Empire High Elite Read online

  Empire High Elite

  Empire High Book 2

  By Ivy Smoak

  Copyright 2020 Ivy Smoak

  All Rights Reserved

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  To all the girls out there who think their voices are too small to be heard.

  You’re braver than you know.

  Don’t give anyone the satisfaction of silencing you.

  CONTENTS

  Title

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Temptation

  A Note From Ivy

  Chapter 1

  Thursday

  No.

  Never.

  Nunca.

  The words rolled around in my head as I stared at Isabella’s father. My father. This isn’t happening.

  I turned in my seat and watched Mrs. Alcaraz and Matt getting smaller and smaller through the back window of the car. There was no way in hell I was going anywhere with this man. Whether he was blood or not, he’d never be my father. I’d never be a Pruitt. And this was kidnapping. I grabbed the door handle and pulled, but the door didn’t budge.

  “Calm down and put your seatbelt on,” Mr. Pruitt said.

  Screw you. “Let me out.” My voice came out shakier than I hoped it would.

  He ignored me.

  I tried the handle again and then banged on the glass. “Let me out!” I couldn’t even see Mrs. Alcaraz and Matt now. Let me out of here. I slammed my palms against the glass.

  Mr. Pruitt put his phone down. But instead of saying anything, he just stared at me. His eyes felt like ice on my skin. The trail they made down my body made me shiver. “You look like her.”

  I swallowed hard. “My mom?” For just a second, I didn’t want to flee. I wanted to ask him a million questions about my mom.

  He frowned. “But you don’t look at all like me.” He squinted his eyes. “There’s a doctor waiting at the apartment. He’ll run a paternity test just to make sure. And other tests to ensure that you’re…clean.” He said clean the same way he’d said ethnic when referring to Mrs. Alcaraz being my guardian.

  I didn’t even want to know what he meant by that. And it didn’t matter. I’d refuse any tests he wanted to perform. Mrs. Alcaraz was my legal guardian, not him. “What apartment?” I asked. Would Matt know where he was taking me? Matt knew the Pruitts. He could help sort this out. He would come get me. I hope.

  Mr. Pruitt ignored my question, his eyes still scanning my face like I was a puzzle he couldn’t solve.

  “Where you live?” I asked. It was a stupid question. Of course he was referring to his home. Some people in New York referred to their homes as apartments. Which didn’t sound at all homey to me. Despite the fact that it was a stupid question, I asked another equally stupid one. “With…Isabella?” Something constricted in my throat. This couldn’t be real. I couldn’t be related to her. Did he have a wife that was just as hateful as his daughter? Were there any more demon siblings I didn’t know about?

  He eyed me coolly.

  No, his home would most definitely not be homey. It couldn’t possibly be if someone who lived there had such a cold, hard stare. And he already had a perfectly hateful daughter to go home to, so he didn’t need me. “Look, I’m glad that you decided you wanted to get to know me,” I lied. He was sixteen years too late. “But…this isn’t the best time. It’s actually the worst possible time.” Mr. Pruitt knew that already. He’d taken me from my uncle’s funeral and didn’t seem to feel any remorse. I blinked away the tears threatening to escape my eyes. “I’d appreciate it if you’d let me out.”

  He looked back down at his phone like the conversation was over. But then added, “My family doesn’t know about you. I need time to sort out this mess. So you’ll stay put until I say otherwise.”

  So that’s what I was to him? A mess? That was fine, I didn’t want to be his anything. But if that was the case, why the hell wasn’t he letting me go? There was really only one logical reason. “I’ll save you the trouble,” I said. “I don’t want anything from you. I don’t need your money. Or your help. I swear I won’t even tell anyone that you’re my father, if that’s what you’re worried about. I just want to go home.” I tried to think of something else I could add so he’d get the point.

  “Home to that dingy apartment with a woman who barely speaks English? I’m saving you.”

  “I don’t need you to save me.”

  The car pulled to a stop in front of a high rise that looked like any other newer building in the city. Tons of glass. Cold hard lines. If that was where Isabella lived, I didn’t want to touch it with a ten-foot pole, let alone go inside. He couldn’t make me. He couldn’t do this.

  “Your mother is dead,” Mr. Pruitt said. “So is your uncle. You have no money. No prospects. Nothing. You’ll thank me later. And in the meantime, you’ll stay here. I’ll be in touch shortly.”

  One of the bodyguards opened my door.

  I looked back at Mr. Pruitt who was focused on his phone again. “You’re not coming with me?” The thought of entering Isabella’s apartment without her father was more terrifying than entering it with him.

  He ignored me as the bodyguard gripped my arm.

  “You can’t just leave me here,” I said.

  Before Mr. Pruitt could respond, the bodyguard hauled me out of the car. He slammed the door shut and the town car pulled back onto the busy city street.

  I tried to yank my arm away from the bodyguard, but his grip tightened on my bicep.

  “Let me go or I’ll scream at the top of my lungs,” I said.

  He pulled me toward the building.

  “Help!” I yelled.

  A few passersby looked my way but then kept going.

  Are you serious? I was being kidnapped and people were just looking the other way? What the hell was wrong with New Yorkers? If screaming didn’t work, maybe pleading with the enemy would. “Please, just take me back to the church. It’s my uncle’s funeral.”

  No emotion crossed the bodyguard’s face at all. I might as well have been talking to a brick wall.

  “There’s still a reception being held in the hall. I need to go back.”

  He looked over his shoulder where Mr. Pruitt’s car had just disappeared. “I’m sorry about the funeral. But I can’t take you back.”

  “Please.” I felt myself breaking again. I couldn’t handle this right now. I needed to be back at the church. I needed to say goodbye to my uncle. I needed to put the yellow rose down on his coffin, just like I had with my mother’s. I needed to be there. I had to be the
re.

  “One thing you should learn fast. The Pruitts get whatever they want. So if you don’t willingly go inside right now, I’m going to have to force you to go in. I don’t want to have to do that. I don’t think you do either.”

  I didn’t move.

  “Look at it this way, kid. The sooner you come with me, the sooner this will all be over.”

  That finally sounded like something I could get behind. And him calling me kid reminded me of my uncle calling me kiddo. Maybe the testing wouldn’t take that long. Maybe I could get back in time for the burial. Maybe, maybe, maybe. But the longer I waited, the longer it would take. I let the bodyguard guide me into the building. A chill ran down my back as I stepped onto the shiny marble floors. The air was colder inside than it was outside. But I didn’t think it had anything to do with the temperature. I was in Isabella’s territory now.

  The Pruitts get whatever they want. I was hoping this bodyguard was right. Because there was no way in hell Isabella wanted me as a sister. As soon as she knew I was in her home, she’d demand that I leave. It wouldn’t take long at all. I could already picture the scene in my head. She’d scream and throw a fit. Probably make fun of my outfit and threaten to make me disappear. And then I’d be able to go home to the Alcaraz’s. Everything would go back to normal.

  I ignored the tears pooling in the corners of my eyes. Normal? Normal would be back in Delaware with my mom. Normal would be watching a movie with my uncle. There was no more normal.

  The bodyguard escorted me through the lobby. The man at the concierge desk smiled at us like it was normal for a huge man to be pulling a teenager through the building. It was tempting to tell him I was being kidnapped. But his smile and general air of not caring about my obvious kidnapping weren’t leaning in my favor. I just needed to get into Isabella’s apartment and make sure she knew I was there. It would all be over soon.

  The elevator doors dinged open. I stepped on and tried to ignore the feeling that I was entering the gates of hell.

  Chapter 2

  Thursday

  The elevator doors opened to an apartment that was as cold as I expected. For just a second I held my breath, as if breathing the same air as Isabella would turn me into a monster like her. Or maybe I was just scared that she’d appear out of thin air and spit on me. Or worse. I didn’t want to be here. I couldn’t be here. Before I could beg to be taken back down to the lobby, the bodyguard ushered me forward.

  Shit. But I didn’t fight him. I was resigned to my choice. Because as much as I didn’t want to ever interact with Isabella, I needed her to throw a hissy fit and throw me out of her apartment. And that involved finding her. I glanced into the living room we were passing. It didn’t look like anyone lived there. There wasn’t even a snuggly blanket on the untouched couch. Yet, I knew she was here. I could feel her presence. She was the reason why a chill had just run down my spine. She was the reason why I kept glancing over my shoulder. “Where’s Isabella?” I asked.

  The bodyguard ignored me as he steered me past the kitchen and down a hall.

  Everything was white and pristine and…impersonal. There wasn’t a single picture of Mr. or Mrs. Pruitt or Isabella on any of the walls. Maybe he hates Isabella as much as I do.

  We stopped outside a bedroom. There was a man in a white lab coat in the room. He turned toward me. “You must be Brooklyn Pruitt,” he said. “I’m Dr. Wilson. If you could please take a seat.” He gestured toward the edge of the bed he was standing beside.

  There was a lot wrong with this situation. But one thing stuck out the most. “Sanders,” I said.

  The doctor raised his eyebrows.

  “My last name is Sanders, not Pruitt.”

  “Ah.” He made a note on the file he was holding. “This won’t take very long, Brooklyn. I just need to run a few tests.” He set down the file and lifted a needle.

  There was no way I was entering that room and sitting on a bed while a stranger either gave me a shot or took my blood. “No, that’s okay. Actually this is all a big misunderstanding. I don’t want anything from Mr. Pruitt.”

  Dr. Wilson cocked his head to the side. “You don’t want to know if he’s your father?”

  I hesitated. I was pretty sure he saw it too. But then I shook my head. “No.” I took a step back and ran straight into the bodyguard.

  He looked down at me with a hard gaze.

  What was my plan here? Run past him to the elevators? There was no way I’d be able to escape this buffalo of a man. And even though the bodyguard didn’t say a word, I had a pretty good idea that his hard stare involved some kind of threat. I didn’t want to find out what it was.

  Honestly, I hadn’t been to the doctor in ages. My mother didn’t have insurance. I couldn’t remember when my last checkup was. Maybe in middle school. What could it hurt to let Dr. Wilson run a few tests? My mother died too young from heart disease. My uncle too young from lung cancer. Wasn’t it better if I knew I was healthy?

  I looked up at the bodyguard like he could read my thoughts. But I’d only known him a few minutes longer than I’d known this doctor with a needle. It wasn’t like I had a lot of options on who to trust.

  The only encouragement he gave me was a nod of his head toward the doctor.

  I pressed my lips together and turned around.

  The doctor smiled. “Really. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

  I slowly nodded my head. “I don’t mind making an appointment and coming in at a more convenient time,” I said. I was stalling, even though I couldn’t think of a single way out of this.

  “I’m a family doctor. Your father pays me good money to be on call. Trust me, I don’t mind.” He chuckled and the sound made me feel a little more at ease. “When was your last period?” he asked and looked back down at his file.

  Okay, not at ease anymore. Who just randomly asked such a personal question with zero segue? I could feel my cheeks turning red and I looked over my shoulder at the bodyguard. He didn’t make eye contact, but he also didn’t move. Apparently he was going to be here for this too.

  I swallowed hard. “A few weeks ago.”

  “It started or ended a few weeks ago?”

  “Started.” What kind of doctor’s visit was this?

  “Wonderful.” He wrote it down while still balancing the needle precariously in his other hand. “Come in, come in, don’t be shy.”

  My feet guided me into the room even though my head was screaming no. The sooner I did this, the sooner it would be over. I answered the rest of his invasive questions. I tried to slow my rapid heartbeat when he scolded me for my heart racing. And I grimaced when he drew blood.

  “I should have your results by tomorrow morning,” he said. “I know your father wants them as quickly as possible, and I’m not one to keep him waiting.”

  “Alleged father.” I was still holding out hope that I wasn’t related to this demonic family. I touched my arm where the doctor had left the cotton swab and strip of tape.

  “All will be clear soon,” Dr. Wilson said. “Did you have any questions you wanted to ask me before I head out?”

  How could I be related to someone so cruel? How could my mother have fallen for a monster? Would I become one too? I shook my head.

  “Very well.” He finished packing up his things, gave me one last smile, and disappeared out of the bedroom.

  I went to stand, but my head started to spin. I immediately sat back down on the bed.

  “Whoa, take it easy,” the bodyguard said. He took a step forward like he actually cared if I fainted. “You need something to eat. What would you like?”

  I just stared at him.

  “I can go grab whatever you want. Just pick something.”

  “Anything?”

  He nodded.

  “My legal guardian makes great empanadas. Can we go there to eat? I can show you the way.”

  “There’s a great Mexican place down the street. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He turned and disappeared
down the hall.

  For just a second I sat there in silence. And then I heard the ding of the elevators opening and closing. He’d left me all alone in the Pruitt’s apartment. Which basically meant he’d given me my freedom. Oh thank God. I needed to get the hell out of here.

  I stood up and my head spun again. How much blood did that weird doctor take? I pressed my hand against the doorjamb as I made my way out into the hall. My fingers trailed the pictureless walls while I kept myself upright.

  I hit the elevator button and waited. And waited. I hit it again and realized that there was a keypad.

  The little hairs on the back of my neck rose and I turned around. I could have sworn someone had been watching me. But the apartment was empty and lifeless.

  I slammed my fist against the button again. How could they leave me in here without the code to get out? What if there was a fire? I swallowed hard, knowing it probably wouldn’t bother my alleged father if I died. Wouldn’t that be convenient? He wouldn’t have to tell his wife or real daughter about me. I’d just be…gone.

  A chill ran down my spine and I turned around again. “Isabella?” I hated how much my voice shook.

  No one responded.

  There were three ways out of here. My Isabella freak out plan, cracking the elevator code, or finding a phone and calling for help. All of them involved exploring the apartment. If there was an office somewhere, I might be able to find Mrs. Pruitt’s and Isabella’s birthdays or something. One of them could be the code. There also might be a phone in there. I liked both of those options better than actually running into Isabella herself.

  I made my way back down the hall and past the bedroom I’d been in earlier. There was a hallway bathroom that was bigger than my bedroom at my Uncle’s apartment. Another empty bedroom. A master bedroom that was just as unlived in as the other two rooms. I walked up to the last door and turned the knob. It was locked. I’d checked every other possible room. There had to be something in this one. Or…someone.

  I knocked on the door.

  Nothing.

  “Isabella?” I called.