Reckless Karma (Sinners & Saints #2) (18 page)

           
The
last part comes off as a whisper. She stands up from the chair. I won’t push
any further.

           
“Tomorrow…
tell Hugo you’re busy.”

           
“Why?”

           
“It’s
time to bring the light to us.”

11

GABRIEL

When
I step out of the shower,
I am startled by Scarlett
.
She actually scared me. I was so busy thinking about Karlie and the way she
felt beneath me hours ago that I didn’t notice Scarlett come in.

           
“Did
I scare you?” She holds out my towel.

           
“A
little.” I grab it and wrap it around my waist.

           
“I
have known you to never be scared of anything.”

           
“Well,
I still tend to shock.”

           
“Yes,
you do.”

           
She
kisses me. I feel nothing but guilt and annoyance. Her hands grab on to my face
and her touch repulses me. I grab her by the wrists, forcing her to stop.

           
Her
grey eyes are hurt and colored with anger.

           
“We
haven’t fucked in a month.”

           
It
kills me to have had sex with Scarlett while pursuing Karlie, but once we took
that step and slept together, I have done everything in my power to avoid
falling into bed with Scarlett.

           
“I’m
not in the mood.”

           
I
let go of her and head over to the walk in closet. She watches like a hawk as I
put lotion on and as I throw on jeans and a shirt. She states the obvious.

           
“You
haven’t slept with anyone else in months.”

           
“They
bore me.”

           
“You
haven’t even wreaked havoc in months. You’re gone all the time.”

           
“Maybe
I’m wreaking havoc then. I don’t need to tell you everything.”

           
“Yes,
you do!”

           
I’ve
never heard Scarlett yell before.

           
“I
don’t belong to you, Scarlett. I don’t have to tell you anything.”

           
“Are
you in love with someone? Are you seeing someone? A certain… virgin? Or is she
not a virgin anymore, Gabriel?”

           
I
laugh. I put on my best performance. “Are you serious, Scarlett?” I walk over
to her. “I could care less about anyone. I’m not in love with anyone… but you.
I’m just going through some things. That’s it. I’m tired. So let me work my
shit out… okay?” My hand cups her chin and my eyes soften. “I would never
betray you. You and me… forever.”

           
I
kiss her.

           
“In
life and death?” she whispers and it catches me off guard.

           
Why
would she say that?

           
“Yes.”
I give her the answer she wants anyway.

She
doesn’t give me any more trouble and when I go meet Karlie the next day on the
steps of the Met, I am relived to find her still happy. I need her to be happy.
If she’s not happy, then I don’t know what I am anymore.

As
I hug and kiss her, I feel the weight of the cruel world crumbling beneath me.
No longer does it carry on my shoulders. But it will return again when we part.

“I
don’t think I can do this any longer.” Her face falls in fear and I hurry to
correct her worry. “I can’t keep you in the dark anymore.” She smiles. “I’ll
move out of Ms. Eleanor’s. I can stay with my father. He won’t care and you
just stay away from them. I’ll protect you. We’ll be okay.”

“Okay,”
she says with joy and no worry.

I
hug her. Everything will be okay.

HUGO

The
Hoxley Gentlemen’s Club smells of pure cigars and cologne. It is where the gods
of America come and mix. Located thirty minutes from the city. Best golf
courses a Callaway driver could come across. Best place to plan ways to
continue ruling this country through creating young Republican politicians that
won’t question you as long you donate to their campaigns. This is where the
real rulers are.

“In
the eighties a neighborhood was torn down to build the course, wasn’t it?” I
ask Dr. Steven Rodman.

“I
suppose so,” he says and his nose does this real weird wiggle thing. Like he’s
sniffing his thick black mustache.

I
sigh. “Always tearing down things to make room for wasted space.”

He
clears his throat. “So what brings you here? I’ve seen your father, but never
you.”

“Not
my scene.”

“The
hostess brought you to me, so I suppose you have something important to
discuss. Maybe a personal situation? My office hours are very tight.”

I
chuckle. “A well-known psychoanalyst and bestselling author of dozens of books
on the minds and souls of people. Critics have said you have revolutionized
psychoanalysis and are basically today’s Freud.”

The
smug grin on his face leaves this ill taste in my mouth, so I wash it down with
a glass of Crown Black.

“Personally,”
I continue, “I think you’re just good with words. There is no revolution with
psychoanalysis. No deep study of the soul and mind needed. It’s simple. We’re
just all fucked up.”

His
reserve diminishes once he laughs. He takes another sip of his drink and slaps
his hand on the brown oak table.

“You
are a funny boy.”

“And
you are a funny man. But, yes, there is a reason I wanted to see you, but I
don’t need therapy. Well, I do, but according to my last one, I’m a lost cause,
so I will just have to settle for getting inducted into the Black Card Club.”

His
smile fades. “The club has been disbanded.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Come
on, Steven. My uncle was the one that started the club. It is only right that I
may be accepted.”

“There
is no more club.” His tone is harsher.

“Then
why are the club members paying Scarlett Brayson four million dollars every
year?”

It’s
the exact same look on each person’s face when Scarlett’s name is
mentioned.
 
A look of fear as if
they have been to hell and back. So this look on Steven’s face says one thing.

“What
the hell were you doing in that club of yours? Whatever it was, it must have a
trail of carnage in an almighty form.”

He
leans in closer, huffing like a bull. “Trust me, boy. When it comes to that
girl, she is not someone you want to cross. She is capable of very vile
things.”

“Oh,
I know. The real question is: what are the vile things you are so capable of
that she has you this terrified?” My head tilts in wonder. “I do hope it is as
horrible as I think it is.”

And
it could be anything. Anything could be it. I stand up and he sits back
sneering at me.

“Don’t
cross fire where the devil bathes, boy.”

“Haven’t
you heard? I am the devil.”

I
leave him with his cigar and fear. Fear that also resides in me. It’s not about
the club. It’s not about Scarlett. It’s about what gave birth to the club. Who
gave birth to the club. It was my blood.

JULIET

It
didn’t take much to avoid Hugo. He had a meeting with a member of the Black
Card Club. He just told me. We didn’t talk much about anything else. The
tension is still clear even when I’m apart from him, but I’m hoping that maybe
what Anika has to show me will clear it… or worse, it could escalate it.

           
We’re
at JFK Airport where the arrival passengers are being let out.

           
“Why
are we here?”
 
I ask.

           
“Picking
up my mom.”

           
“She
has the answers to this big secret?”

           
“You
will see in a minute.”

           
“Are
you sure about this?” Cody asks her. “I understand that you wanted to protect
your sister, not betray her trust.”

           
“I
am protecting her. She’s gonna be pissed but… I gotta do this.” She grabs
Cody’s hand. “And I definitely want you to be here.”

           
He
smiles at her and I can’t help but to appreciate the evidence of love in front
of me. Even though they both don’t know it yet.

           
Anika’s
eyes begin to light up as the crowd from the Monaco flight appear. Cody and I
both try to search for a woman that resembles Karlie and Anika. Many faces in
the crowd of people makes it hard. But a smile equal to Anika’s peaks interest.
Her skin is the same shade as Karlie’s and her hair is cut short with grey
peeking out of the front. I smile myself at her. She is either that magnetic or
it’s just me being anxious to know the secret. A secret I sort of already had
an idea about, but as she gets closer, I am not prepared for the baggage she
has with her.

           
“Is
that what I think it is?” Cody asks and all I can say is,

           
“Oh
my God.”

GABRIEL

I
walk in the house. The lights are off inside. Everyone must be gone. I look
around and I am relieved. Ms. Eleanor is out of town and I suppose everyone
isn’t around. I could use the peace and quiet. With Scarlett getting mad at me
for avoiding her and keeping Karlie a secret, my head is starting to persuade
me into a panic attack. I just want to press pause for a minute.

           
I
get to my room but pause. I don’t remember closing my door.

           
I
open my door and enter. I can’t pull my hand away from the knob. It squeezes
tight. The cold metal being pressed on causes a warm and painful sensation in
the palm of my hand. Noel can barely stand as he rushes to put on his clothes
and Chad gleams in his naked glory, his body hovering over an equally naked
passed out Karlie. I think I’m spraining my wrist as I squeeze tighter.

           
He
gets out of the bed and also puts his clothes on.

           
“She
sure is sweet, Gabriel.” The sound of his voice goes in and out like a knife
making my ears bleed with unbearable pain.

           
Noel
looks strung out and in pain himself as he finally stands up.

           
“She’s
better than I’d thought,” Scarlett’s voice comes from behind me. She steps past
me and comes in view with a smirk on her face.

           
She
shrugs and grins. “I got tired of waiting.”

           
It
takes everything in me not to kill the people that stand before me gloating, or
in Noel’s case looking oblivious to the act he has committed.

           
“Well,”
I clear my throat, “had I known this was an option, I wouldn’t have wasted all
that time romancing her.”

           
I
am cold in my tone. I am hard in my stance and can’t blink. If I do, a tear
will fall. A tear I have not shed for anyone since my mother.

           
Chad
grabs Noel, who is stumbling still in a daze. They walk past me and before
Scarlett leaves me to clean up the mess, she leans into my ear and softly
whispers,

           
“You
know what’s good about being a great liar? It’s that all that pain inside… it
just grows and grows until it finally breaks. And when it breaks, it will just
make it more worthwhile for the ones that caused it. And I forgive you.
Heinrich Heine said it best. We should forgive our enemies… but not before they
are hanged. ”

She
leaves and I finally let go of the door knob.

           
I
slowly walk over to my bed. The bed I sleep in. The bed I fucked in. The bed
where I dream every night about Karlie. The bed we made love in a few days ago.
She’s sprawled out. Her eyes low and staring up at me. A tear rolls down her
cheek and I quickly wipe the one coming down mine. My bottom lip trembles and I
kneel down, grabbing hold of the sheet and pressing my forehead against the
cushion of the bed. Hearing her breathing and smelling the foulness. I think
I’m going to be sick. I press my mouth against the mattress and a cry escapes
my mouth, vibrating the bed I may burn after this. I may burn the whole fucking
house down.

HUGO

 
“So he wouldn’t give you any
information?” Karlie asks me from across the table. She drinks her glass of
lemonade and vodka with lime while I drink Crown straight. I set my drink down
on the glass table before answering, draping my arm over the couch.