Reckless Karma (Sinners & Saints #2)

by Chelsea Ballinger

  “I have trouble with authority.”

  “So I’ve heard. Now if you don’t mind, I would like to go rest, but Hugo dear do come by and visit with August. Not those children though.”

  “I think I’ll let you die knowing how full of shit you are.” Hugo storms out and I follow.

  “Juliet dear.” I turn around. “Do see that he stays away from that club. It is not something that I will take lightly.” She smiles. “Lovely to meet you.”

  I have nothing to say to this woman and a part of me thinks this club is something to fear also, so I just continue chasing after her upset grandson.

  “Hugo,” I say once we get to the car. “Hugo.”

  He is about to slam his hands on his car, but realizes its delicacy and just gently places them on it with his head down. I put my hand on his back and shoulder.

  “You alright, babe?”

  He has no words, only looks of uncertainty and anger. He looks around the property and his eyes stop at the woods nearby.

  “My mom used to tell us scary stories about these woods. The woods that haunted her as a child. She said a monster lived in them. A monster that was in the form of a demon at night and an angel by day.”

  “Why that story?”

  “Why did my mother do anything?” He shrugs and looks at me. “I think it has something to do with this place.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “What can I do, Juliet?” He’s frustrated. “I am way over my head. I’m into the pettiness of things, but this… this is something else. Let’s go.”

  We get back in the car and Hugo is quiet on the way back. His eyes are concentrating more on the vision of his family’s mystery than on the road.

  HUGO

  We walk in the house and see Karlie waiting for us in the living room along with Cody and Anika and Jordana.

  “Where are the kids?” Hugo asks.

  “My mom took them to the park,” Karlie answers. “Your brother is in his room.”

  “And Ms. Eleanor is at the spa,” Jordana says.

  “Jaz and Poppy back from their date yet?” Juliet asks.

  “No, Aladdin and Cinderella are not, but we have some very interesting news,” Jordana answers.

  “Okay, that was racist,” Cody points out.

  “Technically it’s pretty accurate. Jaz looks like the real version of Aladdin,” Anika says.

  “You know girls always used to tell him that when we were kids,” Juliet says.

  “Excuse me, but can we get off the Disney topic and get to the real world that is my fucked up life and family?” I’m annoyed and frustrated, so I don’t have time for anything else but to get answers I need to know.

  “I take it meeting your grandmother didn’t go too well,” Jordana says.

  “As in she’s a bitch? Yeah.”

  “Listen,” Karlie starts. “That private investigator I got to trail Scarlett ever since Rebecca Townsend was here, well he’s been trailing her to all the regular spots, including here.”

  “What?”

  “He said she comes here. She has a key.”

  “Well, I knew that, but why would she come here?”

  “And come here when no one is home except maybe August, but August doesn’t come out of his room until someone goes and gets him,” Juliet says.

  “So then there is only one reason why she would come,” Karlie says.

  “The box is here,” I say and head upstairs.

  “Is it in your room?” Juliet asks. “I would not be shocked if she did that. She loves irony.”

  “She does but no. I know her.” I head past every room until I’m at Juliet’s.

  I’m looking for something. I know what it is, but I look back in my memory until I see it and it’s right in front of me. I head over to the dark oak cedar chest. I open it up. It’s empty.

  “I didn’t need to use it,” Juliet says. “I don’t understand how it can be in there. It’s empty.”

  I place my hand flat on the bottom and press. The bottom of the chest moves down until it hits something hard.

  “A secret compartment in the bloody chest?” Juliet is shocked.

  “That sneaky bitch,” Karlie says.

  “She really is that cocky, huh?” Anika asks.

  “Yes. She is,” I say as I lift up the bottom of the chest and reveal the black box. “When I first moved here I had walked in on her putting the box in here. I only saw it for a second before she kicked me out. One day I came in here out of curiosity and looked in it, but there was no box. One day she babbled about having secret hiding places in the room.”

  I pull out the box and set it on Juliet’s bed as she makes space.

  “So we got the box.” Jordana sits down on Juliet’s bed. “Now all we gotta do is figure out the code.”

  Cody sighs and sits next to her. “This should be fun.”

  SCARLETT

  When I was a kid I loved swings. Most people wouldn’t know that, but I did. I loved going up. Hated coming down. My father would bring me to the park. This park actually. The way he would place his hands on my back and push me. It was the perfect moment between father and daughter. The only perfect moments. As children perfect moments are more possible than as an adult.

  “Is this supposed to be a joke?” I smile at the anger in the voice beside me on the park bench.

  “Dr. Rodman. Lovely to see you again.”

  “When I asked to meet, I didn’t mean here.”

  “Does it spark that inner demon in you?”

  “This isn’t funny, Scarlett. This is a serious situation.”

  “I’m sure it is, given the panic in your voice.” I look at the children on the swings. “You see those two. They’re twins. The boy’s name is Oliver and the girl’s name is Suzanna. They are the bastard children of Gabriel Mandrake.”

  I look at the two children laughing and giggling as their grandmother pushes them on the swing. The smiles on their faces remind me so much of Gabriel. I miss him. I miss him a lot. I instantly want these children because they are his. I am forced to admit I am envious of Karlie now. These children are the greatest gift she could ever give to him. Greater than the gift I gave to him, which was the truth. The truth about everything.

  “Speaking of Mandrake. Hugo mandrake came by the Hoxley and asked about the Club.”

  I take my eyes off the twins and look at him. “I hope you’re kidding.”

  “No.” His eyes are strained on me as he says it. “He came and asked to join. Something tells me he doesn’t want to join for his own pleasure because if he did he would know why the club was created in the first place, which gives the conclusion that he is there to find out the truth. He asked why I’ve been paying you money for years.”

  I look back at the kids. I feel my bones beginning to crack from the information. My blood sizzles and sets on fire.

  “You are supposed to have a handle on this,” he seethes.

  “I do.”

  “I don’t believe you and neither will the rest of them. Therefore, the payments stop now.”

  I scoff. “You forget. I have everything. I own your fate. Your soul.”

  “Well, if Hugo Mandrake gets the answers he’s looking for, your little box won’t do anything to us because it will be too late. Until you give us proof that you are still in control, we will stop paying you.”

  “Fine, but when I do get everyone back in their place, I’ll be adding more to that payment. I’m sure you are willing to pay whatever it takes to keep people from discovering what you truly are.”

  He looks at the kids playing in the park. His eyes slightly open as he gasps. He quickly closes his mouth, clenches his jaw, gets up and walks away. I take a deep breath and make a phone call.

  HUGO

  “Ugh!” Anika groans after Cody puts in the code and the box still does not unlock. “This is like the thirtieth code.”

  “More like code number thirty-three,” Juliet says.

  “We’ve trie
d everything from her birthday to her dad’s to one two three,” Karlie says shaking her head and sitting back against the headboard.

  “It’s gotta be something symbolic,” I say with my arms crossed staring at the black box. My mind juggling everything I know about Scarlett. My phone rings and I check it.

  “It’s Scarlett,” I say before answering. “Scarlett.”

  “I hear you’ve been a very bad boy, Hugo.” Her voice sounds amused but slightly agitated.

  “Well you know me. I can’t help myself when it comes to trouble.”

  “I know and I know you’ve asked my dear good friend Dr. Rodman about my source of income.”

  “So you are admitting to blackmailing powerful men to guarantee your fortune?”

  “You can never be too sure with the economy these days. My mother spends my trust every day. A girl’s got to eat.”

  “Children in Cambodia and Africa need to eat; you just need to feel powerful.”

  “That too. Now what do you need?”

  “I need the truth.”

  “No, you don’t. You just think you do. Trust me, Hugo, you don’t. You’ll end up like Gabriel. That’s what really led him to kill himself. The truth.”

  This sparks interest. “What truth?”

  “You open that box, you’ll meet your death.” It’s a threat in her tone.

  “What more truth could break Gabriel? Personally, if you ask me, my brother was shit. He betrayed Karlie by letting you get away with what you did.”

  “In his defense, he probably wouldn’t have if I didn’t give him a good enough distraction. Come on, Hugo. You have to get a clue at some point. You Mandrake boys have always had a problem with helping women. Why not start with the root?”

  It hits me. Knocks me out in fact.

  “My mother.” My blood boils as everyone looks at me wondering what Scarlett is saying. “What the hell do you know about my mother?”

  “Nothing but that she was a sweet and fragile woman.” I hear the amusement in her voice and I clench my jaw.

  “Don’t fuck with me, Scarlett.”

  “No, the fucking is over with, remember? Hugo, you are playing a very dangerous game. A game I only know how to play. I kept you in the dark for a reason. To protect you. You may not think it, but… you mean more to me than you think.”

  That phrase echoes in my brain. “Me,” I say. “Me…” I snap my fingers and point to the box. “Put my birthday in that box.” Cody does what I say and just like that the green light indicator blinks and Cody opens the box. “I guess I really do mean that much to you.”

  “Hugo.” I hear the desperation in Scarlett’s tone now. Her cool is lost. “Hugo. Hugo!”

  Her raised voice is a pleasant surprise. “Have a good day, baby.”

  SCARLETT

  I refuse to ever feel helpless. I will never feel that way again. I won’t let Hugo ruin everything I have built. I am the destroyer. I warned him. I gave him a way out numerous times. My body begins to shake in rage. I keep my mouth shut to keep myself from spilling out every foul word in this park. I see a homeless man picking out of the garbage can and for no reason my eyes stay on him. I’m just using him as a safe zone. Something horrible to look at instead all the happy wide-eyed children.

  Children.

  I turn around and see Gabriel’s twins again. I didn’t have any other reason for my driver to follow them here other than curiosity. To see the creation Gabriel catered to. But now I see it as part of my good luck.

  KARLIE

  This is it. It’s finally here. The moment I’ve been waiting for. I was only speaking metaphorically when I suggested Hugo was the key. He literally is. We all stare at the open box, everyone scared to reach in that red velvet interior. I’m scared to reach in. I’m so scared and I am frozen in place because I realize that there is no turning back from this and whatever is in this box could be the end of me. The truth always hurts.

  Hugo is the first to reach in. I look in the box and there are pictures and USBs.

  “How many USBs?” Jordana asks.

  “Eight,” Hugo says after counting. He pulls out the pictures. “These are of Rebecca.”

  “This must be why she came in and out recently,” Juliet says.

  He passes them to me as Juliet grabs her laptop and turns it on. I shake my head at the pictures of a passed out naked Rebecca.

  “She’s sick,” I whisper.

  Already Juliet has gone through three USBS with Hugo looking over her shoulder. The looks on their faces cause me to worry.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  “There’s only one thing on these USBS so far,” Cody answers.

  “What?”

  “Out of all the shit she’s done, she only has one thing on each?” Anika is as pissed as I am.

  We go through each and there’s only one thing. One lousy thing from pictures to recordings of people having sex or admitting a dirty secret.

  “Hey, does that voice sound familiar?” Jordana asks.

  “Damn,” Cody says. “That’s that guy who ran for mayor. Remember he had to pull out when a recording of him admitting to hiring that dealer to drug his ex-wife so he could get full custody of his kids aired all over the media.”

  “Well we know who gave it to them,” Juliet says.

  “This doesn’t make sense,” Hugo finally speaks up. “I was sure the information about the Black Card Club would be in here. Something isn’t right.” Hugo practically pulls out his hair in anger and disappointment. He grabs the box and throws it at the wall.

  “Hugo, calm down,” Juliet says.

  “I’m calm!” His tone rises and we all flinch. “Why the hell would she be scared about this?”

  I’m out of answers and theories now. I got too worked up on this being the moment and now knowing that it isn’t only makes me sink further in desperation that is causing myself to drain and I’m just tired.

  “Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes playing a poor hand well,” Juliet says to herself.

  “What?” I ask.

  She snaps out of her moment and explains. “It’s a quote.” Her eyes widen at a confused Hugo. “You don’t know it?”

  He shakes his head.

  She glows in excitement. “Yes! I finally know a quote that you don’t.”

  “Are you serious right now?” I ask hoping she’s not getting back on my fucking bad side.

  “I’m sorry.” She quickly gets serious. “But the reason why that came out was that I figured what if Scarlett doesn’t have anything on the club? What if she’s been bluffing this whole time?”

  “No,” Hugo protests. “There is no possible way that these men would let her blackmail them without any proof.”

  “Well maybe she did have proof but, I don’t know, lost it? I mean it’s farfetched considering how bloody well calculated and cunning she is, but it’s at least a good theory, isn’t it?”

  “It actually makes sense,” I say before telling myself that it isn’t.

  “My birthday,” Hugo now says as he ponders on what Juliet is saying.

  “You’re right.” Jordana knows already what he’s thinking. “If Scarlett has always had this box… it wouldn’t make sense for your birthday to be the code to unlock it. She had this before any of us even came here… right?”

  “No… She didn’t have this box. This isn’t the original box. Son of a bitch. She must’ve gotten this after I came and that just means… she said that Gabriel did want to get justice for you… but then she distracted him about truth about my mother… it’s all linked.”

  “What is?” Cody asks.

  “Everything, the club, my mother, Gabriel, everything. My uncle started the club. Gabriel must’ve taken the box.”

  “But if Gabriel took the box, then where would it be, Hugo?” I ask. “You’ve been living here what? Seven or eight years and you have never seen a box in your room? Did Gabriel have a hiding spot too?”

  “No.” H
ugo shakes his head and sighs.

  My phone rings and so does Juliet’s. Juliet quickly grabs hers and goes in the bathroom while I check to see that it is my mom calling.

  “Yeah ma.”

  “Karlie, you need to get to Presbyterian now. I’m sorry I couldn’t call you sooner, but too many things were happening at once.”

  “What?!”

  “There was an incident at the park. Ollie hurt his arm. The police are here now. There was this homeless man that scared them. Just get here, baby.”

  When you become a mother, there is no scarier thing than your kids being in harm. It causes pain, anger, and even guilt. I don’t care if you’re a good mother or a bad one. It doesn’t even matter if the situation is your fault or not. You feel like a failure and that’s how I feel as I am frozen in place after my mom hangs up.

  “Karlie, what’s wrong?” Anika asks in panic.

  “Ollie got hurt. I don’t know… something about a homeless man attacking them. We have to go.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Hugo says as Juliet steps out and she seems a bit shaken up but quickly masks it as Hugo turns around. I don’t have time or the care to really even read it. All I want right now is to make sure my kids are okay.

  “What happened?” Juliet asks.

  “The kids got hurt at the park. I’m going with Karlie to the hospital.”

  “Okay… let me know what happens.”

  “Okay.” He doesn’t worry about it either seeing his main goal is to get to the kids, as well as it should be. They are his family. “Just keep the box and we will continue it later.”

  Hugo, Anika, and I quickly head down the stairs as that girl Poppy and Jaz come in. They see the panic in our eyes but don’t get to question it as we quickly push past them and leave. I haven’t really prayed to God in a while. Truthfully, since before I left New York. I always felt like God didn’t deserve my love anymore… but maybe it was I who didn’t deserve his because through all the bullshit that has happened he has still managed to give me Ollie and Suzie. They are a purpose I have yet to make my first priority.