by J Bree
I roll my eyes as I move towards the exit. Just what I need, the guys giving me shit even though I’m helping them out. I nod at the doorman and he lets me through, the cold slap of the night air harsh against all of the skin I’m showing. I had to blend into the crowd to get the information the Vulture needed which means I am basically naked. I have a matching two piece set on, shorts that barely cover my ass and a strappy bralette. The fabric it’s made out of is black with metallic thread running through it and I shimmer as I move. I had found a new pair of black calf-length Doc’s at the thrift store last week that completes the look. With glitter across both cheeks and a high ponytail I am just another party girl here to lose control. It’s all so exhausting. I check my phone, again, to see where the hell the Vulture is. Nothing. I let out a frustrated sigh and look out into the darkness of the early morning.
The docks look abandoned.
No one is allowed to leave the party before dawn so the only people outside of the warehouse are the Jackal’s men. I sidle up to Luca and he grins at me, gesturing at the bags at his feet. My bags. “Kept them safe, princess. Are you taking out the trash for the Jackal before you go?”
I glance back at Joey’s unconscious form slung over the other guy’s shoulder. What a funny choice of words Luca had chosen. Joey would be pissed to hear my Hannaford nickname being thrown at him. “I called in for a collection of this one. Can you let DeMarco know to expect a car?”
Luca nods and lifts his radio to his face. He pauses as my phone rings.
“We’re here but the guy at the gate won’t let us through.” Avery sounds pissed and I smile.
“Give him the phone.”
Luca grins at me and tucks the radio back onto his belt. I hear Avery argue with DeMarco and then his asshole voice barks down the phone at me, “Listen here, kid, we don’t let extra in after the open hour. Now you need to tell these little rich fucks to get on out of here-”
“DeMarco.” I can actually hear the snap of his teeth slamming shut at the sound of my voice. I’m not ashamed to say I enjoy the hell out of the power I have in Mounts Bay. “That car is here for me. Let them through and apologize to the little rich fucks.”
“Sorry. I didn’t know they were with you. If they had’ve just said I would’ve-“ I hang up on his rambling and then I flick a text to the Vulture again.
You’re late. I have places I need to be.
“Who are these friends of yours?” Luca nudges me with his elbow. I tense a little. I know he's asking as a friend, or as close as a friend as I can have under the Jackal’s watchful eye, but I'm hesitant to say much. I don't need to create any issues for myself.
“Kids from school. Too much money and far too much ego. Makes it fun to play with them.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him and he shoots me another grin as the car rolls up to a stop before us.
They pull up in a Maserati.
No wonder DeMarco was such a dick to them. They couldn’t look more out of place down here if they tried. I wave an arm at the guy holding Joey and he walks him over to the car. Harley jumps out and helps shove his cousin in. I saunter over as Avery puts her window down and I lean in to talk to her.
“Having fun?” she smirks at me, her eyes trailing over my outfit. She’s wearing a silk robe over a delicate lacy nightgown, well put together even in her pajamas. Yep, still jealous.
“Don’t get me started, I need a shower and twelve hours of sleep. Try not to lose him again, I’m heading out soon.”
Blaise is watching the group of the Jackal’s men like he thinks they’re going to attack his car. Ash is struggling in the back trying to get Joey’s seatbelt on and Harley is still standing with the car door open. I look up and meet his eyes. He looks angry, clearly he’s not a fan of being dragged out of bed for a pick up.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he hisses at me and I narrow my eyes. He’s pissy at me!
“Watch your fucking tone, we are not at school.” His head snaps back at my warning. He glances over his shoulder and sure enough, the entire group of men are watching him. They all know he’s the guy I’ve recruited and they’re sizing him up. I don’t think they’ve heard what he said to me, thank God, and Harley straightens up. He shuts the car door and walks around to me. Avery swears under her breath but I keep my eyes on Harley. If he isn’t smart about this I’m going to have to knock him out before the Jackal catches wind of what’s happening on his turf.
“What are you doing here? Dressed like that?” he whispers and I’m glad we have an audience. I might have kicked him in the balls if there weren’t one. He thinks I’m selling myself. I guess I am, but he thinks I’m selling my body when I’m really just selling my skills.
Does anyone ever think about anything other than sex?
“Do not suggest that I’m a prostitute. I’m here for a job and as soon as I get paid I’m leaving.” Harley nods reluctantly and his eyes never leave the group of guys behind us. I wait for a minute but he doesn’t move or speak. I’m about to snap when the lights of another car hit us and Harley is trying to shove me behind him. I jab him in the kidney with a closed fist, enjoying the little grunt I get out of him.
“That would be my payment. You guys need to leave.” Avery is watching the car with anxious eyes and I rub her shoulder. She has no idea just how bad the guy in there really is.
“We’re not leaving without you,” Harley says and he crosses his arms. I can’t argue with him, I don’t have time as the car parks and three guys dressed like sleazy bodyguards get out, guns in clear view at their hips. They look around the empty car park and then assess us all one by one. I’m not at all happy with the way they look at Avery and I step in front of her again. After a minute of this scrutiny the Vulture steps out of the car.
The very sight of him turns my stomach.
He grins at me and I fight to keep my lips from curling up in disgust at him. He’s wearing a cheap suit and the little hair he has left is slicked back into a shiny cap. I can see the bulge of his gun at his hip and, unfortunately, I can also see the bulge of his erection. I’ve never been in his presence without him being hard.
“Hello, puss.”
The Vulture’s tone of voice is so utterly sleazy and disgusting. I feel bile creep up the back of my throat. I hate that he calls me that. He's nicknamed me after the body part he loves to sell and the only thing of worth he ever sees in a woman. It's vile. Harley tenses and I just know he's spotted the tent that's happening in the putrid man’s pants. I hear an argument start up in the car and I glance down to see Blaise has his seatbelt off and a hand on his door handle. Avery is chewing him out and Ash is fighting to keep Joey’s airways open. He's so high he’s slumping and choking on his own tongue. Idiot.
“Wire my money through and I'll give you the package.”
The Vulture smiles at me and waves a hand. One of his men pops the trunk of the car and lugs two bags out. Motherfuckers. He's paying me in cash.
“Seriously? I told you I only deal in transfers,” I snap at him and Harley is doing his best not to gape. I'm not sure how much experience he has around large quantities of cash but the twitching of his jaw tells me he's doing some quick math. There's a hundred grand in those bags.
It's going to be a nightmare to launder.
“Sorry, puss. I didn't get the chance to pop this into the bank before they closed. You know how it is. How ‘bout you walk that sweet ass of yours over here and get your money?”
“Like fuck,” Harley spits at him and the Vulture looks at him for the first time. His eyes take in the tattoo, the piercing eyes, the build, and I know he's working out how much he could make from selling Harley at one of his hellish auctions. The quirk of his lips tells me the fee would be astronomical.
“How about I double the payment and you give me him, puss?” I roll my eyes at him.
“How about you get one of your little friends to bring me my money and I'll hand him the package so we can all get out of here, hmm?”
The
Vulture laughs and waves his guys forward. The guy hands Harley the bags and I can smell the body odor wafting from him. Harley sneers at him and I shove the USB into his hands to get him away from us.
“Pleasure doing business with you, puss.”
I stare him down until he grins and leaves. We don't move until the car is out of the parking lot completely. I turn and hold my hand out for my giant bags of cash but Harley turns on his heel and marches to the trunk. He taps it gently and Blaise pops it open for him to shove them inside.
“What are you doing?”
He straightens and gives me a fiery look back. “I told you. I'm not leaving without you.”
My stomach does a little flip and I have to tell it to calm the hell down. “Fuck. Fine, leave it open. I have the rest of my stuff here too.”
Harley nods and walks over to where Luca is guarding my shit. Luca takes a step forward, over the bags, and crosses his arms. Harley smirks at him, throwing down a silent challenge and I know Luca will accept it in a heartbeat. Luca is the tiniest bit taller than Harley but Harley is easier broader, more muscular. I've seen Luca take out three guys bigger than Harley at the same damn time though so really, all bets are off on who would win. I don't have time to deal with them. I need to get out of here. I need to get Harley out of here.
The Jackal cannot see him.
Not after the warning he issued me at the meeting. I give myself a little shake to try and shift the ghosts.
“Luca, it's fine. My feet hurt and I need a bath,” I say sweetly with a little pout. He's one of the decent guys on the Jackal’s payroll, a rare breed. Luca leans down and brushes a kiss against my cheek without breaking eye contact with Harley. Harley stares down at him like he's going to gut him if given the chance. Finally, I step around them both to grab my bags and then I shove one into Harley's chest to get him moving.
“I’m going to miss that ass while you’re gone, princess,” Luca calls as I load my bag into the car. Harley glares back at him but I laugh his words off.
“You get more ass than the average Mounty street girl on a Saturday night, Luca. I’m sure you'll survive without mine.” He grabs his chest like I've wounded him and grins back at me. Harley opens the door to the backseat and I realize I'm about to be sandwiched in with him and the Beaumont brothers. Fuck. No.
I dart around and climb in with Avery instead. I’ve lost all of the weight I'd managed to gain last year and we easily fit in the sleek seat together. Blaise arches an eyebrow and then takes off, fast enough that my body is pressed back in the seat and the tires squeal.
“So. How much money is in this car right now?” whispers Avery and I giggle at her.
“How should I know, do you guys all carry cash?” I whisper back and she laughs out loud at me.
“Where should I drop you off, Mounty? Feel free to tip me for my services,” drawls Blaise and I shudder. Avery snorts at me. Traitor.
“She’s coming back to the hotel with us,” grumbles Harley.
“Why?” snaps Ash and I’m reminded of his newfound hate for me.
“Thank you Lips for finding my coked up brother and getting him out of danger before he got himself stabbed by an angry Mounty girl for not keeping his hands to himself,” I say in my most sarcastic tone. Avery gives my hand a squeeze and I smile at her.
“Thank you Mounty for traipsing around the docks dressed like a slut and tripping over Joey. Do all your clients pay you in large bags of dirty money? Is your puss really that good?”
“Ash, shut your mouth.” Avery turns in her seat to glare at him. I don't even care.
Harley ignores his cousin completely and leans forward in his seat. “Who was the guy with your bags?”
“Luca. He's… he works for the same guy your uncle does. We’ve known each other forever.”
“Have you fucked him?” he asks. Sweet lord. Here we go.
“How is that any of your business?”
Blaise tips his head back and laughs. He changes gears smoothly but he takes corners way too fast considering I'm sharing a seat with no belt on. “How many of those Mounty guys have you fucked?”
“Why do either of you care?” Avery says sweetly and they both finally shut up.
Chapter Two
Avery secures us a shared room with a private bathroom and an honest-to-God coffee machine. I am going to bathe in coffee this year. I can, because the bathroom has a tub. The room is bigger than Avery’s single was last year and my two bags feel pathetic as I look around at all of the space I now have to fill.
“Look on the bright side, you won’t have to worry about anyone sneaking in and messing with your stuff now that you’re roomed with me.”
I scoff at her and I wave the lock I’ve brought with me. There’s no way I’m trusting anyone here this year, other than Avery. She laughs and then watches me struggle to screw the damn thing in place. When she ducks into the bathroom to make a phone call, I wriggle under my bed to hide my safe. I trust Avery but some things will take time.
I’m excited to share a room with her. I’m actually shocked at how excited I am to have her as a friend. It feels kind of pathetic how relieved I am to have someone on my side but then I remind myself of exactly how hard I worked for it last year.
When we woke up at the hotel Avery and the guys were all staying at, a meager two hours after we had gone to sleep, we had ordered room service for breakfast and gossiped about our summer breaks. I had never stayed in a hotel, or eaten food delivered to me by a guy in a suit, and Avery kept giggling at how awkward I was about it all. I was shocked to see she eats as much as I do when given the chance and at my raised eyebrow she’d told me, “Ballet is hardcore. I eat more than Ash does during the recital season.”
It was refreshing.
After breakfast Avery had a heated argument with Ash about our travel arrangements, he did not want me to join them, and it ended with us girls tucked in the back of one of the Beaumont’s luxurious chauffeur driven Bentley’s. I squirmed in the seat for about thirty seconds before Avery told me to get over Ash’s shitty attitude. “He’s been a nightmare the entire break. I’m looking forward to getting back to school and finding new ways to avoid him.”
I still feel guilty about it. I can’t help it.
So, after spending the two minutes it takes me to unpack I perch on my bed and glare down at the bags of cash I now have to get sorted. The movies make it look so easy, just get a fake business and funnel the money through, but in reality without asking for the Jackal’s help I am going to struggle to get the funds clean. I need a second option amongst the Twelve to get shit done. I’ll add that to my never-ending list of things I need to think about.
“You never told me how much is in there,” says Avery as she unpacks her millionth box of shoes. I think she could wear a different pair every day for the rest of her life and still have some left over. I have three pairs. And I love the shit out of them.
“A hundred grand. It’s a pain in my ass and I don’t want to leave it here tomorrow during classes.”
She snorts and pokes her head out of the closet to give me a look. “Anyone at Hannaford wouldn’t need your dirty cash, Lips.”
I give her a sidelong look. “It’s not just that. Having bags full of hundred dollar bills raises questions I don’t want to answer. There’s enough people here who think I’m a whore,” I grumble. I’m just a little bit sour over the guys’ reactions last night.
Avery comes over to drop down onto the bed next to me and she props her chin up in her palm as we both stare at the bags like they’ll give us some answers. “I know someone who could help. It’s a risk but he’s always been discreet. And kind to me. I could play the dumb damsel in distress and get him to sort it for us. He probably wouldn’t even ask for a cut.”
I glance at her, curiously. We’ve gotten to know each other much better thanks to her texting truths game. I had been skeptical when she had suggested it but it had really helped me to understand her. I know just enough abo
ut her father’s business and associates to realize just how much of a criminal he really is.
The Jackal would love to know Joseph Beaumont Sr.
Avery sighs and grabs one of the bags, slinging it over her shoulder. “Let’s hide them in the closet for now and we can mull over the cleaning options. Have you picked your secret for today?”
I had and I was damned nervous about saying it. I’d woken to a text from the Jackal, telling me how much he would miss me while I was gone, and I’d decided then I’d have to start telling Avery about him. I didn’t speak until we had tucked the bags securely behind the mountain of boxes Avery had that I find out have her scarves in them. Scarves, for Christ's sake.
Scarves.
“What’s yours?” I chicken out and ask. Avery smiles and lets me avoid it for a minute, bless her.
“The guy I can ask to process the money is from a family I wouldn’t ever trust, the Crawfords.” She walks over to the kitchen and starts rummaging around for cleaning supplies. The girl could not stop cleaning the room. I was a little nervous about pissing her off by, you know, existing in the same room full time. “His father is my father’s best friend. When I was a child my mother would gossip with her friends about how she wanted me to marry one of his sons. I hate the whole damn lot of them, except for Atticus.”
“Atticus? Wow.”
Avery rolls her eyes. “His mother named all three of her sons after notable literary figures. Atticus is the youngest and his mother had been hoping for a girl. His father is big on the old adage of ‘an heir and a spare’ so he has no use for a third son. The older boys are absolute assholes because they know just how powerful they are going to be when their father passes the business on. Atticus gets nothing and has been told to forge his own path.”
I nod along. I’m starting to get used to the bizarre and cruel ways of the super rich parents of Hannaford. Then again my own mother picked a gram of heroin over me every day of the week so I can’t really judge. Avery looks up from where she’s wiping down the fridge. I can honestly say I’ve never even thought about wiping a fridge down in my life. “Atticus started his own business in his final year here at Hannaford. He’s now independently wealthy and very vague about how he makes his money. He claims it’s because he doesn’t want his brothers snooping around his business dealings but I once asked him if I could do an internship with him during the summer break, for college applications and to get away from Joey, and he told me his business is not appropriate for a young lady. He’s not a chauvinistic kind of guy and he’s never said anything like that to me before. So, I’m thinking it’s either illegal or sexual.”