I was intent on getting out of this room, and missed that I wasn't alone. Rookie mistake. I slowly turn around, and come face to face with...Chet. I stumble back into the door, my years of practice failing me right now. I would've expected anyone but him, and I also know without a doubt that Calum knew it was this man in front of me who had Rhys. He knew and he let me walk in here blind.
"You look surprised to see me. I guess your fiancé didn't tell you the twins work for me."
"No. He didn't. Where is my brother?"
"He's safe for the moment."
"What have you done to him?"
"Nothing he hasn't enjoyed...yet."
"Why would you do this?"
"I need Calum to give me what I rightfully deserve."
"What does Rhys have to do with that? My brother isn't part of your war."
"No, but you're going to help me win it."
"I'm not helping you with anything."
"As I said, your brother has been enjoying his stay with us. As long as you convince Calum to do what's right, I'll let him go with you. If not, he might just find himself as part of a group he won't enjoy."
"You took him before Calum and I went public. You can't have known he'd listen to me then."
"You and his buddy, Guil, are the only two people on this Earth he'd give up his company for. Even when you weren't speaking, there was no mistaking the way he looked at you, or protected you, even though you didn't even know it was happening. Now, let's talk terms."
"There will be no terms. I already told you I'm not helping you."
"You'd let your brother suffer?"
"No, because my brother is no longer in this building."
Darcy came over my built in comm unit while we were talking, and let me know he's in a cab on his way to the airport. He'll be waiting on the jet she brought here to take us all back to London. She's on her way to me now, although I don’t know if she’ll get here before I have to fight. Not that I mind—I really want to kick Chet’s ass at the moment.
"You don't have a poker face."
"I don't need one. You've lost."
I slide my hand into my wristlet, and grip the fake lipstick, knowing he's not going to just let me out of this room. Sure enough, he practically flies over his desk at me. I'm ready as his fist flies toward my face, and I block him. The force is stronger than I expected, and I stumble back, dropping the knife back into the small purse on my arm.
"You will not ruin this for me. Do you understand me, you stupid bitch?"
"I understand that you're going to be lucky to stay out of jail once this all comes out."
He jabs at me as we circle each other, but I deflect the punches. I don't block his kick fast enough, though, and I'm on the ground before I know what happened. He follows me to the floor, pressing his body onto mine as he whispers in my ear.
"Your brother isn't going to say a word. How would mommy and daddy feel, knowing their son was giving it up freely to any woman who wanted him?"
I know he's right, and it breaks my heart. If my brother even got up the nerve to admit to my parents what he'd done, they'd never let him press charges or participate in an investigation. "You're disgusting."
"Is that the best you have, Ice Queen?" he asks, pressing his body further into mine. I can feel his erection, and it makes me want to throw up.
I let my body go slack, so he relaxes, and then I slam the pointed heel of my shoe into his calf. He yelps in pain, rearing back far enough that I can slam my knee into his balls, and the heel of my hand into his solar plexus. As he gets to his feet, gasping for air, and holding his junk, I get my little knife out and slice it across his face.
"Do you like this better, you bastard?"
"I'm going to kill you."
"Really? Because I messed up that face you're so proud of?"
I probably shouldn't taunt him, but I have the upper hand at the moment, and well, I'm beyond pissed off. At both him and Calum. Oh, and at myself, too, for believing in the boy I knew instead of the man who's a stranger to me.
The door crashes open behind me and as I turn, I see Sasquatch bearing down on me. "Take her out," Chet yells, and I have no doubt he can do it. I'm so not at this level.
Before he can reach me, Guil is there, tackling him to the ground. Chet tries to shuffle over to his desk, but I kick his knees out from under him. We both watch in equal parts fascination and horror as the others go at each other. Despite the size difference, they are evenly matched.
The odds start to go in the big guy's favor when Darcy crashes through the ceiling, and lands right on the bug guy’s head. He goes down hard as she somersaults off of him and into the middle of the room. "Aw, you started the party without me," she says, surveying the scene.
"We have to get out of here before more of his minions come for us," Guil says, staggering over to the door to look out into the corridor.
"You're all dead," Chet tells us.
"Shut up already," Darcy says, tasing him hard enough to render him unconscious. "Come on. The fire escape awaits."
"How are we going to get him down?" I ask.
"We're not."
"He can't get away with this."
"He won't," she assures me. "Right now we have no proof that's admissible in court, but we're going to take him down. I promise."
I give him one last look, and then follow them reluctantly out the window and down to the street. Once we're all safely in Darcy's car and on our way to the airport, I turn to Guil. "He knew."
"I'm not going to discuss this with you."
"Of course not. Loyal to a fault."
"Yes, I am. Loyalty is a quality to be admired. Your training should be teaching you that."
"He showed no loyalty to me."
"Again, that's not for me to discuss with you."
I shake my head, and then turn to look out the window. Talking to Guil is like talking to a brick wall. I appreciate his loyalty, but it doesn't make me any less angry. Calum said what we had is real, but that was just another lie. He pretended to be helping me, but it was all for his own gain. Once I make sure Rhys is really okay, I'm going to go unleash hell on that bastard, and tell him where he can shove the diamond ring on my finger.
13
Rhieve
I run onto the plane when we reach the tarmac. Rhys is sitting in one of the seats, but he doesn't get up when he sees me, choosing to hang his head instead. "Are you okay?" I ask, pulling him into a hug despite his obvious displeasure at seeing me.
"You're not disgusted by me?"
"No. You like sex. There's nothing wrong with that as long as you and whoever else you were with consented to it."
"We did. Chet threatened me with stuff I didn't want to do, but he hadn't gone through with it yet."
"I'm glad we got to you before you had to do something you didn't want to. You need to be more careful. Stay inside Thorns if you need that lifestyle."
"If only the denizens of the social ladder could hear you now."
"I'd tell them if I could. I don't want Mother having a heart attack just yet, though."
"What's going to happen to Chet?"
"That's up to you," Darcy tells him, sitting down across from us.
"I can't go public," he says, and I lay a hand on his arm to soothe him as the plane begins to taxi.
"We'll find a way to bring him down without you."
"I always knew you were cool, Rhieve, but I didn't know you could be a badass."
"I didn't know, either."
"Are you going to tell me about it?"
"Not just yet. One day, maybe."
"Since I 've been keeping my own secrets, I guess I can't really push you on revealing yours."
"I guess not," I tell him with a smile, happy we can still tease each other after all of this.
"You'll actually be finding out everything, because we need to send you to Vegas where we can keep you safe," Darcy tells him.
"Oh. I hadn't thought that far ahead," I admit.
"That's what your friends are for. Thinking ahead when you’re not in the right place to be able to do that for yourself."
"Thanks, Darce."
"It was Jade who put this all in place, so you can thank her when you get back home. I'm guessing you'll be staying in London a little longer."
"Unfortunately, I have no choice about that right now. At least not publicly."
"Go easy on Calum, sis. He protected me a lot, and helped me when I started going to his clubs. He even tried to warn me off the twins, but man could they suck a dick good."
"TMI, Rhys. Seriously. Do not talk to me about your sex life. Ever."
"I thought you were thawing out."
"Do you want to hear about how I sucked Calum off in the middle of the Bath Room?"
"Whoa. I don't want to ever see that, but knowing you did that is cool. Who knew you were that wild?"
"Not me," I admit. "We had to put on a show so everyone would believe we're together and I could get info."
"Thanks," he says, the smile falling from his face. "You doing that for me...it's just...I love you, Rhieve."
"I love you too, Rhys. Just try to think with your big head next time, okay."
"Yeah. In Vegas, I should probably do that."
"In Vegas, you won't be leaving our building," Darcy reminds him.
"Is there anything to do there?"
"More than you can imagine," I tell him.
"Are there chicks there?"
"Yes, but my friends aren't going to be having sex with you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Well, damn. I guess my hand is getting some workouts."
"What did I just tell you about TMI?"
"Sorry. I'll behave."
"No you won't, but I love you anyway."
Now that I know he's going to be okay, I turn to where Guil is sitting a couple of rows behind us. He catches my eye, and nods. "He's waiting for you at his London flat."
"Lucky me."
I don't feel lucky. I don't feel much of anything besides relief over getting Rhys back, and rage at Calum for not only keeping important information from me, but also for using me. I know I can't break this fake engagement yet, and I'm sure he knows it, too. That doesn't mean I'll make it easy—or pleasant—for him when we're not in public. He wants the perfect upper crust fiancé? Well, he's about to get her, and I hope he's ready for me to be as frigid as everyone thinks I am.
Calum
I'm looking out the window at the city when the elevator opens behind me. I knew she was coming, so I told the concierge downstairs to send her straight up in my private elevator. I can feel her anger and hurt like they're physical things as she enters the room.
"Why?"
Three letters. One word. One single fucking word that carries so much pain and betrayal with it. I brace my hands on the window, and look down at my feet. I want to turn to look at her, take her in my arms, beg for her forgiveness, and tell her I want her forever. For real forever, and not this fake shit.
“I needed your help. I still need your help.”
“I would’ve helped you. All you had to do was ask. Just tell me the truth, and ask. Instead you used me, and kept the fact that we had the same enemy from me.”
“You’ve looked at me with disgust for years. Why would you help me?”
“Besides the fact that he had my brother?”
“Well, there’s that.” Logical, I’m not. Not when it comes to keeping my business from that little bastard.
“There’s also the fact that I’ve loved you since I knew what love was.”
She doesn’t know what she’s saying. “Rhi…”
“No. It’s time you heard it. Heard how hard my fall was when you cut me off.”
Now I do turn and look at her, taking in the tears streaming down her usually impassive face. My heart is fracturing as I look at her, so sexy, fierce, and broken at the same time. I don’t want to know what my silence did to her then—or what my betrayal now has done to her once again—but she needs to tell me. I can see it in her eyes.
“Tell me.”
“As a little girl, I loved my friend like a second, but better, brother. One who wasn’t annoying, or trying to steal my cookies.”
“I always stole your cookies,” I remind her with a laugh.
“I wanted you to have them, and then…then when we got older, I wanted you to have more. Even though you weren’t talking to me, I was in love with you. Or at least the idea of you. I dreamed you’d come for me, like a white knight, and save me from the Hell I was in.”
“What happened to you? Someone hurt you? Who, Rhieve? Tell me who the fuck hurt you.”
I’ve never understood the term “making your blood boil.” I’ve been angry, but until this moment, I never felt like I was on fire beneath my skin. I want to hurt—and to kill. Anyone and everyone who tried to break the woman I love.
“It’s a long list. As soon as you left, I started to be the ‘perfect’ daughter, the ‘perfect’ girl. That didn’t go over so well with people my age. They either wanted to torture the ‘good girl’ or try to turn her bad. Fuck me to say they had, attack me in the bathroom with fists and feet to try and get me to say they were better than me, drug me to videotape how I acted so they could blackmail me into inviting their families to the parties my parents threw. The list goes on and on.”
“The fuck?” I know kids are messed up, but how did I let this happen to her?
“Then there were the ones who pretended to be my friends because their parents told them to. Who I trusted, because I wanted to believe I was worthy of friendship, despite what was happening to me. There was one girl who…who gave my diary to the ringleader once she and her parents got what they needed from me. The one I used to write about you in. Thank God I called you Cabe, so no one knew I was writing about Calum Benson, the guy the cool girls worshipped like a rock star.”
“What?” I know chicks have always thought I was hot, but I had no idea I had some kind of fan club on the other side of the world.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” she says, hugging herself, shrinking in on herself like she still needs to protect herself from those bullies. She doesn’t. No one will hurt her again like that as long as I have a breath in my body
“Never again. I swear to you; no one will hurt you like that again.”
“Except you, right?”
“I’m sorry. So very sorry.”
“I’m the one who’s sorry. I fooled myself into believing in the boy who cared for me, and not the man he’d become.”
“Both care about you. I care about you. So much, Rhi.”
“I can’t allow myself to trust that.”
“I’m going to show you,” I say, moving to her now because I have to.
I place my hands on her shoulders, and even though she seems to shrink a little more into herself, she doesn’t move away. She looks up into my eyes, and the pain I see in hers is even more powerful this close up. “I’m going to honor my side of things, so you don’t need to play me again, Calum. In fact, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t touch me in private ever again.”
I let go of her shoulders immediately, because I will do absolutely nothing to make her feel uncomfortable around me. I even step back so she feels less threatened. “Whatever you want.”
“No, none of this is what I want. But why should that be different than anything else in my life? I’ve only ever wanted two things for myself. I guess I should feel lucky that I’m still in the Society.”
I don’t ask her what else she wants, because I’m pretty sure I already know the answer. I want to tell her she has me, that I’ve always loved her too, but I can’t. She wouldn’t believe the words even if I could brave enough to tell her. I have to show her, and I will.
“They’re lucky to have you.”
“Don’t coddle me, Calum. I don’t have the energy for your mind games right now. Can you please just tell me where I should sl
eep.”
“Your things are in my room.”
“That’s not an option.”
“I can sleep in the spare room, except for on Sundays and Wednesdays. My cleaning woman comes on Monday and Thursday, and we need to look like a happy couple.”
“I know what we need to look like!” she snaps at me, rubbing her forehead.
“My bed is big. We can put pillows in the middle so you won’t have to touch me.”
“I can’t deal with this right now. Just point to where I can go. Please. I just want to sleep. Please.”
“Of course. Upstairs on the left.”
She says nothing more, just walks up the stairs, her shoulders squared, and head held high. She’s retreating into the persona she created to protect herself, and it hurts me to see it. I had the real Rhieve for a few days, and she was spectacular. She is spectacular. I want her back, both in my bed and as my friend. I’ll play by her rules, but I’m not going to let her go again. I can’t.
14
Rhieve
I slept better than expected, just because I was so emotionally and physically drained. My mind couldn’t think about any of this anymore, and my body just wanted to rest. As I come fully awake, I feel how sore my body is, and my mind won’t shut down. I groan loudly, not wanting to leave the bed, even though I know I have to.
“Are you okay?” Calum asks, standing above me. He’s shirtless and his hair is wet.
“What are you doing in here?”
“I needed my clothes. Why were you groaning? Are you hurt?”
Yeah, I really am, but not the way he means. “Even though I spar as part of my training, I’m not used to fighting in an uncontrolled environment. My body is sore.”
“I’ll draw you a bath.”
“I can do it myself.”
“Let me take care of you, Rhi.”
“Don’t call me that.” It slips out before I can think about what I’m saying, but I mean it.
He closes his eyes, and I see what looks like pain cross his face. Just another manipulation I won’t fall for. “Rhieve, please allow me to help you.”
It’s not worth the fight right now, and I am sore enough to not want to do it myself. I won’t give him any of the real me, though. It’s all about formality and fake now. “Okay. Thank you.”
Society Girls: Rhieve Page 10