“She wouldn’t have gone to his game the other day if she didn’t.”
“She wasn’t at the game.”
“She was,” I say, finally speaking up.
“You didn’t bring her to dinner,” my father reminds me.
“No.”
“But you did something to her. She was a mess when she came back.”
“I’m not going to talk about this with anyone in this room. I missed a game to come here and vote tomorrow. I thought tonight was about having dinner with a friend. I don’t really care that you ambushed me with Reina, but I’m not going to discuss the woman we shared.”
Marcus winces, and Reina looks like she wants to kill me, but she remains silent while he answers me. “As you wish, my friend. We will not speak of Sierra. I’m just happy to see you. It has been too long.”
“It has. I shouldn’t have ignored your calls. No woman should come between us.” No matter how spectacular she is.
We sit for dinner, and everyone manages to remain civilized. My parents talk to Reina about the Foundation and the upcoming balls and parties in D.C. while Marcus and I catch up. We all pretend that it’s just a normal dinner between friends, but we all know it’s not. Not just because of Sierra, but also because of the vote tomorrow. The board still doesn’t trust Marcus, and so they’ve called us all here to choose sides. My vote is solidly with Marcus, and he tells me he’s confident that the vote will go his way, but we both know there are too many things that could go wrong.
“What happens if the vote goes the other way, and the board members who aren’t backing you win?”
“I step down, and one of the senior vice presidents will step in as CEO.”
“You’ll still keep your shares, and control of the board though, right?”
“Claro.”
“How did this even happen, this vote? If you have controlling shares, you should’ve been able to stop it.”
“I could have, but it would’ve only caused more animosity towards me. I know I am doing a good job, so I thought this would be a good thing.”
“Showing no fear,” I say, nodding. It is important for him to show confidence. In fact, it may be the most important thing he can do. “You know you have my support.”
“Thanks. When you stopped taking my calls, I got a little worried.”
“That was about Sierra, not your business prowess.”
“I had no idea she was the perfect girlfriend you told me about. But I gotta say, she’s pretty damn perfect. You sure you want to give that up?”
“Are you?” I ask, even though I don’t want to know the answer.
“If I thought I even had a horse in the race, I’d fight to the death for her. She doesn’t want me, though. It’s all you.”
“Yet she was dating you.”
He mashes his lips together and looks like he’s fighting with himself about what he wants to say. Reina swoops in before he can decide. “Are you enjoying the dinner, Marcus?”
“Yes. Thank you for bringing your chef with you to cook for us tonight.”
“Some people bring wine. I prefer to go big.”
“Too bad for her,” a man I recognize as one of Marcus’ vice presidents says, coming into the dining room with a gun pointed at Faith’s head. She cuts her eyes to Reina, and they share a look.
“Antonio, what are you doing?” Marcus asks, rising from his chair.
“You have the vote, but the CEO job should be mine. You are just a boy. The job was handed to you because of your last name, but I earned it.”
“Let these people go,” Marcus says, gesturing to me and my parents. “Then we can talk, and work this out.”
“No. Having these powerful people here with us will convince the others to vote correctly.”
“Others?”
“You do not think I would come alone, do you? We will all stay here until the vote is over. This pretty lady can make us all some good food, and Mrs. Corrigan can have her husband wire some money into my bank account. Once you don’t show up, and the right people have been contacted, I can take over as CEO, and be even richer than you are.”
“My husband isn’t going to give you any money,” Reina tells him.
“Does he not love you? Or maybe he doesn’t mind that we give you back a little roughed up, and used.”
“I will be killing you before this is all over. Make no mistake of that, Antonio. Put your hands on me, and I’ll make it even more painful.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “This is going to be even more fun than I planned.”
Chapter 15
Sierra
My arm vibrates with two different vibrations, and when Audrey runs from the room, I run after her. She doesn’t stop me when I dive into the elevator, but she doesn’t look happy either. I follow her out into Ainsley’s lair where the other mentors who are here have already gathered.
“Sierra, you need to go back to class and wait for Audrey,” Stella tells me.
“Something’s wrong. Is it Reina and Faith?”
“Go back to class,” Audrey says.
“If it’s Reina and Faith, then it’s also Joel. I need to know.”
“They’re being held hostage,” Ainsley tells me, earning a sharp look from Tegan.
“I’m going with you to get them.”
“You are not,” Stella says.
“If it was Kace, would you let someone stop you?”
“She can get in,” Darcy says. “She was there as Marcus’ girlfriend. She could be there for a visit, and they’d probably let her in.”
“So they could try and rape her,” Ellie says.
“We’ll be there with her,” Jade says, squeezing her friend’s hand.
“There isn’t time to argue about this. We need to get to the airport. Reina’s going to rip me a new one for this, but I’m going to let you go. Just don’t get yourself killed.”
“Thanks, Stella.”
Darcy, Ellie, Jade, and I take the elevator to the roof where a large helicopter is waiting to take us to the airport. We’re in the air right away, heading for Sao Paolo. Ainsley briefs us on what they know, which isn’t much right now. Just that Faith, Reina, Marcus, and the Cruz family are all being held in the dining room at Marcus’ house. One of the men who wanted Marcus’ job is holding them at gunpoint, and has said that there are more men. Satellite images have shown several people on the property, but right now we don’t know if they are staff, bad guys, or both.
“Take off your shirt,” Ellie tells me when we’re getting ready to land.
“Excuse me?”
“They’ll be more likely to let you in if you just have your bustier and jeans on.”
“Oh, yeah. Of course.” I’m wearing the sheer shirt and velvet bra combo I had the first time Joel kissed me. I take off the shirt and stand still while Ellie slips a flat knife under my left boob.
“If they wand you, they’ll think it’s part of the underwire. We’ll be outside. We won’t let them hurt you. I promise.”
“I know. I trust all of you.”
“I know Joel is in there, but you need to be smart. Don’t sacrifice yourself for him, because if you do, who will protect him?” Darcy asks me.
“I’m going to fight, but I’ll fight smart.”
“Good girl,” Jade says.
We buckle in for landing and rush out the door as soon as we’re given the okay. An SUV is waiting for them, and a town car is waiting for me. I climb into the back and try to calm my breathing. I can do this. I have to do this. Not just for Joel, but for the women who let me come here, and also for Reina, who is probably going to kick me out of the Society after this. If I can help save everyone, it will be worth it. Giving up my dream will be worth it. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I’ll actually believe it.
The gates open for my car once they see who I am. Two men are waiting to meet us outside of the house, and I relay that information through my comm. Inside, there are four more men with guns. Several mem
bers of the staff are on their stomachs on the floor. The women are crying, which makes me even angrier.
“You picked a bad time to come and visit your boyfriend,” one of the men tells me.
“I think I picked exactly the right time. Four times the fun, right?” I ask, touching my comm discreetly as I say it.
“You like it rough, don’t you?”
“Is there anything better?”
Before he can answer, the other women burst through the front door and we start to fight. They’re having no problem with the guys they take on, but I struggle a little with mine. I think I’ve got him, but he surprises with an uppercut that sends me crashing through the dining room doors.
* * *
Joel
“What’s going on?” Antonio yells into his phone as we hear loud crashes coming from outside the door.
Reina, who was about to call Matt with Antonio’s demands, looks like she wants to murder someone, and I don’t think it’s him at the moment. Something else is going on. I don’t know what, but it sounds like the cavalry has arrived. I don’t know why that makes her mad, but then, in a matter of seconds, I do.
The doors crash open and Sierra flies onto the dining room table, knocking plates everywhere. She flips to her feet and throws a knife straight through the heart of the man who followed her in. Reina stabs Antonio in the throat with a fork before he can react, and everything goes quiet. Jade and Darcy walk into the room nodding.
“We’re clear. They’re all taken care of. Ellie has the staff outside, waiting for the police to arrive,” Darcy says.
“What is she doing here?” Reina asks, glaring at them all, but focusing on Sierra.
“I’m finishing what I started when I came to the ball with Marcus,” Sierra says, weakly.
“No. You came here for Joel,” Reina tells her. Before turning to the other women. “She shouldn’t be here and you know it.”
“What the hell is going on?” I finally manage to ask.
“They are the Society. You are, aren’t you?” my mother asks, her eyes wide and her voice reverent. “There really is a secret society of women fighting against evil.”
Reina closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before answering. “This cannot leave the room, but yes, we’re the Society. At least some of us are. I need you to swear to keep this secret.”
“Will you wipe our minds if we don’t?” my father asks with a laugh.
“Yes,” Reina says, and we can tell she’s serious.
“Sierra? You’re a spy?” I ask.
“I’m in training.”
“We will discuss that once we’re back home.”
“Please, Reina. I had to help.”
“No. What you had to do is let people who know what they’re doing handle this.”
“I got us in here.”
“You think any one of the women you came here with couldn’t have gotten in?”
“No. Yes. I mean, of course they could.”
“What is it with you, Joel? Do you have a magic dick or something? Two of my recruits have jeopardized their dreams for you.”
“Greta never saw my dick.”
“Well, whatever mojo you have, keep it away from my eight recruits.”
“Eight?”
“As I said, we’ll discuss this when we’re alone. I trust you can get yourself home without a problem.”
“We came on the jet.”
“Yes, but you will not be returning that way. If one of us went rogue on a mission, we would lose our connection to the Society resources. You chose the path that led you here, and you must face the consequences. Starting now.”
“You can use my company jet,” Marcus tells her as I clench my teeth. “I mean, it’s the least I can do. I know you came here for Joel, but I still appreciate what you’ve done for me. Pretending to be my girlfriend last month and storming my castle today.”
“Pretending? You mean that was part of this—this Society thing?”
She turns on me, pinning me with the iciest stare I’ve ever received. “Yes, Joel. It was fake. I came here, put on a pretty dress, and tested out the Portuguese you’d taught me. And every second, I thought of you and how I wished you were the one I was here with.”
“She talked about you the whole time. I mean, she didn’t say it was you, but she told me she had a boyfriend and threatened to cut my balls off more than once,” Marcus adds.
“I didn’t know.”
But I knew. I knew something wasn’t right. I wouldn’t admit it myself, but deep down in my shattered heart, I knew she didn’t cheat on me. I just wasn’t man enough to believe it.
“I couldn’t tell you.”
“It’s all good. Now he knows, and you can be together again,” Marcus says.
She shakes her head. “It would never work. He’s a boob man, and I’m afraid I’m just too lacking in that department to keep him satisfied.”
“You know I only said that to hurt you.”
Two knives whiz past my face, one on each side, taking a few whiskers with them before they hit the wall. Reina looks at Faith first, then Jade.
“My hand slipped,” Faith tells her.
“Mine, too,” Jade says.
“I would’ve aimed lower,” Darcy adds with a shrug. “Just saying.”
“Enough!” Reina roars out the word and looks at Sierra. “This is what you gave up your dream for? Him?”
“Yes, and I’d do it all over again.”
I watch her walk out of the room, and now I know I was wrong. My heart wasn’t broken when I thought she was with Marcus, because I never really thought it was true. But now? Now it’s shattered into so many pieces that I don’t think I could find them all, even if I did want to put them back together one day. I’m ruined and wrecked, and I have no one to blame for it but myself.
* * *
Sierra
I grab my purse from where I dropped it on the floor in the living room. The police are already outside, and I’m forced to take some time and give a statement. They’re satisfied with my insistence that I just came here to visit Marcus and happened upon a hostage situation. I tell them I had to fight for my dignity. They offer me medical attention for the bruises and small cuts that are visible all over my body. I decline, because it’s the bruises they can’t see that hurt me most. Those can’t be fixed with a bandage.
Even though I refused medical attention, I accept a ride to the airport. Reina told me to fend for myself, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I have my passport, my wallet, and my phone, which means I’m not really struggling. There’s no direct flight to Vegas, but after what I’ve been through, a First World problem is the least of my worries, so I take the first flight out.
I’m too wound up to sleep on the flight to Miami, so I try to strategize. Reina’s pissed, and I know I’m in trouble. There has to be consequences for me, but I need to try and make sure they lean more towards probation than dismissal. I didn’t lie when I said I’d risk it all for Joel again, because I would. I love the Society, but I love him more. Even after everything, I love him. There’s no hope for us, but I had to do what I did. I won’t regret going into that house to save him, but I’ll also do almost anything I can to prove that I want to be part of the Society.
My shot at standby for an earlier flight doesn’t work out, so I have twelve hours in Miami. I want to go to the beach, but the adrenaline that kept me going on the plane is gone, and I’m just so damn tired. Tired of being heartbroken, tired of having to prove myself, and really, just plain tired. I check into the closest airport hotel, and sleep for a solid eight hours.
Once I’m back at the airport, I decide that it’s time to be brave and turn my phone back on. Most of the missed calls and messages are from Zack, but there are plenty from all of the mentors and recruits as well. Two messages stand out, and those are the ones that make my eyes fill with tears.
Joel: I love you, Sierra. I am so sorry for everything I said and did. I’m so sorry for ever doub
ting you. Please call me.
Reina: Do not go to your apartment when you get back to Las Vegas. I do not want you on any Corrigan property except for when you come to my office at 9 am tomorrow morning.
I don’t respond to either message. I don’t know what to say to Joel, and there’s nothing I can say to Reina before I see her tomorrow. Despite the hours of sleep I just had, I suddenly feel drained once again. I don’t have the weight of the world on my shoulders, but I do have the weight of my choices there, and they may just crush me before everything is said and done.
Chapter 16
Joel
“Were you really held hostage?” Glen asks me after practice the next day.
I probably shouldn’t be here. I’m not fit for human company, much less a ball game, but sitting in my apartment would drive me crazy.
“Yeah.”
It’s been all over the news, so there’s no point in lying. I’m not giving any details, but I can at least admit to my friends.
“That’s some crazy shit right there,” D.J. tells me.
“And what I walked into at your house wasn’t?”
“Speaking of that, why didn’t you stay? I had some girls for you.”
“When, since I’ve been back, have I given you the idea that I want even one bunny?”
“You kissed a few, and I heard you grabbed some chick’s tits after your first game.”
“If you heard that, you should’ve also heard that it didn’t go any further than that.”
“Why even go there if you weren’t going to follow through?”
“Because I’m a bastard.”
“She was disappointed that you didn’t take her home, but she still loved it. She came by to play later and told me.”
“I didn’t do it for her. She was just convenient. Nice to know she ran to you when I turned her down.” Yet another reason to stay away from those girls. I’m all for women having as much sex as they want, with whoever they want, but I was never comfortable being just a stop on the train, even when I was sleeping around.
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