Page 40 of The Masks She Wore

?She turned away from the railing, making a large circle around us before circling back to Malachi.

?I reached for my gun on instinct, studying her, waiting. Would she grab for something? Was she in this game further than I had originally believed?

?But her hands never left her side, not until she came up behind him and placed one on his shoulder as if she had always known him.

?Malachi paused, glancing over just as she leaned in and whispered something in his ear.

?There was that jealousy again, causing my rage to flame.

?His head tilted to the side, his brows furrowing.

?I quickly stepped closer, wanting to know what she was saying.

?Was she…

?Was she speaking fucking Russian?

?What the fuck?

?Malachi straightened, considering her words.

?Her hand slid away, but she remained where she was, her cool amber eyes finding mine for half a second before they found Nikita’s. It wasn’t her fault that she didn’t recognize me this time. My mask covered the upper half of my face, a screen stitched around the eyes to shield mine. All she saw was black.

?Nikita’s eyes narrowed. “Another daughter?” he askeddefensively.

?Malachi chuckled, another mask falling over his features. “Yes. I suppose now is the best time to introduce you. This is Maria,” he said, taking a step back to showcase my girl. “She informed me she wouldn’t be here until tomorrow, but what father doesn’t love a surprise.”

?What. The.Fuck.

?I rolled my shoulders and straightened. She spoke Russian, she had battle scars, her mother was murdered, and the body was never found.“What else do you have in that head of yours, Rae? What other masks do you wear?”

?Rae tilted her head forward in greeting. “Being unpredictable is the best thing in our world,” she said easily, giving him the sweetest little smile.

?Our world. God, that sounded good coming from her lips.

?“My father taught me at a young age that chaos is only chaos to those who refuse to understand it.” She shrugged one shoulder. “If I’m the girl no one understands, then I’m protected from those trying to hurt me.”

?Is this the real you then? The girl nobody understands.

?Nikita eyed her for only a moment before nodding in her direction. “I have a daughter myself. She took after her mother,” he shrugged.

?Malachi beamed.

?I was in fucking disbelief.

?“So, you understand the battle,” he boasted. “I raised her to believe that she was fire and ice, a Queen among mere mortals. I suppose I’m reaping what I sowed tonight,” he chuckled.

?She looked more at ease in this moment than I had seen in her the last two weeks of watching her.

?Rae said a string of words in Russian, causing Nikita to laugh.

?“You speak Russian better than your father. I never would have guessed you were raised anywhere other than Mother Russia.”

?She smiled lightly. “I have many talents.”

?My hand twitched, itching to be around her neck, to spread those legs wide and fuck the answers right out of her.

?“Now, as I was telling my father, I do hope that shipment you were discussing isn’t going to Port Capleon.”

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