Bad Boys Bring Heaven

Bad Boys Bring Heaven Masquerade series Book 1 Leah K. Plamm Leah K Plamm Bad Boys Bring Heaven Copyright © 2023 Leah K. Plamm All Rights Reserved. Paperback ISBN 978-619-7592-02-3 eBook ISBN 978-619-7592-04-7 Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. Published by: Leah K. Plamm 2023 [email protected] This book has been previously published under the title Masquerade in 2020 “Ironically, when we own the shadow aspects of our self and put down our masks—this is when we become truly lovable.” ―Jane Monica-Jones, The Billionaire Buddha To my grandparents, thank you for raising me and supporting me every step of the way. I love you. Contents Playlist Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Epilogue Acknowledgments About the Author Playlist “Masquerade”—Elina “Tell Me”—Diddy ft. Christina Aguilera “Devil Devil”—MILCK “Love in This Club, Pt. II”—Usher, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne “God Is A Dancer”—Tiësto, Mabel “Secret”—Maroon 5 “Dance for You”—Beyoncé “Secret Love Song, Pt. II”—Little Mix “Lose My Mind”—Dean Lewis “Back to Black”—Amy Winehouse “Rewrite the Stars”—James Arthur, Anne-Marie “New Year’s Day”—Taylor Swift “Fire on Fire”—Sam Smith “All or Nothing”—Theory of a Deadman Music is a big part of my writing process and I’d like to let you into my world. You can listen to an extended playlist, each song placed in an exact order to take you through every stage of Ivy and Damien’s relationship: Spotify link YouTube link Chapter One IVY “I fucking hate men.” Stella giggles on the other side of the phone. “What is it this time?” I slam the back door of the bar closed, my black apron discarded somewhere on the floor. Good riddance. I’m not going to miss wiping down the sticky tables, nor will I shed any tears for the refined clientele of this oh-so-fine establishment. There is one thing I’ll miss though, I’ve grown fond of Ricky the rat that lives in the bathroom, ironically one of our least scummy patrons. And honestly, if someone’s stupid enough to bring their child to a trashy bar, where the servers are dressed in lingerie and some sorry excuse for a skirt, then they deserve to get their ass bitten by a feral rodent. “I got fired.” Lightning split the sky open. A couple of raindrops slide down the sleeve of my black raincoat. It is official ladies and gentlemen, God is a man. Fuck you too. “Again?” Stella sounds more amused than concerned. “Technically, the first two times I quit.” In the year I’ve spent in Rosehill, a lively town on the coast of the Mexican gulf, a Miami wanna-be as I like to characterize it. Since being here, I’d gone through a few jobs, none of which lasted very long. The first one was in a bar that turned into a brothel at night. I still can’t believe it took me two nights to figure out the sordid scheme and run the hell out of there. The second one was at an ice cream parlor, but I didn’t make enough to meet ends so I had to search for something better. In comes Johnny’s bar. Johnny the namesake and owner, didn’t ask questions, paid on time, and didn’t try to sleep with his employees, all three of which are necessary requirements for someone like me. A ghost. “I never liked that place anyway,” Stella does her best to console me but we both know neither of us can afford to lose their job right now. The bills are stacking and the rent was due two weeks ago. “Wait, it gets better.” My heart ups its rhythm with every step that I take toward the bus station. “I got fired because that guy put his hands on me again.” This is the third time the same guy has tried (and succeeded, in spite of my best efforts) to grope me. The first time I smiled as I took his order and spat on his food later. The second time I told Johnny, who said he’d do something about it as I watched him proceed to scribble in his crossword as he dismissed me. It wasn’t like I was expecting him to ban the guy from the bar, he was one of our regulars after all, but I at least hoped he’d throw him a thinly veiled remark. Nothing. He did nothing. “How is that a valid reason?” Stella’s sewing machine rumbles to life in the background. “I kind of, sort of, broke his fingers.” I pull the hood over my head as the rain intensifies. “I have you to thank for that. If you hadn’t dragged me to Krav-Maga I would’ve still had a job.” “Good riddance,” Stella huffs. And this is