My brows shot up. “My locker?”
“Yes.”
“Oh. I haven’t checked it in a few days,” I muttered, forehead creasing with confusion.
She rolled her eyes. “Well, I guess that explains why we seem to be talking about two completely different things,” she replied. She pointed to a chair. “Take a seat. I’ll tell you what the letter said.”
I went over and sat down at the table, mind reeling with confusion. This wasn’t going the way I thought it would, but all I could do was play along and try to salvage the situation as best I could. I didn’t have any other choice.
“So,” Camila said, arranging her hands in a pyramid on the table. “Obviously, things didn’t go as planned on Friday night. We’re not happy about it, but it happens sometimes. Our society is not for everyone.”
“Right,” I said, knitting my brows.
She leaned forward. “We know you left the island that night with Hunter Connery. We saw you,” she said. “None of my business, really, but I have to say, I’m a little confused as to why you’re suddenly hanging out with him again after what he did to you.”
I swallowed and nervously licked my lips. “I found out that it wasn’t him behind the video at the assembly. It was someone else,” I said. “So we’re okay now.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Right,” she said, drawing out the syllable like she didn’t quite believe me. “Anyway, back to what I was saying—I know you left with him that night, and due to the state you were in, I can only imagine that you spilled quite a lot of stuff to him. Stuff you weren’t meant to tell anyone.”
I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm and unruffled. “I told him a few things,” I admitted. “But it mostly boiled down to me saying that it was just a terrible party that I wanted to leave. I couldn’t really tell him much else, because I didn’t really know anything for sure.”
“Hm. If you say so,” Camila said with a short, disbelieving sniff. “Anyway, the men of the Network know all about the Hunter thing too, and they know you have no interest in joining us anymore. They don’t want anything to get out to the public, though, and they don’t want anyone to get hurt, either.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No. The complete opposite,” she said, looking mildly surprised at my attitude. “Hunter Connery is actually related to a prominent member of the Network, so chances are, he’ll become a member himself one day. So you telling him about us isn’t the end of the world. But when it comes to others…” She trailed off and hesitated before going on. “Like I said, we don’t want anyone else to hear anything. So over the weekend, the men of the Network came up with a deal to offer you in order to restore the trust between us and ensure there’s no bad blood. That’s what the letter in your locker was about.”
“A deal?” I said, eyes widening. “What sort of deal?”
“They’re willing to pay you twenty-five thousand dollars if you sign a contract stating that you will never breathe a word about the Medusa Society or the Network to anyone else for as long as you live,” she replied.
“Twenty-five thousand dollars,” I repeated, wishing I could scoff out loud. Considering what the men of the Network stood to lose if I exposed them, twenty-five grand was a mere drop in the bucket.
No, a drop in the ocean.
“That amount of money could go a long way for a girl like you,” Camila said smoothly. “Also, as you probably remember me saying on Friday, a lot of the Network members are very powerful and influential. So as an extra sweetener for the deal, some of them have agreed to write recommendation letters for you to use in your college applications. Recommendations from guys like them are basically a ticket to any college you could possibly want. Alton, Yale, MIT, Stanford… you name it, and you’ll get in with their stamp of approval.”
I nodded slowly. “And all I would have to do is sign a contract saying that I’ll keep my mouth shut about everything I know.”
“Yes.”
I leaned back and sighed. “It’s very generous, but I can’t accept it.”
Camila’s eyes narrowed again. “It’s a lot of money, Laney. It would be reckless to turn it down,” she said in a warning tone.
“I know. But that’s not why I came here today.”
“What do you want, then?” she asked.
I bit my bottom lip and affected a contrite expression. “I was actually hoping for a second chance.”
“A what?” she said, eyes widening.
“I want another chance with the society.”
Her red lips twisted into a scowl as the other Medusa girls started whispering to each other. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said. “You made your opinion of us very clear the other night. And now you suddenly want back in?”
I held up a hand. “Please just hear me out.”
Camila folded her arms. “Fine. Talk.”
I took a deep breath and leaned forward. “I know I was really horrible to you on Friday night. I said some awful things, and if I’m being honest, I meant them at the time.”
“That’s not a great start,” Kiri cut in, upper lip curled in a contemptuous sneer.
Camila raised her palm. “Let her speak, Kiri.”
“What I meant to say is, I thought I meant them at the time,” I said. “But there was so much going on. Those drugs you gave me… they affected me really badly. At first they made me happy and giddy, but then I felt sick and paranoid. Like I was trapped in a nightmare. I felt like I had to escape.”
“That can happen sometimes,” I heard one of the girls murmur from the other side of the table. “It’s like a bad trip.”
“Yeah.” I nodded and went on. “Anyway, on top of that, it was a huge shock when you told me the truth about the ritual and the society. I was scared I wouldn’t be able to do anything properly, because I’m not as experienced as you. So I lashed out and said all that nasty stuff. I really thought I meant it, and I was really mad at you too, because I felt like you tried to trick me into joining. But then I got home and sobered up.”
“And?” Camila’s forehead wrinkled.
“And then I realized how horrible I was to you. You tried to explain it so many times, but I just didn’t get it until the drugs were out of my system,” I said. “You were actually offering me a good deal.”
She rolled her eyes. “No shit.”
“I know I’m a bit cagey when it comes to sex stuff, and like I said, I was really shocked that night, too. So the whole thing seemed totally crazy at first. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I actually wanted it. It’s basically the whole world on a platter in exchange for a few favors for the men. Not a bad deal in the end.”
“I know. That’s what I tried to tell you,” Camila said, rolling her eyes upward again. “It’s a golden opportunity. But you took it and threw it right back in our faces.”
I looked down at my lap, shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have tried to humiliate you like that, and I shouldn’t have run off.”
“But you did.”
“I know.” I sighed and looked back up at her. “It wasn’t just the drugs that messed me up, by the way,” I added. “It was the island as well.”
Her expression changed from hostile to confused. “What do you mean?”
“This is probably going to sound stupid to you,” I began. “But when I was a kid, I caught a really bad flu one time. While I was sick, I stayed in bed watching TV, and a horror movie came on at some point. It was about a bunch of witches on an island, and they killed people in really horrible, gory ways. I ended up having crazy fever dreams about it for days, and ever since then, islands have really freaked me out. So when I was there with you that night, and the drugs were affecting me so badly, it scared the shit out of me. I felt like I was suffocating.”
“I actually get that,” one of the other girls interjected. “I saw Cats one night when I was really sick as a kid, and I had the craziest nightmares afterwards. Now I freak
out whenever I see a cat, even though it’s been ten years. I can’t help it.”
Camila let out a deep sigh and rubbed the back of her neck. “So… you really want back in?” she finally said.
I nodded. “Yes. I know you’ll probably say no, and I’ll totally understand if you do. But I just want another chance to do the ritual again and actually go through with it this time,” I said. “I even came up with an idea for how you could make it less intimidating for me.”
“What’s that?” she asked, raising a brow.
“Well, firstly, I’d want to do it sober,” I said. “I don’t want to risk having a bad reaction to those drugs again. And I was also hoping we could do it in a different location.”
Camila frowned. “The initiation rituals are always on Harker Island.”
“I know, but I’m so freaked out by that place. I was really hoping we could do it in the other place instead.”
“What other place?” she asked, forehead wrinkling.
“Remember at our first meeting, I told you that I accidentally stumbled upon one of the Network-Medusa events at the Connery mansion one night?” I said. “It was in a secret room upstairs, and it looked like a really good location for parties. So I thought it might be okay to have an initiation there for once, if it isn’t too much trouble.”
Her face brightened a bit. “I do love that place,” she said slowly, scratching her chin. “And I suppose it would be a lot warmer than the island. It’s crazy how cold it gets this time of year, even with the torches everywhere. I think it might even snow next weekend.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Kiri said, incensed. “You’re actually considering letting her come back and dictate the terms of her initiation like this because of the weather?”
“We’re just talking,” Camila said, shooting her a venomous look. “I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”
“Well, seeing as we’re just talking, can I say something?” Kiri replied.
“Sure.”
She turned to me. “Look, Laney, as far as I’m concerned, you had your chance and you blew it. Just take the twenty-five thousand, sign the contract, and go away. It’s probably the best deal you’re going to get.”
I lifted my chin. “I know I could just take the money and leave it at that. But I don’t want to. I want more. And that’s exactly what all of you offered me on Friday night.”
“Yes, I know,” she said stiffly. “But you turned it down, and you made Camila look like a total idiot in front of the Network. So all I have to say to you now is: too fucking bad. You’re not going to get any of the college scholarships or gifts you were promised, and it’s your own fault. You shouldn’t have run away like that.”
“But it’s not just about the opportunities that the Network offered me,” I said softly. “All of you offered me lifetime friendship if I joined. Like a sisterhood. And instead of being grateful, I turned around and threw it in your face.”
Kiri snorted. “No shit.”
“I feel awful about it, and I want to make it up to you. If you’ll have me back, that is.”
She went quiet and looked away. Next to her, Camila twiddled her thumbs on the table as she considered our conversation. Then she nodded curtly. “I can’t promise anything,” she said, rising to her feet. “But I can make a call for you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. To be perfectly frank, I won’t trust you again until I actually see proof that you’ve changed. But I think we should still give you the chance to prove it,” she said. “Like you said before, we’re a sisterhood, and before last Friday, we were really looking forward to having you join the family. So if you can earn our trust and fix things, we’ll be glad to have you back.”
The majority of the other girls nodded in agreement. Only Kiri and Hazel seemed annoyed by the prospect of me returning to the fold.
“Thank you,” I murmured, hoping I looked and sounded sincere enough.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Camila said. “I have no idea how the Network is going to respond.”
She left the room without another word. I sat and waited in silence, face flushing with heat as the other girls stared at me and whispered behind their hands.
Camila finally returned around ten minutes later. She cleared her throat and sat down again. “You’re in luck, Laney,” she said. “The Network guys would much rather have you as a member than have you out in the world on your own.”
Gee, I wonder why, I thought, suppressing the urge to roll my eyes.
I feigned a joyous expression. “Really?” I said.
“Yes. They’ve agreed to give you another shot, and they’ve agreed to hold the initiation ritual at the Connery mansion, too.”
My shoulders sagged with relief. Thank god.
“That’s great. Thanks for asking for me,” I said.
She casually waved a hand. “It made sense. The weather is going to be terrible for the next few weeks, and there’s already the perfect cover event happening at the mansion this coming Friday. So it all lined up perfectly.”
“Cover event?” I said, tipping my head slightly to the side.
She smiled. “It’s not like fifty people can just walk into the place without the staff or the Connery boys getting suspicious. So they only have parties in that secret room when there’s another party going on downstairs. That way all the wives, kids and staff members aren’t suspicious when they see people roaming all over the house and heading upstairs. They just think it’s normal party shenanigans.”
“Oh. So Charles Connery is holding some sort of event this Friday?”
“Yes. A fundraising gala for a hereditary disease foundation,” she said. “While everyone is downstairs dancing and donating money, we’ll be upstairs getting you initiated.”
“Great.” I beamed at her and reached over to touch her hand. “Thank you so much for giving me another chance. I know I don’t deserve it, but I swear I’ll make it up to you.”
Her smile faded. “I guess we’ll see if that’s true or not on Friday,” she replied frostily.
“I won’t let you down. I promise.”
“I hope not, for your own sake.” She leaned forward. “This time, you have to go through with the ritual. If you don’t, there will be consequences.”
I’d prepared myself for this, but that didn’t stop the cold stone of fear from dropping through my guts. “I understand,” I said, wishing my legs would stop shaking.
“I really hope you do, because if you fail us again, you won’t get another chance.” She flashed a cold, humorless smile at me. “And trust me… you don’t even want to know what happened to the last girl who ran out of chances with us.”
Another bolt of fear shot through me, but I maintained my composure, steeled my jaw, and nodded. “I won’t fail,” I said. “I’m ready.”
12
Laney
“Almost ready.” Trina bit her lip and narrowed her eyes in concentration as she stood over Hunter with a small makeup brush. “Okay. Done!”
She flipped the chair around, and my eyes almost bulged out of my head. “Holy shit!”
“That was the exact reaction I was looking for,” she said, grinning smugly.
I shook my head, still marveling at the job she’d done. “I know you’ve been practicing for days, but this is even better than I expected.”
“I knew I’d be able to pull it off,” she said, shrugging nonchalantly. “I’ve been waiting for a makeup project like this since I was eight years old.”
Hunter had been utterly transformed. I honestly couldn’t believe it was him sitting in the chair. His hair looked like it was graying, and his complexion was the same as that of an average fifty-five-year-old man. With a black and gold patterned domino mask covering the middle third of his face—including most of his nose, which was the main feature he had that differed from Charles Connery—he was almost indistinguishable from his father.
“How did you get his hair to look like it was going gray?” I a
sked.
“I combed talcum powder through it and set it with hairspray,” Trina explained, cheeks flushing with pride. “It’s better than a wig, because with wigs there’s usually an obvious bit where it starts, even if you try to combine it with the real hair.”
“And the wrinkles?” I leaned closer, squinting at Hunter’s forehead, cheeks, and neck. It was unbelievable. I couldn’t see a hint of makeup at all. He actually seemed to have aged thirty-five years in just a few hours. Even his hands looked older.
“Liquid latex,” Trina said. “It’s what all the special effects makeup artists do for movies. You spread it over the natural skin, and then you start picking at it while its drying to make the wrinkles. Then you lightly go over it with foundation to give it the proper color.”
“It’s seriously perfect,” I said. “No one will have any idea that it’s really him, unless his mask falls off.”
Trina raised a brow. “I stuck the mask to his face with eyelash glue, so that won’t happen.”
“It’s gonna be a bitch to take off later,” Hunter said with a wry smile. He swiveled around in the chair to inspect himself in the mirror again. “Honestly, it’s kind of depressing to see how much I look like Dad now.”
Trina rolled her eyes. “Well, it worked out for us, didn’t it?” she said. “Imagine if you didn’t take after him and you were a short, brown-eyed redhead instead. This plan of yours wouldn’t work at all then.”
I glanced at the clock on the opposite wall. “Speaking of our plan, I hope Adam’s nearly done with his part,” I said, brows furrowing. “It’s nearly half past seven, and I have to go and meet the Medusa girls by the side entrance at nine.”
Right on cue, Adam walked into Hunter’s bedroom. “Don’t worry, we’ve still got plenty of time,” he said. He held up a hand. “Anyway, I got the stuff. Dad’s signet ring and his phone.”
He tossed them to Hunter, who raised a brow. “And he’s out?”
Shattered Kingdom: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Royal Falls Elite Book 2) Page 13
