Reckless Karma (Sinners & Saints #2) (12 page)

           
“Hey
guys!” Poppy comes skipping in in a white and pink polka dotted bikini. Jaz is
behind her staring at her ass. “Nicky King is throwing a party on his yacht.
Let’s go!”

           
I
expect Hugo to decline, but he doesn’t.

           
“Alright,”
he says.

           
“Hugo,
we need to discuss about looking into Scarlett,” Karlie says.

           
“And
we will. I’ll come by tonight, but now I would like to drink and watch idiots
partake in fun in the sun.”

           
Karlie
is not happy about this and neither am I. Well, about the letting her off the
hook part. That is what I’m mad about. Her story doesn’t fit. When Noel told us
the story, he said Scarlett brought Mandrake into blackmailing Karlie too. How?
I’m sure Gabriel wasn’t in the video. Unless she had something else on him? I
think there’s more to it on both sides already between Karlie and Scarlett, but
now I feel it’s more to it on Mandrake’s side too.

8

HUGO

“Welcome
bitches!” Nicky Young yells from the upper deck of his yacht. We look up from
the dock where two women in white bikinis are waiting with trays of shots of
light liquor.

           
“Good
to see your maybe sibling hasn’t lost his touch with hospitality,” I say to
Jordana, grabbing a shot. Everyone, including Jordana and Nicky, knows that
they are most likely siblings, but like the rest of us, no one really cares.

           
The
yacht takes off as we enter. Half naked women walking around. I can sense the
tension already with Juliet about Karlie, so the fact some of these half naked
women are coming up to me flaunting their silicone breasts in my face does not
help.

           
“Hugo,
haven’t seen you in a while,” Olivia says to me while her cousin Abigail slides
her hand around my neck.

           
Juliet
arches her brow at me as Nicky Young comes up to her.

           
“You
sure you’re taken?” he asks referring to the time she rejected him to pursue
something with me.

           
“Yes.”
I take Abigail’s hand off and grab Juliet’s. “She is.”
           
“Mandrake
jealousy.” Nicky Young is amused. “Never thought I’d see the day. Good for you,
but Juliet if the Mandrake curse is still in full effect, give me a call.” He
drapes his arms over Abigail and Olivia. “Do enjoy the party.”

           
“I
so need a drink,” Jordana says. “Juliet come with.”

           
“I
would love to. Jaz?”

           
“Uh…”
Jaz looks at Poppy. “I think I’ll stay over here, love.”

           
Juliet
laughs along with Jordana and I follow them to the bar.

POPPY

So
far this summer has been really exciting. Like super crazy. I’m happy that we’re
all still together and we keep just getting new friends like Anika, Karlie, and
Jaz. Jaz is gorgeous. He’s funny too and really sweet. I think he likes me, but
I can’t tell. Like right now as we dance he looks at me like he likes me. Not
just in the whole
I want to bang you
way but also in a way like
hey, you’re
pretty cool
.
 
I twirl around,
the sun shining on my face. Then someone slaps me across my ass.

           
“Poppy!”
Hector Denanzo smiles, leaning in for a kiss. I step back because I just don’t
feel like kissing him. I would like to kiss Jaz though.

           
“Hey
Hector,” I say back.

           
“Nicky
has a room below deck. What do you say we go down so you… can go down.”

           
I
am not the smartest crayon in the box, but even that line can’t work on me.

           
“Sorry,
mate.” Jaz puts his arm around my waist. “But Poppy doesn’t feel like being
insulted today. So why don’t you piss off?”

           
Hector,
who is very tall and muscular, steps closer to Jaz, who is tall but not that
muscular.

           
“Who
the hell are you?” Hector asks.

           
“Just
a friend, who also happens to be a former champion rugby player, so I can take
a punch. But if I was you, mate, I’d go talk up those twins over there who are
fiercely checking you out.”

           
Hector
takes a look behind him and sees the Corzetti twins. They’re more whorish than
me. Hector smiles and walks over to them. Jaz takes me to the bar and we order
drinks.

           
“That
was really cool,” I say. “What if he hit you?”

           
“Like
I said, love, I played rugby. Real man’s sport.” He winks at me and I blush.

           
“You
good, though?” he asks.

           
“Yeah.”
I take a sip of my Shirley Temple.

           
He
laughs. “You are the only girl I know that still drinks those.”

           
“I
know. My mom says it’s childish.”

           
“No,
it’s not. If anything it’s nostalgic.”

           
“They’re
just good to me and they always remind me of happier times.”

           
“You
were happy as a child?”

           
“Yeah.
My mom was less of a bitch.”

           
He
laughs again. “What are your parents like?” I ask.

           
“They’re
cool. The normal traditional Indian parents. My dad doesn’t like what I’m doing
with my life now with the whole taking a break from school and wanting to
travel and find myself, but they have my older brother and sister who are
making them proud, so I’m in the clear. Especially since my brother agreed to
an arranged marriage with the daughter of a very wealthy and royal friend.”

           
“Are
they gonna make you marry anyone?” I nervously ask.

           
“They
try but, like I said, I do what I want. My mum is more understanding of it. She
doesn’t really love my dad.”

           
“She
married him for his money too?”

           
“No.
The usual arranged marriage. Her parents forced her to marry my dad and
although I know she cares for him and loves us, she was never in love with him
and for that she doesn’t press it. I’m not saying it’s always like that. I have
cousins who have done the arranged marriage thing and have fallen in love with
their betrothed, but I don’t want to do that. Besides… I like blondes and how
many blonde Indian girls do you know?”

           
“With
good hair dye, I do.”

           
He
laughs again and again and I like his laugh. “You mean everything you say?”

           
“Yeah.
I know stupid things come out of my mouth all the time.”

           
“Not
stupid if you believe in them. You’re sexy as hell and you’re truthful. That’s
all a man needs.”

           
“Why
haven’t you tried to have sex with me yet?” He spits out his drink a little.
“It’s another one of my honest questions.”

           
“Well…
um…”

           
“You
don’t want to have sex with me?”

           
“No!
No. No. I do. Boy do I want to, but… well, I fancy you and I mean usually I
would just, you know, take a girl in my bed the first day I meet her, not to
sound too cocky.”

           
“I
like it when guys are cocky.”

           
He
smiles. “Good.” He leans in and presses his soft lips against mine. I feel his
silk beard on my chin and cheek and it tickles me in a good way. I once felt
butterflies and chills for a boy. I was fourteen and the boy was twenty-four.
He was my older brother’s friend and he was so sweet to me, but once I had sex
with him he ignored me and then got married. I didn’t find out until later that
him being twenty-four and me being fourteen was wrong. I told my mom once I
did. She told me to forget it and to next time keep my legs closed. Then I
moved in with Ms. Eleanor and met Scarlett and Hugo and the others. Scarlett
taught me to open my legs back up and to use it for my advantage because it was
my only best attribute.

           
Jaz
looks at me. Like really sees me and I feel really happy. The same happy I get
when I drink a Shirley Temple. The same happy I see in other people.

           
“I
have a feeling, Poppy, that most of your life your looks and physical skills
have been the only interests of other guys. But I’m here to tell you that… I’m
interested in more than that.”

           
I
think I want to cry. This makes me sad. A happy kind of sad.

I
guess Scarlett was wrong. I guess my mom is always wrong.

HUGO

“Did
we just witness...”

           
“Jaz
and Poppy kiss?” Juliet finishes Jordana’s sentence. “Yep.”

           
We’re
sitting at our own private table at the corner of the yacht by the buffet of
food.

           
“Well,
I’m gonna go find me some action,” Jordana says and already eyes her prey in
the form of a Brazilian supermodel eyeing her back. I definitely recognize her
from the fashion magazines.

           
“See
ya around kids.” Jordana leaves us.

           
“And
here I thought he was in love with you,” I suddenly say.

           
“No,
you didn’t. You just wanted to make up an excuse not to like him.”

           
“A
guy can dream.” I smirk and look at her. She’s looking around, avoiding me. Her
gorgeous legs crossed, both of them shaking. “What?”

           
She
stays focused on the crowd. “I didn’t say anything.”

           
“Yes,
you did. It’s all said through what you’re doing at this moment.”

           
“And
what am I doing?”

           
“Well,
your legs are shaking, one eye is bigger than the other as they are both
focused on everything but me… and you’re surprisingly silent. You are venting
in your mind to avoid arguing with me.”

           
That
catches her attention and she finally looks at me. “You seriously don’t want to
look further in that deal between Karlie and your dad?”

           
“There’s
my girl.” She tries not to smile at the reference of my girl. “And yes, I
don’t.”

           
“So
you believe her.”

           
“I
believe her…and she gave me access to the account, and I saw that in fact the
money has been going towards the charity.”

           
“Oh.”
She looks away and crosses her arms over her chest. “She’s still holding
something.”

           
“I
don’t care.”

           
“Well
I do.”

           
“Why?”

           
“I
don’t know.” She sighs. “Or maybe I do. Maybe I’m… maybe I’m jealous.”

           
“Seriously?
I have no interest in my dead brother’s girlfriend, Juliet.”

           
“I
know, but… it’s the connection. Just like the one you had with Scarlett. I
can’t explain it, but… you have turned me into that girl. I’m insecure.”

           
“Well
look at what you have turned me into. What about the connection we have? What
about the witty banter between us that lights up a room? What about the way you
look at me and the way I look at you? It makes people envious of us. What about
the moment we kissed in the rain? What about the fact that I actually love the
fact that my brother is also in some way in love with you too? What about the
fact that I am in love with you? You. No one else. No need to be jealous. No
need to wonder. I am yours. I belong to you. That is what you have turned me
into.”

           
“Well…”
She gets up from her chair and sits on my lap, removing my sunglasses. “Since
you put it that way.”

           
I
laugh a little and so does she. I kiss her. We make out in front of everyone
who are probably too drunk to notice. I know she won’t drop it entirely, but
it’s enough truth to calm her down. Women are very peculiar creatures when it
comes to their emotions, I swear it. But I understand what she means. I have
the instant care for Karlie for some reason. Maybe it’s because she is the link
to a brother I do not know. Can’t explain it, but it is not love. It is not
Juliet and I. We are something else. She is a drug that I cannot contain in one
dose. I must consume it all and welcome death willingly.

SCARLETT

I
kiss his neck first and then work my way down. Patrick has been very tense
lately and a good blow job should do the trick.

           
“Wait,
Scarlett.” He stops me and I’m annoyed but put on a concerned front.

           
“You
okay?” I lay next to him propping my head on my hand.

           
“No.
First that scum gets away for what he did to Rebecca and my mother helps him
and now the NeoLock deal is over.”