Reckless Karma (Sinners & Saints #2) (11 page)

           
“She
threatened nothing. Scarlett threatened and probably found a way to involve
Gabriel. You as always had to think about your name, your precious name.”

           
“So
what is she planning, huh? Are you helping her? I know how you love to invoke
revenge schemes because you’re not getting enough attention.”

           
“She
is merely a new fine citizen of this community. I only predict the natural way
karma flows through life.”

           
“You
would do this? To your own father?”

           
“Oh
spare the false whining. You and I both know that after I fucked your wife you
were entirely done with me. Don’t forget you couldn’t even bail me out of jail
or even ask me if I was guilty. I think I know why now. You know that I didn’t
do it and that Scarlett has something to do with it, but you just can’t do it,
can you?”

           
“Do
what? You’re a grown man, Hugo. You can take care of yourself.”

           
“I’ve
been taking care of myself for years now. So do yourself a favor and don’t
worry about me. Worry about yourself because a storm is coming and I would hate
to see your freshly dyed hair get soaked.”

JULIET

“Nice
entrance,” I tell Karlie as I appear beside her. We are both watching Hugo’s
father fuss at him. Hugo is enjoying the rage he’s brought out of him and
Karlie is feeling the same way too.

           
“Thank
you,” she says

           
“I
must admit I do like the whole girl version of
Monte Cristo
thing.”

           
“I’ve
actually never read that book.”

           
“You
should, it’s amazing literature.”

           
“I
will.” She looks at me. “So you don’t trust me.”

           
“Since
I was a girl I’ve always been good at reading people.”

           
“Oh
and you think you got me figured out?”

           
“No.
I don’t.” I’m honest. “I’m sorry about what happened to you and I’m sorry about
Gabriel. More for you than Hugo and August, personally, because they didn’t
really know him like you did. I just feel like when you go through something
like that, you have no choice but to wear a mask, especially when you haven’t
moved on from it yet.”

           
“And
what makes you think I haven’t moved on from it?”

           
“I
just know. Just like I haven’t moved on from forcing a girl to jump off a roof,
just like Hugo hasn’t moved on from seeing his mum jump off a balcony. You haven’t
moved on from any of it, and I know you are keeping something. Something from
Hugo. Don’t know what it is, but it’s your business. I just don’t want this to
backfire on Hugo.”

           
“You
really do love him.” It’s as if she is shocked by that information.

           
“Yes.”

           
“Good.
Gabriel needed someone to love him for him. Not like everybody else in this
world, but Gabriel needed it… like it was the only thing that could maybe cure
him from what was so broken inside. So does Hugo, so I’m happy he has it.
Gabriel never told Hugo, but he really did care for him.”

           
“If
you don’t mind me asking… why do you think Gabriel didn’t kill himself?”

           
She
takes a breath before answering, “Because he promised me he wouldn’t. Now if
you’ll excuse me, I have a speech to make.”

GABRIEL

“You
are lying,” Karlie says as she lays next to me on the placed blanket I brought
for our picnic in Central Park.

           
“I’m
not.” I laugh at the stunned look on her face.

           
“Seriously?...
The Senator’s wife?”

           
“I
have my ways.”

           
I
can tell her things. I can tell her about some of my vindictive ways and for a
moment she looks at me in disgust yet somewhat acceptance… and I find the way
of a new soothing. Then she looks at me with care and want and it brings my
fantasy into reality.

           
“You
are something else,” she says grabbing a grape from the bowl between us.

           
“I’ve
been told worse.”

           
“So…
what about me?”

           
“What?”

           
“Are
you trying to make me into one of your many conquests?”

           
“At
first, yes.” I’m honest and she isn’t surprised. She knew from the moment I
approached her. “But now… I just want something else.”

           
She
is taken aback. “And what is that?”

           
“I
don’t know yet.”

           
That
is truth. I don’t know. I still hate her yet something else. I don’t understand
it. It is uncommon and that is rich coming from me who prides on the uncommon
everyday actions.

           
“Well,
let me know when you do.” She stretches and smiles, and I can’t help but smile
at her, admiring all her shine. “Until then… I want to know you.”

“What
do you wanna know?”

“Ummm…
tell me the most embarrassing thing about you.”

           
I
laugh and think for a moment before coming up with something. “When I was
younger, I would jerk off to pictures of Hilary Clinton and imagine me, her and
Monica Lewinsky in a threesome.”

           
She
breaks into laughter. She has to grab the bottle of water I brought and take a
sip before responding. “Seriously?”

           
“Something
about her.”

           
“Okay…”
She narrows her eyes at me and sighs. “Tell me the deepest secret. Something
you’ve never told anyone… not even her.”

           
“Why?”

           
“I
want to know something she doesn’t know. Something I can keep all for myself.”

           
“Everyday…
I think about killing myself.”

           
She
sits up and realizes it is not a game anymore, even though I answered like it
was nothing. “What?”

           
“It’s
something I do. It sort of relaxes me. I think of ways I could do it. Follow my
mother’s footsteps by jumping off a balcony in a gown… poison… hanging… gun to
my mouth.”

           
“Gabriel…”

           
“I
don’t need the pity.”

           
“It’s
not pity.” She becomes defensive. “Gabriel, life is too…”

           
“Too
great to not live for? It’s hard and tough but it has its perfect moments? I
know, Karlie, but… sometimes you want to skip the moments and just get to the
ending. I’ve never been scared of death… only life full of pain. Nothing has
ever made sense. You make sense… I just don’t understand why I feel this way
about you. It’s treacherous.”

           
“Liking
me is treacherous?” She snickers, but I know she’s worried.

           
“For
me it is. I don’t really know what to live for.”

           
She
takes my hand and places it on her heart and she places her hand on my heart.
“Live for this. I have a feeling it will grow.”

           
“People…”
I take a breath. “People in my family tend to fall.”

           
“You
won’t.” She shakes her head. “I won’t let you.”

           
“I
don’t want my world to destroy you.”

           
“Forget
your world. Let’s make our own.”

           
I
smile. “We have…for months now… and I am enjoying every second of it. It’s the
only world I want to be in as of late.”

           
I
lean in, pressing my forehead against hers. She reaches up and removes my
sunglasses. I keep smiling as she leans in pressing her lips against mine. We
only kiss. That is it. I’m okay with that. I told her if she ever wants to or
never wants to, I will be okay. But I’m not. If I have her, I will hate it
because I am not worthy of her, and if I don’t, I will torture myself. Not
being able to fully have her will inflict an enormous amount of pain. But if I
do have her. If I taste her in every way. Feel the inside of her warmth. Gain
access to mind, soul and body… well, I fear there will be no going back and
Karlie Dale will surely become my sole purpose in life… and I can’t have that
because I’ll eventually fuck it up and when I do, I’ll become my mother. Too
weak to take the pain.

KARLIE

That
was a nice day. I remember it so clearly. I knew all along getting with Gabriel
was a bad idea, but I didn’t care. I wanted to know him. I wanted to step into
the Devil’s Den, and boy did I. I made it out but not without a lot of scars,
and now I’m here back in that Devil’s Den. Ready to face all the demons I left
behind.

“Now,
ladies and gentlemen, a few words from our hostess of the night.” Applause from
all around the room as I step on the platform stage. Most of these people have
seen me before, but they won’t remember me. The little black girl who went to
school with their kids. Their kids will remember the bad about me and none of
the greatness. I’ve come a long way and I’m all in for the taking.

           
“Good
evening, everyone. First and foremost, I want to thank all of you for coming
out tonight and showing your support. This charity is something very dear to
me. I have known people… people close to me, in fact so close to me that I feel
as if I went through all of the pain with them.” I make sure to look at all my
enemies in the eyes as they stare at me all cowardly but her. She keeps her
stance. She keeps that damn smug look on her face, and I am seriously on the
thin line between keeping up with this charade or just getting a gun and
shooting her in the face. “I believe in change. I believe in justice… and I
believe in karma.” I slowly smile. “One way or another, it always strikes. Your
gracious donations are a part of that justice, that change for the victims,
while the karma is anticipated. We will wait and while we wait we will enjoy
the moments of purity. Enjoy the moments of unpredictable good nature we all
unfortunately see only on a rare occasion. I’m here to bring back my late
husband’s legacy. I’m here to go to work. I look forward to what’s to come… I
hope you do too.”

           
Everyone
cheers and applauds and smiles at me, no matter if they’re phony or not. I got
em. I got em all right where I want them. The parents will be easy. Chad and
Noel are whatever really to me… but her. I will see her burn on a stake before
the summer is over.

7

SCARLETT

“Calm
down, Noel,” I say to a panicky Noel who is pacing back and forth, his shoes
scuffing my floors.

           
“We
are fucked!” Noel says.

           
“Can
we hurry this along before Patrick or Jane or Rebecca get back?” I say to him.
Rebecca is at the spa on behalf of me. She’s been looking like death lately.
Jane is out to lunch with friends and Patrick is at the office.

           
“Well,
there are worst ways to go down,” Chad says slouching on the couch with a
bottle of Patrick’s finest scotch on his stomach.

           
“You
and I… you sick fuck.” He points to Chad in his usual melodramatic disgust. “We
raped her. We took her fucking virginity and raped her.”

           
Chad
laughs and so do I. “You fucking idiot. She wasn’t a virgin when we did her.”

           
Noel’s
face falters. “I thought.”

           
“You
truly believed that Gabriel hadn’t hit that? You really are a fucking dumbass.”

           
“You
guys made me,” Noel mutters.

           
“We
didn’t make you do anything, Noel,” I say. “Under the substance of things,
people do what they secretly want to do.”

           
“What
kind of fucked up knowledge is that?!”

           
“Fucked
up, yes. But the truth.”

           
“Okay,
well Karlie Dale is no more. That woman from that gala a few nights ago was
entirely a new person. Karlie Fairchild.”

           
“Money
works wonders for people. She’s still the same weak girl.”

           
“The
weak girl owns half of the damn city,” Chad says.

           
“She
can’t do anything to us,” I say. “I’m not worried.”

           
“Admit
it, Scarlett.” Chad sits up and flashes a smug grin. “You’re a little bit
worried. It’s gotta be eating you up. Seeing the girl you loathed. The girl
that took your most precious thing from you… come out on top. It fucking eats
you up inside.”

           
“Money
is only a representation of a class, Chad. It is never a representation of you.
When you’re trash, you’re trash. No amount of money can hide that. You should
know better than anyone.”

           
His
brow creases and instead of foaming out the mouth like a rabid dog, he just
sits back and pulls the scotch bottle back to his mouth drowning in his
pathetic life.

           
The
front door opens and we all turn our heads to see a still gloomy Rebecca coming
in. She looks at us confused as to why we are all staring, hoping she hadn’t
heard anything.

           
“Hey,”
she says.

           
“Hi.”
I smile. “How was the spa? Did it help?”

           
She
shrugs in her oversized jacket that hangs over her t-shirt and jeans. Since
Hugo was arrested, she’s been drowning herself in oversized clothes, covering
her up her skin as if she feels guilty to even look pretty. “A little bit.
Thank you.”

           
“It’s
never a problem, Rebecca.”

           
She
looks at my guests. “What are you guys doing?”

           
“Just
discussing old times,” Chad speaks and immediately gives off creepy vibes as
always. Rebecca stares at him a little too long. Her eyes search through him.
She’s wondering why she is so curious about him. It’s like he’s familiar and
she doesn’t understand why.

           
“What
are you about to do now?” I ask throwing her off.

           
“Um.”
She’s still looking at Chad. “I’m just gonna go rest in my room.”

           
“Alright.”

           
She
forces a sad smile and leaves but not before taking one last quick glance at
Chad, who is still smiling like a complete fool.

           
I
wait to hear her door close and throw one of the decorated pillows at him. He
laughs.

           
“Next
time we’re meeting somewhere else. I can’t have your face sparking up
devastating memories now, can I?”

           
“Oh
come on,” Chad whines as Noel’s cell rings. He answers it.

           
“Hello
Mother,” Noel says. “Wait, what? Mother slow down… Slow down… What?!” He claws
his face as his mother continues yelling through the phone. “Oh-Okay I’ll be
there soon. I said I’ll be there soon. Don’t panic.”

           
He
hangs up and panics.

           
“What’s
wrong?” I ask. “Your mother run out of breast milk to feed you?”

           
He
laughs harshly before answering. “That weak girl, Karlie Dale… well she now
owns my family’s company. She controls ninety-eight percent of the shares. She
tricked us. Made us believe it was another company that was trying to save us.
Another company she owns. The rest of my life is now in her hands... Well, good
luck to you both. See you in hell.”

           
He
storms out.

           
“Ugh,”
I scoff. “He’s such a pussy.”

           
“Well,
personally, I don’t really have shit, so I don’t know what she could do to me,”
Chad says.

           
“Anyone
can steal someone’s company. Noel has always been an easy target. She’s gonna
have to come harder than that.”

           
“I
guess you forgot.” Chad stands up.

           
“Forgot
what?”

           
“She’s
a Fairchild. That NeoLock deal? Well, why have a whole bunch of investors when
you can have a Fairchild?” He raises the Scotch bottle up. “I’m gonna take this
to go.” He stumbles out of my place while my hands squeeze the arms of the
chair tight and my jaw ticks.

           
The
fucker is right. I swear if that bitch gets in the way… I need to start
conducting my own investigation on this Karlie Fairchild.

HUGO

“Hugo?”
I don’t wait for Kelly to let me in or pick up her jaw off the floor. I glide
through the foyer and enter my father’s office.

           
“What
the hell are you doing here?” He removes his eyeglasses and throws a document
he was in the midst of reading on his desk.

           
I
check the time on my watch. “I’m on time. Good.”

           
“On
time for what?”

           
His
cell rings like clockwork. “Yeah, Ted?” I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy
the look on my father’s face until now. I enjoy it immensely.

           
His
eyes strain on me and his face is red. “I’ll call you back.” He throws his
phone and glasses on the couch.

           
“Bad
news?”

           
“The
old man gave the entire NeoLock shares to Fairchild.”

           
“What?”
Kelly asks. “My father wouldn’t do that to you.”

           
“Oh
yes he would,” I say. “He hates my father, so when Karlie propositioned him, it
was like killing two birds with one stone for him. Get the proper investor his
deal needs and piss off the man who cheats on his daughter. Well, Dad, I guess
this year you will drop down to number 31 on
Forbes
list for the richest capitalist. Long way from when Grandpa
ranked eight. Looks like you continue being the disappointment the old man
thought of you as.”

           
He
steps towards me, getting in my face. “You think this destroys me?”

           
“No.
I know it won’t. But it’ll bruise you at least. It’s hard destroying a man who
cares for nothing or no one. Trust me, I know. I used to be you.”

           
Snide
laughter comes out of his mouth. “You are still me, son. No matter how in love
you think you are with that girl. She will see you for what you are.”

           
“She’s
not weak like Mom.”

           
“That’s
what I first thought about your mother.”

           
“No.”
Now I get in his face. “I will never take Juliet for granted. You did. You took
her for granted and she was weak. Even if I do fuck up, the one thing I get
comfort in knowing is that she’ll be okay. I’m not saying I’m a saint, but I
will be better than you.”

           
I
back away and turn my back on him.

           
“So
I take it Ms. Dale didn’t tell you everything.” I stop at the door and look at
him.

           
“She
told me enough.”

           
“This
Robin Hood act you have with her isn’t entirely noble, if she hasn’t told you
everything.”

           
I
shouldn’t let him bait me, but I don’t listen to my right mind, knowing what
he’s about to tell me will do damage. “Everything like what?”

           
“Like
the fact that she has been receiving $250,000 from me every six months since
she left.” I don’t respond and he smiles. “Yeah, why don’t you ask your
guardian angel about that? Let’s see what she tells you.”

JULIET

“What?”
I’m shocked at the new information Hugo is telling me.

           
“Yeah,
it came as a shock to me also.”

           
“Why
would he pay her that?”

           
“To
keep her quiet.”

           
“That
much though?”

           
Karlie
walks in on time. Hugo texted her to come meet him at our place right before he
told me how his father has been paying her off for years.

           
“Let’s
ask her.”

           
“Ask
me what?” Karlie asks.

           
“I
went to my dad’s condo to see the look on his face. Very enjoyable, but it was
a tad bit short lived once he informed me that he has been allegedly paying a
quarter of a mill every six months since you left. Now please tell me he’s a
good liar.”

           
“Unfortunately,
no. He isn’t.”

           
“But
you are.”

           
“I
never lied.”

           
“But
you never told him,” I chime in.

           
She
gives me a look. “True, but only because I didn’t find it necessary.”

           
“How
is it not necessary?” he scoffs.

           
“Your
pops told me to keep my mouth shut.”

           
“About
what?” I ask. “It had to be more than just about the fact that you were with
his son.”

           
“It
was that. Listen, you don’t get it. What’s worse than your son killing himself
over a girl but killing himself over a poor black girl from Queens? Johnathan
Mandrake couldn’t let people know, especially since Scarlett roped him into
joining with them when it came to crucify me. ”

           
“I
thought you said he didn’t kill himself,” I say back. “And still it makes no
sense that Jonathan Mandrake would pay you all these years.”

           
“Well,
that’s what Johnathan Mandrake thinks. He thinks he killed himself. He doesn’t
believe Scarlett has that much influence.”

           
“Well,
what if he’s right… Karlie, you know that if Gabriel did kill himself, it
wasn’t your fault.”

           
For
a moment the guard goes away. “Thanks for the assurance, but I know Scarlett
killed him.” She faces Hugo. “As for the money, I asked for the price out of
anger and grief. I held on to the money for a long time but never could spend
it. After meeting William and getting my life together, I now use that money to
put into the foundation. That’s it.”

           
“Okay,”
Hugo says.

           
Okay? Seriously?

           
“Okay.”
Karlie looks as shocked as I do. “Now that that’s settled, let us get back to
the damn thing.”