Page 15 of Under the Lights (The Big Boys of BRU #2)

With finals over and done with, May was winding to a close, and it finally felt like I could breathe again for more than one reason. Aside from the obvious relief of getting through exams, the house was gradually emptying out.

Girls were packing up, heading home, or jetting off for summer internships. The fewer people left around, the less I had to worry about who I could or couldn’t trust.

Still, I was constantly on edge. The girls involved in all this weren’t done with me, no fucking way. I was the wild card in their neat little operation, and I kept bracing for the moment someone would finally stop pretending and confront me.

I was halfway through reorganizing the explosion finals week had left in my room — folding laundry into neat piles, trashing old note cards, and sorting receipts into labeled envelopes — when a knock rattled the door.

Pausing mid-step, a stack of highlighters in one hand, my head snapped toward the door.

Through the wood, I could already hear the sugary tone of the President’s voice. “Sierra? Hey, girl. Can we come in?”

Julia’s voice followed, lighter but laced with something sharper. “We figured you’d be in. Thought we’d catch you before things get too… hectic.”

I opened the door to find them both already halfway through their signature step-in-uninvited maneuver. Courtney wore her usual pleasant smile, while Julia’s was thinner — tight-lipped and assessing.

The door clicked shut behind them, soft but final. I slowly straightened, suddenly hyperaware of every open file on my laptop and every note still taped to the wall behind my desk.

Their heels clicked against the hardwood as they moved farther in, still smiling. But the air felt different now, heavy and oppressive. It was as if someone had drawn an invisible line across the room, and we were all waiting to see who would cross it first.

I’d always liked Courtney, our president, and always thought she was a person of impeccable character.

She’d been one of the reasons I had chosen Zeta Gamma Gamma. At the time, she had seemed fair, generous, and kind. Today, though, I knew better .

Julia, the VP, was of a different caliber. I was acutely aware she had a rather unpleasant side. You never knew where you stood with her.

We’d always danced around each other carefully, knowing it would be unwise to catch the other off guard. I could be as vicious as she was, and she was well aware of that.

“What can I do for you?” I asked, refusing to give them an opening. I wanted to see them squirm.

“Let’s not beat around the bush.” Julia raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “We know you had a conversation with Jas.”

I inclined my head. “I’ve had plenty of conversations with Jas. You’re going to have to be more specific than that.”

Courtney sighed. “Come on, Si.”

“Sierra,” I shot back.

“I see how it is,” Courtney said, her lips pursed in disdain.

“Do you? I don’t feel like you see anything but yourselves.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Sierra.” Julia rolled her eyes and leaned against my closed door.

Silently, I stared them both down, pleased when I detected at least small signs of unease. Good.

“You’re missing the point, Sierra,” Courtney said softly. “This is the way things work, the way they’ve always worked.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little sad that this is the best you could come up with?” My voice was cold, cutting.

“This isn’t just about us. We’re thinking about the good—”

“Not for the good of everyone , surely? Otherwise, you wouldn’t just be lining your pockets.”

They exchanged glances with one another, starting to flounder. This conversation was not going the way they had expected. A grim satisfaction spread deep within me.

“Not of everyone, no.” Courtney fixed me with her gaze. “But you could be one of them.”

My eyebrows shot up almost to my hairline. Were they serious?

I let out a disbelieving laugh, while deep down, something inside me cracked. For a while, I had considered this to be my found family, my people, my home . The revelation of who they truly were was jarring.

“You’re that desperate to keep this thing going?” I asked, seething. “Haven’t you got enough already?”

Julia didn’t even blink. “Think about it, Sierra. You could have almost anything you want. Designer clothes, luxury trips — you name it. Just imagine the possibilities. The doors this could open for you.”

She really didn’t get it. Didn’t know me at all.

I stared at her, disgusted. “I feel sorry for you.”

“What is it going to take for you to let this go, Sierra? What do you want?” Courtney tried to coax me.

“Nothing you can give me.” I crossed my arms over my chest, unwilling to fold. “Unlike you, I have this little thing called character . A conscience!”

“Get off your high horse,” Julia scoffed.

“How can you be so greedy? You’re literally stealing money meant for charity and betraying the people who entrusted you with it. That’s disgusting. Not to mention you’re betraying the rest of us. I will never be part of this pathetic scheme. No fucking way .”

Courtney pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head ever so slightly, and it was Julia who took the lead now. “All right, Sierra. You asked for it. You made your bed; now lie in it.”

“Meaning?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“If you won’t join us, we’ll have to protect ourselves in other ways. As of today, you’re considered a traitor to Zeta Gamma Gamma.”

An incredulous, slightly manic laugh escaped me before I could stop it. I blinked, disbelief twisting my chest. “On what grounds?”

Julia’s expression stayed calm, cold. “You’re disrupting the bond of our sisterhood.

We held a vote during last week’s chapter meeting.

The decision was unanimous — you’re suspended from all activities effective immediately.

You must turn in your badge and leave the house within 24 hours.

Any items provided by the sorority must be returned. ”

I looked at them, my chin held high, my gaze cold as ice. “You’re pathetic.”

Courtney sighed, and Julia looked at me with vicious malice.

“I guess there’s nothing else to discuss then,” said Courtney, before turning her back and opening the door.

Julia hung back, a gleam in her eye that I didn’t like.

“We tried to keep you out of it. We even put a wonderful diversion right in front of you, but you had to rock the boat. We’re lucky he agreed to it at all, and you go and fuck it all up.

” She scrutinized me disdainfully one last time.

“With that stick up your ass, I’m not surprised he couldn’t take it anymore. ”

With a self-satisfied expression, she closed the door behind her, and the thud of the door closing reverberated throughout my entire body.

Holy fucking shit . I froze, an icy chill running through my limbs and the blood draining from my face.

I felt nauseous, felt the bile rising, but couldn’t move. Eventually, I managed to slump to the floor, just crouching there with my head between my legs.

It was one thing that David had just been playing me. I could live with that. But the fact that the betrayal of my so-called sisters was even more far-reaching and vile than I could have ever imagined?

That was almost unbearable.

How could I have been so na?ve?

It had been right in front of me the whole time. I would have to build my walls higher than ever before, would have to fortify all my defenses so no one could ever break through them so easily again. Apparently, my judgment couldn’t be trusted.

A single hot tear ran down my cheek, and I roughly wiped it away.

The shame of having been deceived like this was almost worse than the betrayal itself. As if on autopilot, I began to pack my things, grateful that I had thought ahead.

How convenient that fate had put me in front of someone who was looking for a roommate just when I needed one.

Hopefully, Ella wouldn’t mind if I moved in a few days earlier than planned.