Coldhearted Heir (The Heirs Book 1)

by Michelle Heard

  Dad locks eyes with me, his expression saying he doesn’t care much for what I think of Brady. “He’s a boy, and you’re a girl. No amount of being sweet and caring can overrule hormones.”

  My eyes widen, and I glance at Ryker and Mila, who look like they’re seconds away from cracking up, then I turn my shocked expression back to dad. “Are you seriously going to give me the birds and the bees talk in front of everyone?”

  “That’s enough, Rhett,” Mom scolds Dad. She gets up and comes to give me a hug. “Have fun, Bean.”

  Playfully, I narrow my eyes at Mom because she still calls me by the nickname they gave me as a baby.

  With a loving smile, she murmurs, “You’ll always be our little bean.” Then she turns to Ryker. “Drive safely and no drinking.”

  “Yes, Aunty Evie.”

  I lean down and give Dad a hug. “Love you, Daddy.”

  His arms wrap around me, and he pulls me down until I’m sitting on his knee. Giving me a worried look, he says, “I worry about you, Bean. Boys only have one thing on their minds.”

  “Rhett, I’m certain Brady’s mind doesn’t work anything like yours did when you were a teenager.”

  Mom gives him a stern glare, which has Dad looking chastised. “If I knew I’d be paying for my sins…”

  “What? You’d walk the straight and narrow? We both know that’s impossible when it comes to Rhett Daniels and his friends.”

  “Mhh…” I tease. “I feel like there’s an interesting story I want to hear.”

  Dad pushes me up. “Nope, nothing interesting in my past.” He rises from the chair and walks toward the front door. “Have fun, guys. Ryker, have Jade home by midnight.”

  I grin, and when I reach the front door, I press another kiss to Dad’s cheek.

  He gives me a warm smile and whispers, “Love you, Bean.”

  The drive to the Reyes’ Mansion is a quick one, and when I walk out onto the veranda, Hunter calls out, “Bean’s finally here.”

  Grinning at him, I break out into a run. Hunter catches me in a big bear hug, and asks, “How’s my favorite girl?”

  “Good.” He waits for me to press a kiss to his cheek before setting me down on my feet. Glancing over his designer jeans and t-shirt, I say, “I like the new clothes. You always look good in black.”

  “Because it fits my dark soul,” he teases.

  “Yeah, right.” Turning to Jase, I say, “Happy birthday, Jase. How does it feel to be twenty?”

  “No different from yesterday.” Jase gives me a warm smile. “I still can’t legally drink, which sucks huge hairy donkey balls.”

  I scrunch my nose. “Eww.”

  As I step closer to Kao, he gets up and gives me a hug. “Hey, Little Bean.”

  Smiling, I hug him back. Every day, I thank my lucky stars that I have such a big group of friends. Our parents are either related, best friends, or business partners.

  “When are you going to stop calling me Little Bean?” I ask Kao.

  Frowning at me, he asks, “So, it’s okay if Hunter calls you Little Bean, but not me?”

  Shaking my head, I step forward and wrap my arms around his waist. Resting my cheek against his chest, I mumble, “He calls me Bean. Lose the little, and I’ll stop giving you lip.”

  Pressing a kiss to the top of my head, Kao replies, “You’ll always be Little Bean to me.”

  “Jade!” Mila calls from the sliding doors. “Brady’s here.”

  “Can you send him out here?” I’m about to walk to the veranda, but Hunter grabs hold of my hand and glares down at me.

  “How’s Brady treating you? You’re not doing anything stupid, right?”

  My eyes widen at his words. “Gross, Hunter. You sound like my dad.”

  “Unlike your dad, I’ll fuck Brady up if he tries anything with you.”

  Shaking my head, I hold Hunter’s intimidating gaze. “Yeah, you and every other man in my life. Give it a rest already.”

  The blue of his eyes darkens around the pupil, which is a clear sign he’s dead serious. Not wanting him to give Brady a hard time, I close the distance between us and take hold of his jacket. Giving him a pleading look, I say, “Let it go, please. I won’t do anything irresponsible.”

  Hunter tilts his head to the left, his features not softening at all as he stares at me.

  Damn, he’s just like his father.

  “Trust me, Hunter,” I whisper.

  He lets out a deep breath, then says, “I trust you, but I’m still going to kick his ass if he tries anything.”

  Forest, Fallon’s younger brother, comes to stand by us and pats Hunter’s shoulder. Even though he’s a year younger than me, the older boys in our group never treat him like a kid. Nope, they keep the special kiddie treatment for the girls.

  “Dude, chill. Brady’s the shy wimpy kind. Jade could knock him out with one punch.”

  “Forest!” I chastise him. “You don’t have to be mean. Brady’s just sensitive. Unlike the lot of you.”

  Deciding I’ve had enough lectures for one day, I go to greet the rest of my friends, and when I’m done, I turn to the most important people in the group.

  My girls.

  Smiling, I walk to where Mila, Fallon, and Hana are standing with Brady.

  When I reach them, I hook my arm through Brady’s and grin at my friends. “Thank you for keeping Brady company while I did my rounds.”

  “Shouldn’t I greet everyone?” Brady asks, his eyes scanning over my group of friends. Brady, being an introvert, is always anxious around my friends.

  “No, it’s okay.” I glance up at him, and when we make eye contact, my stomach flips, and the sensation makes my heart beat faster. “Do you want anything to drink?”

  “No, thanks. I’m good.”

  More people begin to arrive, and soon music is blasting as the party gains momentum. Uncle Julian and Aunt Jamie, Jase’s parents, have gone out for dinner and will be back in a couple of hours. Knowing my time is limited, I glance up at the mansion. The house has eight bedrooms, and I intend to borrow one of them tonight. I know the east wing is quiet and that Jase’s parents only use that part of the house for guests. It’s also the furthest point from the party.

  My girls said they’d cover for me if anyone asks where I am.

  Turning my eyes away from the house, I look at my friends. Mila leans closer to me and whispers, “Are you sure?”

  I nod and give her a reassuring smile. “Never been more sure in my life.”

  When I first mentioned to the girls that I want to lose my virginity to Brady, they all protested. They thought I wanted to have sex because girls in our grade were losing their virginities like it was nobody’s business. But after I told them how much I love Brady, they supported me.

  I take hold of Brady’s hand. “Do you want to take a walk with me?”

  Brady grins and links our fingers together. “Yeah, sure.”

  We walk back into the house, and I head in the direction of the stairs. Peeking over my shoulder, I make sure no one noticed we left the party before we take the stairs up.

  “This place is huge,” Brady comments as we stop so he can peek into the rooms and satisfy his curiosity.

  “Yeah. The east wing is quieter, though. Aunty Jamie only uses it for guests.”

  Brady’s always been the silent and introverted type, so I know it’s up to me to start the conversation.

  When the music has faded to nothing more than a thumping beat in the distance, I glance up at Brady. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

  “Yeah? What?” Brady turns his warm brown eyes to me. I first fell in love with his soft, kind eyes. Brady’s the kind of person who wouldn’t hurt a fly.

  “We’ve been dating for a year, and I was wondering whether you’re ready to take the next step in our relationship?”

  A nervous look tightens his boyish features, and I almost begin to regret asking when he swallows hard and then says, “First, I need to tell you something.�
��

  A wide smile spreads across my face. “Okay, let’s go into the room so we can have privacy.”

  I shut the door behind us, and I’m about to reach for the switch against the wall to turn on the light, but Brady’s hand darts out, stopping me. “Can… can we leave the light off?”

  It’s not that dark with the curtains open, and knowing how painfully self-conscious he is, I agree. “Sure.” There’s a minute's silence, then I ask, “Do you want to sit on the bed while we talk?”

  Brady nods his head, and when we’re both sitting, he takes hold of my hand. His eyes shine as they slowly meet mine. “I want my first time to be with you, as well. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Jade.”

  My smile softens and I press a kiss to his mouth. “I love you, Brady.”

  “I love you too, Jade.” A nervous expression flits across Brady’s face. Patiently I wait for him to continue with whatever he wanted to talk about.

  He takes a deep breath and rising back to his feet, he nervously grips hold of the hem of his shirt. “It’s hard to talk about it.”

  Thinking that he’s referring to us having sex, I give him a warm smile to encourage him.

  Before Brady can say anything else, the door to the room slams open and bright light blinds me for a moment.

  “What the fuck is going on in here?” Hunter’s voice is like a bolt of lightning.

  My eyes dart to the doorway, and seeing Hunter with our friends right behind him, embarrassment washes over me like hot lava.

  “N-n-nothing,” Brady stammers, his eyes wider than mine.

  “Nothing, my ass,” Hunter barks. “Get away from her.”

  Cowering, Brady rushes to the door without even looking at me.

  “Hunter!” I jump off the bed and come to a stop right in front of him. “You’re overreacting.”

  His eyes blaze down on me. “I’m pretty sure I’m not. Any idiot can guess what the two of you were doing up here in the dark.”

  My cheeks are on fire and needing to make sure Brady is okay before I get into a fight with Hunter, I try to leave the room. Hunter grabs my arm, pulling me back. “You stay here. I’ll take Brady home.”

  Not waiting to hear what I think or how I feel, Hunter leaves and rushes after Brady.

  Shocked by how quickly the night turned into a disaster, my eyes dart over my friends.

  Mila is the first to react and comes to place her arm around me. “Hunter noticed the instant you and Brady left,” she explains.

  “He ruined it all,” I mutter, my embarrassment bleeding into disappointment.

  Chapter 7

  HUNTER

  Things have been quiet with Jade, which I should be thankful for, but it grates me that even though we live in the same suite, we never talk.

  Thinking of the devil…

  I’m on my way to the library when I spot Jade coming out of the wide doors. Her attention is on a book in her hands, and it gives me a moment to steel myself before I have to interact with her.

  “Hunter.” Hearing Melinda Roberts’ voice, I let out a groan.

  I glance over my shoulder and seeing that she’s with her group of friends, which includes Jessica Atwood, my mood instantly sours.

  Fuck, I’m not in the mood for this.

  When Melinda reaches me, she tries to give me an intimidating scowl. “Jessica told me how nasty you were to her.”

  I let out an aggravated breath and turning away from the group of socialites, I come face to face with Jade. Her dark eyes flick from me to the group behind me.

  “Don’t turn your back on me,” Melinda almost screeches.

  Right now, I’d rather face a hundred Jades before I have to spend a second with Melinda and her clique.

  A frown begins to form on Jade’s forehead, and she comes to stand next to me, facing the girls. “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”

  Her words shock me, and slowly I turn my head so I can see her face.

  Fuck, she looks pissed, but I’m not missing this for anything in the world.

  I watch Melinda’s cheeks redden with outrage. “This is none of your business.”

  Jade lets out a dark chuckle, and I wonder whether I should warn the girls their lives might be in danger.

  “Oh, honey.” Jade smiles sympathetically at Melinda. “What you fail to realize is that Hunter Chargill is none of your business. Stop aiming so high. The fall back to earth might kill you.”

  Melinda sneers at Jade. “What you fail to realize is that we have the same status. You don’t get to talk down to me.”

  Jade takes a threatening step closer to the girls. “That might be so, but it won’t stop me from kicking your ass.”

  Melinda flicks her hair over her shoulder and gives me an angry look. “We’re not done, Hunter. We’ll talk when your dog is on a leash.”

  “Fuck,” I exclaim as Jade drops her book and pulls her arm back. I move fast and wrapping my arms around Jade, I yank her back before she can hit Melinda.

  “Let go of me,” Jade hisses.

  “Nope, it’s too early in the year for lawsuits.” I tighten my hold on her, pinning her back to my chest. My icy glare collides with Melinda’s. “You better leave if you don’t want your face rearranged.”

  Luckily the girls turn around, and in a cloud of disapproving remarks, they leave.

  Jade stops struggling, and I peek at her face to make sure it’s safe to let her go.

  She gives me an annoyed look. “I wasn’t going to hit her hard.”

  “Yeah, right.” Stepping away from her, I tilt my head. “Since when do you care about how people address me?”

  Rolling her eyes, she crouches down and picks up her book. “It’s not about you. If the students get away with treating you like shit, they’ll do the same to Fallon and Hana.”

  I never thought of that. “And here I was trying to fly under the radar.”

  Jade lets out a burst of air. “Yeah, that’s never going to happen. Grow a pair and stand up for yourself. I don’t want my friends to suffer, because you’re a coward.”

  I have to close my eyes and grind down on my teeth, so I don’t lose my shit. “You know, for someone that’s so fucking vocal about people staying out of her business, you’re damn quick to stick your nose into others.” Not giving her time to respond, I stalk away.

  That woman will be the end of my sanity one of these days!

  Before I reach the steps of the library, Nate Sparks, a junior at the academy, approaches me. His friends are right behind him when he says, “You should give Melinda a chance. She’s a sweet piece of ass.”

  After my fall out with Jade, I have zero patience left. “Fuck off.”

  “You seriously need to get laid, dude,” Nate chuckles.

  Stepping closer, I crowd his personal space. “Who the fuck do you think you’re calling dude?”

  Cowering backward, he holds his hands up in a surrendering gesture. “Chill. I’m just being friendly.”

  Pushing past the fucker, I growl, “We’re not friends.”

  I stalk into the library, and students quickly part in front of me.

  It’s going to be a long fucking year.

  Just wanting to hang with my friends, I agree when Jase says we should all go to Studio 9, a club nearby that only the elite can get into.

  I’m dressed in a black pair of chinos and a button-up shirt. Grabbing my wool-cashmere topcoat, I shrug it on. When I step into the living room, Mila lets out a whistle and teases, “Ladies, hold onto your ovaries. All the hotness in the world just arrived.”

  “Yeah, and dressed in black just like his soul,” Jase adds, shooting Mila a scowl.

  When will my friend admit he is hopelessly in love with Mila?

  “Everyone ready?” I ask as I adjust the Rolex on my wrist.

  “We’re waiting for Jade. Fallon is trying to get her into a dress,” Hana explains.

  “Fallon failed,” Jade suddenly says behind me. I glance over my shoulder,
and my eyes land on the ample cleavage showing from the low-cut silk blouse she’s wearing.

  I press my lips together, trying not to comment about what I think of her clothes, but fail miserably. “I don’t know why you make a fuss about wearing a dress when your top hardly covers everything.”

  “Someone wants to die young,” she mutters as she walks by me.

  JADE

  Asshole.

  When we step out of the building, Jase grabs Mila’s hand and drags her to his car. When she smacks him against the shoulder, I grin, but it quickly drops from my face when I notice Fallon and Hana following after Kao and Noah.

  “Hana,” I call out and jog to catch up with her. “Will you go with Jase and Mila?” I really don’t want to be in the same car as Hunter.

  “Sure.” She walks over to Hunter and links her arm with his.

  I climb in the back, and when Noah gets in next to me, I grin at Fallon. She scrunches her nose at me as she takes the passenger seat, next to Kao.

  Yep, love is in the air. It’s only a matter of time before they pair up.

  Now that I’m spending more time with my friends, I’m actually getting excited as I watch them fight their feelings for each other.

  The drive to the exclusive club is filled with small talk. The parking area is already full when we arrive, which is typical for a Friday night.

  Due to the Reyes, Chargill, and Cutler names being practically godlike, we’re seating in the VIP section that overlooks the entire bottom floor.

  Jase goes to stand by the chrome barrier and glances over all the girls' below, probably looking for his next target.

  A waiter takes our drinks order, and I settle for a coke. I swing my leg lightly, trying to get into a party mood.

  “Let’s go dance. We’ll loosen up faster that way,” Fallon says, already getting up and heading for the stairs. Mila, Hana, and I follow behind her, and she quickly makes space for us on the crowded floor.

  I sway to the beat as I smile at my friends, but it’s not even a full minute, and a group of guys joins us. Justin, Nate, Chris, and Eric are basically the male equivalents of Summer Clarke and her friends.