Page 47 of The Masked King

“Nah, I’m done with games.”

That’s how Nyx got hurt in the first place. I gave them something to hold over her, and they played it to their advantage. One-nil to the Bratva.

But not for much longer.

“I think you might enjoy this one.”

“You’re gonna have to sell it to me better than that, Nyx.”

“Are you playing hard to get with me, Brian?” She’s dropped some coyness into her tone just like the real Nyx would’ve done; she really wants me to play along.

“Yeah, you got me.” I sit back down and feel the tension physically ebbing from the room. This is what she wants. “Does this new game have any rules? Don’t forget this is my fantasy, not yours.”

“How could I forget?”

Maybe I’m projecting the Slavic accent onto the muffled voice after my conversation with Bianca, but I don’t think so.

“So, one rule,” she continues. “You have to guess where I am.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. Easy, huh?”

I’m not sure where this is going, but if it even leads me partway to the real Nyx, I’m in. “What do I get if I win?”

“I’ll beg you to fuck me, just like you wanted.”

12

DEMI

My stomach drops when I’m greeted at the club door by snake-guy.

He hasn’t been near me since he tried to force himself on me in the dressing room, but the smug smile on his face tells me all I need to know. There were no consequences for him. He’s important enough to the club’s owners for them to keep him sweet, no matter what boundaries he crosses, and he wears that arrogance like a fucking crown.

But the other bodyguards stepped in to stop him, I remind myself, so clearly not everyone shares his perspective of his seat within the hierarchy. Is there a mutiny brewing on board the SS Bratva? If so, the timing couldn’t have been any more perfect if I’d lit the fuse myself.

I meet his gaze and push past him in the doorway, holding my breath so that I don’t inhale his cologne. Michael Douglas is usually here to escort me to the dressing room, but we’re alone. Does this mean I’m fired? Is he going to give me something to remember him by before he tells me I’m no longer employed here?

I cross the room and reach for the door handle on the opposite side.

“You’re limping.” His voice bounces around inside my skull, and my hackles are instantly raised like an animal sensing the hunter nearby.

I force myself to turn around and face him. “I sprained my ankle running.”

“Running.” He somehow manages to repeat the word and drag his tongue across his lips at the same time, turning it into something sleazy rather than wholesome. “You should be more careful. You never know when you might need to be quick on your feet.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” My heart is thudding, and I pray he can’t hear it.

He shrugs and comes closer. He knows he’s intimidating and thrives on using it to his advantage. “The city can be a dangerous place. Pretty lady like you needs to keep her wits about her.”

Shit. What does he know? He couldn’t have recognized me in the casino, and even if he did, they only have Kate Glasgow’s information in their system.

“Thanks for the advice. I’ll bear it in mind next time I’m mingling with all those dangerous city people.”

He laughs, and the sound is like someone raking my teeth with metal claws. “I knew there was a reason why I like you.”

He likes me? He sure has a strange way of showing it. I glance down at his left hand, and my stomach churns when I spot the plain gold band on his wedding finger.