Page 124 of Ice Rebel

That wasn’t all. More punishment awaited me.

Maybe I should be forced on a daily basis to sit in a car beside an angry best friend.

After Cole had grabbed his things and stormed out, I’d been left in complete shock, so stunned I’d barely been able to breathe. After that, I’d searched the internet, finding out how horrific things had gotten. People could be so cruel.

Because my father was rich, I’d been labeled a princess and too good for little more than an animal. I couldn’t believe some of what had been said. Granted, not all. There were diehard fans screaming of a love story. Others wishing I’d drop off the face of the earth because I was the one not good enough for him.

All that didn’t matter. Their stupidity of whether or not our relationship was what everyone expected it to be meant nothing. All that did in my mind was what my father had planned for the area in North Bend.

Had Mr. Kendrick known my father owned the company? If so, why would he dare allow me inside the house? Why?

Because he and Mrs. Kendrick would do anything to ensure happiness for their children. What a novel concept.

I had to do something. I had to fix this.

The only thing Samantha had said to me was that she was my ride. Thankfully, she’d avoided the news crew who’d pulled up just as we were leaving. Apparently, crazy driving ran in the family.

I cinched my eyes shut, trying to fight my way through my muddled brain while landscapes passed by the passenger window.

“Samantha. Are you going to talk to me?”

She shook her head at first then I could feel the temperature rise. “I doubt you want to hear what I have to say.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Fine. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you. How could you? How? Do you have any idea how much my brother cares or I guess I should say cared about you? He’s never cared about anyone that way. Not once. He was the kid who took his best friend’s sister to the prom and trust me, they didn’t like each other. You betrayed him. How? Why?”

“For God’s sake. You know me better than that. What I shared with Cole was amazing and meant everything to me. It didn’t matter that we hadn’t known each other for long. The way we were was as if we’d known each other our entire lives.”

“That’s what mating is like.” She tossed me a look, suddenly glaring into the rearview mirror as a vehicle was following too close. “If this asshole doesn’t get off my ass, so help me God.”

The same old Sam. “Being around him is crazy, the need unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I can’t lose that.”

“Get ready for horrific withdrawals. But you deserve them. I thought you hated your father.”

“I do. More so now.”

“Is Jagger working with you on destroying my family too? Was he playing me as well?”

“Stop!” I finally snapped. “You don’t know how terrible our father has been to both of us. We’re like property to him. My father is insistent on marrying me off. I didn’t lie to you about that. He threatened Jagger’s career, holding everything he ever wanted over his head. Our father is also holding certain things over my head and honestly, I don’t care about money or anything else any longer. I don’t want to have anything to do with my family. Maybe Jagger does, but he is a male. They are all alike.”

She huffed, but I could tell she wasn’t as angry. “Yeah, another hot-blooded male. Cole is really hurt by what happened. He doesn’t like to be made a fool.”

No one did.

“I know. I would do anything in the world to fix it. Maybe if I agree to my father’s demands and marry whatever asshole he has in mind, he’ll leave North Bend alone. The arrangement will mean millions of dollars to him. He can make that my wedding present.”

Another moment of quiet passed between us.

Wait a minute… I had more control that I knew. Why hadn’t I thought of it before?

“That’s what I’m going to do,” I told her.

“You would really marry someone you couldn’t stand to save the people of North Bend?”

I thought about her question. “Yes, I would. At some point, I’ll have money and maybe find a way to make it up to your family.”

“Money makes the world go around and turns good people into greedy bastards.”