Prologue
RebelSin: Damn, now that’s sexy. Let’s see another.
NotYourAngel: I’ll make you a deal. I’ll send you a pic for every question you answer. Grand Finale, you get a private video.
RebelSin: Deal.
NotYourAngel: Why do you hate the world so much?
RebelSin: What’s to love?
NotYourAngel: That’s not an answer and doesn’t warrant a boob shot.
RebelSin: Ass?
NotYourAngel: Nope!
RebelSin: Because the world hates me.
NotYourAngel: (Image sent)
Are you afraid of the dark?
RebelSin: Holy shit! To answer your question, I welcome the dark.
NotYourAngel: (Image sent)
Do you feel like you live in the dark?
RebelSin: You know I’m hard as a fucking rock right now and I might need to take a break to relieve myself. Unless you plan on coming over and doing it for me.
NotYourAngel: I don’t meet up with clients.
RebelSin: Oh. Is that what I am?
NotYourAngel: Have you not paid me massive amounts of money in exchange for my body shots?
RebelSin: Money means nothing to me. To answer your last question, I don’t live in the dark. The darkness lives in me.
NotYourAngel: (Image sent)
What is your biggest regret?
RebelSin: Drooling over here. Biggest regret…talking to you.
NotYourAngel: Jerk!
RebelSin: You dig out my demons. I don’t like to feel. Unless it’s your mouth around my cock.
NotYourAngel: In your dreams.
RebelSin: You are in my dreams. And in my nightmares. You’re a fucking storm, angel girl.
NotYourAngel: Oh yeah? Why is that?
RebelSin: Because you’re a fucking tease and you know it.
NotYourAngel: I’m not a tease! You asked for this.
RebelSin: I don’t like other men seeing your body.
NotYourAngel: That’s not your choice. It’s mine.
RebelSin: My turn to ask a question.
NotYourAngel: Do I get to see a pic of you?
RebelSin: Not a chance. You’ll see my face when I’m ready to show it to you.
NotYourAngel: Ask away.
RebelSin: Have you always been a dirty little tease?
NotYourAngel: Ok. I can see where this is going. You always get so mean when things get serious. I’m logging off.
RebelSin: That’s because you’re my favorite dirty thought and my favorite little tease. But one day, you’ll please instead of tease. Wait and see, angel girl.
1
They didn’t see me.
They couldn't have.
It’s dark, and the bass is carrying through the floors from the party downstairs so loudly that I can’t even hear my own shoes moving. There is no way they can hear my footsteps as I walk steadily down the hall, taking care not to trip over my own feet.
Glancing behind me, I make sure no one is following. Little good it does, considering it’s pitch black. The drumming of my heart in my chest is all I can focus on. Can they hear it? I swear it’s louder than the music, but then again, it’s inside my own chest.
They can’t hear it.
A small glimmer of light from the staircase gives way to my shadow as I round the corner. Pressing my back to the wall out of fear, I swallow hard, but slowly, as the lump in my throat threatens to stay lodged in my esophagus. Whoever that idiot was who told me to use the bathroom up here is just that, an idiot.
With my eyes on the staircase across the hall, I give it a few seconds to be sure no one is going to jump out and grab me before I hurry down them. Just as I’m about to make my escape, a door slams shut and voices carry down the hall. Coming closer and closer. I can’t hear what they are saying. My focus is solely on not making a single sound. I hold my breath as they draw near and pinch my eyes shut.
“We’ll find whoever was out here, and when we do, we’ll take care of them.” That voice. It’s so familiar. It can’t be. Talon Porter? Was he one of them? That can only mean one thing, the others are Lars, Zed, and Tommy. I don’t even have to see them to know it was them. Where there is one, there are four.
What did they mean, they will take care of them? They know someone was out here but they don’t know who it was—not yet, anyway.
Once I hear them go down the stairs, I pull my phone out of my pocket and hit the flashlight. Shining it up and down the hall, my stomach drops.
Cameras.
Of course there are cameras at both ends of the hallway. Talon has enough money to buy the entire state, why wouldn’t he invest in a security system?
It’s only a matter of time until I’m found out. They will know that I overheard them as soon as they watch the footage. What they plan to do with that knowledge sends chills down my spine. Unless I get to them first. I have the upper hand right now. Their secret belongs to me now, which means they belong to me.
Frozen in place, I give it a minute to be sure they rejoined the party downstairs. As my breathing steadies, I think of my next move.
How can I get to the security footage before they do? Better yet, how do I find it?
Think, Marni.
Creeping around the corner and back out in the narrow, dark hallway, I switch my flashlight on again and shine it directly at the camera. It looks similar to the ones we have. Our system goes straight to a cloud storage that can only be viewed and deleted by those who have the password.
Fuck.
Dropping my phone to the side, I shut off the flashlight.
Why couldn’t there just be a room with monitors and one of those ancient cassette tape things like they have in old movies? Why does technology have to be so damned advanced? I’m not exactly complaining; I buy every new iPhone as soon as they are released, but damn, I’d give up all of my possessions just to get out of this mess.
That’s it. His phone. I have to get Talon’s phone. I’m sure he has the app, and the password is likely saved. I just need to get into it and delete the footage. It can’t be that hard. I don’t know much about these guys, but I do know what they like—destruction, drinking, and sex.
There is no way in hell these boys will have any part in my life. I’m not exactly a Susie Do-gooder, but I’m sure as hell not on their playing level. They play hard, and they always win. If they think someone knows their secret, they will not stop until that person is silenced. And it’s just my luck, that person is me.
Slow and steady steps lead me down the thirty step staircase. My fingers trail lightly on the wooden rail attached to the wall. Talon’s house is this huge, luxurious bachelor pad. Zed and Lars live here with him. Apparently, they’ve all dropped out of high school. I’ve heard Talon is finishing up online, but I highly doubt that's working out well for him. Tommy still goes to school, and still lives with his parents. At least one of them has life goals.
Glass wrapped walls are on the east side of the house with an automatic door that opens to the fluorescent glow of the underground pool. He bought this house six months ago after returning from a mind-cleansing retreat. We all know it was rehab, but he doesn’t make it public knowledge. He and his sister were given millions when their parents disappeared off the face of the earth. Rumor has it, his dad killed someone and his mom was a royal bitch to the kids. No wonder the kid lacks a moral compass.
I don’t know Talon well; I’m not sure anyone does. He keeps his circle small, but everyone looks at him like he’s some sort of god. He has the world in the palm of his hands with money, power, and zero guidance, since his parents are gone and his sister is only a few years older than us.