Wicked Dynasty: The Untouchables | Book Two

by Vincent, Callie

  “Fucking David.”

  I leaned back in the beach chair, closing my eyes and letting the sun slowly crisp my skin. My stress level was as high as Dakota’s, but I tried not to let it show. It wasn’t like him to have such a short fuse. After a few more minutes of basking in the sun a shadow appeared, blocking out my sun. I didn’t need to open my eyes to know who it was. The smell alone gave him away.

  Derek flopped down into the chair next to me, the aroma of legal cannabis wafting into my airspace. I envied my little brother. His presence there was the only somewhat peaceful one. While we were operating under the ruse of a brothers’ vacation, Derek’s cooperation was required. Not that he minded. With his newfound freedom in taking his sexual preference public, he was enjoying everything the carefree life had to offer.

  “Let me see; it’s a little after noon, so I’m guessing Dakota is bitching about being here, and you’re about to pass out for another afternoon nap?”

  “You know us so well,” I chuckled. “Now let me try, smoking reefer and hitting on the bartender?”

  “Ding ding ding! Folks, we have a winner!” Derek laughed. “You two need to loosen up. Everything is going to be fine.”

  “Since when are you an expert on anything?” Dakota grumbled from beneath his straw hat. “When we need advice on matching our shoes to our ties, we’ll let you know.”

  Four ice cubes soared above me, landing directly on Dakota. The chair nearly toppled as he bolted upright in surprise. When Derek collapsed into laughter, Dakota kicked a deep burrow of sand at him, coating me in the process. I was on my feet in seconds, cursing at them both for catching me in the crossfire before storming off for the private beach bar a few dozen yards away.

  By the time I headed back for my brothers, Derek was walking in my direction. From where I was standing, itlooked like Dakota had succumbed to the alcohol again and passed out. At least he was easier to deal with when he was unconscious. When I reached Derek, I stopped, the look in his eye telling me we had something to discuss. I wasn’t sure I could handle any more bad news.

  “So where did you really disappear to earlier?” I asked him.

  Derek grinned. “I was looking for a computer, what’s so strange about that?”

  “Right.” I chuckled. “What’s wrong with the brand new one that you have? Why do I get the feeling your new purchase hasn’t been vetted by security?”

  “I was actually looking for something a little older. It was a long shot, so I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure, but it worked! So here I am.”

  “What?” I shook my head. “You are making absolutely no sense, and I’ve had too much to drink to try and figure out what you’re saying.”

  “Oh, really? Then I guess you don’t want to hear about my conversation with Audrey.”

  My heart raced at the mention of her name. Leave it to Derek to find a way to get hold of his best friend when Audrey had the top private and government-funded agencies working to isolate her. Admittedly, a little flutter of jealousy coursed through me. It seemed outright unjust that Derek got to speak with Audrey when Dakota and I were left in the dark. I pushed down the emotion, still eager to hear any news of the woman I loved.

  “You spoke with her? How?” I stammered. “She’s been cut off from everyone.”

  Derek shrugged. “She's been my best friend for a long time. We have secrets that you wouldn’t imagine. How I got ahold of her doesn’t matter. What matters is how well Dakota is going to take the news.”

  I shrugged. “I’m sure he won’t be thrilled that he didn’t get to talk to her, but it’s not the end of the world. How did she sound?”

  “Like she was miserable. As much as it sucks, that’s not the big problem.”

  I groaned. “Great, what’s going on? Please don’t tell me something got leaked, and we just haven’t seen it yet. I don’t know if I can handle that right now.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to worry about anything getting leaked now,” Derek said. “Hazel brought in a public relations firm.”

  “Maybe that’s for the best. On the off chance that it wasn’t David who took the picture, it's smart to be prepared with professionals.”

  Derek’s eyes lit up, a smile appearing on his face. “Great! Then you don’t mind being the one to tell Dakota?”

  “Of course not,” I said. “Honestly, I think you were being a little dramatic. You made it sound like it was going to be terrible news.”

  “Sorry.” Derek grinned. “I guess you were right, but I have a flair for the theatrics.”

  I clapped him on the back. “Don’t worry, little brother, you’re still my favorite. Now let’s go wake sleeping beauty over there, and I’ll tell him the news. Do we know what firm Hazel went with?”

  “Klaus Relations,” Derek whispered.

  I skidded to a stop, my drink sloshing over the rim and down my hand as I glared at Derek. The sneaky sonovabitch had tricked me. The name Klaus turned my stomach. Our family and theirs had done business several times before. When it came to keeping a clean image, they were the best. Still, they could have been royalty, and it wouldn't change the bad blood between my father's offspring and Carlisle Klaus’s.

  “That was a sneaky move,” I admitted. “Dakota is going to be furious. Should we tell him when he’s drunk or sober?”

  “Ha! There is no ‘we’ about it! You agreed to tell him. I don’t know what they did to earn his hatred, but I’m not getting in the middle of it. So, this is all you, big brother. Don’t worry, I’ll be on stand-by.”

  “You mean watching him blow his top? Did you bring popcorn for the show? This is going to be a bloodbath. We’ll tell him when he wakes up, gives him a little time to sleep off his anger.”

  “Pussy,” Derek whispered.

  I lunged for my brother, tackling him in the sand as we started to wrestle around. He’d gotten better, but I was still a good six inches taller and enjoyed working out. After a few minutes, I had him in a bear hug then draped over my shoulders. Despite his attempts to break free, I easily carried him out into the ocean up to my waist before chucking him into the water. He cussed until the waves washed over him. When Derek popped back up, he was laughing right along with me.

  While I hated being away from Audrey and felt like there were more important things we could be doing, I had to admit that I enjoyed the time with Derek. Dakota was turning out to be a stick in the mud, not that I’d expect anything less from him. Yet Derek’s laid-back demeanor was a surprise. He had a good head on his shoulders, even if we didn’t always see eye to eye on everything.

  “So, we are letting him sleep?” Derek asked.

  I nodded. “If there is one name that sends that man into a rage, it's that one. I don’t like the idea of the Klaus family spending time with Audrey either, but we’ve got no say in this.”

  “Do you really think he’s going to try and do something?”

  “I don’t know, God, I hope not. Audrey cares about us. She’s not going to be enamored with Kylan Klaus, not like Bethany.”

  “Oh shit, that’s who he is?” Derek stammered. “I didn’t make the connection. I only ever knew Kylan by his first name.”

  “You were young, too, when they lived in the States; hopefully, Kylan has nothing to do with the family business.”

  “Damn,” Derek muttered. “Maybe we shouldn’t tell him at all.”

  “Can you do any more digging on that old-fashioned computer of yours?” I asked.

  Derek nodded. “Yeah, what do you need?”

  “Find out if Kylan has joined his father’s firm,” I said.

  “Why not just look that up on our phones? I don’t think that’s top-secret information anyone is going to care about.”

  “If you do a search for Kylan Klaus and word gets back to Hazel Adams somehow, she’s going to know that you and Audrey are able to communicate.”

  “Damn, you really are a little Nancy Drew, aren’t you?” Derek joked.

  “Bite me, assh
ole. Can you find out or not?” I asked.

  “Yeah, no problem. I’ll head over there now and get back as soon as I can.”

  “Good, the sooner we find out, the faster we can tell Dakota. I don’t want him finding out some other way. At least if we tell him, we can somewhat control the situation.”

  Derek nodded and trudged the rest of the way out of the water. I sat back down quietly in my chair. For the first time since our arrival, I was worried that my brother was going to lose his top once and for all.

  3

  Audrey

  “I just don’t know why we are doing this so early in the morning,” I grumbled. “Since when do you make appointments for seven in the morning?”

  My mother didn’t look amused in the least. “They just flew in from London to meet with us. When they said seven, I jumped on the opportunity. Don’t forget why we are here.”

  “I know,” I said. “It’s just a little shocking, is all. I haven’t seen you this cheerful so early ever. It’s weird. I don’t know how I feel about it.”

  “I’ve seen you wide awake this early several times. Looking back, though, I realize that you were probably just still up from the night before.”

  “I’m not a wild party animal, contrary to what you think apparently,” I snapped.

  “I’m not going to get into this with you again. I’m sorry that you can’t seem to grasp what a dire situation this is. So dire, in fact, I had to bring in a specialist. You better pray that they can fix this mess or at least keep it contained. Have you heard from your creeper yet?”

  “I wouldn’t know; you took away my phone like I’m a sixteen-year-old.”

  “Right,” she muttered.

  “I can show you how to check the messages, you know. I don’t have anything to hide from you.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “I guess I didn’t really think that through.”

  You’ve had a lot on your plate,” I said. “I haven’t helped that.”

  “You’re doing something about it now,” she said. “That’s what matters. I’ve been hard on you, I know that.”

  “I deserve it.”

  “True.” She grinned. “But that doesn’t mean I love you any less. I’m proud of you for coming to me with this.”

  Before we could carry the conversation any further, the door to her study opened. Our house manager appeared, followed by a man and a woman. It was impossible not to be stunned by the woman’s beauty. She looked no older than twenty-two, but I’d read in the Klaus Relations biography that she was approaching thirty. She had the looks of a supermodel, her pantsuit hitting every curve. I felt frumpy in comparison, but my attention was soon pulled to the other member that had joined us.

  My mouth nearly dropped when his golden eyes locked on mine. They matched the perfect chisel of his jaw and platinum blonde hair, just like his sister. The pair looked like a matching set of Greek gods, golden and towering above us mere mortals. The way he carried himself reminded me of Dakota. I quickly pulled my gaze away from him. My body quickened as I turned my attention to the woman in the lead. Following after my mother, I shook both their hands before sitting back down.

  “Madam Vice President, thank you so much for this opportunity. It really is an honor that you reached out to us,” Molly said. “I’d like to introduce you to my brother Kylan Klaus. He’s finally decided to take a leading role in Klaus Relations.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” my mother said. “This is my daughter –”

  “Audrey Adams,” he said. “Unfortunately, a woman who needs no introduction. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Molly shot her brother a look. “What my brother means is that you’ve done a good deal of humanitarian work if I’m not mistaken?”

  “Correct,” I muttered. “However, I don't think that's what your brother was talking about. For someone who works in public relations, he doesn't seem very diplomatic.”

  “Audrey!” my mother hissed. “Watch your mouth!”

  “It’s fine,” Kylan assured her. “I was out of line too. It was more of a test really, I wanted to see if her temper was as short as I’d heard. It looks like I was right.”

  Molly cleared her throat. “Please forgive my brother. His tactics might seem extreme, but he’s proven very effective. Nonetheless, maybe Audrey should sit this conversation out.”

  I wanted to smack the smirk right off Kylan’s face. Stomping over to the loveseat in the corner of my mother’s study, I slumped down on it. Despite wanting to appear collected, I crossed my arms defensively across my chest. It was infuriating to be treated like a child. Especially with that cocky prick throwing punches that were just as low. Was I supposed to sit there and not react to his snide comments?

  “I understand your concern. Molly took the liberty of filling me in on your situation on the flight over. It sounds like you have a potential blackmail situation on your hands.”

  “Do you think it could be that serious?” my mother asked. “There’s a chance it might just be her boyfriend’s brother, David.”

  “And what if it is this guy’s brother? He may pose more of a threat in that case. Who knows what kind of lovers' quarrel we could be looking at,” Kylan said.

  “Oh, please,” I hissed. “David is a little creep and the most likely suspect, but good luck getting close to him.”

  “Unfortunately, I didn’t feel comfortable disclosing the particulars of whom Audrey’s relationship was with on the flight over,” Molly interjected.

  Kylan’s mask slipped for a split second as his mouth snapped shut, whatever retort he’d had on his lips falling silent. A look passed between the siblings before they turned to my mother for an explanation. Not that I was surprised, why would the pompous pair ask the one who was actually in the relationship? I bit the edge of my lip to keep from making another smart comment.

  My mother sighed. “Audrey was caught in a compromising position with Declan and Dakota Hartley, the sons of President Hartley. We believe their somewhat deranged brother, David, was responsible for the photo but can’t prove it.”

  “As of right now, neither the president nor the first lady knows about this. Security on this job needs to be tight, and Audrey’s reputation restored to near virginal if her mother is going to win the presidency,” Molly said.

  Kylan snorted. “That’s a tall order. So, Dakota and Declan Hartley? It’s no wonder my sister kept that little piece to herself. Had I known it was for them, I’d have come sooner.”

  “It’s not for them. Let’s get that straight right now. My concern is my daughter’s reputation. She’s cut off all communication with the first family for now. Of course, we can’t continue that. It was a temporary fix,” my mother said. “Is that going to be a problem?”

  Kylan shook his head. “Not at all. I think the Hartley boys should mind their own business, not drag your poor daughter into whatever drama they have going on. That tie should stay severed. Of course, public appearances are a must, but privately, it needs to stay buried.”

  “Have you considered taking her on the campaign trail with you? With Kylan as her handler, it might be the fastest and most effective way to do damage control,” Molly suggested.

  “She’s never gone on the campaign trail with me before,” my mother said. “I don’t see any reason why we couldn’t make that happen now, though. It would make sense, and the public would love to see more of her.”

  “Of course they would,” Molly said. “They still have a moderately positive image of her. All of that will change if they find out what she’s been doing.”

  Kylan cleared his throat. “Not to mention the field day that the president will have with all of this. Am I correct in assuming he’s not your biggest fan? This would open up several doors for him politically.”

  “That’s correct,” my mother said. “I have no doubt he’ll paint the situation unfavorably for Audrey and gain sympathy for his sons in the process. He’s been grooming his eldest for years. This may be the
shot he needs to run for office.”

  “I think Audrey painted herself unfavorably in this situation,” Kylan said. “Don’t worry, that’s why we’re here to fix this mess. You’d be surprised how often we have to do this. Granted, the relationships aren't quite this taboo normally.”

  “Are you freaking kidding me?” I snapped. “I’m not a fucking child!”

  The room fell silent as all eyes turned to me. I couldn’t take it any longer. There was no way I would continue to sit there like I didn’t have a voice of my own. I understood the situation better than they ever would. Being treated like I was nothing more than a pawn was degrading. My gaze leveled on Kylan Klaus, the smug look almost enough to warrant physical violence. Still, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

  “Audrey!” my mother snapped.

  “No. Don’t. I know that I got us into this mess, but I refuse to sit back and let you all pretend like I’m not here. You don’t get to dictate what’s going to happen to my life.”

  “Young lady, this is not up for discussion!”

  Something inside me snapped. “You’re right, it’s not. I’m not going to be a part of this. I’m not going on your campaign trail.”

  “Audrey, you agreed to do what it would take to get this mess cleaned up,” my mother said.

  “And I will, but not like this. I have never gone on the campaign trail with you before, and I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “Obviously, you do, or else we wouldn’t be here,” Molly said. “Let me walk you through the scenario. You decide that you don’t want to be a part of the solution. That’s fine. After all, you are almost twenty-one. Maybe nothing else will happen, and this will all disappear. More than likely, what’s going to happen is that you will run back to the brothers and make another spectacle of yourself. You keep saying that you don’t want to be treated like a child, yet you can't control yourself enough to be left alone.”

  “However, if you are adamant about not being part of the solution, your mother's campaign cannot afford to have you as part of the problem.” Molly turned to my mother. “You’ll need to make a public statement denouncing her lifestyle. In addition, she’ll need to find alternate living arrangements. We will need to speak with the president and Secret Service immediately. While I would recommend also cutting her off financially, I will leave that decision to you. I am not a mother and cannot begin to fathom the difficult position that you are in now.”