Page 101 of Corrupted Pleasure

“I do,” I admitted. “The story about my parents. I feel like I am missing all of it. There had to be a reason they didn’t want me. And I think Grandpa is keeping it from me so he’d spare me the pain.”

“Same,” Juliette muttered. “I’m not even sure who I am anymore. Brennan, Cullen… or what?”

“You are Juliette,” I told her. “I don’t care what last name you carry. You’re my friend regardless.”

“Agreed,” Ivy announced. “This is the reason we need to build this school. So other kids like us always have somewhere to go and ask questions. The four of us are sitting here clueless and obviously there are things in our lives that we should know.”

“Yet we don’t,” Wynter muttered. “I get a sense that everyone but us knows it. Even worse, we’re left defenseless. We don’t know how to fight, how to hack. We are thieves… barely. It makes it even worse that weareactually members of criminal families. And still clueless as fuck.”

“You’re right,” Juliette agreed. “It’s sad, really. We are part of some of the most powerful criminal families in the world and we’re totally in the dark. It makes us vulnerable.”

“Agreed,” all three of us murmured.

“By the way, I overheard that The Eastside Club was turned over to the Italians,” I mumbled and my cheeks grew hot. I had never been good at lying.

A round of gasps. “What? Are you sure?”

I nodded. “Why?”

I shrugged.

“That’s odd,” Juliette grumbled. “I thought it was his most cherished club.”

“Who in the hell knows how those men think?” Juliette muttered.

“Okay, let’s get back to our next heist,” Wynter announced.

I turned to Wynter before we switched subjects completely. “You’ll tell us if you need us, right?” Wynter threw me a grateful look and nodded her head. “Now tell us about this potential location.”

Her face lit up, as much in relief at the change of topic, and she smiled. It was that expression that always had the audience captivated. Usually, I only saw it when she was on the ice. I’ve recorded her plenty of times to have seen it. But now, I’d seen it two or three times in the same week and only when she was around her mysterious stranger. I had a feeling that Wynter had it bad for this guy.

“It’s a casino in Philadelphia,” she announced in a low voice. “An armored truck collects all the cash from the casino every Saturday night. If we hijack the truck, we might have enough to get us going on the business.”

I blinked. Confusion on Juliette’s and Ivy’s faces told me they weren’t expecting it either.

“Hijack?” Juliette repeated. “Like steal the truck?”

Wynter shrugged. “Well, I haven’t worked out all the details. I’ve been busy.” Ivy scoffed and I knew exactly what she was thinking. Wynter was busy with her man. Thankfully, Wynter ignored it. After all, she was good at ignoring what she didn’t want to acknowledge. “But yeah, something like that. Just so we can take all the cash they are transporting and then we dump the truck.” She grinned like she was suddenly very proud of herself. “Like the women in theGood Girlsseries.”

I sat up straight. “You watched it?”

She nodded her head, her curls bouncing down her shoulders. Wynter never watched TV. Ever. She always had a competition to train for, choreography, ballet, or simply college classes to attend. She frequented some parties, but unlike us, she was never super excited for them. She loved ice skating, and to her, it was the best way to spend her time. Ivy asked her once if she felt like she was missing out, but she said she didn’t. Ice skating mattered to her, while all those other things didn’t.

“Yeah, it was sooo good,” she beamed. “We could mimic the part where they push the stolen vehicle into the lake or whatever.”

Juliette and Ivy chuckled. “Wynter Star Flemming has been corrupted! It only took four years of college.”

The four of us burst into a fit of giggles when a knock sounded on the door. Juliette went to open the door and my stomach dropped knowing what would follow. It took just a minute and she was back with four letters.

I swallowed hard and ripped it open. God, Juliette’s father must have had some serious pull. Just as he’d promised, the letter came requesting I vacate the dorm within twenty-four hours. I knew Juliette’s and Ivy’s letters said the same thing.

“What the fuck-” Juliette muttered under her breath, then raised her eyes. “They want us out. The university.”

“My letter says the same thing,” Ivy confirmed. Ivy was sprawled over the floor while Juliette sat down with her legs crisscrossed. Wynter and I still sat on the couch.

“Mine too,” I mumbled, feeling like shit. I should say something, admit to them what had happened between Liam and me. That I’d married him. Yet, words failed me and I just remained watching, knowing I was doing wrong by my friends by not trusting them enough to tell them.

Wynter took a deep breath. “Mine says I can stay another two weeks.”