“Dead to the world in his closet,” Adam replied. “When he finally wakes up, he won’t have a clue what happened.”
Trina snickered. “How did you pull that off?”
“I told him I needed to have a quick chat with him while the staff were setting up everything for the gala. There’s caterers and decorators running around everywhere, so I insisted we go into his room for privacy.” He pulled a small vial out of his pocket. “When we were on our way upstairs, I slipped some of this bad boy into his drink.”
“What did you give him?” Trina asked, brows knitting. “Are you sure it’ll keep him out?”
“Yup. I gave him a nice big dose of GHB.”
“Where the hell did you get GHB?”
Adam’s lips curved up in a devious smirk. “You know David Burgin? The private investigator from Dad’s company?”
I looked at Hunter, arching a brow. “I definitely know of him,” I said.
“Well, he’s not just a regular investigator. As well as being able to track down anyone in the world, he can also track down any drugs you want,” Adam said.
“How’d you find that out?”
He rubbed his chin, lips twisting into a small grimace. “Mom told me. He used to get her pills when her doctor wouldn’t give her any more.”
“Yikes.” Trina’s brows dipped in a frown. “At least it wasn’t hard for you to get, I guess.”
“Yeah.” Adam nodded slowly. “Anyway, I should get back up there. I’m gonna hang out in his room all night to make sure he doesn’t wake up before we’re done with everything.”
“And if he does?”
“I’ll put him out again. He’ll be so drowsy he won’t even know what’s happening.”
“Nice.” Trina turned to look at me. “Before Adam goes, can we run through the plan one more time? Just to make sure we haven’t missed anything.”
I nodded and slowly went through it with the three of them.
Earlier this week, Camila had instructed me to meet her and the other Medusa girls at the western entrance of the Connery residence at nine o’clock tonight. I had to wear the same shimmery white gown and gold wrap-around sandals that I’d worn at last week’s failed initiation, and I had to have my hair and makeup done as well.
After I met them downstairs, they were going to escort me up to the secret party room on the top floor. Hunter was going to be waiting just around the corner, disguised as his own father, and when he saw us go into the old library that hid the entrance to the party room, he was going to wait a couple of minutes before walking in himself.
He didn’t have a key to the first room, but that didn’t matter—I’d spent several hours over the last few days teaching him all my lock-picking tricks. He could do it in under three minutes now. There was also a chance that another member would show up at the same time as him, so he could just go in with them.
Once we were all inside and the initiation ritual had begun, I was going to choose Hunter as my partner, and we were going to pretend to have sex on the throne in front of everyone. I was certain we would be able to get away with it, because I knew from witnessing Dayna’s initiation on the island that we weren’t expected to strip down for the ritual. The only thing Dayna took off before she jumped on her guy was her panties.
I was going to do the same to make it look like I was definitely going to have sex with ‘Charles’, and my long gown would cover up Hunter’s lap and my whole bottom half so it wouldn’t be obvious to everyone that we were only faking it as I straddled him and pretended to ride him.
I didn’t really want to do something so lurid in front of everyone, even if it was all fake, but there was no way around it. I had to look like I was having sex with a man on that throne in front of the society members who were in attendance. Otherwise they would never accept or trust me.
Once the initiation was over, I would finally be considered a full member. The society would have their ‘sex tape’, featuring me supposedly riding ‘Charles’ on the throne, and they’d think they had me under their thumb because of that, meaning they could drop their guard and do whatever they wanted in front of me.
That meant I could freely wander the party as the masks started to come off, observing everything that went on with Hunter.
We were going to capture everything that went on with a tiny button cam that we’d attached to one of Hunter’s suit pockets. The cam would wirelessly transmit a video back to Adam’s laptop, which he would monitor while he kept an eye on his unconscious father.
After Hunter and I had everything we needed, we would slip out of the party, and no one in the Network would have any idea that they’d just been infiltrated and filmed.
The real Charles Connery would have no idea either. When he woke up in the morning with no memories of the previous evening due to the drugs, Adam was going to tell him that he got so wasted at the charity gala that he passed out in his walk-in closet while searching for a jacket after drunkenly vomiting on the one he was wearing. A real embarrassment for a man of his age and status.
Status mattered more than anything else to people in Royal Falls, so after hearing that story, Charles would be worried about possibly tarnishing his stellar reputation, and he would never admit to anyone else that he got so drunk that he didn’t know what happened the night before. Because of that, if anyone who attended the secret society party—or the gala downstairs—mentioned anything about it to him, he’d most likely play along and act like he remembered the entire evening.
No one would ever know that he’d never even been there.
Trina’s brows knitted as I finished explaining everything. “I have a few questions,” she said slowly. “I probably should’ve asked them sooner.”
“What are they?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.
“Well, for one, how do you know the men at the party will take off their masks after the whole initiation thing is over?”
“Camila told me a while ago that at least half the men take their masks off at the parties. I think they bank on the girls being so drunk or messed up on drugs by that stage that they won’t remember their faces.”
“It’s not like they can tell anyone even if they do recognize and remember the guys,” Adam added with a shrug. “Because they’re blackmailed into keeping quiet.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Trina nodded slowly. “Another thing, though—you’re going to be filming them having sex with the Medusa girls at the party, and the whole point is to catch them doing it with the underage ones, right? Like Layla, Hazel and Penelope. That way you can turn them in for essentially running an underage sex trafficking ring.”
“Uh-huh. It’s a federal crime, so they’re gonna be fucked,” Hunter said.
“I know, but the thing is, I’ve heard of fifteen and sixteen-year-olds getting into all sorts of legal trouble just for sending each other nudes on their phones, purely because they’re underage,” Trina said. “So when you hand the evidence in to the cops or the FBI, couldn’t you get in trouble for making a video of underage girls? Seeing as it’s basically porn.”
I shook my head. “We’re only filming it to expose what’s happening in the society, because no one will listen to us or believe us otherwise, so I don’t think we’ll get in trouble.”
“Fair enough.”
“Anything else?” Hunter asked.
Trina frowned and bit her bottom lip. “Hm. What about the whole thing with you pretending to be your dad?” she said. “I mean, you look a lot like him right now, but your voice is different. What if they notice that? And what if they think it’s weird that you’re late?”
“They won’t think it’s weird. They’ll think Charles was just sorting out stuff at the charity gala downstairs, seeing as it’s his house and his party,” I said. “Besides, he seems like a pretty major player in the organization, so I doubt anyone will question him.”
“And as for the voice thing, I’m pretty sure the music will cover most of the difference. But if someone
notices and says something, I’ll just say I’ve got a bit of a cold, and that’s why I sound weird,” Hunter said.
Trina’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Okay. I think that covers everything.”
“Hold on,” Adam cut in, tipping his head to the side. “You’re banking on them not noticing that you’re only pretending to have sex. But what if they make you strip naked? You won’t be able to fake it then.”
I nodded slowly. “I thought about that,” I said. “And honestly, we just have to hope like hell that it won’t happen.”
“I don’t think it will,” Hunter interjected. “They’re gonna think I’m one of them, because I’ll have Dad’s signet ring and everything else. So they’ll have no reason to suspect that we’re not really fucking up there, because there’s no way a real member would let a girl get away with faking it.”
“Oh. Good point.” Adam nodded slowly.
“Even if things go wrong, it’ll be okay in the end,” Trina said, patting me on the shoulder. “I’ll be right downstairs as your getaway driver if you need me.”
I smiled at her, hoping I looked a lot braver than I felt.
Truthfully, I was scared as hell about tonight. It was only going to take a few hours, but like my friends had pointed out, there was a lot that could go wrong with the precarious plan. We just had to hope that no one in the society noticed anything amiss.
Adam left the room to check on Charles and make sure the button cam was transmitting to his computer properly, and Trina turned around to pack up her special effects makeup gear, leaving me alone with Hunter.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, gently stroking my cheek. “It’s not too late to cancel the whole thing. You could call the Medusa girls and tell them you’ve changed your mind and decided to take the twenty-five grand instead.”
I shook my head. “I want to do it,” I said, mentally infusing my spine with steel. “If they really did have something to do with Lindsay’s death, then we need to find out, and we can only do that if we expose their whole organization. You deserve answers, and she deserves justice.”
“Okay.” He leaned forward and planted a kiss on the top of my head. “Just remember—no matter what goes down, I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
I smiled at him. “I know.”
This time, my smile was wide and unafraid. Hunter made me feel brave. Like I could do anything.
At half past eight, he left to take his place in the third story hallway. I sat on his bed and chatted to Trina, heart racing with anticipation as I waited for Camila to call me.
The fundraising gala was in full swing on the first floor now, and the sound of music, clinking glasses and lively chatter drifted up to us along with the faint smell of delicious hot canapes and spiced wine. It felt incredibly strange to know that so many people were down there having fun and thinking they were attending a normal party, when in reality, a shady sex ring was operating just a few floors above them.
Fifteen minutes later, my phone buzzed on the bed next to me. It was Camila. We’re almost there. Hope you are too.
“Time to go,” I said, turning to Trina. She gave me a big hug before walking me over to the door and wishing me luck.
I crept downstairs and headed around to the western entrance on the first floor of the mansion. Camila and the other Medusa girls showed up a few minutes later, all dressed in the same Greek goddess outfits from last week.
“You look perfect!” Camila said, smiling brightly at me. “Are you excited?”
I nodded. “Yes. I can’t wait.”
She led me up to the main third floor hallway and stopped at a door with a gold rosette on it. A key for the room hung on a thin golden chain around her neck, and she bent down to unlock it before ushering me and the other girls inside.
It was just like I remembered from when I accidentally stumbled upon it a few months ago; a small, dusty old library with barely any light in it. A leather-bound book with golden lettering stood out from the other books on the shelf on the opposite wall, and when Camila pulled on it, the shelf swung around, revealing a secret room on the other side.
The room contained a steep spiral staircase made of sturdy carved wood. We headed up the steps one by one until we reached a small foyer lined with white candles. A big oak door with a golden rose-and-serpent motif on it stood at the end.
Camila stepped forward and opened the door just a crack. “This is it, Laney,” she said to me, forehead creasing. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
“Yes.”
“There’s no going back once you walk into this room,” she said in a warning tone.
I nodded. “I know.”
The door swung all the way open. I took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The party room was already filled with people—Network men in masks and young women in gauzy dresses and flower crowns. I knew now that those women were the older Medusa girls who still had to attend all of the parties.
The dim space had been set up to look like the clearing on Harker Island. A large golden throne sat on one side, and colorful floral arrangements lined the rest of the room along with flickering candles set in ornate gold candelabras. Familiar rhythmic music was playing, and most of the people in the room were dancing, drinking, popping pills, or snorting white powder.
When they noticed our arrival, they raised their glasses and cheered. A tall gray-haired man in a red and black mask stepped forward. “Welcome back, Laney,” he said with a genial smile. “I’m glad you decided to join us again.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, bowing my head. “I’m so sorry about last week.”
He waved a hand. “It’s all right. I understand you had a negative reaction to the ritual drink.”
Camila rested a hand on my shoulder. “She did, but she’s ready to go now, sir,” she said with a simpering smile.
“Good. We’ll get started as soon as everyone’s here,” he replied. “Until then, you can dance, drink, eat… whatever you want.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you,” I said, mimicking Camila’s deferential attitude.
His smile grew wider. More predatory. “Have fun, girls.”
Camila pulled me over to the floor near the throne and took both of my hands. “Dance with me!” she shouted over the music. “It’ll get you in the mood!”
I did as she said, grinning from ear to ear like I was actually excited to be here. As I twirled to the beat, I spotted Hunter. He’d just arrived at the party.
A few of the other men went over to him and greeted him with handshakes and pats on the back. None of them seemed to notice that anything was amiss with his appearance, even though he was an inch and a half taller than his father.
I wasn’t surprised. Trina had done an amazing job with the hair and makeup, and with the candles producing the only source of light in the dim room, along with the mask covering a third of Hunter’s face, it was almost impossible to tell that he wasn’t actually Charles Connery. Even if a finicky person noticed the height difference, they would probably just assume he was wearing lifts in his shoes. Lots of men did that these days.
Someone turned the music down a few minutes later, and the man in the red and black mask stepped over to the throne and raised his hands in the air, signaling for everyone to pay attention to him.
“Thank you for coming, everyone,” he said, voice booming through the room. “As you all know by now, Laney experienced an adverse reaction to the ritual drink last week, and she was forced to leave. But she’s all better now, and she’s ready to continue with her initiation!”
A raucous cheer went up in the room. I smiled nervously, heart pounding.
“I think we can pick up where we left off last week,” the man went on. “There’s no need to repeat everything, is there?”
“No!” everyone shouted in unison, raising their glasses.
The man turned to pick up a flower crown from a small table next to the throne. Then he motioned for me to take a seat.
/> I swallowed hard and perched on the throne as he set the crown on my head.
“Are you ready to continue, Laney?” he asked, eyes glittering behind the mask.
I nodded and forced a wide smile. “Yes. I’m ready.”
The man turned back to the onlookers. “She said yes this time,” he said, pretending to wipe his brow.
Everyone laughed like it was the most hilarious joke they’d ever heard. Then the music went on again, filling the air with the same hypnotic beat from earlier.
Camila extended a hand and helped me off the throne. “You know what happens now,” she said, brows arching. “You have to pick.”
The men were lining up next to each other a few yards away, and the women were watching me, faces glowing with excitement as they waited for me to make my decision. I could tell by their glazed eyes that they were all drugged to the gills with the same stuff Camila gave me a week ago.
“Pick! Pick! Pick!” the younger Medusa girls shrieked as they danced and jumped around me.
I pretended to consider it carefully, looking at each man in turn. Then I leaned over to Camila and pointed at Hunter, who was standing at the end of the line.
“Is that Charles Connery?” I whispered.
Camila peered at him. Her pupils were dilated, letting me know that she was just as wasted as every other girl here. “Yes, it’s him,” she replied. “But don’t let him know that you recognized him. They don’t like the newer girls knowing who they are.”
I nodded slowly. “I want to pick him,” I said. “He deserves a thank-you for hosting us at his house, right?”
She squealed with excitement and hugged me. Then she grabbed my hand and lifted my arm in the air with hers. “She’s made her decision!” she called out. “Say it, Laney!”
I raised my other arm and pointed at Hunter. “I want him.”
The room echoed with whoops and cheers again. Camila went over to Hunter and grabbed his hand, and the other Medusa girls gathered around, giggling as they helped her pull him over to the throne.
They pushed him down and tied his wrists to the arms of the throne with crimson and gold ropes. Then they unbuttoned his shirt and unbuckled his belt and pants.
Shattered Kingdom: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Royal Falls Elite Book 2) Page 14