the news. I also feel sorry for Kaiden and the twins. My mum might have been neglectful and just a shit mum, but she never left me.

  Probably too lazy to.

  “Anyway, I came in to tell you we’re going to a party tonight.”

  I groan. “No. I’ve had my fair share of parties.”

  She grins. “Don’t worry. I heard you made an appearance at Lucca’s and Ethan’s,” she says, waggling her eyebrows at my chest.

  I hold the blanket higher, feeling my blood boil. “Bet they forgot to mention how Grant ripped my top off me when I was trying to get away.”

  She pales, scanning my face for any signs I’m joking. I harden my jaw, looking at her dead on. “I’m so fucking sorry. You need to tell Nova.”

  I grab her hand, afraid the puppy will bounce off to find Nova. She can’t know. No one can. “Please don’t say anything.”

  “Why the hell not?” she screeches, looking at me wide-eyed.

  “One, she might not even believe me—the woman did see where I lived. Two, because I’m not a grass. I plan to get even, not tell him off.”

  “How do you plan to get even? I didn’t even know Grant was like that. I mean, yeah, he’s a mean son of a bitch, but this really is surprising.”

  I laugh. “I might be closed off but you really do live in a bubble. They’re all mean. Don’t mistake it for anything else.”

  “All right,” she says, sighing. “But, you are coming to the party. And it’s perfect. It’s in the next town over. No one from Kingsley Academy will be there except us.”

  “Why?”

  She rubs her hands together after sitting up. “Because for years and years, Remington Academy and Kingsley Academy have had an ongoing feud.”

  “Of course they have,” I mutter, rolling my eyes.

  “It was over the land. The Remington family is just as rich as the Kingsley’s, yet years ago when the Academies were in the works, the Remington’s accused the Kingsley’s of stealing the land out from under them. The people who it was bought from promised the Remington’s the estate, but the Kingsley’s apparently blackmailed the owner into selling to them.” She inhales, taking one deep breath before continuing. “The Kingsley’s, however, say that the Remington’s made up the story so that no one knew they didn’t have enough money and went for the small piece of land. Which is true, I don’t know. It was so many years ago, I think even the two families don’t know what is true, just what is passed down. Now they have to prove who is bigger and better and all that crap. I heard that Kai, his brothers and Grant blew up Carter’s car.”

  “Carter?”

  I really must be in a coma. I pinch the skin in the crease of my elbow, wincing. Yep, this is completely real.

  “Carter Remington. He’s so hot I talk stupid around him. But I went to school there for a while before I got my place in the high school here. I made friends and we still hang out. None of them know. The twins would kill me if they found out, and the school would probably hate me.”

  I grin at her. She’s like a terrified little mouse now. “All right. Do we have to dress up though?” My lips turn up in a snarl at the thought.

  She laughs. “The people might be rich around here, but there’s only a handful of them who are snobs and think their shit smells like strawberries.”

  I laugh, remembering some of the girls I met at the party last night. “Yeah, I can see that.”
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br />   “But for real, everyone is pretty much down to earth. There might be a few girls who dress up like they’re going to the Oscars, but for the most part, everyone dresses casually. It’s at Remington’s house tonight, so you’ll get to meet your neighbours’ rival.”

  “Looking forward to it,” I mutter.

  “Miss Selina, your car is here,” Annette announces at the door.

  Selina’s wild red hair flies everywhere when she swings around to Annette. “Coming,” she tells her, before looking at me. “I’ll be back later for dinner, then we can get ready. I need to go visit my nanna and go shopping for a new outfit.”

  “All right,” I tell her and watch her bounce off. Annette is still inside the door, watching me warily. “She’s full of energy.”

  Her lips tip up in a small smile. “She’s a good girl is Selina.”

  When she stays quiet and doesn’t leave, I question her. “Is everything okay, Annette?”

  She looks troubled. “Did you pick a book from the library?”

  Random. “Um, no. I’ll go tomorrow. Selina’s taking me to a party later, so I’m going to try and get some sleep in. I’ll get one tomorrow for sure.”

  She nods sharply. “That is good. Make sure you go once you are up. Reading is good for the soul.”

  I watch her leave, feeling weird. It’s the second time she’s ordered me to go to the library. If I didn’t want to go in there, I’d be worried there was a hidden dungeon where they tortured missing nieces.

  Noises from next door grab my attention, and I race to the window when I hear a car slam into something.

  I look out, my eyes widening when I see Lucca—or Ethan—shove Kaiden away. He’s curled over a little, clutching his stomach. When he stands to say something to Kaiden, a startled gasp escapes me. He’s covered in bruises.

  Like he can hear me or sense me, Kaiden looks up to my window, staring directly at me. His jaw his clenched, his eyes hard and on me. If looks could kill, I’d be sleeping next to my mum.

  I step away from the window, deciding to watch Netflix instead of sleeping. There are so many secrets around here, so much mystery, and those boys next door are a huge one.