Page 75 of Pin-up Girl

That was exactly what we were trying to do, only it looked more fucked up when confronted with that particular trait on someone else. Let’s just say it was like taking a nice, long look in the mirror to see what we were willing to do to save ourselves.

“I can’t fucking believe you, Emmett. You broke her fucking heart.” I turned back to Emmett as he was typing something on his cell. He had pushed his mask up on his head, leaving indents in his flushed cheeks.

Snatching it from his hand, I held it out of his reach and pointed at the door. “Do you even care what you just did?” I yelled in his face.

“It wasn’t what you thought, man.” He tried to get his phone back, but I shoved it in my pants pocket. After I was sure he wasn’t going to make an even bigger mess of things, I’d let him have it back.

The girl got in Emmett’s space. “Oh, that’s real nice. You’re a piece of work, Emmett Ellis. So she was your girlfriend, even though you said she was just a hang-on until you three were bored of her? Guess it’s a good thing she walked in on us before you even got your zipper down.”

I remembered this girl now. She was with Derek one morning, Carter Kensington, daughter of Infinity’s outside rival. Funny, her dad probably didn’t even know he was on their radar. I doubted he knew the group even existed.

Then her words penetrated, and I looked Emmett up and down. He was perfectly tidy, like he was about to walk out to rejoin the party any second. Outside of a red lipstick print on the bottom of one cheek, his face was clear. I swiveled to get a look at Carter again. Even after wiping herself up, red smears outlined her mouth in a messy pattern.

“What the hell?” I muttered to myself.

“My zipper was never going to fall for you, Carter.” Emmett’s voice was cold. “Elise is my girlfriend…” He cast a sidelong glance at me. “Our girlfriend, and she’s the one that’s important in my life. This little thing here was a set up. Did you really think I’d smear your lipstick over your face and take pictures of you at my feet if I were really interested in you?” Exasperation filled his tone as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Right before one hand disappeared, I caught the red stain around the thumb.

Carter balled one of her fists over her stomach like she was about to hurl. “You pricks never care about anyone other than yourselves. One day, someone is going to take everything that means something to you, and I’ll happily watch with popcorn.” She stormed toward the door, but before she got it open, Emmett called out to her.

“You have no idea how hard it’s been to hold on to everything and everyone who mean something to me. And that’s where you come in. I’ll be making an appointment with your father in the next few days. I expect he’ll give me what I want, wouldn’t you say? He’s very new on the scene, I don’t think he would want a scandal when he’s trying to close the biggest merger of the century.”

She slowly turned around, still keeping her hand on the doorknob. “How do you know about that?”

“That’s not important. Your dad and his company aren’t even important. He just has something I need. He won’t like me, or trust me, but there’s actually something in it for him too. As long as he doesn’t piss me off.”

There were no more parting shots, she just slipped out and disappeared.

Emmett sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face and hair.

“Who the hell are you?” This was not Emmett, the guy who liked to make panties drop for fun.

When he lowered his hand, I was surprised by the haggard and drawn look on his face. “I’ve got so much to share. I never actually thought it would amount to anything, but I’ve been working my own angle for a while.”

“Since when? And how?” I stepped closer as something popped in my head. “Is this how you knew where the security cameras were and how to turn them off in Clownface’s office?”

He nodded. “I’ll explain everything later, first we need to get out of here.”

The hallway was clear, but it was a madhouse inside the ballroom as we passed. I didn’t give the first fuck about what was going on in there. Derek could deal with the shit show he’d created when he woke up.

My priority right now was finding Jules and Elise. Her face as she ran out…fuck.

As we approached the foyer, we had to fight through the throng of people trying to leave. This probably wasn’t the party they signed up for—the ugly from their lives that was usually hidden so well was brought right to the surface.

Once we pushed our way down the staircase, I ran to the Caddy, but stopped short, causing Emmett to plow into my back. The car was empty, no lights on inside, no silhouettes. Where had they gone?

Elise had been devastated. Maybe Jules popped her into another private room so she could lose it alone. Just in case, I scanned the yard and the passengers in every car as they passed.

As per frat policy, Derek hired a driving service to take home anyone who was too drunk to drive on their own. Couldn’t have the precious children of the organization causing any scandals.

Jules wouldn’t have left with her. We always stuck together, it was safer that way.

My stomach knotted as I texted Jules.Where are you?

He read it the second it went through, but the three dots were missing with a returning text. I waited, alternating between staring at my phone and checking the area around me.

Clearly, they hadn’t been abducted, since Jules had his phone. It still didn’t stop me from seeing everyone around me as suspect.

“Where’d they go?” Emmett opened the passenger door and took a look around inside, like he didn’t already know it was empty.

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