Two of a Kind Read online

  Two of a Kind

  Ella Goode

  Contents

  Summary

  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

  Epilogue

  Also by Ella Goode

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  Summary

  When money is tight and your family relies on you, the rules don’t apply. For Brad, hacking is not only a way of life but it puts food on his table and sends his brilliant sister to a private school. Nighttime, secret fights funds the gaps like special tennis shoes or expensive school uniforms. His work doesn’t leave much time for average activities like school and dating. Ordinarily, a rich, privileged girl needing tutoring would only piss him off.

  But Melody is no ordinary girl. She’s gorgeous, funny, and every particle of Brad’s body wants her. There’s no law he won’t break, no rule that he won’t step on, no person—not even her Senator father—who will prevent Brad from claiming her. They belong together. They’re two of a kind.

  Chapter 1

  Brad

  “Hey Brad, got a minute?” a voice says behind me.

  I pretend to search inside my nearly empty locker for something in hopes that the person behind me will go away.

  “Brad? A minute?”

  Ever since I helped Carter Franklin, I’ve had jocks up on my ass every other week asking for favors. He’s on my shit list and if I ever see him step outside the line, I’m taking him down.

  “Hey Brad. Did you hear me?”

  “Maybe he has head phones on, Mark.”

  A finger jabs me in the shoulder. “You got headphones on? Can you hear me?”

  I back away from the locker and slam the door closed. “I heard you the first three times.”

  Mark Stein blinks at me in confusion as if I spoke Arabic to him or maybe just English. He’s not super bright, which is likely why he’s harassing me today. I’d bet my last dollar that he needs a grade changed. This is why I don’t come to school. There are too many dumbasses who are always on my dick wanting idiotic things. I can’t wait to be free of this hellhole.

  “Then why didn’t you say something?”

  I shoulder my backpack and move past him. He steps in my path because he’s a football player and Carter Franklin has trained all these animals to think that they run this school.

  “Because I was ignoring you, my dude. Take a social clue. When someone doesn’t respond to you, it’s because they have no interest in talking to you.” I wait for Mark to move because I’m not engaging in some weird-ass two step that he seems to think is going to end well for him.

  Mark puffs out his bloated chest and pushes his chin in the air. “You should have an interest in talking to me.”

  I look down at the top of his head where I can clearly see a thinning spot starting to form in the middle of his crown. Maybe his premature pattern baldness is why he’s such a prick. Nah.

  “I don’t though.”

  The warning bell chimes and the gawkers start drifting away to their classrooms. Mark doesn’t move. Carter walks by, takes a look at the two of us, and shakes his head.

  “Dumbass,” he mutters as he passes. He’s holding hands with the girl who pretends to be his cousin. Or maybe they aren’t pretending anymore. I can’t remember all the soap opera events that go down in this stupid school. “Don’t mess with him.”

  “You heard him. Don’t mess with me.” Mark chuckles. He folds his beefy arms across his chest. I try to remember what position he plays and whether he’s always been this big or whether he’s gotten out of shape.

  “He’s talking to you.” Carter is one of the few people that know what I do.

  “I’m talking to you,” Carter yells.

  But Mark misses yet another clue because he’s dumb and maybe had his head bashed in a few too many times on the football field. “Yeah, so listen, Brad. I have a little project and I’ve picked you to take care of it.”

  I scratch my neck. I can take care of this two ways and after a brief internal struggle, I opt for the non-violent one. “How much money do you have?”

  Mark’s menacing grimace transforms immediately into a smug grin. “I knew you’d come around, man. Okay, how’s $500?”

  I bark out a laugh. “You have to be fucking kidding me.” I don’t turn my computer on for less than ten grand. Does he think I run a charity? I’m done with this fool. I push him out of the way and move on.

  He stumbles back in surprise, not sure how he, a Michelin Stay Puft Marshmallow man, could have gotten moved by someone who doesn’t look like he’s eating steroids for breakfast. “Wait, what? What do you mean? I’m not kidding. I have it right here.”

  He bounds after me, pulling his wallet out of his jeans and opening it up. I don’t bother to look. “It’s not even enough to make me click my mouse.”

  “It’s just a grade,” he protests.

  Bingo. “Hacking into a school mainframe”--which I’ve done literally hundreds of times and it’s so easy that sometimes I get mad--”is punishable by up to two years in prison so I’m not going in to change the grade of some dumb jock who spent fifth period jerking off in the locker room instead of going to his bio lab for that amount of money.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see his round face turn red. “Fine then. How much do you want? Eight bills? Ten?”

  I stop and pivot to face him. He nearly falls on his face to avoid running into me. “Half a million.”

  His jaw drops. “You can’t be serious.”

  “Dead serious.”

  “I don’t have that kind of money.” Mark’s dad owns a few car dealerships so he’s probably right. Five grand might be easy for him. Fifty would be doable but he’d have to steal some money from his dad’s till. A half a million would require the sale of one of the businesses and he doesn’t have the power or pull to do that. That’s one reason I rarely do business with my classmates. They don’t have anything I want.

  “Then too bad. Your grades aren’t changing.” The tardy bell rings but Mark doesn’t notice. I resume my path toward AP Trig, a class that I can do in my sleep. Mark hops beside me.

  “I’ve got connections. I can get you lots of things. Chicks, weed. You name it, I can get it for you.”

  “A half million.”

  “Fucking listen to me.” Mark grabs my shoulder and tries to swing me around.

  Maybe it’s because I had a bad morning or maybe it’s because I’m late for class but something inside me snaps. My arm comes up and my fist lands square against Mark’s jaw. His head cracks to the side and blood and saliva come streaming out of his mouth as a tooth gets knocked loose. He sways for a second, surprise all over his face, and then he crumples to the ground--out like a doused candle.

  The door to the AP Stats room swings open. Leaning against the threshold is Carter. Behind him, the entire class is lined up. He peers down at the fallen Mark and shakes his head. “I told you not to mess with Brad.”

  Chapter 2

  Melody

  “You okay?” Ally asks as she takes a seat next to me in AP Anatomy and Physiology. We partnered up earlier in the year. She’s saved my ass a few times. I sucked at anatomy and physiology but I worked hard to try and keep up. Nothing less than an A would appease my parents, who want me to get As for two different reasons. My mom, s
o that I can grow up and be a strong successful woman and own some giant company that makes all the money in the world. She wants me to be independent. My father, on the other hand, wants me to make the grades because appearance is everything to him. He wants to be able to say that his daughter was valedictorian. I just want the hell out of this place. But what I want doesn’t matter.

  “Just bored,” I admit. She nudges my shoulder.

  “You totally miss football season, don’t you?”

  “I don’t like football,” I tell her for the hundredth time. She made me go with her to all the games before her boyfriend was the star receiver. It isn’t the sport so much that fascinates me but watching them play is almost like an art. I’m not sure Carter or Ally’s boyfriend, Owen, would call it an art but it is. The two of them played so well on the field together. It is fascinating to watch. I’m not sure they even know how in tune they are with each other but every Friday night they have a dance of their own. They dance their butts down the field to victory.

  “Suure.” She drags out the word. It doesn't matter. I don’t care if people think I do or don’t like the game. I go to support my friend. Ally is different from everyone around here and I am grateful that she got transferred in. I’ve been stuck at FU High since my freshman year. At first I tried to fit in but I knew that was never going to happen. I don’t actually feel as though I fit in anywhere. Not at school and definitely not at home.

  My phone vibrates on the desk table. I pick it up to see a picture my mom sent me. It’s of my dad with another woman who looks like she could be about my age. I don’t recognize her. She’s either a one-night stand or a new mistress. I’m embarrassed to say that these pictures get forwarded to me by my mom on a regular basis.

  Mom: This is why you have to be independent or you’ll be stuck with an asshole. Don’t end up in the same situation that I did.

  Her text is filled with anger but I’d bet anything that she’s crying right now. I know she shouldn't be sharing this shit with me but she does and I can’t help but be mad with her. I hate him. She needs someone to talk to. She has kind of played a part in me hating my father but he’s earned some of the hatred on his own without her having to help.

  “Is that your dad?” Ally glares at my phone. It’s not like everyone around here doesn't know my father's face. Most of them also know about his infidelity too. As if high school wasn’t hard enough, I have extra for people to gossip about.

  “One would think a senator would be more discreet.” He really doesn’t give a shit anymore. He thinks he’s untouchable and he’s lost touch with reality. His wife and kid are an inconvenience to him now. The wife that stuck by his side when he was a nobody. Now that he is someone, he’s conveniently forgotten about the woman that helped put him there. My mom doesn’t have to worry about me depending on a man. I’ve already sworn them off.

  Me: Fuck him. I love you.

  I fire a text back because what else can I really say? She won’t leave him. I’ve tried to get her to a thousand times but she’s scared of him. Why, I don’t know. It feels like it’s about more than money.

  “Who sent you that?” Ally asks with her eyebrows furrowed together. Probably because it’s newsworthy but I’m sure it’s some PI my mom hired to follow him. I don’t understand why she likes to pick at this wound. She knows what the PI will find and it will only end up hurting her. Maybe she does it to stockpile blackmail material. I could get down with that. The problem with turning something like this over to the tabloids is that it’s almost like burning down your own house.

  “My mom.” I instantly regret saying it the second the words leave my mouth. It’s worse when I see the look of shock on Aly’s face.

  “I’m sorry, Mel.” She leans into me. “If you need anything…”

  “I don’t want you to punch my father in the balls but if I change my mind I’ll let you know.”

  “You’re never going to let that go, are you?” She laughs, making me laugh too.

  “The new girl punching a jock in the dick? Nope.” I’ll never forget that. No one had even seen that one coming. Ally had looked all sweet and innocent but she packed a good punch.

  “Stop talking about my girl touching other men’s dicks.” Owen drops down in the seat next to Ally. Of course the teacher doesn't say anything about him just walking into a class that isn't his. The football team gets away with murder for the most part. We still have a few minutes before class starts. He kisses her cheek, whispering to her that he missed her.

  Owen is one of the few guys that I like around here. Like Ally, he’s different. More so with the way he treats her. He’s not shy or embarrassed to show how much he loves her. In fact, I bet he’d paint it on the side of the school if he could. If it was up to him, they’d be walking around wearing some matching shirts. I’m sure it’s coming. I’ll make fun of them while secretly finding it adorable. They give me hope that not all men are assholes.

  “Food?” I lean forward, having a feeling that’s why he’s stopped by. Ally is prone to skipping breakfast and Owen isn’t fond of this. As always, Owen pulls out something to eat, handing a sandwich to Ally and then to me. He is always bringing her something. I’m always stealing half of whatever it is, so now he grabs me something too.

  I open it, taking a big bite of the bacon and egg sandwich. My mind should be on the test that I have today but all I can think about is my mom and what she is feeling right now. Thoughts of how I could make things better keep racing through my mind. She might be right. I need to keep my head down, get good grades and get into a good college. If I could graduate and offer my mom some financial security then maybe she might be able to free herself from my father.

  I doubt my art will get me anywhere. It was also something my father refused to pay for me to go to college for. It looks like they will both be getting what they want for me in the end. Like I said before, what I want doesn’t matter.

  Chapter 3

  Brad

  “Thank you for coming to class, Mr. Hayes,” Sarina Cruz, my honors advisor, says.

  I don’t lift my head from my desk. “You told me you were going to recommend that I fail the term if I didn’t.”

  “You’re required to attend unless you have a verified absence and even then you can only miss 10%.”

  “My attendance is like 90%.” I know. I changed the records last night.

  “We all know you hack into the system.”

  Unlikely, given I don’t leave a trace other than changing a few grades now and then. Ms. Cruz says something about how I can’t be doing this all the time and that it’s a bad precedent for my future. I tune her out because I’m tired and I need a rest. I was up way too late last night and my body is sore from the workout I put it through.

  “Are you listening to me, Mr. Hayes?”

  “No,” I mumble into my arms.

  “Brad!”

  I open an eyelid. “When I was a freshman you said I could come here any time and relax from the stressors of being a gifted and talented student. So here I am, relaxing from the rigors of class.”

  “You’ve only attended one today and Mr. Mariner reported that you slept the whole time.”

  “I was not sleeping. I was resting my eyes.”

  “Brad,” she says with a short puff of exasperation. “I know you’re too smart for these classes, but until you graduate high school, you need to follow the rules here.” She lets something drop in front of my face and it flutters down to land on my fingertips like a feather plucked from some unlucky bird about to be roasted for a holiday dinner. “This is the number for Melody James. She’s struggling in her trigonometry class and needs assistance. I recommend that you call her and set up a time to tutor. Otherwise, there will be no more access to the GT lounge and you will be required to sign in every morning physically in order to be marked in attendance. The physical check-in will be matched daily with the computer records and then again every week until your graduation.”

  With a
groan, I push into a sitting position. “You’re really going to blackmail me with this?” I nod toward the piece of paper on the table.

  “Don’t think of it as blackmail,” Ms. Cruz says. Now that she has my attention, she returns to her desk. “Think of it as a growth opportunity.”

  “I’m six feet. Why would I need to grow?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe Melody likes taller men.”

  “Melody can suck my d--”

  My words die on my tongue as a girl sexier than Carter Franklin’s sports car walks through the door. Her hair looks like she dipped it in cotton candy. Her tits are full and her hips look the perfect roundness to take a real pounding. Nonchalantly, I tug my hoodie down over my lap so I don’t embarrass myself. The movement catches her eyes and they shift from Ms. Cruz to me. She gives me a quick once-over flick and then dismisses me as unimportant.

  “Ms. Cruz,” she says, directing her attention back to the honors advisor. “I’m Melody James. I was told to come here for—” She pauses and sneaks another glance my way. “Well, I see you’re busy so I’ll come back later.”

  “No, no, come in.” Ms. Cruz gestures for Melody, my future, to come inside.

  All traces of tiredness are gone. I sit up as straight as I can and wait for my introduction. I should smile. My brows crash together. Do I remember how to smile? I haven’t done it in a while. I move my lips around and it feels strange so I shut that down real quick. I’m not great at wooing chicks but even I know that looking like I’ve got malfunctioning duck face isn’t going to do me any favors.