Bully King - J.A. Huss Page 0,68

Cadee.” She points to another tray with a healthy stack of cash.

“This is so fucked up,” Elexa complains. Then she sighs dramatically and takes a seat in the chair in front of her tray of money. It’s a pretty small stack, since she only got the minimum bid of twenty thousand.

“That’s not your money, Cadee,” Isabella snaps. “It’s Mona’s.”

“Fine with me,” I say. “I wouldn’t take it anyway. I’m worth way more than this.”

Everyone giggles. And so do I.

Natalie even snorts. “I hear you, Fugling.” I shoot her a dirty look. She doesn’t notice. “But if we have to do this, we might as well get paid.”

But that’s the thing. Right? Do we have to do this?

Maybe they do. I don’t know what kind of fucked-up arrangement these lake-mansion families have going on out here in the woods, but I’m definitely not part of it. And as far as I can tell, they’re allowed to walk out any time they want.

Well, not Isabella, Valentina, and Selina. Obviously, they signed their deal with the Devil three years ago when they went through rush. But all the pledges are here by choice.

“So…” Sophie says. But then she gets distracted and doesn’t finish her sentence. Because she’s shoving the cash into the front of her dress. And there’s no way it’s all going to fit in there, but then I realize she’s got hidden pockets in the side of her gown. Still, there are only so many places to stash stacks of money on your person.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“I’m out.”

“What?” Maddie says. She’s been very quiet through all this.

“Yeah.” Sophie laughs. “Michael and I had an agreement.”

“You’re not out, Sophie.”

All of us turn to see Cooper standing in the doorway.

“Like hell,” Sophie says. “It’s my decision and I say I am.”

“No, Sophie.” Cooper is calm. Like he officiates the selling of virgins all the time and this day is not turning into a crazy waking nightmare. “You’re here, whether you want to be or not.”

“That’s not true!”

But Cooper’s words come back to me. And I’m sure they come back to Sophie too. He won’t kick Mona out. Or her.

“We’re allowed to leave!” Maddie says. “My dad said so.”

“Yeah, you are, Maddie.” Cooper looks her in the eyes. “Because you’re only here to make things… interesting.”

“What does that mean?” Natalie says.

“Look.” Cooper sighs. He closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them and looks straight at me. “I don’t make these rules. I have nothing to do with this, other than I was ordered to be here with you all summer. And I was told to make sure that Mona and Sophie got through. That’s all I know.”

“No,” Sophie says. “No. Michael and I have a plan! We’re leaving! We’re—”

Cooper interrupts. “Michael can go wherever he wants. But you can’t. So he’s stuck here for two more weeks, whether he wants to be or not. Because he’s the one who just bought you.”

Sophie is shaking her head. “I’m not coming back tomorrow. We’re leaving tonight.”

“You can try to leave,” Isabella says from the back of the room.

We all turn to look at her. She’s standing up. Not even weaving. Like she sobered up in an instant.

“You can try,” she repeats. “I did. And look where I am now.” Isabella shakes her head and her eyes get all glassy. Like she’s about to cry. “They come get you. Just ask Cooper.”

We all look at Cooper. He’s already crossing the room to Isabella. He takes her arm and then leans down and whispers something into her ear. She shakes her head no. And the tears fall out of her eyes. But when he tugs on her arm, she lets him lead her across the room and right out the door of the Glass House.

We’re all quiet. Staring at the door. Wondering what happens next.

We stay in the Glass House, just looking at our money. Sophie cries softly. She manages to stuff even more stacks on her person. She has garters on underneath her pink gown. So she clearly has not given up on the idea that she’s leaving tonight with Michael.

But it’s a stupid, pointless act, because about thirty minutes later, Ax appears in the doorway and says we need to change into our bikinis.

That’s it. That’s all he says. And he doesn’t look any of us in the eyes. Just spits the command out and leaves.

The boys are waiting.

It’s only ten in the morning and this day is far from over.

I guess