Sinners & Saints (Sinners & Saints #1)

by Ballinger, Chelsea

  “Donald, this is Juliet Spears, daughter of Nigel and Jacinda Spears and granddaughter to Northstrand.”

  “Ah yes, I do some trading with your family’s company,” he tells me as he shakes my hand.

  “Wonderful.” I never know what to say to people who tell me they do business with my family. What am I supposed to say—‘Yay, thank you for adding more money in my trust fund’?

  “Nathanial,” she calls for a boy who is talking with his friends. Oh God they look like polo players. All wearing sweater vests. Nathanial is wearing a yellow sweater vest over a blue collared shirt. He resembles my ex a little bit. His eyes and hair are brown like his also. He really resembles Mr. Chambers.

  This is my son, Nathanial. Nathanial, this is Juliet Spears, daughter of my old friend Jacinda,” she introduces us. “He’s studying global affairs at Yale University… and he’s single.”

  Nathanial gives her a look while his cheeks turn red. “Mom.”

  “What?” She acts shocked. “I’m just informing Juliet of young eligible bachelors.”

  “It’s okay,” I say amused. “My mum would have done the same thing.” Which doesn’t shock me that this woman used to be mates with her.

  “Well, I must get back to my other guests, but Juliet do enjoy yourself.” She leaves us and Donald continues to entertain his friends. Nathanial and I continue standing here in awkward silence.

  “So,” he finally says, smiling that million-dollar smile. He has a perfect set of teeth too. “You’re from England.”

  Wonderful icebreaker. “Yes, I am.”

  “I know a few people there. How are you liking the transition from there to here?”

  “Oh, you know, it’s all pretty much the same. The difference between the rich and poor are the incomes and the average millionaire is only the average dishwasher dressed in a new suit.”

  He’s confused now.

  “George Orwell.” Hugo comes beside us and passes me a glass of champagne. “Down and Out in Paris and London.”

  “That is correct,” I say, trying to mask the effect he has on me. “I guess the game is still going strong.”

  He smirks knowingly at me. I want to win the game, but I do love that Hugo knows the things I know. It sort of turns me on. Okay, not sort. It totally turns me on.

  “Is that a book or a movie?” I almost forgot Nathanial was standing there.

  “Yes, Nathanial, it’s a book. Speaking of things Ivy League students should know about, how is it at Yale?”

  Nathanial sticks out his chest, glowering at Hugo. “Amazing actually. Heard you turned down Harvard.”

  “Yes, I did. Tragic, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, it is.” He has a smug grin on his face now.

  “How’s Melody?”

  Nathanial’s smile disappears. He looks like he’s going to be sick.

  “Juliet, it was lovely meeting you,” he says and dismisses himself.

  “You really have a lot of friends.” I flash my sarcastic smile at him.

  He shrugs.

  “Who’s Melody?” I ask.

  “Nathanial’s ex-girlfriend.”

  “Let me guess, you shagged her.”

  His face smoothly contorts. “Hell no. She had the clap.”

  “And she gave it to Nathanial?”

  “Yep.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m surprised you’re not infested with some sort of sexual transmitted disease.”

  “What can I say? Jesus loves me.”

  I snicker. “You’re so going to hell.”

  “If I do, I’m going to be the coolest asshole there.”

  “So bad.”

  “I like it when you say those words—bad, naughty, gorgeous.” His brow jumps. “My name. That accent does them justice. It sounds elegant and yet provocative.”

  “Like I haven’t heard that before from an American man. I’m sure you say it to all the English girls.”

  “I never have to.” His eyes rake over me and I feel my body flush. “But with you…” His words trail off as he thinks to himself.

  “What?” I ask, gazing into his one blue, one green infinity.

  His eyes look sad for a moment… but now it’s time to mask them with the usual obscurity.

  “I’m gonna have a look around. Go find my father and his wife. You can look after yourself, right?”

  I smile. I’m not bothered by his back and forth. I’m just glad that there is a back and forth. “Sure.” Before I leave, I adjust the collar of his jacket and look him in the eyes.

  “You know, black really brings out the color of your eyes,” I speak into them softly. “Those eyes together… they are truly the perfect ocean.”

  And I would love to swim in that ocean, cleanse myself in it. Maybe even drown in it. But I can only do that if he lets me and he won’t. Not now anyway.

  He looks irritated as he walks away. I sip my champagne in triumph.

  “Juliet?” I turn around and see Margaret Jacobs wearing a white dress. “Hi, I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

  “Hi, Margaret.” I can’t help but to think of Jordana when I look at her. I bet she’s thinking about her too.

  “I’m so glad you’re here. I want you to meet some of my friends.” Without a response from me, she grabs my hand and drags me away.

  HUGO

  I find my stepmother, Kelly, alone out on the back patio of the Chambers Townhouse. She’s staring off with her arms folded against her chest. She’s got a nice pair of tits too. She’s wearing a black fitted cocktail dress that shows off her ass nicely. Pilates are working out well for her.

  “Kelly.”

  She turns around and she seems upset. She forces a sad smile at me. “Hugo, hi.”

  “Where’s my dad?”

  “Who knows?” she shrugs. She seems a little intoxicated.

  “Let me guess, work.”

  “You know him as well as I do.”

  “Yes I do.”

  I stand with her in silence and watch the darkness. My father pops in my mind first. I think about how much of a dick he is. Now I’m wondering what Scarlett is doing. I’m pretty sure she’s wreaking havoc. Shit, now Juliet is invading my head. I want to go back in the party and find her. I want to talk to her. Argue with her. Kiss her. Fuck her. It kills me to want Juliet. I need to do something cruel to someone.

  “Today is our anniversary,” Kelly suddenly says.

  “Happy Anniversary.” I raise my glass to her.

  “I planned this huge night out. A high paid chef was going to cook for us and I bought him a Cartier watch. You know how he loves watches. I even had his name engraved in it.” She glances at me with her lazy red eyes. She’s been crying too. “Well, you’re a big boy… I was going to fuck his brains out too.”

  I nod my head, impressed. “Sounds like a good night.”

  “Yeah, it would’ve been, but when I woke up with a smile on my face, intending to tell him Happy Anniversary, he just told me to make sure to wear something good tonight for Gail Chambers’ party. To make him look good and that he would meet me here.”

  I shake my head at the usual behavior.

  “He texted twenty minutes ago. More like Denise texted twenty minutes ago. Said he won’t be able to make it but to let Gail know that we’ll be donating to her campaign.”

  “Such the romantic, huh?” I say and notice she’s staring at me hard.

  “You’re not wearing your sunglasses.”

  The image of Juliet, smirking victoriously at me, appears. “Someone stole them,” I say, irritated.

  “I like you better without them.” Her soft and raspy tone basically opens the fucking door. I look at her and she stares at me in a way I’ve seen before. It was when I first met her. She and my father were dating. I can’t remember what I said, but it was something obscene. My father snapped, but she looked at me with curiosity. That’s when I knew Kelly was attracted to me, but I was never eager to have a go at my father’s sloppy seconds
.

  I want to play along. Just to see how far she will go.

  I shift my body towards her, looking into her eyes. “You look very beautiful.” My eyes then begin to rake over her. “I like the dress.”

  The lump stuck in her throat and her rosy cheeks indicate I’m getting warm. “Thank you.” She clears her throat. “So what have you been up to?”

  “The usual… pointless adventures and sex.”

  She laughs and drinks her champagne. “That sounds better than my days lately.”

  Warmer.

  “Well, it’s never too late to participate.” Our eyes lock. Her blue eyes are dark with lust and need. I’m waiting for her to respond. I’m waiting for her to make the wrong move.

  “Maybe not.”

  Checkmate.

  JULIET

  “Becca Miles got a nose job,” one girl says. I’m in the Chambers’ study surrounded by Margeret’s mates and bottles of Ciroc and Goose.

  “No way,” Margaret says next to me.

  “Yes, way. It was so huge before.” The girl laughs and so do the others.

  I’m in socialite hell.

  Nathanial Chambers and his three mates are sitting on his father’s desk, snorting coke.

  “Hey Chambers, don’t you row crew?” one of the girls asks him.

  “Yeah.”

  “Don’t they test you for drugs?”

  He smiles to himself. “I got this freshman who provides me with urine samples.”

  “I had a friend that did that. He played rugby,” I voice the only thing I have in common with these people.

  “So, Juliet, do you miss home?” Margaret asks me.

  “Yeah, I miss my family,” I answer.

  “I know you have to miss them, especially living with those rejects,” the guy in the plaid suit, of all things, says. His words strike a nerve and of course I always address rude remarks.

  “I sort of like those rejects. They might not be saints, but neither are most of us.” They all narrow their eyes at me. Some irritated by what I said. Some shocked. “Especially men who wear plaid suits.” They’re all laughing now. Well, not plaid suit guy of course.

  “Well, I think Jordana is cool,” one of the girls says while another gapes at her.

  “That dyke? Are you serious, ugh!” I glance at Margaret who seems to be irritated by her friend’s words but masks it with a forced grin.

  “Hello.” One of the guys sitting on the couch raises his hand. “Clearly queer over here.”

  “I don’t care about her sexual preferences,” the girl explains. “She thinks she’s so high and mighty and better than everyone else. They all do.”

  “Well she is.” Margaret doesn’t think before she speaks. Her eyes widen as they all stare at her. “I mean the dyke was third in our class. Can’t knock her only good trait.” She laughs it off and her friends join her. A moment of relief washes over her face from the save she conjured up. People are always predictable. She looks at me and I stare at her knowingly, wanting her to know that I know the truth. She quickly looks away, the guilt spilling out of her.

  “Jordana Abbott is one of the realest people I know and she has become a good friend of mine. In fact, all of them have.” I state it proudly. Who the hell do these people think they are? They are no better and yet they have the nerve to outcast someone. None of this behavior is shocking, but still I’m a little pissed off.

  “Well, looks like you fit right in with them.” Plaid suit guy is speaking again.

  “Denton,” Margaret warns him. So that’s his name. It fits with his plaid suit.

  “I’m not doing anything. She clearly has stated that she likes them. Jordana, the high and mighty lesbian.”

  “Who you probably tried to hook up with before she came out and because of it you’ve always felt scorned,” I fire back my theory and if he wants to play this game then I am all in.

  A smug grin spreads on his face. “Cody, the lame.”

  “Who’s more of a man than you and you most likely envy him in secret. He’s genuine. People may make fun of him, but the good in him you envy. Most people do.”

  He laughs harshly. “Yeah, sure, what about Poppy, the dumbass skank?”

  My eyes rake over him. I wonder what I should say. Oh I got it.

  “You probably slept with her, but when she was asked if you were as good as you arrogantly claim to be, she probably shed some light on your premature ejaculation problem.”

  They all gasp. Then start to snicker as his jaw tightens and glares at me.

  “And the Mandrake twins.” He’s going there. “One an egotistical, wannabe big shot and August… the retard.”

  Now I feel my jaw twitch and my heartbeat grows rapid.

  “August Mandrake is a brilliant human being with autism—a brain disorder that you people clearly don’t have time to use all your easily accessed resources to find information about. He is amazing, kind, and—like Cody—more of a man than you. And Hugo… well he may be the devil, but he does have one thing that you—Denton, is it? He has the one thing you never will have.”

  “And what is that?”

  I slowly smile. “My guess… the ability to make your girlfriend actually come.” I look around at the girls and of course some of them smirk to themselves. “And by the view of some of these lovely faces, I suggest that’s true… also he has better taste in suits and hell, why not? He just looks better than you completely.”

  “You’re a real bitch with a mouth. You should make it useful for sucking Mandrake’s dick.”

  “Now, Denton.” We all look at the doorway to see Hugo. How long has he been standing there? “We know that no one can suck me off like your girl, Sarah.”

  “Fuck you, Mandrake.”

  “No, fuck whoever created your suit,” he says walking over to the fireplace where Denton stands.

  “Your father needs my dad’s company for a new investment. So you better think about the next words that come from your mouth.”

  Hugo smirks to himself and nods. “It’s alright. What you said about us is true,” he says, but I look down and see his hand lingering over the iron tools. “Jordana is a know-it-all lesbian. Poppy’s a slut. Cody’s a lame virgin. I am a hot shot. Except, I didn’t quite hear what you said about my brother.” He gazes at the fire waiting for Denton’s response.

  “He’s a retard,” Denton laughs, but no one else does.

  Hugo chuckles, but it isn’t cheery. He looks at Denton and for the first time I see him smiling. But it’s not a sweet smile. No, it’s more sinister than anything. Denton, oblivious, looks around the room with his pride and ego still intact, laughing, not noticing that now Hugo is grabbing one of the fork tools from the fireplace set. Without any hesitation he swings the sharp end of the fork into Denton’s leg.

  “Fuucckk!” Denton screams. He falls to the floor, grabbing hold of his wounded leg. It’s only bleeding a little. The way he’s acting you would think his leg has been cut off. “You motherfucker!”

  “What the hell, man?!” Nathanial begins to approach, but Hugo points the pointy end at him.

  “You want to be able to row crew, don’t you Nathanial?” Nathanial steps back and allows Hugo to calmly squat down, gently grabbing Denton by the collar of his plaid jacket.

  “Now, I’m all for the insults, but I suggest you keep your comments to yourself. At least wait until Juliet really pisses you off, and trust me she will. And as for my brother, well you know to never speak of him again. Also, if I walk in on your tainted speeches about anyone associated with me, I will start to remember that time at St. Barts.”

  Denton’s face goes pale but not from the open wound. Hugo stands up and places the fork back in place.

  “Are you ready to depart, Ms. Spears?” He extends his hand to me.

  I’m turned on. I’m not going to lie and I’m a little drunk. I mean that was crazy what he did, but for Hugo to stand up for someone, it just confirms my suspicions of some good in him.

&nbs
p; “Why yes I am, Mr. Mandrake.” I place my hand over his and he helps me up.

  “Enjoy the party everyone. Get home safely,” Hugo says.

  12

  HUGO

  We get in the car and Juliet starts laughing hysterically. I kind of want to laugh with her.

  “That was fucking brilliant!” She looks at me smiling. She smacks her lips once she realizes I’m not amused. “Oh, come on. I know you want to smile. I’m impressed.”

  “I was impressed with your responses to Denton and yes you were right with all of them, especially the one about me.”

  “I was wondering if you heard. I must have pulled on your heart strings with my defending of your honor,” she laughs.

  “You can’t pull on anything. Your action didn’t surprise me.”

  She sighs. “I guess it wouldn’t, but yours surely did.” I continue staring out the window. I see her smile through the reflection of the window. “You defended your brother…. A person who does not love assaulted someone because of what they said about their brother… and his mates… and me?”

  “My brother is my blood. Like I said, it is a sense of obligation.”

  “Then why stick up for the rest of us?”

  I don’t answer. I usually don’t contradict myself like this. She has seriously thrown me off my game.

  “Alright,” she says. “I know what the silence means. It means the essential somewhat beautiful moment is over and you’re back to casting out all the feelings that make you furious and scared.”

  “Look,” My tone is sharp and I face her. “Can you let go of the psychological evaluation bullshit for once?”

  “Sure,” she says still smiling. “I’ll just stick with my industrious smile to brighten you.”

  I roll my eyes and look away again. A minute passes before she breaks the silence again.

  “What happened in St. Barts?” Of course Nancy Drew over here has to ask the ultimate question.

  “Denton has a sister. She’s in Italy now because everyone thinks she is studying art there when really she’s there to find peace.”