Page 1 of Depraved Desires

PROLOGUE

Aspen

I always expected death to be painful. It’s said that drowning is one of the worst ways to go, and as the water filled my lungs and nasal cavity, I could attest to that. It was brutal, terrifying, and horrific. Imagine being unable to breathe. You open your mouth to scream, but that only brings you closer to death. Never in my life have I wished for death to consume me so quickly. My airway was screaming, yearning for the oxygen it so desperately craved.

As if my body had a mind of its own, it started moving of its own accord. My arms and legs thrashed wildly as the pressure of the water and reality of the situation started getting to me. My eyes bulged while unknown creatures started brushing against my nude skin; fear snaked through my chest as the oxygen within me depleted. I put everything I had into hoping to reach the surface with one last burst. I gasped for air, only to suck in more water. My throat burned in protest and my stomach coiled with fluid.

Defeat slowly started to settle in, making it evident that this was it for me. As much as I wanted to reminisce on my so-called life, my head was spinning from lack of oxygen, and it was impossible to form coherent thoughts.

The realization that I was going to die had fear snaking around my chest cavity, squeezing it so tightly that it was scarier than the water filling my lungs. Comical really. Everyone warned me to stay away from the assholes who thought they ran Redwood Academy, but my dumbass didn’t listen. They’d shown me time and time again what they were capable of, but stubbornness clouded any sense of rationality.

Maybe this was well-deserved.

My head swam in tune with my departing body as dizziness burrowed deeper inside of my aching limbs. There were things I still wanted out of life that I’d never get the chance to accomplish now. Like finding my sister for example or getting an actual job that didn’t make me hate myself. I still wanted to graduate, maybe fall in love with someone, and be financially secure. Now I’d never know what that felt like.

I had regrets. So fucking many of them, it made my chest hurt for different reasons. I could have been so much more than what I was. Now, I’d just be known as the trailer-trash slut who couldn’t keep her mouth shut. Avery would never know me or what I’d endured, and I’d never know her either.

Bubbles escaped my blistering lips as my body began to convulse. My mouth parted on another silent scream against my will as I placed my hands around my raw throat like it was supposed to help me in some way. The tragic matter of the fact was that no one was going to save me. Not even Collin this time.

My eyes started to flutter, burning from keeping them open for so long in this icy hell. My body was running out of oxygen, I was freezing, and I was about to die the exact way I’d always feared. Alone.

If my energy wasn’t practically non-existent, I might have cried—I even could, being submerged beneath the water and all.

Images flashed within my mind. Memories of my time in the orphanage with my sister by my side, how it felt when she surprised me with my charm-bracelet for my birthday, how inseparable we were back then. Right before my life was turned upside down and she was ripped away.

Those images quickly morphed into new ones. I remembered how good it had felt being wrapped in Collin’s arms. Loving the way his body felt pressed against mine. But that changed too. When morning came, he’d morphed into a completely different person. These guys were all fucked in the head. Master manipulators and well-trained psychopaths.

They might have beat me in the end, but if I had any say in the matter, I’d come back as a ghost or angel of hell and make them pay for it all. They couldn’t get away with this.

Not this time.

CHAPTER ONE

Rocky

It was obvious that something happened. The fire that usually blazed within those emerald eyes was dormant—almost non-existent. Aspen Palmer was far from dull and lifeless, but those were the only words that could be used to describe her at this moment. My hands roamed over her body, an attempt to spark something in her. When my fingertips brushed along the hem of her tight skirt, she took my hand in hers and redirected it to her waist, the expression on her face never changing. My chest ached for the broken girl standing before me. This wasn’t the version of her that piqued my interest, this wasn’t the girl that could fight her own battles. She was a shell of the person she used to be, and I wanted to know what happened.

As soon as the song ended, she peeled away, taking her body heat with her. A glaze of something cold and unwelcoming coated her eyes as they darted up to meet mine. Her plump, chapped lips parted like she wanted to say something, but a hard expression crawled across her features instead and she clamped her mouth shut once more. Without another word, she spun on her heels and stalked off, leaving me alone and confused.

With how weird she’s been acting lately, I expected the rejection. Throwing my head back, I gazed up at the ceiling. A million thoughts raced through my mind, but not a single one of them contained any answers. Maybe she just had a bad week and would be back to her old self in no time. It wasn’t my place to pry. If she wanted me to know, she would have said something.

Blowing out a breath of air, I straightened my posture and sauntered over to the snack bar. Miss Raleigh shot me a wide grin upon seeing me in which I returned.

“You enjoying the party, Rocky?” She inquired, the smile never faltering. She was a beautiful woman, but I’ve never been interested in older chicks, especially not when my infatuation could cause permanent harm. They could fuck whoever they wanted, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to be the reason for their career going up in flames.

“It’s not bad.” I shrugged.For a high school party.

She raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask any further questions. Instead, she motioned to the assortment of food items sprawled out across the table before her. “Help yourself,” she offered, a seductive glint in her eye that had my stomach curling.

Nodding, I snatched a cupcake and a bag of chips before hauling ass away from there. My gaze darted around the room and stilled once they spotted Jax at a table with Gia beside him. The two were laughing it up which just made me roll my eyes despite the small twitch of my lips. At least he was finally doing something about his attraction to her. It wasn’t much of a secret that the two liked one another, they were just both too stubborn to make it official or to admit their feelings to the other. Maybe things were about to change for them.

Deciding to leave them to it, I surveyed the area once more. I wasn’t exactly sure how this could even be considered a party when it was as boring as this. Sure, it was hosted by the academy, but hell, at least give us more freedom than this.

“Rocky,” a familiar voice echoed through the loud music and chatter of other students. Turning toward the sound, relief engulfed me as my eyes rested on Dixie. She was one of my closest friends and one of the only people I could count on to have my back. Her black hair was braided on either side of her head, dropping down before each shoulder. The purple dress she wore hugged her figure nicely and I was reminded instantly of what it felt like to be inside her out of loneliness and convenience.

Striding toward her, I came to a stop until we were merely feet apart. She looked up at me with those big blue eyes and flashbacks of her being on her knees before me invaded my headspace, making my dick twitch.

“You look like you’re having a blast.” I smirked, the sarcasm evident in my tone.

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