I was in my second year in law school, studying immigration law, working closely with my friend Sophie Price in Uganda. We were hoping to make a streamlined process to help the orphans there and get them homes here on the American side.
My mom won the Hunt Ranch in the settlement when my dad filed divorce years ago and she gave it back to the Hunts. They returned to their homestead and it was as if they never left. Jonah and the girls stayed back on the new ranch and ran that as a second homestead, a continuation of the Hunt Ranch, if you will.
Some of those profits helped Cricket and me complete school, and it supported us while I finished law school as well. It also helped fund many projects in the Congo, where a friend of Sophie and Ian Aberdeen’s opened a second Masego.
All in all, God had been very good to us. Generosity is one of those traits rarely used, but it is, by far and away, one of the most rewarding gifts one could ever possess. I lived by many things, but my top motto was “give.” Give, and you shall see the incredible rebound of it. The more you give, the more you get. It’s a staggering notion, but the truth nonetheless.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with my wife in our car.
Click.
Boom.
I’d like to say thank you to my incredible editor Hollie Westring. Your work ethic is outstanding. Your ability to lift me up, the same. Thank you for your constant support. Plus, you’re like Martha Stewart meets Grace Kelly meets Uma Thurman. That’s pretty impressive. p.s. I cannot WAIT for your first book!!!
I’d like to thank my formatter, E.M. Tippetts. You were kind enough to take me in at the last minute, endure my unorganized chaos, and still, you pulled it off with grace. Thank you.
M. Leighton and Courtney Cole, what would I do without you guys? I’ve seen the both of you sky rocket to the top and where many would have left me behind, you didn’t. You have both been so supportive, so generous, so compassionate. You’re beautiful and generous on top of that. Thank you for being so incredible.
To my little ones, I don’t do anything if it’s not for you. Ever. I would die for you. I would declare war for you. When all is said and done, when all is over and nothing is remembered, all I can hope for, all I can pray for, is that I was the best mother to you.
Other half, we have had nothing but the harshest things happen to us this past year. Death after death, worry after worry, shock after shock...and yet, here we are, strong in our alliance, our friendship, our devotion. We’re happy in our beautiful life. Yes, it feels bittersweet at times with the suffering and the trials but there was never, for one moment, that I felt alone. Ours is a forever kind. Ours is the enduring sort. I love you very much if you couldn’t already tell. Very much.
Six weeks after graduation and Jerrick had been dead for three of them. You’d’ve thought it would’ve been enough for us all to take a breather from our habits but it wasn’t.
I bent to snort the line of coke in front of me.
“Brent looks very tempting tonight, doesn’t he?” I asked Savannah, or Sav as I called her for short, when I lifted my head and wiped my nose.
Savannah turned glassy eyes away from her Special K laced o.j., her head wavering from side to side. “Yeah,” she lazily slurred out, “he looks hot tonight.” Her glazed eyes perked up a bit but barely. “Why?”
“I’m thinking about saying hello to him.” I smiled wickedly at my pseudo-best friend and she smiled deviously back.
“You’re such a bitch,” she teased, prodding my tanned leg with her perfectly manicured nail. “Ali will never forgive you for it.”
“Yes, she will,” I said, standing and smoothing out my pencil skirt.
I could’ve been considered a dichotomy of dressers. I never showed much in the way of skin because, well, my father would have killed me but that didn’t stop me from choosing pieces that kept the boys’ tongues wagging. For instance, everything I owned was skin tight because I had the body for it and because it always got me what I wanted. I loved the way the boys stared. I loved the way they wanted me. It felt powerful.
“How do you know?” Sav asked, her head heavily lolling back and forth on the back of the leather settee in her father’s office.
No one was allowed in that room, party or no but we didn’t care. Sav’s parents went to Italy on a whim, leaving her house as the inevitable destination for that weekend’s ‘Hole’, as we called them. The Hole was code for wherever we decided to ‘hole up’ for the weekend. My group of friends were, at the risk of sounding garish, wealthy. That’s an understatement. We were filthy, as we liked to tease one another, double meaning and all. Someone’s house was always open some random weekend because all our parents traveled frequently, mine especially. In fact, almost every other weekend, the party was at my home. This isn’t why I ruled the roost, so to speak. It wasn’t even because I was the wealthiest. My dad was only number four on that list. No, I ruled because I was the hottest.
You see, I’m one of the beautiful people. That truly sounds so odd to have to explain but it’s the truth, nonetheless. I’m beautiful and it’s not because I have a healthy dose of self esteem, though I have plenty of that. It’s obvious in the way I look in the mirror, yes, but even more obvious in the way everyone treats me. I rule this roost because I’m the most wanted by all the guys and all the girls want to be my friend because of it.
“How do you know?” She asked again, agitated I hadn’t yet answered.
This made my blood boil. “Stuff it, Sav,” I ordered. She’d forgotten who I was and I needed to remind her.
“Sorry,” she said sheepishly, shrinking slightly into herself.
“I know because they always do. Besides, when I’m done with their boys, I give them back. They consider it their dues.”
“Trust me,” she said quietly toward the wall, “they do not consider it their dues.”
“Is this about Brock, Sav?” I huffed. “God, you are such a whiny brat. If he was willing to cheat on you so easily, he wasn’t worth it. Consider it a favor.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” she conceded but didn’t sound truly convinced. “You saved me, Soph.”
“You’re welcome, Sav,” I replied sweetly and patted her head. “Now, I’m off to find Brent.”
I stood in front of the mirror above her dad’s desk and inspected myself.
Long, silky straight brown hair down to my elbows. I had natural blonde highlights throughout its mass. I’d recently cut my bangs so that they fell straight across my forehead. I ruffled them so they lay softly over my brows. I studied them and felt my blood begin to boil. The majority of girls at Jerrick’s funeral suddenly had the same cut and it royally pissed me off. God! Get a clue, nimrods. You’ll never look like me! I puckered my lips and applied a little gloss over them. My lips were full and pink enough that I didn’t need much color. My skin was tanned from lying by the pool too much after graduation and I’d made a mental note to keep myself indoors for a bit. Don’t need wrinkles, Soph. My light gold eyes were the color of amber and were perfect but I noticed my lashes needed a touch more mascara. I did this only to darken them up a bit not because they weren’t long enough. Like I said, I was practically flawless.
“He won’t know what hit him,” I told myself in the mirror. Sav mistook this for speaking to her and I rolled my eyes when she responded.
“You play a sick game, Sophie Price.”
“I know,” I admitted, turning her direction, a fiendish expression on my unblemished face.
I sauntered from the room. As I passed the throngs of people lined against the sides of the hall that lead from the foyer to the massive den, I received the customary cat calls and ignored them with all the flirtatious charm that was my forte. I was the queen of subtlety. I could play a boy like a concert violinist. I was a master of my craft.
“Can I get you boys anything?” I asked as I approached the elite group of hotties that included Ali’s Brent.
“I’m fine, baby,” Graham flirted, as i
f I’d ever give him the time of day.
“You look it,” I flirted back, just stifling the urge to roll my eyes.
“Since you’re offering so nicely, Soph,” Spencer said, “I believe we could all use a fresh round.”
“But of course,” I said, curtsying lightly and smiling seductively. I purposely turned to make my way towards the bar. I did this for two reasons. One, to make them all look at my ass. Two, to make them believe I’d only just thought of the next move on my playing board. I turned around quickly and caught them all staring, especially Brent. Bingo. “I’ll need some help carrying them all back,” I pouted.
“I’ll go!” They all shouted at once, clamoring in front of the other like cattle.
“How about I choose?” I said. I circled the herd, running my hand along their shoulders as I passed each one. Spencer visibly shivered. Point, Soph. “Eenie, meanie, minie, moe,” I said, stopping at Brent. I followed the line of his throat and caught a glimpse of him swallowing, hard. “Would you help me, Brent?” I asked nicely without any flirting.
“Uh, sure,” he said, setting down his own glass.
I linked my arm through his as we walked to the bar. “So how are you and Ali doing?” I asked him.
He gazed at me, not hearing a word I’d said. “What?” he asked.
Exactly.
Three hours later and Brent was mine. We’d ended up sprawled out on the ancient Turkish rug in Sav’s parents’ bedroom, our tongues in each other’s throats. He threw me underneath him and hungrily kissed my neck but stopped suddenly.
“Sophie,” he breathed sexily in my ear.
“Yes, Brent?” I asked, ecstatic I’d gotten what I wanted.
He sat up and gazed down on me like he’d never really seen me before. I smiled lasciviously in return, tonguing my left eye tooth. “Jesus,” he said, a trembling hand combed through his hair, “I am such a fool.”
“What?” I asked, sitting up, stunned.
“I’ve made a horrible mistake,” he told me, still wedged between my legs. No need to tell you how badly that stung. “I’ve had too much to drink,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Sophie. Your being the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever met’s clouded my judgement, badly. I’ve made a terrible mistake.”
At that most fortunate of moments, we heard Ali calling out Brent’s name in the hall outside the door and he tensed, his eyes going wide. I could only inwardly smile at what was to come. Before he’d had a chance to react to her calling to him, she’d walked into the room.
“Brent?” She asked him. She saw our position and the recognition I’d seen in all the others before her was so obviously written all over Ali. She wasn’t going to fight it. “I’m sorry,” she said politely, like I wasn’t in a compromising position on the floor with her boyfriend. She’s so pathetic, I thought. She closed the door. We heard her pounding the floor to the stairs, running toward Sav no doubt. Sav would have to pretend she had no idea.
He threw himself to his feet, abandoning me half-hazardly on the carpet and immediately began chasing her. Well, that’s a first, I thought to myself. Usually they went right back to business but I suppose we hadn’t gotten far enough. Yeah, that’s why he left you lying here, half-undressed, chasing after his girlfriend, Soph.
I balked at my own idiocy and stood up.
I walked to Sav’s parents’ bathroom and leaned over her mother’s side of the double sinks. I fixed my bristled hair and ran my nail along the line of my bottom lip, fixing any gloss smudges. I tucked my form fitting black and white v-striped silk button up back into my pencil skirt and stared at myself.
A single tear ran down my cheek and I grimaced. Not now, I thought. I was my own worst enemy. That was my secret weakness. Rejection. Rejection of any kind, in fact. I hated it more than anything.
“You’re too beautiful to be rejected,” I told the reflection in front of me, but the tears wouldn’t stop.
I ran the tap and splashed a little water on my face before removing the small bag of coke I’d hidden in my strapless. I fumbled with the little plastic envelope, spilling it onto the marble counter and cursed at the mess I’d made. I scrambled for something to line it with, finally stumbling upon her father’s medicine cabinet. I removed the blade from her father’s old fashioned razor and made my lines. I remembered her mom kept small stacks of stationery paper in her desk in the bedroom and I went straight for that, rolling the paper into a small roll.
The tears wouldn’t stop and I knew I wouldn’t be able to snort with a snotty nose. I went to her parents’ toilet and tugged at a few squares of toilet paper, blew my nose then flushed it down. I swiped at the tears on my cheeks and bent over my lines just about the time a policeman came rushing in, catching me right before the act for the second time that night.
“What are you doing? Put your hands on your head,” I heard a man’s deep voice say.
I languidly stood from my unfinished lines and stared into the mirror. Sharing its reflection with me was a young, rather hot cop. Shit. I dropped the rolled up stationary that smelled like old-lady lavender potpourri and lazily put my hands over my head.
“Turn around,” he said, fingering the cuffs on his belt.
I turned around and faced him, his eyes widened at the full sight of me. He stumbled a little, a hitch in his step, as he progressed my way. He brought my right hand down slowly, then my left and swallowed just as Brent had earlier. Gotcha’.
“What’s your name?” I whispered, his face mere inches from mine. Beats Antique’s Dope Crunk rang loudly from downstairs. No wonder I hadn’t heard them come in.
“That’s none of your concern,” he said but the hesitation in his voice told me he thought he’d like it to be.
“I’m Sophie,” I told him as he clicked the first ring around my wrist.
He kept narrowing his eyes at me but they would drop to my breasts then back up.
“N-nice to meet you, Sophie.”
“Nice to meet you, too...,” I drug out, waiting for his name.
“What are you doing?” He asked me, throwing glances over his shoulder, no doubt worried if more officers would be joining us.
“Nothing. Cross my heart,” I appraised, taking my free hand from his and crossing my heart, which just so happened to be at the crest of my cleavage. His gaze flitted down and he started breathing harder.
“Casey,” he told me.
“Casey,” I said breathily, testing out his name. He fought a drowsy smile, apparently liking the way I said it and I smiled.
“L-let me have your hand,” he said.
I gave him my unconstrained hand without a fuss. He took it and restrained it with the other.
“All tied up now, Casey,” I whispered, raising my fisted hands just as he closed his eyes, almost drifting forward a bit.
“Come with me,” he said, pulling me from the counter. His eyes glanced down at my lines and he shook his head. “What makes you do that shit?”
“Because it feels good,” I told him, turning his direction and seductively running my tongue along my top teeth.
“Don’t even,” he said, “or I’ll get you on propositioning an officer as well as possession.”
“Suit yourself,” I told him, shrugging my shoulders. “It might have been nice,” I leaned forward and sang in his ear.
“I’m sure,” he said. I could see the surprise on his face at his unexpected and candid response. I decided to run with it.
“I bet if you handcuffed me to the closet bar just beyond those doors, I’d be quiet as a mouse until you came back for me,” I said, letting the double meaning sink in.
“Stop,” he said. The breath he’d been holding whistled from his nose.
“How old are you, Casey?” I asked, leaning into him.
“Twen-Twenty-two,” he stuttered.
“Huh, I just happen to be into twenty-two year olds. They’re currently my thing,” I lied.
His eyes came right to mine and held there.
&
nbsp; “Really?” he asked, skeptical, yet inadvertently leaned into me. The grim line that had held his face before turned into a slight grin. Seal the deal, Sophie.
“Mmm, hmm,” I said. I pushed further into his chest, my breasts mashed against his armor plate.
I tentatively kissed the pulse at his neck, knowing full well that if he really wanted to, he could definitely get me on propositioning.
I just couldn’t go to jail. Not again. I’d already been once for possession when Jerrick died and the judge told me if I showed back up in his courtroom, I’d be toast. This was worth the risk.
“Jesus,” he murmured.
I threaded my fingers through the belt loop at his waist and brought him closer to me. He fiercely took my face in his and kissed me like he was dying. What an amateur, I thought. Thank God I got a dumb one. His hands grappled all over my face as he had no grace whatsoever. If the guy wasn’t so sexy, I don’t think I could have put up the charade as long as I did.
“Officer Fratelli!” we heard come from downstairs and he broke the kiss. “Fratelli!”
“I’m-I’m up here,” Casey said, flustered. He adjusted himself and wiped his mouth.
“Uncuff me,” I said, almost panicked.
“I can’t,” he said.
“Yes you can, Casey. Do it and I’ll repay you exponentially.”
He groaned but looked at me apologetically. “When you get out, come find me,” he said quietly as the other officer entered the room.
“The rest of the upstairs is secure,” Casey said as if he hadn’t just kissed my face off. “She was the only straggler.”
“Fine,” the older officer said. I thought he was going to leave but instead came through and examined the bathroom around us. “What the hell is this?” he asked Casey.
“What?” Casey asked.
“This,” the older man said, gesturing to the lines of coke.
“Uh, yes, she was attempting a line when I found her,” Casey told his superior.
GREED (The Seven Deadly Series) Page 29
