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I decided to turn the tables on him, done with answering questions for the time being. “Why are you here?” I asked, shaking my head. “I always thought you were different from the others.”
His jaw stiffened. “Why? ’Cause I’m not as good as them? ’Cause my pappy’s pappy wasn’t in the Order?” he mocked.
I was this close to rolling my eyes but stopped myself just in time. I shook my head. “No,” I said pointedly. “Because you were always the nice one who wasn’t a pompous jackass. And you still are. Everyone knows about the charities you donate to instead of buying Bentleys or private jets. You don’t need the Order like the others do. You’re richer than God.”
“Oh,” he grunted, his brow scrunched like he was still looking for the trap in what I said. “Well, the way I see it, I’m here because we’re all on the same playing field. If everyone’s rich, no one’s trying to take advantage of me or play me. Everyone has power and wealth; I’m among equals. I’ll be accepted or rejected on my own merits.”
Did he really think that? Didn’t he know every game was rigged? The Elders had been able to afford to kick Sully out, but Emmett? With as much money and influence as he could bring to the table… did he really think the Elders would be that stupid? Of course, the degree to which they wanted him to be malleable to their control… now that was another matter. So maybe they would make Emmett and me jump through more hoops than most in these damn Trials after all.
Men drunk on power never imagined they could lose it. My father certainly hadn’t, and look what that had done to us.
But if Emmett didn’t like the idea of people using him or trying to take advantage of him, then he could never, ever discover why my mother had sent me here. He’d hate the thought of someone trying to manipulate him into marriage. Not that it would ever matter, but still.
“What about the belles?” I asked, putting it in the hypothetical. “Do you respect them less, because they’re here to take advantage of rich men?”
He looked me in the eye. “They’re honest about it, so I respect it. No one’s lying to anyone here. And the difference is”—he smirked—“it’s not my money they’re getting. It’s the Order’s. So that brings us back to my original question. Why are you here, Bellamy Carmichael? You’ve got the bluest of blue blood of anyone in Darlington County.”
I just smiled at him as I walked backward toward the house, daring to give him a little wink. “A woman’s got to have her secrets. Race you back?” And then I took off running before he could answer.
7
EMMETT
I remembered fantasizing about asking Bellamy Carmichael to prom. I pictured how beautiful she would be on my arm with our color-matching outfits, her corsage, my boutonnière, and the excitement of youth. We would have made such a cute couple… in my head.
But no.
Girls like Bellamy Carmichael did not attend proms with boys like me.
But now, as I had the most beautiful woman in Darlington County on my arm, as I escorted her to the Oleander’s All Hallow’s Eve party, I got to correct history in a very dark, very kinky, and very perfect way.
But tonight, we would not be the “cute couple.” Hot as fuck partners in a twisted game of wealth and power, yes. But not cute.
She wore a black satin dress that skimmed her upper thigh. The dress was so short that if she touched her toes, I no doubt would’ve been able to see the curve of her ass peeking from beneath. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back, and although she tried to pin it up when she first got dressed, I ordered her to keep it long and free. I needed something to take hold of tonight. The black, five-inch Jimmy Choos she wore showed off her muscular legs, and I had never wanted to lick something so badly in my life. I wanted my tongue to caress every inch of her calves, her knees, her inner thigh....
I could feel her energy as she buzzed with excitement when the black dress arrived for her to wear. It wasn’t just that she could get dressed for tonight’s Trial, but that she actually got to attend the very coveted and secret party that everyone in Darlington knew about but didn’t get invited to. It was not just for the members of the Order, but also for the most debauched fuckers who came out to play for this one open event at the mansion.
“I’ve always wanted to go to this,” Bellamy said under her breath as we approached the ballroom. “I’ve heard a lot of stories.”
