The Dom Identity (Masters & Mercenaries Reloaded 2)

“Three wives and not one kid,” she taunted. “I think the problem is in your dick, Junior.”

His hand came out and she braced for impact, but Bill intervened.

“Don’t you fucking dare.” The gun was pointed at Junior’s head. “I told you this doesn’t work if she’s damaged. The cops will ask questions if the side of her face has your fucking handprint on it.”

She gasped as Junior turned to Bill.

“We can say it was her boyfriend,” Junior said. “Beat her up a little and make it look like that Malone asshole did it. I would love to see him in jail.”

She stood in front of the bedside table. She could reach the lamp from here and pray it moved easily. She would only have one shot. Bill just had to come a little closer.

“We don’t have time for that,” Bill insisted. “I told you how this would go, how this has to go to make it look right. She’s correct. If the police think for a second that she was murdered, they’ll look at you. They look at you, they might find me, and I’m not going to risk that.”

“They’ll know I’ve been murdered.” Vanessa wasn’t sure what he was talking about. “The bullet hole will tell them.”

She gripped the lamp, her heart thundering in her chest.

“Oh, honey, do you think you’re about to be murdered?” A nasty smirk hit Junior’s face. “You’re going to kill yourself. You’re going to be the new Marilyn Monroe. I’ve been setting it up forever. Your friend gave the performance of a lifetime earlier today. She told the whole world how fragile you are, how you turn to drugs when times get tough.”

“I don’t use drugs, asshole.” Beyond the occasional glass of wine, she didn’t touch anything that could remotely be considered a drug.

Not that the rumors weren’t out there. Ashton had hinted at it before. She’d spread rumors among their friends and coworkers. She’d told a couple of directors that Vanessa couldn’t be trusted because she used. After Lara had died, there had even been some rumors that Vanessa had supplied her with the drugs.

George had shut those down quickly, but she still ached with the thought of anyone believing she’d had a hand in that magnificent woman’s death.

Vanessa hadn’t watched the interview today. She’d ignored it. Maybe she should have paid more attention.

“Everyone thinks you do,” Bill said, lowering the gun. He was obviously satisfied that Junior wasn’t going to smack her and screw up his plan. “No one is going to question that a woman like you would meet a tragic end.”

“Michael will.” There were so many things wrong with this plan, but it occurred to her that Junior couldn’t see it because he’d never truly seen her, never looked past her shiny exterior to see the woman underneath. He’d slapped a label on her and expected her to behave according to plan. His plan. “Michael won’t believe for a second that I took a bunch of drugs and overdosed. Is that the text you sent?”

Bill pulled out a couple of vials and bottles. “You’re depressed. You’ve been through a lot lately, and today you had to listen to your friend betray you once again.”

“I didn’t watch it,” she replied.

Junior frowned. “No one will believe that.”

“I have witnesses.” There was so much they weren’t thinking of. “I hope you didn’t pay this guy too much because this isn’t going to work. Tessa’s been with me all day. I was with Michael’s mother when the interview came out. They both know I didn’t watch it. And Tessa’s going to figure out very quickly that I didn’t leave on my own. She knows I wouldn’t. She’ll also figure out that you’re the one who screwed with the security system.”

God, she prayed Tessa would know and call Michael.

“No one will be able to trace that back to me.” Bill had been wearing gloves the whole time. He was a careful killer. “It’ll look like a power outage. I know what I’m doing.”

“I assure you McKay-Taggart will figure it out,” she promised. “You should think about this, Bill. My boyfriend works for an investigative firm. I don’t know what Junior’s told you, but they won’t buy that I killed myself. Michael knows what this means to me and how hard I want to work against it. They won’t stop until they figure it out, and when they connect this to Junior, he’s going to hand you up on a silver platter.”

“No one is going to figure out anything because no one cares about you,” Junior said with a frown. “You’re a piece of trash, and everyone will shake their heads and say they always knew you would end this way.”

“You told me the boyfriend wouldn’t be a problem.” Bill had stopped, staring at Junior.

“He won’t.”

“He works for an investigative firm? I know the name Taggart,” Bill said. “I don’t know why I know it, but I do.”