Crazy Bitch (Bitches and Queens) Read online

  Crazy Bitch

  By: Rachael James

  Other Contemporary Novels by

  Rachael James

  HOOK, LINE, and GARTER

  Coming Soon

  BABY BITCH

  Text copyright © 2013

  Rachael James

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any format without written consent from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for insertion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, any place, events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  For my mommy—

  because I love you just the way you are

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Once again, I must thank my fantastic editor Cynthia Shepp. If you are interested in learning more about Cynthia, you can find her at www.cynthiashepp.com.

  Table of Contents

  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

  EPILOGUE

  Chapter 1

  “Nasty little cunt,” Hannah Fairbanks fumed as she paced through the first floor of her luxury home, which was located in an exclusive gated community in Toro Canyon, just minutes outside of Austin, Texas. She would show Sam Montgomery just how nasty she could be. After all, she had made that bitch. If it wasn’t for her, Sam would be nothing.

  “Will you be dining in tonight, ma’am?”

  “Dining in, Consuela,” Hannah scoffed. “Of course, I’ll be fucking dining in tonight. I haven’t eaten anything but lettuce and goddamn fruit for ten years. How hard is that to throw together? What the fuck am I paying you to do anyways?”

  “Yes ma’am,” Consuela said and hurried off towards the kitchen.

  Hannah watched her leave with a grimace distorting her beautiful features. She was half-tempted to toss a glass vase her way to see if the little bitch could run any faster. She might not have been so angry if her question was rhetorical. Honestly, she had all these people in her life, spent damn near a fortune, and for the life of her life, Hannah still didn’t know what any of her ‘so-called’ employees actually did for her.

  Now, her best friend, the man she loved more like a son, had turned his back on her as well. She wasn’t really that surprised—as she learned a long time ago that the only person you could really count on in this world is yourself. Still, it hurt coming from Sam. Being turned over for someone like Kate Logan only added injury to insult. Of course, they would never work out. Sam and Kate were too different to make it long-term, but Hannah did fear that she might be the one girl that could break his heart. Well—she was afraid for him until he called her a nasty little cunt. Now she hoped Kate didn’t just rip his still- beating heart out of his chest but that she would stomp it into the pavement as well. When she did, Hannah would be waiting for him because he was her baby boy and that is what good mommies do. You never stop loving your child, even when he is behaving like a selfish little prick.

  With Sam otherwise occupied with Kate, Hannah had grown unusually restless in her downtime. Not that she had much of it. She had been working steadily since she was discovered at the age of sixteen. For the past ten years, her face had graced hundreds of magazines covers. She had walked countless runways and was quite easily the city of Austin’s most recognizable resident.

  Lately, she had begun feeling as if something was missing from her life. What she needed was a new pet but finding the perfect one was always so difficult. If Sam hadn’t upset her so, her need wouldn’t be so demanding. Ten years of maintaining a size double 00 on her six-foot-tall frame did nothing, if not teach her the art of self-denial. She was the queen of restraint, but occasionally her desires were too strong to ignore. Tonight, if she couldn’t have a pet, she would just have to find a substitute. Fortunately, she had Texas’s most exclusive and discreet Madam on her contacts. After a quick call, the plans were set. Before she hung up, Hannah said, “And don’t send me one of those skinny bitches.”

  “Consuela, darling,” Hannah called out sweetly as she walked towards the kitchen, “change of plans. I won’t be eating dinner tonight. You may take the rest of the day off, but I’ll need you here early tomorrow. I would like a full breakfast served in my bedroom.”

  Consuela nodded. Having worked for Hannah for three years, she had grown accustomed to her frequent shifts in mood. She also knew she was never allowed in Hannah’s bedroom unless specifically instructed, and that she was never to mention anything she might see or hear once inside. “Breakfast for two?”

  “No, only juice and toast for me.”

  When the doorbell rang at ten o’clock, Hannah answered it wearing a pair of black, satin pajamas. She was only slightly disappointed that Hilary had sent over one of her new girls. Occasionally, the new ones were thrown by her peculiar requests, but the lovely, lusciously plump, redhead was such a doll her disappointment quickly evaporated.

  “Hello, my name is Skyler,” she said with a shy smile.

  Hannah assumed her shyness had more to do with being star-struck than the actual business at hand, as all of Hilary’s girls were consummate professionals. “Please, come in,” she said and held the door open wide. “I assume Hilary explained that you would be staying for the entire night.”

  “Oh yes,” Skyler answered enthusiastically.

  “And did she mention anything else?”

  “No, only that I was very lucky because most of the ladies fight over your appointments.”

  “Is that so?” Hannah murmured and then reached for her hand. “I have everything ready. Come upstairs with me.”

  Hannah led the strange woman up the stairs and into her inner sanctuary. Living her life so publically, she had very few corners of quiet solace. The oversized room, the size of a small house, was one such place. She had a strict policy of receiving visitors here by invitation only. These walls had many secrets. She often thought that when her beauty finally faded, this would be the place for her recluse. A place to grow old, a place to die.

  They walked through the sitting area, past the main bedroom that was decorated elegantly with several mahogany pieces, including a bed that looked fit for royalty, and into the bathroom where the large soaking tub that was surrounded by marble tiles was filled with steaming water and bath salts.

  “Here let me help you,” Hannah commanded as she systematically began to undress Skyler. Her touch was more soothing than passionate. Once Skyler was naked, Hannah looked over her body with a glazed-over distance, as if she wasn’t really seeing what was before her.

  Not the reaction she was accustomed to receiving, Skyler asked self-consciously, “Is everything all right?”

  “Of course,” Hannah answered with smile. “You’re delightful. I would like you to get into the tub.”

  Still looking uncertain, Skyler stepped up on the tile pedestal and then over into the water.

&nb
sp; “Is the water too warm?”

  “No, it is feels wonderful,” she denied as she slid down into the bath. “Are you getting in?”

  Hannah settled down on her knees beside the tub. Feeling relieved that she hadn’t been the source of gossip, she hid her smile as she reached for the bathing oil. Although Hilary prided herself on discretion in her line of business, there was always the risk that someone would talk. If any of the other whores ever discussed Hannah, they hadn’t done so with Skyler. Otherwise, she never would have asked that question.

  The tiny vial cost a small fortune as it was harvested from nuts that were only known to grown on a mountaintop in Italy. When Hannah played the game, no expense was spared. “Not tonight,” she answered as she dabbed the oil in her palm. As she rubbed her hands together, a slight menthol aroma permeated the air. “I’m not a big fan of the scent, but it feels heavenly,” she explained as she reached out and stroked the smooth column of Skyler’s neck, working her fingers down her shoulders. After only a few moments, she began to melt like butter against Hannah’s fingers. Her earlier hesitation evaporated as she quickly discovered why Hannah was such a popular client.

  “I’ve always been very fond of whores,” Hannah admitted as she caressed Skyler’s arms, working her way from shoulders to fingertips. “My mommy was a whore. I even tried it once myself.”

  “What did you think about it?” Skyler breathed softly.

  “It was…” Hannah paused to think of the right word. How to describe that Dmitri? She had only been seventeen at the time. Her stardom had just begun to skyrocket when they met. Dmitri taught her the power of beauty. He was willing to pay any price, do anything she asked, just for one night together. Hannah probably would have continued to resist him, but it was such a tumultuous time in her life. New mommy and new daddy had just been murdered. The brutality of the crime had shocked the entire community. It seemed more like a crime of passion than a random act of violence. Back then, people still believed she was the angel she appeared to be. The world grieved with the beautiful orphan. The night of the funerals, Hannah gave in to Dmitri. She was still very fond of that crazy Russian. She would visit him more often, but those pesky Russian officials refused to allow her in the prison. Poor Dmitri, but eventually his life of violence caught up with him. Hannah still sent him a Christmas card every year. “…it was enlightening.”

  After Hannah finished washing her body, she washed her hair with a pleasant, coconut-scented shampoo. Once she was clean from head to toe, Hannah helped Skyler out of the tub and dried her off. All the calming aromas had left her feeling very relaxed, probably a little tired as well. In her current state, Skyler didn’t have much to say, which was just as well as Hannah preferred they remain quiet.

  Next, Hannah dressed Skyler in a new pair of pajamas. She took her to the bedroom and pulled down the blankets. Once she fluffed the pillows, she tucked the blankets around Skyler, then walked around to her side of the bed and climbed inside. Feeling much calmer than she had in weeks, Hannah’s eyes grew heavy. Before she drifted off to sleep, her last thought was that she hoped Skyler let her feed her. She loved it when she fed them.

  Chapter 2

  One Year Later

  A medium once told Willow Jane Mallory that she was an old soul. The medium was a crack head, so his interpretation might have been wrong. If by old soul, he meant that she was open-minded, generous, and not overly impressed with the materialistic things of this world, then she was as ancient as they come.

  Usually. But this could be her big break. Around these parts, they don’t come much bigger than Hannah Fairbanks, and in Texas, everything was big. She was in her final year at the University of Texas, studying fashion design. When she first heard that Hannah Fairbanks was starting her own label of lingerie, she had been pretty hyped, but when the news circulated that she was actively seeking interns, Willow had been downright ecstatic. Out of the thousands of other applicants, she never really believed she would be selected for an interview, but then Hannah called last week and asked if she would be able to come in and discuss her portfolio. Willow had been a jumble of nervous excitement ever since she hung up the phone.

  She knew she needed to pull it together, but every time she tried to calm herself, all she could think about was that this was the kind of opportunity that could catapult her to success. Now that they were face-to-face, Hannah was impossible to read. She held her features in an unnatural stillness, giving absolutely nothing away. And she was quite stunning. In person, Hannah was even more beautiful. She reminded Willow of an anime angel, almost too perfect to be real.

  Focusing on the task at hand, Willow pointed towards the portfolio that was stretched out on the table between them. She started to answer Hannah’s question but was interrupted.

  “You don’t need to justify your work to me. You wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t impressed,” Hannah said calmly.

  Had it really been six months since she’d seen her last? Willow certainly looked different, but she was actually wearing clothes this time. Hannah could still remember the guttural reaction she felt the first time she saw her. It was the night of Sam’s surprise birthday party. Finn Sullivan, the event planner of Austin, had suggested Willow’s burlesque act for the centerpiece. Two weeks before the party, the entire theme had to be changed at Kate’s insistence. Hannah had been so busy flying back and forth between Austin and New York that she didn’t have the time to meet her before the party. Willow was supposed to be a present for Sam, but the moment her nearly naked silhouette stepped through the burnt edges of the cream-colored screen, Hannah’s first and only thought was Fuck Sam! This one is mine.

  Now she was here. The anticipation very nearly drove her insane. It felt strange feeling so attracted to another—like nothing she had ever experienced before. Her emotions churned tumultuously. One moment she wanted to pull her close and never let her leave, and the next she wanted to reach out and scratch her eyes out. Perhaps it was the change in Willow that threw her?

  The last time Hannah had seen Willow, she had been wearing only a transparent black veil. The memory of her luscious body had been branded upon Hannah’s mind. With no effort at all, she easily recalled each and every glorious curve of Willow’s body. Today, the siren was properly covered with a high-waist, gray pencil skirt and white blouse, but the sultry energy remained unchanged. It was like trying to put a blanket on top of Mt. Everest and then proclaiming it only a hill. Willow’s aura brimmed with sex.

  Hannah’s only disappointment was that she had cut her hair. At the party, her long, inky black tresses cascaded over her flawless alabaster shoulders and fell down the curve of her spine. Now she was sporting one of those layered bob cuts that framed her delicate jaw. Well, maybe not her only disappointment. As soon as Hannah saw Willow’s portfolio, she knew that she would never be the perfect pet. Her designs, like the woman herself, were too avant-garde, too boundless, too creative, to ever be restricted by conformity. But Hannah refused to give up. She hadn’t went on a six-month hiatus from work and ventured into a new line of business, all so she could get the object of her obsession, only to let her slip away. If Willow wouldn’t play, she would have to think of a new game. Although she had yet to decide upon the rules, Hannah was determined to win.

  As she absentmindedly fingered the strand of pearls that rested against her skin, Hannah further explained, “I wanted to meet you to see if we would be compatible. As you are no doubt aware of, I have a reputation of being difficult. On a good day, I am impatient and demanding.”

  “That’s a good day,” Willow laughed, starting to feel slightly more at ease. “What’s a bad day?”

  “On a bad day, I’m a crazy bitch,” Hannah admitted.

  “I can do crazy,” Willow answered.

  “I can’t work with someone who will fall to pieces every time I throw out an F-bomb. And trust me—there will be a lot of them on a regular basis.”

  “I had an unconventional upbringing. It left me pre
tty thick-skinned. There isn’t a single profanity in the dictionary that I haven’t heard or been accused of being at some time or another. I don’t fall to pieces. I have a fairly laid-back personality, but I do occasionally snap back,” Willow answer succinctly.

  Hannah nodded wordlessly. “I understand you are due to graduate at the end of next semester, but I will need at least a six-month contract. There is simply no way get this up and running in less time. That would push your graduation date back until the summer. Will that be problem?”

  “No, it wouldn’t be a problem.”

  “And I will retain all rights to any designs that are created by you during the internship. You would be allowed to use them in your final presentation, but afterwards, they will belong solely to me,” Hannah explained.

  “Yes, I was aware of that.”

  “Good,” Hannah murmured. “One last thing, you would be required to sign an exclusivity clause. As this is a paid internship, you would not be allowed to seek or maintain any other employment opportunities.”

  For once, her answer didn’t come so easily. The other two requirements were fairly common in the industry, but she had never heard of another internship that required an exclusivity clause. Obviously, she knew she couldn’t create designs for Hannah and another competitor, but her other employment opportunities were completely outside the industry. If she didn’t work, money would be tight, but this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. She would have to make some concessions. It wouldn’t be the first time she skimped by. What was six months of drug store shampoo and Ramon noodles compared to a chance like this?

  “I would be willing to do that,” Willow answered.

  “Are you sure?” Hannah questioned. “You hesitated for a moment.”

  “No hesitation. I’m sure,” Willow affirmed.

  “Good. I have a few other candidates to interview, but I will be making my decision sometime next week. I’ll be in touch.”