by M. Malone
“Matthias, what do we know?”
“East side,” was his response.
Tyse and I bolted. From the entrance, I saw Jonas taking off with Dylan, and Delaney steps behind him.
From home base, Noah was calling the shots. “Matthias, give us eyes.”
“I’m trying. Someone cut our feed. Not the main feed, our feed. Someone who knew where to look.”
Noah cursed, but he wasted no time. “Rafe, tuck Hailey in the safe room. Join the others.”
Rafe’s voice was clear. Not even labored. But there was a tightness to it, an edge. I knew he was doing exactly what I’d asked him. He was protecting Hailey. “Ten-four.”
I didn’t know what was happening or why, but with everybody running and screaming, knowing Hailey was safe was the most important thing. I knew Rafe was on it. He’d handily kill anyone who so much as looked at her sideways. But I still held my breath until his voice came back on the line. “Client secure.”
We’d selected the safe rooms before the gala began. Several of them actually. In case anyone had access to our protection plans, which they didn’t, but in case anyone did, there were four rooms that were cleared. And we’d made the game-time decision in the van before the event, so anybody with forewarning would have to guess. And with all of us on site, no one wanted to do that and guess wrong.
As soon as I knew she was safe, my breathing eased. “Fantastic. Now let’s go kill the motherfucker.” Unlike the former ORUS guys, I was no assassin. I’d never even killed anyone before. But in that moment, with someone threatening the woman I loved, I found myself absolutely and completely capable of it.
Hailey
Oh God, what was happening? Was my father okay? My mom?
Rafe’s voice had brooked no argument when he led me to this nondescript conference room, turned off the lights and said, “Stay put.”
I knew he wasn’t angry with me. He was just working. He had the same look Oskar got on his face. Tight. Pinched. Hyper-focused.
I had no choice but to pace. I could have sat, but I was too keyed up and worried. My stomach was doing flip flops. God, I just hoped everyone was okay. And the samples… What about the samples?
The last thing we needed was some competitor getting a hold of them. Was this corporate espionage?
Focus on what you can control.
Oh God, okay. Relax. Relax. Relax.
I shook my hands out. I paced, trying to steady my breathing and calm my mind. Freaking out was going to do me no good. When I was little, around the age of three, my mother had insisted that I needed some kind of therapist because I was so hyper all the time, always bouncing, always running around.
I needed ways to calm myself, ways to learn how to behave more appropriately. Sometimes, that inner part of me just wanted to bounce off the walls, but I always reined her in to be the perfect little girl. One she could love. Not that it had ever worked.
God, I wished I wasn’t alone. Was everyone okay?
Unable to sit down, I pulled my phone out of my small clutch bag. I had to do something. Just sitting here was going to drive me crazy.
Swiping through the photos I’d taken over the course of the night, I tagged the ones we might want to use for marketing. There was one of my mother. She was talking to someone, smiling. For once, she actually looked happy.
Then I pulled up my presentation. While I hadn’t been able to complete my speech, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t be able to use it for marketing purposes. I hadn’t even gotten to the best part toward the end where I’d planned to show vintage images of my parents.
There two in the slideshow that I’d never seen before. What the hell, I’d done the presentation myself. I’d sent them to my father for final approval. Had he added these? The images were in sepia, and they had the date stamped on the bottom, vintage style. Like an old timey photograph.
I laughed at my mother in her miniskirt. But I could only frown when I saw the dates. There was no way she’d looked like that then. Someone must have the date wrong. From the pictures, she should have been clearly pregnant with me. Honestly, about to pop. I lightly fingered the time stamp. These pictures were taken only three months before I was born, but my mother was as slim as ever. She appeared to be laughing as she stared up at my father.
I fixed my gaze on her belly in the photos. The timing looked right, but my birthday was three months later.
I heard a click and I whipped around. A shadowy figure came through a door that I hadn’t even realized was there.
Hell, Rafe hadn’t left me with a weapon. All I had was my phone, and, oh godammit, a pen. Okay, then. I grabbed the pen off the table, clicked it and stood poised for an attack.
“I’m armed.”
The chuckle was soft and… familiar.
“Evan?”
As the figure stepped forward, moonlight from the skylight illuminated him. It was only then I saw the gun in his hand.
“What the hell, Evan? Why do you have a gun?” Granted, I’d been wishing for one, but the last thing I needed was for my brother to shoot someone accidentally.
He waved the gun erratically. “God, you are such a fucking princess. Always getting what you want. Even the one night you claimed was supposed to be about Mom somehow ended up being about you.”
I shook my head and backed up. What the hell was happening? “Evan, I’m your sister. I love you. You used to love me so much. What happened? No matter how bad anything is, we are family. We can fix this.”
Evan’s chuckle was cold. He lifted his gun hand. “Funny you should mention us being family.”
My heart dropped. Oh God, this was it. I wouldn’t even get to say goodbye to Oskar. The next sound, the resounding click that marked the end of my fate, echoed in the small room. There was nowhere to run. There was nowhere to hide.
This was the end of the line, at the hands of my own brother.
Thank you for reading BRAZEN!
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Still Brazen is available at malonesquared.com/brazen
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Several of the side characters in this story are from our other books. Find out more about Sebastian, the Prince of the Winston Isles and Mya Taylor, the marketing agent with the funny story!
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I never wanted the throne…
I have a plan: find my long-lost brother & make him the prince so I don’t have to rule.
The last thing I have time for is my sexy new neighbor. She’s everything I don’t want, sassy, funny and…not available.
That’s okay—I’m amazing best-guy-friend material.. Friends? Sure. Anything more? Definitely not.
All I have to do is not touch her, kiss her or fantasize about…never mind…
It’s not like I have a choice. I can’t let her find out who I really am. And she’s got secrets of her own.
Start Reading Cheeky Royal
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My cock a doodle doo is on strike.
Yeah I know, I can’t believe it either. Years of perfect performance and now this traitor decides to get picky. And the only woman who gets him going is my co-worker. Rival, she-devil and my competition for the biggest ad account this side of the Atlantic.
If we want to win the hottest wedding designer in the world, we have to prove we understand his business. Love. Passion. Marriage. But it turns out Mya isn’t familiar with any of the above.
When I find out she’s never taken a trip to O-town, we make a little wager. Not only will I win the client, but I’ll prove to her that multiple O’s are not a myth.
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Start Reading Beg Me
More from The Malones
- The Shameless Trilogy -
Shame (prequel)
Shameless, Shameful, UnAshamed
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- The Force Duet -
Forceful (prequel)
Force, Enforce
* * *
- The Deep Duet -
In Deep (prequel)
Deep, Deeper
*
* *
- The Sin Duet -
Beyond Sin (prequel)
Sin, Sinful
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- The Brazen Duet -
Brazen, Still Brazen
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~ Books by M. MALONE ~
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Romantic Comedy
BEG ME
ASK ME
WANT ME
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The Alexanders
One More Day
The Things I Do for You
He's the Man
All I Need is You
Say You Will
Just One Thing
BAD KING
* * *
Blue-Collar Billionaires
TANK
FINN
GABE
ZACK
LUKE
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~ Books by NANA MALONE ~
* * *
London Billionaires Standalones
Mr. Trouble (Jarred & Kinsley)
Mr. Big (Zach & Emma)
Mr. Dirty(Nathan & Sophie)
* * *
The Player
Bryce
Dax
Echo
Fox
Ransom
Gage
* * *
The Donovans Series
Come Home Again (Nate & Delilah)
Love Reality (Ryan & Mia)
Race For Love (Derek & Kisima)
Love in Plain Sight (Dylan and Serafina)
Eye of the Beholder – (Logan & Jezzie)
Love Struck (Zephyr & Malia)
* * *
The In Stilettos Series
Sexy in Stilettos (Alec & Jaya)
Sultry in Stilettos (Beckett & Ricca)
Sassy in Stilettos (Caleb & Micha)
Strollers & Stilettos (Alec & Jaya & Alexa)
Seductive in Stilettos (Shane & Tristia)
Stunning in Stilettos (Bryan & Kyra)
~~~
In Stilettos Spin off
* * *
Tempting in Stilettos (Serena & Tyson)
Teasing in Stilettos (Cara & Tate)
Tantalizing in Stilettos (Jaggar & Griffin)
* * *
The Chase Brothers Series
London Bound (Alexi & Abbie)
London Calling (Xander & Imani)
* * *
Love Match Series (Contemporary Romance)
*Game Set Match (Jason & Izzy)
Mismatch (Eli & Jessica)
About the Authors
M. Malone is a NYT & USA Today Bestselling author of completely inappropriate romantic comedy. She spends most days wearing Wonder Woman leggings and T-shirts that she's embarrassed for anyone to see while she plays with her imaginary friends.
She lives with her husband and their two sons in the picturesque mountains of Northern Virginia even though she is afraid of insects, birds, butterflies and other humans. minxmalone.com
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USA Today Bestselling Author, NANA MALONE’s love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she borrowed from her cousin on a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana at a precocious thirteen. She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since.
With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters. Waiting for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, Nana, meantime works out her drama, passion and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is. nanamaloneromance.net
Brazen © January 2019 M. Malone and Nana Malone
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MALONE SQUARED
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address: MALONE SQUARED, 340 S Lemon Ave #9016, Walnut , CA 91789
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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Ebook: 978-1-946961-24-2
Print: 978-1-946961-26-6
