Bully King - J.A. Huss Page 0,66
a look that says, Do not engage. And he just sighs and shuts his mouth.
Michael, Dante, Roland, Jamie, and Ivan are grouped together in the back near the bar, talking excitedly about who they will be bidding on.
That’s why they had to bring cash. Large sums of cash. Because the first challenge of the Fang and Feather Summer Rush is an auction to buy yourself a girl.
Not to marry. Just to take for a spin. See how this might shake out at the end.
And it makes me sick that Cadee will be up on that stage in a little bit, being bid on.
If I didn’t know that my father had written her a check for two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, I might be able to console myself with the idea that the girls get to keep the money. Even if they walk out later, getting through this one challenge will bring its own reward.
But Cadee doesn’t need the fucking money.
She doesn’t need to be here.
She shouldn’t be here.
I should’ve tied her up this morning. Left her in the closet.
Who am I kidding? I couldn’t do that. Wouldn’t do that. Because I came up with this plan last night right after she fell asleep.
I am using Cadee Hunter to save my own ass. Because Mona Monroe must get through. The packet made it very clear. All the reasons were spelled out in terms a baby could understand. She knows too much to get away.
That fact is my only consolation right now. I know my father will agree to give her a pass about the drug test. If he were home, I’d have sorted it last night. He would call his buddies, the Mayor and the Judge, and by now I’d know one way or the other what they decided.
But he’s in Bali. Actually, still on his way to Bali. And even though I tried to get through to the jet, no one picked up the sat phone.
“Here they come,” Lars says.
We all look at the Glass House as the girls file out.
And the saddest thing? I told her to dress cute today. Because I knew. And she does look damn cute. Not as fancy as the other girls, who brought designer gowns with them this morning to change into, but still, very fucking cute.
“About fucking time,” Ax grumbles. He pulls on his starched collar. “I’m dying here. I’m about to strip naked.”
“That’s funny,” Lars deadpans. “Like you’d ever take your shirt off.”
“Lars,” I snap.
“You’re an asshole, Lars,” Ax snarls.
“That was uncalled for. Ax isn’t the enemy. We need to stick together.”
Lars sighs. But says nothing.
Isabella is drunk. And I knew she would be. Valentina is leading the girls up to the stage while Selina holds Isabella up and takes her over to the loveseat in the back so she can slump down into it.
But I don’t have time to worry about Isabella right now. Cadee is glaring at me like I am the biggest piece of shit in the whole entire world.
And I am, aren’t I?
All three of us sigh. Like Lars and Ax are both thinking the same thing.
We had a good plan to get away. And it almost worked. If I had known that the winners of the summer rush had to run the camp entering senior year, I wouldn’t have gone to that party after the Prep graduation last Friday. I wouldn’t have listened to that girl when she asked me to take her to the wrong side of the lake where a car was waiting. I wouldn’t have gotten drunk or arrested. I would’ve gotten all of us out of here weeks ago and said fuck it to all the family responsibilities.
But then Cadee might still be here. And someone else—someone worse than me, that’s for sure—would be running this shit show right now.
Dane, probably.
I shudder just thinking about it. Then force myself to look Cadee in the eye.
She’s breathing hard, I can tell from here. But she’s not crying or anything. In fact, she’s taking this better than all the other girls in the tent right now. Probably consoling herself that she is just a stand-in.
If I can’t get Mona back before it’s time to go home…
Who will buy Cadee?
I don’t even need to wonder. It will be Dante.
And then, like he can read my mind, he’s next to me. “Why is Cadee up there?”
I look over at him. Find all the boys asking the same question with their eyes. “Mona is sick today. So