Page 4 of Tangled Lies

I pulled down the dress that barely could be said to hit me mid-thigh. My legs looked forever long with the heels. I could be someone else tonight. I could be someone who lived for themselves. Free.

“No one, even him, knows my real name, right?”

She shook her head and poured us each a shot; the bartender smiled as he held up his own shot glass.

“Nope. Bottoms up.”

I blew out a breath against the burn of the alcohol.

“Great. Let’s hope for more parties like this. The engagement party is only weeks away. I’d like to be long gone before that.”

More men walked in. Tonight I was no longer Margaux Harrington, I was just Mara.

Reina didn’t get a chance to respond before because more men were strolling into the penthouse.

“Ready ladies?”

I glanced over my shoulder at the bartender.

“Yeah.”

He winked at me behind his mask. “Start with that table. What are we calling you tonight?”

I picked up the glasses and practiced being the alternate me.

“Mara. Call me, Mara.”

He jerked his head toward Reina.

“And you, what was it? Ray? Right. Just call me T.”

He started lining up glasses, pouring from a crystal bottle.

“Table one, the one closest to the windows. That’s their first round. These four here? Table two.”

I nodded and watched where the men sat as they entered.

The first to arrive paid little attention to the help. One man brought what I assumed was a mistress. Wives were meant to be classy and something to show off; that was what I was groomed for. Something to support status. This woman? Well, she made a few-thousand-dollar dress look cheap.

A few more men walked in, another mistress, and Reina shifted around me, but I stopped paying attention and delivered the first two drinks. As I walked back though, a man cleared his throat, and I couldn't help but look back to the hallway where it came from. I don’t know why, but I held my breath for a brief moment as our eyes met.

I noticed he wore a leather jacket instead of a suit. In fact, his entourage all dressed in various black attire, but no suits and the way they filled out their shirts? I wiped at my mouth in case there was some drool because I’d never seen men quite like this. Not in the circles my uncle approved of and not in the circles that my bestie and I sometimes were able to sneak out into. These guys owned whatever space they were in and I suddenly understood what Reina meant by scary.

I watched the one in the front. What was the point of being here if I couldn’t enjoy the view? From his shoes, across those ripped jeans that had to cost hundreds, up to a black button-down shirt and that leather jacket. Who in the hell was he?

I traced over the skin on his neck, imaging what it would be like to run my tongue over it. I swallowed. I quickly looked away when I realized he was still watching me, and my heart stopped. He wore a basic white mask down over his eyes to his nose, but his mouth was easy to see. The way his lips spread into the slowest smirk I’d ever seen a man do. Something inside burned, awakening a feeling I’d never known. I couldn’t lookaway, except when the guy behind pushed forward, I was forced to look at the intruder. Same mask. But his eyes were so cold and he never once cracked a smile, just paused before continuing on his mission down the two stairs to where the tables were all set up.

I liked this game. Beautiful men. Two more with the same simple mask followed behind and all seemed interested in the fact that I was here, but I assumed that had more to do with drinks and the dress.

Or was it something else?

Hello to all my bad decisions.

CHAPTER 2

RONAN

The trap had been set.