Chapter 1

Aimee

Mara and Lucas?

Together?

And they’re planning something behind Logan’s back…

I have to do something! But, what?

The sound of them having sex reminds me that I’m still slumped against the wall next to the sauna with nothing but a fogged-over glass door separating us. I need to get out of here before they notice me.

I back out of the hallway, slowly and quietly, until I’m out of the locker room. I need to find Logan and warn him. Even if things are weird between us, I would feel terrible if something bad happened to him that I could have prevented. Not to mention the other things I wanted to talk to him about…

Why did Gervas tell me Logan would be in the gym if he wasn’t? Gervas always seems to know where everyone is. Did he know I would run into Mara and Lucas or was it just an innocent mistake? Maybe I should bring that up with Logan too.

The mansion is still unnervingly quiet. Most of the house staff must still be at the banquet or cleaning up after it. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen any of them except Gervas. Maybe Logan gave them the rest of the day off.

It isn’t long before I realize that I’m heading in the direction of my room. At least, that’s where I think I’m heading. I guess I really won’t ever get the chance to learn my way around this place. Hopefully that thought won’t haunt me for too long.

When I arrive at my room I’m surprised to find a pair of unexpected visitors standing outside my door.

“Bre, what are you doing here?”

She’s stooped down, taping a piece of paper to the door. She looks up at me, startled. Collin is with her, wheeling a suitcase behind him. She flashes him a nervous look before responding.

“I didn’t know when you were going to be back,” she says.

She looks down at the piece of paper in her hand before extending it to me. A note and a suitcase can only mean one thing.

“You’re leaving?”

“We wanted to spend some time alone in the city. You know, before the week starts…”

“And you weren’t going to tell me?”

She waves the piece of paper.

“I was leaving you a note.”

“A note? Why didn’t you just text me?”

Bre winces. She grabs my arm and pulls me a few steps away from Collin.

“What’s going on?” I whisper. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s nothing,” she says, quietly. “It’s just… we were hoping to get some quiet time for ourselves.” 

“And you didn’t want me to know about it?”

“I didn’t want you to talk me out of it.”

“Why would I do that?”

“It’s just… I don’t know. I’m new at this.” She sounds completely unsure of herself. “I don’t know how someone is supposed act, you know, when they like someone.”

My eyes widen, surprised by what she said.

“Like?” I ask, tilting my head.

Her brow knits together into a dangerous scowl, revealing a hint of the Bre I know and love.

“You don’t have to make a big deal of it!” she glances over her shoulder to make sure Collin isn’t too close. “I’m just trying to take it slow and figure things out.”

I can’t help but smile.

“I’m happy for you. I’m sure things are going to be great.”

Bre rolls her eyes.

“Don’t get your hopes up just yet… And don’t you dare tell Stephanie.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I say, pulling two fingers across my lips to zip them shut.

She gives me a hard look, as though to make sure I know she means business. Bre gets so touchy about the most random things. It’s almost comical.

But I wouldn’t dare let her know how funny it is. That would be like signing my own death warrant. 

“So what’s going on with you and Logan?” she asks, sounding more relaxed.

I let out an exasperated sigh.

“I think I’ve got a bigger problem on my hands than Logan…”

She cocks an eyebrow and gives me a look.

“What did you do now?”

“Hey! This one isn’t my fault! I caught Mara and Lucas… together.”

It takes a moment for what I said to really sink in. Her eyes widen in surprise.

“Like… together together?” I nod. “Isn’t she supposed to be Logan’s pretend fiancee? Do you think Lucas knows they’re not really engaged?”

“I think they’ve been planning something behind Logan’s back this whole time.”

“What could it be?” she asks.

“I have no idea, but it can’t be good.”

“Are you sure you heard them right? Maybe they’re just fooling around?”

I shake my head.

“No, they’re definitely up to something. They mentioned not having to fake it for much longer.”

“Actually, I might have an idea about that…”

Bre and I round on Collin so quickly it obviously startles him. Bre gives him the hardest look I’ve ever seen.

“Well? If you’re going to listen in on our conversation then you might as well go ahead and tell us what you know.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to listen in… I just heard you mention Lucas and Mara being together.”

His utter lack of surprise at hearing about the two of them gives him away.

“You knew about it? Why didn’t you say anything?”

He hesitates before responding.

“I don’t know the specifics but Mara has been getting close to Lucas for a while now.”

I stare at him, dumbly.

“And you didn’t think this was important information to share before now?”

Collin actually looks frustrated.

“Look, I’m not the only one who already knows about it…”

My stomach tightens.

“Logan?” I ask.

Collin hesitates, again.

“I could get in a lot of trouble for sharing any of this with you.”

“I didn’t find out about them from you. I witnessed it for myself. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

He shakes his head.

“That’s not what I mean. Lucas isn’t the first guy that she’s gotten close to…”

Isn’t the first guy? There are others? 

“Are you saying that Logan has her sleeping with other men? Why would he do something like that?”

Collin holds his hands up, shaking his head.

“I’ve said enough already. If you want to know more then you should take it up with him.”

“You can’t just make an accusation like that and then stop talking about it!”

The look Collin gives me makes me feel like a naive child.

“You do realize who you’re dealing with, right? People like Logan and Mara play at the highest stakes. Neither of them is afraid to do whatever it takes to get ahead. If that’s too much for you to handle then you should just leave well enough alone and stay out of it.”

My stomach sinks even farther. The thought of Mara seducing Lucas as a part of a business plan is utterly disgusting. I don’t even want to think about it anymore. Collin might be right. There’s obviously way more going on here than I realized—I should just get out while I still can.

But I know I can’t. My gut is telling me that Mara and Lucas have something up their sleeves. If something bad happens to Logan—something I could have prevented—I’d never be able to live with myself. I need to talk to him.

I let out a frustrated sigh.

Why do things always seem to get more and more complicated around here?

“Maybe I should just go back with you two,” I say. Bre rounds on me and gives me a death stare. “I was just kidding! I can’t leave, I need to at least tell Logan what I overheard. I owe him that much…”

Bre studies my face for a few breaths. She must see just how stressed I am because her face softens into something that might be called sympathetic. She hooks an arm under mine as she draws herself close. 

“I can stick around if you need me to,” she says. 

Collin takes a step forward and looks like he’s about to say something, but one look from Bre cuts him off. I pat her hand and give her a warm smile. 

“I’ll be fine,” I reassure her. “You two have your own stuff to figure out. Let’s grab drinks later this week and I’ll catch you up on everything.”

She nods and squeezes my arm one more time.

“Don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything,” she says.

“Thanks. I won’t.”

If nothing else, at least this weekend has brought Bre and I closer together. At least that’s something.