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It may look pretty on the outside, but it’s nothing but a corpse on the inside.
When you look past the shiny exterior, you can see the black decay of wickedness. Money can do a lot, buy a lot, perfect a lot, but there is no dollar amount that can truly wipe clean a soul dripping in unholiness.
The grass on every property in this town is healthy and perfectly sculpted as though the groundskeepers are the Leonardo da Vinci of landscapers. The houses were built in a time when the designers wanted to match the glory of the White House, resplendent in the eyes of their owners yet pompous and supercilious to anyone not from here. Coventry has everything you could ever want, a public library filled with almost every book written, and if they don’t have it, they can get it. Coventry boasts high end shops and boutiques, cafés and restaurants, shopping centers and malls, but they are as pretentious as the citizens. The only kind of cars you see around here come with a price tag that can feed a small town.
Anything less is seen as trash. You can have a nice car, something that costs more than most people make in a year, but if you live here, it’s considered weak. It’s a mark of new money or perhapsnomoney—no matter how wealthy you may be.
Yes, Coventry is filled with self-important pricks living off the power of their names and the power of their bloodline. But don’t be fooled. No one here is someone you can consider a rich moron. Everyone is taught how to be a snake hiding in the rabbit cage. From the time we can talk, we are taught the art of persuasion, and no matter what, take what you want.
“Come, sister, there is a lot to show you.” I tell Valeria with a mocking tone I can’t seem to help.
“Actually,” Valeria starts, her eyes ignoring me completely as she stares down her father, “I thinkdadand I have a lot of catching up to do. Maybe you can show Noah around, he’ll give me the cliff notes later.”
She turns to me looking like someone else entirely, her eyes closed off, detached in a way I wasn’t sure she was capable of. The only tell-tale sign that there’s life in her is the balled-up fists at her sides.
“We’ll catch up later, brother.” she sneers before standing on her toes and kissing Noah’s cheek.
“Bienvenido a Coventry, princesa.” I give her a smirk that has never failed to strike a bit of fear into anyone unlucky enough to receive it.
Swallowing thickly and looking more exhausted by the minute, Valeria turns and gestures for Roberto to lead the way.
“I don’t trust you.” Noah says as we watch Valeria’s hips sway.
Good, I think to myself as I smirk, you really shouldn’t trust me.
EIGHTEEN
* * *
‘GENESIS’ DEREK POPE
The car ridewith dad was miserable. He kept asking me mundane questions in that dead voice. All I wanted to do was jump from the car at highspeed. Dramatic, I know, but I’ve never been good with biting my tongue and detaching from my emotions. I’d rather swallow glass than my angry words. I’m the kind of bitch that will wither if I don’t get the last word.
I look down at the clear skin on the tops of my hands and see that once again I’m dramatizing my thoughts, but you get the point.
When I know I’m right, when the fuckingworldknows I’m right, I’ll go out with the last word…but this situation is bigger than my pettiness, and I don’t have all the facts, only anger.
That’s not enough to fight tooth and nail for. Not yet at least.
Besides, isn’t it the patient ones you should be weary of? I may not be the most patient person on the planet, but I’m a quick learner and that soul sucking car ride to this quiet eatery was just the tip of the iceberg of my incoming learning curve.
A girl around my age approaches us as we enter the restaurant, a practiced robotic smile on her face. Her name tag says Rose which I’m sure is fitting considering how sweet her smile is yet how cruel her eyes shine, it makes me think of a pretty rose covered in sharp thorns. I bet she’s a narcissist with a false sense of superiority.
“Mr. Calavera, miss Calavera.” Her knowledge of who I am surprises me, but I keep it from showing on my face. “Will it just be the two of you dining with us?”
“Yes, and we’ll take the private room.”
She dips her head and quickly picks up two menus before leading us to the back of the restaurant. There’re a few people scattered throughout the restaurant, most of them watching us as we pass. Some of the men nod their heads in respect to my father, but it seems like they are demanded to do so, not because they actually respect him. Looks like I’m not the only one who my father has pissed off.
Rose ushers us into the private room which has the same interior design as the public dining area, but in a much smaller setting. There is only one table in the room, but it practically takes up the entire space. It’s long and rectangular with fourteen chairs around it and placemats in front of each one. There are lit candles down the center with small floating flower vases between each one. Like the dining room we passed through, there are lots of different shades of reds everywhere you look. From the maroon seat cushions to the red ruby chandeliers…it makes me feel like I’ve walked into a pretty crime scene.
Once we are seated, dad orders us a bottle of something I can’t pronounce and water. Rose leaves us, quietly clicking the door shut behind her.
It’s as though the ice melts off my father the minute we’re alone. It tells me we’re clear of eyes and ears. I picture this room holding secret Society meetings over meals and drinks, you know, planning world domination and the downfall of our fellow man. Still, I sit quietly as I wait for him to begin.
I don’t have to wait long, but I wish he had never opened his mouth—every word is forced, his emotions read faked. It sets my teeth on edge and my blood on high heat.
“Valeria, I’m so sorry this has happened. This,” he gestures around us, “is not what I ever wanted for you. I did everything I could to keep you hidden away from this godforsaken town, but it wasn’t enough. All we can do now is play the game as best we can until I can get us out once more.”
