Beautiful Lies (Dark Secret Society 2)

I needed to pick the complete opposite of who I would choose in my normal life just to constantly remind myself that this sick nightmare wasn’t normal, and it was all a guise… a game. So, I would play their game.

Let me find my Barbie since I was their Ken.

My sick sense of humor gave me some pleasure as I scanned the women again and focused my attention on the female with the classic Southern Belle appearance. Long blonde hair, blue eyes surrounded in thick lashes, pouty lips with peach lipstick that shone beneath the chandelier lights, and to top it all off… she wore a pink dress. Yes, she was the perfect vision of a Georgia Peach.

My mother would be so proud.

Drinking her in from head to toe, I also came to an important conclusion.

I could fuck her.

In fact, I might actually get some pleasure out of it since she did have a rocking body.

Not wasting any more time, I walked up to where she stood and locked eyes with her.

She held my stare and seemed to stiffen her spine as her posture improved. Her eyes narrowed, and I saw her jaw clench.

It almost seemed as if she was silently daring me… yes, that was the feeling I got. She didn’t smile or play coy. She didn’t flutter her eyelashes or lick her lips. No… I was pissing her off as I examined her like she was a piece of meat.

“I dare you, fucker.”

“All right, bitch.”

“Game on.”

“Game on.”

I yanked the pearl necklace hard, not caring or looking as the pearls scattered all around us. Her eyes narrowed even more, but she remained in place and didn’t show any emotion other than one of challenge.

Breaking the necklace. An act to show just how easy it is for The Order of the Silver Ghost to give you riches only to take them away. What you believe to be yours can be ruined with such ease. But in my case… it was also to show her I was in control.

Not her.

She better figure that out real quick.

Not wanting to play this game any longer under the eyes of the Elders, I replaced the white that had been on her neck with the color black. Locking eyes, I crossed the ribbon at her throat and pulled tightly… tighter than someone normally would. In fact, I got great pleasure in tugging on that ribbon to the point where her narrow eyes widened.

It was my warning.

Montgomery had told me the key to completing the 109 days was to find a teammate, but I was never good at taking advice. I was different. I saw this Initiation as if I were going to war.

There would be no us.

Simply me.

I was the General, and this little Barbie would be my soldier. She better stay in line and follow my orders if she knew what was good for her. I certainly would have no issue in teaching her a lesson of what would happen if she crossed me.

Tying the ribbon into a bow around her neck, I heard, “Sully VanDoren, have you chosen your belle for the Trials of Initiation?”

I took a step back from the belle in pink and nodded.

“I have chosen.”

3

Portia

When the invitation arrived two days ago at our run-down double-wide trailer, I thought it had been sent by God and the holy angels above.

I’d always been an optimist. As the oldest of four sisters with barely a dollar to squeeze between us some days, I had to be, or I’d lose my mind.

When one door closes, somewhere a window opens, right?

And now here I was, standing with nineteen other hopeful beauties behind a heavy mahogany door awaiting what I hoped would be a life-changing experience.

I glanced surreptitiously around me. All the other girls were gorgeous. Their make-up and hair were flawless, their gowns steamed to perfection. Glossy, plump lips. Long eyelashes they fluttered alluringly, like they’d practiced.

My nerves frayed even further. Was I the prettiest here? I had no clue. People had commented about my looks before. I wasn’t sure if it was just because I was blonde and blue-eyed or if it was because they thought I was actually pretty. A couple of my teachers had said I should do beauty pageants, but of course we never had the money for that, and Mama was always too sick anyway.

But what would this mysterious “Initiate” think of me? Would he look beyond our powdered facades to try to guess who we were inside?

Then I snorted internally. Who was I kidding? Every guy I’d ever known made snap judgments on looks alone. What was it they said? Men judged a woman and whether they were attracted to her or not within five seconds of meeting her. I believed it.

I’d arrived hours ago after being dressed to the nines in the gorgeous gown dropped off at our trailer, then made up by my three sisters.