Maple point mavericks, p.10
Maple Point Mavericks, page 10
“How do you know about the baby?”
“Not your concern. Answer my question. Or I will make sure you fail every class until you decide to be on my side. Those dreams of college will go right out the door,” I say, plucking at her weakness. Her file is chock full of her dreams of being the first in her family to go to college. I can make sure she never steps foot on a college campus.
She snaps her gaze to Drake. “Who the hell is this dude?”
“I told you he gets what he wants, Baby D.”
There is a long silence between the three of us, all standing and waiting for someone to say something. Delilah breaks first and looks down at her hands before she speaks.
“She’d just lost the baby when I was admitted,” she says softly like she doesn’t want to betray Ana, but cares too much about her grades to hold onto the information. She made the decision quickly to protect herself at all costs. “It wasn’t me who changed her. She made the decision. I was just there to listen to her talk. All she kept talking about was making it home to some guy.”
“She was talking about him,” Drake tells her, waving a hand in my direction.
“What? Ana lives here?” she asks, disbelief in her tone.
“Yes, she goes to Maple Point Prep. Have you not seen her around?” Drake asks.
“I’ve been too busy trying to keep up, asshole,” Delilah snaps. “Sorry, not all of us are trust fund babies who have been in private school their whole lives.”
“So, you didn’t say anything to her?” I ask, getting annoyed with the sidebar conversation.
“I mean, I told her how to trick the idiots into letting her out, but I didn’t tell her anything she didn’t already know,” she explains. “I think after she lost the baby, she just had to figure out how to get them to let her out. They made her stay before, to hide the baby, I think. She never went very far into it with me.”
“Her parents?” Drake asks, looking at Delilah before meeting my stare.
I look at Delilah, awaiting her answer.
“Whoever put her there in the first place. I don’t know who for sure. As I said, she didn’t open up much.”
“Were you her friend?” I ask.
“We were roommates that got along, which says a lot considering where we were. Everyone was going through their own shit,” she says.
I nod and look at Drake. “Will I see you later?”
“Yeah man, you know I’ll be around,” he tells me, always eager to join me just about anywhere.
“I’ll see you later.” I don’t say anything else and turn my chair around to face my desk again.
“So, am I good?” Delilah asks, attitude thick in her voice.
“Come on, Baby D,” Drake says. “If you weren’t, you’d know it.”
“I want to hear it from him. He can’t just threaten my future and not say I’m good after I tell him what he needs to know.”
“Delilah,” Drake says, but I know how girls like her act.
“I won’t fuck with your grades. Now get the fuck out of my room.”
I hear the door click a few seconds later and I give her file one more look through before deciding there’s only one person I need to talk to now and I know the perfect time to corner her. Her initiation.
CHAPTER TWELVE
ANALISE
I’ve always known about The Brotherhood. It’s been intertwined with my life for as long as I can remember. I was ten years old when a bunch of us kids went off to Maple Point Prep for middle school. It wasn’t until then that I found out other people didn’t live like we always have. Some probably see it as sheltered but I don’t think any of us agree because we know way more than other people our age. We spent all our formative years together and even when we fought and hurt each other we always came back at the end of the day as a family.
The Brotherhood represents family to me but from what I’ve learned over the years it’s about fear and respect too. I’ve heard the things said as we pass, the rumors saying we’re all inbred or something equally dumb, but they never step to us in person. We’ve found social media profiles talking shit, but they’re always anonymous.
I know why. The Brotherhood is a group of the most powerful families in Maple Point. Our families own the most land here and just about every business in the city has some ties to The Brothers of Maple Point. There are areas where others have settled on their own but as the founding families of Maple Point, we tend to have special privilege wherever we go. I think a lot of the time people do business with us to protect themselves from The Brotherhood, but I haven’t been able to prove my theory yet.
I’ll know more after tonight since I’ll be officially initiated and even though I won’t be too involved until I get my degree, I’ll know more than I do now. Enzo seems to already know more than I do, but he turned eighteen over a month ago with Cash so it makes sense.
I have a few weeks until my birthday but Quintin and I both have birthdays in October so it’s our turn now. Over the next few weeks, we will have to attend special meetings and then the process will be complete. I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel today but for some reason, I’m a little excited.
“Ana, are you dressed?” my mother asks as she knocks on my door. I’m not dressed but she doesn’t wait for me to answer before opening the door and closing it after walking in. “Girl! Get up, we leave in thirty minutes.”
“I don’t want to wear the dress, Mom,” I groan, looking over at the purple atrocity my mother wants me to wear to the ceremony.
“Ana, we’ve already had this conversation. You’ll wear the dress and I’ll make sure you’re compensated. It’s a brand we have to represent, you know this. The dress is beautiful and while I understand it’s not your style,” she says, putting a hand on my leg. “We must get going. Get up, sweetheart.”
I let my head hit the pillow behind me and squeeze my eyes shut but roll out of my bed anyway.
“Fine,” I tell her.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes to see how it looks on you,” she says, in response to my sass.
I blow out a breath.
My mother knows how to handle me and my asshole nature. I hate it but she is one of the only people who are always in my corner despite my brattiness. I did spend some time in Cronin not liking her very much, but I was madder at myself and my situation than anyone else.
The night I was assaulted changed me, and while I think I would’ve been fine with just some therapist here in Maple Point, my parents seemed to agree with The Brotherhood when they determined I should be transferred to Cronin from the hospital where Mr. Fitzgerald visited me. They told me it was in the best interest of my mind but I was so pissed.
My parents jumped on board quickly and though I respect Mr. Fitzgerald a lot I fought his decision, but in the end, I couldn’t talk them out of it no matter how hard I tried. The fit I threw the entire way from the hospital to the psych ward didn’t matter at all. They believed they knew best, but my stay was probably the worst thing for me.
Pushing thoughts of a place I never ever want to go back to out of my mind, I pull my shirt off and walk over to where the dress is hanging. I leave the biker shorts I have on because there is absolutely no way I’m not wearing something under this dress.
It’s not an ugly dress, it’s just really not my style. It is all things glamorous and I’m just… not. I slip it up my body and zip it up the back as far as I can get it before going into my closet and picking out a pair of shoes to go with it.
I look around for heels that will complement the purple and when I come to the shelf with my dressy options, I pick a black pair of Saint Laurent stilettos with a hint of gold to match my golden rose necklace. I carry them out of my closet and as I sit on the bedroom bench at the end of my bed my mom comes back into my room.
“Oh, darling! You look so beautiful. Benito,” she squeals, excitement evident in her tone. “Come see her dress!”
I chuckle before standing.
“At least zip me up first,” I tell her, before turning my back to her.
She comes over to me and tugs the zipper up some and stops to push my curls over, so she won’t zip them into the dress. Once she gets the zipper up, she puts her hands on my shoulders and pulls me over to the mirror. I know what she sees, it is clear in her gentle expression, but nothing can change what I see while looking at myself. Not even the softness in her stare will change how I feel about myself in this dress.
“Mi princessa,” my father says, coming into my room just in time to clear the awkward mirror moment. “You look stunning, Analise. Your night will be perfect.”
I don’t feel so sure, but I smile at him anyway. He always has such high hopes for everything I do, so I’ve known a night like tonight would be no different.
Tonight is not only my initiation but also the celebration for Quintin and me as we transition into adulthood. In other words, tonight is a big night, and all eyes will be on us. We’ve both seen Stella and Scarlett’s sisters go through initiation, and Quintin was able to see Lorenzo and Cash, but it’s been a while for me and I’m still a little nervous. I’m just thankful I have someone to share the night with.
I know Quintin is nervous too, considering his father just got cut off from The Brotherhood. Stella told me yesterday a little of what he’s been saying all week and even though he and I aren’t close, I can tell he’s extremely unsure and feels like he’s going into this with a huge target on his back. This may or may not be true, but I hope it’s not, if only for Stella’s sake.
I’m sure everyone will have an eye on him but if they didn’t see something in his gifts, I don’t think they’d let him in at all. I’ve heard conversations between my parents and the others throughout the years. There have been kids who weren’t initiated because of character but there haven’t been many since most of us were all raised the same. Only having a few bad apples is pretty good odds, I guess.
“Grab your long black coat and meet us downstairs, dear,” my mother tells me. “You look fabulous.”
“Thank you,” I tell them both before walking back to my closet.
I pull my jacket from the hanger and slide it on before cutting my bedroom light off and closing the door as I leave. The uneasy feeling I have is well hidden behind this fancy dress and my curly hair, but if I can just get through this night, I think I’ll be okay.
When I find my parents at the front of the house I stop and wait for them to notice me. As predicted, my father notices me first.
“Time to go,” he says, turning my way.
And off we go.
***
There are cars already parked as we pull up to the Hart Estate. There are town cars like ours, the ones we typically ride in, and there are a few all-black limousines parked as well. Our limo pulls around the curved driveway and the back doors swing open within seconds. My father gets out first and my mother slides out behind him, neither of them even glancing my way.
I don’t want to get out—not one single bit—but when a head pops back into the car, I know I won’t be staying long. Lorenzo knows how to sour the air wherever he goes.
“Everyone’s waiting, Analise,” he says before reaching a hand out to me.
This is all a rouse, he and I both know it, but for some reason, I play along. I take his hand once I move over to where my parents were sitting and I slide across the seat, him steadying me as step out in my heels and dress.
He moves his hand around my back as we walk like I’ve seen my father do many times before.
“What is this,” I mumble under my breath so only he can hear. There are people around us but I’m only leaning into him more, hopefully not raising any eyebrows.
“Go along with it or you won’t like what I’ll have to do,” he says with his teeth barely showing and his jaw seemingly locked like he doesn’t want anyone to see he’s talking.
My heart rate picks up and my palms itch with the sweat forming already. I don’t know what he means but this relationship confuses the hell out of me, and I think I deserve more answers than he’s giving me right now. I doubt he’ll give anything else though.
I walk into the big house with him by my side and my parents leading the way. My cheeks ache with the fake smile I’m doing my best to hold on to my face. People smile and nod or wave to me and while I do not want to be here, I know what it will mean for my parents if I don’t follow through with joining The Brotherhood. Life for them would surely change and in all honesty, I don’t care about joining, I just don’t like all the hoopla surrounding going against them.
Can’t I just sign my paper in peace? Would privacy be too much to ask? Of course it would because grandiose is the way of Ricardo Fitzgerald. Big might be his way, but in his defense, he did come to me one night after swim practice and asked if I was okay with going through with it so soon after coming back.
He’s been very respectful of my mental health and I’m appreciative.
I don’t know why I said I was okay with it, but I do think it was a bit of a chess move, him coming himself. He’s a big man and saying no to someone like him isn’t the easiest thing in the world. I don’t think scared is what I would use to describe how I feel about him, but I am not too prideful to admit I’m intimidated by him.
He caught me by surprise after an insanely hard practice and I just wanted to get to my bed. It was a quick conversation but later in the night my mother texted me saying how proud of me she was for agreeing to the ceremony, and as soon as I read her message regret hit me like a freight train.
Everyone is excited tonight because after initiation there are always huge parties. One for the adults to do whatever it is the adults do and one for the younger generation. Over the years I’ve seen some of the older kids transition to the other party but everyone my age is a few years from even being allowed in the adult party.
“Good girl,” Lorenzo says once we get through all the people in the front of the house. We walk into a smaller corridor, and it doesn’t have nearly as many people. A man wearing a deep red silk vest stands at the end of the hall and has his hand on a red velvet and gold barrier rope. He lets us all through and then hangs the rope back. “This way.”
He leads me into a smaller room and my parents are already exiting the side door to go into the ballroom where the brothers and their families are sitting. Stella and Quintin are already seated in a big booth off to our left and Lorenzo leads me over to them. We sit on the other side of the bench, and I peer around the low-lit room as we wait. Other than the hushed conversation Mr. Fitzgerald and Mr. Hart are having everyone else is silent.
Stella glances up from her phone a few seconds after I look over at her. She looks over at her father and then back at me. She nods her head down and shakes her phone to draw my attention.
I lift my phone and I have two texts from her.
Stella: This is about to happen fast. My dad said we will be partying by 8
Stella: I know you’ll drink with me tonight after all this anxiety
Me: Who says I’m anxious? I type back, including the side-eye emoji.
Stella: Might wanna try to relax if you don’t want everyone to notice…
I glance up and she’s looking at me with a sympathetic look in her eyes, giving me a soft side smile. I let out a breath and it gets Lorenzo’s attention.
“Don’t act like you can’t do this. You’ve been here… we’ve all been here. Get over whatever you’re thinking about and do what you need to do,” he says, only turning his head my way slightly, still surveying the room like he’s expecting someone or something.
“No one asked you,” I snap, quietly.
“I was encouraging you, what the fuck is your problem?” he asks, his tone matching mine even through a whisper.
I look up at him from where I sit, and I’m surprised to see his face not twisted up in anger. It seems to be a favorite of his when we’ve been around each other lately, but he’s looking at me like he actually fucking cares. He must be a better actor than I give him credit for.
“You and your bullying is my fucking problem,” I tell him before he reaches up to my cheek and pushes his hand up into my hair. He gently runs his thumb over my cheek.
“You should enjoy this while you can. You know who’s waiting for you in the shadows.” His voice is so steady but it’s hard to focus with the knot in my throat and my ears on fire. My heart pounding so hard I’m sure he can hear it himself.
The truth is, I do know who’s waiting for me in the shadows, but I don’t think he knows I can’t be the light he needs anymore because I’m in the shadows with him.
I let my eyes flutter closed as he leans in, and he places a gentle kiss on my lips. It’s so foreign but his touch is all I crave. Even moments like this, as fake as they are, when he’s close to me, I don’t think about anything else. It all disappears for a while.
“Be a good girl for the ceremony and I’ll let you come tonight.”
He doesn’t clarify what kind of coming I will be doing, is it coming to the after party or coming during the sex he assumes I want to have with him? Either way, I decide not to make ripples tonight. I told Mr. Fitzgerald I would be able to handle this, and I will do what I need to do to get all of this over as soon as possible.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ANALISE
I’m only a few minutes from accepting my place in The Brotherhood and after watching Quintin accept his after his father was exiled, my acceptance doesn’t seem so monumental. He got up in front of everyone and said the creed and did it proudly, no shame in sight. It lit something inside of me. I am here and I’m thankful I survived to even say our creed tonight.
