BULLY KING

by Huss, JA

  “Who? Oh, Sophie?” Dante mocks. “Sophie tried to kill herself last night and she’s in the hospital.”

  I don’t even know how to describe the utter shit show that happens next. There are fists, and screams, and fingernail scratches across Dante’s cheek and he’s bleeding from the mouth. The sheriff comes, puts Ax in handcuffs, and he disappears in a squad car. Isabella loses her mind grabs a huge rock, then makes an announcement to everyone—including the sheriff—that she’s done here, and then jumps into the deep end of the pool. Cooper and two deputies fish her out screaming, and she is taken away in an ambulance.

  And then the rest of us are forced into squad cars and taken down to the station to give statements.

  CHAPTER THIRTY ONE - COOPER

  Two days later everyone is back at the Glass House except Sophie and Isabella, who are both locked up at a nearby psychiatric center on a seventy-two-hour hold because… attempted suicide. And Ax, because he’s being held in the county jail for felony assault on Dante.

  The Legosi family is pressing charges.

  Sophie downed a whole bottle of pills that were conveniently left out in Dante’s bedroom and Isabella has a long history of self-harm and she was telling the doctors that she was checking out for good this time.

  So. Here we are. Challenge three.

  Yet another auction.

  Even Michael showed up. I told him not to, but he’s in it to win it now. His exact words to me when I called to ask him to stay home today were, “No fucking way am I leaving Sophie to live in that hellhole alone. I’ll be there.”

  So that’s just fucking wonderful. And I know this sounds like I’m only thinking about myself—and if people want to see me that way, I guess that’s their prerogative. Lars, anyone?—but the auction starts in five minutes and even though Sophie isn’t here, she’s still up for grabs.

  And Dante has already promised to buy her just out of spite.

  It gets better. Cadee is now her stand-in.

  “We’re still buying her?” Mona says.

  “What choice do we have? We’re not letting Dante get away with this. Not on my watch. How much cash did everyone bring?”

  “Us girls brought what we’ve earned so far. And the boys have some too.”

  “What’s the total, Mona?”

  “Four hundred and seventy-five.”

  “Good.” I breathe a sigh of relief. “Should be more than enough.”

  Famous last words.

  Dante buys Sophie for a million dollars.

  Only he didn’t buy Sophie, did he?

  He bought Cadee.

  And this time there are no bodyguards and I have been told, in no uncertain terms by the Chairman, the Judge, and the Mayor, that I will not interfere with Dante Legosi in any way. If I even speak to him for the next two weeks, they will take it out on Cadee.

  In fact, after the auction I got a call from my father telling me to go home. He has forbidden me from going to the Glass House again until the third challenge is over.

  Lars has been put in charge of everything.

  And even though Lars and I have been best friends for the better part of two decades—which is saying something since we’re only twenty-one—when he shows up at my house after the auction, I’m not at all sure we’re still actually friends.

  He enters the living room and sits down on the couch opposite me.

  “Well,” I say. “What happened?”

  “She went home with him.”

  “I cannot believe how badly we have fucked this up.”

  “We?” Lars laughs. “I didn’t do shit, Cooper. And if you try to blame this on me—”

  “Relax, Lars. You’re still the good son. Your future is intact and promising.”

  “You’re just jealous.”

  “Of you?” I scoff.

  “Yeah. Of me. You and Ax both. You hate that I don’t have family problems like you guys do. And you know why, Cooper?”

  I side-eye him with some fierce fucking anger. “Because you’re a sellout?”

  He laughs. “You want to believe that. But you know it’s not true. I’m not a sellout, Cooper. I just play the game so much better than you two do, it’s sad.”

  “Sellout.”

  He studies me for a moment. “Well, at least I’m not a fucking baby-killer.”

  “What?”

  “I know what you did to Cadee, Cooper. People have been talking about it all summer.”

  “What people?”

  “Everyone in the kitchen for one. Dante. Victor. Hell, even Selina came up and asked me about it. I cannot fucking believe you forced her to have an abortion without even telling me and Ax. What the fuck is wrong with you? It’s not me who’s buying in to this whole kingmaker thing. It’s you. You’re the one who fell for it. I’ve always had a way out.”

  “With or without us, right?”

  “My father is already working on the Judge about Ax. He’ll be out on bail after his arraignment. And he’s already offered to pay off the Legosis, because God knows, the Judge won’t do it. Even if it was just about politics, and we both know it’s not. So no, I’m not going to sit around at your pity party and put my father in the same category as the Chairman and the Judge. And even though you’ve lied to me, pushed me away so you could have Cadee for yourself, and took my rights away when you forced her to get that abortion, I’ve still got your backstabbing ass, Cooper. That could’ve been my baby.”

  I laugh. So loud.

  “And I’m not going to sit here and listen to you criticize me or ruin Cadee’s life any more than you have. At least I understand why she was so sad that spring. And why you wanted to kick her to the curb so fast before summer rush.”

  “You don’t know shit, Lars. You have no idea what I went through with Cadee that year.”

  “Because you lied about it. And I’m done here. I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I’ll be taking care of her from now on. You’ve done enough.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY - TWO - CADEE

  Sophie was right when she called Dante a sadistic dick.

  He doesn’t need to touch people to hurt them.

  Dante Legosi is all about psychological warfare.

  And he’s good at it.

  He didn’t take me to his house after we left the Glass House. He took me out to dinner at the Rib Shack in nearby Monrovia, a family place with red-checked plastic tablecloths, cheap beer served by the pitcher, and paper napkins.

  It’s packed with people. Lots of kids running around with broken crayons in their sticky fists, and parents who order the family meat plate, with a soundtrack of country music and pinball machines playing in the background.

  I don’t quite know what to think about this. And he can tell. Because he hasn’t stopped smiling since we sat down in the booth.

  “What’s wrong, Cadee? You don’t like ribs?”

  “I like ribs.” I decided on the way over here that I wasn’t going to let him win. And I wasn’t going to be meek or pout about my situation. My bank account is insane. I have over a million dollars in there now. Because the first thing Dante did was transfer the money to my account. “Sophie doesn’t deserve this money,” he said. “You do.”

  And… he paid me for the stand-in I did for Mona too. Plus, I still have the money from the Chairman.

  I’m fucking rich.

  And no matter what happens, no one can take it away from me. Even if I walk out right now, what is he going to do? I didn’t sign a contract. I’m not even obligated to be here in this restaurant with him.

  I get it. I didn’t need to come here and play this game with them in the first place, but there is really no reason for me to be here now.

  So why am I?

  “So what’s the problem?” Dante asks. And he’s being so reasonable. I mean—the Rib Shack? It’s all very normal. So what is my problem? “I didn’t pay you enough?”

  “My problem, Dante, is that you can’t buy people. And I know you probably think that’s
funny, and the rules don’t apply to you, but freedom isn’t a rule. It’s just a God-given right.”

  “That’s why I paid you first. If you don’t want to be here, walk out.”

  “So you can torture Sophie instead?”

  “I don’t give a fuck about Sophie. I don’t want her to kill herself, and that’s why I let her go home all week. She started threatening me with suicide that very first night. And I’m just not gonna deal with that shit.”

  “You left pills out for her to find.”

  “Says who? Sophie? The girl in the psych ward right now? Listen, I’m sorry I tried to suck your tits that first day. I was wrong. OK? I was… caught up in the moment and Ax taught me a lesson. And I’m sorry for bullying you this summer. But I didn’t do anything worse than Cooper Valcourt did. In fact, my brand of bullying doesn’t even come close to his.”

  He’s got my attention now. And I hate that. Because I’ve never seen a rational Dante. I’ve only seen… well, what he’s wanted me to see.

  “Do you accept my apology, Cadee?”

  I shrug, then sigh. “Sure. Whatever.”

  “I’m not your enemy. I’m trying to figure this shit out, just like you.”

  “That’s not true, Dante. You’ve been against all of us this summer.”

  “Really? What did I do? I got caught up in a moment with you in front of the wrong guys. It’s obvious that Cooper, Ax, and Lars still like you. Fine. I’m not here to lure you away from them. And I made the first mistake. I own that. But Cooper turned me into his little scapegoat. I don’t understand how you can even look at him after what he did to you.”

  I turn my head away. “You don’t have any idea what Cooper Valcourt did to me.”

  “No?”

  “I’ve heard the rumors.” Then I look at him again. Right in the eyes. “They’re not true.”

  He sits back in the booth and shrugs. “Whatever. I’m not here to make you spill your secrets. It’s none of my business. I’m here because I want to tell you the truth. And then you can judge me all you want. You can walk out, Cadee. Walk away. You have more than enough money. If you need a good financial planner, I know a guy who can stretch that money out for twenty or more years if you live frugally. I can help you make this all go away. I can help you get the life you deserve. But you’d have to walk away never knowing. That’s the catch.”

  “Never knowing what?”

  “The truth. I just told you, all I want to do is tell you the truth.”

  I hesitate, unsure if I should even be having this conversation with him. It feels a little bit like making a deal with the devil.

  But it also feels like he has a bird’s-eye view of a very big picture. And I hate to even think this, but this Dante sitting across from me in the Rib Shack seems to know exactly what he’s doing. He’s dripping with confidence. “What do you get out of it?”

  He smiles. “Power. Cooper is on his way out. He doesn’t even want to be King.”

  “And you do.”

  “And I do.” He laughs a little. “A freshman King at High Court? It’s unheard of. Four entire years of power.”

  “I find that to be a little bit sick, Dante. I’m not gonna lie.”

  “That’s because you’re a good person, Cadee. And I’m not. I’m Dante Legosi. My lot in life is pretty much set. And that’s fine. Whatever. But if my family—if all these High Court lake-house families—think I’m just gonna settle for table scraps?” He shakes his head. “They don’t know me at all.”

  I’m starting to think no one really knows Dante Legosi.

  “Did you force Sophie to have sex with you?”

  “What?” He laughs.

  “You said she’s not a virgin anymore.”

  “Yeah. Because she let Michael pop her cherry on Tuesday. She told me that. Threw it in my face.” He huffs. “Like I wanted her for that. Please. Sophie is a cute girl. Very sweet. But so not my type.”

  Could this be true? Did we all… misunderstand Dante?

  “Listen,” he says. “I’m not gonna sit here and pretend to be a good guy. I’m not. I’m a total dick. And I’m fine with that. Someone has to play the role of villain. But if you want to hate me for it, at least get the facts straight.”

  “What are you asking, Dante? Specifically?”

  “I want you to tell Cooper about my plan.”

  “You want me to tell him? Why?”

  “Because he’s part of it.”

  “Why don’t you tell him?”

  Dante laughs. “Cooper’s had it out for me since day one. I knew he was going to cut me. And the only reason I’m still here, in the game, is because I played hardball all summer and he pretty much checked out three years ago after his rush was over. Cooper Valcourt doesn’t give a fuck about me. What do you think he would say if I walked up to him and told him I had a plan to get him and all his friends out, but in order to do that I get to take over his spot as King?”

  I scoff.

  “Exactly. But if you tell him”—Dante eyes me—“he’d listen to you. Cooper has to be on board. Because this threat I’m planning? To get us all what we want? It has to come from him. Everyone has to play their part for it to work, Cadee. Even you. So I’m gonna lay it out one more time. You can take your money and go. Just walk away from this fucked-up world and never look back. And hey, I’ll throw in a bonus. If you ever run out of money—if that million isn’t enough? You look me up and let me know. I’ll shoot you another one.”

  I laugh. “Right.”

  “I’m dead serious. Money? Who gives a fuck about money? Real money, Cadee? That’s a byproduct of power. Power is what matters. So take your money and walk away. Leave the deep dark secrets for us lowlife lake-house people. It’s a smart move. But if you want more than money—if you want to be a player in the game of life? Then stick around and help me out. This is a win-win for all of us. Me. You. Cooper, Lars, Ax, Sophie. This plan will get her out too. Isabella. All of them. If they want out, they’re out. If they want to stay, they’ll stay under my rule. But we’ll have to remain teammates. That’s the catch. You get one chance to walk away from me, but if you choose to stay, we play ball forever.”

  I think about this for a few moments. “So… we’re basically making up our own secret society.”

  He points at me and clicks his tongue. “Bingo, babe.”

  “OK.”

  “OK?” He laughs.

  “But I want to know one thing.”

  “Truth was part of the deal.”

  “Right. That. OK, I’m in. Tell me the big secret.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I just said I was. Tell me.” I need to know what he knows. Especially if it’s about me and Cooper.

  “Cooper’s engaged to Isabella.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. Lars is engaged to Selina. And Ax is engaged to Valentina.”

  “But… they’re not even really dating, are they?”

  “Of course not. Arranged marriage. Why do you think Isabella is so sad? Come on. She doesn’t want to marry Cooper Valcourt.”

  “You act like he’s a disease. He’s not. And you don’t know anything about us. He’s not a bad guy.”

  “Hey, he’s fine. I get the attraction. But Isabella is a lesbian.”

  I laugh. “Shut up.”

  “I swear to God. Her family is having none of it. They’re gonna make her marry him and have babies. Be a good little wife.” Dante frowns. “They’re gonna tear her down and make her surrender to Chairman Valcourt. The real King of High Court Castle. They made that dark place inside Isabella. They are the reason she tried to kill herself during rush. Not Cooper. They’re bad, Cadee. And I get it. I’m bad too. But I will cut her free. She doesn’t have to live like this. My plan will cut everyone free.”

  “Free from them but not from you.”

  He shrugs. “You gotta trust someone. Do you want Cooper and Isabella to get stuck playing their game as a legacy? Or do you want to invent a new gam
e and be a founding stakeholder?”

  He’s got a point. “OK. But is that it? Is that the only secret you have?”

  He smiles. And the old Dante is suddenly back. I get a little nervous, but he reaches across the table and grabs my hand. “Relax, Cadee. We’re on the same side now. I’m gonna protect you. Forever. As long as you protect me. Same deal goes for everyone else.”

  I pull my hand away. “Look.” I sigh. “I’m tired. My head is spinning. I feel like I was just dropped into a Dan Brown novel mid-plot, and I don’t want to beat around the bush anymore. What do you know?”

  He gets a little glint in his eyes when he grins. “I know what really happened to you. I know why you got that abortion. And I know it had nothing to do with Cooper Valcourt.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE - COOPER

  Once upon a time I met a girl in the woods.

  A gentle little girl who likes to wear dresses and peek out from behind trees to giggle at me and my friends. She always had a book, often had a paintbrush, and sometimes she talked to us.

  She made hyper-Ax calm, quiet-Lars chatty, and selfish-me generous.

  I wanted to give her everything. Rocks. Sticks. The crumbling cookies in my pockets.

  Just… all the things.

  Cadee Hunter makes us better.

  I think that’s why I like her.

  Because when she’s around I am better.

  I spend the first four days of challenge three absently flicking through various streaming services, moping on the couch, and generally thinking about why I am such a fucking fuck-up.

  I count up all the ways this summer has gone wrong. How I failed everyone who needed me. How not even Cadee Hunter could make me good enough to save Isabella, or Sophie, or Ax.

  I think about how I let Lars and Michael down, how Valentina and Selia will just have to surrender at the end of the year, and how I should’ve spelled out the consequences to Maddie, Natasha, Roland and Jamie.

  Because that’s what the whole point of rush was about.

  Consequences.

  And their indifference won’t save their souls once they’re sold.