Page 1 of Veil of Lies

Chapter 1

Stella

The Uber driver dumped my bags at my feet and drove off without saying a word. Last week, I was obscenely wealthy. Now? Not so much. All I had left from my old life was some personal effects, a laptop, a Kindle, and a few items of clothing. The sneakers I wore were designer, along with the rest of my outfit, but I sure as hell wouldn’t be shopping at Chanel or Gucci anymore.

It was fortunate for me Dad had set up an unbreakable trust. The funds were covering the cost of this exclusive school, so at least I could finish my degree. My tuition had been paid for in advance, just in case the prosecutors found a way to freeze the trust. Dad had taken no chances.

I peered through the tall metal gates as rain dripped down the back of my neck. The moon was nowhere to be seen, but bright lights illuminated the visage of the imposing granite building. Golden light poured from a thousand small windows. From here, it looked a little like Hogwarts. Except there was nothing magical about this school.

The kids who attended Ridgeview College did so because they preferred to stay out of the spotlight. It was the most exclusive school on the East Coast. The students were sons and daughters of politicians, movie stars, captains of industry, and anyone else who preferred to stay under the radar. I had no doubt some students at this entitled educational establishment were related to mob bosses and other underworld figures. Mafia dons wanted their kids to get degrees just as much as any other parent. After all, an MBA was useful when it came to running a criminal empire. I should know; my father had one.

The gate was locked after hours. I pulled out my phone and swiped to the message containing a six-digit PIN. The keypad lit up as I keyed in the numbers, and I swore as yet more water trickled down my back. At this rate, I’d have no dry clothes left. Judging by the dark patches all over the nubuck leather, I could already tell my bags were soaking up the rain like a sponge. The gates started to slide open and when the gap was wide enough, I grabbed them and pushed through. The red light of a camera winked at me, and I looked up. The school was expecting me, so I doubted any security people would rush down the drive. I waited for a few moments, but nobody arrived to greet me or escort me to the main building.

Not that I minded. I preferred being alone. I was the only person in my world I trusted. Aside from Dad. And look where that got me.

I trudged up the gravel driveway. The rain continued to sluice down relentlessly. I’d given up trying to protect my hair. Despite the baseball cap I wore, my dyed brown locks were plastered to my head and my jeans molded my legs like a second skin. There was not a single centimeter of me that had escaped the deluge. Even my feet squelched as I walked.

After 10 miserable minutes. I reached a brick building surrounded by thick foliage. There was a small shelter off to one side and for a moment, I debated stopping to tip out some of the water from my sneakers, but a noise alerted me to the fact someone was in there already. I paused and listened intently.

There was a faint groan. It sounded vaguely sexual, but I couldn’t be certain. Some light from a nearby security lamp threw the shadows into focus, casting a faint glow over two figures. Then a flash of lightning briefly illuminated the space and my heart leaped into my throat.

A boy stood with his back to the wall with a girl on her knees before him. His eyes were closed, his lips parted with pleasure. Both hands gripped her head so tightly it was a wonder she could breathe.

A boom of thunder crashed above us, so loud I yelped in shock. Lightning split the sky again and I realized the boy had seen me. His lips quirked upward, and he grinned, not caring he had an audience.

“Wanna join us?” he drawled, a thickness to his voice that suggested a lot of alcohol had been consumed. “I’m game if you are.”

The girl pulled back, wiping her mouth with a grimace. “What the fuck, Brax?”

My gaze dropped and I swallowed hard at the sight of his dick jutting outwards from his hard abs. He still had a firm hold on the girl’s blond hair, but she was clearly unhappy about my presence.

“I thought it was just the two of us,” she whined, trying to spin around to look at me, but ensnared by her hair. “I’m not sharing you with some random bitch.”

“Shut up, Rowena, I much prefer you when you have your mouth full.” With that, he forced his length back between her puffy lips and I watched, somewhat horrified, as she took him so deep her nose hit his six-pack. Even from here, with hardly any light, I could tell she was choking. Drool trickled down her chin and her eyes were wide with panic.

“You should be more careful,” I advised with a faint smirk, “If you piss her off enough, she might bite your dick off.”

He snorted. “She wouldn’t fucking dare.”

I wondered if I should step in and force him to release poor Rowena, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his face. He was beautiful. Like a Greek god, all chiseled cheekbones and sharp lines. Dark hair flopped over his brow, curling in the damp air. An unbuttoned white shirt revealed a muscular body and a thin sprinkling of hair.

“Like what you see?” he taunted, jerking his pelvis forward, making the girl gag harder.

My eyes snapped back up. “No.”

It was a lie. We both knew it. But I wasn’t here to get involved with anyone, least of all a guy like him. I couldn’t afford to lose my anonymity, and acquiring friends would make it so much harder to keep my identity under wraps.

“I’ll leave you to it,” I said dismissively. “Looks like it could take a while. Her technique is awful.”

Chapter 2

Brax

The new girl was right. Rowena really did suck at blow jobs, pun intended. She’d been at it for more than 10 fucking minutes now and I was no closer to emptying my balls than when she’d started. The appearance of the new girl had helped me along a bit. I wasn’t blind. In a brief flash of lightning, I’d seen the way her eyes flared beneath her baseball cap when she clocked my dick. She was interested, for sure. I was also very much taken with the curve of her fine ass. But all the tequila I’d necked before dragging Rowena out here wasn’t helping. Nor were the pathetic little whimpers each time I deep-throated the irritating bitch.

I dragged her off and my dick sank like the fucking Titanic. Not even the sight of her fake tits could resurrect it.

“We’re done here,” I snapped as I tucked myself back in my pants. I’d seriously lost my buzz in the last few minutes. Maybe I needed to drink more? Nah. Weed might help though. I figured Quinn would have some stashed in his room.

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