Page 40 of Act of Passion

Tut? That was a strangename.

“Yes,” the dark-haired man growled, his voice so deep that she felt it reverberate throughher.

“Happy birthday, non-birthday, Tut,” returned the Frenchman with a slight laugh. “Though, you should know that you’re dangerously close to putting on a show here. I get the feeling that sharing this one wouldn’t go so well forme.”

“Auberi,” said the man under her, his voice even making her think of Malik. “No.”

Auberi snorted as Stacey tried to mirror Brooke’s actions on him. He didn’t pay her any mind as he looked over at Brooke. He smiled andwinked.

Brooke eased backwards on the man’s lap, wanting to look her fill of the hot specimen below her. He had a body that could turn any head. She pushed open his shirt more—andfroze.

The very same tattoos that Malik had were on the man, though there were considerably more tattoos around them than she recalled Malik having. Still, thoughts of Malik crashed intoher.

The man under her couldn’t be Malik. He was dead. Haneez had been very clear that they’d spared Malik no torture before giving him the death he’d begged for. He’d even shown her pictures of the scene of the murder. It had been puregore.

And it had been herfault.

Haneez had made sure she understood as much. And there hadn’t been a day that had gone by that she didn’t remember that horrible fact. She’d cost a man his life. A man who had given her the most incredible giftever.

Even though reason said the man she was with now couldn’t be Malik, she found herself desperate to verify as much. She tugged at his shirt in an almost crazed state. He didn’t try to stop her. When she saw another of the tattoos she remembered, everything around her seemed toslow.

“Son of the god king,” she said softly, tears welling as her hands began totremble.

The man caught her wrists and tipped his head. “What?”

“Listen, asshole, either you tell me if this girl works here or I snap your neck,” a man with a deep voice said from outside the VIP room. “Look at the picture. Tall, knockout, brown hair. Trust me, you’d remember her. There might be a hot redhead withher.”

Gasping, Brooke pushed off the man under her as the hair on the back of her neck rose. She didn’t need to be told she was the one the man was looking for. And she knew who he waswith.

TheCorporation.

Brooke grabbed Stacey, who was trying very hard to excite Auberi, who seemed almost bored withher.

Stacey tried to shrug off Brooke but it didn’t work. “What thehell?”

“Get out of here. Go out the back way. Don’t stop for any reason.” Brooke stared down at the woman she didn’t particularly like. “The men coming can and will kill you.Go!”

Stacey backed up, fear and confusion showing on herface.

“You need to go too,” she said to the men in the chairs. Neither made a move to get up. “Follow Stacey. She’ll get you tosafety.”

Brooke could run as well but she knew the men coming were far more than human. They’d catch her quickly, and she couldn’t have that. After just over four years of running from The Corporation, she’d learned a thing or two about being prepared. She hurried to the other side of the VIP private section and grabbed a chair, pulling it over and standing on it. She pushed open one of the vents and pulled out a bag she’d stuffed there monthsago.

Brooke grabbed the burner phone from her bag and pressed the button for Edee. Edee answered on the second ring. “They found me. Get to safety. If I’m not there by morning, they have me or I’m dead. Take her and run. Just like we talked about. Get her to one of the boys. It doesn’t matter which. They’ll find one another. And besafe.”

“Ohmygod,” said Edee. “I’ll keep her safe. Be careful. I forbid you from dying or being caught. Do you hearme?”

Her throat tightened. “If I don’t make it, make sure she knows how much she was loved.” Brooke hung up and put the phone back into thebag.

In seconds, she was yanking out clothing from the bag. She jumped off the chair and put her back to the high rollers who either didn’t understand what she’d said or were incredibly stupid, because they still hadn’tmoved.

Hot andstupid.

Figures.

Brooke tossed the mask aside, still keeping her back to the men. She put on the black workout pants in record time, ripping off the stupid skirt she’d been forced to wear. It was pointless and the last thing she wanted to be in while dealing with the men coming. She yanked off the barely there costume top and yanked on an exercisecami.

“What are you doing?” asked Stacey, touching Brooke’sarm.

---