The Rake (Boston Belles #4)(92)

I shook my head. “Not if you keep your end of the bargain and leave him for good.”

“I will. I am,” she corrected herself. “He screwed me over. I’m not going to forgive him for what he did to me and my baby.”

I tucked the checkbook back into my pocket, giving her a wry smile. Even if Belle wasn’t safe from Frank, his ex-girlfriend now was, and that was something too.




On the way back to my office, I called Sam. He picked up on the first ring.

“If this is about Frank, I’m still trying to find him. He slipped under the radar.”

I choked up the steering wheel. I did not like to be in a point of disadvantage, but right now, that was exactly where I was.

“Are you looking into Louisa and my mother too?”

“Yes.” I heard Sam clicking away on his laptop. “And I can’t yet rule them out. There’s a lot of money anchored to that goddamn will you’re ignoring, and all of it’s tied to assets and valuables. I can see your mother’s incentive.”

“What about Louisa?”

“Ah, that bag of fucking English Delights,” Sam spat out. “Yeah, she is still an option too. It appears that her family is not half as wealthy as they claim to be. I pulled some reports from the private Swiss account they’re using. Whatever they have in HSBC in Britain, both private and business accounts, is not enough to maintain their lifestyle for the next five years. So I can see why Butchart is being pressured to marry you. She needs to save her and her brothers’ skin. The cash pool is dwindling fast.”

“Well, that’s a shite show.”

“Word, Nancy Drew.”

“How the fuck did it get this far?” I wondered aloud.

For two decades, I’d been careful to stay out of trouble, and now it seemed like trouble found me every step of the way.

“Well, let’s see. You had unfinished business across the pond, as you Brits like to call it, the woman you’re with is a goddamn menace and shouldn’t be left to her own devices, and on top of all this, you seem to have a golden cock because everyone wants it.”

“My cock only wants Emmabelle,” I said grumpily. “Isn’t that sad?”

“Fucking tragic.”

“Promise me one thing,” I said.

“No,” Sam answered flatly. I went ahead anyway.

“That nothing happens to Belle.”

There was silence on the other line. I slowed my Bentley and came to a stop in front of a traffic light. Finally, he spoke.

“Nothing’ll happen to Emmabelle. You have my word.”





Fifteen Years Old.



I end up spending summer break in Southie.

Mom and Dad are bummed that I haven’t gone to a training camp. Even more so that I don’t want to go back to cross-country next year. They’ll survive.

Persephone and Sailor are blossoming into little women. It’s nice to watch, even if I’ve never felt more uncomfortable in my bones than I do now. Ross, now fifteen, experienced his first sloppy kiss. With a guy named Rain who was vacationing with his family on the Cape at the same time Ross was there with his family. They exchanged numbers, but when Ross got home and called, he realized a number was missing. He’s been crying and laughing about it for days now.

Me, I made it my mission to turn myself into a chameleon. I start putting on makeup and experimenting with my hair and clothes. Anything to make myself more comfortable in my skin. The good thing about this whole year is that my knee is no longer suffering. It still hurts but it doesn’t feel like death anymore.

I walk back from Ross’ place. Jokes aside, he’s been pretty bummed about the whole Rain thing. I wish I could tell him things could be much worse as far as first kisses go. But I know he’s going to freak out if I mention Coach, and honestly, it doesn’t even matter at this point. It’s done. Over.

I bob my head to the sound of “Hate to Say I Told You So” by The Hives, trying to lighten my own mood. Maybe I’ll ask Persy and Sailor if they want to catch a movie or something. Get all the sugar rush from the soda and eat buttered popcorn.

I take the shortcut to our apartment through an alleyway, when a blue car pulls up and blocks my way to the other side. Its blueness hits me in the gut immediately.

Brenda?

I rip my headphones from my ears, turn around, and start running without finding out. I hear a car door open and slam shut behind me. My knee slows me down, but I’m still fast as hell. All I need is to get to Main Street and then it’s done. There’s nothing she can do to me.

But then I feel a hand grab onto my throat, and I’m being dragged back into the alleyway, kicking and screaming. I can tell it’s not Brenda. Brenda wouldn’t be faster than me. And her palms wouldn’t feel so rough.

“Hello, little liar. Where’s Jeff? I’ve been keeping an eye on you all summer and noticed you haven’t met a single boy. Even with your slutty new look.”

His voice makes me want to throw up. I roar savagely, throwing fists everywhere.

He cups my mouth to shut me up. I feel Coach’s fingers behind the small of my back as he unbuckles himself. Tugs my mini skirt up.

No, no, no. no.

“Now, now. You can go and fuck whoever you want after I’m done with you, but I’m going to pop that sweet cherry. Let me just grab a condom.”