Page 4 of Nest Of Lies

I flinch at her accusation, remembering the day Andy walked out of our lives.

“Maybe I will come back one day, maybe I won’t.”

“Mama!”

“I need this. I’ve done my duty. But you are destroying everything about me! All my sacrifices over the last sixteen years, my career, my health, my body, my life, my relationships,” Mama rants, her fury curdling the air. “I gave it all up for you, and you couldn’t even be who I needed you to be.”

Another sob rips through me. I’ve never been alone. I don’t know anyone else. What will I do? How long will she be gone?

“Mama!” my protesting whisper falls on deaf ears.

“Enough!” she thunders. “Francine, is my car ready?”

“It is, ma’am.” Francine looks at me, and I can see the alarm on her face. But she can’t say anything, she won’t. It would be her job, her career.

We are all ruled by my mama’s whims.

I watch them go.

And then, I’m alone, a broken beta in an empty mansion. My sobs echoing back to me. Wondering what exactly it was that I did that was so wrong my own mama left me.

Chapter two

Lia

Aurelia Raines aged 21

The music is soloud I can’t focus on the words in the book. Every couple of minutes, there’s a loud roar of masculine laughter. I’m not prepared to admit I’m jealous. The laughter and music continue until I can’t take it a second longer. I sit up suddenly and throw the book on the couch. I pace to the window and shift the curtain. This is ridiculous. How can they do this three times a week and not get bored? What is going on over there?

“No matter how many times you glare over at that mansion, you won’t be able to telepathically shut them up,” Ryn says with an amused smirk.

I cast a glare at Auryn with a very uncharitable wish that she was not here, that I instantly regret. In fact, all the cousins are here tonight, which is unusual, except, of course, Kelly and Bethany. But no one has seen Kelly in three years. He’s the oldest of us and took off one day to become something of a surfing superstar, and Bethany took off one day and vanished too. I miss them something fierce.

Kelly’s younger brother Raider is lurking around the mansion, but he’s got no interest in talking to us. Raider is four years older and much more world wise. He is, after all, a badass hockey player.

Locke is hiding out from the press. He’s the lead singer of the new band Derision that exploded onto the charts. But with fame came sacrifice, and his mother Cara dumped himthe moment he signed with Alpha Labels. Her dreams of him being a pop star shattered in an instant when he chose a rock band.

So, he’s here in my mansion of forgotten children. We all are. I envy them, though; they get to go out and see the world. I’m not allowed to leave. I’ve tried. Mama made sure the driver refuses to take me anywhere. When I tried to get a job, I found I was locked in the house, and my employer fired me. She’s still keeping me here, a prisoner with no access to the rest of the world.

“Lia.”

I turn and grin at Ryn. Auryn Raines is everything we aren’t. She’s dark to our gold. Her skin is milky white instead of an exotic golden. But we all have the same eyes. Blue green Raines eyes.

“I can see that you’re about to do something stupid,” Ryn says in resignation, putting her notepad down.

I shrug. “I’ve never been to a party before.”

Locke sits up, his feet hit the carpet hard. “Yessss,” he hisses. He stands up and grabs his jacket, looking casually cool.

“Wait!” Ryn shouts and grabs his arm.

Ryn is our voice of reason. Locke and I are guided by our impulses. Of course, she’s going to try to stop us, but she won’t win, and she’ll come with us to keep us safe.

I drown my mother’s voice in my head as quickly as I can. There’s no stopping me, I’m doing this. I’ve never been to a party, and I’ve been listening to them for the last six months. It’s torture.

“We can’t just go over there-”

“It’s a party, of course, we can,” Locke says. “Trust me, no one will even notice us.”

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