Page 27 of Goddess of Mayhem

I giggle at that, then sober a little. “I wouldn’t have come at all if that were an option.”

She gives me another tight smile, and we walk out of the closet together, and then my bedroom. In the hallway, Lion offers each of us the crook of one of his elbows and leads us to the ballroom.

It’s time.

As the three of us walk into the large room, Akila and I gasp. My dad had asked Saria to help with organizing the ball since my mother was shoved in a cell. I couldn’t have executed it better myself.

Floating candles hang from the high ceiling, the light bouncing off the black-diamond chandeliers. The walls are decorated with ivy and a combination of black and moss-green tulle. The illumination from the candles makes it seem almost eerie, yet still breathtaking.

This is exactly what I would want for something like this. I start to feel emotional that the woman who I’ve always seen as my real mother went through so much trouble to bring me happiness during what has become a disastrous moment in my life.

Lion smiles as he looks down at both Akila and me in utter awe. I’ve been to many events—with my identity hidden, of course—but I’ve never had one in my honor. Though the circumstances are absolute shit, it's mine all the same. For me.

Too caught up in taking in our surroundings, it takes me a moment to realize someone has walked up to us. I feel Lion’s body stiffen, and I’m automatically put on alert. My gaze snaps to the person I was expecting to see, but not ready for despite my preparation.

Caine’s beautiful face transports me into a memory that I’ve tried so hard to forget.

Caine is supposed to meet me at The Emerald, one of the many businesses my dad runs, but isn’t there when I arrive. Some people say they saw him not long before that when I ask them, and his friend—and future right hand—Sean tells me that he went to the bathroom and never came back. He thought I had shown up and we disappeared together. Not bothered by anyone else’s concern but his own, as per usual.

We have been together a few years now. Our fathers are business partners and, in his haste to keep me close and safe from my mother, Dad brought me along on one of his deals. That’s where I met Caine. He is a year older than me and the heir to the Irish mafia.

To my fifteen-year-old self, he was a dream. I’m not one to look at a man and hear wedding bells, but I was also still a somewhat naïve little girl. Though I had already become familiar with the cruelties of life, being inexperienced with people—and especially boys—my curiosity got the better of me when I started dating Caine.

It is our three-year anniversary, and Caine apparently made some plans for us. Except the man I love seems to have disappeared, and an heir in the underground world that has gone missing will encourage the worst theories in one’s mind.

As the hours go by at a snail’s pace while I still have no clue where he is, my irritation grows at the thought that maybe this is part of his anniversary plans. To have me scour the streets and buildings of D.C. just to then come out with a smile on his handsome face. As much as it would fuck me off, I would take that over the worst case scenario.

After six hours of searching, Banagher Byrne, Caine’s father, calls Sean to let him know a hacker followed him using security footage to a hotel. He never left, which means he’s still there.

Sean and I rush to the hotel. With the drop of my dad’s name, I am easily able to obtain the key for the suite he checked into. I may not be bloodthirsty, but I might have broken a nose to make a point when the clerk doesn’t want to budge on breaking the rules. The name drop was a nicety.

We clammer into the room, and my heart falls out of my asshole and onto the ground at the sight in front of us. Vala Walsh, Sean’s sister, is sitting up naked in the hotel bed with a smirk on her face. Caine’s staring at me with heavily glazed eyes and his mouth agape at our intrusion as he stands beside the bed, also naked.

His hands were interlocked behind his head, but they fall to his side with a slump of his shoulders as realization hits.

I just caught him cheating on me after scouring the city for him while thinking he might have been killed by his father’s enemies.

Instead, he is here getting his dick wet while I’ve been breaking.

“Well, isn’t this just the fucking cutest?” I say with a humorless smile on my face.

Caine takes a step forward as I take one back, causing him to stop. “Mal,” he rasps.

I look over my shoulder. “Leave, Sean.”

He shakes his head in response to my demand, his eyes trained on his sister. I pull my gun from my waistband and aim it at him, cocking the hammer, and I hear the sheets rustle.

“Go, or the last thing she’ll see is her brother with a bullet between his eyes,” I warn through gritted teeth.

Sean dips his chin. He looks to Caine, and then once again to his sister, before exiting the room and slamming the door. I uncock the hammer and put the gun back in my waistband, then stalk over to Vala and grab a fistful of hair.

I watch Caine swallow. He keeps his eyes on me instead of the girl in his bed. She whimpers against my hold, and I know the grip I have on her must be making her scalp sting. Her hands fight at mine, trying to get me to loosen my grip. That’s the thing about most of these bitches, though.

They’re trained to lie on their back, not fighting. I smirk as she scratches and claws, and then I slam her head down, driving my knee up into her face. Her screams of pain fill the room, and blood soaks the white linen. I throw her back before rounding on Caine, tilting my head to the side when he is within my sights once more.

“Baby, I know that this looks bad”—he steps toward me with his hands raised—“but it isn’t what it looks like.”

I hear a chuckle from the bed, and my head snaps to Vala. Despite the blood staining her freckled face, she smiles. “It’s exactly what it looks like.”

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