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Rylee~
I didn’t care for this man, and I wasn’t going topretend that I did. If there was one thing I hated, it was being spoken to as if I were stupid or weak. Even when we had arrived, Laney had asked me what I was doing when I had started reading through the NDA. When I’d told her what I was doing, she had looked at me as if I were a simple country bumpkin in a room full of debutantes.
I hadignored her and read the damn thing anyway.
It hadn’t been until Kincaid Black had arrived, and had seen what I had been doing, that I knew I’d done the right thing. She had signed her NDA without even looking at it, but she had winked at me, and I knew it had been in some strange kind of approval, though I hadn’t been looking for it.
My confidence had held steady until I hadwalked into the atrocious ballroom and had seen Stone Lexington standing there, waiting for me. Knowing Stone was behind the demand that I attend this…whatever this was…had thrown me, and now, I was more nervous than ever.
However, I wasn’t going to let this asshole see that.
“Not at all,” I repliedwith as much conviction as I could muster. I was sorely out of place with everyone dressed like they came from money, which I suppose they probably all did. However, I had dressed to run for my life in case this thing had turned out to be some sort of sacrificial ritual or some stupid crap like that. In my mind, that thought had been no more far-fetched as the idea of a secret society. A secret society that had invitedmeto be a part of it.
Alexandersmirked and gave me an acknowledging nod before returning to the stage where three other people stood, along with some chairs and a small table.
Satisfied that I wasn’t going anywhere, Alexander resumed his little speech. “The gentlemen behind you already know everything I’m about to tell you,” he said. “So, this is all for your benefit, ladies, so I suggest you pay attention.” When none of us commented, he continued with his speech. “The Order of the Cronus. Who knows their Greek Mythology?”
Kincaid spokeup, and I wasn’t surprised. “Cronus became ruler of the Titans by overthrowing his father. His wife was Rhea, and he had swallowed his offspring as she birthed each one. Except for Zeus, whom Rhea had saved. Eventually, Zeus had forced Cronus to regurgitate his siblings, then, together, the Olympians defeated the Titans. Cronus was known as the King of the Titans and the God of Time.”
Alexander’s smile resembled that of a shark’s smile. “The beautiful Kincaid knows her mythology,” he commented. His eyes scanned the rest of us as he got back to the topic at hand. “The God of Time,” he said. “The Order of the Cronus was founded in 1953 by Gerald Hale, and appropriately named, it is standing the test of time. The Order has been solid and prosperous for decades, and it’s because of the dedication of its members with their like minds and determined visions.”
Wasthis guy for real?
Determination and dedication weren’t qualities invented by an organization. Everyone had those characteristics within them, some more than others. They surely weren’t new concepts invented by this stupid organization. Plus, truthfully, I couldn’t care less about this little introduction. I was more concerned with Stone Lexington, and why he’d chosen me to be a part of all this.
Why me?
“Meaning?” Alexis Wyatt asked, and I was kind of impressed. Granted, I didn’t know any of these girls well, except for Laney, but I was sure if anyone was going to ask questions, it’d be Kincaid or myself.
“Meaning, Ms. Wyatt, that individual goals and success are all well and good, but when you have anetworkof endless successes, the possibilities are unimaginable.”
“Success forwho,exactly?” I asked because it was obvious who the real players here were, and they weren’t the women.
Alexander’s chin lifted,and I knew his dislike for me was growing with every word I spoke. My questions were viewed as defiance, whereas everyone else’s were viewed as normal inquisitiveness. “All of you, of course,” he lied.
“So…you’re saying we’ll be members, too?” Alexis asked.
Alexander shook his head. “Not exactly, no, Ms. Wyatt.”
“Then what, exactly?” Jennifer Polk asked, finally speaking up.
“Ms. Polk, though your roles are important, only men are initiated into The Order,” he answered. “However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t benefit greatly from your involvement.” He smiled that shark’s smile, and it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “At the end of all this, you will be given whatever your dreams demand.”
“English, please,” Kincaid requested drolly. His eyes shot her way, but I could see the flash come and go. Even he knew who her family was, and probably knew better than to provoke her.
Slapping that fake smile on his face again, he complied with her request. “The rules are simple, ladies. For our members to be the best upon graduation, we need the security of additional support, so that…they don’t becomedistractedbefore they can fully benefit The Order.”
“So…what?” Alexis asked. “We become glorified babysitters?”
“It’s a little more detailed than that,but I suppose that’s one way to look at it,” Alexander conceded. “For the rest of the school year, you are to be at your sponsor’s beck and call. You are to do all that you can to make his year a full success.”
“Define beck and call,” Jennifer said, her voice and demeanor implying what we were all thinking.
Alexander smirked. “I know what you’re thinking, Ms. Polk, and that is not what this is.”
“It’s not?” I asked. Trust me, my body would love nothing more than to have Stone Lexington all over it, but not like this.
“Ms. Madden, all the gentlemen standing behind you come from the most prestigious and wealthiest families in the country if not the world. With their good looks, wealth, and connections, do you really think they need to resort to this sort of production just to get laid?” He didn’t say the words, but the underlining insult was there. The five men behind us could do way better than any of us. Well, except for Kincaid, perhaps.
