𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝟏𝟒

R I C H

JAYLANA PIERCE

We'd finally lost them,
thanks to Johnny and Gibsie.
They were dressed as fucking cops. It's fucked up, but smart though, because it worked.

A shiver ran down my spine, not from the cold, but from the adrenaline still coursing through my veins.
The whole thing felt like a movie,
except the stakes were terrifyingly real.

"Edel, how did you learn those driving skills?" Joey asked, his voice laced with awe.

"Oh, my dad thought me them when I was younger," Edel replied, a warm smile gracing her lips.

"It's a good thing we lost them, because I'll cook something delicious for you all," Edel continued, her tone brightening further. "I bet you all must be starving."

Yeah, I was.
I hadn't eaten anything for a day.
I didn't mind it though,
my body was used to not being hungry anymore. Back home, it was a familiar feeling.
Tonight, I was definitely an exception.

"Jay, does your mother know you're staying over for dinner?" Edel asked me,
turning her attention my way.

"She doesn't,"
I quickly said, my heart skipping a beat.

"After dinner, I'll bring you home. I'll have a chat with her," Edel replied, her voice gentle but firm.

Shit.
I didn't want her to have a chat with her.
This was so so wrong.
I couldn't say no again,
not after what she'd done for me.

A collective groan went through the group. Edel cut the tension by saying, "Darren came to visit."

Who the fuck is Darren? I wondered,
glancing at Tadgh, who mumbled sarcastically, "Fucking great."

They don't like him? What was going on?

"We're here!" Edel announced with a flourish as she turned into a long driveway.

As I looked outside, I saw the biggest mansion I'd ever seen in my entire life.

Holy shit.

These people were mad rich.
Back home,
the walls were paper and the roof leaked whenever it rained.

"This house is... big," I said, stating the obvious as I stepped out of the car.
The sprawling estate hummed with an understated elegance. Manicured lawns stretched out before me, leading to meticulously sculpted gardens.
Fountains gurgled merrily.

We all walked to the front porch,
its marble gleaming in the afternoon sun.
Before we could knock,
the door swung open to reveal a striking brunette who bore a disarming smile.
Her blue eyes sparkled like clear summer skies, and her nose curved perfectly at the tip—gorgeous and captivating all at once.

"Hello, Shannon, love," Edel greeted warmly.
"I see Johnny brought you home."

"He did," Shannon replied, stepping back to allow us entry into her home.

"Jay's staying over for dinner," Edel announced, and I felt a wave of anxiety rush over me again.

"Make yourself at home, Jay," Edel encouraged, her enthusiasm momentarily piercing through my nerves.
The house was expansive,
adorned with artworks that screamed luxury and money.

"I'll set the table," Shannon offered sweetly before disappearing into the hallway.

I didn't want to be here,
a sense of unease clung to me.
I needed something to dull the noise of my thoughts. I glanced around, hoping for a moment of reprieve.

"Just gonna explore the house," I lied weakly,
trying to drown out the chaos that wove through my mind.
I wasn't here to make friends or marvel at decor,
I needed a joint, again.
Thoughts of orange haze and smoky dreams danced tantalizingly behind my eyes,
but I didn't even have a lighter.

Climbing the winding staircase,
I stepped onto a landing crowded with various relics—a desk occupied by knickknacks and framed pictures.
None of it felt real until a man with shaggy brown hair appeared.

"Who are you, may I ask?" he spoke, sounding far too serious for my liking.

"Oh, I'm Jay, a friend of Tadgh," I answered, my voice faltering.
I wasn't even a friend, I barely knew these people.

"I'm Darren, their older brother,"

TO BE CONTINUED

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