Bully King - J.A. Huss Page 0,65
out, either, Sophie.”
Then he leaves without another word.
He knows. He knows what just happened in here. And he did nothing.
Elexa comes back out of the bathroom just as Isabella walks over to a side table where I now notice there are several champagne buckets. She picks up a bottle, pops the cork, and then starts sloppily pouring the light golden liquid into eight glasses.
She picks one up and looks at us. “Well, what the hell are you all waiting for? Pick up a fucking glass!” The girls start moving towards the tray. “You too, Cadee!”
Right. But you’re not one of them, Cades. You’re just a stand-in.
Cooper was right. When he said that last night.
For the first time ever, I’m glad I’m not one of them.
We all lift our glasses in the air and Isabella says, “Welcome to the real Fang and Feather Summer Rush, ladies. There’s really no going back from here, even if you try to walk out.”
Then she downs her drink, pours herself another one, and sinks into a nearby plush chair. Spilling the champagne all over the front of her shirt.
“But… what happens now?” a frightened Natasha asks.
Isabella won’t look at her. Or any of us, actually. “Now… you will be sold.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE - COOPER
Lars and Ax are standing on either side of me at the front of the tent. All three of us have our arms folded across our chests and scowls on our faces. It’s like ninety degrees outside and we’re dressed up in coattails.
Could this summer get any worse?
I shouldn’t say that. It’s just tempting fate.
Lars turns to me. “This is a very bad idea. You better know what you’re doing.”
I have no idea what I’m doing. But telling him that will only make him doubt me, and I don’t need that right now. “What else am I supposed to do, Lars? Mona was smoking pot last night with Cadee. She knew.” I’m so angry about that. Not only that she got Cadee to smoke with her. Cadee—the girl has never even tried a cigarette and she hit that joint so many times, she lost count? Just what the fuck? “She fucking knew there would be a drug test today.”
“Obviously,” Ax says. “Where is she? Do you know?”
“No. But as soon as this auction is over, you can bet I’ll go looking.”
“The bodyguards should have her.”
I side-eye Lars. “Then why isn’t she here?”
“She probably told them,” Ax says. “And they know the only person who gets the drug test results is your father. The whole virginity check thing comes with a wink and a nod. Everyone knows, and expects, to pay that old pervert off. But the drug test doesn’t work that way. Trust me, I know.” He scoffs. “The Judge had me locked up for two months before our rush. Remember? They’re keeping her at home so they can talk to you first.”
He’s probably right. And he would know. He was sent to rehab the day before Cadee had her abortion, so he never saw her afterward. Which makes me think back to what Lars was doing during that time.
Oh, yeah. His father wanted him working at city hall after classes.
Funny. Back then I didn’t really notice that both Lars and Ax were essentially out of the picture during the Cadee crisis.
At first, I thought Ax really had a problem with drugs, but in the years since I have figured out that he was just trying to get the judge to cut him loose. Didn’t work for him, and it won’t work for Mona, either. “We’re lucky we can substitute Cadee for a day.”
“A day?” Lars laughs. “Gonna take weeks for that pot to get out of her system. She’s gonna go home with one of these assholes tonight, Cooper. That’s what’s gonna happen.”
No. That’s not going to happen. “I’ll just have to call my dad. Explain it to him. If he wants Mona to get through so bad that he ordered me to make it happen, then he’ll have to make an exception for the drug test. I will find Mona and she will take Cadee’s place.”
“Have fun with that,” Ax mumbles. “I’m not talking to the Judge for Mona Monroe. Not a fucking chance.”
“You’re gonna have to,” I say firmly. “It’s not for her anyway. It’s for Cadee. And you’ll have to talk to your father, too, Lars. We all know my father won’t lie to them.”
“I don’t have a problem with it,” Lars says, shrugging.
“You wouldn’t,” Ax sneers.
I shoot Lars