“The game isn’t over yet. Hugo is still who he is and soon he’s gonna do something that will give you so much disdain in your eyes that you won’t be able to love him in the dark.”
“When are you gonna get it? It’s not a game. It’s just karma.”
I leave the table before she can respond. I even leave the evidence she has against Karlie. I know I got to her, but I admit she got to me too.
ANIKA
“Ms. Dale.” Clara, our maid that comes to clean our home three times a week, comes into my room. “There is a young man to see you.”
I try not to hurry into the living room. I know its Cody, and I don’t show it, but I am glad he’s here waiting nervously with his hand stuffed in his cargo shorts and grey Princeton t-shirt.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hi.” He holds out a gold watch with a brown belt.
“What is that?”
“It’s my grandfather’s watch.”
“Okay.”
“He told me once that to ask my grandmother to go steady with him, he gave her this. It was the most valuable thing he had. It was the first thing he ever bought with his own money that was expensive, and to prove to my grandmother just how much she meant to him, he gave it to her and told her that it would remain hers until he put a ring on her finger. He passed it down to my dad, he did the same thing with my mom, and now I’m doing it… with you.”
“Cody…” Nerves get the best of me, making me unable to finish the sentence.
“I’m not saying I’m planning marriage here or anything but… if there is one thing I know about you, it’s your heart. The loyalty you have for the people you care for. I want to do the same thing. I’ve been an asshole. Yeah, I had a right to be pissed, but not as pissed as I was. Not so pissed where I had to completely diminish the person I know you truly are. I want to start over. I want you to be my girlfriend and I don’t know what we’re gonna do after the summer’s over but… I know I want something great with you. Something of our own. Something that doesn’t have to do with your sister or anyone else.”
I smile and walk over to him. Proudly I accept the watch. “A thing of our own?”
“Yeah… and I would really like to have more sex.” He winks at me.
“Don’t wink.”
“I was trying to be smooth.”
I wrap my arms around his waist and he wraps his around mine. “I don’t want smooth. I want you.”
It’s something to care for someone for exactly who they are. It gives that person a sense of relief and content. I see that in Cody as I convince him.
“Good,” he says.
“Yeah. Real good.”
He brings his head down to mine and kisses me.
“We should probably go to my room and get back to having sex now,” I whisper and his eyes light up. “I got a lot of things to teach you.”
“Yes, Headmaster.” I go to kiss him but pause, giving him a look. “What? Ever since boarding school, I have had that fantasy. You got a ruler?”
“No… But I got a plaid skirt and a blazer.”
“Nice.”
I laugh and drag him to my bedroom.
10
KARLIE
I wait in the living room staring at the picture of Scarlett, Chad, Noel, August, and Gabriel. I look at the smile on Gabriel’s face. A smile I’m too familiar with now.
“Hello, Karlie.” I turn around and Juliet is looking at me with the usual disapproving stare, except this time there is no smile.
“I guess there is another reason why you don’t like me.”
“I liked you before. Now it’s only an utter disdain moment. It’ll pass.”
“Meaning Hugo told you.”
“Bingo.”
“Look… I’m sorry. I don’t have any interest in Hugo. I was just…”
“Your heart’s just broken.”
“Damn. Hugo said you’re good at that.”
“I may not be fond of it, but I get it that I don’t understand and I get that it must hurt more than anything.”
I don’t protest. I don’t try to mask it with something else. I just provide gratitude. “Thanks.”
She gives a light smile. “So you’re staying for dinner?”
“Yeah, Hugo invited Anika and I. She texted, said she’ll come later. I didn’t have anything else to do.”
“Good. Hugo cares for you. I think it’s like… he’s inherited you or something. You get what I’m saying?”
“Yeah, I get it. I guess we inherited each other.”
“Can I tell you something without you getting pissed off or telling Hugo?”
“Sure.”
“Scarlett contacted me and told me she had information on you.”
I scoff. “Of course she did.” I hope it’s just the information I allow her to have.
“It was the original will of William Fairchild’s. He left money to his children.”
My heart begins to drop, but still I keep pushing the wall. “William didn’t have children.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “That no one knew of apparently. There were no names on the document though. That had been blacked out with a marker in the copy.”
I just smile.
“You don’t need to tell me and I’m not telling Hugo. I just wanted you to know that Scarlett is creating a few chess pieces of her own.”
“As I predicted.”
“You’re not worried?” Of course I’m worried. She wasn’t supposed to find that. I’m just thankful that the original document had the kids’ names crossed out. Something I asked after it was written up just in case someone found the copy in the files.
“No,” I tell her. “I have made certain sacrifices. In the end, everyone will gain what they deserve… including those kids.”
“I believe you.”
“Thank you again.”
We’re interrupted by August walking in the room. I smile and he clings on to Juliet. It kind of hurts that August is scared of me.
“She’s not bad, mate,” Juliet says to him and he shakes his head.
“August, you remember the first time we met?” I suddenly ask.
He doesn’t look my way but nods.
“It was one the best days because… Gabriel introduced two important people to him to each other. That’s when I really knew he loved me.”
Scratching his head, he looks my way. “Gabriel said we needed to forget about you. After all the bad stuff happened.”
My heart that has already cracked a million times does it some more. Just remembering that night gives me chills.
“Yeah, I’m not surprised.”
“When he turned you away.”
“Yeah.”
“Sometimes I heard Gabriel’s heart crying for you,” August says. “Especially before he talked to Scarlett and shot himself.”
I am about to say something until I realize what he just said. So does Juliet.
“Wait, August,” Juliet says to him. “Are you saying Scarlett was there right when Gabriel died?”
“He should’ve known. He should’ve known that monsters always lose… except her. She doesn’t lose.”
I approach August, my heart racing. “August, did Scarlett kill Gabriel?”
He starts to smack his head. Tears form in his eyes as he begins to panic.
“Okay, calm down.” Juliet rubs her hands on his shoulders. “Calm down. You don’t have to go back.”
“I don’t wanna go back!” he screams and hits the wall.
“What the hell is going on?” Hugo asks coming in.
“August was there when Gabriel died and so was Scarlett. He knows she killed him,” I answer.
“He didn’t say that,” Juliet says to me and my dislike for her is coming back. “She was there, but he didn’t say that. I’m not saying you’re not right, but let’s be patient.”
“Ahhh!” August screams, hitting on the wall again. Hugo grabs him and makes him face him.
“Calm down. Calm
down,” Hugo says and August begins to take a deep breath. “Calm down.” He combs his fingers through his hair. “Now, August, I want you to tell me. Did she hurt Gabriel? Did Scarlett physically hurt Gabriel?”
“I didn’t see. I couldn’t see. I just words.” He hugs himself, staring at his feet. Rocking back and forth. “You did this. You made me like this. You made yourself like this. Love, pain, kill. I killed someone because of you.”
“Wait, what?” Hugo’s eyes widen. “Who said that? Who said they killed someone?”
The panic in August’s eyes and body is just like Gabriel described them to be. I had only known him in his good moments.
“Gabriel. He cried out and cried out and… BANG!”
GABRIEL
“I want to do something,” I say to Karlie.
“I figured since you invited me here.” She’s referring to my current living arrangements at Ms. Eleanor’s. A place I haven’t been since… never.”
“You know why.”
“You want to protect your reputation.”
“No. I want to protect you from them.”
She eyes the family photo of us. Ms. Eleanor loves to take family photos. “Especially from her?” Her eyes narrow on the blond locks of Scarlett.
“Yes. You don’t want Scarlett any more your enemy than she already is.”
“When you first started talking to me, I figured she had something to do with it. She always used to look at me with the creepy ass smile that loudly screamed ‘I’m coming for you.’”
“Yeah, unfortunately most people are too stupid to notice it.”
I grab her hand. “Follow me.”
No one is here except the people I want to be here. Everyone is gone for the weekend. Ms. Eleanor in Paris with the lover of the week. Chad in rehab. He won’t stay more than two weeks, as always. Noel in Nantucket for his grandfather’s 90th birthday, meaning he should be kicking the bucket in a year. I’m sure his mother is happy about that. It ensures Noel and her as the sole owners of their fortune. Scarlett, I don’t know. I did hear her scheduling a doctor’s appointment a few days ago. It’s rare when she schedules those. For a moment I was even worried, but then it slipped my mind once she told me she was leaving town. I really just figure she has a new secret lover and she’s planning to seduce herself into his will. I truly believe Scarlett is in a lot of wills.
“That’s my room.” I point to my door once we get upstairs. “We will be going in there soon.” I sneak in a smile and she rolls her eyes. Sex with Karlie is, as I imagined, great. I never used the term sweet before when sleeping with a woman, but with her it is. That first time was that sweet perfection, and then the second time was passionate. Then passion continued and now it’s getting hot and heavy. I love teaching her. How to please. How to communicate about what she wants and what she doesn’t want. I love the way she brightens up when I make her come, and I love the way she smiles when I tell her I love her. That’s the best part. Sex is just physical. There is no true way to prove to someone you love them by that, and keeping us a secret doesn’t help the situation either. I want to really let her know that I love her.
I look at the door across from mine.
“Who stays in there?” she asks.
“My brother.”
A smile appears. No one’s ever excited to meet August.
“I felt that it is the time to introduce you both.” I softly squeeze her hand before knocking on August’s door. I only knock to let him know I’m coming in. We step inside and see him in his usual state. In his own world. Drawings of mazes surrounding him as he sits in the middle of the floor, wearing matching racecar pajamas, staring at them.
“August.” I snap my fingers and he looks up. “I want you to meet someone.”
August stares at our legs, his fingers twiddling, his eyes blinking.
“This is Karlie, the one I’ve been telling you about.”
She smiles and squats down as I sit down in a chair. “Hi, August.” He moves back a little.
“Don’t be offended. He’s not good with people.”
“That’s alright. He moves to his own beat. I can respect that.”
“Moving to my own beat is the only way to go. I have to say fuck!” August yells and flinches. “Everyone else. That’s what Hugo tells me.”
Karlie laughs and so does August.
“Yes, Hugo always gives him wisdom over the phone apparently.”
“You still don’t talk to him?” she stands up and asks me.
“No.” I sit down in a chair. “I don’t really know how to start.”
“Uh,” she spins on her heel and walks over to me, “how about a ‘hey how ya doin? How’s life?’ He’s your brother, Gabriel. You don’t need anything other than that to start you off.”
Her knees come against mine and I grab her hands, sitting back as she stares down at me.
“Then maybe I’ll take your advice.”
“Well, maybe you should.” I laugh with her and grab hold of her waist, wiggling my eyebrows.
“Uh… children are present.”
“Then we should go somewhere they’re aren’t.”
“You are a mess.”
She means it as a joke, but she has no idea how true that is. “Yes. I am.”
JULIET
The scream from his lungs and red covering his face frightens us all. August falls to his knees and Hugo follows him. His eyes begin to tear up. “I don’t want to think about it anymore, Hugo.”
“It’s… it’s okay.” Hugo wraps his arms around him hugging him. “It’s okay. You just… you should’ve told me that. Why didn’t tell me that before?”
“Y-yo-you always said to block out the bad. Block out the bad. That was bad, Hugo.”
“Yeah… that was bad.” The fear and hurt in Hugo’s eyes form into something I’ve never seen before in him. Those eyes reveal the lost boy he used to be openly and now I know. Now I even fear. Hugo himself is close to breaking.
“Hey guys.” Cody and Anika come in. They look around at us, not knowing what to make of the scene displayed. They are holding hands, which means they made up, but that quickly slips my mind once I see who is behind them. Cody and Anika look confused until they turn around, realizing the person who followed them in. A frail and feeble looking Rebecca Townsend.
“What are you doing here?” Hugo asks, his expression cold and his eyes red.
“I…” Rebecca’s tone is low and raspy. “I wanted to talk to you?”
“Why don’t we leave you guys alone then?” Cody says and I begin to follow him and Anika out as Hugo and Karlie give each other a look.
“No,” Hugo says. “August, you can go to your room now.” August runs while we stay.
“I think we should go, Hugo,” I say and he holds his hand up, which is a bit offensive.
“What do you need to say to me?”
Rebecca, who is covered in a long sleeve sweatshirt and jeans in ninety-six degree weather, twiddles with her fingers, biting her lip, looking at us all until her eyes fall back on Hugo.
“I… I wanted to talk about that night. Um… I wanted to tell you that I don’t remember and they say you said nothing happened and…” She shuts her eyes and practically pulls out her stringy hair as she runs her fingers through it. “I just…”
“You don’t even know why you’re here,” Karlie says in a harsh tone that is unnecessary.
“I—”
“No, she doesn’t,” Hugo interrupts. “She’s just a girl.” This sly grin appears on his face. “A weak and shallow girl.” He steps closer to her. “You want to know what happened that night?” She nods her head. “You got drunk and you had the audacity to believe that I had interest in you. You trusted someone blindly, seeking their approval. Just a little girl desperate for attention. What happened is what you wanted to happen. Whether you remember that night or not… it doesn’t matter. I do suggest, though, to ask Scarlett again. She was, of course, the other person there. It does not make s
ense that she would leave her fiancé’s stupid little sister alone with the big bad wolf. You know where to find me when you have more desperate attempts at forgiveness in you.”
The tears stream down Rebecca’s face and quickly she backs away and runs out.
“What the hell was that?” Cody asks.
“He’s using her,” Karlie answers.
“Hugo, what are you doing?” I ask.
“She’s the pawn,” he answers still staring at the space she had just stood at.
“Pawn? Hugo, this isn’t one of your chess games now. This is a girl who was raped. A girl who thinks you raped her. Why didn’t you just tell her the bloody truth?”
“Because Scarlett likes games.” He looks at me. “I instilled in Rebecca that everything is not what it seems. Now she will be going to Scarlett… prying her with questions. When Scarlett enjoys things, she doesn’t realize the seriousness of a situation, causing her to slip. She used to have this box filled with USBs. Pandora’s box she called it. It was black. Four numbers to unlock it. I’m sure it’s not simple, but we need that box. I’m sure it has information on the Black Card Club and videos of people. Even the recording of Karlie, maybe even a recording of Rebecca.”
“She is that arrogant. Of course she would keep a box of keepsakes for her own enjoyment,” Karlie scoffs.
“And you have that private investigator that follows her every move.”
“Yeah, but I must admit Scarlett doesn’t really do much but go to the spa and brunch. Even when she goes to see someone, it’s nothing incriminating.”
“Yes, but if she feels like Rebecca is getting too annoying and curious, she will go to that box.”
“And what makes you think she doesn’t have that box with her already at her place?” Anika asks.
“This is Scarlett. That box is practically her bible. Her religion. The thing she holds precious.” He smirks. “She won’t leave that there around Patrick or anyone else. Have that investigator track every move after this tonight. She will go somewhere different. We get that box, we get her.”
Reckless Karma (Sinners & Saints #2) Page 12