Page 37 of Brutal Kingdom

In our dirty little bubble, neither of us spoke, letting our need for release drive us. Once I finished, I left. No lingering touches, no kind words, and she never saw my face. She went back on the dance floor, had another drink, then she and Kass left.

I was just getting back from my studio when I saw her leaving campus early this morning. She’s cutting class, something she never does. That’s why I’m following her today, after I swore I’d keep my distance.

She crawled into the back of the same car I saw outside the coffee shop at the start of the semester. I follow it, confused about why she’s going to Kingsley Hollow. The car pulls up to the wrought-iron gates of one of the oldest houses in town without stopping. I park across the street and watch as Jordanna gets out of the car and walks up the steps. She pats the butler on the cheek as she enters the house.

The woman who lives here is a bit eccentric and a loner. Or so the members at the country club say. She shows for major town events, donates like everyone else, but mostly, keeps to herself. I don’t ever remember her hosting a function in her home and, as kids, we’d ride our bikes past it and muse that if she ever caught us by her front gate, she’d lock us in the attic.

The door opens a few minutes later. Jordanna and the woman walk out of the house, climb into the car and head towards downtown. They stop outside Pritchard Women’s Club and go inside. It’s the Kingsley Hollow grandmother’s weekly breakfast gab fest, and Jordanna is sitting with them like she belongs there. From the warm welcome she’s getting, I’d say it’s not the first time she’s met them.

This brings up a whole new set of questions. I recognize a lot of the women, and I know better than anyone the type of influence they wield over their husbands and sons. But none of them have ever gotten involved in school politics before. They come for the theater arts department and champagne toasts, letting the men handle the business of running and ruining lives.

Noel’s grandmother isn’t here, and neither is anyone connected to Bella, so it’s unlikely any of these women had anything to do with Jordanna helping Bella take over the school. Jordanna has a notebook out. The town’s centennial celebration is coming up. I see the coordinator is in attendance, and The Guild will be doing a write up on it. I’ve got Jordy on photo duty, as a punishment for her actions, so she can’t be here to cover the story, unless she’s doing it on her own and pitching it to another paper. If that’s the case, I’ll find out and kill it before she gets any interest.

I wait for her to finish her meal, and follow her and the older lady to their next location. A lawyer’s office, a few blocks over. They’re inside for an hour. I wait a few minutes after they pull away before going inside.

The best lies are always based on truth, and Bella kept saying the school was being sued. I smile at the legal assistant as I step closer. Her face brightens as she looks up from her computer screen. “Hi. Can I help you?”

I stare long enough to make her nervous.

“Sir?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was staring, wasn’t I?”

“Yup.”

“I apologize. You’re just, so breathtakingly… beautiful.”

“Thank you.” She blushes at the compliment, sitting straighter in her chair. “How can I help you today?”

I need to play this carefully. Trying to get her to break her bosses attorney client privilege this soon will backfire. “I’m having a crappy day, and was distracted, so I got off on the wrong floor.” Smiling at her, I say. “But, I’m so glad I did.”

SEVENTEEN

LOGAN

“Seriously, Jordanna. You need to be careful.” I overhear Kassidy saying when they walk into the cafe. “That Graham guy gives me the creeps, the way he’s always staring at women, like they’re objects.”

“He’s intense, but I think he’s harmless. His interest in me will fade as long as I don’t encourage it.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“No, but it’s a solid plan, and if that doesn’t work, I can date him. Once that happens, it’s only a matter of time before things go bad.”

“Do you really believe that?” Kassidy asks.

“I don’t know. Maybe. For now, I think this is the best course of action for dealing with him. Plus, he’s an extra layer of protection, since my files are gone.”

“Nobody’s made a move against you yet. Maybe it really was just an accident.”

“One that destroyed the exact files that would keep them in line? The BPs had something to do with it. I’m sure of it.”

Am I hearing this right? The leverage Jordanna had on us is gone, and now she’s using Graham Holt to keep us off her back? Is that who she thought she was performing for that night at Twist? Trying to hook him the way she does everyone else. Shy, sweet, tempting on the outside. Deceptive seductress on the inside. Using her pussy to get people to defend her. To go against everything they’ve ever learned or done in their lives.

The cafe isn’t completely deserted and they’re talking about this out in the open, where anyone could hear. This could be a trap, and I’m not stupid enough to get caught in it. Time for me to set a trap of my own. Frat initiations are starting up and one of the houses owes me a favor. I just need the proper bait.

* * *

I’ve never been interested in joining a fraternity. The lifelong bond I made with Simon is the only brotherhood I need. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy watching them pull off an epic initiation prank. The Wraiths work on a point system. The top ten rushees earn a spot in the fraternity. They have forty-three pledges this year.

---