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38 | Malicious Grins

Baby, you’re the devil I know, Better than the devil I don’t - Allie X

“It’s all falling into place.”

I froze in the restroom stall, grinding my teeth together to keep in a gasp. The party was in full swing, anyone who was anyone had showed. Glitz and glam glittered everywhere, and the venue had been decorated in lights, red roses, and dark colors.

Euphrates was waiting for me. If I glanced just outside the door, his hands would be holding a glass of champagne for me and a tumbler of bourbon for himself in the other. He hated events like this, he’d practically begged me to ignore the invitation.

But I couldn’t.

It was another opportunity to learn more about the enemy. Even though I had worked with Carter Mize for years, I needed to study him and find out his motivations for replacing his right hand. His threat was still fresh in mine, but it was even fresher in Euphrates’. The security team he hired was the best in the country, he spared no expense to ensure Carter couldn’t get anywhere near me.

“You think he suspects anything?”

Pressing my face against the door, I peered between the crack of the door and the stall wall. Two women stood at the counter, their faces leaned close to the mirror as they fixed their make-up. Dressed in teal and salmon pink, I couldn’t place where I had seen them.

The woman in teal turned towards the woman in salmon with a dangerous grin on her face, “did you see her this morning at the Annual Floral Brunch, bruises everywhere. I thought with all the screaming that she was going to be a little worse for wear, but Ballarina certainly knows how to hide the pain.”

Dread clawed at my insides as she continued to speak.

“He’s looking to replace the Queen Bee. Alpine said he wants the crown jewel at his side now. Out with the old, in with the new. It’ll only be a matter of time before she’s out on her ass.”

“Come on, Melly.” The woman wearing the salmon pink mermaid dress sashayed over to the center of the restroom, sitting down on the oversized dark green ottoman with a flourish. Her blonde hair rained down around her shoulders in thick beach waves, and her wrists tinkered with bangle bracelets. “You don’t honestly think that Ballarina will let that man get rid of her, do you? She practically built the place! She’s not going to let some little nobody fuck her out of billions of dollars.”

“She’s not going to have much choice, Shanna.”

“She’ll kill him dead before she lets it happen.” Shivers shook my frame as the woman in the salmon dress spoke again. All the light banter in her voice had when she uttered the last sentence and lowered, becoming cold, detached, and downright nasty. “Then I’ll help her hide the body.”

“Shanna, you always say the craziest things!”

“I’m serious, Melly.” Shanna spoke, adjusting her salmon dress with a flick of a wrist. “That man is a creep and has done nothing but abuse his power for the entirety of their marriage. He treats her like she’s replaceable. And to think, she took that piece of shit from Macy and built him up! She made MPD. Carter was just along for the ride.” Her head shook, “I told her from the start, leave that leech alone.”

“After what he did to Macy, you would think she would have left long ago. That poor girl’s death, just for a few stocks and bonds. A lawyer still comes around every-so-often, pretending that she’s breathing and not inscribed into the mantle in Carter’s office.”

I blanched as I thought of the MPD inscribed across the top of Carter’s fireplace in his office; the letters were a brilliant silver and a recent additional according to others. Each letter was added right after I started, shortly after Macy’s death. The death I had witnessed.

Shanna sighed, drawing her lowered head upwards to meet Melly’s gaze.

“Despite everything he’s done, she still loves him.” They stared at one another for a beat, blinking heavily in the heavy silence. Then, burst into laughter. “Pathetic.”

“You’re so bad, Shanna!” Melly grasped the top of Shanna’s shoulder and squeezed, “Ballarina only loves him when she isn’t fucking those two little blondes. What were their names again? Angelica and Agnes? Mary Kate and Ashley? Barnes and Noble?”

Adele and Alless. I blinked, bringing my face away from the door. She was sleeping with them both? No wonder the two were attached at the hip. I had rarely actually seen Ballarina anywhere near the twins, especially in public. Hiding their tête-à-tête from the company must have taken a lot of effort.

Ballarina paid Carter more respect than he deserved.

I suddenly wished Euphrates and I had stayed home. He had look absolutely delicious leaned back against the sofa in the living room, his hand delved deep into his dark hair as his head fell back made me tingly in all the right places. He was exhausted, torn between protecting me and letting me make the decision to help someone else.

Someone that he didn’t believe had helped me.

In some respect, he was right. Ballarina had taken advantage of the situation. She and her husband had milked my presence at MPD for as long as they could. Cashing more and more funds on my still rising popularity, doing everything possible to keep me in their clutches.

With Carter threatening to repurpose her and replace her with me, it seemed karma was catching up. Though I found myself wondering just when and where it would finally spell the end to Carter himself. The man had more lives than a cat. He just kept going, gaining power and influence at every step.

“So,” I craned my neck to look through the crack again. Melly was gracefully walking towards Shanna with a smirk on her face. She sat on the edge of the ottoman, leaning back on an arm with her eyes firmly fixed on Shanna’s. “Will Evander be home tonight?”

Shanna dropped her head, watching as Melly cupped her neck and let her hand drop to catch the bodice of her gown. Melly’s hand sunk into her top, firmly grasping Shanna’s breast. They leaned towards each other, kissing hungrily.

“I don’t think he’ll mind if I spend tonight out.” Shanna breathed out, finally letting her eyes flitter open. “A girl’s night is overdue.”

Shanna kissed Melly again. “I’ll wait out front.”

“You won’t be needing these.”

I swallowed in disgust as Melly dragged her hand down Shanna’s dress, sinking her fingers underneath her slit. They moaned together, kissing slowly while Melly freed Shanna’s panties.

“I almost feel bad for that girl.”

“She’ll have more money than you now, Melly.”

“Perhaps,” Melly smirked, “but my husband isn’t dipping his pen in everyone’s ink.”

They laughed again, leaning against the counter with their bodies nearly touching from shoulder to hip. The door opened, and low voices filtered in. Breaking apart, the women rose and fixed their make-up one last time, disappearing out of the room.

I followed a short time later, barely able to gather my wits about me. Euphrates caught me against his chest, stepping us away from the surrounding group into a quiet corner. His hand caught my chin, forcing my eyes to meet his.

“Tell me.”

I shook my head, pressing my head defiantly against his callused palm.

“I won’t ask again, Devani. Tell me.”

Lifting my head, I opened my mouth to answer, briefly my eyes cast desperately around the room. Standing near the entrance with her arm wrapped around Olivia Meeks was Shanna from the restroom. They air-kissed each other’s cheeks and Shanna stepped away, heading out of the doors.

Olivia stayed behind, briefly adjusting her dress before her eyes rose to mine. Our gazes held, clashing as we measured each other. A malicious smile crossed her lips before she turned and walked away, her curvaceous frame fading into the crowd.