Page 8 of Secrets Unveiled

Frieda is a fiery redhead, with bright blue eyes that make it hard to concentrate when she’s talking to you. She, too, is in a dress, but hers is more of the flowy type. Longer in the back than in the front. She is a little shorter than Bristol, but her heels make them look the same height.

“Of course, today had to be the day it rained. Mother Nature loves to fuck up our outfits,” Frieda says as she shakes her dress to get the water off the fabric. I lean against the wall, watching the two girls fiddle with their outfits. Thank God Sage doesn’t like to dress like that—I wouldn’t let her out of the house if she did. Just then, Sage comes running out from the kitchen right past me, and my heart stops. She’s wearing tight leather pants, and what I consider to be a microscopic tank top that barely covers her chest. Her abdomen is on full display as well as her cleavage. Her long blonde hair is curled effortlessly, and the smell of fresh citrus fills my nostrils as her perfume invades me.

“Yay! You’re both here! Now we can go,” Sage says as she and Ophelia embrace both Bristol and Frieda. Ophelia is dressed almost the exact same as Sage, and from behind you’d think they were twins. The only difference is their hair length. Ophelia’s is short, only reaching her shoulders, where Sage’s is long, practically touching the top of her ass.

“And where are you all off to?” I say through gritted teeth. Pulling out my cell and sending a quick text to Saxon telling him to get the hell out here. Let’s hope he doesn’t let her out of the house like that. Sage whirls around, her eyes meeting mine in shock. She wasn’t expecting to see me. None of them were. Ophelia practically screams when she turns around to stare at me.

“Jesus, Saint. You scared the lights out of me. I didn’t even know you were here.” Sage places her hand over her chest as if she’s trying to catch her breath. My eyes dart to where her hand lies, right at the top of her cleavage, and my dick twitches in my jeans at the sight. I don’t miss the nudge Ophelia gives Sage, as if silently talking among themselves while they both continue to stare at me, but it’s Bristol who talks.

“We’re going to Capital Vice.”

“Shhh, Bristol,” Ophelia says, giving me all the information I need. The girls didn’t want me or the rest of the guys to know where they planned to be tonight.

“Shit, my bad. I didn’t know we were keeping it a secret,” she whispers to Ophelia, before looking over at Bristol, who gives her a shrug of her shoulders. My eyes land on Sage, her silvery eyes look towards the floor before she straightens up and gives me a look of defiance.

“Yes, the girls are taking me out for my birthday, and we all decided on dancing. Is that okay with you, Dad?” I love it when Sage talks to me in that sassy tone. I chuckle to myself, pushing my back off the wall and placing my hands in my jeans pockets before taking a step closer to them. I watch her swallow at not knowing what my next move is.

“No, he’s not your dad, but I’m your brother, and what I say goes.” I don’t even need to turn around to know Saxon just entered the foyer behind me. He walks past me, coming to a stop right in front of Sage, making her crane her neck to look up at him.

“You know how dangerous it is to go out dressed the way all four of you are?” His tone is low and harsh. Sage doesn’t answer right away; she just narrows her eyes on her brother before Ophelia speaks up from her side.

“We are just going dancing. No harm in that, right Sax?” I can’t see Saxon’s face from where I’m standing, but the way Ophelia just looked away from him has me thinking it wasn’t the look she was expecting. Sage sighs, dropping her face to the floor in utter defeat, and it hurts my chest, watching her like that.

My phone chimes in my pocket, and I take it out, giving it a quick glance. It’s Owen. The beer pitcher emoji is all he sent; I smile at my screen.

“Owen just texted; he wants to get a drink. How about we go to Vice too. They can dance, and we can unwind a bit.”

“Ooo yeah, that sounds perfect!” Ophelia smiles back at Bristol and Frieda, but my eyes are still on Sage. Her eyes are pleading with her brother. His broad shoulders rise and fall with one big breath before finally agreeing.

“Fine.” Saxon’s tone is so low it’s barely audible. Sage jumps up, wrapping her arms around her brother, giving him a tight hug before her eyes find mine once more. She gives me a wink, a silent thank you, before turning to her friends, and the four of them head towards the door.

“We’ll be right behind you,” Saxon says before the front door slams, echoing through the foyer.

“Text the boys. Tell them to meet us at Vice’s in fifteen,” Saxon says before making his way to the kitchen and cracking open a can of what I know is a beer.

“Say less, brother.” I smile to myself. Pulling out my phone, I pull up the group chat with Owen and the twins.

The Boys:

Me: Meet at Vice’s in fifteen, boss’s orders.

I get three thumbs’ ups before pocketing my phone, and I head to the kitchen for a beer. This should be a fun night.

SAGE

The three of my closest friends and I pile into Ophelia’s BMW X5—a gift her father gave her as a graduation present. Jumping in the passenger seat, I shake my hair to get the excess rain off.

“That was fucking close,” Ophelia says, putting her key in the ignition and cranking her car. “I swear, Sage, Saint has it out for you. He’s just as bad as your brother, if not worse.”

“I keep telling her the same thing. I swear he’s in love with you. Why else would he care so much about where you go or who you’re with? I get it coming from Sax, but Saint? Why else would he care, other than he’s madly in love with you?” Frieda says over my shoulder. The three of them laugh, agreeing with her comment.

“He is not in love with me. God, he hates me, if anything. He loves to give me a hard time. That’s it,” I say to them, pulling down the visor and checking my makeup to see if the rain ruined anything. The flash back of our “accidental kiss” comes soaring into my brain, and I hope the girls can’t see the flush of my skin rapidly taking over my face.

“She’s in denial. She’ll see it one day.” Ophelia smiles at me as she puts the car in drive and heads down my driveway.

The drive to the club is only fifteen minutes. The four of us chat about upcoming events at school or who each of us finds attractive. We all go to Golden Heights College in town. The four of us have been growing up together since elementary school. Ophelia and I have known each other since we were born. Our fathers were friends, and since they were at the club most of the time, so were Ophelia and I. Ophelia’s mom passed away when she was in second grade, a drunk driver hit her car head on, killing her instantly. We both grew up without a mom, so the club has always been our home.

Bristol showed up in fifth grade, having moved here from the city. Her father is a big-time banker who wanted to raise his family away from the city. The moment her family moved to Golden Heights, her father, Anthony, found his way to the club. He’s the official treasurer of the club. Anthony grew up in Golden Heights, so he was well aware of my father’s club and took the opportunity to join the second he saw his chance.