CHAPTER ONE.

fuck men, all of them.

Her earphones blasted the chilled playlist she had created for the plane; her body clad to a summer dress she'd bought at a boutique in the middle of London. Angeline Lewis had missed the sunshine California provided, her shoulders already growing golden beneath its beams as she tugged her suitcase out the exit of the airport.

A silver Porsche came slowing to a stop towards the teenage girl, causing a small smile to cross her features as she moved towards it, ignoring the crowds of people around her. It came to a stop at the curb and the tinted window rolled down, revealing floppy blond hair and a cocky smirk.

"Bags in the trunk, babe," Levi Edwards instructed and jerked his head back where the trunk was automatically opening.

Angeline held back an eyeroll at the way her boyfriend constantly insisted on showing off his luxuries, but hauled the heavy case over anyway and did as she was told. It settled between a couple cases of beer and a half-opened gym bag that had Adidas socks poking out.

She slammed it shut and moved over to the passenger side of the Porsche, sliding into the leather seat. Once she'd adjusted the ditsy-patterned material around her legs, she turned to face Levi, pushing her sunglasses off her face to rest on top of her head.

"Hope you didn't miss me too much," Angeline grinned teasingly, leaning forward and holding his thigh.

She shifted across the gearstick and kissed Levi on the lips, the blond immediately starting to move his lips back against hers roughly. He tasted like the gum that he always smacked on and some of her own cherry lipgloss that was being smudged. As Levi's hand started to glide down towards her ass, Angeline squeezed his thigh and pulled away.

"Yeah, not right now, thanks," she scoffed, flopping back into her seat and smoothing her dress back down again. "I don't feel like getting arrested for public indecency, do you?"

"Depends," Levi grinned. "Do I get to finish before we get arrested?"

Angeline's mouth dropped open and she laughed a little in disbelief, smacking his arm. As Levi started to pull away from the curb, Angeline wiped away at any smeared lipgloss around her lips and then shoved her sunglasses back onto her nose.

"How was London?" Levi finally asked.

"It was fine. Rained a lot."

"So not as good as Cali?"

"Of course not," the brunette scoffed loudly, glancing out the window at all of the beautiful scenery that they passed-- the kind of scenery that she missed when she was in her dreary hometown of concrete and pollution.

Angeline longed to be near the beach where the weather was warmer and the sun was brighter. She hated waking up to grey skies and the sound of traffic. Her heart rested where the sunrises looked like explosions of the most exotic paints on a canvas and the palm trees swayed in unison like a dance.

Angeline adored California and if it meant she had to live with her father to be here, then so be it.

"Where am I dropping you?" Levi asked once they had reached the highway that was leading to Fair Hill. "Do you wanna come back to mine and catch up?"

The girl in the passenger side knew that Levi didn't want to 'catch up' unless 'catch up' was code for having sex in his unmade bed where he would fall asleep straight after until the night where he'd either smoke weed by the pool or head to whoever was hosting the biggest party.

"I shouldn't. I gotta get home and unpack," Angeline disclaimed. "My father's probably expecting me."

If Levi was disappointed then he didn't show it. He simply took the next intersection off of the highway and headed towards the gated community that Angeline was fortunate enough to live behind. Her house was the beautiful mansion at the very end of White Creek Lane, the one with the perfectly trimmed grass and the gates that you need yet another password to get through.

Of course all of the neighbouring homes looked nearly identical, owned by people just as rich as Angeline's father. Daniel Lewis had bought the house around three years ago now, around the time when he started making big bucks from his buisness. It left him with a pick of the grandest homes across the globe, and a mansion in America's golden state sounded far more appealing to him than a penthouse in London.

"Yeah, just right here, thanks."

Levi pulled up outside the gates of her home, opening the trunk with the button his door once again. Before she could leave, he turned to face her and gently grabbed her chin, pulling her face against his as their lips worked together. Angeline pulled back after a few seconds.

"I have to go," she said, sending him a half-assed apologetic smile.

Levi nodded firmly. "I'll see you at Paige's party, then."

"Obviously."

The brunette climbed out of the car and grabbed her suitcase from the back, watching as the Porsche waited not even a second before driving off. She huffed, not really knowing what to think of her small reunion with the boy she hadn't seen in three or so weeks.

Levi Edwards was captain of the soccer team at school. He was a blond floppy-haired jock with a dazzling smile and the kind of jawline that girls had Instagram pages dedicated to back in 2014. He was attractive and he wasn't bad when it came to the bedroom department, so Angeline kept him around. Otherwise, she considered him a complete clout chaser and not the smartest cookie in the box.

Angeline buzzed herself in and moved up the long driveway of her home, sending a small smile to one of the gardeners working on the flowers near the fountain. She hauled the suitcase up the stairs that led to her front door and opened it, revealing an empty foyer.

"I'm home," she called, unsurprisngly elliciting no response.

She lugged the suitcase up the stairs to her bedroom. It was smaller than her father's room and a bit smaller than her brother's too, but it was still big. Far larger than the one in her mother's penthouse in London. It had a walk-in wardrobe and a king sized bed, immaculate cream carpets and her belongings all sat on pristine furniture that matched.

Angeline tossed her luggage on top of the bed before her phone buzzed inside her pocket.

PAIGE: welcome home bitch. party's at nine.

Angeline grinned down at her phone, immediately typing a response back to her best friend. Parties at Fair Hill were never small. It was always a bunch of rich kids in a mansion with unlimited access to alcohol and even drugs, untouchable by the cops who were always tipped off by even richer parents.

"Look what the cat dragged in."

The brunette glanced over her shoulder, rolling her eyes at the man standing in the doorway. His crystal orbs were staring her down with the usual smirk written across his face, hair gelled back neatly like always and his body clad in his usual half-unbuttoned shirt and jeans.

"Elliot," Angeline acknowledged her older brother with a small nod. "What do you want?"

Elliot shrugged from where he was leaning against her door frame, his strong arms folded against his chest. His amused smile seemed to leave his face as he blinked and pursed his lips, pushing himself away from the wood.

"How was London?"

"You mean how was mum?" She sneered back, continuing to unpack her belongings from her suitcase. "Yeah, she felt pretty shit when I told her you weren't coming because you'd rather stay and help dad with his shitty business."

"That shitty business is the reason you're standing in a multimillion dollar mansion right now," the blue-eyed boy replied wittily, staring around her room. "But whatever, trash dad's business all you want. You'll be the one that inherits nothing."

"Whoopie for me," Angeline grinned back sarcastically. "If you have no more questions for me then you can go back to sucking dad off in your little meeting room-"

"Shut your mouth," Elliot growled, fists clenching and his face growing red as he stomped closer, standing on the other side of Angeline's bed. "It was quiet until you got home. Just stay out of the way and don't talk about things you don't understand."

Right, because my female brain is way too tiny to comprehend that you and dad are just complete fucking assholes.

Angeline just stood there, lips pursed and her chest heaving with anger. She always struggled to keep her mouth shut, always wanting to one up whoever she was arguing with and prove them wrong, but there was no winning this one. Elliot was their father's favourite-- he always had been.

Her older brother stared her down for only a couple more seconds before he stormed off out the door, slamming it behind him. Angeline sighed, rubbing her forehead with her hand as she glanced around the room she hadn't been in for nearly a month. Her brown eyes landed on her closet door  and she smiled a little.

She had a party to get ready for.

...

There were two reasons that Paige Jones was the most popular girl at school. For starters, she was drop dead gorgeous. There was not a single flaw on her body, her porcelain skin home to delicate features that were all natural, and she had the kind of golden hair every girl envied. She was never not rocking a bold lipstick, tonight choosing red to go with the tiny dress she was wearing.

The second reason she was so popular was because everybody knew she threw the best parties in Fair Hill. Her house was huge, nearly as big as Angeline's, and her parents were always out of town-- leaving them full access to the bar and smoke machines. Music was blasting loudly throughout the entire building, all sorts of drinking games going on and people jumping in and out of the pool outside.

Angeline glanced around with a grin, looking around for her friends. She'd turned up half an hour late as usual, smiling gratefully at all of her classmates who were greeting her as she walked through the foyer. Neon lights cast over her every now and then, making it somewhat difficult to see.

"Angel!" She heard Paige's squeal before she saw her.

Moments later, Angeline was being tugged into a tight hug. Angeline wrapped her arms around the other teenage girl, jumping up and down slightly, careful not to fall over in the heels she wore. Paige pulled her away at arms length and Angeline caught a whiff of weed from the girl, mixed with the Chanel perfume she always wore.

"I missed you so much," Paige exclaimed, leading her over to the bar where she helped herself to a couple red solo cups, filling them up with what Angeline assumed was cider. "Seriously, it was so boring with just Grace and Ciara. Don't tell them that, though."

Angeline mimicked zipping her lips shut with a small giggle before she accepted the cup and took a couple of swigs. It was a fruity cider, the cool liquid refreshing her mouth and slightly fizzing as it slid down her throat and warmed her body.

"Trust me, I didn't have much fun either," Angeline replied, leaning against the bar next to Paige as they glanced around the room, inspecting everyone. "Well, I mean, I shopped a lot. Look at this cute ring I got at Harrods."

Paige clasped her friend's hand and lifted it up, finding a rose gold Cartier band wrapped around Angeline's ring finger. She gasped, flipping it over.

"So cute," Paige agreed.

"Oh, Angel!" Angeline heard the singing voice of Grace Lakesfield, causing her to turn.

The dark-skinned girl was approaching fast, a beaming smile on her face. Her black curls had been updated with caramel highlights over spring break, bouncing behind her as she tugged Angeline into a tight hug. Grace pulled back with a grin.

"How was your spring break?" She called over the music before her eyes landed on Caira Watson standing talking to some girl a few feet away. "Ciara! Look who's here!"

Ciara's face lit up, gasping as she pushed away from the teenage girl and started to stumble over. Angeline giggled at the realisation that her Korean-American friend was already drunk as she took her into a quick hug.

"You look stunning, Angel," Ciara smoothed her hands down Angeline's bare arms, inspecting the black dress she wore before her hands started to fiddle with her curled hair.

Angeline chuckled. "Thanks, Ci. You look beautiful, too."

As soon as Angeline had started at Fair Hill High half way through the first semester of sophomore year, she'd been taken under the wing of the school's 'it girls'. The four had been inseparable ever since, the three even coming to London with her sometimes over the summer when the weather was actually decent.

"Holy shit, I love this song!"

Angeline ditched her cup at the bar and grabbed Grace, the two of them moving to the living room where everybody was dancing to evacuate the dancefloor. The brunette hadn't heard this song for years, but she remembered loving it when she was in primary school and requesting it at the school disco. Now, everything was much realer- her system buzzing a little from the alcohol and her petite frame surrounded by hundreds of first class high schoolers.

Grace and Angeline laughed as they wrapped their arms around each other, swaying their hips to the catchy beat. When a member of the soccer team attempted to plant his hands on Grace's hips she swatted him away, shooting him a glare so fierce that if looks could kill, he would totally be six foot under. Angeline bit her lip and grinned, feeling Paige and Ciara join in around them.

The song ended and a different one started to play, a Rihanna one. They danced to what felt like hundreds of songs, picking up cup after cup of alcohol and making the most of the night.

Angeline was half way through yelling lyrics to her friends when she caught sight of a familiar mop of blond hair across the dancefloor, getting lost every now and then in the crowds. The bass was so loud that it vibrated through Angeline's bones, her body feeling electric as she started to head over.

She paused when she saw that Levi wasn't with his friends or by himself, but practically grinding against a girl in the grade below them, his hands on her hips and his bottom lip between his teeth. Angeline felt anger pulse through her, her fists clenching by her sides. She waited for Levi to glance up, his brown eyes widening in fear when he saw her stood there simply staring.

His grip immediately released the junior girl and he started to head after her, calling her stupid nickname. Angeline was already weaving throughout her classmates, wanting to find her friends for backup. His hand planted down on her shoulder before she could reach them, causing her to whirl around.

Angeline grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight, the captain of the soccer team screeching and pulling away. Levi looked at her, horrified, holding his injured body part.

"Awh, did that hurt?" Angeline feigned a pout. "You're lucky I don't do it to your fucking dick!"

Levi winced. "Okay, okay. I get that that looked kind of suggestive, but-"

"It's not what I think, right?" The teenage girl guessed, shaking her head when Levi nodded unsurely.

"It didn't mean anything," he blurted.

"Tell me if this means anything, Levi," Angeline stepped closer, her voice gravely low yet still loud over the pounding music in their ears. "We're over."

She raised the red solo cup in her hand and threw it over his shocked face, the expression melting off into one of anger and disbelief. Angeline grinned widely at all of the cider staining his white shirt red and his blond hair sticking to his forehead. His jaw hung open as he looked down at her, about to say something when Paige stepped between the two.

"You heard her, asshole," Paige glared, pushing him back by the chest, one arm wrapped around Angeline's shoulders. "Angel said fuck off. I suggest you listen to her."

Angeline fluttered her fingers at him before the pair linked arms and started to move away from him. She could hear some students laughing around them, not at the two teenage girls but at the boy standing there covered in alcohol and embarrassed. Her chest felt slightly heavier than it did at the start of the night, but she tried to push away the shitty feeling.

Levi was nothing but an airhead. He could barely solve basic math questions-- he was no match for Angeline anyway. She knew he was never going to be a long term thing anyway, just a distraction, except it didn't feel good to be cheated on. It was a bit of a confidence knocker, if the brunette was being honest.

Grace was shoving another drink in her hand as a rap song started playing. "Drink this and forget that ass," she slurred before she sighed. "That really hot, cute, adorable ass-"

"Okay, she gets it, Grace," Paige glared, peeling her arm from Angeline's shoulders and glancing down at the short girl. "Trust me, Angel. He'll get what's coming, I'll make sure of it."

"Enough about Levi," Angeline hummed. "He can suck my fucking dick if he thinks I care."

"Yes, bitch!" Ciara squealed, clapping her hands together as Angeline tipped the red solo cup back and downed all of the drink inside.

She winced once she'd finished, her throat and chest burning. Angeline wasn't completely sure, but she thought it was definitely vodka and coke. Ciara always tended to go a little overboard on the spirit too, so she knew there was no way she wasn't waking up tomorrow with a huge hangover. One that her father would probably kill her for.

It felt like hours she danced with her friends, forgetting all about the boy across the room who was already making a move on the girl he had been caught with. Beer pong was her game, so she spent ages on a team with Paige defeating whoever dared challenge them, requesting her favourite music with the DJ that Paige had hired and snacking on the crisps laid out.

Angeline hated men-- all of them. Her father, her brother, Levi Edwards. As far as she was concerned, none of them deserved rights, not a single one. Not even the barista that made her coffee before school every morning. If every man banished from the planet over night, Angeline was pretty sure that she wouldn't shed a single tear. In fact, she would probably jump for joy.

Fuck Levi Edwards.

At least that's what she kept repeating to herself as she stormed home that night, wrapped in her own arms and tears streaming down her face. She sniffled, shaking her head and trying to pretend that she wasn't freezing cold. All her friends had found people to hook up with, but that wasn't on Angeline's list of things to do.

She just wanted to go home to the bed she hadn't slept in in nearly a month and sleep off the alcohol in her system and the thoughts of Levi swirling in her brain. Her ears still rang from the music that had been pounding all night long, her body swaying as she staggered down the pavement, her heeled shoes tucked between her fingers.

It only took ten minutes to get home and she buzzed herself in, spending another five minutes just making it up the drive. Angeline only prayed that the sprinklers didn't switch on since it wouldn't be the first time and she definitely didn't need that tonight.

Once she made it to the front door she unlocked it, finding all of the lights still on. She assumed her father and brother were working late and sighed, tucking her long hair behind her ears as she started to climb the staircase. The marble was freezing beneath her feet but she had stopped with the tears a long time ago, her eyes now rimmed with black mascara.

Suddenly, Angeline collided with someone, sending her staggering back a little. The heels dropped from her hands but before she could go down with them, a large hand reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her up right. She gasped, quickly looking up to find an unfamiliar man stood in the middle of the hallway, glancing at her with a small frown.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice not incredibly deep but still quite rough.

Even in her drunk state, Angeline knew she had never met this man before in her life, because if she had, she certainly wouldn't forget a face like his. He had to be in his early twenties, about six foot tall with an athletic build, his biceps slightly bulging out of the tight black t-shirt that he was wearing. His hazel eyes were inspecting her, his dark, shaggy hair framing his face which seemed to have perfect bone structure.

Angeline was in awe before she realised that she had been staring a second or two too long. She immediately ripped her arm from his grip and glared, reaching down to grab her shoes off of the ground.

"Who the hell are you?" Angeline huffed, adjusting the bag on her shoulder.

Only then did she realise that she must look like a complete mess, her fingers darting out in an attempt to clean some of the mascara from underneath her eyes. She hoped it worked and she didn't just rub it in even more.

"I'm Mitch Rapp," the man introduced himself, offering her his hand which she reluctantly shook-- he had huge hands. "You must be Angeline Lewis. I work for your father."

Angeline stared at him for a moment or two. "At two in the morning?"

"What's going on?"

There was the man himself. Daniel Lewis screamed privilege and wealth, never seen in anything but a suit and tie, his hair always gelled back professionally and never a shadow on his face. He glanced between Mitch and Angeline.

He'd come out of the meeting room that Angeline wasn't allowed to go inside of, not that she really cared. Angeline would rather gouge her eyes out then sit around and listen to her brother and father talk about business things.

Before Mitch could talk, Angeline gestured to him. "Who's he?" She asked bluntly.

"That's Rapp, Angeline," Mr Lewis sighed, less than thrilled that his work had been interrupted. "He's working with Renolds and Winston in a part of our new security team."

"Great, another man in the house," Angeline muttered bitterly underneath her breath, but Mitch had heard her. "Why the hell do we need more security, dad? Is two strange men living in our house not enough?"

"When your business is expanding, you have to expand in other areas too, Angeline," her father spoke condescendingly before he seemed to realise the state that she was in. "And, you know, it would have been nice for you to greet me for the first time in a month sober."

Angeline just huffed, tightening her grip on her bag. "Can I go now?"

"Yes," he excused her as she began to head to her bedroom door before he started to talk to Mitch. "Don't mind her. She's always angry about something, never happy."

"Asshole," Angeline whispered to herself and slammed the door shut.

She closed her eyes and stood in the stillness of her room, swaying slightly. Fuck Levi. Fuck Elliot. Fuck her dad. Fuck Renolds. Fuck Winston. And lastly, fuck whoever this Mitch Rapp guy is.

...

haha she definitely will fuck whoever that mitch rapp guy is.

sorry if this is a bit slow and theres not much mitch, but like every single first chapter/first episode i just had to do a lot of introducing and whatnot. thanks for reading and i hope you enjoyed it anyway :)

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