Page 112 of The Masks She Wore

?I leaned back in my chair and turned back to the others, ignoring him. Beckett was years younger than his older brother. They had the same blue eyes, Beckett had several inches in height on his brother, his build was much more fit. He had hair while Malachi didn’t, their styles were similar, but their personalities were far from it. While Malachi was more like Grey, Beckett was more like me. Unforgiving, ruthless, but he did have some mercy when the time was right, and he didn’t speak as often. Silent but deadly, Azrael liked to tell us whenever he deigned to speak about the man who found him.

?“She’s not accepted into The Family, so why are you all here?” I didn’t need the calvary, I could do this myself.

?“The Alascer’s were well-known in the world,” Malachi explained, taking his gloves and hat off, “so are the Bennett’s. We gave you masks for a reason, you four boys, Marla?” He shook his head, glancing towards Rae’s door. “I don’t know how they did it. We are the best there is, there shouldn’t be anyone better.”

?I studied him carefully. I had been wondering the same thing though. How had Marla managedtwoidentities that were well-knownand beloved by many? Had she just stayed away from any jobs in this state so she could have a place in America to rest? Only coming here when she needed to take on the Bennett façade? It was the only thing that made even a lick of sense.

?“There isn’t,” Zo reminded him. “Marla’s dead—”

?“Gone,” I corrected. “No body, no crime.” The blood still hadn’t come back, which was irritating to say the least, but my gut instinct was that it wouldn’t be Marla’s.

?“And Rae doesn’t remember who she was. Along with that,” she went on, “you can’t remember a thing about her father. So, either he truly was a one-night stand and Marla lied during those times she might have mentioned him, or he’s the best there is at disappearing, and he doesn’t give a fuck about his daughter.”

?My eyes shifted to Azrael. We were all important for various reasons, given nicknames by Beckett based on our specialties. Grey was the Teacher, speaks for itself. Everett was the Heir, most likely the one to truly take over the position Malachi was in, despite us all being on equal grounds. He was a born leader.

?I was the Hunter. Computers, cameras, finding the targets of our assignments by means of technology. Azrael was the Ghost. He was the best at disappearing. At making others disappear. I had met no one else in this world better than him. Until now.

?It clearly didn’t sit well with him.

?“Are we all just going to assume that the little Damsel is telling the truth?” Azrael hummed, uncaring that he was bleeding all over the floor. “She could be lying, playing us all.”

?“And how’s that, Az?” Zo asked, rolling her eyes. “Pray tell.”

?He shrugged. “Well, a crime was reported, no body, no evidence. A week later, her nanny just so happens to disappear, and then a boy, claiming to be her brother shows up, ‘controlling her life’. After eight months of no problems, no issues, no death threats, her name appears on our doorstep by anonymous, Jack falls in love, suddenly people are trying to kill her, pulling him in like the perfect little damsel she is. I don’t know about you,” he said, walking up to the table, “but it seems to me like she’s got her claws into this little family of ours and she’s not planning on letting go any time soon.”

?I studied him carefully. Many coincidences, sure, but—

?“Why would she do that?” Beckett asked, finishing my thoughts. “What would be the point? She’s a smart girl, I assume,” he nods towards me, “she should have known she would get caught.”

?“Marla’s smart, but sometimes the apples, they do fall,” Azrael smiled, his eyes glinting in a sick light. “Don’t they, Jack?”

?My eyes shifted to Malachi’s. “Marla spoke often of her.”

?“Mothers always speak highly of their daughters, even in the midst of battle,” Malachi sighed, taking a seat across from me. “You Claimed her, Jack, it’s up to you to figure out if she’s being truthful or if you’ve released a mole in our home.”

?Azrael hummed a creepy little tune under his breath and I ignored him. It grated against my nerves when he did shit like that.

?“So why are you here then?” I bit. “To berate me for choosing someone this broken?”

?“The video was concerning.”

?I grinded my teeth together and turned to Zo. “You took a page out of Azrael’s fucked up book?”

?She frowned. “I started recordingbeforeyou came back. I didn’t need you putting a bullet between my eyes for slapping your girl.”

?“Kinky,” Azrael purred.

?I was going to fucking kill him.

?“Jack,” Malachi said, pulling my attention to focus. “She was tortured, that much is clear, do you have any leads as to who did it and why?”

?I worked my jaw. “She mentioned a name, Nora Delcott. She and Max are currently tied up in the cathedral. The club Daylight.”

?Azrael smiled. “Well, look how the tables have turned,” he sang.

?I rolled my eyes. “It’s a building, Az, get over it.”

?“Nobody gets over the depth of which that institution has dug its barbed claws, Jack, nobody.”

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