The next day
“I’ll give you nineteen hundred for that one,” the pawnshop owner says as he inspects the Valentino bag.
Fuck.
After not being able to swindle that last guy we lured for money because Lana decided to kill him prematurely, this was supposed to be the last-ditch effort. But this … “That’s not enough.”
“I’m sorry, kid. It’s not worth that much when it’s secondhand.” He lowers his glasses. “I can add a hundred on top of that if you give me that ring of yours, though.”
I lift my hand and stare at the ring my father once gave me after I’d made my first kill.
He was so proud of me.
A Phantom initiation ritual, he called it. My father and all of his friends once ruled this fraternity that I now lead. All of them went on to become some of the wealthiest businessmen in the world—some legitimate, some not so legitimate. None of it changed anything about who they were to each other; friends through thick and thin. Phantoms for life.
All because of the one secret they all carried to the grave.
I slowly push the ring off my finger and place it on the counter, the weight so heavy it feels like a drum is set off in my heart.
“Hundred.”
A hundred might just be enough.
The pawnshop owner smiles at me and takes both items below the counter, then starts sifting through his register for the cash, licking each bill as he counts before he smacks them down on top of the counter.
“Two thousand, as promised.”
“Thanks.” I take the money and turn around to watch my mother freak out over a skeleton in the back of the shop.
“Kai, do we really have to be here?” she asks, barely touching a bone before jolting up and down. “It’s so … musty.”
“Nope,” I reply, tucking my money into my wallet. “I’m done.”
“Wait, where’s your ring?” She grabs my hand to inspect it.
I jerk back. “Sold it.”
“¡Ay, Dios mío! Kai!” She throws me an insulted look. “You can’t be serious. Your father gave you that ring.”
“Sí. So it was mine to sell too,” I retort, walking right past her as I waltz out of the pawnshop.
The doorbell behind me rings as she steps out. “Kai, wait.”
“No, I have to get back to the Phantom house,” I reply.
“Why do you need that money?” she asks, walking beside me. “Your father and I give you an abundant allowance every month.”
I pause mid stride and look her dead in the eye. “Would you give it to me if I didn’t tell you what it’s for?”
She frowns. “Well… I mean … if you need something.”
“Not me. Mi amigo.”
She licks her lips. “Un amigo … Please tell me that Nathan boy isn’t involved. You know that boy and his parents can’t be trusted anymore. They’ve—”
“Fallen out of grace,” I parrot as she’s told me so many times before.
“Some things just can’t be undone.”
I look her dead in the eyes. “Would you give me the money?”
“No. Para nada.”
Of course she wouldn’t.
I walk back to the car.
“Do you know how expensive these last few months have been? Your eye surgery?”
A surgery that didn’t work because I still can’t fucking see shit through that eye.
“Besides, his family obviously can’t be trusted with money.”
“What?” I pause while opening the door.
“Well, with his parents being in jail, and everything they’ve done …” She swallows and throws me a snooty look. “I honestly believe you should stop associating with him.”
My brows furrow, and my nostrils flare. “After everything they did for us—”
“That is in the past.” She interjects. “We’ve already been grateful time and time again. Enough is enough, and with you acting this way, selling your father’s ring…” She grabs the door before I can throw it shut again. “Nathan Reed is a threat to our family. I need you to kick him out.”
I stare her down just as harshly. “No.”
I get inside, and she sits beside me with indignation marring her face. “What don’t you understand? His family is dangerous. He keeps asking you for money. If we get involved in that stuff, we’ll surely go down—”
“Since when are you afraid of cops?” I growl back.
“Well, I …” She stammers without giving me an actual answer. “I didn’t, I just—”
“Never mind.” I hit the gas and turn out of the parking lot. “I’ll deal with it on my own. Just like I always have.”
“And what about Nathan?” she asks.
“Phantoms stick together,” I reply as we race off. “Always.”
Lana
I stare at my drink and the bubbles fizzing to the surface, but my mind has gone off somewhere else. More specifically, the Shack and all the dirty things that happened there.
I can still see the dead body in front of me, melting away in that pool of blood while those boys pounded into me.
Vicious.
Heinous.
So fucking disgusting.
Yet my pussy still thumps every time a memory of them using me springs into my mind.
I should not be thinking about this. But why can’t I stop?
“Want a snack?”
I look up and almost jolt up and down from the sudden question.
Jason holds out a bowl of popcorn from which he’s casually taking small bites. “Sweet and salty.”
“Where’d you get that?” I ask.
“Stole it from the kitchen,” he replies casually like it’s the most normal thing to do. “Want some?”
“No thanks.”
He shrugs. “Your loss.” And he flops down beside me on the couch.
God, why did I have to bring him to my dad’s house again?
Oh right, my dad wanted to meet him, thanks to Felix blurting out I was half-assed dating him or something.
Felix busts into the room and watches with keen eyes how Jason throws his arm around my shoulders. “Dad says the cooks will have dinner ready at six.”
God, this fucking dinner at my dad’s house could not come at a worse time.
Suddenly, Penelope sits between us. “Hi.”
“Hey,” I reply, shifting in my seat.
I’m happy she jumped between us, though. I really do not want his sweaty armpits all over me.
“Are you okay? You seem a bit off.”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I tuck my hair behind my ear. “Just been a bit … occupied lately.”
“Spine Ridge does that, yeah,” she jokes. “Though, I have to admit, it’s mostly the boys that cause it.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” I reply, glaring at Jason.
She gives me a weird look. “What? I’m just here for the food.”
“I don’t mean him,” I say.
“Oh …” Her brow rises with piqued interest. “Well, tell me more.”
I’m not about to tell my brother’s girlfriend what I’ve been up to lately.
But maybe she knows something I can use against them. It’s worth a try.
“Ah, never mind, it’s nothing,” I say, adjusting my long, glittery purple dress. “I just want to know why Felix would make that list, you know? I don’t enjoy him trying to decide who I hang out with.”
She frowns. “What list?”
How does she not know?
I pull my phone from my pocket and show her a picture I took of the list. “He told me never to talk to any of these people. Why?”
“Wow, interesting,” Jason says, but I ignore him.
Penelope scoots uncomfortably in her seat. “Ahh … those Phantom boys are just … not a good crowd.”
“You say that like the Skull & Serpent Society is any better.”
She snorts. “Well, I guess you’re right there.”
“I just want to know if there’s a reason.”
“Oh, the Skull & Serpents and the Phantoms have never seen eye to eye from what I’ve been told. Even back in the day, when your dad was in there, there were always feuds between the different frat houses.”
“Interesting,” I reply. My father never told me about that.
In fact, I know shockingly little about his time before he met … her.
I shiver at the thought of the woman who birthed me.
“Anyway, is that why Felix and all his friends fought with them?”
Penelope looks around to see if he’s listening before she leans in. “Not just once. They fought several times, and those fuckers nearly got me killed.”
“Wait, what? You almost died?”
“Well, sort of. We had this whole fight. Felix, Dylan, and Alistair were involved too. It was quite a mess.”
“Yup,” Jason says, laughing. “I mean, I wasn’t there for most of it, but when I was, it always felt like an all-out war between us and them.”
Is that why they hate me so much? Because Felix is my brother, and I’m related to the Skull & Serpent Society? Or is it just because I caught them in their dirty schemes and this is all just a mad coincidence?
“Don’t tell Felix I told you all this,” Penelope adds casually like it’s nothing.
“Oh no, I would never,” I reply.
“It’d only give him more reasons to kill me too,” Jason muses, putting his hand on my knee.
“So why do you want to know about those Phantom boys in particular?” she asks.
“Oh, no reason. Felix just seemed to really hammer down on me about not even making eye contact.” I laugh.
“Baby, all you ever need to look at is me.” Jason flexes, making me gag.
Penelope laughs. “Don’t worry about any of it. We settled it all. Those boys are not your problem; they’re ours.”
If only she knew.
“Those Phantom boys did community service for their crimes.”
“But why were they fighting with you guys to begin with?”
She rubs her lips together. “They bullied my sister. We lost her.”
“Oh … I’m so sorry.” I take a sip of my drink.
“It was a long time ago,” Penelope responds. “We made sure they paid the price for their bullying.”
No wonder Felix didn’t want me to hang out with them. Now I’m even more conflicted about the fact that I seemed to enjoy the wicked games they play with me.
Someone behind us clears their throat, and we both turn our heads. It’s the head chef. “Dinner’s served.”
We get up and move to the table, where my father is already seated. Felix comes in and sits beside Penelope, pressing a greedy kiss to her cheek before he folds his arms and impatiently starts tapping his foot.
Meanwhile, Jason sits beside me and kisses my cheek to imitate them, but he feels a lot less welcome. I guess I’ll just stomach it and sit through this to get it over with. I know my father has wanted to meet him for some time now.
“Jason, right?” my father says when he lays eyes on him.
Jason leans over the table to shake his hand. “Yes, sir, nice to make your acquaintance.”
Oh Jesus.
I grab my glass of water and take a large sip.
“So … you’re the boy who’s got my daughter’s heart?”
I almost cough up the entire glass. “No.”
My father frowns. “Felix told me you were seeing him.”
“Well, we are sort of dating,” Jason says.
“No, we’re not,” I reply.
My father looks at Felix, but he only raises his hands. “You just asked me if she was seeing anyone.”
Penelope giggles beside me.
“So which is it?” my father asks.
“It’s undefined,” I reply.
“She’s shagging him,” Felix says, folding his arms. “I told her it was a bad idea.”
“Hey!” I lean forward to glare at him. “I don’t remember asking for your permission.”
“Lana, Felix, please, no fighting,” my father asks, and I try to simmer down for him, but it’s so hard when Felix keeps being all up in my business.
“I was just … having a good time with Jason, that’s it,” I mutter under my breath.
He squeezes my leg under the table, making it even more awkward.
“What’s up with you lately?” he whispers into my ear. “You haven’t dropped by my room in weeks.”
“I’ve been busy,” I whisper back.
The chefs enter the room with a ton of plates. “The first course of this evening. Foie gras parfait with port wine reduction and parmesan emulsion.” The chef places the plate down in front of me.
I make a face and look up at my dad, who seems elated by the food, but all I can think of is how many geese suffered for this.
“Our next dish will be wagyu beef strip loin with peppers and an array of steamed vegetables. For your dessert, we have selected the finest soft-baked chocolate, creamy caramel, pretzel Rocher, and local ice cream.”
“Delicious,” my father says.
“Enjoy,” the chefs say, and they all walk away.
My stomach is roaring, but I’m not eating that.
Meanwhile, Jason scoops it up like ice cream, making me want to throw up.
“Aren’t you going to eat, Lana?” my father asks as he takes a bite.
“I’m on a diet,” I reply, picking off a piece of the lettuce beside the foie gras, and I put it in my mouth to pretend I’m enjoying my food. “Saving some space for dessert.”
“A diet? With your figure?” Penelope says, equally unamused by the foie gras, as she pokes at it with her fork.
I throw her a look. “I’m waiting for the main course.”
“You can just say you don’t like liver,” Felix says, stabbing the foie gras like it’s still alive. “I don’t.”
My father sighs as he puts down his fork. “Kids …”
Kids? Really?
“I thought you said you wanted one-on-one time together?”
“That was her idea, not mine,” Felix balks.
“Hey!” I clench my fork tightly. “That’s not fair, and you know it. I didn’t say we needed to have dinner. I just said—”
“You wanted to feel more like a family.” My father interjects.
A blush creeps onto my cheeks. “Right.”
“Well, we’re here together now,” Penelope says, but her face reveals the situation’s awkwardness.
“Yes. My family together as one. Let’s not fight over something as petty as food.” My father flicks his fingers at the chef waiting in the corner. “Bring my daughter something else.”
“Of course, sir.”
The chef quickly comes to take my plate.
Felix stares at me like it’s my fault they didn’t take his too.
“So, Lana, how are your studies coming along?” my father asks as he takes a bite.
“Oh, it’s fine. I’m getting good grades, and it’s not that hard so far,” I lie.
I don’t want him to worry about me.
“And have you made friends besides Crystal, and of course Jason?”
“Definitely,” I reply.
“Irina and …” Penelope mutters.
“Brooke,” I say.
“Right. I’ve seen you around with them. At one of the Rivera clubs too, right?” she muses.
My veins grow icy cold, and I put down my fork. “I wasn’t feeling well that day.”
“That’s a shame,” my father says. “I mean, you should be able to enjoy your time off at campus while you still have it.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Well, once you finish with your studies, much work will be waiting for you. I suppose it’ll all depend on how much your future husband will take on so that you’ll still have some time—”
“I’m sorry, what?” I say and glance at Jason. “Future husband?”
“Wow … what?” Jason seems confused.
“Yes. We already talked about this.” My father’s eyes almost bore a hole into my head. “You carry our name. That comes with certain privilege but also with obligations.”
“Obligations …” I hold the napkin in my hand so I have something to squeeze. “You mean marriage?”
“The Rivera empire must be continued,” he says, taking another bite. “You know that. And Felix won’t be able to do it on his own.”
“That’s not fair,” Felix barks. “I’m more than capable of—”
“Fighting for our name, yes.” My father interrupts. “But we need someone to make alliances as well, someone to barter deals, someone with wit and the balls to hold off when needed.”
Penelope snorts and hides her laughter behind her sleeve when Felix throws her a killer glare. And I kind of dig the low-ball insult to his intelligence.
“My point is, you two form a good team,” my father continues. “And for a business to be successful, it must be run by a family unit. You’re on your own, you need a trusting partner, and I have my connections.”
My eyes widen, but I don’t even know how to respond.
“Well.” Jason clears his throat. “As it stands, my family and their aviation company are well known across America. I intend to take over for them one day, so of course I would be more than happy to join hands with your esteemed family.” Jason grabs my hand. “And I am more than willing to marry your daughter.”
I have to put a stop to this.
I scoot back my chair and stand. “Look, I have no intentions of marrying anyone, let alone—”
Suddenly, my phone buzzes, and I fish it out of my pocket.
Nathan just sent me a picture.
I frown and open it up, but all it does is bring me more rage.
It’s my body on the pavement in that alley, covered in cum.
Nathan: Two thousand. That’s what I need. If you don’t bring it before eight o’clock tonight … this might end up in the wrong hands.
I almost crush the phone with my bare hands.
He’s blackmailing me?
“What’s wrong?” my father asks.
“I gotta go,” I say, right when the chef returns with my newly created dish. A perfect Caesar salad for a hungry soul. But I’ll worry about filling this stomach with food later.
As I march out the front door, someone grabs my shoulder and stops me. “Where are you going?” Jason asks.
“I have to meet someone. Now.”
“Can’t it wait?” he asks. “I thought you said this dinner was important. I want to make a good impression.”
“Yeah, well then go back inside and talk with my dad.”
“I can’t do that if you’re not there too,” he says. “He thinks you’re my girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?!” I parrot. “Look, I don’t have time—”
When I take one more step, he grips my wrist and steals my phone straight from my hand.
“Hey!” I try to snatch it back.
His eyes widen.
Too late.
He’s seen the picture.
“What … what is this?” he murmurs, his voice laced with disgust. When he looks up at me with bloodshot eyes, I can barely look away. “Did you take this?”
“No,” I reply.
“Then who did?” he asks, swallowing. “You’ve been … fucking other guys? Is that why you’ve been so distant?”
I snatch the phone back from him.
“Why? Tell me why, Lana.” His voice fluctuates in tone like his ego is bruised. “Why would you do this to me? I thought we were—”
“They’re extorting me,” I interject.
“Who is they?”
“Does it matter?” I scoff. “I don’t want the picture they took to be seen by anyone. I didn’t mean for you to see it, but I guess it’s too late for that now.”
“Yeah, I won’t be able to get that filth out of my brain any time soon.”
I frown. “Well, you sound very supportive.”
“I’m sorry, Lana,” he says, sighing. “I mean, what do you expect? I’m seeing my girl completely covered in some other man’s cum. Of course I’m upset. I mean, why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“Who the fuck should I tell about this, huh?” I scoff. “Felix?”
“No. I don’t know.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “All I can think of is those fuckers having their hands on you …” He shakes his head. “I can’t. I can’t fucking deal with this, man.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m just saying, they must’ve had a reason. And I know how sexy you are and how that might give people the wrong ideas.”
“What?” My jaw drops. “Are you blaming me for this?”
“No, that’s not what I mean. It’s just that … I don’t want people to look at you like this.”
“Neither do I!”
“I don’t know how to deal with this.”
I can’t believe this.
“So you’re just abandoning me?”
“I … I’m sorry, Lana. I don’t … I can’t … ”
He can’t even finish his fucking sentence.
Coward.
“Fine,” I seethe, then turn around and march off.
“I’m sorry!” he yells. “I’ll tell your father we … broke up.”
I turn around only to yell at him. “Can’t break up if you were never my boyfriend!”
I flip him the bird and jump on the bike that I rode here on.
“Hey! How am I supposed to get back home now?” Jason asks, running up to me.
“Fucking figure it out yourself,” I growl, and I rev up the bike. Right as I bolt off, I yell, “And by the way, I faked all of my orgasms!”
The shocked look on his face is a small victory on an otherwise sour night.
But I don’t want to think about him any longer. With no time to waste, I have a bully to meet up with.
