“What exactly did Charlie say?” Sawyer asks, helping to redirect the conversation where it needs to go.
I repeat it verbatim, noticing how Kai’s hands grip the armrests when I relay how he told me he loves me.
“And he said he’d let you go if Kai was your choice?” Drew asks, his brows climbing to his hairline.
“He did.”
“I’m not buying it,” Jackson says. “It’s obvious he’s hot for you, and no guy just gives up like that.”
Kai drills him with a freakishly scary look, and they face off for a few seconds.
“I’m not buying it either,” Drew supplies, cutting in to avoid another confrontation. “And I don’t trust him anymore. He is planning something.”
“Agreed,” Sawyer says. “But I don’t think he’s giving up. I think this is all part of his strategy.”
“At least this way, Abby can keep a close eye on him and try to determine what he’s up to,” Drew says.
“I don’t like you being there with him.” Kai peers deep into my eyes. “Who knows what he might do to you?”
“He won’t hurt me.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure of that.” Kai grips the edge of the table as a muscle pops in his jaw.
“Kaiden.” Drew pierces Kai with a knowing look, conveying some hidden message.
“No.” Kai’s voice is so sharp it could cut glass. “Fuck this shit. She deserves to know, and I’m done keeping secrets.” He laces his fingers in mine. “Abby can handle herself.”
“I know she can, but this will make her task more difficult,” Drew argues.
“Or easier,” Xavier interjects.
“Just tell me.” I sigh, screaming inside.
I get to a point where I think there are no more secrets and lies only to discover I’ve scarcely begun peeling back the layers.
“Babe.” Kai squeezes my hand tighter, tilting my face with his finger and keeping my gaze fixed on his. “Charlie was the one who let it slip about your virginity. He’s the reason they assaulted you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
I’m gobsmacked. Pissed. Hurt. Confused. Shocked. And about a hundred other different emotions. “How? Why?” I ask through gritted teeth.
“It wasn’t deliberate,” Drew explains.
“That you know of,” Kai retorts.
“I’ve known him my whole life.”
“No one knows who he is. You’ve just admitted that!” Kai argues back.
Drew’s nostrils flare. “I know he’s loved Abby forever, and he’d never have orchestrated that on purpose.”
“How did it go down?” I ask.
“Charlie overhead us talking about it, and he relayed the intel to his father,” Sawyer says.
“And Charlie’s asshole father told his asshole father,” Xavier says, jabbing his finger at Kai.
“Why would Charles Barron do that to me?” Out of all the elite, he has been the most kind and compassionate toward me. But it was all a lie. Achieving his own goals was all that mattered. I bet even his attempt to intervene was only half-hearted. Most likely done for Charlie’s benefit. Not for mine.
“Because he knew Plan B was for Kai to seduce you, and he thought it interesting that Kai hadn’t told his father the truth,” Jackson says.
“But he didn’t realize how far Atticus would take it,” Drew explains. “He didn’t know about the pregnancy either.”
Silence engulfs us, and Kai pulls me into his side, pressing a fierce kiss to my temple. Tears sting the back of my eyes as I look at the naked pain on his face. He rests his forehead against mine, and I allow him to comfort me.
The others are quiet as we have our moment, and when we break apart, I’m shocked to find tears rolling down Xavier’s face. He rounds the table, crouching down in front of me and taking my hands. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” He looks over my shoulder at Kai. “Sorry for both your loss. He had no right to do that. They had no right to do any of it.”
Pain lodges in my throat, and I swallow harshly. “Thank you,” I whisper. Kai drapes his arm around my shoulder, kissing my cheek.
“We didn’t get to talk to you either, beautiful,” Jackson says, his eyes shining with sympathy.
“We hate what he’s done to you, and he’s going down,” Sawyer promises.
I’m fighting to control my emotions, and I don’t know if I can deal with this now.
“Enough,” Kai grits out, his voice choked. “We appreciate it, but…”
He doesn’t need to say anything else.
Everyone gets it.
Xavier returns to his seat, and I clear my throat. “I presume you know this from talking to Charlie,” I throw out to the room.
“Yeah,” Drew confirms. “Although he only fessed up after they had taken you. He’d been hiding the part he played since that day in the office.”
“Which is why we can’t say for sure it went down like that,” Kai says. “And why I don’t like my girl spending time with him, let alone living with him.”
“His parents and his sister live there too.”
“His place is a fucking mansion. They might as well be invisible,” Kai hisses, and I run my thumb across the top of his hand in a soothing motion.
“Give me a cell and a gun, and I can take care of myself.”
“And you’ll see her at school,” Jackson reminds him.
“About that.” Drew leans forward in his chair. “Do not shoot the messenger.” His eyes fasten on Kai’s. “Charlie will be all over Abby at school, but you can’t intervene, and you can’t talk to her or even look at her.”
Steam practically billows out of Kai’s ears, and he looks like he wants to tear Drew apart, limb by limb. “Hey.” I cup his face, forcing him to look at me. “You’re the only one I want, but Drew is right. The bastard has promised to stay away from all of you if I go along with this virgin bride bullshit, provided no one finds out about my pregnancy. I’ve got a part to play, but that’s all it is, Kai.” I caress his cheek. “It’s a role. An act. And it’s more than just convincing the public. I need to convince him too.”
“No!” Kai jumps up, grabbing fistfuls of his hair. “No fucking way.”
“Yes, way. There is too much at stake to mess this up. None of it will be real.”
Placing his palms on the sides of my chair, he shoves his angry face all up in mine. “You expect me to sit there and do nothing, say nothing, when he’s groping and kissing you?”
“I had to put up with that for weeks when you had that slut bag Rochelle grinding on your lap every day! And you put your dick in her mouth!”
“It isn’t the same!” he retorts.
I shove at his chest. “You’re right. It isn’t! Because you did that purely to fuck with my head. And I’m doing this to protect your life!” I scream, losing the tenuous hold on my emotions.
“Back the fuck down,” Drew calmly says, appearing behind me. “I mean it, dude. You will not speak to my sister like that.”
“Fuck off, Drew.”
Drew grabs him into a headlock in a lightning-fast move none of us see coming. “Quit bitching and moaning. You still have your woman, and she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to keep you safe and ensure you get to be together. You have nothing to complain about.”
Kai rams his elbow back into Drew’s gut, extracting himself from the chokehold. “Don’t pretend you know what I’m feeling because you know jack shit.”
I stand. “Kai.” I circle my arms around his neck, and when he tries to push me off, I cling on harder, pinning him with a vicious look. “I will not let him touch me intimately or fuck me.” Kai looks like he wants to explode. “I kept Trent out of my bed for two years, so I can handle this with Charlie.” I grip his neck more firmly, pressing my body against his. “And when he’s kissing me, it’ll be your lips I’m imagining.”
Someone makes a gagging sound.
“Pass that puke bucket in this direction when you’re finished,” Xavier says, grinning at Jackson.
“I just threw up in my mouth.”
“I know I’m a hypocrite,” Kai says, blocking the others out and concentrating on me. “But the thought of any man putting his hands on you makes me want to commit murder.”
“Save those sentiments for my father, and yours, and Charles Barron because they are the real enemy.” I peck his lips. “And we can do this if it means we get to be together permanently when it’s all over.”
Slowly, he nods, and a resigned sigh slips from his mouth. “I fucking hate this, but you were right earlier. We can’t lose focus.”
“Thank fuck for that,” Drew says.
We reclaim our seats, and I look my brother square in the eye. “Charlie mentioned something about changes within the order, and he implied everything is tangled up with that. We need to know what’s going down.”
Drew nods, glancing at his watch briefly. “Let me give you some background. I know you guys know some of the shit that goes down at Parkhurst,” he says, eyeing Sawyer, Jackson, and Kai, “but that’s only the tip of the iceberg.” He reaches across the table, snagging a bottle of water from the pile stacked in the center.
“There are elite, and towns like Rydeville, in every state in the US. There are the same tiers of authority—founding families who reign supreme and other families who come from legacy wealth who form the inner circle. Parkhurst is the governing body of all the elite. But only the founding fathers and their successors are members; however, all the elite have access to the facilities.”
He looks at me as he pops the cap on his bottle. “You were in the medical facility, and they have several others. Educational. Sporting. Legal. Defense. They provide support services to the elite across the country, and in return, the elite abide by the rules handed down from the council, offer preferential rates for key services and products via their companies, and other stuff I’d rather not get in to.”
“You can’t hold shit back,” I snap. “You just promised.”
“If I was to explain everything that goes on in that place, we’d be old and gray by the time we left here. I will tell you what is pertinent for you to know and no more.”
I don’t bother arguing with him, because I’ll work on him in the coming weeks. For now, I want to hear the parts he’s willing to share. “Go on.” My voice is clipped, and he looks surprised.
“There is an order within Parkhurst, depending on your status. Heirs who have yet to assume control, and fulfil their legacy, like me, Trent, and Charlie, are at the bottom of the food chain.”
“Father commented earlier that Charlie had ‘newly elevated status.’ You would’ve missed overhearing that part. What does that mean?”
Shock splays across Drew’s face. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. I was listening carefully to everything they said.”
“It means Father has promised him something. And he’s done something to warrant the promotion.”
Blood leaches from my face at the thought of what he might’ve done. “Do you think it’s something to do with me?”
Drew shrugs. “Probably, but it could be anything.”
“It just reinforces how dangerous Charlie is,” Kai says. “And how careful you need to be.”
I turn my head to face him. “I know.”
“I’ll see if I can find out anything,” Drew says, “But let’s move this forward.” He sits up straighter in his chair. “As I was saying, there’s an order. Heirs who have assumed no control yet are at the bottom. At the other end of the scale, we have the council. They are the most senior, high-ranking elite members within the order and within the country. The council is made up of a president, vice president, a chairman, and five executive officers. They rule with an iron fist, and what they say goes. They hold supreme power over all the elite, and they hold considerable power and influence within the political system in the US. The current council president is retiring because of ill health, and it’s the first time in twenty years the position is up for election.”
“Father thinks he has a shot at the role,” I surmise.
Drew takes a few mouthfuls of water. “Unfortunately, he has more than a shot at it. He has been campaigning behind the scenes for years which leads some to believe he is behind the current president’s sudden ill health.” Drew shrugs. “I wouldn’t put that past him. But whether he was involved doesn’t matter. He has enough votes on his side to win this thing, and that is something none of us want to see. If they elect him president of the council, he is un-fucking-touchable, and our lives will be a living hell.”
“That’s what this is all about? It’s never been about Manning Motors and the auto-drive program?”
“It’s all connected. Father must tick a lot of boxes. Being a successful businessman at the top of his game is only one part of it. He must have the right contacts. His children must marry well. And, above all, we must obey the rules. You already know it’s frowned upon for females to have sex before marriage. It’s unheard of for the daughter of a president to not be a virgin on her wedding day.”
“Holy shit,” Xavier exclaims, fiddling with his lip ring. “I couldn’t make this shit up if I tried.”
“It’s the most archaic rule of all,” Drew agrees.
“Don’t any of these people realize it’s the twenty-first century and women have equal rights to men?”
“You have heard Father spout that ‘women are weak’ line forever. Except it’s not just a line he throws out there to get a laugh. He genuinely believes that. As do most of the high-ranking men within the elite. They get off on the power they exert over their wives and their daughters. They force their women to do shit no normal husband or father would ever do to their loved one.”
My stomach twists into knots at his inference. I don’t need an overactive imagination to guess some of the stuff he’s implying.
“Is your father aware of this?” Sawyer asks, directing his question to Kai.
“I don’t know, but if I had to guess, I’d say yes.” He taps his fingers off the table, staring off into space. “He was part of that world before they expelled him when Hearst stole everything from him. The guy who originally contacted my father is a member of the elite. Someone he was close to in the past. Another founding father from a different state. But that’s as much as I know, because Dad has painstakingly hidden his identity.” Kai glances at Drew. “All I know is, he has a vested interest in seeing Hearst being taken down. Is it possible this faction lobbying against your father behind the scenes—the group who reached out to my father and Wes—is trying to stop him from assuming the presidential role?”
“They are,” I say. “Charlie pretty much confirmed it to me earlier. He said that’s why his father agreed to help.”
“Now, it’s making more sense,” Sawyer muses.
“I’ve heard rumblings of discontent, but as an heir, I’m not privy to a lot of what goes on,” Drew says. “But the political machinations work in the usual way, and there will always be dissenters despite how popular Father is within the hierarchy.”
“Why is he popular?” I inquire. “Doesn’t anyone see what a psycho he is?”
“Darling, half those assholes are psychos,” Xavier says. “I don’t need to visit Parkhurst to know that.”
“Xavier is right,” Drew says. “They feed on the bullshit he’s buying and lap it up. You’ve got to remember these people are some of the richest, most arrogant bastards in the world, and they thrive on power and control over others. They have no morals and zero remorse. They will do as they please and not feel an ounce of regret. They rule on fear and violence, and most elite in the order are trapped with no way out. I don’t know who makes up this dissenting group, but they’re brave bastards, because if Father finds out, he will annihilate them to make an example.”
“If they are so anal about the rules and traditions, how is it that Father is in the running for this position? He’s only an elite by marriage. Surely, they’d prefer a pure blue blood for the role?”
“T
hey would, but there’s nothing in the rules that says he can’t apply for the position because he is still part of the elite and he is the successor of a founding father by virtue of marriage.”
“Because Mom and Genevieve are no longer alive or because they were women?” I ask, even though I can guess the answer.
“Because they were female.” I shake my head in frustration as Drew shoots me a sympathetic look, while drumming his fingers off the table. “What is unusual is the fact he’s garnered the bulk of the support, but there is little the outgoing president or existing council members can do about it. Majority poll will elect the new president, and Father is the front-runner as it stands.”
“We need to find out who this group is,” I say. “The ones hiding behind Atticus, Wes, and Charlie.”
“No fucking way, Abby.” Drew slams his fists down on the table. “You will stay a million miles away from order members.”
“Fuck off telling me what to do.”
“You know how pissed you were over what went down in the office that day?” he bites back. I grind my teeth to the molars. “Well, that is fucking nothing to these men! It’s not even a blip compared to the things they do to women. I’m sure I don’t have to spell it out, but if you go sniffing around these guys, none of us can protect you. And, trust me, if they get their hands on you, you will never recover from it. They will ruin you for life.”
A chair slams as Jackson jumps up, racing from the room. Kai shares a loaded look with Sawyer before Sawyer stands and follows him outside. “What’s up with that?” Xavier mouths to me, and I shrug.
“I’ll be careful,” I suggest. “Like, I can use the opportunity with the Barrons to find out more. That’s not so risky.”
“I’m in agreement with your brother on this,” Kai says, cupping my face. “You are not to involve yourself in that. Don’t even ask Charlie any questions, because we can’t trust he won’t relay them to his father.” I’m opening my mouth to protest when he cuts me off. “If I can set my feelings aside over your fake engagement, then you will do this.”
“I’ll see what I can find out,” Drew says, “but you’re leaving it alone.”
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