Page 41 of The Masks She Wore

?Nikita’s chin lifted as if he were trying to test the daughter of Malachi Adler. “Why wouldn’t we want that?” he questioned.

?Her brows furrowed softly behind that mask, her lips pouting ever so slightly. “Haven’t you heard of the parties?” she asked as innocently as she could manage.

?What fucking parties? That port was clear. I made sure of it.

?Malachi’s hands tightened, his smile following in suit. “I apologize, darling, but I don’t know about any parties.”

?She touched his arm as a daughter would do when speaking to her father. “I told you before, but it was in the middle of a dealing,my apologies father, I should have clarified. This is why you need me on the job, hmm?” Her eyes shifted to Nikita’s. “The college kids have been going down there a lot recently to throw parties in the shipping containers. The police have done their best to stop them, but we all know how…dense they can be.”

?The bitterness in her words was clear. She hated the cops, and I could understand why.

?“Now, if I were you, I’d consider Lowell Bay. It’ll add an extra hour onto your time, but it won’t get checked by anyone. They’re far too lax down there. Lazy. You go there, tell them whatever lie you want, they’ll look the other way, no questions asked.”

?I fought the urge to grab the bridge of my nose. I would never hear the end of this. Never.

?Nikita watched her for a second longer before turning to Malachi. “You should bring her to more of your business meetings. Lowell Bay it is. Just one moment so I can make the call.”

?My eyes shifted to Rae, narrowing to slits.

?Her mistake was allowing herself to be the only one up here with six other men.

?Malachi stepped away, pulling out his own phone, and as she was turning back, I stepped up behind her, wrapping my hand into the hair at the base of her skull, while the other wrapped around her wrist, twisting it behind her.

?She gasped, her body tensing as I leaned in until my lips wereinches from her ear, my hardened cock rubbing against her ass. “Why did you do that?” I asked, my voice cracking in desperate anger.

?Tonight was too much. From the men staring at her, the captain grabbing her, the strangers poisoning her, and now this?Fuck, I was losing my grip.

?She shuddered, her body melting at the sound of my voice. “You,” she breathed out as Malachi eyed her, uncaring of what I was doing.

?My grip tightened in her hair, pulling a whimper from her lips. “Me,” I growled threateningly.

?Malachi lifted his chin as he slid his phone away. “That was impressive,” he said, searching her eyes. “For a moment there, I thought I had miscounted my own daughters.”

?She struggled, her ass wiggling against my hips, shoving back against me angrily only to stop when she felt my cock pushing into her. “I was trying to help,” she said through her teeth, her voice, much to her credit, unwavering.

?“And you accomplished your task. How do you know Russian?”

?She swallowed, her body as still as a cat on the hunt. “My nanny taught me,” she replied evenly.

?Why would Donna teach her Russian? That wasn’t a language most justlearned. Spanish, French, but Russian? No.

?“Hmm,” Malachi pondered. “While I do appreciate the tenacity, and the warning, I am a businessman. The way you spoke, clearly youunderstand what’s next.”

?I was already reaching for my gun, regretting not doing what I had needed to do earlier. If Malachi made the call, it was too late. I’d have to finish the job.

?“If you’re going to threaten my life, there is no need. My fearlessness comes from a lack of will, not bravery,” she told him, her voice thick with anger.

?Lack of will, that wasbullshit. She was reckless, she didn’t want to die.

?Malachi studied her carefully. “You kids and your shows.”

?“I didn’t do this because I watched a show,” she hissed.

?“Then why?”

?“Because I hate the police and they don’t deserve another win. There are always cops lingering around Capleon. Why should they get the bust of a lifetime when they don’t even care about their own people?”

?She was pissed they gave up on her mother. She wasn’t trying to help us, she was trying to ruin them.

---