Sinners & Saints (Sinners & Saints #1) (19 page)

I hear a footstep. I didn’t even
realize I left my door open. I turn around and see Hugo staring at me, holding
my clutch in his hand. It’s no secret what he wants to do to me at this moment,
given my half naked body and his eyes stilled on it. Thank God I’m wearing
black lace.

I’m not scared to appear to him like
this. I’m not scared of him grabbing me and throwing me on the floor or saying
anything rude or crude. I just know that this battle between us is starting to
truly heat up and tonight I have to win this round with darkness and seduction.
I walk over to him, slowly. His chest rises as his eyes continue to examine me.
His jaw tightens and his eyes start to blink more than usual. His fists are
balled up. I’m near him now. I can hear him breathing heavily. I reach for the
hand that is holding my clutch. He releases it once I grab hold of it. I stare
at his lips, licking mine then I look into his eyes. Complete agony within
them. They’re dark and hungry, starving.
  

“Thanks,” I say smirking.

I take four steps back, just enough
space for me to close the door.

HUGO

Only she can go from broken, tainted
and pure to just purely erotic.

           
“Fuck,”
I mumble in defeat.

13

JULIET

“You seem happy this morning.” Cody
notices the bright smile on my face. My humming while I’m eating my omelet is
probably giving him a clue also.

           
“I
suppose I am.” I glance at Hugo who doesn’t look as pleased as I am.

           
“Oh
my God!” Poppy squeals.

           
We
wait for her to give a reason as to why she screams.

           
“I
got invited to a listening party!” she gloats.

           
“Whose?”
I ask, but Poppy doesn’t answer. She’s looking over our heads, her mouth and
eyes wide open. We follow her gaze and see a man in a gray suit staring at us.
His hair is jet black with grey hair peeking out on the sides. He’s very
handsome and well-tailored, but his scowl reminds me of a certain someone.

           
“Hello,
Dad,” Hugo confirms my suspicions. I glance at August who starts to sink in his
chair.

           
“Living
room, now.” His look of disdain for Hugo is evident. He’s here about Denton.

           
“No
hello?” I ask before even thinking.

           
He
looks at me, narrowing his eyes before heading back in.

           
“My
father’s not usually for introductions,” Hugo says, rising up from his seat.
August quickly follows closely behind him.

HUGO

“Why is it so hard for you not to
embarrass me?” he asks me as August and I stand shoulder to shoulder in front
of him in the living room.

           
“I’m
talking to you, Hugo.” My father steps to me. “Answer me damn it!”

           
August
flinches while I stand still. As expected, he starts to cry. My father looks at
him in a disgusting manner and snaps his fingers in August’s face. “Hey! If
you’re going to do all that whining, then go to your damn room. Go!”

           
August
runs away. While I wait to be ridiculed.

           
“Craig’s
son was admitted into the hospital for a damn stab wound to the leg.”

           
“It
was a flesh wound,” I say.

           
He
shoves me so hard, he stumbles back. Pointing his finger at me, his face turns
red. “You outta be glad that I talked him out of pressing charges, but because
of your shit I had to lower the price on that pipeline deal. You have cost me.”

           
“The
billionaire loses a few million
—
oh what
shall you do?” That sarcasm gets me another shove to the chest.

           
 
“Your recklessness, Hugo, is all you have
amongst your pathetic need for attention. You will cut the shit and grow up.
You will no longer embarrass me. I have a disabled son and I will not leave my
legacy to a shit head like you. ”

           
“Yes,
let us all weep for the man who can do no wrong. His wife and children just
kill themselves because he’s the best rendition of a husband and father.”

           
The
back of his hand comes across my face before I can blink. I keep my hold and
glare at him as the throbbing pain on my cheek begins to burn.

           
“You
do it again, I will withhold your inheritance from your mother.”

           
“You
can’t do that. Besides, if you could you would’ve already threatened me with
this.”

           
“No
Hugo. You see, I don’t care about you shoving your dick in anything or failing
your classes purposely, prolonging your education. But when it comes to my
money and my business… that’s when I give a shit. As your father and her
husband, I am legally bound to withholding it if I fear the security of the
fortune you are about to come into. I made sure of that when your mother had it
written up. Don’t test me, boy.”

           
“I
guess she agreed to that before she couldn’t stand to be in the same room as
you.”

           
He
laughs harshly, shaking his head.

“You may throw shame at me for not
coddling you, but always remember this.” He presses his finger hard against my
chest. “She left you too. She left all of us and you can blame me all you want,
but she didn’t think you and your brothers were important enough to stay. So
don’t pretend I’m fully to blame for your disoriented behavior.”

           
He
leaves with that same smug grin he always has on his face. The flash of my
mother smiling at me appears and it’s the first time in five years I’ve seen
that smile before her death. I grind my teeth once the image of her smile, the
leap off the balcony, and the blood surrounding her when I look over fade away.
I feel I’m not alone anymore. I turn around. Of course she is here to witness
it all.

           
“What?”
I nonchalantly ask.

           
The
sympathy in her eyes annoys me. “Your brother.”

JULIET

He quickly walks pass me, still in his
sullen state, but after what I just witnessed I know he’s hurt. He’s always
been hurt
—
that’s the
problem.

           
I
follow him to August who ran to his room and started panicking. He’s in the
corner banging his head against the wall over and over again. Cody has his
hands on his shoulders begging him to stop. August stops just so he can push
Cody off of him, showing how strong he really is. He goes back to the head
banging while Jordana and Poppy watch helplessly. Cody stands back up and tries
again, but Hugo pushes him out of the way.

           
“Hey,
I was trying to help!” Cody snaps.

           
“You
don’t know what the hell you’re doing, so I suggest you stay out of it.” Hugo
wraps his arms around August and flips him over onto the floor flat on his
stomach and sits on top of him. He now continues to bang his head on the floor.
Hugo uses his right hand to cover August’s forehead.

           
“Stop
it.” He calmly says to him.

           
The
head banging still continues. I’m sure Hugo’s hand is hurting, but it doesn’t
hinder his efforts to prevent damage of his brother.

           
“No!”
August yells trying to escape from Hugo’s grasp. I’m coming to understand that
Hugo is not only strong physically but emotionally.

           
“Calm
down,” he says again softly. Slowly but surely August begins to calm down.
“Calm down. It’s alright.”

           
Hugo
keeps on with the usual monotone while brushing August’s hair as he lays on the
floor, crying.

           
“What
did I say about hitting your head on things when bad events take place?” Hugo
asks him.

           
“Men
don’t do that,” August quietly sobs.

           
“Yes
and what are we?”

           
“Men.”
August stares off, biting his lip as Hugo stares at him, gently rubbing his
head.

           
The
Mandrake twins are one. I understand what August means and what Hugo does for
him. He calms him, gives him strength, gives him love. He can say it’s an
obligation or pity all he wants, but it is clear to anyone that Hugo Mandrake
profoundly loves his brother.

           
“Can
I get off you now?” he asks August who has stopped crying.

           
August
nods his head.

           
“You
want everyone to leave?”

           
August
nods his head again.

           
“Everyone
out,” Hugo says as he stands, bringing August up with him.

           
We
do as they request. Poppy and Cody leave while Jordana and I linger in the
hallway.

           
“He
gets like that sometimes,” she tells me noticing my intense worry. “That wasn’t
even the worst.”

           
“Does
it happen often?”

           
“No,”
she shakes her head. “Only when their dad comes around… and trust me that is
not often.”

           
She
leaves and I should go with her, but still my feet won’t move.
Oh my God, feet what are you doing?
They’re taking me to Hugo’s room. I sit on his bed and notice the same black
chalkboard as August’s. I didn’t even notice it before.
Why didn’t I notice it before?
Oh, yeah, Hugo’s abdomen and biceps
distracted me from it. I notice the drawing of a chessboard. Names are on it.
The virgin tells me everything I need to know. We are the names. It’s what Hugo
names us. Virgin, Cody. Clueless isn’t Jordana. That’s Poppy. Unwanted Advisor
must be Jordana. English Rose. That’s me. What I’m finding interesting is that
I’m ahead of the rest by three or five spaces. The only name next to mine is
Beautiful Serpent. That’s definitely Scarlett.

           
“What
are you doing in here?” Hugo asks me.

“How is he?” I answer with my question.

           
“Fine.
Drawing another maze. Most likely it will be so intricate it will give you a
fucking headache.”

           
“It’s
amazing how well you know him.”

           
“Yes,
I suppose it is.”

           
“You
really love him.”

           
His
eyes become furious. “Juliet, I’m not doing this with you.”

           
“Then
let me have the last damn word. Only when defenses arise, curiosity for the
truth increases.” He gives me a look. “I made that up.”

           
“I
know.”

           
“So
your dad is a son of a bitch.”

           
“Yes
he is and I have finally figured out how I’m going to get my revenge.” He goes
to his desk and pulls out a bottle of cognac.

           
“What?”
I ask as he pours himself a glass.

           
“My
father’s wife is a neglectful, wants to please everyone, daddy’s little girl. She’s
already one pill away from being on a permanent high to avoid the realities of
her bound to fail marriage. She flirted with me last night. She was vulnerable.
A consequence of my father’s infamous ‘I won’t be able to make it tonight’
line.” He arches his brow, the glass at his mouth. “I’ve never slept with my
father’s conquests. I find it repulsive. but I’m now starting to like the idea.
Let me guess, you’re appalled.” He drinks from his glass.

           
“Well,
you know once you’ve heard one diabolic plot, you’ve heard them all.” I get
serious. “Don’t do it.”

           
He
swallows the burning libation and sets the glass on the table. “Why not?”

           
“Well,
what about the inheritance your mother left you?”

           
“I
don’t care.”

           
“Then
don’t do it because it isn’t worth it. You don’t want to be like him.”

           
“Spare
me the lecture of being the bigger person.”

           
“How
about the lecture of being a person?” My voice gets louder and I stand up from
the bed. “Jesus! You people. All you do is just play these games to see who can
outdo who in being the biggest prat.”

           
“I
like to have sex with women, Juliet.” He comes closer to me, pointing to his
chest. “I like to bring emotional harm to them and everyone around them because
it is what I like to do. It is the only thing that makes me remotely close to
being happy.”

           
“Well,
maybe it’s time to find something new to make you happy.”

           
“Like
what? Like you did? I know about you. I have a cousin from London and I asked
about you. You freaked out once some idiot jumped off a roof because she
couldn’t take the truth.”

           
So,
he wants to go there.

“No,” I say adamantly. “I realized that
I was a bitch and I didn’t like being a bitch.”

           
“You
sure you aren’t a bitch now?”

           
“Well
if I am, I am a bitch that I approve of.”