Fraud

Gabriel

The night is somewhat surreal. Not because anything has happened yet, or that I worry anything will.

To everybody else, it’s a normal Friday. The guys are gathered at the house. All but the twins, who are off doing whatever it is they do, and Shane, who is at a bike show.

As I pull up to Ta

The interior of the car goes silent when I kill the engine, but rather than stepping out, I stare at the screen of my phone, my thumb hovering over a missed call from Warbucks.

How fu

Maybe it’s a coincidence he should check in with me when I finally have her within reach, but I still find the timing suspicious.

It wouldn’t be surprising to learn our fathers track us. We’re the sticky fingers they have on the younger generation, and now that we’re all of age, our value has only increased for the screwed-up things we can do to people.

Sending us all to law school wasn’t a coincidence. Lawyers make incredible criminals, only because we know the laws well enough to bend or break every one of them.

Every aspect of our lives were pla

The only problem is that it will ultimately lead to their downfall.

The last person I want to talk to is my father, but I hit the button to return his call and bring the phone to my ear just as the asshole picks up after the second ring.

“I think you know why I’ve been calling.”

There’s a scratchy grumble to my father’s deep voice from years of smoking cigars. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished that sound indicated throat cancer of some type, but unfortunately he hasn’t dropped dead yet.

“To wish me a happy birthday,” I deadpan. “How sweet of you to remember.”

He’s quiet for a second, but not because of what I said. I hear the distinctive clink of ice against a glass tumbler, his throat swallowing down the whiskey I know he’s drinking.

“It’s not your birthday.”

“Ah, well, you’ve forgotten for the past three years, so I thought that maybe this call would finally be the one when you show me you give a damn. I have Hallmark on speed dial for the day that happens. It would make a good movie.”

“Cut the shit, Gabriel. Tell me what’s going on with Ivy.”

“Nothing much at the moment,” I lie.

“What the hell is taking so long?”

“She’s a touch problematic,” I lie again.

The truth is that Ivy has been oddly agreeable this week. I’ve spent the past several days vacillating between the opinion that either the years truly have tamed a woman who used to breathe fire or she’s playing me.

The former would be a shame, and the latter is more probable, but Ivy has never been one to play such simple games.

Of all the pranks we’ve pulled and battles we’ve fought, not once has she pretended to tolerate me or be someone she’s not.

Most likely it’s because the one time she let down her guard around me, I taught her why it was a very bad idea.

“Maybe if you tell me what it is exactly that you’re wanting from her, I can use that to hurry her along.”

Our fathers have an a

He sips from his drink again, and I hear the distinct slam of the tumbler down on whatever table he happens to be near.

I’ve pissed him off.

Good.

The asshole deserves that and more after all the shit he’s put us through.

One of these days, I might push him into a stroke, and I’ll laugh to know I caused it.

“I’ve already told you all you need to know. I want information on Governor Callahan. If Ivy knows what’s good for her, she’ll give it to us. Make sure you get it, Gabriel. We’re ru

He hangs up before I can respond, and that’s perfectly fine by me. The less I have to talk to him, the better.

Unfortunately, I’m also now in a shitastic mood, which only spells trouble for Ivy.

After grabbing a joint from the center console, I tuck it behind my ear and get out of the car. I gave up smoking the shit after Yale, but every so often my nerves are rubbed raw, and I need to smoke to relax.

The door slams closed a little too hard, but that happens when I want to kill the fat fuck who contributed to my DNA.

I don’t call him Dad. Never will. None of us reference our fathers as anything more than an issue that needs to be crushed now that we have the means to do it.

Letting myself into Ta

Most of the guys are standing on one side with both Luca and Ava keeping them company, but Ta

This shit with Luca is amusing, and seeing Ta

Dropping my weight into a seat next to him, I cross an ankle over a knee just in time for Ta

Laughing at that, I relax in my seat and notice the hard stare Ta

“Still nothing, huh?”

Green eyes snap to me. “This is your fault.”

I cock a brow at that and grin.

“Right. Because I’m the one that’s fucked with her life since the moment I met her.”

In truth, I have, but nobody needs to know it. I’m the darling of the group, the easy smile and fast friendship. People want to trust me, probably because I’m the most laidback of the bunch. The man you can tell all your secrets to because I’ll never use them against you.

And if you believe that, you’re an idiot.

“I’m only here for a little while, and I need to talk to you about Ivy,” I assure him, still inwardly laughing because I’ve never seen Ta

The only reason I’m here at all is because Ivy insisted on picking me up for our date, and I’m not stupid enough to tell her where I live. Not after the chicken incident or a dozen other pranks she pulled that almost got me kicked out of the house when Warbucks caught wind of what she was doing.

“Great. It’s nice you stopped by. Now leave.”

Ta

If the guys don’t leave around the same time I do, Ta

I pull the joint from behind my ear, rolling it between my fingers as Ta