Stray (Graveyard Kings #2)

CHAPTER ONE

CODIE

“I’m not sure I should have any more. This shit makes me so paranoid.” Luna giggled, taking another hit of the joint she held.

“Then why do you keep smoking it?” With a shake of my head, I plucked the joint from her fingertips, popping it between my lips. “More for me.”

“Hey,” she protested. “I can’t help that I’m a basket case. I still enjoy the high. It just also makes me want to run away.”

The two of us stood on the edge of a large crowd gathered outside the warehouse where a massive rave was underway. The summer had flown by much too quickly. Classes had started up again this week. I wasn’t ready for that yet. So here we were about to do molly and get drunk with strangers.

I pulled the small baggie of pills out from between my tits, eyeing Luna uncertainly. “Are you sure you can handle this? I don’t want to find you in a car with two frat guys again.”

She scoffed, waving away my concerns. “That was one time. We agreed to stick together tonight. I just want to dance my ass off and have a good time.”

We each popped a pill in our mouth, quickly swallowing.

Luna got a little carried away when she was high, so I’d do my best to keep a close eye on her.

The two of us had attended several of Venom’s raves throughout the summer.

They were always loud and chaotic, packed with people.

Even though the Venom guys were mostly known for being criminals for hire, they knew how to throw a good party.

I puffed on my joint, watching people in brightly colored attire flow in and out of the warehouse. Luna herself was dressed in a fluorescent green dress with matching fuzzy leg warmers. Her pink and purple hair was loose in soft waves that fell about her shoulders.

I’d opted for a different look. A short black leather skirt made my ass look absolutely divine. I’d paired it with a white crop top, my long black hair cascading down my back in curls. Knee-high boots completed the look.

“Ready to head inside?” I stubbed out the remains of the joint with my boot, pretending not to notice the two guys watching us from across the parking lot.

As much as I enjoyed a good hook up, I wasn’t here for that tonight. Not unless the right opportunity presented itself. I’d done my best to stay away from guys all summer. Too many disappointing encounters left me needing a break from the Y chromosome.

“Do you think the girls will show?” Luna asked as we made our way into the building.

We’d invited our best friends, like we usually did.

I didn’t expect to see any of them tonight.

This wasn’t really their scene. Since Storm was engaged to Rebel, leader of the Graveyard Kings, it made sense that she wouldn’t make an appearance.

There was a lot of bad blood between Venom and the Kings.

Ripley was often working at her part-time job, and Athena wasn’t much for the rave scene.

“I doubt it. We’ll have to have enough fun for all of us.” Nobody stopped us to check our ID. This party was far from legal.

The music was loud, electronic dance stuff with a DJ.

The bass reverberated through the warehouse.

I felt it in my bones. Lights strobed around the dance floor, making everyone look like they moved in weird, choppy motions.

Our first stop was the bar in the corner where I ordered a double shot of Captain Morgan.

Luna played it safer with a wine cooler that smelled like fake peaches.

We did a lap around the party before hitting the dance floor. Again I saw the two guys who’d been watching us outside. They stood in the corner, smoking and drinking. One of them tried to catch my eye, but I looked away. Not interested.

There were a few people from campus there that engaged us in small talk. I wasn’t interested in that either. I’d come here to get messed up and dance. There was an element of danger that I simply couldn’t resist.

One time the cops had shown up and we’d had to run like hell. Another time there was an altercation in the parking lot between Damon Price and someone he pissed off. Shots were fired. Everyone freaked out.

Although I didn’t broadcast it, I’d always enjoyed the rush of danger.

Maybe a little too much. There was something about it that got me excited.

It was kind of a turn on. I may have, on occasion, sought out dangerous encounters simply for the rush.

Maybe that’s why I enjoyed these parties. Anything could happen.

By the time we made it to the dance floor, I was on my second drink and starting to feel the effects of the molly. That telltale sense of euphoria hit, bringing a smile to my face. Luna and I danced together, happily vibing in our own little world. The pounding bass beat kept my feet moving.

Other people joined us, dancing close. We happily welcomed the company. My mindset had shifted. Energized and happy, I shot a flirtatious smile at a cute guy with dozens of glow sticks along his arm. He moved in closer, grinding on me as we danced.

I got the sudden sensation of being watched. Glancing around, I scanned the crowd for anyone who may be staring too intently. With the strobing lights breaking up the darkness, it was difficult to see. Shrugging it off, I returned my attention to the cutie next to me.

The activity on the dance floor picked up as more people joined.

In no time it was packed body to body. The two guys who had been watching us made their way closer.

One of them sidled up next to Luna, doing his best to dance with her.

Now heavily under the influence of the pills we’d taken, she didn’t chase him away.

Several guys and a few girls tried to dance with us, shamelessly flirting. We were having a great time, open to anything. I greedily drank up the attention I was receiving. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone watched me. Someone I couldn’t see but who could see me.

As the night went on, the number of drinks we had piled up.

Soon I was pretty messed up. The crowd seemed to swallow Luna.

Despite my best efforts, she disappeared into the throng.

I thought I caught a glimpse of her pink and purple hair across the dance floor.

Instead of going after her, I figured I would catch up with her later.

The cute guy with the glow sticks had been replaced by someone else.

I didn’t care who I danced with as long as we were all having a good time.

A warm hand on my waist held me close as someone grinded on me from behind.

I gave my ass a wiggle, doing my best to tease him, even though I had no intention of following through.

“You smell fucking amazing.” The guy behind me shouted over the music while sliding a hand along my waist. The way he rubbed me made me think he was likely on molly as well.

Not wanting to encourage him too much, I smiled and kept dancing. Every time I would get out of reach, he would pull me back against him. It was nice at first. The attention and the touching felt good. Soon it became too much, and I decided to go in search of Luna.

“Where are you going?” He grabbed my arm, not letting me get away. “You can’t leave now. We’re just getting started.”

I tried to pull away, and he held tighter. There was something in his eyes, something dangerous that made me stop resisting. Maybe this guy would prove interesting after all.

“I need to find my friend,” I said. “We got separated.”

“You’ll find her later. I’ll help you. Let’s get another drink.” He pulled me along to the bar, ordering for the two of us.

Because I wasn’t an idiot, I watched him closely. I watched him drop something in my drink before handing it to me. Pretending not to notice, I accepted the drink. Now I had a decision to make.

I could throw the drink in his face and call him out for being a shady piece of shit. I could also abandon the drink and get the hell away from this guy. The third option was to play along. Drink it and discover how fucked up this night could get. In my twenty-one years, I’d never been so reckless.

Only someone with extreme problems would consider drinking it, knowing it was drugged. And yet, I was incredibly tempted to do just that. There was a strange part of me that wanted to know what would happen. How far would he take this? Would he hurt me or simply use me for his own pleasure?

This was the side of me that I kept hidden from my friends. From everyone. I knew it wasn’t normal. Maybe there was something wrong with me. There was something about the danger that I couldn’t resist. A rush of excitement filled me as I brought the drink to my lips.

He seemed satisfied when I took a large swallow. We kept dancing until I finished most of the drink and felt too foggy to dance any longer. My vision began to swim. The party became a blur of bodies moving together.

When he kissed me, I didn’t resist. I couldn’t have even if I wanted to.

He’d made sure of that. I was putty in his arms as he brazenly groped me.

I guess it kind of felt good. Being touched while high always felt nice.

There was nothing special about it though.

Nothing that set him apart from any other guy in the building.

“Let’s go back to my place,” he said tightly, clasping my hand in his. “I’ll rock your world.”

My initial reaction was to curl my lip and sneer. Who said something so corny and thought it was cool? I never would have looked twice at this guy if I’d been sober.

I tried to speak, to tell him that I wanted to stay and find Luna. The words wouldn’t come. They were jumbled in my brain. My tongue felt heavy in my mouth, like it refused to participate.

He didn’t wait for a response. Taking advantage of my current state, he ushered me along to the exit. I was unsteady on my feet, unable to walk in a straight line. My body felt numb, like there was a disconnect between it and my brain.

When it became clear I was struggling to walk properly, he slid an arm around me, doing his best to hold me upright. He seemed to be in a hurry to get me out of the building. Probably because he didn’t want me to black out completely before he got me alone.

The briefest thought fluttered through my head. Why the hell did I drink that knowing it was drugged? Was I trying to get myself killed?

We emerged from the hot, sweaty warehouse into the late summer air. My head cleared slightly as I sucked in a deep breath. Someone stepped in front of us, bringing us to a stop.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

Stray Hurley stood right in front of us, and he looked pissed.