Abandoned Girl (Neighpalm Industries Collective, #1)

by Winston, Lexie

  I go in search of Nana and the stylist, and I find them in the little living area of this wing. Similar to the main floor, this wing has a space for hanging out to read or play a game of chess. The stylist has her gear set up in there.

  "Ah, there you are, Harlow, great timing! I'm done." She gets up and waves me to the seat. "I'm just going to get dressed. Now we don't have much time left, so just let Marissa weave her magic."

  Nana leaves then, and the stylist gets to work. She doesn't talk, and to be honest, that’s a huge relief. I’m not sure I could cope with small talk. I need to fortify myself with whatever strength I have left to make it through this premiere.

  She quickly blows out my hair and twists it up into a stylish updo. Then she skillfully applies my makeup, giving me a smokey eye and some deep plum lipstick. She hands me the tube to stash in my clutch for touch-ups and says, “All done!"

  I take it, thanking her, and she starts to pack away her stuff, so I head back to my room for my dress. Pulling the bag out of the wardrobe, I open it and reveal this beautiful, deep purple sheath. Unzipping it, I carefully step into it and pull it up my body, making sure not to rub over the tattoo as I do. The fabric molds itself to my figure like it was made especially for me. Inch-wide straps cover my shoulders; the neckline plunges deep, showing my cleavage to a spectacular degree before the dress skims my figure to flare out the bottom, mermaid style. I can’t quite reach the zip, so I step into the shoes that I found with them, some four-inch black high heels, and grab the little clutch, throwing in my lipstick, phone, and my bank card before I go in search of Nana. I find her, Poppy, and Brad in the area where the stylist was, but she’s now gone. Wow, she was efficient.

  "Nana, can you help me with this?" She stands up and clasps her hands together.

  "Oh, Harlow, I knew that was the right dress! You look gorgeous." The three of them are grinning like fools, and a matching one crosses my face.

  "Thanks. I feel a little like Cinderella."

  “Well, does that make the kids the ugly step-siblings?" Nana’s laughing, but her voice has a hint of worry. Damn it, she must have heard me crying in the shower when she dropped off the dress.

  "Harlow, you look beautiful. Thank you for agreeing to come with me," Brad says, stepping closer to me. “I hope this is the first of many times that I’ll get to proudly escort you on my arm.”

  I take a deep breath. "No, thank you for inviting me, Dad." The three of them stop abruptly, surprise on their faces before those huge grins are back, and Dad wraps his arms around me and pulls me close.

  "Thank you,” he whispers in my ear, and it allows my heart to start to heal.

  Oliver

  STANDING THERE AS I watch Harlow giggling with Jonah, a warmth flows through my body. I really like this girl, and I think that maybe, just maybe we were wrong about her. The feel of her in my arms was like nothing I've ever experienced, and her kiss had me harder than a schoolboy. If Lisa hadn't interrupted us, I would’ve had her up against the wall. An incoming message on my iPhone has me pulling it out of my pocket and looking down. My heart sinks when I read it.

  Jacinta: All set and ready to go, don't be late.

  God, I don't think what Jacinta has planned is such a good idea anymore. I was happy supporting it at first, but now that I’ve gotten to know her a little more, I can’t deny our chemistry, and I don't want it to happen. Fuck, she’s never going to forgive me after this, but I can’t go against my sister. Family first.

  So I shove my phone deep into my pocket and do the same thing with my feelings. I tape up her tattoo and ask Beth to clean up and bolt out of the store without saying goodbye to any of my employees. The car ride home is riddled with tension, but I just can’t be her friend and then watch tonight as Jacinta's plan unfolds. Ignoring her, I head inside to have a shower. Half an hour later, Nana’s at my door as I’m putting on my suit, her face a thundercloud, and if I were small again, I know I would be getting a whooping.

  “I don't know what the hell you did to her, but she is crying her eyes out at the bottom of her shower. You need to fix this because if she goes home and your father finds out you or any of the others had anything to do with it, he will never forgive you.” Her words are sharp enough to cut, and there are barely a handful of times in my life that I can remember Nana speaking to anyone like this, let alone one of her grandchildren. We might be spoiled...okay, definitely are spoiled, but there’s always been an easy love in her voice even the times she’s been raging mad. This, right now, this is very, very bad.

  She sighs and some of the anger leaves her as she sits down on my bed and pats it so I’ll sit next to her.

  “I know this is such an adjustment for all of you and a huge shock, but have you ever thought about the positive possibilities?” she says gently, but I just shake my head, having no clue what she’s talking about.

  “Did you know that Poppy and I had every intention of introducing you all to Harlow anyway?” Her question has my ears pricking up, and I turn to her much too quickly to disguise my interest in her words. “We were going to convince her to come and visit us once she had finished college because we think she would be a perfect solution to a problem all you boys are having.”

  “What problem, what do you mean?” I ask in return, and I can feel the frown on my face as confusion rises in equal measure with suspicion.

  “Well, the fact is none of you can find a woman who’s not a gold-digging whore.” I flinch at my Nana’s language, but she’s not wrong. “I don't know where we went wrong, but you all have horrible taste in women. Harlow is the exact opposite to all of that despite what you all may be feeling at the moment.” As the confusion starts to lessen, the suspicion doesn’t go away. Nana’s come up with some crazy shit in our lives, so God only knows where this is going.

  “And who exactly were you planning on setting her up with?” I ask, half-hoping it was me.

  “All of you!” she announces calmly like she’s not suggesting that my brothers and I share a woman, not that it would be the first time for some of us. I scoff, but her face hardens as she grabs me by the chin.

  “Now you hear me, boy. None of you are very good at relationships because you are all so busy, and you’ve got enough trust issues to fill the Grand Canyon. Lord knows you all wouldn’t know the perfect woman if she walked right in front of you, holding a sign! So, I figured I would do you all the favor of bringing you a Nana-approved girl whose character is beyond question. Harlow is the perfect solution! She’s woman enough and wonderful enough to keep you all happy, and she doesn't care about money or status or being seen. In fact, she would be happier curled up on the couch watching a movie or having a picnic somewhere on the estate than being seen at restaurant openings and movie premieres. There isn't an ounce of pretentiousness in that woman, and if you would all stop being such morons and pull your heads out of your asses, you might see what you’ve got right in front of you. Maybe your sister could even have a real friend for once instead of those leeches she usually finds herself surrounded by.”

  She stands up and brushes off her dress before stalking to the door, not waiting for my reply. Before she leaves, she turns to make one last jab. “Fix it, Oliver. You don’t want to miss this opportunity.” Her words sink in, and the more I think about them, the more I like the sound of them, but my heart sinks as I remember what’s about to happen.

  I try to call Jacinta to tell her to abort, but she doesn't answer, and neither do any of my other brothers. Fuck!

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Jaxon

  My phone beeps, and when I look at the screen, I can see a message from Oliver is waiting. Swiping my finger across the screen, I ignore it, shoving my phone back into my pocket. I’m sure he’s trying to talk us out of the plan. He and Kai are both soft on the bitch and don’t think we should be doing what we are. At the moment I have no time for either of them; they're either with us, or I don't want to know about it. A crowd is just starting to gather around the re
d carpet as my sister giggles with glee when the billboard contractor hands her the curtain remote.

  “If you just press the big red button, the curtain will drop, and the billboard will be revealed,” he explains to her, showing her the right button and giving her a narrow-eyed look. I mean, I would too. I doubt anyone’s ever been as excited as my sister to get a remote for a billboard.

  “Thank you so much,” she gushes in reply, “for rushing the job for me. I really appreciate it.” She flashes a wide smile at him, and he blinks at the megawatts she’s putting out, his ruddy cheeks turning even redder, before muttering his goodbyes and hurrying away.

  Laughing, I nudge my sister. “Let’s dim the glee a little bit, or someone, namely Dad or the grandparents, are going to suspect something.”

  She places the remote in her clutch and closes it before looking up at me. “Hopefully this will send that tramp back to where she came from.” We walk toward the theater and find a seat in some of the plush couches, waiting for the rest of our family to arrive so we can meet them out on the carpet.

  “Yeah, I’m not sure if this will,” I tell her, and her eyes frost over. I know it’s not directed at me, but it’s a little weird to see that look on my sister’s face when it’s just the two of us. I’m the one that Jacinta hides nothing from; we love all of our brothers, but there’s something about the twin bond that they’ve never been able to touch.

  “You’re not going soft on me, are you?” she snaps, and I quickly hold my hands up in defense.

  “No, no, God, calm down. I’m just saying I think she’s got more of a backbone than you’ve ever come up against before. This might knock her down for a minute, but I bet she comes back swinging. Do you really want to risk tanking your company?” I play the devil's advocate because when my sister has a bee in her bonnet, she tends to have tunnel vision. And it’s true, so far I haven't seen any of the usual conniving tricks women use when they have an opportunity with one of us. In fact, I would go as far as saying she’s pretty much avoided us all, and I can’t say I’m not a little intrigued. Is this a new ploy to win us all over, or is she genuinely not interested in any of us? I’m almost starting to feel sorry about the way I bombarded her in her room that first night...almost. There’s a part of me that’s still pretty pissed off that she made me look like a fool. Jacinta shifts those frosty eyes to me, but this time they soften from cold anger into annoyance.

  She scoffs in response. “Please, Neighpalm Couture is solid. This won’t even be a bump in the road, and hopefully by this time tomorrow, Harlow will be back in Connecticut and far away from us all so that Dad can move on. He hasn't had time to develop a bond with her yet, so I'm sure he’ll get over this quickly. Plus, people will be talking about this for weeks; imagine the spike in publicity!”

  My sister waves her hand at a nearby waiter who has a tray of champagne glasses. As she grabs one and hands me another, she raises her glass. “To another successful job at getting rid of another gold-digger.” I clink mine against hers and take a sip of the effervescent liquid, desperately hoping that she’s right and Dad hasn't grown attached...otherwise, we may be in more trouble than she can comprehend.

  Harlow

  CECELIA ARRIVES, AND Brad rushes us out to the helicopter pad. That’s right, the back lawn behind the deck has a helicopter sitting on it, and Oliver, Holden, Kai, and Thomas are already sitting in it. We take the remaining seats, me finding one next to Kai, and the pilot in the cockpit flicks a few switches. The engine starts up, and rotor blades start to spin.

  Kai tries to offer me a headset, but I don't want to mess my hair, nor do I want to join in their conversation, so I shake my head, using my hair as a convenient excuse. Oliver hasn't even looked my way since I sat down, and the sorrow that had gotten the best of me in the shower threatens to rear its ugly head again. Both Nana and Cecelia follow my lead, but I can see that the guys have a conversation taking place. I turn to look out the window instead, hiding any visible trace of the burning in my eyes. It's almost dark outside, but I'm hoping to get an aerial view of the abandoned mansion.

  The rotors must finally reach the right speed as the helicopter starts to rise into the air. My stomach dips, and I clench my clutch hand against my chest and close my eyes. A hand suddenly presses against mine, and looking down, I see Kai has reached out and grabbed it. Folding mine into his, he doesn't even look my way as he continues the conversation with the others. A small smile crosses my face, and I leave it there, but I don't want to read anything into it. For all I know, Poppy told him to distract me; I won’t make the same mistake of overestimating his kindness like I did Oliver’s.

  As the chopper starts to move toward the city, I peer out the window, straining my neck to get a good look. Poppy sees me, and he must say something because the pilot does a quick lap around the building. From the top, it looks like a medieval fortress with spires and buttresses, and is that a moat wrapping around it? But before I can make out anything else, the helicopter moves on. The sun dips behind the clouds, and the sky has turned dark by the time we get to the city and land on the towering Neighpalm Industries building.

  We wait for it to power down as to not mess up our hair and then make our way down in the elevator to a waiting limo. It's huge and fits all of us, and again, I find myself sitting next to Kai. My hearing is still a little off from the helicopter, but his voice breaks through, clear as day.

  He nudges me slightly, though even a slight push from a guy his size makes me feel like I could fly halfway across the limo. "You're quiet tonight. Do you not like your new tattoo?" he asks teasingly, but I think there's a hint of seriousness behind it. That stops the conversation in the car, and everyone turns to look at me, except Oliver.

  "Actually, I love it. I wish the dress had a slit so I could show you all," I tell them, getting varying reactions, but my eyes are on Oliver, and my words don't get a single response from him.

  Well, fuck him. "Nana, are Alex and Shane meeting us there?" I ask her, and that gets a reaction. Not much, but I can see him flinch slightly at my words. Good! At least I know he’s a little bit affected by today.

  "Yes, sweetheart, they said they would wait at the end for us."

  As she finishes, the limo starts to slow, and the crowd begins to grow. People are lining the streets, shouting and waving signs with words on them. It comes to a halt, the doors open, and cameras start flashing as everyone climbs out until I'm the last one. Dad holds his hand out to me; I think he can see my nerves. "Come on, honey, it will be fine." So, taking a deep breath, I grab his hand and step out into the spotlight.

  It feels like all eyes look to me, then the whispers and speculation start. "Who’s that?"

  "Is she one of the dates?"

  “No, it looks like she’s with Brad Summers." I catch the word girlfriend and gold-digger and a whole range of horrible things.

  Voices are shouting questions, and my shoulders hunch as I try to make myself less conspicuous. Nana tuts, the noise somehow breaking through the clamor around us. “Don't do that, Harlow. Who cares what they’re saying? We know who you are, and that’s what is important."

  Just as she says that Jacinta, Jaxon, and Declan approach us. Selena Cross is wrapped around Declan, and Jaxon has a model I now recognize as Astor Minchin. And something occurs to me; this is the woman I replaced at the shoot, who had been too ill to make it. My eyes run the length of her body. She’s tall and slim to the point of gaunt, and her clothes drape over her like a sack of cloth, but she's holding onto Jaxon like he’s her last port in the storm. His cruel eyes meet mine, a mocking smile crossing his face.

  "Awesome, everyone's here." Jacinta is overly excited about something, and my heart sinks. I watch as Oliver tries to speak into her ear, but she pushes him away, and his shoulders slump in defeat. For the briefest of moments, our eyes meet, and I see a glimpse of pain in them, the same flash that I’d seen when he told me about what he was like as a boy. Whatever happens next isn’t going to be go
od. She turns and points at something. Behind the crowd of people across the street is a covered billboard.

  "Is everyone ready to see the new Neighpalm Couture lingerie campaign?" a voice announces to the crowd, and they cheer even louder. "Let’s have a countdown... Ten. Nine. Eight...”

  The crowd chants, and Jacinta grabs me by the arm. "Come on, Harlow, you don’t want to miss this!" There’s an almost frantic glee in her voice that I’ve never heard before, and something in me already starts to flip upside down, nerves rising to the point of almost nausea. She pulls me to the front of the family. When the countdown hits one, she holds up a remote of some kind and presses a button. The sheet detaches and falls to the ground, and what I see has me just about vomiting on the red carpet as the crowd’s cries rise to a fever pitch.

  It’s the same photo that Shane had sent to me, but with the Neighpalm Couture logo on it and the caption "Lingerie for that gold-digging mistress in your life" emblazoned across it in big, bold red letters.

  The crowd falls silent, and as I look around in horror, I can see the conclusion they've all reached. Jacinta has made it look like I'm Brad’s gold-digging mistress. The noise explodes into more questions and laughter and finger-pointing, and a wave of dizziness overtakes me, my body completely unprepared for this level of manic scrutiny.

  I slap my hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming, but the tears well in my eyes. "Oh my God!"

  Looking around at the family, I see various reactions. Jacinta, Jaxon, Declan, their two dates, Thomas, and Holden, are all laughing. Kai has his fists clenched, his eyes flashing with fury and his brow creased in a frown as he rounds to face the others and words start to pour out of his mouth. I’m pretty sure he wasn't on board with the plan, and he’s now telling them off. While I’m sure I’ll appreciate that later, his reaction does nothing to make me feel any better at this moment. My gaze drifts to Oliver, who is standing slightly apart, hands jammed into pant pockets, shoulders hunched in on themselves, looking decidedly uncomfortable. Good, I hope he’s suffering. I thought we’d made progress today, not to mention the kiss against the wall. My eyes then find Nana's, and her mouth is open in shock, the formidable woman speechless for once. Dad and Poppy look as furious as Kai, but Cecelia seems to be smothering a laugh. Looking around, I search for an exit, but I'm frozen to the spot.