The Rose Ransom (Girls Wearing Black: Book Three) Read Online Free Page A

with all the stress of Coronation and actually enjoy our last semester of
high school,” Annika said. “Think about it. If we already know who’s going to
win, all the politics, all the backstabbing, all the blackmail...”
    At the line about blackmail,
Jill and Annika both looked at Art Tremblay, who quickly turned away.
    “All of Kim’s nonsense ends if
the Rose Ransom money goes to Nicky. Let’s just agree now that Nicky wins this
thing, shall we?” Annika finished.
    Mattie and Jake cheered. Jenny
tried clapping her hands, but ended up dropping her champagne flute. It
shattered all over the floor, ending the moment.
    Annika turned back to the group.
    “Nice one, Jenny,” she said.
    “Sorry. I just got so excited.
You really know how to fire up the troops!”
    “Come on, Jenny,” Annika said.
“Let’s get you another champagne.”
    As Annika went to the bar, the
party chatter resumed. Jill looked across the room and saw Karmela standing by
the window with Josh Manson.
    “I’ll see you around guys,” Jill
said. “I need to go talk to someone.”
    With her right hand, Jill set
her champagne down on the closest table. With her left, she grabbed hold of the
ring in her pocket and tucked it into her palm. She moved slowly to the other
end of the bar, trying not to draw anyone’s attention. She failed. Half-way
there, Karmela and Josh both spotted her.
    “Hello, Jill,” Karmela said. “Is
there something we can do for you?”
    Karmela had an odd way of
speaking. Gutteral with r’s that almost rolled, with vowels that were too short
and consonants that were too harsh, her English was flavored with accents from
the sort of transnational upbringing that sometimes happened among the power
elite. Heiress to a jewelry manufacturing conglomerate from Germany, Karmela
spent her youth in boarding schools in Sydney, London, and New York. Her birth
name was a mouthful for English speakers, so she changed it to Karmela Sweet, a
name that spoke to both the color of her skin and the warmth of her smile.
    Of course, Jill wasn’t seeing
that smile tonight. Karmela looked downright angry that Jill had the audacity
to get close to her.
    “Hi Karmela. Hi Josh. How are
you guys tonight?”
    “We’re fine, thank you,” Karmela
said in a dismissive tone. “You know, Annika’s little speech was cute and all,
but you guys act like there are only two girls in this contest.”
    Karmela’s shoulders twitched
after she spoke. She wasn’t a girl who was good at conflict.
    “You know how Annika is,” said
Jill. “She does whatever she wants to do and says whatever she wants to say.
Those were her words, not mine.”
    “But I’m sure you agree with the
sentiments in her pep talk.”
    “I…yes, I suppose I do,” said
Jill.
    “Well I don’t,” Karmela said.
“Josh doesn’t either. Do you?”
    Josh obediently shook his head.
    “See, here’s the thing,” Karmela
said. “Whoever finds the princess and wins the ransom money shouldn’t donate it
for Nicky. You know where that money should go?”
    “Really, I didn’t come over here
to talk about the contest.”
    “It should go to Samantha Kwan,”
said Karmela.
    “I know you guys are tight with
Samantha. You should know that I don’t have a problem with her. She plays fair
and I respect that.”
    “You should have been supporting
Samantha this whole time,” Karmela snapped. “When you and Annika got behind
this new girl it mixed everything up.”
    “Nicky’s a good person,” Jill
said. “You should get to know her.”
    “We have no interest in getting
to know her. You think you’re so smart with your secret club that got the new
girl into school and pushed her to the top. But there was already a plan to
defeat Kim. A better plan. One that wasn’t nearly as risky or expensive as
whatever you and Ryan Jenson are trying to pull. You didn’t know about that,
did you?”
    Yes, I did , Jill thought. I know all about your cockamamie plan.
    Karmela lifted her