Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Like any good crazy woman, I’ve had a taste of the dark side. And now I’m a fiend for it and want more, not just for Reon but for the high of that night. I haven’t done it since, though, sometimes, okay, maybe often—I carry that knife with me. In my purse, in my bag. I pretty much take it everywhere.
Would I use it again?
Hmm, I’m not sure.
Maybe, if the situation is right.
“Cooper. Mask. Move it!” Sometimes, I forget to answer to that name, but I’ve used it for six months. Lilith Davenport hasn’t done much for almost a year, apart from signing divorce papers. And this job pays in cash. No traces allowed.
I slide on my black lace mask that matches my plain black skirt and black button-up shirt and walk into the kitchen, grabbing a tray. I maneuver out of the doors and am immediately met with piano music. At most events, this is the type of music being played. It is not loud enough to interrupt people talking, but it is loud enough to drown out other conversations. This event is solely for men, which is unlike other events in the past. I don’t see a woman anywhere apart from the servers. Strange.
Walking around with some sort of fish cake on my tray, I am not allowed to talk or make eye contact with anyone. Those are the rules, and once in a while, I glance up. But I never see him.
Even though I always hope I do.
“Fish. Disgusting.” I don’t look up at the comment. Just keep weaving through the crowd without looking back.
The one thing about Reon is that I have kept his voice lodged firmly in the back of my mind. I would know it even with my eyes closed. You don’t forget a voice like that easily. It’s burned into my brain.
Some would say I’m a stalker, and maybe I agree. I’ve sat outside his office in a car before, wondering if that day would be the day I’d see him.
A hand grasps my arm and turns me around. I look up; I can’t help it. The grip is strong, not enough to hurt me, but enough for me to know this man exudes power.
“I’ve been watching you.” His words echo in my head, and a shiver runs down my spine. “You act lost, but each step you take tells me otherwise. You’re here for a reason. Tell me what it is, girl.” Eyes as black as the night sky meet mine. He’s dressed in a sharp suit, much like everyone else, but I’ve never seen him before.
“Arlo, leave her alone and move.” His hand drops from my arm and falls to his side. Despite my head screaming at me to lower my gaze, I can’t. My focus is pulled to a man with a gold pin attached to his black suit. Arlo is dark and stormy, whereas this man stands as if he controls the room and everyone in it, and he indeed does control it by the looks of it.
The Creed of Forsaken Society.
And this man is their leader.
He nods at me, and I turn and hurry away, but not before I hear him say, “Arlo, you know better. It’s not playtime for you. Behave.” I don’t catch Arlo’s response, as I’m already melting back into the crowd.
Someone takes the last fish cake from my tray, and I put my head down and hurry to the kitchen to pick up another tray. I spot Florence removing her clothes as she stands before two men. She’s also a server, but she told me she doesn’t get paid to serve only food. She’s here to walk around naked and let the men grope her, which is the norm for some parties with very high-profile clients.
Pushing the kitchen doors open, I drop my empty tray on the counter, grab a full one, and head back out. Florence is now walking around naked with a tray of drinks in her hand. I watch her for a moment as she passes the man from earlier, the one who distracted Arlo from whatever plan he had for me. We all know he is in charge, and I learned that people address him as Lord. It’s weird, but whatever.
I didn’t even know that people and organizations like this existed until I started digging a little further. I’m good with computers and can find almost anyone or anything. My aunt, who raised me, told me I should have been a detective, yet somehow, I ended up marrying into money. When I met Deven, I searched for everything I could about him. I even hacked into police records to see if they had anything on him.
Maybe, just maybe, he had a darker side to him that would have intrigued me. But he turned out to be as clean as a newborn.