The Reclamation (The Club Trilogy Book 2)

by Lauren Rowe

  I’ve gotten quite adept at compartmentalizing that stuff into a lidded box inside me, in fact, and now that I’m sane and in control of my mind and body and soul, now that I’ve come to realize that my father was fallible—that he wasn’t God, for fuck’s sake, or the supreme arbiter of my worth as a human being, that his suicide note was just fucking malicious and not reflective of the objective truth—now that I’ve figured out how to choose serenity and enlightenment and sanity through visualizing the divine originals and striving for excellence, I’m reborn—a totally different person. I’m a man now, a fucking beast, just like Josh always says—not a mute and frozen boy in a closet or some kind of pathetic pussy-ass seeking his father’s forgiveness that will never come. I’m strong now. Especially now that I’ve found my Sarah.

  I put down the muffin I was holding. “Well, I told her about... what happened... you know, on that day when we were kids,” I say quietly. The levity of our conversation has instantly vanished. He knows what day I’m talking about, of course—the day that changed both our lives forever, the day that fucked us up irreversibly, especially me. The day we’ve both tried, in vain, to overcome our whole lives.

  Josh looks surprised. And it’s no wonder—I never, ever talk about what I witnessed from the cowardly safety of my mother’s closet. I’ve certainly never told any of my other girlfriends about it.

  “I also told her about Dad—what he did. You know, just the basics, no details.”

  Josh nods, clenching his jaw. His eyes flash with sudden hardness.

  “But I didn’t tell her about... everything that happened right after that. To me.”

  Josh nods his agreement. “The Lunacy.”

  I nod. The Lunacy. It’s my penultimate shame, second only to my life’s greatest and most inexcusable disgrace—my unforgivable failure to move from that damned closet and come to my mother’s rescue.

  “That’s good, Jonas. Nobody ever needs to know about that.”

  “Yeah.” I exhale loudly. “I mean, it’s irrelevant, right? I’m different now. I’ve conquered myself.”

  “Oh, yeah. You totally have. You’re a badass now, bro. Just look at you. You’re a beast.”

  Emotion is welling up inside me. I suppress it. I pause, considering my words carefully. I need him to understand what Sarah means to me. “Josh, I’ve told Sarah things I’ve never told anyone—not even you.” Because I love her, I think—but, of course, I don’t say it.

  “Wow,” Josh says. “That’s good, Jonas.” He gets it. I know he does.

  “She understands me.” I absentmindedly touch the tattoo on my right forearm. Visualize the divine originals. “Sometimes better than I understand myself.” I think about Sarah touching this very same spot on my arm and my skin electrifies. “I’ve never felt like this before,” I say softly. I love her, I think. I love her, Josh. My heart is pounding in my ears.

  “Yeah, I can tell.” He nods, smiling. “I’ve never seen you like this about a girl before.”

  My heart pounds. Because I love her.

  “So don’t fuck it up.”

  “I won’t.” God help me, I won’t.

  Josh exhales loudly and slaps his own face. “Okay, crazy-ass-motherfucker. You know what you gotta do, then?”

  I mimic his loud exhale and slap my own face in reply. “Fuck yeah, pussy-ass motherfucker.” Slapping ourselves is what Josh and I have always done when we’ve unexpectedly found ourselves engaged in a conversation about our fucking feelings. It’s our mutual way of signaling that it’s time to stop acting like crybabies and sack up. I motion to the Club-issued iPhone on the table. “I know exactly what to do.”

  Josh frowns.

  “Hey, I’ve got to start connecting the dots somehow. I’ll start with the only dot I’ve got. Stacy the Prostitute.”

  “Jonas . . .”

  I scoff. “I’m not gonna fuck her, Josh.” Even saying those words about Stacy makes my stomach lurch. “Give me some credit.”

  Josh looks uneasy.

  “I’m just gonna check in on the app so I can talk to her. I’ll butter her up and get her to lead me to her boss. Connect the dots—that’s what we said, right?”

  Josh grimaces.

  “Why do you look like I just gave you a fucking enema? It’ll entail nothing but a drink and a quick chat in a crowded bar. Simple.”

  Josh shakes his head. “Don’t kid yourself. It won’t be that simple.”

  “Sure it will. Stacy the Prostitute is just a mercenary—she’s chasing the mighty dollar and nothing else. When people are motivated by money, it makes things incredibly simple.”

  Josh sighs. “But what about Sarah?”

  “What about her?”

  “She might not think things are as ‘simple’ as you do.”

  I stare at him.

  “Jonas, think. Sarah might not feel quite so it’s-no-big-deal about you meeting up with a woman you’ve slept with, even if it’s just for a ‘simple’ drink and a chat. Girlfriends are kinda funny that way.”

  I pause, considering. “Why does she even need to know about it?”

  Josh rolls his entire head, not just his eyes. “Oh, for Chrissakes, Jonas, yeah, not telling Sarah would make your fantastic idea even better. Never mind. Forget I ever said a thing about it.” Clearly, he’s being sarcastic.

  “No, really. What’s the point in telling her? I’ll go meet Stacy at The Pine Box tonight. I’ll tell her what she wants to hear—get her to lead me to the next person up the totem pole. Then I come right back home. Done. Simple.”

  Josh is clearly uneasy. He shakes his head.

  “Trust me. Simple.”

  He exhales. “Just be careful.”

  “With Stacy?” I laugh. “I’m not afraid of Stacy.”

  “No, you dumbfuck. I don’t mean be careful with Stacy.” He shakes his head for the hundredth time at me. “I mean be careful with Sarah. Don’t fuck things up with her. I think you’re misjudging this.”

  I roll my eyes at him. “I’m not.”

  Why is he worried? This is a great plan. Yes, granted, in a perfect world, Josh’s hacker buddy would find these bastards the way he found Sarah for me, and I’d never have to see Stacy again as long as I live. But I can’t count on that—Josh himself said so. So I’ve got to work on Plan B—connecting the dots on my own, one dot at a time, through whatever means necessary.

  “Whatcha doin’, boys?”

  Oh shit. How long has Sarah been standing there?

  She’s showered and dressed—and, as usual, looking gorgeous.

  “Hey, baby,” I say, quickly closing my laptop. I stand to greet her. “Just plotting world domination.” I smile.

  She squints at my closed laptop and then at me, her mind instantly whirring and clacking like the well-oiled machine it is.

  I embrace her, leaning in to whisper right into her ear. “Last night was incredible, baby. Epic.” I kiss her and my entire body starts tingling. She smells delicious.

  “The woman wizard strikes again,” she whispers, kissing me back. She leans into my ear. “I’m horny as hell this morning, baby—just thinking about last night.” Her eyes drift over to Josh and she instantly pulls away from me.

  Fucking Josh. I’m glad he’s here, of course—I’m the one who called him and asked him to come, I know—but why the fuck is he here?

  “Good morning, Sarah Cruz,” Josh says politely.

  “Good morning, Josh Faraday,” Sarah says. She looks at me again. “Thanks for doing my laundry. Wow. You never cease to surprise and delight me, Jonas Faraday.” She winks, and I know she’s referring to more than her laundry with that compliment.

  “You’re very, very welcome. It was my supreme pleasure to do your laundry.”

  “You’re exceptionally good at folding clothes, you know that? Impeccable creases.”

  I smirk. I love it when my baby talks dirty to me.

  “If being a business mogul doesn’t pan out for you, you could totally work at The Gap.�
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  Josh laughs.

  I glare at him. Fuck Josh. Why is he here?

  “Did you iron my clothes? They’re absolutely perfect, like new.”

  “Of course, I did.”

  “Babe, that’s insane. Are you secretly a housewife from the fifties under there?” She lifts up my T-shirt and peeks at my abs, her knuckles lightly grazing my bare skin as she does. Just this brief touch of her skin on mine gives me goose bumps.

  Josh laughs again, making me wonder, yet again, why he’s here.

  “Excellence in all things,” I say softly.

  “Absolutely.” She smiles at me. She lowers my shirt but doesn’t let go of it.

  There’s a beat. I want her so much it’s taking all of my restraint not to clear off my kitchen table. I can’t be in this woman’s presence for five minutes without wanting to rip her clothes off.

  “So,” she says, shifting her weight, “besides creating the perfect form of laundry-ness in the ideal realm, what else have you been doing with yourself this morning, my sweet Jonas? You’ve been a busy bee, I presume?” Her eyes drift over to my laptop on the table and unmistakably land with a crashing thud onto my Club-issued iPhone. It’s sitting smack in the middle of the table, a fucking beacon of my degeneracy. Fuck. She lets go of my shirt. Her eyes dart back to me. Oh, wow, shit, her eyes are burning like hot coals right now.

  “What have you been up to, Jonas?” There’s a sudden edge in her voice.

  “Just brainstorming a few things with Josh.”

  “Why’d you close your laptop when I came in?”

  I hesitate.

  Her eyes dart back to the iPhone again.

  “What’s that doing there?”

  Leave it to Sarah to go straight for the jugular. No fucking around.

  I’d really like to lie to her right now, but I can’t. Right from day one, I promised her total honesty. I sigh. “I don’t want to get you involved with Club stuff. Josh and I are formulating our strategy. We’ve got it covered.”

  Josh shoots me a look that unequivocally says, “Leave me the fuck out of it.”

  Sarah glances back at the kitchen table and glares at the iPhone again.

  I shift my weight.

  She bites her lip. She looks at Josh. He does his best to remain stone-faced, but he’s doing a terrible job of it. She glares at me.

  I smile at her reassuringly. Damn, she’s adorable when her face is on fire like this.

  “Sure thing.” Her voice is cool, though her face is hot. “I’ve got a bunch of stuff to do, anyway.”

  Her words don’t match her body language at all.

  “Can I get a ride to my place?” Her eyes drift to my laptop and then again to the iPhone on the table. Her wheels are turning. Her cheeks are red. She’s thinking. Her eyes are back on me now. “I’m meeting the police at my place in less than an hour. I’ve got to file a claim about the break-in.”

  “Whoa, what? Hang on. I’m not sure we should get the police involved. They can’t do a damned thing, anyway, and I haven’t decided if—”

  She cuts me off. “I need to file a police report in order to make a claim on my renter’s insurance. I already called my insurance company—I can get a replacement laptop through my policy, I just need to file a police report first.”

  Oh, she’s going to like this. “I already bought you a replacement laptop, baby.” I grin broadly and grab it off the nearby counter. My chest is pounding. I’ve been excited all morning about giving this computer to her. It’s loaded with every bell and whistle known to modern technology.

  She’s quite obviously shocked. “Oh, wow. Thank you.” She smiles at me like she pities me. “But no.”

  I’m not surprised—that’s what Kat said at first, too. “Please take the computer,” I say. “Help me alleviate my guilty conscience for creating this whole mess in the first place.”

  She bristles. “You didn’t create this mess, Jonas.”

  “Sarah, don’t overthink this. Your computer was stolen. I’ve got one for you. End of story.”

  She raises her eyebrows at me.

  I probably shouldn’t have pushed my luck with that “end of story” caveman shit. “I’m just saying you need a computer and I’ve got one for you. Simple. Why not?”

  “Why not? Because you’re far too generous with your money when it comes to me. There’s got to be some boundaries, especially if I’m gonna be staying here with you. If you want to take me to a fancy jungle tree house, to a place I could never afford to go on my own, okay, I’m all for it—I want to see the world with you and experience all the things you love to do. Fine. I’ll totally take you up on that. Thank you. But you absolutely cannot pay for my basic needs. It’s too much. I can’t just put my hand out every time I need something. I’m here for you, Jonas, not for a hand-out.”

  God, I hate it when she says shit like that. It reminds me how fucked up she is. Of course, she’s not interested in me for my money, that’s undeniable. Jesus Christ. I swear to God, she’s got the biggest fucking chip on her shoulder when it comes to that. I exhale sharply in frustration. She’s not giving me the reaction I expected. Honestly, I was hoping for one of her little squeals. Or, at the very least, a gushing “thank you.”

  I don’t have time or patience for this right now. I just want her to do what I tell her to do for once in her goddamned life. It’s time to pull out the trump card.

  “Sarah, please. I insist.” That ought to do the trick.

  “Oh, you insist, do you?” She laughs. “Well, so do I. I insist. So there.”

  Wait, what? She’s not supposed to say that.

  Josh makes a noise, suppressing a laugh.

  Fuck you, Josh. Why are you here right now?

  She kisses me. “Thank you so much, sweet Jonas. You always take such good care of me. But I’ve got it covered.” She looks at her watch. “Oh man, I’ve got to get to my place to meet the trusty campus police.”

  “The campus police?” Josh laughs. “Oh, I’m sure they’ll crack the case in a jiffy.”

  She laughs. “I know, right? The campus police will protect me from the baddies at The Club, for sure.”

  Josh and Sarah share a laugh.

  Fucking Josh.

  “I’ll just report a simple break-in and computer theft—obviously, I won’t mention The Club. I mean, jeez, I worked for a frickin’ brothel.” She shakes her head. “I’m not eager to tell anyone that. I’m not even sure I’d pass the ethics review for my legal license if that ever got out.” She furrows her brow, genuine concern flashing across her face.

  Shit. I hadn’t even thought about that. Could this whole thing with The Club torpedo her law career if it ever got out? I’m sure Sarah’s freaking out about that. I didn’t even consider that angle. I’ve definitely got to handle this whole situation with kid gloves.

  “I’ll just let them make a quick report and then I’ll have what I need for my insurance claim.” The anxiety that flashed across her face a second ago is gone. She’s all business now—my little badass. “I’ve got contracts class right after that, and then I’ve got to study in the library.” She gasps. “Oh, dang it, and I’ve got to clean up the mess at my place, too—”

  “I’ve arranged a cleaning service to help you with that.” She’s got to let me do something here.

  “Oh, Jonas,” she sighs. Her entire body melts. She presses her body into mine and moans softly. “You’re amazing, you know that? So sweet.” She puts her lips right up to my ear. “You just made me wet.”

  My cock springs to life.

  She continues at full voice again. “But my renter’s insurance includes a one-time cleaning service, too, for incidents such as this. I already checked.” She smiles at me. “So I’m all good.”

  What the fuck?

  “Well . . .” I begin. I’m flustered. I’m turned on. I can’t think straight. I’m pissed she’s not doing what I want her to do. “I don’t think I can return the computer,” I babble.

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nbsp; She laughs. “Of course you can. That’s just plain silly.”

  “Maybe not.”

  “Oh, Jonas.” She kisses my neck softly.

  My erection is growing. My skin is tingling under her soft lips.

  “I guess you’ll just have to donate it to a school, then. Or my mom’s charity. Or, hey, give it to Trey—I bet he’d be thrilled.” Her mouth moves to my lips. “Thank you for being so thoughtful.” She kisses me and runs her hand through my hair. She leans into my ear. “Yep, definitely wet.”

  I’m rock hard.

  Why does this woman turn me on like this?

  And why does she have to make everything so damned difficult?

  She kisses my neck again.

  I tilt her face up and kiss her mouth.

  Josh gets up from the table and wordlessly leaves the room.

  I want her. Now. On the kitchen table. Right now.

  She pulls back from me. “So, how about that ride to my place, big boy? I’ve suddenly figured out the next item on my addendum.” She smiles wickedly and winks. “Let’s see if we can beat the campus fuzz to my place and let them catch us in flagrante delicto, shall we?”

  Chapter 10

  Sarah

  I settle into my seat in the big lecture hall. It’s about five minutes before the start of my contracts class. And since it’s Take Your Boyfriend to Class Day (or so Jonas Faraday has unilaterally decreed), Jonas takes the seat right next to mine. Weird.

  I love spending time with Jonas, of course, more than anything, but sitting here in my law school class with him when he should be tending to his brand new chain of indoor rock climbing gyms or acquiring yet another new company or doing whatever mogul-y thing he should be doing right now seems like a waste of his valuable time and resources, not to mention a bizarre case of “two worlds colliding” for me. How long is he planning to put his life on hold to babysit me? It’s not realistic. Not to mention slightly awkward. And, frankly, I’m not even convinced it’s necessary. I’d never say it to him (because, holy hell, I saw how he reacted when he thought Josh wasn’t on board with his Mission to Save Sarah), but I think Jonas might be overreacting just a teensy-weensy bit here.