Read Masquerade for Free Online

the other. I love work with shading too. I’ve seen some pieces that are really incredible just because of the shading.”
    She nods and I wonder if that was the right answer.
    “I’m not saying you don’t, but this is something you have to take seriously. There are a lot of dumb-asses out there who think it’s all fun, but it’s not. Stuff like being clean and safe is even more important than the picture you put into someone’s skin.”
    “That’s a given, isn’t it?”
    She grins. “You’d think, but it’s not always like that.”
    We’re both quiet after that. Bee glances down at my artwork again. “I’m surprised I even let you in here tonight. It’s important that you know that. I don’t take shit from people.”
    One look at her and that’s obvious. Part of me didn’t expect her to open the door for me either. “I’m surprised I came, so that makes two of us.” When she looks up at me, I’m not sure how I feel about the way her eyes take me in. Don’t know what I think about the fact that we have shit in common or that her look is familiar to me. I give it myself.
    Bee stands, walks around to the front of the desk, and then leans on it. “If we do this, can we keep things from getting awkward?”
    My answer comes automatically. “I can if you can. It was one night. We don’t know each other and I’m never with someone more than once anyway.” I’ve shared this strange sort of honesty with her tonight that makes my body overheat. I want all the words back because they’re a part of me and I don’t want anyone to see who I am, but this is it. Saying these things to her is the only way to get what I want.
    “Now that you’ve asked your questions and realize this isn’t a game to me, I need to know if we’re doing this or not.”
    Silently she walks toward the door and opens it. I hold in the groan, pissed at myself for fucking this up again and even more pissed that she’s in control.
    Bee turns toward me, her blond hair messy from sleep, but it’s another thing she doesn’t care about. It doesn’t take away from how sexy she is either.
    “We’re doing this. Don’t make me regret it. Now I need to get some sleep and then we’ll talk tomorrow about a schedule.”
    I let out the breath trapped in my lungs.
Thanks
, echoes through my mind, but all that comes out is, “Cool. We’ll talk later.” Then I walk out the door.
    Instead of going home, I head to the high school. It’s such a dumb fucking thing to do, but like I’ve done other nights, I jump the fence and head to the football field. Sitting in the middle of it, I let my eyes trace over the whole thing, trying to remember the time this used to be important to me. And trying not to concentrate on the fact that even though I got something I want, something I
need
, I still want to take out the fucking world because of everything I’ve lost.

Chapter Five
~Bee~
    KIDNAPPED GIRL HOME AFTER NINE YEARS IN CAPTIVITY
    It was just like any other week when four-year-old Leila Malone went to the park with her mom. It was their Monday tradition. They played on the swings and the slide, which her mom, Katherine, said was her favorite. But on this Monday, Leila happened to slip away from her mother.
    “It wasn’t a minute. Not a minute and she was gone. My baby is gone!” Her tearful mother had cried that day. There were searches and news conferences to follow. Private investigators and even psychics.
    “I’ve never seen a family like the Malones. They fought the good fight and have never given up hope on finding their little girl. They love her more than anything,” Detective Harris had said when he announced the case had gone cold. That didn’t stop the Malones. The pictures never went away and anyone living in Virginia, maybe even the United States, knew the name Leila Malone, but nothing worked. It seemed their little girl was lost forever.
    Until now.
    Nine years after little Leila went missing, she’s back home with the