Stone Cold Fox (57)

Chloe and Calliope were fading fast, dozing in their seats. Sure, nightlife could be fun with the right crowd, but since all of us were forcibly hanging out together, I don’t think anyone anticipated any sort of after-party attendance in the wee hours. I wished I could join them in their slumber, but I had to stay spry. And with good reason.

The car turned on East Eighty-First Street.

I immediately sat up straighter.

Hackles fully raised.

Focused and sharp.

It couldn’t be.

But there it was.

I never wanted to see that house on East Eighty-First Street again.

The SUV parked in front.

It looked exactly the same.

Unassuming, but I knew what was inside.

Every single terrible thing.

Gale watched me take it all in, enjoying it, so I removed every emotion I could from my external body. Chloe and Calliope could never know. Or Collin for that matter. How did Gale know? The threat level from Gale had crossed into unprecedented territory. I felt sick.

“Here we are!” Gale chirped.

“What is it? Where are we?” Chloe asked, still half asleep from dozing in the car.

“I did some research. Nothing but the best for Bea. This is your gift.” Gale grinned.

“I don’t get it,” Calliope said. The driver opened the door for us to climb out of the back. I followed them, calculating my next move in my head. I could not go back inside that house. Never. Ever. Again. Not when I finally understood what it really was. It was a trap. Always a trap. My whole life with her was a trap. But Gale couldn’t know about this place. Gale couldn’t know about me, the real me.

And Gale couldn’t know about her.

“Everything all right?” Gale asked.

“Why wouldn’t it be? What is this place?” I asked, keeping my wits about me. I needed to stay emotionless. Stoic and still. Like Mother.

“It’s a party,” Gale said. “I had to pull some strings to score an invitation. It’s incredibly exclusive.”

“What kind of party?” Chloe asked.

“Is it a sex thing?” Calliope was practically salivating with curiosity.

“My lips are sealed.” Gale smiled, starting up the steps.

“What kind of strings did you pull exactly?” I asked. I needed to know how she knew, but she wouldn’t give me anything. She had the upper hand and she knew it. We both did. She could read me, though I was trying my damnedest to be a blank page. I had to try harder.

“Why doesn’t everyone stop asking questions and we head inside?” Gale said, leading the way.

Calliope swung an arm around me, urging me to follow Gale and Chloe up the steps. “Who knew Gale had it in her?” She laughed in my ear.

I did.



* * *



? ? ?

THE DOOR SWUNG open and we were greeted by a tall man in a hood. We couldn’t see his full face. I wondered if I knew him. If he’d recognize me. I felt like a different person by now, but did I look different? I’d thought I was an adult back then, but I was just a kid.

I kept my eyes down because I didn’t want to find out what that man knew.

I’d let Gale do the talking. I didn’t want to fall into any of her traps.

Inhale. Exhale. Just keep breathing.

“Guests of Hawkes,” Gale said. “There’s four of us.”

Hawkes? That wasn’t familiar, but the concept behind it was. Hawkes must have been somebody new, but code names were always a part of it. Some fun, some mystery, a game, it was all a game to them. Like little boys. But they were all grown men.

The hallway was dark, lit by candles. I remembered this particular theme. One of his favorites. Masquerade ball. I heard laughter coming from the great room to the right. The laughter was largely coming from the men. I slowed my breath. I had to keep my mind ahead of my body. It was taking more focus than I thought it would, but I never thought I’d be back here again. How could it look exactly the same? How could he still be doing this? Of course I knew the answer. Money. Power. Always money. Always power.

Inside I was crumbling. Remembering the ballroom. Being told to walk around, dressed in a skimpy silky pastel little thing made for a grown woman but I was still a little girl—a teenager is still a girl. Stop walking if one of the men asked me to. Talk to them, laugh with them. It was easy, she said. Didn’t I feel powerful? Like a grown-up? Wasn’t it only fair that I helped take care of her after she’d taken care of me for so long? It was fine until it wasn’t. She wouldn’t understand and I’d had to run away. But I couldn’t run now. The stakes had never been higher. What was my whole life for if I couldn’t handle this moment? Gale Wallace-Leicester could not see me falter. I would not allow it.

But still, all I wanted to do was run. Again.

“This is kinda creepy,” Calliope whispered to Chloe. “Who the fuck is Hawkes?” Chloe shrugged. I wished they would say out loud that they wanted to leave. Gale might put up a fuss, but the Case girls always got what they wanted, more or less. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t play into Gale’s hands at all. My only move was to go with the flow.

I was in hell.

The man in the hood said nothing to Gale in response. He simply motioned with his hand over to the great room. “Come on, girls,” Gale squealed, leading the way.