Society Girls: Rhieve

by Crystal Perkins

  "Yeah."

  I use my social status to help as many people as I can, and I know Darcy does the same. I grew up with it, and it's still hard for me to always be "on." I can only imagine how hard it must be for someone who's only doing it for love. Maybe that makes it easier for her, actually.

  "You look like you have something to ask me," she says, tilting her head, and smiling.

  "Spy senses on high alert?"

  "Always. It's a way of life, Rhieve, and not a job. We don't turn it on and off."

  "I know. I was joking."

  "I knew you were, but I still had to say something. You guys are working your asses off to learn everything, and sometimes I think we get too busy teaching you stuff to really talk to you about what it's like when you pass. I know I'm not your mentor, but you left yourself wide open for me to speak up."

  "I appreciate it, and I'll talk to Jade. You're not the only ones who've been too busy to think about 'after' for us. We're all excited, but we just want to pass.”

  “I get it. What did you want to ask me?”

  “Is doing all this, the public appearances and stuff, easier because you’re doing it out of love?”

  “You tell me. I’ve seen the pictures, and there’s no way everything with Calum is fake for you. You’re good, but no one’s that good.”

  “I care for him more than I know is sensible, and yeah, it hasn’t been hard to be seen with him. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I can’t focus on that right now. I just want to get my brother out of whatever he's gotten himself into."

  "We will. Let's get on the video call with Ainsley, Jade, and Rei so we can see what they have planned for us."

  I grab us both some water, and then we sit on Calum's leather couch and connect to our friends in Las Vegas through his T.V. I have to admit that I love all the high-tech gadgets we get to use. I feel very James Bond sometimes, or I guess, Jane Bond.

  "Hi Rhieve, how are you holding up?" Jade asks once we're connected.

  I've been emailing and texting with her, so she knows what we found, but it means a lot to me that she's asking about me first. "I'm doing okay. Ready to get my brother back."

  "That's the plan," Ainsley says with a smile.

  "What exactly is the plan, o wise one?" Darcy asks.

  "We're not exactly sure," Reina answers. "There are some variables I'm not comfortable with."

  "Like what?" I ask.

  "If someone is holding your brother against his will, chances are they know who he is. Either before they took him, or because he's told them. That means they probably know about you as well."

  "You think they tortured him?" I ask, trying to hold back my tears.

  "It's a strong possibility."

  "Even if they know who I am, no one knows I'm a threat."

  "True. Which is why we think you'll be okay to go in. Darcy, on the other hand, is too recognizable to just walk into this party. Especially with her whirlwind royal tour going on," Jade says.

  "Ooh! Do I get to climb the walls, and storm the castle?"

  "You've done that how many times now at Brayden’s castle? Doesn't it get old?" Ainsley asks with a laugh.

  "Too many times to count, and nope. I sneak through the palace defenses every chance I get. Need to stay on my toes. Plus, it's too much fun to give up."

  God, I love these women. "So, I go in the front door, and Darcy doesn't. Anything else?"

  "Yes. There's a lot more, Rhieve. Starting with the fact that we don’t even know where you’ll be going yet. It could be a castle, or it could be a barn. You might as well settle in, because this is going to take a couple hours at least. You can follow along on your tablet," Ainsley tells me.

  "Sorry. I'm just anxious."

  "We understand, and that's why we're here to teach you what we know. We'll always have your back, and we expect you to have ours as well," Jade tells me.

  "Thanks," I tell her. "I appreciate everyone's help."

  It's a foreign thing for me—knowing I can count on people, and all they want in return is to be able to count on me. I've only had it once before, and then Calum took himself out of my life. I tried to trust again, but I was burned over and over again until I'd been left with no one to believe in. I believe in the Society now, and the women who comprise it. I've also let most of my guard down with the recruits. I'm still scared to let people all the way in, but I think I might be able to do it with them eventually. And maybe with Calum, too.

  I spend the next two hours listening, and giving input when I'm asked. My opinion is genuinely valued, and that's something I'm not quite used to, either. Once we've planned for every contingency, Darcy leaves to pick up the package one of the Society's allies has left for her at her hotel. I force myself to relax while I wait until it's time to get ready. I can do this. I know I can.

  Calum

  “How did he get the information?”

  I know I’m roaring out the question as my IT director cowers, but this isn’t something to take lightly. Chet texted me about information he shouldn’t have. No one who isn’t me, or my inner circle, should have it. He did it to taunt me, and it had the desired effect.

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out. There is no trail on the servers, so whoever did it, had to have been good. Or maybe…are you sure it happened, Calum?”

  “I was texted the info.”

  “Yes, but are you sure it was a hack, and not an inside job?”

  I lean back in my chair, the fight gone from me for the moment. “No. I’m not sure of anything right now.”

  “Do you want us to initiate bag checks?” the head of my security team asks.

  “Yes. And I also want all visitors vetted. Anyone I haven’t invited will have to be approved, so they’ll have to give us at least 24-hour notice.”

  “What about the visitors who’ve come in today.”

  “Comb the feeds and see if anything is passed off to them. If it is, I want it checked against what should be going out. If someone’s passing on my secrets, I want them found.”

  “It will require more manpower.”

  “Do it,” I tell him before turning back to my IT guy. “And you had better strengthen our systems.”

  “I told you— “

  “I don’t give a fuck what you told me. Information got out of this building one way or another, and nothing else better get out. Your assurances that our firewalls are enough is not making me feel any better. I want concrete proof that this won’t happen again.”

  “Fine. I’ll have my team go over everything again.”

  I don’t say anything else to either of them, because there’s no need. They’ll either do their jobs, or I’ll find someone else who can do them better. I’m fighting with everything I have to keep Chet at bay, and I won’t stand for someone on the inside undermining everything I’m doing.

  As they walk out, my phone buzzes. I pick it up, and my mood lightens a little when I see that it’s Rhieve. “Hey, gorgeous.”

  “Hi Cabe.”

  There’s something in her voice that makes me sit up straighter. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. It’s just…I wanted you to know…I’m, um, going to a party with the twins tonight.”

  “No.”

  “I wasn’t asking,” she says, her voice stronger now.

  “Dammit, Rhi. I can’t leave London right now.”

  “I didn’t ask you to. Darcy’s here, and there’s a plan.”

  “Where’s the party?” I ask, dreading the answer, because I’m pretty sure I know.

  “They haven’t told me yet. They’re having me meet them somewhere. They said they’ll text me cross streets later.”

  “Please don’t do this.”

  “I have to. You know that.”

  “Can you bring a date?”

  “I thought you couldn’t leave London.”

  “I can’t, but Guil can go with you.”

  There’s a sigh. “No, he can’t. How would that look for
us if your best friend and I appear to be having sex?”

  “How the hell is it going to look for you to go in there alone?”

  “I’m going to wear my ring, and just observe. I won’t partake in anything. I promise.”

  “You won’t change your mind no matter what I say, will you?”

  “No. I know you’re trying to protect me, but you have to remember I’m training to be a spy.”

  “I’m supposed to help you with sparring, and I haven’t,” I grumble.

  “It’s really cute that you’re worried, but while I may not be at Jade’s level, I can hold my own. Now just wish me luck, and promise to ravish me when I see you again.”

  “I’m going to trust that you won’t need luck, and yeah, I’m fucking you senseless when I see you again.”

  “I’ll call you when it’s over.”

  “You damn well better, Rhi.”

  “I will. I have to go now, but I wanted you to know what I was doing, since...since we’re real.”

  “Yes, we are. Be safe, and I’ll talk to you soon.”

  She hangs up, and I immediately call Guil. "She's going to a party with the twins tonight."

  "At the warehouse?"

  "Where else would they take her?"

  "Did you tell her?"

  "No."

  "Call her back and tell her. You have to, Cal. She's going to find out anyway, and then it's going to be really bad. Do you want her to hate you?"

  I don't answer that, because frankly, it's complicated. I don't want her to hate me, but I know I deserve for her to. He takes my silence as enough of an answer to cuss me out again.

  "Are you done now?" I ask.

  "Not even close. I'm going to get an invite to that party, make sure she comes out of there alive—and with her brother if possible—and then I'm going to do as much damage control for you as possible."

  "You don't need to."

  "Yeah, asshole, I do. The ties that bound you died with your old man, and it's time you let yourself live the life you want."

  "I told her it's real. You know that's what I want more than anything."

  "Yeah, you want it, but we both know you're not fighting too hard for it."

  "I can only fight with my all for one thing at a time."

  He sighs into the phone. "Just promise to fight a little when it all blows up tonight. Don't let her walk away."

  "She won't walk away. Not with us having the deal. She'll still do it even though she'll hate me."

  "Because she's one cool chick."

  "That, and we've gone public with the engagement. She won't invite a scandal just because she's angry."

  "Your world is so foreign to me, even after all these years of knowing you."

  "You're better off not understanding it. And even better off for not having to live in it."

  "Do you want a Stepford wife though?"

  "We're not getting married."

  "I'm going to hang up now before I say some things you're not ready to hear. Just know we're going to talk about them one day."

  I'm the one sighing now, because I know he won't let me off the hook. We've always had each other's backs, and we've always been honest with each other about everything. There's no sugar-coating, or sparing feelings in our relationship. That's why it's the second most important relationship I've ever had in my life. I lost the most important one once, and I'm about to lose it again because I can’t bring myself to be honest with Rhieve.

  There's no help for that right now, because if I don't save my company, I'll have nothing—be nothing—and I wouldn't be worthy of Rhieve then, either. I'd rather lose her because she thinks I'm an ass than lose her because I have nothing to offer her but a bitter jerk who lost to a twat who can't even tie his own shoes. Once Chet is dealt with, I'll beg her forgiveness, but for now, I can't let him win.

  12

  Rhieve

  I got the call from the twins thirty minutes ago, letting me know to meet them in an industrial area of town. They didn't give me an address, just cross streets like they said they would, but it was enough for Ainsley and Darcy. With some infrared technology, they pinpointed where the action is, and Darcy's ready.

  I'm ready, too. Or at least as ready I can be in a sheer, polka dot jumpsuit with some high-waisted black panties and a strapless bra on underneath. I'm carrying a white wristlet, which will for sure be checked at the door by security. All they'll find is some "lipstick" and a "compact", both of which are secretly weapons. A small knife and some sleeping powder. It's too risky for me to bring a gun, although I know Darcy will have at least one on her.

  The white flower, holding the curls in my hair back, has a laser in the center that can cut through titanium if necessary, but I'm hoping with the crowd the twins told me will be there, we'll be able to walk out without a full-on battle. Not just because of the scene it will cause, but also because I'm not completely confident in my fighting skills, and it's not fair to put that all on Darcy.

  I spray on some perfume, shake my hair, and walk out to the cab waiting for me at the curb. I thought about driving, but I'm not familiar with all of the city yet, and Darcy will have a car waiting for us when we leave. Everything has been planned as much as it possibly can be, and now it's time to put it all in motion, and see if I really have what it takes to be a spy.

  The twins are waiting for me when my cab pulls up. I pay the driver and hop out, smiling at their outfits, which are much more revealing than mine. They bought several things yesterday, so I wasn't sure what they'd actually be in today. They're both dressed in satin hot pants and corsets with wigs and top hats covering their heads. Long ropes of pearls and rhinestones cross over their bodies, and thigh-high stockings and stilettos complete their outfits.

  "You look great," I tell them, because they really do.

  "So do you," Peatra tells me.

  "Classy, but sexy," Gwinevir adds.

  "Thanks."

  They move to either side of me, and each one takes my hand, leading me down the street. They swing my arms like we're in the schoolyard, and I have to bite back a laugh. I almost expecting us to start skipping any minute, but I guess that's impractical in heels. Probably wouldn't stop them, though.

  Stopping at one of the warehouse doors, they let go of my hands to do some kind of complicated knock and pound sequence. Not exactly high-tech, but it apparently works as the door opens. A bear of a man is standing in front of us, and when he motions us in, the girls line up against the wall, looking like they're about to be frisked by a police officer. I join them, although I'm not ready to be felt up by Sasquatch.

  Whether I'm ready or not, his hands coast over me, squeezing my ass when he gets to the top of my legs. I fight the urge to kick him in the nuts, and just let him continue his "search." "Nice tits," he says, after squeezing them, but I don't respond.

  Once he's checked my bag, and taken a good chunk of the pound notes I have inside, he passes us through. "What the hell was that?" I ask, not hiding how pissed off I am at the moment. I could care less about the money, but touching is another thing.

  "He's hot, so who cares?" Peatra asks me with a shrug.

  "I care. He shouldn't be touching anyone like that without permission. Security is one thing, but that...that's not right."

  "You're going to get touched a lot more inside, so be prepared. It's fun once you get used to it," Gwinevir says.

  "Yeah, no. If someone touches me, I'm punching them."

  "This is going to be a memorable night," Peatra says, but I just roll my eyes.

  I'm over all of this. Sex clubs, private groping parties, all of it. I just want to get my brother, play the part of the perfect fiancé, and then go back to my regularly scheduled life of spy training.

  I follow them into the main room, where the dance floor is full of bodies writhing in groups. Groping is definitely going on, and more, too. Clothing is apparently optional, and I'm thinking this is the poor man's Thorns. Calum's club may be a place for debauchery a
nd decadence, but it's classy, and I felt safe there. I know I'd feel that way even if I hadn't been claimed by him. Here—here I feel like anything could happen, and no one would stop it. I don't like it, and I like it even less knowing my brother is probably in here somewhere.

  "Where is the mystery guy you told me about?" I ask, wanting to get out of here as quickly as possible.

  "He's upstairs. Do you want to go see him already? " Peatra asks. "We could have some fun down here first."

  "Plus, won't Calum be mad? He said you couldn't play with anyone else," Gwinevir asks.

  "No one has to tell him, right?" I ask with a smirk. Nothing is keeping me from finding my brother. Nothing, and no one.

  "We didn't know you were so naughty, Rhieve. Let's go on up," Peatra tells me.

  They link hands with me once again, but instead of walking side by side, Peatra walks in front, and Gwinevir walks behind me. We walk up the stairs, which aren't as rickety as they seem, despite the warehouse being pretty bare bones. There’s nothing modern or new here, except for the flashing lights, DJ, and booze.

  At the top of the stairs, I'm shocked to see a plush space, filled with couches, chandeliers, and a mirrored bar. There are still people in various stages of undress, but it's not the meat market it is below. I've been to VIP areas of clubs before, so I shouldn't be too surprised, but with how low budget everything else is, I expected Shabby Chic at most up here.

  I must've been looking for too long, because the twins tug me away, and down the hall. There are only a few doors, and most of them are open, revealing less plush interiors, but no less bodies. We pass by all of them, and stop in front of the door at the end of the hall. It's actually a set of two French doors that look as ridiculously out of place as the plush VIP area we just walked through.

  Peatra knocks once, and then opens the door, motioning me in before her. I walk in and hear the door slam behind me. I spin around to pull on the knob, but it doesn't budge. Dammit! We planned for the chance the twins were setting me up, but we expected me to be drugged, or grabbed, not locked in a room. I start to reach for my purse to take out my lipstick knife, when a throat clears behind me.