“Hey, you alive in here? We’re going to order breakfast up, what do you want?”
“Another six hours of sleep,” I groaned.
“Did you not sleep well last night?” I shook my head. “We weren’t too noisy were we?” Her cheeks turned red.
“What? Why would – Oh, geez, no, but thanks for putting that visual in my head.”
“Sorry, I told him we shouldn’t with you guys here, but he’s well –” she giggled.
“Okay, yeah I got it. Ky’s an irresistible sex machine,” of course he chose that moment to come up behind Jax.
“Thanks Sadie. I didn’t know you thought of me that way, and while I’m flattered, I’m a one woman kind of guy, and you probably shouldn’t mention it to Ace. I don’t know if his ego could take it.” He was grinning over her shoulder. She smacked him playfully and he started nuzzling her shoulder exposed by the thin straps of her tank top.
I groaned. Then I threw a pillow at them. “Get out of here, it’s bad enough that I had to hear about you guys getting it on last night in the room next door, I don’t need to see it this morning.”
Ky pulled Jax out of the room and pushed the door closed behind them.
“Oh, and I want waffles. With strawberries. And Bacon,” I hollered.
“Yes ma’am,” Ky called out.
When I emerged from my room twenty minutes later, a huge plate of waffles and bacon was waiting for me. I took a seat at the breakfast bar and looked at the plates in front of the other three. I frowned. “That’s not all you guys ordered, is it?” They had fruit and yogurt and toast. That was not breakfast for any of them, not even Jax.
“Uh … yeah,” Jax popped a strawberry in her mouth.
“Can’t get full yet, got to save lots of room for the main event,” Ace rubbed his stomach and grinned. “Today might be my favorite day of the whole year.”
Uh oh.
I was about to be the bearer of bad news. “Umm … guys, I should probably warn you, this won’t be a typical thanksgiving. The food won’t be like Grandma makes it. It will be like rich people hire other people to make it.”
Ace looked at me confused. “There will be turkey, right?”
“Yeah,” he looked relieved, “there will probably be turkey in the mushroom pate, or maybe turkey and liver meatballs with a cranberry glaze.” His face dropped.
“What the fuck is wrong with rich people, ruining something so sacred like Thanksgiving turkey?” He looked at me and then to Ky.
“Hey, don’t look at me, my family is rich and full of stuck up assholes, but we still ate normal fucking turkey on Thanksgiving.”
Ace looked back at me, “Mashed potatoes?” I shook my head. “Gravy?” Again I had to shake my head. “For the love of all things sacred and holy, tell me there will at least be pumpkin pie!” I grimaced and thought Ace might cry when I had to shake my head again.
“There might be something like pumpkin truffles, or knowing my mother she could be having the chefs use squash instead if she thinks it’s in this season. She’s done stuff like that in the past.” I don’t know if I’d ever seen someone look as dejected as Ace did at the thought of missing out on pumpkin pie. “I’m sorry, are you regretting forcing me to let you come?”
“Maybe,” he grumbled. “No, but seriously, you’re not just messing with me? I’m really not getting any turkey and cranberry sauce and gravy or pumpkin pie?”
“Nope. There will be alcohol though, lots of it. Rich snobs like alcohol. It’s the only way they can stand each other.” That seemed to cheer him up some.
“Okay, I can do this, but hand me that damn phone, I need to get some eggs and sausage and bacon and hash browns.”
“Maybe they have turkey bacon.”
He glared at me. “Fuck that, turkey is turkey and bacon is bacon.”
Later when we were all getting ready, he was still grumbling about Thanksgiving without turkey. I wasn’t sure if he was ever going to get over it. When he was in the shower I made my own call down to room service and they assured me they would meet my request this evening.
After taking a long, hot shower of my own, scrubbing and exfoliating until I was pink all over, I got to work on making myself presentable. I moisturized, plucked, plumped and polished until I was confident my mother wouldn’t be able to find any fault in my appearance. I curled my hair into soft ringlets and then pinned them on the side so that my hair fell over one shoulder.
Next I went to work on my make-up. There was a fine line between elegant and hooker, and just one coat too heavy with the eyeliner and my mother wouldn’t hesitate to reprimand me for coming into her home looking like a prostitute. It was the same with a dress. Too long or simple was frumpy and dull, but too short or revealing and I would be a streetwalker. The one I had chosen was a deep emerald, silk, one shoulder cocktail dress that swirled just above my knees. I paired it with a pair of black satin, peep toe pumps of an appropriate, non prostitute, three inch height. I took a final look in the mirror and, satisfied with what I saw, swept all of my makeup and brushes back into my cosmetics case and then spritzed myself with my favorite perfume.
When I finally emerged from my room, both of the guys were sitting on the sofa in front of the television. Ky looked dangerous in all black with his hair styled into a messy sort of fauxhawk and the lip ring that drove Jax crazy. Ky was hot, there was no doubt, but his intensity level was almost scary. It didn’t matter how much you dressed him up, that didn’t change. Even in his tux on his wedding day, he’d radiated a ‘don’t fuck with me’ vibe that was incredibly intimidating.
Ace was equally gorgeous, but there was a light in his eyes and warmth in his smile that drew me in. He’d cut most of his long hair off before we left Boston. I’d tried to tell him he didn’t need to do it, but he cut it anyway. It was neatly tucked behind his ears, the ends just barely brushing the back of his neck, and he was clean shaven. He wore dark charcoal dress pants, a white button up and black dress shoes and had black gauges in his ears. He was beautiful, but with an edge. When he turned to look at me and I saw his eyes widen in appreciation, a flurry of butterflies took flight in my stomach.
He swallowed thickly, “Wow. You look beautiful.”
“Thank you, you look good too.” I smiled sweetly back at him. His eyes continued to roam up and down my figure and I had to look away to keep from squirming under his gaze. “Is Jax still getting ready?” I asked Ky. He nodded and then went back to paying attention to the TV. I went and knocked on their bedroom door.
Jax opened right away. “Oh good, you can help me zip this thing.” She pulled me inside and shut the door behind us and then took in my dress. “Wow, Sade, you look gorgeous.”
“Thanks, so do you.” Her turquoise and pink hair was loosely curled and pinned back, falling down past her shoulder blades. Her make-up was light but stunning and she had on a dark, royal purple dress that hugged her torso and then flared out at the hips, the soft fabric falling to hit her right above the knees. Her shoes were similar to mine, but in a matching purple.
She turned her back to me and I finished zipping the dress and fastening it. “You ready to do this?” She asked when she turned back to face me.
“As ready as I ever will be.”
“We’ve got your back. We’re all here for you and on your side. I know Ky doesn’t exactly come off as sympathetic and understanding, but he really is. I didn’t have to talk him into coming; he wanted to be here just as much as I did. He probably understands your situation better than any of us, and even though he pretends not to give a crap about his parents, it does still bother him that they can’t accept who he is. You’re not alone in any of this, okay? It’s going to be fine and we all love you, for you.” Her words made me feel a little better. No matter what happened today, I had my friends. They were my real family anyway.
A car was waiting to take us to my parents. It was a thirty minute drive from our hotel to their Bellevue estate, and we pulled up out front at almost t
hree on the dot. I took in the expansive grounds and grandiose structure for the first time in six years and surprisingly, I felt no regret. I’d done what I had to do. Staying was never an option for me. This life was never what I wanted, but being back here was proof that I couldn’t fully escape it either.
Chapter 15
Ace
Wow.
Sadie’s parents had a big ass house, in fact I wasn’t even sure if it could be called a house. It was somewhere between a mansion and a castle. My house was big and in a neighborhood full of big ass houses, but this one put them all to shame. It had a gated, long circular drive with a fucking fountain in the center of a courtyard in front. The yard that wrapped around the house was enormous, and the house itself had pillars and balconies and loomed over four stories.
The inside was just as impressive and opulent, with whites and golds; everything bright and shiny and expensive. I wasn’t a stranger to people with money and fancy homes. I’d seen Ky’s parents’ home, and I’d been inside of Bas’ mom’s and Violette’s parents’ place, but it was just so hard to picture Sadie growing up here. She was so … Sadie. So laid back and friendly. She was kind to everyone and not at all stuck up or judgmental. She was tshirts, jeans and sneakers, not pearls and Prada. Obviously that was what she came from though, and as incredible as she looked in her dress and heels, she fit in with all the beauty and luxury around us. I wondered if she missed it, if her simpler lifestyle was due to necessity or if it was really what she wanted. I wondered if she missed her old life.
I would never fit into this world though, no matter how much money I had, or what clothes I put on. I would always be an outsider. Even Ky, who was just as tatted out and rough around the edges, could walk into a party like this and no one would question whether or not he belonged. It was an attitude, the way he carried himself, which was bred in to him.
We were greeted in the foyer by one of Sadie’s sisters. I couldn’t tell them apart, but since I didn’t hear as much sass in her voice, I was going with Cait. After she got over staring at Ky with wide doe eyes, she indicated for us to give our coats over to the butler looking dude checking them, and then led us to a large, lavishly decorated ballroom, where at least forty or so other guests were already milling about the room. Sadie looked around nervously, scanning faces.
“They’re not in here yet,” Caitlyn told her, and I watched her visibly relax. Some of the tenseness seeped out of her shoulders. “Mom is upstairs arguing with Mia about her dress, and I think Dad might be in his study with Mr. Maxwell.” The name meant nothing to me, but Sadie nodded, so I assumed she was familiar with whoever he was.
“They’ll be here to greet guests shortly, for now though, it’s mine and Leila’s job, wherever she disappeared to.” Caitlyn looked around with a frown. “She probably disappeared with Carsen, since I don’t see him either,” she muttered, almost to herself, but Sadie’s eyes widened in recognition and surprise at that Carsen guy’s name.
“I better go find her.” Cait left the four of us standing in the center of the room. People had started to take notice of our group. Eyes lingered on each of us as we garnered more and more attention. While the females, from ages twelve to fifty, checked Ky and I out, it was Sadie who drew the biggest reaction as she was recognized by several people in the room. Whispers followed her as we moved toward the edge of the room. Over the next fifteen minutes the large room continued to fill and Sadie introduced us to several people who had chosen to actually approach us instead of just whisper. Everyone smiled and on the surface appeared friendly, but I could read people well enough to know that for most of them it was only on the surface. Only a few seemed to be genuinely pleased to see Sadie and regarded her with affection, while the rest only seemed to be searching for information, probably so they could turn around and fuel the gossip circulating the room.
“Well, well, if it isn’t little Sadie Pierce returned from exile.” I looked up at the douchebag who had approached us. He was about my age and his eyes were locked on Sadie. He wore a smirk that I didn’t care for. Yep, douchebag.
“Carsen,” she said tightly. So this was Carsen, the guy her sister had supposedly disappeared with. It felt like there was history between him and Sadie.
“Oh come on, is that any way to greet an old friend?” He winked, and I really wanted to punch him. I didn’t like the way he’d said ‘friend’ either, implying they had been more than that. I wrapped my arm around Sadie’s waist and was thankful that she didn’t remove it.
“We’re not friends Carsen. How’s my sister?”
He wasn’t fazed at all and continued to smirk. “Leila? She’s good.” His eyes raked down Sadie’s body and then back up to her face, completely ignoring the fact that I had my arm wrapped around her. “But not as good as you.”
That’s it, I was gonna punch him, but Ky, probably sensing that I was about to lose it on this tool, stepped forward before I could. “Hey, I’m Kyden.” He stuck his hand out and Douchebag shook it.
“Yeah, I know who you are. Good to meet you man.” He looked back at Sadie. “It seems the rumors circulating over the last few years were way off. I heard everything from that you were living on the street in Oregon, to playing music for tourists in California and sleeping in a tent on the beach. I even heard that you were stripping at a club in Vegas, but clearly from the company you’re keeping, you’ve been much better off than we all thought. Unless of course you met these guys in a club.” Then he looked up at me. “Did she strip for you in Vegas? Is that where you picked her up? I know at fifteen her hot little body was delicious, and from the way she’s filled out I can only imagine what that sight would be like now.”
I clenched my fist and took a step forward, but Kyden grabbed my shoulder and Sadie stepped between me and the fucker.
“Carsen, you need to walk away right now. Go find Leila or someone else who can actually stomach being around you.”
“I just came from Leila.” He grinned. “I’d much rather it had been you. I’ve never gotten over our time together. You were so young and inexperienced, but so enthusiastic and teachable. Leila is a little too full of herself, but fun none the less, so maybe I will go find her again, but you just let me know if you want to catch up for old times’ sake.” He winked at her again before flashing me a grin and then walking away. If Kyden wasn’t gripping my shoulder so tightly, I would have gone after him and beat his ass for the way he talked to Sadie. I’d never wanted to hurt anyone as badly as I wanted to hurt that motherfucker. I wanted him to bleed. I hated that he had ever touched Sadie. It made me fucking sick to think about his hands on her. I was practically shaking with rage.
Sadie’s body was tense and she was staring at the floor, hiding her face from me. I reached for her hand, but she tugged it away. “Sadie.” She wouldn’t look up at me. I glanced at Ky, who was staring after that asshole, barely containing his own anger. Jaxyn wore a scowl on her face as well. I think it was pretty unanimous that we all wanted to hurt that douchebag.
“Sadie,” I said again. This time she finally looked up at me, her eyes shining and her cheeks tinged red with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry, for Carsen, he’s …”
“An asshole,” I finished for her, “and you don’t have to apologize for him.”
“I need to explain though, the things he said –”
“I don’t care about anything he said. I just care that he upset you.” It wasn’t exactly true. What he said had upset me, but I didn’t want her to feel any worse, and really what right did I have to get upset because of something that happened in her past? It didn’t change how I felt about her now, so I needed to let it go.
“I’m fine. I just wish he hadn’t said those things. It was a long time ago when I, uh, knew him. I was a different person.” It was obvious she felt ashamed, and I hated that he made her feel that way. She had nothing to be ashamed of. We all had a past, and I was sure that mine was uglier than anything in hers.
“Fuck
him. He doesn’t matter.”
She laughed, but it was humorless and forced. “It’s not too late for you guys to get out of here,” she looked at Jax and Ky, “I’m sure things will only get worse from here. We haven’t even seen my parents yet.”
“We’re not going anywhere.” Jaxyn told her. Just then, something over our shoulders caught Sadie’s attention. I followed her line of sight and watched as a man, who appeared to be in his early fifties, with blonde hair and a dark suit walked into the room, accompanied by a slim red head, who was obviously Sadie’s mother. Behind them was a surly looking teenage girl with strawberry blonde hair, Mia I guessed. Cait and Leila both joined them so that the whole family stood together. Except for Sadie.
The man, Mr. Pierce, took a champagne glass from one of the servers and tapped the side of it to call attention to himself. He cleared his throat, “My family and I would like to welcome you all to our home. We are so glad that you were all able to join us today to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for. It’s been another great year for this family and for Pierce Holdings. That’s very fortunate, otherwise I might not have been able to afford the bill for this evening.” He chuckled and so did just about everyone else. “My wife sure knows how to throw a party doesn’t she?” The sound of approval sounded throughout the room as everyone agreed with him and his wife took a small step forward and smiled.
“So you better enjoy the food and drink, it’s costing me a small fortune.” More forced laughter. Then he gave a nod and the little quartet I hadn’t even noticed in the corner, began playing while Mr. and Mrs. Pierce started circulating the room and personally greeted each of their guests. Sadie’s eyes followed them, but they still hadn’t noticed her.
Jaxyn squeezed her hand. Sadie let out a deep breath and then turned to look at the three of us. “Come on, if you guys aren’t going make your escape, we might as well get this over with. Let’s go meet my parents,” her voice came out shaky.
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