Reckless Karma (Sinners & Saints #2) (4 page)

“I
didn’t really have a plan. I just wanted eyes on you. Know what you were like.”

“And
Anika knows me.”

“More
than you know. Maybe when you both can chill out, you could talk about it.”

           
I
walk up to the large window and stare out at the city. My city. The city I have
always admired, and now I’m discovering as I watched this city, as I watched
the people
—
my prey
—
I too was the prey. I too was watched.

           
The
silence seems to last forever until she finally speaks again. “I grew up in a
two bedroom apartment in Queens with my mom and little sister. Our view was
just crappy old buildings, so I just didn’t think anything was beautiful about
buildings. Like anything. But this view… well, all I can say is the view on
Park Avenue makes me appreciate architecture a whole lot more. I never thought
I could rule the world, and this view makes me think I do.”

           
“So
how do you like it so far?”

           
“Ruling
the world? Well… it has its highs and lows. Sometimes I find myself missing our
little apartment.”

           
“Sometimes
I wish I grew up on a beach. People that live on the beach seem happy.” I don’t
know why I admit that to her of all people. I get what Karlie means. Even
though I’ve never been poor or middle class, I get it. Less really is more. A
nice small home on the beach has always been a calm setting for me. Just the
sounds of the ocean and the quiet wind that pushes past you from within the
open windows. I think that’s where I’ll be with Juliet someday. I hope it is.
Maybe a beach in England.

           
Karlie
steps back and sits on the couch. I join her, sitting in the chair next to it.

           
“So
about this NeoLock deal?” I ask.

           
“I’ll
be the full investor of NeoLock.” She has no worries as she tells me this.

           
“I
thought Harper needed a few investors.”

           
“He
did, but after our meeting, he’s found no need for any more investors. I made
him promise not to announce it yet.”

           
I
nod. “Well done.”

           
“Yes.
Taking that deal away from your dad and Scarlett was kid stuff. Truthfully, I’m
not even really interested in revenge on your dad.”

           
“It’s
the master puppeteer herself.”

           
“Yes,
indeed she is. I want to cut the strings and use them to strangle her.”

           
I
chuckle. “I am all for it.”

           
She
tilts her head, narrowing her eyes at me. She has this faint grin on her face
like she knows what I’m thinking.

           
“What
do you want to know, Hugo?” she finally asks.

           
“Everything.”

           
“What
do you want to know first?”

           
Tell
me about the first time he approached you.”

           
She
giggles and that coldness, that pain is washed away and before she can even
tell me, I know she loves him. That light in her eyes displays that evidence.
His memory is still the beat in her heart.

GABRIEL

Karlie
Annetta Dale. Beautiful girl. Scholarship student from Queens. Since she’s been
going here at Welsh Academy, she has been ranked between number one and three
in our class. I’ve always noticed her. Her sweet and caring nature for others.
Her simple ways. I’ve never thought much about it. The only thing I ever
wondered was how good she was in bed. Now I’m wondering the rest. What makes
her her? When it comes to the targets, I want to know what makes them smile,
cry, angry, scream. Karlie Dale shouldn’t be hard. At the end of the day she’s
like any other virgin. Longing for someone to romance them and sweep them off
their feet.

           
“What
do you think of Karlie Dale?”

           
My
question sparks frustration in Molly Hanes, who at the moment is occupied.

           
“Whaaaat?”
she mumbles.

           
I
continue smoking my cigarette as she removes her mouth from my dick.

           
“Are
you serious right now?” she asks, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

           
I’m
watching her right now from the window of Molly’s limo. School is about to
start and everyone’s on the school steps conversing. Karlie is talking to some
group of girls. Mostly fat chicks and blacks and Hispanics. She’s laughing,
smiling like a ray of sunshine.

           
“Why
the hell do you wanna know about her?” Molly talks like a girl from Orange
County, and she practically looks like one with the platinum blonde hair and
spray tan. I swear every time we have sex I come out orange. She’s not from LA,
but she has an obsession with the
O.C.
and
Laguna Beach
television series.
Has all the seasons on DVD box sets and plays them while we have sex. One time
we role-played. I was, in her words, a horrible Seth Cohen and she was Summer
Roberts. I fucked the snarky comment out of her.

           
“Because
I want to know.” I face her. “You can get back to your morning breakfast after
you tell me what you think of her.”

           
She
frowns, pouts, the usual female angry expression, but then looks past me and
really looks at Karlie.

           
“She’s
cute.” True. “A little overweight.” Lie. “And actually I heard her nose might
be fake.” Lie again. “But then she is on scholarship so that could be false.
Ugh, I guess she’s sweet and nice. Last year she tutored me in Algebra and I
actually passed with a C so that was nice of her.” She puts more thought into
it. “Yeah, she’s cool. She’s just… genuine. She doesn’t pretend and… I guess
that’s really good.”

           
I
take in what she says and smile. “Good… you may proceed.”

           
I
decide to approach her in the library. She’s searching for a book on the other
side of the shelf. When she pulls it from the shelf, there I am, my face
staring back at her from the other side.

           
“Hi?”
She seems confused as to why I’m staring at her through the small space.

           
“Hello,”
I flash my usual crooked smile at her.

           
She
shrugs it off and continues. I watch through the cracks between the books and
move as she does until I come in full view of her at the end, blocking her
path.

           
“Can
I help you with something?” I sense a hint of amusement in her attitude.

           
“No.”

           
“Well
then why are you standing in my way?”

           
“Because
it’s usually my approach to women.”

           
“You
should work on a new one.” She tries to walk past me, but I step in her way.

           
“Why
don’t you teach me?”

           
She
grins. “I think you already have a line of girls waiting to teach you.”

           
“Can’t
argue there. I guess I should start with an introduction. I’m Gabriel
Mandrake.”

           
“I
know who you are, and I’m sure you know who I am.”

           
“Indeed,
I do. You’re Karlie Dale.”

           
“Yep.”

           
“So
you’re wondering why I’m approaching you.”

           
“No,
I know why you’re approaching me.”

           
“You
do?”

           
“Yes…
my mom always warns me about people like you.”

           
“People
like me? Handsome? Charming? Intelligent?”

           
“No,”
she shakes her head. “Rich, spoiled, self-entitled little white boys looking
for a charity case, especially in the Spanish and African American community,
to use for unlimited sex and gain an unlimited supply of plagiarized term
papers until you attend an Ivy League school and get married to a pretty
blonde.”

           
Well
that was unexpected. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled this big before. I am
impressed.

           
“Actually,
I prefer brunettes.”

           
I
expect her to roll her eyes, call me an asshole and walk away, but she doesn’t.
She laughs. Like hysterically laughs. My smile tightens and for the first time
I’m speechless.

           
“I
bet you do,” she says and brushes past me. I watch her. Pride, confidence, and
courage waver over her long strides, and I finally see how beautiful she truly
is. I can’t wait to ruin it.

KARLIE

“He
hooked you, didn’t he?” Hugo asks me, smirking.

           
“He
gained my interest,” I admit. “Everyone knew who Gabriel was. What he did along
with the rest of the Sinful Saints. And I’ll admit I was attracted to him, but
I knew I never wanted to give him my heart. Unfortunately, after that day he
just became more persistent and that damn charm worked,” I smile. “It must be
the Mandrake charm.”

           
“It’s
a poisonous thing.”

           
“It
is.”

           
“So
what made you fall for him if you knew?”

           
“Maybe
it was the attraction or maybe not, but it’s like I could just see him
sometimes for who he really was.”

           
“When?
When you first met him?”

           
“No.”

           
I
think back on it and it’s still a clear memory of the moment I knew Gabriel was
going to change my life.

GABRIEL

“What
the hell are we waiting by the buses for?” Chad asks.

           
“You
could go home,” Noel says and Scarlett snickers. Noel and Chad hate each other.
I could care less about either one. Neither of them are of my standards. One’s
a drug addict who likes to watch Scarlett and I have sex and the other is over
his head when it comes to keeping up with the rest of us. Noel isn’t psychotic
like Chad, cunning like Scarlett, or soulless like me. He’s just trying to fit
in. But here we all are, the Kings and Queen of the school. We are feared and
envied. Sunglasses, school uniforms on, cigarettes in hands.
 
We are the definition of cool today and
I love it, but I don’t need it. I don’t need anything because everything
eventually ends. Watching the poor board their polluted buses, I realize that
I’ve never been on a bus before. I ride in a limo or a BMW every day, and
Karlie Dale rides the bus every day. We are from two different worlds
—
a
classic love story
—
except this won’t be a love story.

           
“There’s
your girl,” Scarlett whispers in my ear before licking it.

           
I
smile as I see Karlie walking our way.

           
“Karlie
Dale.” I grin and hop off the limo. She laughs to herself and shakes her head.

           
“Gabriel
Mandrake.” She keeps walking and I get in her way.

           
“Where
are you going?”

           
“Home.”

           
“Well
get in. We’ll give you a lift.”

           
“We
will?” Chad rudely asks.

           
“These
are my lovely roommates.” I display sarcasm in my voice.

           
“Yeah,
I know,” she says. “Hi.”

           
“Charmed,”
Scarlett grins.

           
Chad
stares at her in that rapey way Chad stares at girls. “Wonderful to meet you.”
He grabs her hand and kisses it.

           
Karlie
is uneasy at his gesture. Like she can see right through him. Even though I am
a monster, I wouldn’t want any woman around Chad either.