A Hurt So Sweet: Complete Dark Bully Romance Series Box Set: Elite of Eden Falls Prep

by Isabella Starling

  Anders sets down our second round of drinks and we all drink in silence. The butler lingers in the room, and I snap my eyes to him.

  "Do you have any ideas?" I ask him.

  "As a matter of fact, I do." His wrinkled face lights up. "There's only one person besides you, Master Booth, that cares as much as you do about that insolent little girl."

  I know what he's about to say before the words even leave his mouth, and I groan, running a hand through my hair again. "Don't say it, Anders. I can't put up with that prick."

  "I'm afraid it might be your only choice," he mutters. "You know what you have to do."

  He leaves the room. The rest of the guys are staring at me, waiting for an explanation. I'm already dreading what I know we'll have to do.

  "He's talking about Emilian Oakes," I mutter. "He's the only one that can help us now. The only one with the resources, the money, and the fucking determination to find that little bitch."

  "We should go see him," Caspian replies. "The sooner, the fucking better."

  I know he's right, but I'm still fucking dreading seeing the guy who's made my life a living hell.

  But then I think about her.

  Not the conniving little bitch who killed my best friend, ruined my life, and is still trying to get back at me.

  No, instead I think about Pandora Oakes.

  My Pandora. My fucking toy.

  Even though she's cut ties with me, even though she ran off, even though she wants nothing to do with me... I can't let her go.

  And despite knowing the reason I can't give her up, I'm not ready to admit it to myself.

  "Let's go." I pick myself up and motion for the guys to follow me. "We need to go to Oakes Manor right now. We need to make things right. We need to find Pandora, and bring Lily Anna to justice."

  "But, Dex..." Julian hesitates. "You know Oakes was obsessed with her. Aren't you worried about him getting his claws into her? Aren't you worried what he might do now that he knows they aren't related?"

  I think about all the bad shit Oakes has done to people I care about. Minnie. Pandora. Me.

  "I fucking hope he does," I finally mutter. "The bitch had it coming. And you know what? I hope he's rough with her. I hope he makes her pay for everything she's done."

  The guys seem to understand and agree with me. I don't need to remind them Lily Anna is a monster—the monster who put a wedge between us all, the monster who killed one of us.

  "Let's go," Easton mutters, throwing Julian his car keys. "Better fucking hurry."

  Chapter Five

  Pandora

  I watch Alli with newfound interest, muttering, "I never thought about it that way."

  She giggles. "You really should read that Eden Falls manual you gave me."

  "I should," I grin. "But now I have you."

  She reaches over for my hand, gently squeezing it. "You also have two people to worry about now. Yourself and the baby."

  "You're right," I mutter. "I can't be selfish now. And the baby will be the highest ranking person in Eden Falls once it's born."

  "That's right," she nods enthusiastically. "And like I said, you're the one in charge until he or she turns eighteen. I read all of this in the manual. Trust me. I've been studying it since we got here, I know my stuff."

  "Thank you so much for doing all this research." I squeeze her palm. "I don't know what I'd do without you. You've been saving me since you came along. I think I'd fall apart if it weren't for you."

  "Everyone needs a friend," Alli mutters, skimming through the manual again. "I'll keep reading it. Maybe we can find something else to make things easier for you."

  "Pandora?"

  We exchange tired glances when my mother calls out my name.

  "God, what is it now," I groan. Mother has gotten into the habit of dressing me up like a doll. She's spent so much money on clothes for me, I could probably wear a new outfit every day for a year. I feel bad for Alli, whom she mostly ignores. But I've shared my new things with my best friend, letting her wear anything she wants from my collection. "I better go see what she wants."

  She nods and wishes me luck before shifting her attention back to the manual in her hands. I smile to myself as I leave the room and descend the marble staircase. Alli is so dedicated to helping me. I really lucked out by getting her in my corner.

  I arrive in the salon where my mother spends most of the time and knit my brows together when I see the scene laid out in front of me.

  It's a tea party.

  There are scones, cakes, cucumber sandwiches, and pots of tea, one of which mother is holding in her hands, daintily pouring the acid-green liquid into a golden cup.

  "What's all this?" I wonder out loud.

  "Oh, there you are." She puts the tea down and some of the vibrant liquid sloshes onto the lacy white tablecloth. She rushes toward me, fussing over my appearance without really paying attention to me at all. "I thought we could have a little tea party tonight."

  "Oh," I manage lamely. "Should I call Alli to come down? I don't think she's busy-"

  "No, no," she rushes to say. "This party is just for you, my darling. Now come! Sit down at the table, let your Mother pour you some tea."

  I feel bad for Alli. She always excludes her, as if my friend doesn't matter at all. I make a mental promise to take up some food later, so Alli can join in too.

  Mother has been trying desperately to force this bond on me. But she doesn't act like a real mother most of the time. Yes, the periods of time where she's enthusiastic and caring are wonderful, but they are few and far between, not to mention fleeting. Most of the time, she just floats around, high on one of her medicines and barely noticing Alli and I are in the house as well.

  "Sit," she says again, fussing around me as she points me to the table. When I don't comply right away, she takes ahold of my shoulders. Her long, scarlet nails dig into my skin as she forces me to sit down on a chair. "Sit, sit."

  "Don't be so rough," I mutter, protectively palming my stomach. "You could hurt the baby."

  "Don't be silly," she smiles, waving my concern off. "It's nothing. Now eat. Drink."

  I reach out for a French macaron with pistachio filling and put a slice of black forest gateau on my plate. She watches eagerly as I start to dig into the food before pushing the golden cup toward me, saying, "Have some tea too."

  I eye the acid green liquid. "It's a weird color. What is it?"

  "An old family recipe." She laughs out loud. "Don't be so picky, darling. It's good for you. Drink, drink!"

  She pushes the cup toward me again. She's filled it to the brim and the liquid sloshes over the rim as I raise it to my lips. It smells gross. Green and putrid. But I don't want to start an argument when she's gone to all this trouble, so I manage an unsure smile and take the smallest sip of tea I can.

  God, it tastes even worse than it looks. I struggle not to spit it right back out in the cup. "What did you say this was?"

  "A family recipe," she repeats. "Come on, drink up. The recipe has been in the family for generations. You'll love it."

  I strongly disagree, but I force myself to take another sip, forcing the disgusting, warm liquid down my throat. But I choke on it, sputtering as I cover my mouth and shake my head.

  "I'm sorry, I can't. It's just awful!"

  "But it's so good for you." She pouts. "Please, have one cup at least."

  I hesitate and her expression changes in an instant. This isn't the first time it's happened—my mother is used to getting her own way, and the moment people don't blindly do what she says, she fucking loses her composure. I find myself longing for the predictable cruelty of Father. Yes, he was a prick, but at least I knew his moods wouldn't shift in an instant. With Mother, she'll adore me one second and accuse me of ruining her life the next. You just never know what's coming, and it's stressful as hell.

  I force another few gulps of the gross tea into my stomach. It burns as it goes down. Whatever's in that stuff is fucking awful. But Mot
her's watching me, silently encouraging me to drink more and more. After I've emptied the cup, I push it back, feeling relieved that it's over with.

  "Want more?" she asks right away, not even waiting for my response as she refills my cup.

  "God, please, no," I mutter. "I hate it."

  She doesn't insist, but I know she will sooner rather than later.

  "Aren't you going to have any?" I ask her with furrowed brows.

  "No," she replies cheerily without offering any kind of explanation.

  "But why-" Suddenly, a sharp pain shoots through my stomach. I grip the table for support and grit my teeth together. "Shit."

  "Language!" she says in a shocked voice. "Watch that filthy mouth, Pandora. Anyway, this is for the best. Truly, truly for the best."

  "What?" I manage, gasping for breath as the pain subsides, then hits again with renewed strength. "Oh God, I don't feel good at all."

  "It will pass," she replies with a beatific smile. "Have more of the tea."

  She pushes the golden cup toward me again just as another awful cramp makes me double over.

  "I don't want this awful tea!" I hiss, sweeping the cup off the table. It shatters. The tea spills all over the floor, and my mother seems pissed off at my disobedience.

  "Well, be that way if you must," she says with a huff of resignation. "The amount you drank should be enough, anyway."

  "Enough?" I whisper. "Enough for what?"

  "To get rid of it, of course." She smiles. Her teeth are so perfect. She's the picture of beautiful, unmarred beauty. And she's fucking evil. "It's for the best, like I said, darling. You don't want to be stuck with a baby when you're as young as you are. It absolutely will ruin your life."

  "What the hell are you talking about?" I rasp as I pick myself up from my seat, still gripping my belly. "And what the hell was in that tea?"

  "Valerian root," she smiles. "An old family recipe. You're in the last stages where it will work now. I had to hurry, didn't I?"

  "Are you trying to make me lose the baby?"

  "It's for the best," she repeats for the umpteenth time. "I should have done the same, really."

  "But I'm your only child," I groan.

  "And I'm trying to save you from the same pitfalls I faced on my journey," she chirps, picking herself up, too. She wets a cloth with water and presses it to my forehead. "Don't worry, my pretty girl. It won't take long. Just a few hours."

  "I need a doctor," I demand. "Call an ambulance, for God's sake!"

  "Why on earth would I do that?" she smiles, oblivious. "I've done this before. It will work, like it always does."

  "Are you fucking crazy?" I growl, grabbing her arm. "I don't want to lose this baby! I can't lose this baby!"

  "It's for the best," she repeats, but her voice is smaller and a little scared now.

  "What on earth is going on here?" Alli appears in the doorframe and I stumble toward her. She catches me in her arms, shooting murderous glances at Mother. "What the hell did you do to her, you crazy old hag?"

  "I'm not old," Mother pouts.

  "She gave me some tea to get r-rid of the b-b-baby," I manage.

  "Fuck," Alli mutters. "Come on."

  She helps me up. I feel overheated and delirious, barely taking in our surroundings as she leads me down the hallway into one of the obnoxious pink bathrooms in this place. She helps me lean over the toilet bowl and demands I shove my fingers down my throat.

  "Shouldn't we call an ambulance?" I whisper, my heart beating so fast I'm convinced it will just burst through my chest. "Get a doctor to help?"

  "You need to get it out of your system," Alli insists. "We'll see a doctor as soon as we can. Please, Pandora." She grips my hand with unexpected strength. "We can't lose this baby, Pandora."

  I'm touched by how much she cares, so I nod with determination and shove three fingers down my throat. The tea comes up again, and I spit it out in the toilet bowl. It takes several excruciating minutes, but once it's done, I instantly feel better. The poison is out of my system, and my mother's wicked plan to make me lose the baby didn't work after all.

  I collapse on the cool, pink bathroom tile with my head against the wall.

  "I can't believe she did that," I whisper.

  "She's sick." Alli slumps down next to me. "She's a sick, horrible, awful woman."

  "We need to get out of here." She nods in agreement. "The sooner we can leave, the better. But where on earth could we go? I can't go back to Eden Falls yet. I want the baby here when I do that."

  "I know," she mutters, chewing her bottom lip. "Well... there's a place where I could take you. It's very secluded and no one knows about it—it doesn't get used very often."

  "Oh?" I furrow my brows.

  "I'll tell you all about it. But we need to get you to bed and you need to get some rest first. I'll call a doctor for you tomorrow."

  She moves to get up, but I grab her palm, turning my pleading eyes to hers. "You won't let her hurt me, will you, Alli? I don't want to lose the baby. I can't lose it. Please."

  "I know." She rubs my hand. "I'll watch out for you, don't worry. I'm not letting that wicked witch anywhere near you. And we'll leave as soon as we can. Now come on."

  She helps me get up. With her help, I somehow make it through the house to the upper floor and the room we've been sharing. I don't catch another glimpse of Mother, which I'm grateful for. If I did, I'd drive my fist into her face and ruin it forever. She probably knows that, too, which is why she's staying hidden.

  "I can't believe she did that," I mutter when I'm lying in bed later. "She tried to take it away from me."

  "She's awful," Alli mutters. "A monster. But don't worry, we'll leave soon. And then it'll just be the two of us."

  I nod and shut my eyes, allowing dreams to take over.

  My last memory is Alli holding my hand as I drift off to a troubled, fitful sleep.

  I'm so lucky to have someone like her on my side.

  Chapter Six

  Dexter

  "What the fuck are you doing here?"

  "Hello to you too," I hiss into the video intercom. "Let us in. We have important matters to discuss."

  The voice disappears, and the five of us stand there uselessly, until the gates finally open. I exchange a triumphant smile with Easton, then get back in the car. We pull up in front of Oakes Estate, where Emilian is already waiting in front of the house, with brows knitted together and his arms crossed.

  We get out of the car, and the man smirks at me.

  "Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in," he drawls out. "Dexter motherfucking Booth. Let you out of jail, did they? Do they just let murderers walk the streets these days?"

  I ignore his shitty remarks and walk past him into his own home. He grunts something but follows closely behind. I know he's curious. He knows I wouldn't show up here unless I had something useful for him, so he doesn't object as we all file into his study, taking our seats. I sit on his desk, running a hand through my dark hair and waiting for everyone to settle so I can start talking. The silence in the room soon becomes deafening. Everyone is on the edge of their seat. This conversation will change so many lives. I need to be damn sure I want to condemn Lily Anna like this. But one memory is enough to seal her fate.

  Lai's dead, unmoving body on the floor.

  She killed him.

  And she's going fucking down.

  "I'm here to talk about something that is of interest to you," I tell Emilian. "But it's going to cost you."

  He laughs, shaking his head as he sits down behind his desk and motions for me to get up. But I don't, smirking at the man. He should know what I have is valuable. He should know I'm going to make him pay.

  "What's it going to cost me?" he wanders out loud with a careless smile. "I doubt you have anything of interest to me, Booth."

  "It's about Lily Anna." His smile falls and we face off, his eyes flashing with interest.

  "What about her?"

  "Lots of things
you don't know." I watch his fists under the table, the veins standing out on his knuckles. He fucking hates this. Hates knowing he's not the one who holds all the power right now. "So, let's start with my first question. Where the fuck is Pandora?"

  He stares me down. "Tit for tat, Booth. What about Lily Anna?"

  "She's not dead," Julian cuts in impatiently. "Now give us what we want if you want to know more."

  I watch Oakes closely for his reaction. He pales instantly. His skin turns ghostly. He had no idea about this. At times during the past few years, I've wondered whether he had any suspicion about Lily Anna, but his reaction proves he was fucking clueless.

  "P-Pandora... She's with her mother," he manages. "In Stormcliff."

  "Her mother?" I furrow my brows. "I thought Angela was dead."

  "We all have our secrets," Emilian mutters. "And she's very much alive, as one of you knows very well."

  I follow his gaze to Easton, who looks guilty as fuck.

  "You knew about this?" I hiss.

  "I gave her the address," he mutters. "I didn't think she'd go there. I thought she'd just go to Wildwood."

  "You thought wrong," I hiss in response. I'll deal with him later. There are more important issues at hand. Including finding out what happened to the two girls who shaped my life, past, present and hopefully, future. "Lily Anna is out to hurt her."

  "How do you know that?" Oakes demands.

  "Because I'm not a clueless fucking idiot?" I snap back, rubbing my temples. "Our first step is checking CCTV. If we can find a security camera in town... maybe we can confirm whether Lily Anna has found Pandora."

  "Where was she all this time?" Emilian hisses. "Did you fucking keep her from me?"

  "Of course I did," I snap. "You would've hurt her. She was fucking afraid of you, you piece of shit. You wanted her, and she knew it."

  "She's not my biological daughter," he tries in vain to defend himself.

  "And yet you're the one who raised her," Caspian reminds him.