These Defiant Souls: A Darling Hill Story Read online

  THESE DEFIANT SOULS

  A DARLING HILL STORY

  L A COTTON

  Published by Delesty Books

  THESE DEFIANT SOULS

  Copyright © L. A. Cotton 2022

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes only.

  Edited by Andrea M. Long

  Cover Designed by The Pretty Little Design Co.

  Cover Image: Michelle Lancaster

  CONTENTS

  Darling Hill

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Epilogue

  Playlist

  About the Author

  DARLING HILL

  These Dark Hearts

  A Nix & Harleigh Prequel

  These Dirty Lies

  Nix & Harleigh Book One

  These Dead Promises

  Nix & Harleigh Book Two

  These Defiant Souls

  A Darling Hill Story

  Zane

  “I’m surprised you showed,” I said to Nix.

  “It’s Halloween, where else would I be?” My best friend grinned, grabbing a beer from the cooler by my feet and uncapping it.

  “Didn’t think you’d be able to drag yourself away from Birdie.”

  “We’re not that bad.”

  I shot him a droll look. They were that bad and then some.

  But I got it.

  Harleigh Wren was his person. The other half to his tainted soul.

  I might have been a skeptical motherfucker who had no intentions of ever letting a girl hold that kind of power over me, but I wasn’t a total asshole. I knew love when I saw it.

  And Nix and Harleigh had it in spades.

  Didn’t mean I didn’t miss my best friend though. We still hung out with Kye, our other best friend, but it wasn’t the same.

  Everything was changing, and part of me hated it. Because there was no getting out of The Row after graduation for me. My life was tethered here. I would never leave Grams and even when she was gone, it wasn’t like I had a fairy godmother waiting in the wings to make all my wishes come true.

  Dreaming was for pussies.

  I preferred to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground. And the truth of it was, I was stuck here. Darling Row was the rot that festered inside me, the poison that ran through my veins. And one day, it would claim my dirty black soul.

  Kicking my feet out, I inhaled deeply on the blunt, letting the acrid smoke roll through me as I stared out at the carnage before me. Halloween at Darling Hill reservoir was always a big deal. Every kid on our side of the border turned up dressed for the occasion, looking to get fucked and-or fucked up.

  “Check out Cherri and Darius, she really got her claws into him, huh?” I murmured, and Nix snorted at the sight of the two of them.

  “He’s welcome to her.”

  “Yeah, you had a lucky escape there,” I said.

  Cherri Jardin was bad news. But ever since Harleigh had transferred back to Darling Hill High, she’d kept a low profile where Nix was concerned. Probably scared of what Harleigh’s old man, Michael Rowe, might do if she ever looked twice at his daughter.

  Part of me still couldn’t believe Harleigh was one of them. The rich, elite families that lived across the other side of town in Old Darling Hill. The very people we’d spent our entire lives hating. But she’d grown up with us, so despite the blue blood running through her veins, she was the exception to the rule.

  “How’s Grams?” Nix asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “The usual. She puts on a brave face for me, but I can see the cracks. She isn’t getting any better and the medical bills keep rolling in.”

  “The insurance—”

  “Only stretches so far. You know that.”

  “Yeah.” He blew out a steady breath. “If there’s anything I can do…”

  “It’s fine. I’ll figure it out.”

  I’d find a way to make sure Grams kept getting her meds and the help she needed. It was the least I could do after all she’d done for me over the years.

  Kye appeared, sauntering over to us with his usual cocky swagger. “Look what the cat dragged in.” Nix flipped him off, and Kye chuckled. “Didn’t think you’d make it.”

  “Seriously, you make it sound like I’ve moved across the state. We see each other at school every day.”

  “When you’re not dry fucking B against the wall.”

  “You’re just jealous that I’m getting regular pussy, Carter.” Nix smirked at Kye.

  “He has a point, man,” I added.

  “Says you, Z.” Kye pinned me with a knowing look. “When was the last time you got your dick wet?”

  “You know I don’t kiss and tell,” I grumbled, handing off the blunt to Nix and reaching for a beer.

  “And why is that exactly?” Kye taunted. “Having a little trouble—”

  “Cut it out,” Nix warned.

  Kye backed off because that’s how our trio operated. He was the joker, always putting his foot in his mouth. Nix was our fearless leader. And me, I was the quiet observer. A silent tempest who hovered on the periphery. There were only a handful of people I trusted. Even less I cared about.

  Some people called me cold, but I liked it that way. The less people you let in, the less people who could disappoint you.

  “Is it me or does this not have the same appeal as previous years?” Kye scanned the party, his brows furrowed.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” I said, glancing at Nix.

  He was busy texting on his phone. I didn’t need to ask to know who it was. He and Harleigh couldn’t stand to be apart from one another for more than a few hours. It was hardly a surprise given everything they’d been through, but damn, I missed my best friend. Missed the days when life was simpler, and girls didn’t enter the equation.

  But we weren’t kids anymore. Nix was as good as living with Harleigh now and we hadn’t even graduated high school yet. Kye hooked up with a different girl every weekend, sometimes more than one. It wouldn’t take long before one of them tied him down and demanded something more. And then I’d be alone.

  “What?” Nix said, shoving his cell back in his pocket.

  “Let me guess, B?” Kye asked.

  “Yeah. They’re heading to Strike One. We could always—”

  “No,” I barked. “No fucking way.”

  “Jesus, keep your hair on, Z.” Kye flashed me a shit-eating smirk. “What’s wrong with bowling? We had fun last time. Well, I did when I wiped the alley with your sorry ass.”

  “I need another drink.” I got up.

  “There’s a six-pack right there.” He tipped his head to the cooler at my feet.

  “Need something stronger.”

  “Don’t do anything stupid,” Nix called after me, but I was already gone, winding my way through the crowd.

  A few people clapped me on the shoulder, congratulating me on a good game last night. The Darling Hill Hawks were on a winning streak and if we kept it up, the playoffs were right in our grasp. But unlike Nix and a handful of other guys on the team, football wasn’t my ticket out of here. I was good—I knew my way around a football field—but I wasn’t great.

  Besides, even if a scholarship did come calling—and I wasn’t holding my breath—I could never leave Grams. Moving her out of The Row and into a care facility wasn’t an option.

  So this was my hand. Senior year. One final season of football with the Hawks, and making as many memories with my friends as possible before graduation rolled around, and we all went our separate ways.

  Shit, I needed that drink.

  I was almost at the makeshift bar—really, the tailgate of someone’s busted up truck—when a cute blonde stepped into my path. “Hey, Zane.” She smiled up at me through her thick lashes.

  “What’s up?” I said, letting my eyes drop down her body. She wasn’t my usual type. Too petite and small. Fragile. My hands looked like they would span her waist with ease. I liked a little more to hold onto.

  “You played a good game yesterday.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I’m Freya. We have biology and history together.”

  “Yeah, I’ve seen you around.” But I didn’t tend to put a name to a face u
nless I needed to.

  I left that to Kye. He could name every girl in our class, and probably recall their bra size and deep throating skills.

  The guy was a fucking dog.

  I preferred to keep my hookups to myself. Because sex wasn’t a sport for me, it was a transaction. A way to burn off some steam and keep the anger and resentment living inside me at bay.

  I liked sex. Sure. But I had no interest in all the other stuff that came with it.

  “So…” Freya bit down on her bottom lip in that way less than subtle way chicks did when they wanted something. “I’ve been plucking up the courage to talk to you since the semester started.”

  “I don’t bite.”

  “Not what I heard.” Her eyes sparkled with interest.

  “You shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”

  Even if, in this case, there was a smidge of truth in it.

  “Do you want to find somewhere quiet to talk?”

  “No can do, sorry.” I ran a hand through my dark hair. “I’m here with the guys.”

  “Oh, okay.” Dejection washed over her. “Maybe another time.”

  “Maybe.”

  Without another word, I moved around her and went in search of liquor. At least liquor wouldn’t talk. It wouldn’t bat its eyelashes and try and lure me into its trap. It wouldn’t misread signals that weren’t there to begin with.

  And liquor definitely wouldn’t abandon you in your hour of need.

  “You turned her down? The fuck is wrong with you?” Kye gawked at me as I told him and Nix about Freya.

  I was buzzed. All the vodka running hot through my veins.

  “She’s not my type,” I grumbled.

  “But she basically offered to fuck you.”

  “You don’t have to stick it in anything wearing a skirt, you know, Carter,” Nix chuckled at him.

  “You’re an asshole,” I added.

  “Didn’t know you cared about the fairer species?”

  “I don’t.” I shrugged, nursing my beer. I wanted to keep the buzz, but I didn’t want to be so wasted I couldn’t rush home if Grams needed me.

  “Not even a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed genius from across the res?” He taunted, his eyes dancing with amusement.

  “Fuck off,” I grumbled.

  She was the last person I wanted to think about.

  Celeste Rowe.

  Harleigh Wren’s half-sister and a perpetual thorn in my side.

  I’d known her all of a few weeks, but I’d learned enough to know that she was trouble.

  Trouble with a capital T.

  “Kye, man, leave it,” Nix said, casting a weary glance my way.

  “I’m fine,” I snapped.

  “You’re wound tighter than a spring. Maybe you should speak to Bryson about getting in the ring.”

  Fat chance of that. Fighting was Nix’s thing, not mine. I didn’t mind sparring and going a few rounds with some of the guys who worked out at Buster’s Gym, but I didn’t get the same rush Nix did.

  “Shit.” Nix stared at his cell phone, his lips thinning with annoyance.

  “What is it?”

  “I’m guessing that.” Kye pointed his finger behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder. “Fuck’s sake,” he said. “I told her to stay away.”

  Harleigh, and Kye’s sister Chloe, made a beeline for us.

  “The fuck, Clo?” he ground out. “You were supposed to be at the bowling alley.”

  “We were, but Miles showed up and he and Celeste got into it, so we bailed.”

  “She okay?” Nix asked, dragging Harleigh onto his lap.

  “Yeah, Celeste can handle Miles.” She looped her arm around his shoulder, her gaze sliding to mine. But I glanced away.

  I didn’t give a shit about Celeste and her on-and-off ex Miles Mulligan.

  Even if hearing her name made me bristle.

  No one got under my skin.

  No one except her.

  But Celeste Rowe was everything I hated. Smart. Beautiful… Rich. With the whole world laid out at her feet, she would never want for anything thanks to her parents’ obscene wealth.

  She didn’t know what it was like to go hungry or to worry about how the fuck you were going to pay your bills on time. She didn’t know what it was like to drown in medical expenses, wondering how you were going to help your ailing grams.

  She didn’t know.

  And she never would.

  So Celeste Rowe might have gotten under my skin, sure. But she would never worm her way into my heart. Because it was a cold, dead thing in my chest.

  And I’d be damned if a rich girl from across the res would ever be the one to thaw it out.

  Celeste

  I should have gone with my sister Harleigh and her friend Chloe.

  That’s all I could think as I sat in awkward silence with Miles, my best friend turned boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend since I ended things a couple of weeks ago.

  It wasn’t him. He was kind and sweet and he made me laugh. But I didn’t feel it. That sparks-flying, toe-curling, heart-racing rush you were supposed to feel around your boyfriend. And life was too short to spend the rest of my junior year trying to convince myself that there was something more between us when there wasn’t.

  At least, not for me.

  “I know I got a bit overprotective, babe.” Miles finally broke the silence. “But I only care about you. I’ll do better, I swear. If you just give me another chance, I’ll—”

  “Miles, we’ve been over this. We don’t work together.” I took his hand in mine. “You’re one of my best friends. We work better as friends.”

  “We can’t go back to being just friends, not after everything we’ve shared.” His eyes twinkled as if he thought it might convince me of all the good times we’d had.

  There had been some too. Fun dates and some hot and heavy moments over at his house. But something was always missing. And when my entire life was mapped out for me, I didn’t want to settle for a relationship that didn’t set me on fire.

  Miles was safe. A good guy. The kind of guy who would hold open the door and pay the check. He was sturdy and dependable, and that was great… if I was looking for my future husband.

  I wasn’t though.

  I wanted excitement. Something wild and reckless. Something extraordinary. I wanted my first great love to leave its mark on me. To be able to look back on high school in twenty years and remember the intensity and passion. I wanted—

  “Celeste?”

  “Sorry, what?” I blinked up at Miles, and he frowned.

  “You weren’t listening to a word I said just now, were you?”

  “Sorry, it’s been a long week.”

  He stood up abruptly and ran a hand through his hair, dejection rolling off him in waves. “Obviously this was a mistake. I should go.”

  “I… if that’s what you want.”

  “What happened to you, Celeste?” His lips pursed. “I can make you happy, I know I can. Yet, you won’t even give me a chance.”

  “I gave you a chance, Miles. More than one. But if it’s not there, it’s not there.” I gave him a sad, apologetic smile. “I don’t want to fight with you, but that’s my decision. If you can’t respect that—”

  “Yeah, whatever. I guess I’ll see you around.” He stormed away, taking the air with him.

  I let out a heavy sigh, watching him leave the bowling alley. The couple on the next lane over gave me a sympathetic smile, obviously having overheard some of our conversation. Part of me wanted to ask them how long they’d been dating and whether they were both happy. But that would lead to me asking them if they were aware that over half of all marriages in the country ended in divorce or separation. Fifty percent. That meant that they had a less than one in two chance of making it.