Read Betrayed (Betrayed #1) for Free Online Page A

her 25th birthday. I just really hope she will forgive all of us in due time for leaving her in the dark.
    “Aren’t you going to open your box dear?” Belinda asked. Jessica looked up from her plate to look at her mother, “Oh it’s probably a dress for the Ball Saturday night.” She said shrugging and shoveling another pile of food into her mouth.
    “And what Ball would that be Jess?”
    Jessi handed her mom the folded invitation that she put on the table the other night. As her mother read the invitation Jessica could see the color start to drain from her mother’s face. Jessi reached over to her mother. “Mom you okay?” she asked looking for any evidence as to why her mother looked like she was about to faint.
    Belinda reached up and patted Jessi’s hand. “Yes dear, I’m fine. What Saturday is this Ball?”
    “It’s this Saturday actually. So, I’m assuming that’s the dress Nikolaos sent.” She said while pointing at the large white box on top of the table.
    Belinda got up from her chair and went to the box. The box was white wrapped with the biggest red ribbon topped off with a red bow. She reached for the box and slowly lifted the lid and gasped. Jessi came running over to her mother.
    “Mom what is it?”
    Both women looked down at the box in complete awe. Nikolaos did indeed send a dress. Jessi reached in a pulled the white garment out of the box.
    “This has got to be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I’d hate to see how much it cost.”
    The dress is a white corset bodice gown with thin gold trim sewn around the edges and gold designs sewn perfectly on the corset. The skirt of the dress looks like it will be snug in the hips and then flow down to cascade around my feet.
    “Jessi I don’t want you going to this Ball.” Belinda stated.
    I looked up from admiring the beautiful piece of fabric in my hands to see my mother standing with her arms crossed over her chest. Which she usually did when she wasn’t happy about something.
    “Do you wanna tell me why you don’t want me going to this Ball?”
    “Because Nikolaos is a dangerous man and if he has taken the time to have a gown prepared for you then he’s interested in something.” She looked up at me then with haunted eyes. Something else flickered behind her eyes but it was gone before I could really register it. But I definitely got the feeling that there’s more going on around me than what I’m aware of.
    “I’m very well aware of that mother but with all due respect I’m grown and I have a job to do and how in the hell do you know who Nikolaos is?” I snapped. It’s the same old argument with her. She hates my job. She hates me being unmarried with no children. She hates that I wear jeans. She just hasn’t realized yet that I don’t want any of those things.
    “Work!” She shrieked. “What does work have to do with a Ball!? That man is more dangerous than you will ever know and I hope to god you never find out!”
    “I’m not going because I wanna look pretty in a fucking dress! I’m going because that bastard has information on one of my crime scenes! And how in gods name do you know who Nikolaos is when I just found out a few hours ago?” I stamped my foot while glaring at her.
    We stood facing each other waiting for the other to back down. Usually, even though she’s stubborn mom’s the one to break first. She knows I’m hard headed enough to stand here all day which she says I get from my father.
    Letting out an exasperated sigh Belinda sat down and rubbed her face with her hands. “I know him because he’s all over the news. Ever since the supes came out publicly his face is everywhere. He’s also Miami’s number one most wanted bachelor. He’s also rumored to be very dangerous. Although no one can prove it and that’s exactly why I don’t want you to go.”
    I turned and stalked out of the kitchen, walked into my office and grabbed what crime scene photos I had and threw them on the table