The Deception series boxset: FaCade, Cadence, Beneath Innocence (49 page)

“Nothing, I was just asking Frank to help me shift the furniture in the studio.”

He blinked. “I’d have helped you, you know that.” I frowned at the look of hurt on his face.

“What’s going on, Malik?” I asked quietly, hiding our conversation from the cameras.

“Nothing’s going on. Just that . . .” He sucked air through his teeth and slid his eyes to mine. “Just be careful with Frank. He’s not the man he showed to you. He’s cruel and sadistic.”

I nodded, placing my croissant back onto my plate as my stomach churned. “I know. I know what he did to Blue.”

Malik nodded, lowering his eyes. “He and Hunter both deserve to be fucked in hell for what they did to that girl.”

“Hunter?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, his jaw clenching with his disgust. “He’s what we call a ‘Supplier.’ He supplies people with whatever they want . . . including motherfuckers who rape and beat women.”

I shivered and forced some coffee into my stomach in an attempt to alleviate the nausea.

“Anyway,” Malik sighed and rose from his chair. “Just, be careful, yeah?”

I nodded. “I will.”

He paused as if he wanted to say something else but turned and left the room instead.

Slumping back in my chair, I took a big breath, fortifying myself from the inside. I wasn’t sure I could do this. However, I didn’t see another way out. The way Dante was going, if he didn’t get a fix soon, I would die. He wouldn’t be able to hold onto his rage forever, and I knew it would only take a single thing to make him snap and take his punishment on me too far.

My heart ached and I closed my eyes picturing Cade’s soft smile. “I miss you, baby.” Grief forced tears from my eyes but I gulped them back. Tears wouldn’t get me anywhere; they’d just drag me down and exhaust me.

And for the next stage, I needed all the energy I could muster.

“HERE?” FRANK ASKED THROUGH CLENCHED teeth as he shifted a large shelving unit across the room. Stalling, I tipped my head back and forth, relishing in his discomfort.

“Hmm. I’m not sure now. No, put it back where it was.” Rolling his eyes, he grumbled something and struggled back across the room.

Dante caught my attention through the window when he emerged from the outbuilding, his fingers in his mouth as he chewed on his nails. Looking at the clock, I realized it was already lunch time, so checking Dante was on his way towards the house, I closed my eyes for a moment, building my resolve then gritted my teeth and made my way over to the shelf that housed all the paint pots, dragging a chair with me.

“Frank!” I shouted with a gasp as I gripped the edge of the shelf. “Shit, quick, help me.”

I held onto the three paint cans with one hand, my fingers spread precariously as I tried to support them, and pulled on the shelf with my other hand, my legs wobbling as I stretched up on my tiptoes to reach.

“What the hell are you doing?” Frank cried as he shot across the room to help me.

As soon as he reached me, his hand reaching up to mine to hold the shelf, I let go with both hands. The shelf, complete with all three opened paint cans crashed to the floor, splattering both Frank and me in a rainbow of color.

Frank gasped at the same time as me when the chair tipped up and we both went to the floor. He landed on top of me, red paint dribbling down his forehead, his face a palette of various color as red, blue and green acrylic paint oozed down from his hair.

I knew I looked the same. I opened my eyes, staring up at Frank when he did the same and his eyes poked through the goo.

I didn’t need to fake my laughter; he looked downright hilarious. He obviously thought the same when he saw me, his lips twitching under the paint before a bark of laughter tore from him.

I joined him, both of us hysterical, both of our bodies writhing on the floor, Frank’s huge body only supported by one of his hands as he tried to hold himself above me.

“WHAT THE FUCK?” Dante bellowed.

Both Frank and I froze, our eyes snapping to each other, both of us aware that shit was about to hit the fan.

He scrambled off me, attempting to wipe the paint from his face with hands that were just as covered. “Shelf came down,” he said.

Dante was furious, his whole face red with rage, his blazing eyes narrow and flicking wildly from me to Frank then back to me.

“I’m sure it did,” he growled taking a step towards us both. “What the fuck are you doing in here?”

Frank frowned, one side of his face scrunching in astonishment at Dante’s uncalled fury. “Helping Faye move furniture.”

Dante shot his eyes to mine. “Why are you moving things?”

I allowed my gaze to remain on Frank for a couple of seconds before I slid my eyes to Dante. “It’s not practical the way it’s set up at the moment, that’s all.”

He regarded me questioningly, his eyes glaring as he tried to read if I was lying. A shiver wracked his body and he winced, bringing his hands to his arms to rub his goose pimpled flesh.

Malik appeared in the doorway, his eyes flicking between us, silent and waiting for Dante to blow off. He held my gaze for a moment, his scrutiny moving from me to Frank, his eyes widening slightly before they went back to Dante.

“Jethro called. He said the stock just came in.”

Dante blinked, excitement lighting his face as his attention instantly shifted from Frank and me to Malik. “Already?”

Malik just shrugged, his face stone cold.

Dante turned to me. “I have business to attend to.” I lifted a brow. He meant his drugs had been delivered and he needed to go score. However, holding back my smile, I nodded, excitement racing through me with the opportunity I needed falling straight into my lap like a gift from Father Christmas.

“Sure.”

I was stunned. His drugs were obviously more important than me if he was willing to leave me alone. My happiness was short lived when he added, “Frank will remain here with you.”!

I saw Malik shift uncomfortably and it wasn’t until I noticed his unease that my nerves kicked into gear. If Frank had done what he did to Blue, what was he actually capable of?

“I’ll stay too,” Malik offered.

Dante spun round, query and suspicion in his eyes. Malik leaned into Dante’s ear and whispered something. Dante’s eyes flicked to Frank before he nodded sternly, thankfully agreeing with Malik and whatever he had advised.

I stiffened when Dante moved quickly across the room to me. Wincing when he snatched my face in his fingers, I tensed, preparing myself for his hatred. He leaned forward, bringing his face into mine as a cruel smirk curled his lip. “I trust you will behave, Star. You know the consequences if you don’t!”

Dropping me suddenly, he spun round to Frank. “And don’t think I’m not watching you.”

Frank sighed, shaking his head, but Dante didn’t seem to notice before he turned to Malik. “Watch them both!” Malik gave him a stern nod with the order. Dante flicked Frank and me one last glance, disappearing quickly through the door. “And get cleaned up!”

Frank followed him out, leaving me and Malik silently staring at each other. Finally, he shook his head and sighed. “What are you playing at, Faye?”

“Nothing.”

He tipped his head to the side, scowling at me. “I’m not stupid, and neither is Frank. You play him and he won’t hesitate to finish what you’re starting!”

Pulling my shoulders back, I glared at him, “There is nothing going on, Malik. What the fuck do you care anyway? You’re as bad as Dante, so don’t start playing games with me because I’m not stupid either! Someone put my panties in Frank’s room, and it wasn’t me!”

He tensed and turned away, halting at the door. “Dante won’t hesitate to kill Frank if he thinks he has a thing for you. But,” he continued quietly, “he will be as swift to kill you if he thinks you’re fucking Frank behind his back.”

I swallowed, knowing he was right, but I didn’t see any other way out of this shit. It was all the way or not at all.

“So,” he turned to me, locking my gaze in his. “Let me see to this and you just sit back, watch and stay safe.”

“Why?” I asked, causing him to pause before he closed the door, his expression one of puzzlement. “Why are you helping me?”

His face tightened and he lowered his eyes, but all he gave me was a shrug before he left me alone.

I couldn’t understand why Malik was helping me. He’d been as bad as Dante in the beginning, his cruel taunts just as hurtful.

Sighing, I pushed Malik out of my mind and walked over to the window, my gaze settling on the outbuilding.

All I needed was a diversion and I prayed one came quickly before Dante returned high and horny.

IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT the diversion came in the shape of a football game. A large one, apparently. I had no idea who was playing, hell I had no clue as to what football was about, but when I heard Malik and Frank screaming at the TV, each of them apparently cheering on opposite teams, I knew I would love football for the rest of my damn life.

My heart pounded in my ears as I slid past the media room, their loud shouts giving me the courage to make a run for it, quietly slipping through the kitchen and out through the back door.

I blew out frequent breaths, urging myself to calm the down as I ran through the grounds, trying to keep to the edge and away from the floodlights lighting the estate. I’d never manage it if I passed out before I even got there.

“Shit!” I hissed when a sensor caught me and a light drenched the area in front of Dante’s office building.

Closing my eyes and willing my hands to stop shaking, I punched my date of birth into the keypad, grinning when the door clicked. Bloody fool, he should have changed it after he’d revealed the code to me. I slipped my phone and the USB from my back pocket. The bastard had been so cock sure about me coming back that he’d never even checked my case, although I’d hidden the little gadget in the lining just in case.

“It’s me,” I whispered quietly. “I’m in.”

“You okay?” Kenny asked before I’d even finished my sentence.

“Yeah, did you give Cade my message?” My heart clenched with the thought of him.

“I did. Word for word, babe.”

“Thank you.”

We both took a silent few moments, Kenny allowing me to build up the courage to do this and me using the moment to appreciate a quick memory of the man I loved.

Shaking myself off, I sighed and nodded my head with determination. “Okay, let’s do this.”

“Right.” He also took a deep breath. “Is there a PC or a laptop? Anything that connects straight to the mainframe?”

“There’s all sorts here.” I looked around, well out of my depth. I zeroed in on a laptop.

“A laptop on his desk,” I answered relieved to see something I actually knew how to use.

“That’ll do. Fire it up.”

Opening the lid, I groaned when I was met with a password screen. “Shit, it’s saying it needs a password!”

“Don’t worry. Plug the USB in, Faye.”

I slotted the USB into the port. “Right, the cable I gave you. Connect one end to your phone and the other to the USB.” He paused, waiting for me to follow his order. As soon as I’d done it, the screen fired to life, row after row of numbers and strange letters scrolling at lightning speed. I started to become disheartened after ‘Access denied’ flashed up time after time.