Страница 10 из 80
ONE
“Kinslee, I need you to be my guide in everything. What or who do I need to know?” I stood, hands on hips, watching my housemate as she blew out a breath, tapping her lip in thought.
“Nothing specific I can think of right now, but stick with me and you’ll be fine. First, and most important, as you well know, there’s a big ‘welcome back to uni’ house party tonight. That’ll be our first stop.”
“Sounds good.” I smiled, pulling my hair out of its messy bun, letting it cascade down my back. “I can’t believe I’m really here, about to become an official student.”
During the first year of my degree course, when I’d been a normal university student in an ordinary university, the “accident” had happened, and my entire world had been turned upside down. I’d managed to transfer to Alstone College, a specialist business school, after months of back-and-forth, endless paperwork, and assessment of my course credits to ensure I could continue my studies going into my second year, rather than starting the first year all over again. Of course, the money I’d paid hadn’t hurt. At Alstone, money talked. That, and co
After my transfer had been confirmed, I was ready. I had enough money to get by, if I was careful. I’d used some of the remaining insurance money to buy a phone, a laptop, other university essentials, and a compact car. My housing was sorted—I’d paid for the entire academic year up front. I’d scoured the online university noticeboard, and after viewing three different sets of accommodation, I’d lucked out with Kinslee Stewart. A second-year student like me, she had a two-bedroom apartment in a block right next to the campus and had advertised for a housemate.
As soon as I’d met her, we’d hit it off. We’d spent the past week getting to know each other, and I felt like I’d known her for years already.
I was beyond grateful that everything had seemingly fallen into place, but, all that aside, I had to keep my end goal in mind. The only reason I was now at Alstone College, rather than my previous university, was to investigate my dad’s death. And unfortunately, that also meant reco
Until I got a chance to investigate everything, I’d throw myself into university life. My dad wouldn’t have wanted anything to distract me from getting my degree. He’d been so proud when I’d been accepted to study business—he’d spent hours touring different universities with me and going through the pros and cons of different degree courses and career paths.
Sinking down onto Kinslee’s bed, I blinked rapidly as my eyes filled with tears. Fuck. I missed him so much. Not being able to pick up the phone and call or text him…it was like a piece of me was missing. Throughout my life, he’d been my one constant. The person who’d loved me, who had been there for me unconditionally. And now he was gone.
I willed the impending tears to go, concentrating on slowing my breathing. I couldn’t afford to fall apart, especially not in front of my new friend. I wasn’t at the point where I wanted to, or even felt able to, explain what had happened.
With an effort, I focused my mind on the present.
We changed for the party, Kinslee wearing black booty shorts and a tight red top that made her boobs look amazing, and as for me—I had no fucking clue, so I let Kinslee choose my outfit, ending up in a tight electric-blue minidress which somehow highlighted and emed my minimal curves and long legs. She straightened my dark hair and gave me a smoky eye that made my blue eyes pop. Arranging her tawny corkscrew curls around her shoulders, she blew her reflection a kiss and proclaimed us ready.
“Party time! Let’s go.” She threw open the door and we headed out of the apartment to the waiting Uber, and what seemed like no time later, we were pulling up in front of a house, music and light spilling out from the open door and windows.
“House” was barely an adequate description for this monstrous residence. A sprawling, two-storey modern brick building, it was all sharp angles and huge black-framed glass doors and windows, the glass-fronted doorway extending the full height of the house, showing a glimpse of the upstairs area and a huge skull-shaped pendant light suspended from the upper-floor ceiling, descending all the way down to the entrance hallway. I sucked in a nervous breath. You’re strong. You can do this. Squaring my shoulders, I linked my arm through Kinslee’s, and we strutted up the pathway and in through the open door like we owned the place.
Kinslee led us through the wide tiled hallway, past a large curving staircase, into a kitchen teeming with people that was easily twice the size of Kinslee’s entire apartment. “Drinks first?” She turned to me with a grin.
I nodded, returning her smile, and she made a beeline for the paddling pool in the corner of the room, effortlessly weaving through the clusters of people in her way.
“Paddling pool?” I murmured to myself. Stepping closer, I saw it had been filled to the brim with ice and bottles of beer, cider, and cans of premixed cocktails. Genius idea. Kinslee reached in and grabbed us two cans of premixed mojitos, and pushing through the crowds, she led me into a cavernous room, where the sound system was set up and playing thumping dance music. I let her pull me into the area where the dancing was concentrated, and I lost myself in the music.
Until I felt the weight of four sets of eyes, trained on me.
As I subtly turned my head to look, tingles of awareness spread through my entire body, and I gasped. Carefully, I leaned closer to Kinslee, knowing the answer before I even asked the question.
“Kins, don’t be obvious about it, but who the fuck are those guys? The four on the sofas?”
Kinslee peered around me, her eyes widening and her whole body stiffening.
“They’re the Four. They own this place. They pretty much run the campus.”
They own this place? “The Four?” I echoed. “What lame kind of name is that?”
Kinslee shrugged. “I don’t know, it’s just what people call them. From left to right you have Cassius, Weston, Zayde, and Caiden. They’re all sexy as fuck, and they know it. Spoiled rich boys who think they’re above everyone else. Cassius, Zayde, and Caiden are all in the same year at uni as us—they’re either nineteen or twenty. And Weston is Caiden’s younger brother—he just turned eighteen, and this will be his first year at Alstone.”
Of course, I recognised two of them from their photos, but I needed to hear it confirmed aloud. “Caiden and Weston Cavendish?”
Kinslee stared at me suspiciously. “Yes. Why? Do you know them?”
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “They’re…well, my stepbrothers, I guess?”
“What? You’ve been living with me for a week now, and you never once thought of mentioning that you were involved with the Cavendish family?”
“I’m not involved with them.” I thought for a moment, then added, “Yet.” Leaning closer, I lowered my voice. “You know how I told you one of the reasons I moved here was to reco