Page 5 of The Masks We Wear (Satan’s Angels #1)

Brody

After the less than successful meeting with Selene, I went back to Ivory’s house with her to avoid my new live-in nanny.

Call me a coward, but I wasn’t yet ready to face him.

I’m still fuming over the idea of having a babysitter and I’m still planning on having him quit in a few days, but I haven’t yet worked out the plan in my mind.

Ivory offered to let me stay the night at her house, but I declined.

I’ll have to meet the nanny sooner or later and I’d prefer to just get it over with so I sucked it up and drove my sleek Lamborghini home.

I entered through the garage, anxiousness swimming through me with every step the closer I get to the door.

I have no idea what I’m about to walk into.

I slowly open the door and step inside, quietly walking through my own home on the lightest of feet.

The house is dark as if nobody is here. Maybe he isn’t here?

My shoulders drop and the tension leaves my body at the idea.

My steps pick up and I decide to down half the bottle of whiskey in the refrigerator before he gets back.

I open the stainless-steel door and immediately jerk back and furrow my brows when I’m faced with a completely empty refrigerator save for a few snacks I never finished. Where the fuck did all my whiskey go?

Almost as if to answer my question, a light flicks on from behind me, lighting up the whole kitchen. “If you’re looking for alcohol, don’t. I already got rid of every drop you had.” A deep and husky voice asserts from behind me.

I turn immediately and stop breathing when I realize the babysitter I was trying to avoid is standing right across the kitchen.

He has his hands in his dress pants pockets and his white button-down shirt is wrinkle free and unbuttoned at the top.

I didn’t expect my babysitter to look so…

hot. He’s about six-foot-three and is clearly made of solid muscle most likely from going to the gym religiously.

He has dark stubble around his strong jaw and his lips are frowning at me.

I take in his eyes which are so dark they almost look black.

His hair is styled neatly, not too long but long enough that I could run my fingers through it if I wanted to- Oh my God?

! I scold myself. Do not get attracted to the babysitter, he is an enemy!

A very hot enemy but still an enemy. I feel my cheeks redden and my blood boils in response.

How dare he come into my home and make me blush?

This is my house; I make the rules and he’ll learn that.

“You must be the babysitter.” I frown, crossing my arms over my chest. From where I’m standing, I don’t have to look up at him to speak to him and I’m grateful for that because the last thing I want is for him to see me as inferior. This is my circus, God dammit!

His furrowed brows don’t move, “Harvey Taylor.” He introduces himself, but it doesn’t come across friendly in the slightest.

I raise a brow of my own, mocking his expression. “Didn’t ask and don’t care. You’ll have your bags packed by tomorrow so no need for me to learn your name if you won’t be sticking around.” I cock my head at him in a challenge.

He snorts an arrogant laugh, “I’ll overlook your naivety and assume you’ve never heard of me.

I have a stellar reputation for working with and fixing people such as yourself, people who are out of control and need to be reigned in.

Hence why Selene Stone contacted me.” His smile falls, “So you can call me ‘the babysitter’ if you want but get comfortable calling me something because I’m not going anywhere. ”

My eye twitches in irritation. I straighten my posture, displaying confidence and lacing as much intimidation into my tone as I can for a man of his size and stature, “I don’t really give a shit about your ‘stellar reputation,’ nor do I give a fuck about your qualifications and experience.

None of it matters because like I said, you won’t be around much longer. ”

He raises an amused brow. “I’ll have you on a leash in a week, just watch. By the end of our three months, I’ll have done what Selene hired me to do and you’ll be a good little rockstar. You’ll be sober and clean, and you’ll do what you’re told. Then, I’ll move on to my next deranged client.”

I clench my jaw in anger. Nobody, and I mean, nobody tells me what to do.

I walk around the island and slowly saunter over to where he stands, stopping only two feet away and looking up at him with pure, undiluted rage in my eyes, “Since you wanted to share your credentials, let me share mine.” I take a step closer to him and he looks down at me with amusement on his features.

I desperately want to punch it off, but Selene would scream my ear off if I got into another lawsuit she had to settle on my behalf.

“My name is Brody Drake and I do whatever the fuck I want, whenever the fuck I want to. I don’t take orders from anyone, hence why I’m a rockstar.

I’m my own boss and I don’t give a shit what Selene or anyone else has to say about it.

You can convince yourself all you want that I’m gonna bend to your will but just know you have another thing coming.

” I declare before stepping around him and walking down the hall and up the stairs.

I plan on staying in my room for the rest of the night and possibly dipping into the little baggie of blow I have left.

Selene can think all she wants that I’m going to be sober, and Harvey can convince himself that he’s gonna keep me in line, but they’re both wrong.

There is no Sticks without drugs and alcohol, it’s literally my brand.

Who am I not to give the people what they want?

They want Sticks and I’ll give them Sticks.

Just as I turn the knob to enter my bedroom Harvey calls from downstairs, “Oh, and don’t bother looking for the cocaine you had on your nightstand or the Xanax that was in your drawer because I took that too.

Tomorrow, when you decide to stop acting like a moody teenager, we can go over the new rules you’ll have to abide by, but until then, go to bed. ”

I freeze. There’s absolutely no way he just said that to me.

He has to be lying. I shove the door open and immediately rush over to the nightstand to find the cocaine really missing.

My eyes widen in a panicked frenzy. I rifle through all of my drawers, searching for the pills but I find nothing. He really did take them all.

My chest tightens as reality sinks in, and I realize I have absolutely no drugs or alcohol at my disposal.

I realize what this means for me. Everyone expects me to be a drug using rockstar who knows how to party and get into trouble.

My fans count on me to be that person and so do my friends and Selene when it benefits our brand, but now?

Nobody gives a fuck about boring Brody Drake.

They only care about Sticks and now Harvey Taylor wants to lock Sticks in a little cage and throw away the key.

Anxiety creeps in as I realize that this may be the start of the end for Sticks and for Satan’s Angels. That is if he stays around of course.

I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans and take a deep breath.

The solution here is simple though it may take some hard work and effort.

All I have to do is make Harvey Taylor tap out and leave and then I can go back to being the person everyone wants me to be in peace.

I smirk to myself as the gears start turning in my head and I think of ways to make Harvey wish he never took this job.