Cruel Money (Cruel 1)

“Yeah, right,” I spat.

“I won, so I get to fuck you.” Katherine shrugged. “That’s the bet. That’s what I get for going darker than you, Penn. Maybe, next time, you’ll really play.”

“You bitch…”

“Enough!” Rowe roared, shocking us all into silence. “The bet happened. We all agreed on it that night. You can’t argue your way out of this, so stop trying. I’m fucking tired of it. Natalie isn’t here, so we can’t judge if she fell for you. So, by the rules, Katherine won. Can we all shut up now and move on?”

Natalie

39

The cab ride took forever and cost a fortune.

But I didn’t even care as I bounded up the stairs and into the mayor’s party. It was packed full of politicians and their friends. All dressed the same, as if they were going to a funeral. And here I was in a white dress and sandals with my hair in a topknot. No makeup. And nothing but my one bag and purse to my name. I probably looked like a hobo who had wandered into their midst.

Luckily, the mayor was nowhere around. I excused myself at the door and hurried through the living room. It was really beautiful, the way the interior decorator had finished everything. Not that that was my mission here.

I needed to find Penn. I had to tell him the truth.

I stumbled into the kitchen, keeping my eye out for him. I saw a man I recognized. I took a deep breath and then pushed forward.

“Court?” I asked.

He glanced over at me and frowned. “Are you lost, love?”

“I’m Natalie. We met briefly on Halloween. Have you seen Penn?”

“Oh right. Penn’s little girlfriend. And here I thought, he’d ditched you.”

“Uh, no. But have you seen him?”

“He was harassing me earlier.”

I nearly rolled my eyes but held it back. “Do you know where he went?”

“Think he ran toward the library. But don’t hold me to it. When he ditches you later, feel free to look me up.” He winked.

I shook my head in disgust and pushed past him. He seemed every bit as dastardly as Penn had described him. Especially since I was pretty sure that his own girlfriend had been standing only a few feet away when he hit on me. Charming.

The library was around the corner and down closer to the master bedroom. I knew the layout by heart and rushed to open the door. My hand was on it when I heard raised voices from the other side.

I froze for a second. Who was yelling? And what about? Maybe Penn wasn’t in there at all, and Court was sending me into some kind of trap. I’d walk in on someone having sex or in the middle of a huge argument and make a fool of myself. I released my hold on the doorknob and then pressed my ear to the door. Better find out before I make something worse.

“The bet was set!”

I furrowed my brows at those words. That was definitely Katherine. Who was she yelling at?

She continued, “If you’d won, I would have married Camden. No complaints from me.”

My eyes bulged. Married Camden? No one thought Katherine would actually do that. It was a stupid, arranged thing that she hoped to put off long enough to find someone better.

Then someone said something too low for me to hear.

“I won, so I get to fuck you.”

My stomach turned at that. Oh god, I had a feeling I knew who she was talking to. No, no, no.

“That’s the bet. That’s what I get for going darker than you, Penn. Maybe, next time, you’ll really play.”

My stomach dropped even further. Penn. She was…definitely talking to Penn. The bet was real. The bet Katherine had warned me about was true. And the terms…that was what Katherine had been spewing. Marry Camden or fuck Penn.

“Enough!” Rowe roared. “The bet happened. We all agreed on it that night. You can’t argue your way out of this, so stop trying. I’m fucking tired of it. Natalie isn’t here, so we can’t judge if she fell for you. So, by the rules, Katherine won. Can we all shut up now and move on?”

I didn’t think.

Didn’t take time to process.

Didn’t control the initial impulse that raced through my body.

Just thrust the library door open and strode into the room. “Wow, so the bet was real.”

Five sets of eyes turned to me all at once. Katherine’s jaw dropped open. Lewis took a step toward me. Lark covered her mouth in shock. Rowe actually looked surprised. But it was Penn. It was Penn that I stared at. Who looked both shocked and overjoyed. Like he wanted to wrap his arms around me and demand to know what I was doing here. Kiss the breath out of me and get me away from this horrible moment.

“Natalie, what are you doing here?” Penn asked. He brushed past Katherine and moved toward me.