by Leia Thorne
So many questions…
When I say nothing, she adverts her gaze away. I touch her jaw, drawing her eyes back on me. “She’s also asked you to stand against me,” I say.
I watch the hard dip of her throat as she swallows. “Yes.”
There’s a decision to be made here. Either Remi is my ally or she’s my enemy.
I know what this woman has done to her; what she’s stolen, the pain she’s inflicted. I could turn this whole situation around right now if I just confess what I know, show her the proof that’s on my phone.
But if I do that now, how will I ever know that Remi’s loyalty to me is real in the future?
I don’t want to be her choice by default. This time, I want Remi to choose me. Period.
I cup her face with both hands. “Tabatha has every right to loathe me,” I say. “She’ll have her revenge on me one way or another, with or without you, Remi. So don’t feel guilty, like all this falls on your head.”
Her eyes sheen with unshed tears. “But someone is complicit when they see a bad thing happening and say nothing…” She sucks in a shaky breath. “I have to tell you—”
I kiss her. I stop her from making a confession that will implement her further, and I pull her closer to me, slipping my hands beneath the back of her shirt to touch her skin to skin. I savor the force she puts behind the kiss, as if she truly cares about me, as if this choice is wrecking her.
Remi lets me make love to her on the sandy beach of the lake.
Whatever she chooses to do—whether she conspires with Tabatha to take me down or not—she’s suffered enough pain. I’m a part of that, I know. I have been where she is now; I put my hunger to dominate and control in one of the world’s most elite societies above this girl. I was willing to crush her to take that birthright for myself. So I can’t fault her if she’s struggling with that same choice.
I just hope she chooses us.
But here’s the truth: whatever part I’ve played, I did not kill Lesley, and I cannot stand aside and simply watch the ruin of Remi.
It’s up to me to take out the chairwoman.
Fuck. I guess I might be a hero after all.
Chapter 16
Sawyer
With the masquerade only a couple of days away, and Remi still avoiding me like the plague, I’ve decided going to the event maybe isn’t the best idea. Remi has made her choice.
She’s the homecoming queen. She’s happy being with Gage…in whatever capacity they’re together. She’s reigning over the Saints with me out of the way, and becoming Mrs. de Pont’s surrogate daughter is earning her a lot of clout…and money, apparently.
Her new Chanel flats catch my eye as she passes me in the hallway.
I roll my eyes. How much danger is she really in?
Only, there’s a voice inside my head saying everything about this situation is wrong. Both Gage and Mrs. de Pont conspired to bring Remi into their little web. And secret societies are secret for a reason, and it’s usually not all rainbows and Rolexes.
I open my locker just as Roland approaches. “How did you get out of seeing your shrink?” he asks.
A smile tugs at my lips. “I told Dr. Callahan that I knew about his and Gage’s ‘sessions’.” The ones where Gage jacked off right in front of the doctor. Leave it to Gage to get me out of a jam even when we’re not communicating.
A pang seizes my chest, and I shove my books inside my locker. I’m furious with Gage and his secrets, and yet…I miss him. He was my best friend, practically my brother—and now everything just feels wrong, off.
“What’s this.” Roland bends down to pick up a card that fell out of my locker. He flips the black envelope open, and my breath stills inside my chest. I know what it is by the expensive cardstock.
“You’re cordially invited to attend…” he begins to read, and I grab the invitation out of his hand. “The masquerade,” he says, confirming it.
That’s when I notice the others holding and reading the same invitation. All the members of the Broken Saints received an invite to the most elite event of the year. I make eye contact with Palmer across the hall. She holds up the black cardstock and beams.
Emry is less enthusiastic beside her, and farther down the hallway, Rush shoves the invitation into his backpack and slams his locker door closed.
“Check your locker,” I tell Roland.
He scoffs. “I highly doubt the elites would bless me—”
“Just do it,” I snap.
He throws up his hands in defense. “All right.”
While I wait for Roland to verify what I suspect, I glance up the hallway toward Remi’s locker. She and Gage are standing before the spiral staircase, Gage’s arm wrapped around her shoulders. The perfect couple.
As Roland heads my way, I say, “You got one.”
“What’s going on?” He holds up the black envelope in confirmation.
But my gaze is steady on the dynamic couple near the stairs. Gage has something to do with this, I just know it. I take off in his direction. I’m tired of all the secrecy and scheming. I want the truth. Now.
I stop when I’m only a foot away. “What are you up to?” I demand.
Gage’s smile is forced. “What the hell are you talking about now, Saw?”
I huff a derisive laugh. I look at Remi, who is standing defensively with her arms crossed. “Was it your idea to invite all the Saints, or his?” I ask her.
“I honestly thought it would be fun,” she says. “That’s all.”
I nod a few times, working it out. “So, Roland is invited, too? That’s rich. You have that much sway over Mrs. de Pont?” I do happen to lower my voice for this next part, as we’re starting to attract attention. “She dresses you like her. She’s making you the bell of the ball like her. Does she call you Lesley, too?”
As soon as it leaves my mouth, regret lances my chest. Shit. I drive a hand through my loose waves, pushing my hair back from my forehead, that’s suddenly damp with sweat.
Gage’s pale-blue eyes narrow behind his glasses and spear me. “You know.” The accusation is clear in his dark tone.
I nod warily, my gaze darting to Remi. She knows the truth; I made sure she did. Now it’s just a matter of bringing it all out into the light.
I roll my shoulders back. “And you’ve known since day one,” I say to Gage.
Gage’s eyes level on me with a lethal glare. “Not. Here.”
I realize the rest of the Saints have formed a loose circle around us, along with others in the hallway. Palmer tugs my arm. “Come on,” she says.
But I don’t budge. “Where?” I demand this of Remi.
When she looks away, I step in front of her. “I know everything, Remi. And I also know that you’re in way over your head.” I bite my lip. “So…if we can’t talk here, then where? Because this is not going away.”
Finally, she meets my eyes. “Pool. One hour.”
As I leave the circle, Roland takes hold of my hand. “Damn, girl. Remind me never to piss you off.”
I smile at that, but it’s fleeting. I don’t know how involved Gage is…whether the boy I once knew and trusted is already gone forever. And in that case, if Remi won’t hear me out, if she goes any deeper down this dark rabbit hole with Gage, she might soon be lost forever, too.
I can’t have that on my conscience.
The pool on top of the academy brings back a memory of the last time Gage and I were here together. I always thought that by stringing him along, taunting him mercilessly, I was keeping a level of control over him.
I was wrong, of course. There is no controlling a force like Gage. Rather, I was skirting the fire, trying not to get burned. I wanted him, and yet I didn’t want to want him. I always knew the moment I gave in to that yearning I’d lose a part of myself to him.
But here we are, facing off before the society we built, and I don’t feel weakened next to him. I don’t feel that loss. We may have made a mistake, but I think it was one we needed t
o make in order to finally move on from each other.
At least, that’s the way it is for me. I’m not sure what he’s still doing with Remi. If he’s only stringing her along to win his final endgame.
That’s what I’m here to find out.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” Rush storms toward Roland.
“I want to know what the hell is going on,” Palmer is saying, as I try to step between Rush and Roland.
“Everyone stop,” I shout. I shove my hair back, trying to think. I look up at Rush. “He’s a part of this as much as us, and has every right to be here. So just…deal. All right?”
His chest rises and falls with his quick breaths. Finally, his features relax some, and he backs up a step. “Fine. Let’s get on with this.”
I glance at Roland. He hasn’t lowered his defenses, but he nods once.
Palmer groans. “You and Gage have been feuding like mafia families,” she says to me. “Like some twisted, backward Romeo and Juliet ever since homecoming.”
“That’s a little extreme, Palm,” I say. “And clashing.”
She scoffs. “What then? Did you guys fuck? Because that’s the only reason I can think of why you’re acting like—” She stops abruptly, trading glances between me and Gage. “Oh, my god.”
Rush whistles. “Damn, bro. Way to finally go. But you did kind of fuck up the group dynamic.”
I can feel the tension from Roland beside me. Remi won’t make eye contact with anyone.
“We’re not here to discuss that,” Gage says, ignoring Rush and basically confirming Palmer’s outburst. “This is…something bigger than us. That might harm one of us.”
Palmer crosses her arms. “What the hell, Gage? Stop being so vague. We’re not supposed to keep secrets from each other.”
We made a pact, this is true. I stare hard at Gage. He’s the only one who can confess what he and Mrs. de Pont orchestrated and why. But to my surprise, it’s Remi who steps forward.
“I took an oath,” she says. “Palmer’s right. I found something out, something…important and unbelievable, and I didn’t know what to do with it. I don’t even know what it means.”
Emry shares a look with Gage, and I’m immediately suspicious. “You don’t have to say anything, Remi,” I tell her. “You’re the victim here. Gage should admit to what’s going on.”
“Oh, my god!” Palmer cries. “Would someone just come out with it already before the swim team shows up?”
Remi nods at me. “It’s okay.” She takes a deep breath. “I knew the truth before you sent that video, Sawyer. Mrs. de Pont told me that Lesley was my sister.”
“What the actual fuck?” Rush says, his normally aloof demeanor vanished. “How is that even possible?”
Emry crosses his arms. “Makes sense, actually.”
Palmer turns toward him. “What does that even mean?”
The back and forth chatter continues until Gage interrupts. “Shut up and let Remi speak.”
Silence falls around us, only the sound of the pool water lapping echos in this hollow space. Remi clears her throat and forcibly swallows. “Whatever it means, it’s true. Lesley was my sister. I hate that I never got to know her. I hate that I never had a chance to protect her.”
My heart sinks. Remi may have never known Lesley, but she’s been moving in her same footsteps this year. Repeating her history. And I’ve helped her do it.
I lift my chin. “There’s a reason we’ve all been invited to the masquerade,” I say.
Remi nods in confirmation. “It wasn’t all my idea. Mrs. de Pont wants you all there. She especially wants Gage there.” She eyes him warily.
Palmer glances around at us all. “So what then…? We all just show up at the masquerade party with smiles and pretend this isn’t the most fucked up situation ever?”
“That’s exactly what we do,” Gage says.
Another round of prattle starts up, and Remi grabs hold of my arm to pull me aside. “I need to talk to you privately,” she says.
“Okay. What is it?”
Her eyes search my features. “Would you want Gage removed from your life? Forever?”
I blink several times, trying to make sense of what she’s saying. “What do you mean?”
She glances over my shoulder at Gage. “I mean, I know the rivalry between you two, and I want to know, if you had the chance to rid yourself of Gage forever—” she lowers her voice “—would you take that chance?”
How many times have I wished for a way to escape our twisted relationship?
I feel like this is a trick. I cross my arms, tap my foot, study the girl before me. I remember when I first glimpsed little Remi in the hallway. Lost. Out of place. Her plaid skirt didn’t fit her right. She looked at me as if I was her only hope in a new school full of wolves and predators.
She was too trusting.
And I took advantage of that trust for my own gain.
But look at her now…the leader of the fucking pack. I’d like to think that I had something to do with that, but that’s probably just my self-preservation rearing. Wanting to believe that my mistreatment of her toughened her up, made her strong.
In truth, neither Gage nor I are responsible for the woman she’s becoming. She took hold of her own life and adapted in defense to us—to protect herself. It’s her true nature coming out to shine.
And beneath that nature lurks a dominant force that I have to be wary of. “If you would’ve asked me this question just a few months ago,” I say, “I would’ve jumped at the chance to rid my life of Gage Astor. But now…” I look back at Gage and try to remember the boy who was my best friend. “We’ve made it through to the other side, Remi. He’s not my rival anymore. He belongs to you.” I move closer to her. “What do you want to do about that?”
She licks her lips as she considers this. “I want to love him,” she says. “But I’m not sure if I can survive it.”
I completely understand, and I even pity her in some way. “None of us are built to survive love, I don’t think. Just…do what you need to do now. Tomorrow will have a whole new list of bullshit to deal with.” I give her a smile.
She returns it with a sly smile of her own. “I owed it to you to ask,” she says, touching my hand.
I nod. “So now tell me what our next move is, Remi. I still need to figure out what gown to wear to the ball.”
The first time Remi entered our circle during the initiation, she was an outsider. Now she stands center among the Broken Saints as one of us, the girl we trust. I listen to what she has to say while holding on to Roland, wondering how in the hell we’re going to survive this.
“This is the most fucked-up thing I’ve ever heard,” Rush comments. “Are we really doing this?”
We all turn to look at Gage, since he has the most to risk, to lose.
Gage smirks. “It’s a contingency plan,” he says, then looks at Remi. In that one look, I know he’s made his choice. Her. “One we’ll have at the ready if needed.”
Chapter 17
Remi
Déjà vu circles the air around me as I stare at myself in my full-length mirror. It wasn’t that long ago that I stood right here in the gorgeous homecoming dress that Gage had given me, thinking about how my life had been so altered that I couldn’t even recognize myself.
I’m thinking the same thought now, only this time, there’s no bright smile on my face, no glow or anticipation for something amazing to happen. Trepidation stirs my stomach into tightly wound knots. I’m fearful of tonight, of how it will all end.
Tonight is the masquerade.
And every beginning has to have an ending.
I drag in a full breath and smooth my hands down along the satin pleats of the gown. The bodice fits me perfectly, and crimson and shades of dark purple make up the gothic skirt. A veil of black lace covers the corset-like bodice and drapes down to open to the front of the dress. The gown belongs on a set of some period movie. But I can’t take my eyes off of myself;
how unearthly I look, how…beautiful.
Mrs. de Pont was right. The dress she picked out for Lesley is a perfect match for me.
I grab my matching clutch and the lacy black mask before I leave my room.
This time, my father isn’t here to see me off. I think he’s even more fearful of what is happening to his daughter in his hometown. And rather than trying to communicate, he’s blocked it from his mind. I know he still blames me for what happened to my mother, and in some way, maybe he feels my fate in Crescent Valley is deserved.
Why else would he bring me here? To the place he and my mother tried so desperately to escape and forget.
A black stretch limo pulls up in front of my house as I close the house door. Marvin exits the driver-side and walks around to open the car door for me.
I look inside the limo. “Where is Mrs. de Pont?”
He clears his throat. “There was much for her to attend to at the event. She will welcome you there.”
I nod. “That makes sense. Thank you.” I accept his hand as he helps me and my gown into the back of the limo. Alone. It’s a silent an awkward ride to the event.
Not to mention the masquerade ball is being held at Leighton Tower—the same location as Gage’s notorious penthouse treetop; our secret society headquarters. The building rises up before me as we near the parking garage, and butterflies bat to life in my belly.
The elite pull up to the front of the building to take advantage of the valet parking. Marvin pulls into a parking space reserved for the penthouse. He makes a move to get out, and I say, “I got my door. Thanks.”
I hastily shuffle myself and the gown out of the back of the limo and fumble my clutch open to find my phone. I send Palmer a text, letting her know I’m here and to meet me at the entrance to the ballroom.
As I’m riding the elevator up, a sort of surreal feeling settles over me. I can already hear the symphony music the higher the car climbs. And when the silver doors slide apart, it’s as if I’ve been whisked into the past.
