Lessons in SECRET

by Crystal Perkins

  “I know. And for the record, Double G, she’s everything to me. Every. Fucking. Thing.”

  “Then maybe you should tell her that.”

  “Yeah, maybe I should. But I can’t.”

  He walks out before I can tell him that he’s smarter than the way he’s acting. Ellie and I agree that we need to help them however we can. Matt may be an ass, but he’s like a brother to all of us. So while Reina has our allegiance, we won’t shut him out completely, either. We talk about school and strategize the best way for her to allow herself to be recruited. She can’t seem eager, but she can’t fight Kurt too hard, either. We come up with a solid plan, and call it a night a few hours later. I’m still worried about Kurt and the initiation, but after today, I realize that things could be much worse. At least I have Mase.

  Chapter 5

  Isa

  I didn’t want to dress too sexy for what is probably going to be the day I have sex with the head of a teen prostitution ring, but I also don’t want to look like a nun. I compromised by wearing a short blue dress that has a subtle print, and a high V-neck. My hair is in my usual braid, and I’ve got my blue cowboy boots from Tegan on my feet. I don’t know if they’ll give me the extra courage I need to go through with this, but they can’t hurt.

  Right after I walk into the main building, Kurt grabs me and pulls me into an alcove. “Are you ready, Isabelle?”

  “As I’ll ever be,” I tell him truthfully.

  “Wait for me at your locker after school. And be prepared for the show.”

  “Show?” I ask, swallowing hard.

  “Plans have changed, but there’s no way I’m not going to watch.”

  “I don’t get a say in this, do I?”

  “Nope. From now on, your life belongs to us. Don’t forget that.”

  “I won’t.”

  I also won’t forget that I need to find out who his mystery boss is. The guy who’s pulling the strings. Max admitted that there’s someone else, which is actually a no-brainer. Kurt’s too cocky to keep this going on his own. He likes to brag, and seeing him the past few weeks has made me realize that although he seems to give everything away, he’s been holding himself back. And it’s killing him. If I can play this right, I should be able to get all the info I need from him. Then I’m taking them both down, and getting these girls the help they need.

  No one throws anything at me, or tries to humiliate me throughout the day, but I’d honestly prefer that. They’re leaving me alone because they know I “belong” to Kurt, and that doesn’t sit well with me. At all. I’d rather fight them—I could totally take that asshole football player who was trying to cop a feel earlier this week—than have them look at me like I’m something less. Because even if I was going to be sleeping with people for money, I’m still a person. A good person. Good people do things they have to in order to survive all the time. That doesn’t make all of them bad, it just makes them desperate.

  I’m leaning against my locker after school when Kurt and Grace walk up to me. She’s still looking like she wants to kill someone, although he’s smirking at me. “Ready?”

  “You already asked me that this morning.”

  “Yes, but I wasn’t sure if you’d try to chicken out now that you have no idea what to expect.”

  “As you’re so fond of reminding me, I have no choice. I really never did. You wanted me, and now you’ve got me.”

  “Not like he wants you,” Grace mumbles.

  “Shut it, Grace. Unless you want me to take you out of rotation.”

  “You wouldn’t. You can’t!”

  “I can. We have the lovely Isabelle now, and we’ll have that Ellie chick soon, too. So watch your mouth, and get over your jealousy.”

  I see that she wants to fight him, but she doesn’t. “I’m sorry, baby. I’ll be good.”

  “And right now, so will Isabelle. Let’s go.”

  We walk down the hall, and stop in front of Mase’s office door. This isn’t right. What are we doing here? ”Come in,” he calls out, when Kurt knocks.

  Kurt ushers us inside and then locks the door. I fight to catch Mase’s eye. He looks uncomfortable, but resigned as he pushes his chair away from his desk and turns it sideways. I’m still confused until Kurt speaks, and what he says sends chills down my spine.

  “On your knees, Isabelle.”

  “Wh-what?”

  “Everyone’s favorite teacher is getting the pleasure of that nice, sexy mouth of yours on his dick. So drop to your knees and start sucking.”

  “I-I…”

  “Isabelle, come over here. I promise I won’t bite…this time. And please don’t bite me.”

  “Does everyone…you know…get initiated like this?”

  “No. They do not. I worked out a deal with Kurt.”

  “Why?” I know why, but I feel like I need to play my part. And stall a little because I’m freaking out inside.

  “I’ve watched you in class, and I’ve wanted you. I want more than this, but it’ll do for now.”

  Mase sounds so calm. How the hell can he be so calm? He knows I haven’t done this before, because I wasn’t ready to do it to him yet. And now I have to not only perform this intimate act on him when I’m not ready, but I have to do it in front of Kurt and Grace. Now I know why she’s so angry.

  I take a deep breath, and force myself to think clearly. I don’t know how he did this, or what he promised Kurt, but I understand that he’s trying to protect me. I can’t mess this up. For the mission, or for myself. I square my shoulders and walk to him, dropping to my knees in front of his chair.

  I reach out and undo his belt, then the button of his khakis. My hands shake a little as I pull down his zipper. I’ve done it a bunch of times now, but never when I was on my knees. Or in front of other people. I feel hands in my hair, and then Mase is taking out my braid, and creating a curtain with my hair to shield what I’m about to do from the other eyes in the room. I still can’t look at him, because I’ll break if I do.

  “What are you doing, man? I can’t see with her hair down like that.”

  “All you need to see is that she’s doing it. I’m not putting my dick on display for the world. Or little girls who think I’m going to fuck them because they show some cleavage.”

  I hear ice in his voice that’s never once been there when he’s talking to me. If I’m being honest, it almost scares me a little to hear him like that. Then I think about how he’s being this way to shield me, and my nervousness dissipates. I push down his briefs and take him in my hand.

  This part is easy. I’ve made him come with my hands before. I close my eyes, and take a deep breath before bending over and darting my tongue out to give him a little lick. He tastes like Mase. I don’t know how else to describe it, but that’s it. Him.

  He leans down to whisper in my ear. “It’s just us here, Isa. Just us. They can’t see what you’re doing, and I’ll probably kill Kurt if he speaks up again. I’m sorry it has to be like this, but I couldn’t let him touch you.”

  “Thank you,” I whisper back, and then I just close my eyes and do it.

  I lick his shaft from bottom to top, and then take him into my mouth—just a little, enough for him to moan into my ear. I know he’s holding himself back from just thrusting into my mouth. Being gentle for me. I show him my appreciation by opening my mouth wider, and taking him all the way to the back of my throat.

  I’m surprised that I’m liking this. A lot. He’s pulling my hair tight, as he tries not to make any noise, which is way hotter than it sounds. To know that he’s shielding me while at the same time, keeping his sounds for me alone, well that just makes me fall a little more for him.

  I reach down and cup his testicles in my hand, rolling them across my fingers while pumping him with my other hand, and sucking hard with my mouth. It takes less than a minute before he stiffens beneath me, and grips my head, hard. “Isa,” he breathes as he comes in my mouth. I swallow down everything he gives me, and lick my lips as
I let him go with a pop.

  We’re both breathing hard as I keep my head down while moving his clothes back into place. He pushes my hands away to zip himself up and re-fasten his belt. I look up into his eyes, and he smiles at me, letting me know I did it right. I start to smile back when the clapping begins.

  “Very nice, Isabelle. Very nice. You got him off in less than five minutes.”

  “I could’ve done it in two,” Grace says.

  “She’ll get better with practice.”

  “You got your show, so why don’t you just get hell out of my office.”

  “And let you have a go at her again? No.”

  Mase stands so fast that I almost fall over. “You little son of a bitch.”

  “Temper, temper, Mr. Wells. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you want more than a suck or fuck from the lovely Isabelle.”

  “Get. Out. Now. All of you.”

  That ice in his voice has returned, and Kurt doesn’t try to talk back to him again. He grabs Grace and is halfway out the door when he sees I haven’t moved yet. “He said all of us, Isabelle. That means you, too. You can go cry yourself to sleep now. Just make sure you’re ready for your first date tomorrow night.”

  I turn to look at Mase, but he’s looking away, his jaw clenched. I get up off the floor, and make myself walk out the door, even though all I want to do is run. Yes, we have parts to play. I know that. But being treated the same as them after what I just did, well, it hurts. And I don’t know how to stop it.

  * * *

  Mason

  I had to act cold towards Isa. If I’d shown how much I cared, it could have ended up hurting us both. Kurt wouldn’t hesitate to cause trouble for me, and then Isa would be all alone. Dammit! This isn’t about Isa.

  Who am I kidding? From the moment I saw her, everything’s been about her. But it can’t be. I need to find a way to slow things down while trying to still help her. Not tonight, though. Tonight she needs me. Or at least the “me” I’ve let her see—which is honestly, the real one.

  I stop for food, and then make my way to her place. The guards in the lobby nod at me, and grant me access to the elevator. She has the door open before I get to her, and I drop the food to pull her into a hug.

  “Are you okay, babe?”

  “No.”

  Shit. “What can I do? Tell me. I’ll do anything.”

  “I want to punch you.”

  “Okay.”

  I lock my legs in place and bend down a little, giving her my chin. She punches me in the stomach instead, and I double over. I almost forgot that she’s not the sweet high school girl people think she is. She’s a trained spy, and she could do a whole lot more than punch me. She probably will once all is said and done, and I can’t even complain about that. I deserve whatever she does to me. Because I know I should’ve never even started this—whatever it is—with her.

  “Now can you just cuddle with me while we eat?” she asks, picking up the bag of food from the floor.

  “Yeah,” I tell her, my voice still a little shaky. “You pack one hell of a punch, by the way.”

  “I wouldn’t have passed my training if I couldn’t.”

  I smile then, my first real smile all day. It’s too fucking cute when she’s being so sensible. And hot. That brain of hers is an undiscovered aphrodisiac.

  We cuddle, and kiss for a few hours before I carry her up to bed. She asks me to stay for a little while, and I do. It gives me a chance to ask her about some things I’m curious about.

  “All the Griffins know about you guys, huh?”

  “What?”

  “I was just wondering. I mean, I know Luke knows. So his dad and brothers know too, right?”

  “No.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. We can’t just go around telling everyone we know. Even if we think we can trust them, they might slip up one day.”

  “That makes sense.” And helps me with something that had come up earlier today.

  “Thanks for staying we me,” she tells me on a yawn.

  “It’s my pleasure. Go to sleep, Isa. I’ve got you.”

  “I know.”

  Once she’s sleeping soundly, I kiss her on the forehead before leaving. I wish things could be different for us, but they’re not. So this is going to have to be the last time I come here. I should’ve told her that, but I didn’t. My heart was still holding out hope, but my brain won out. It always does.

  Chapter 6

  Isa

  Today’s the big day. Well, the other big day. I have to go on my first “date.” Since we didn’t have the exact timeline of when Kurt was going to send me out, Reina couldn’t get one of the guys to step in. Audrey stopped by with something to help me out, though. That’s the only reason I’m not more worried—there’s a plan in place.

  I am a little worried about me and Mase, however. He was sweet and loving last night, but it seemed off. I know he liked what I did yesterday, so that’s not it. It was also weird when he asked me about the other Griffins. I didn’t like lying to him, but it’s part of my job to protect the privacy and identity of our “Friends.” I would never out someone, even if it is to the man I’ve fallen in love with.

  “Isabelle, let’s walk together,” Grace says, coming up beside me.

  “Sure.”

  “Do you know what you’re wearing tonight?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  “It has to be classy, but sexy at the same time. Are you sure you can make that happen?” she asks, looking at me from head to toe, and obviously finding me lacking.

  “Is there something wrong with that I’m wearing today, Grace?”

  I have on wide leg blue jeans, with a black, short sleeved top that ties at the side, showing a little bit of skin. My hair is in some kind of crazy twist Stella felt I needed this morning, and I even have a couple of bangles on. So I’m really not sure what’s wrong with my outfit.

  “You look like you’re trying too hard to not be sexy,” she says. “I should take you shopping after school.”

  “Thanks, but I like my look.”

  “Come on, it’ll be fun. I’m going to be a stylist, you know. In fact, my father is going to get me an internship with Kace from Storyside’s stylist, Stella.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” I say before my brain can stop my mouth.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Stella doesn’t do internships,” I say, trying to work my way out of this.

  “And how would you know that. You don’t know her.”

  “Actually, I do. She’s my stylist.”

  “As if.”

  Clueless much? More like all the time in her case, but still. “She is my stylist, and if she heard what you said about my clothes a minute ago, it wouldn’t be pretty.”

  “Have her come here at lunchtime if she’s really your stylist.”

  “I can see if she’s available.”

  “You do that. We both know you’re lying, so good luck.”

  High school was never this cutthroat for me when I was there for real. Probably because I was much younger than everyone, so no one saw me as a threat to their dominance. It’s like animals in the wild, with a whole mini-population watching and waiting for the battle. If Grace and everyone else knew how little any of that means to me, they’d be shocked. It’s the nature of the beast to want to be the strongest of the pack, but I really just want the library.

  I’ve never wanted attention or adoration from the masses. Or even just a single person, really. Until I joined the Society, and met the women who are like a second family, I didn’t care for much except for learning everything I could about, well, everything. Now that I’ve met Mase, I want more. I want his love. Maggie Griffin saved me from a life of solitude, and some other stuff my parents had planned for me, but I’m afraid that she won’t be able to save me from heartache if I mess this up and lose the man I love.

  * * *

  Mason

  I have lunch dut
y today, and I can hear a commotion as I walk to the cafeteria. It’s always a little crazy in there, but the fact that I can hear the noise all the way down the hall makes me think something special’s going on. It is almost prom time, so maybe a crazy invitation is happening. I’ll find out soon enough.

  Walking in the door, I see that it’s even more of a frenzy than I originally expected. And then I see why. That Kace kid from the boy band is standing on a table with a bombshell of a woman, and Isa. I don’t know what’s going on, or why they’re here, but I wade into the crowd to help his security and the other teachers.

  “What’s going on?” I ask when I get to the front.

  It’s Grace who answers. “I didn’t believe Isabelle when she said that Stella was her stylist. I told her to make her come here. We didn’t expect Kace, too, but I’m not complaining.”

  “Of course not.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Don’t test me today.”

  Before she can respond, the new girl jumps on the table. “Kace, baby, it’s been too long.”

  The bombshell—Stella—looks ready to kill her as she pulls him into a hug. “Oh hey, Erica.”

  “It’s Ellie,” she reminds him with a pout.

  “Oh yeah. Sorry.”

  “We should get out of here. You know it’ll be good.”

  “I’m the only one he’ll be leaving with so run along little girl.”

  Stella and Ellie have a staring contest that lasts long enough for the security team and other teachers to organize the students into a long line. I belatedly notice it when the tension breaks as Kace reaches over and kisses Stella like he means it. Ellie jumps off the table once she realizes that she’s been defeated.

  “His loss,” she shouts as she storms out.

  I watch as Kurt follows in her wake. Smart guy. He’s been wanting her, and now might be his best shot at getting her. I turn my attention back to the table, where the happy couple are still making out like their life depends on it.