The Insiders (The Insiders Trilogy #1) - Tijan Page 0,68

fingers between mine. I wasn’t expecting to suddenly be pulled into his arms, his head burying in my neck. And I really wasn’t expecting him to press a kiss there. “I will never let anything happen to you. No one.”

My legs parted and he was between them. Just holding me. I was holding him back.

We stayed like that.

Minutes could’ve passed. An hour. I didn’t know. I didn’t care. Until we heard footsteps on the ceiling above us and Kash stiffened.

He cursed under his breath. “They’re back.”

Which meant we’d leave. I was starting to understand this family’s dynamics. Understanding, yes, but not liking it. How could I?

We were going past the kitchen, our hands entwined, when Peter appeared in the doorway.

Kash stopped. I stopped.

Peter seared me with his eyes before switching to Kash.

He clipped out, “Matthew took off in the Lamborghini. He’d been drinking.”

Another look my way, and then he disappeared.

His words echoed in my head first.

Worry for Matt hit me second.

And third, I was seared.

Peter had walked away from me again.

I should have been used to it by now.

THIRTY-THREE

Kash called the security team on Matt, and we were pulling up outside of a dark mansion two hours later. It took us that long to get his location.

“Where are we?”

Kash flashed a quick grin at me, pocketing his keys. He had chosen to drive us himself, in a sports car. Two SUVs pulled in behind us. I recognized the guards.

“We had a team following us?”

Kash had skimmed a look over me before focusing on the road again. “There’s always a unit on us. They might not be in the car with us, but they’re around.”

The house wasn’t in a gated community. That felt wrong, but the road was isolated. I didn’t see any other houses along it, just forest. Tree after tree blanketed both sides of the road as we drove here, giving us an isolated feeling. The house itself was three stories. The driveway wasn’t long, but three cars were parked in front. I recognized a Lamborghini and assumed that was Matt’s. The others were just as expensive looking.

Kash walked ahead of me, pocketing his keys and phone. He took my hand, leading me up to a fence. He gazed up at the camera perched on top of it and, without saying anything, pushed a button. The gate swung open for him.

Strobe lights lit up the backyard. Low bass filled the air. The smell of bonfire and marijuana was strong, too. But the view. Man. The view was spectacular. This was why this house was built here. A drop-off opened up to a valley filled with lights from each of the homes nestled along the side, and the river at the bottom had bobbing boat lights.

Lush green lawns spread out until the drop at an edge.

Neon and sparkling crystal lights lit up the entire backyard.

I was getting another glimpse into a world that was so far from the one I grew up in.

Kash led me forward, circling around to the back, and we turned the corner of the house. A couple was in the pool. His lips moved down her throat.

Kash walked past without a second glance. Like it was nothing new, like it was something he saw every day.

Going through the rest of the house, we saw other couples. All having sex.

Kash tightened his hold on my hand as he opened a door that led to the basement. The bass we had heard outside was louder here. We were headed right to its source, and a sick feeling overcame me.

I didn’t know what we were going to see down there. Kash did. His face was rigid and masked, and that told me enough. But I kept with him.

More couples. More orgies.

This place—Matt was here. And he was hurting and he was here and there were drugs and I didn’t know what state we would find him in, until finally, finally, Kash pushed open a back door.

Matt’s pants were undone. Shirtless. A girl was bent over in front of him and he was thrusting inside of her. Another girl was beneath her, her mouth on the girl’s breasts.

There was more movement in the back.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I recognized Chester, Tony, and the other guy from the tent earlier. All three were nailing a third girl.

Kash flipped on the main light.

No one reacted.

Well, that’s not true.

Matt looked right at us, and even through the glaze, I could see the ugliness. He didn’t stop thrusting. He grabbed her