Chapter 4

Georgia's POV

Less than ten minutes later, sirens shriek outside the Cloudcrest estate.

A handful of cops stride into the great room.

Sloane switches on the waterworks instantly, tears right on cue, and throws herself at the officer in charge. "Officer, thank god you're here! This psycho broke into my house and tried to hit me! Arrest her, please!"

Cole steps up right behind her, lying through his teeth with a straight face. "Officer, I can confirm all of that. I'm Cole Bennett, president of the fraternity at Westfield. This woman is Georgia. She's got serious issues, and tonight she broke into my girlfriend's house and tried to hurt her."

The crowd chimes in behind him, all of them backing up the story that I'm some psycho who broke in.

The officer frowns, looking me over, torn clothes and all, suspicion written all over his face.

"You got any proof this house belongs to you?"

"Yes! The deed's in the safe in the study upstairs!" I say.

"Fine. Go get it." He waves me toward the stairs.

I pull myself up and stumble the whole way to the second floor.

I get to the study and the safe door is hanging wide open.

Everything inside is a mess, old documents tossed across the floor, the jewelry box lid flipped up, the velvet lining half empty.

My deed and a pile of other valuables are all gone.

How is this happening? My head spins.

Footsteps sound behind me. Sloane strolls in with her arm looped through Cole's, taking her time.

"What's wrong? Can't find it?" Sloane's voice drips with mockery. "Georgia, you really committed to this whole act, huh. Even knew the safe combination. Guess you did your homework before robbing the place."

I spin around and look at her, and there it is, the satisfaction she can't hide anymore.

It was her. She'd already cleared the safe out before any of this started.

"You stole it." I stare her down, not blinking.

"Where's your proof?" Sloane covers her mouth, laughing. "Anybody can make an accusation. Doesn't mean it's true."

I stand there frozen, my head buzzing.

Cole grabs my wrist and starts hauling me toward the stairs. "Stop embarrassing yourself. Just go with the cops."

He drags me down the stairs and I land back on the cold floor of the great room.

"Officer, she couldn't produce it." Cole throws up his hands. "Told you she's delusional."

The officer's expression turns hard. "Georgia, you're looking at charges for trespassing and disorderly conduct. You need to come with us."

He pulls out a pair of handcuffs.

"No, I didn't do anything! She stole it, I know she did! Officer, search her!" I stumble backward, out of options.

"She's trying to run! Somebody stop her!" Sloane shrieks, throwing her hand out.

Two guys lunge and pin me back down to the floor.

Sloane crouches in front of me, pinching a strand of my wine-soaked hair between her fingers, leaning in close to my ear. "Georgia, take my advice and behave. Jail's not exactly a fun time."

She smiles, lets go of my hair, and pats my cheek twice, mockingly gentle.

Out of nowhere, a deafening roar of engines rips through the night outside, loud enough that the windows rattle in their frames.

Everyone's head turns toward the sound at once.

Through the dark, a line of blacked-out SUVs comes rolling up the drive, dozens of them, surrounding the entire estate.

Headlights flood the property, bright as daylight.

The lead SUV's door swings open, and a wall of security in black suits and sunglasses pours out, falling into two lines at the entrance.

"Nobody moves."

One of them barks the order, and the room goes dead silent, everyone frozen at the sight of it.

Through the fear on every face, a man walks in, flanked by his security, carrying the kind of presence that makes the whole room feel smaller.