Page 78 of Ruthless Legacy

He stares me down. “A no answer wouldn’t be throwing my household into a war zone.”

I stare at him right back. He’s the least intimidating person I’ve ever met. Don’t get me wrong, he’s scary when he’s pissed, but he doesn’t scare me. “It was no, but then I changed my mind.”

“And why did you change your mind?”

Should I tell him about the hotel? No. That’s Van’s business. If she wanted him to know, he would. If she didn’t say anything, it’s because she doesn’t want him to worry. I don’t want him to worry, either. But I gotta give him something. “I overheard people talking about me at that garden party. They were saying I’d never make it through this initiation.”

“And you accepted the invite to prove them wrong?”

“Pretty much.”

He flops down on the couch with a sigh. He looks stressed. I hope it’s not from worrying about me. I don’t need him having a heart attack about something this trivial.

“Of course you did. Because you just love to prove a point, don’t you? Thea, I wish you would’ve called me before accepting their invite. If you sign that contract, everything you’re working towards will be over. We have plans.”

“First of all, Scott, I don’t need you to micromanage what I do, or being fatalistic. I still have plans. Second of all,ifI sign that contract and make it through to become a member, they can’t stop me from doing what I want.”

“What do you mean, they can’t stop you?”

“I’ve read over the application several times. There is nothing on that piece of paper that says I have to live here to be a member in good standing, and I haven’t agreed to stay and do any specific job. So as far as I’m concerned, this is just like a sorority game. I happen to excel at games and plan to play this one better than anyone else.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose. The sign I’ve come to realize means he’s about to try to reason with me. “I know you think it’s clear cut, but these people hide their true intent behind vague wording and legalese.”

“Why are you so worried?” I feel like I’ve asked this question, or some version of it, about a hundred times now. If the secret organization is so bad for me to be around, then why did they bring me here? Why did they enroll me in this school and put me in the dorm on the top floor with the three people who are probably going to one day run the big bad secret society?

“I…”

He clams up like they all do. This is part of the reason I’m saying yes. It seems like my entire life is mixed up in this group. First, they had to send me away and hide me. Now that I’m here, they want me to keep my head down, not draw attention, but be friendly. Yet saying yes to joining the group whose ass I’m supposed to kiss has Scott looking paler than a ghost. There’s something shady happening. I want to know what it is. “It’ll be fine, Scott. I want to do this. I’m choosing to do this.”

The only way I can get answers is by playing the game, and letting The League think I’m interested in being one of them. What’s a little larceny when there are mysteries to solve and truths to unveil?

He nods, resigned to the fact that I’m doing this. He knows me well enough, by now, to know that once I’ve made up my mind, there’s no changing it. That doesn’t stop him from trying to offer some advice.

“If you do this, Thea, you need to keep your eyes and ears open. All the time. Trust no one within that organization. You have to study everything they give you, and research it, both in their historical archives and with other sources.”

“Okay.”

“And if anything feels off. If you get even the tiniest hint that something’s not right.” He swallows thickly. “You leave town.”

“Leave?”

“Yes. You leave and don’t tell anyone where you’re going. You leave and don’t look back.”

“That seems like the nuclear option. So I’ll ask you again, why are you so worried?”

“Because we don’t want you to have to go through what Hailee did. What the other daughters are facing. We don’t want your choices for who you spend the rest of your life with to be dictated by this group. And I’m pretty sure that’s what Joshua’s been working towards. He’s gonna double down on his efforts for when you don’t make it through this indoctrination period.”

I smile.

“What are you smiling about?”

“I know this seems impulsive, Scott, but this is exactly why I’ve said yes. I don’t want to be anyone’s pawn. I know the men in this world make the rules and allowing me to pledge is probably some little way to amuse themselves. Watch the little women fail and then reaffirm their views that we’re the weaker sex. But I’m not weak, and I’ll never sit back and pretend I’m some docile little lamb. Maybe the other female selectees will. Maybe they’ll fail immediately. But I won’t. I’m gonna make it to the end of this process and then nobody will ever underestimate me or try to force me to do anything ever again.”

“I don’t know what they’re going to ask you to do, but be prepared for anything.”

“I will.”

He gives me a sad smile. “Call your mother. She’s threatening to storm The League’s doors and demand they rip up your application, and I think we can both agree neither of us wants her doing that.”

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