Tough Shit (Rejects Paradise 1)

“Handled quietly?”

I think back to yesterday on the boat with the gun jammed under Jude’s chin and nod. He won’t be squealing about that anytime soon. “Yes,” I tell him. “It won’t be an issue.”

Charles grunts. “Good. I will not accept you dragging the Carrington name through the mud. If there’s an issue, it gets dealt with quickly and in private.”

Sir. Yes, sir.

I nod while wondering what the hell happened to the douchebag I was introduced to yesterday. He’s kind of a strange mix between the Charles from day one and the Charles who silently threatened to beat the shit out of his son yesterday. Though, after seeing him with his pants around his ankles and a 22-year-old gold digger attached to his dick, it’s a little harder to take him seriously. Which reminds me, the Carrington name has already been dragged through the mud today. After Colton and Spencer’s fight, all the students could talk about was Charles Carrington dropping his pants for some random slut. The rumors that followed were just the icing on the cake.

Charles looks back to his son. “I’d like to see you in my office in ten minutes,” he instructs before turning. He goes to walk away when Harrison steps in from the side room with the guy who I’m pretty sure is the gardener, but what can I say? I haven’t really paid that much attention to who’s been running around with a pair of garden scissors.

I step through the threshold of the house with Colton at my back and start making my way to cut through the staff quarters when Harrison’s voice stops us both. “Mr. Carrington, I need to report that Enrique here has discovered some vandalism to the property.”

“The fuck?” Colton murmurs behind me.

Uh-oh.

“Vandalism?” Charles grunts, looking to the gardener. “What is he talking about? What did you find?”

Enrique looks like he’s going to be sick for being spoken to directly but he holds his shit together. “Sir, there is graffiti covering the back wall of your home and it is rather … uh. Unpleasant.”

Colton’s eyes slice to mine. He knows. There’s no doubt, he knows. He saw me and Nic walking around there the other night. At the time, he probably assumed we were sneaking around there to fuck. We should have been more careful.

“Show me,” Charles snaps.

Oh, shit.

Despite not being invited, Colton and I follow along and the walk to the back of the property seems to go on forever. Colton stands right beside me the whole way. “It was your boyfriend, wasn’t it?”

I scoff under my breath. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He mutters low. “Right.”

We walk around to the back of the mansion and I prepare myself for my downfall, struggling to hide the grin as I look up at the work of art splashed across the back wall of the house. It’s just as amazing as I remembered it.

Colton’s face drops as Charles goes red. “This is unacceptable,” Charles roars as he takes in the very clear image of him being spit-roasted by Colton and Spencer while Jude and Charlie stand back with their dicks in their hands, holding up scoreboards. To be honest, I think Charles’ outrage comes more from the fact that the cartoon Jude and Charlie only scored him a three and a four.

“I want whoever did this found and dealt with,” Charles demands.

“Yes, sir,” Harrison says immediately. “I believe it would have happened during the party on Saturday night. Perhaps we should discuss stricter security measures for the next event.

Charles just stares, shaking his head. “No. This bullshit just doesn’t happen around here. We have been doing things a certain way for over ten years and we’re not going to change now because of one delinquent.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I bet it was that Rinaldi kid,” Charles continues, looking to Colton for confirmation. “You saw how oddly he was behaving during the party. Not to mention his father barely made 500 million last year. No wonder he’s acting out.”

“No,” I rush in. “It wasn’t Milo.”

Charles turns to me as Harrison watches me through suspicious eyes and I curse myself. That was too fucking obvious and judging by the look he’s giving me, he knows too.

“How do you know?” Charles demands.

My eyes flick around and come to a stop on Colton, desperately wishing for help but I know better, he’s more than happy to throw me to the wolves. “I, uh … I was with him all night. He didn’t do it.”

Charles steps forward, narrowing his eyes. “You were with him?”

“Yes.”

“You left the party after destroying my son’s suit.”

I nod. “I did,” I say, knowing what I’m about to say is taking a risk. “He came to check that I was alright and we hung out in the pool house until his father came to take him home.”