Page 13 of Malicious Claim (Dark Inheritance #1)

An Act For Act

In a split second, Leila scanned the demeanor and body language of everyone in Makros’s section. She tilted her head to the side when a girl with platinum blonde hair cascading down her waist, and artificial nails painted a deeper red than her hair tapped her.

“You're to come with me,” she said with an Italian accent that sounded fancy in Leila's ears.

“Sure,” she replied, keeping her eyes on Makros, who hadn't taken his off since she entered the room.

Good, at least he had the decency to feel shame, she thought.

Ignoring the whistles and hungry looks from people around as she sashayed behind Blondie, she took careful steps up the stairs, her long legs projecting forward in all its bared glory.

From Makros's section, he kept his eyes on her. He wasn't alone in that regard. She was like an enchanting enigma, dazzling the eyes of every gaze that swept through her gorgeous frame.

He held his breath until she was standing in front of him. Then he let the breath drop, and his eyes took her in all at once.

The dress was breathtaking on her body. It stopped after her thighs and had slits that went up to either side of her hips.

Its top part was completely parted, so her titties were the only thing that stood out.

He had caught a glimpse of her back and knew it was bare.

The white dress and her red hair, curled and parked into a messy bun, while some tendrils were left to frame her face, merged so well with her skin.

For a few seconds, he was so blinded by desire that he felt the onset of a raging hard-on. If it weren't for the control he had learned when he was a boy, his pants would have formed a tent so huge IDPs could find refuge in them.

“Wow, what an entrance,” Vanessa blurted out.

“Vanessa, meet–”

“Leila Crete.” She interrupted and stretched out her hands to the girl who looked about her age or even younger.

His heart lurched. She had referred to herself by his last name. He knew there was something behind that move. Leila wasn't foolish.

“Pretty name. I'm Vanessa,” she accepted her handshake. As their hands held, she asked, “Are you related to Makros, seeing you share the same last name?”

The corner of Leila's lip twitched as she lifted her gaze to Makros’s face. He shook his head, a warning glare in his eyes.

Her gaze darted back to Vanessa. “Oh, we are. I'm his wife,” she said.

“His–”

“His wife, my dear.”

She pulled out her hands from the handshake and stepped towards him, closing the gap between them. “Right, husband?”

Before he could respond, she stood on her tippy toe and kissed him. She wanted it to be quick, to make a statement. But the moment her lips grazed his, there was an electric spark.

He pulled her closer as their lips parted a little and whispered. “If you're going to be a daredevil, go all the way.” His lip crashed down on hers ravenously.

They became a spectacle as everyone watched him devour her until she was nothing but jelly in his arms. The two of them were completely out of breath when he pulled away.

“Wow,” Vanessa breathed out behind them.

There were so many emotions hidden in her words. At the top was envy. The things she would give to be married to a man this hot and, if the rumors were true, absolutely dangerous.

“I didn't know you had a wife. You didn't say so,” she said in an accusatory tone.

Makros, his eyes still resting on Leila who was trying to catch her breath, said, “It never came up, darling.”

Amongst the onlooking eyes were that of agent Niccolo, doubling as Sam, the bodyguard. He couldn't believe the nerve of Makros. To have a wife that hot the whole room shuddered when she walked in, and still shamelessly flirt with another woman was undoubtedly a choice.

A choice that should get his head rocked back and forth. He wished he could take his eyes off Leila. Did he hear her name correctly? He had to pretend to keep a straight face so he wouldn't look anything more or less like a bodyguard.

But the name was as stunning as the bearer. She looked different than the women he was used to. She was all beautiful, but she was unique. Her hair made her stand out. It was red but like fire. He wondered what it'd look like when she stood under the sun.

He felt Makros’s eyes lifting, and he stood still, pretending to be oblivious to everything happening.

“It sounds strange for a married man to forget about his wife, right?

But don't worry your pretty head about it.

My husband can be a little forgetful. He doesn't mean it most of the time, but after falling off a huge tree as a child and never checking for concussion, he ended up this way. Right, baby?”

Makros was tickled, and the fluttering amusement in his eyes attested to that fact. She had made up a whole story on the spot and it sounded like something that could’ve actually happened to his stubborn ass as a kid. He still didn't know the game she was playing at, but only time could tell.

He dragged her hands into his and raised them to his lips.

Placing a gentle kiss on them, he held it to his chest. “My wife knows me so well.

Everything she says is true. It doesn't upset her when I forget, mostly because she also conveniently forgets how I met her.” He felt her hands stiffen in his and smiled.

Bending a little, he lowered his voice so that only the people closest to them could hear.

“At an orgy. I saw her take two dicks in her mouth, and right then, I knew she was the woman for me. Right, darling?”

Leila's face burned brighter than her hair.

She wanted to retrieve her hands and punch him into another century.

She wanted to gauge his eyes out and feed them to the tigers the Arabian prince that once offered her a castle in exchange for her heart, domesticated.

None of these things she could do because she started this stupid game.

Didn't he say it before? He would one-up everything she did.

“The bastard! Fool! Cock-a-demon! Completely and utterly deranged beast!” She cursed in her heart.

Looking at Vanessa's face made her want to dig a hole in the ground and bury herself. She would take him with her, of course.

Vanessa hadn't closed her mouth for approximately sixty seconds since Makros divulged what he had said so casually. A man who hit his head when he was a kid and a woman who could suck two dicks at a time? Was that supposed to be a match made in hell or heaven? She pondered.

“Right, darling?” He pressed down on her hand when she didn't respond.

Her eyes lifted so he could see the rage and promise of vengeance in them. He knew how disgraceful what he said was and still had the nerve to smile at her. This merciless demon was a fierce twist of fate tied to her.

She opened her mouth to respond when Stefanos appeared from behind. His presence wasn't felt until she saw the curious glint of Makros shoot past her.

Turning her head around, she found him approaching.

A small sigh of relief escaped her throat. Makros felt it, but whatever Stefanos had to say was more important than his dear wife.

Stefanos shoved past Vanessa, who still had her mouth open, and stopped before Leila, who was blocking him from going directly to Makros. He noticed and let go of her hand. Grateful to be freed of his crippling hold, she shifted to the side, allowing Stefanos to walk past her.

“Talk to me,” he whispered, bending his head to a direction no one could see or hear what they were talking about.

“No shit!” He said between his teeth when Stefanos relayed his message.

A flash of anger passed through his eyes, but it was gone in a blink. He had to be composed. If the agent posing as a bodyguard sniffed something wrong, he would dig.

How was he even sure Vanessa wasn't also undercover?

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he froze. In the next breath, he regained himself and devised a plan.

“Humor me,” he spoke to Stefanos with his eyes.

“Common, bro! Didn't I tell you no one needed to go to the hospital? The fuck did they leave him in the house for?” He raised his voice slightly.

“I'm sorry, fratello, but it is what it is.”

“Well, excuse me, I have to go make that freaking call to the hospital!” He huffed past him and went to Leila.

“Hey baby, Grandpa was rushed to the hospital. I need to make a few calls. Could you take care of things until I return? Alongside Stefanos, of course.”

“Oh my god. Is he going to be fine?” She played along without skipping a beat.

His heart swelled with pride, but he contained it prettily.

“I hope so,” he said and leaned in for a hug. “Keep an eye out on Vanessa. She may be undercover. She must not leave the section,” he whispered before letting go.

“Take care, baby!” she said after him.

Makros nodded and turned his attention to Vanessa. “Sorry, Miss Vanessa. I'll be right back after I ensure my grandfather is fine.”

“Please go.” She urged him on.

“I promise you a good time when I return.” With that, he was gone.