Reckless Karma (Sinners & Saints #2)

by Chelsea Ballinger

  She takes the deal. For now. She informs me that she knows people. Basically I guess death could be in my future if I don’t prove to her that Scarlett was behind it all. Public persona is the most important thing to these people. That is one thing I am thankful to have gotten rid of thanks to Scarlett. It makes people reach their worst. It is the one thing that has made me give up on people and not see life as a purpose fulfilled world. That belief is still in me, but it is balancing with the hope I have found to have want through Juliet. I just don’t know which one will outweigh which.

  “You are impressive,” I tell Karlie after Jane and her lawyer leave and she enters the conference room.

  “No, you are. Taking the lead like that. I recorded the conversation. Just in case we need it.”

  “Good call… for now. I may even become impressed by you.”

  She smiles. It’s a broad and beautiful smile. A genuine one that leads me to imagine the way my brother had felt when looking at her smile.

  “You haven’t seen anything yet,” she says, and I’m very much looking forward to witnessing her game.

  5

  GABRIEL

  “Shit,” I exhale out falling back on Scarlett’s bed. She falls next to me.

  “Pursuing Karlie Dale has either built frustration or excitement in you because,” she bites her lip, staring down at my naked body, “that was new. You should go after girls like her more.”

  I chuckle. “I don’t think there are girls like her.”

  “Please, every state has a Karlie.”

  “None of them have a Scarlett though.”

  She smiles and kisses me deeply. Propping her head in her hand, she begins tracing her black painted fingers on my chest.

  “So how is the hunt going?”

  “She is more of a challenge than I thought. I actually have to try with her.”

  “Well, it shouldn’t have taken you so long. It’s been three months. She watches you when you’re not looking. Smiles to herself when she catches you being nice to the geeks.”

  “Not knowing that it is all an act for her benefit and mine.”

  “She will be begging you to fuck her.”

  “She texted me yesterday. To say hi. I asked her for a study session.”

  “Where?”

  “I said here, but of course the smart girl insisted on the library.”

  “Too bad.”

  “But… I decided to even the playing field and said Central Park. I’m gonna surprise her with a picnic.”

  “Wow,” her grey eyes widen, “you really are going to great lengths.”

  “Ugh, I know. What I do for the woman I truly adore.”

  She kisses me again before I get out of her bed and throw on my black robe.

  “Don’t want to sleep here for the night?” she asks.

  “No. If I do, when Chad sneaks in he will try to spoon with me or worse.” I let Chad go down on me a year ago when I was high and drunk. He enjoyed it and ever since then I find him watching me the same way he watches everyone else he finds attractive—men and women, even though he won’t admit it.

  “He’s obsessed with you,” she laughs.

  “He’s obsessed with you more.”

  “All my boys are.”

  I laugh and head out, opening her door.

  “Gabriel.”

  I look back at her.

  “You’re my favorite boy though.” She says it the sincerest possible way Scarlett could ever say it.

  “I know, baby.”

  I leave out and head upstairs to where my room is, but not before slipping into the room across the hall. I walk in and of course August is drawing a maze in his sketchbook on the floor. Fourteen years old and can probably draw the best and most intricate mazes anyone has ever seen. I walk over to his bed and lay on it and watch.

  “I just lied to Scarlett. For the first time.”

  He doesn’t answer. He usually doesn’t. I don’t blame him. I ignored him first. Hugo was always better with him than me. They’re twins. Identical in every way but their souls. August was born limited but never broken, while Hugo was made to be that way and will continue to be probably. It’s not like I can help him. I’m as fucked up as he is.

  “I asked Karlie Dale to have a picnic. I didn’t coerce her into it. I did it because I wanted to. I don’t know when it happened, but I like her. I hate her too. It scares me. As easily as I want to ruin her… I want to take care of her. She’s so pure of light. It shines like fucking diamonds. Two months and all it takes is text messages and glances and smiles to bring me to my knees in confusion and peril. She makes me sick… literally. My heart beats fast around her and I have to stop myself from tearing it out. I imagine bad things happening to her… and I imagine me weeping for her if bad things did happen to her. I can’t let Scarlett know. If she found out… she would…”

  “Destroy her,” August sounds out. “Destroy her.”

  “Yes. She will and you know the worst thing about the fear for me… is that I will be the one to help her do it.”

  August finally puts down his pencil and turns his head towards my way, scratching the back of his head and smirking. “I- I like it when you tell me stuff, Gabriel.”

  I smile. “I do too, little brother.”

  “I won’t tell them.” He shakes his head. “I won’t tell the monsters.”

  “I know you won’t. I know you won’t let this monster down.”

  HUGO

  “August,” I say his name again. Whatever is going on in that mind of his has him in deep. “August!” I yell and he finally looks at me.

  I walk up to him and see the chalk practically breaking in his hand. I look at the lines of his maze. They are more erratic than usual. More hard looking and just everywhere on the chalk board. It makes me worried because when the maze is discouraged, so is my brother’s mind.

  “What’s wrong?” He sets the chalk down and wipes his hands, rubbing them hard and staring at his feet. He pulls his bottom lip between his lips. “Hey, stop that.” I snap my fingers. “You know you bite your lip too hard.” We had to learn to stop him because he bites his lip until he bleeds. “What’s worrying you? Is it me? I’m okay now.”

  “You’re not going anywhere?” His question comes out shaky.

  “No.” I grip his shoulders and force him to face me. “I’m all clear for now. Karlie took care of it yesterday at the meeting with the lawyers.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Speaking of Karlie, August, how come you never mentioned her? You met her, right?”

  He nods twice.

  “So how come you never told me about her?”

  He scratches the back of his head and gets nervous. “Gabriel told me to forget about her.”

  “Why? If he loved her so much, why would he say that?”

  “It’s because he loved her. Karlie got hurt and Gabriel blamed himself… got mad whenever I said her name. STOP SAYING HER NAME!” August’s voice roars through me. There is so much anger that it even scares me. “Th-that’s what he said. He said to never say her name. The monsters ruined her… and she was no longer Karlie.”

  “Scarlett, Chad, and Noel,” I say to myself.

  “She can’t be trusted.”

  “She’s not bad, August.”

  “But she’s not Karlie anymore.”

  SCARLETT

  “You did what?!” The shouts coming from the living room of Patrick and I’s condo are surprisingly unfamiliar. Patrick sounds inhuman almost. I don’t know what his mother just told him, but I am ecstatic that it is her on the other end of his rage and not me.

  “What’s going on?” I ask once I get in the dining room. Patrick is holding on to the chair, leaning down on it to stop himself from throwing it across the room.

  “This is none of your concern,” Jane snaps at me, and I just look at her innocently.

  “My mother had a meeting with Hugo Mandrake’s lawyer yesterday,” Patrick informs me. “She is forcing Rebecca to drop the charges.�
�

  “She’s not forcing me, Patrick,” Rebecca says between sniffs and cries.

  “There is no case and Rebecca herself has said she does not remember,” Jane quickly says.

  “Because he drugged her!” Patrick lifts and slams the chair down.

  “Maybe it wasn’t Hugo! Maybe the drugs were planted on him,” Rebecca assumes.

  “Jesus Christ! I can’t believe this bullshit!”

  “Patrick. Just calm down,” Jane says.

  “I’ll calm down when Mandrake is either in jail or dead.”

  I find angry Patrick a turn on.

  “It’s over now. All we can do is move on. I am Rebecca’s mother and I have her best interest at heart. If she says she does not want to push this and that she is not sure, then I will do what is best for her.”

  “You mean best for you. Best for your god damn image.”

  “Don’t you dare speak to me that way.”

  “You disgust me,” Patrick basically spits in the face of his mother, and Jane does everything she can to hold back more tears.

  Jane Townsend doesn’t normally back down, which means Hugo has something on her. I didn’t tell him her dark secret. The truth of Patrick and Rebecca’s paternity. Neil Townsend was not their father. They are products of affairs. Lies. Jane would never let people know that. It would destroy not only her but also them. So the real question is how the hell did Hugo find out?

  JULIET

  I head downstairs for breakfast, but before I can continue, I hear Karlie speaking in the kitchen. I walk over and stop once I hear she’s on the phone. It’s loud enough for only me to hear, so of course I listen.

  “You can’t come yet.”

  Pause.

  “I know.” Short pause. “I know, okay? I know this, but I need you to stay put. No one needs to know yet. Imagine what will happen. Especially if they find out. It will ruin the plan I have. It will throw everything off track.”

  What will?

  “Just tell them to stay calm and that I—”

  “What are you doing?” I jump at the sound of Hugo’s voice behind me.

  He gives me a look as soon as Karlie comes around the corner wondering what is going on, still on the phone.

  “Nothing. I was just coming to get something to drink and I overheard you on the phone. Didn’t want to disturb you,” I tell her.

  “Mom, I’ll call you back.” She looks suspiciously at me and hangs up the phone.

  “That was your mum? Where is she living?” I ask.

  “Monaco. She’s staying out there for a moment.”

  “Oh, she was staying out there with you too?”

  “No, she moved out there a year ago. I moved her to Chicago when William and I married. I’ll be moving there after my business here is over. Are you done with the interrogation?”

  I scoff. “It’s not an interrogation.”

  “I know you’re a little iffy on me, Juliet. I get it.”

  “Juliet is fine. Aren’t you?” Hugo says.

  “No,” I admit. “I just feel there is something else you aren’t telling us.”

  “Why do you need to know everything about me? I’m practically an open book.”

  “I don’t know. I guess it’s a gut feeling. If you hadn’t heard, I’m psychic,” I glance at Hugo, “and Telepathic.”

  “Cute.” Karlie faces him. “If we’re through with your girlfriend’s Nancy Drew thing, I have invitations to pass out.”

  She walks past us and Hugo gives me the look again.

  “What?” I ask innocently.

  “Why are you pushing this?”

  “Hugo, you know me. I push.”

  “Yes, and as much as I like that, I also hate it. You need to leave her be. She’s not someone that wants to open to you. I can get that.”

  “I don’t want to know everything about her. It’s… it’s just I feel like there is something that could affect you. You, Hugo. It’s something – I just don’t know what it is.”

  “Juliet. If it is… I don’t want to know. I’ve had enough of surprises regarding me and my family. For me, let it go.”

  The pleading in his eyes causes me to shut my eyes for a moment and place my hands on his chest. I look at him and kiss him before my mouth can ruin it. He kisses me back, sliding his arms around my waist. He breaks it and presses his forehead against mine, keeping his eyes closed.

  “You’re my...” He lifts his head up, rolling his eyes, trying to find the words. “You are my safe zone. Although how I feel about you is the scariest thing I have ever felt about someone, you’re still it. You are the only thing stopping me from exploding.”

  “So basically you are saying not to bring you trouble.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry, but don’t you know by now that I am the thing that might cause you to explode?”

  He bursts into laughter and nods. “Yes… but only you can do that, Juliet. No one else. I don’t want anyone else to pierce through my heart except you.”

  “I love it when you get morbid on me.”

  “And I love it when you make a joke out of everything.”

  I laugh. “No, but… I understand. I’ll let it go, Hugo.”

  “Okay. Now let’s go get our invitations.” He drapes his arm over my shoulder and guides me to the living room where everyone is, even August and Ms. Eleanor.

  “Invitations for what?” I ask.

  Karlie passes us a black envelope. Inside is a black invitation with gold cursive lettering.

  “You are cordially invited to the Fairchild Anti-Bullying and Suicide Prevention Gala. Hosted by the Fairchild family,” Jordana reads out loud.

  “This is where you will be making your entrance, isn’t it?” Hugo is impressed.

  Karlie smiles. “Yes. Everyone—and I mean everyone—is invited and they will be there, especially since I had the word spread around that the widow of the late William Fairchild will be making her debut.”

  “Very clever with the whole suicide prevention and anti-bullying, seeing that your biggest bullies will be there,” I say.

  “Yes. The campaign is very important to me, though, and for them to donate their money and to see the look on their faces… well it’s going to be a perfect night.”

  “Jaz, you want to go?”

  “Why the hell not? It should be fun. Poppy can be my date.” He winks at her and she blushes.

  I look at Hugo who arches a brow at them.

  “Well, get ready for a great time,” Karlie says. “Because after this Saturday night… everything changes.”

  Part 2

  “We should forgive our enemies… but not before they are hanged.”

  -Heinrich Heine

  6

  HUGO

  “Tonight’s the night, aye? You nervous?” I haven’t decided if I like Juliet’s friend yet. He’s nice. Too nice. He’s that type of guy that’s social and everyone loves him. He gives off positive energy no matter where he goes. I only envy that because of Juliet. She deserves someone that can do that for her. A guy who can take her out on dates and smile more than two times a day.

  “I’m not nervous,” I inform him. “I’ve never cared for people’s cowardly whispers and there will be plenty of those tonight once I show my face at Karlie’s gala.”

  “I see. Well, I bet you are eager to drop the ball on the girl.”

  “I am looking forward to the look on their faces once they see Karlie. Even if Scarlett keeps her proud and nonchalant façade, I know. I know inside she will be panicking.”

  “Juliet described you well.”

  “She didn’t describe you much.”

  He narrows his eyes. “You must not like me.”

  “You’re fine.”

  “Don’t worry, I don’t take it personally. I just don’t think you like people.”

  “You would be correct.”

  “You like JuJu though.”

  “I love her.”

  He grins in this big, wid
e smile, and I have to admit even the guy’s teeth are perfect.

  “That’s what makes me look past the fact that you’re a dick.”

  Surprisingly, I laugh a little. Okay, I guess I like the guy.

  “Aww, look at my boys getting along.” I’m prepared to object to Juliet’s observation, but the words don’t come out of my mouth as my eyes gaze at her long, strapless teal gown. Her hair pulled up in a messy bun. Her red lipstick matches her smile along with her diamond earrings.

  “Lookin good, JuJu,” Jaz says.

  “You look more than good. You look remarkable,” I acknowledge proudly.

  “One makes my heart smile and the other makes it burst into flames.”

  “Among other things.” I arch my brow and pull her close to me.

  “And I would love to make her burst.” We follow Jaz’s gaze to Poppy in her gorgeous light pink gown. “She’s single, right?”

  “The occasional sugar daddies and stalkers, buy yeah. Single,” I answer.

  “She wears a lot of pink,” Juliet adds.

  “I’ve always loved the color pink.”

  Juliet scoffs. “No you haven’t.”

  “Well, like your boyfriend here, we all change for love.”

  “You guys ready?” Jordana and Cody come in the living room. Jordana is drop dead gorgeous in her black gown and Cody has on a dark blue tux, which perfectly matches his mood.

  “Yes, let the reign of destruction commence,” Ms. Eleanor announces as she comes down in her colorful gown and tiger skin fur draped around her shoulders.

  Reign of destruction indeed.

  SCARLETT

  “Stop the scowling, Patrick.” I squeeze on to his arm and he finally releases the breath he’s been holding in since the news of the charges dropped against Hugo.

  “I’m sorry,” he apologizes.

  “It’s okay.” I adjust his tie. “I understand.”

  He sighs and strokes my cheek. “I think you’re the only person who understands. You know with… not being able to get justice.”