Bait

Bait Dark Masque book 1 Maggie Alabaster Jo Bradley Copyright © 2023 by Mirren Hogan writing as Maggie Alabaster and Jo Bradley All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Cover by Moonstruck Cover Design and Photography Edited by Lily Luchesi Proofread by Nora Hogan Contents 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 About the Author Also by Maggie Alabaster Chapter One Kennedy Whoever she was, she came so loudly she wouldn't have heard me sidestep them in the dark. Apparently, I wasn't the only one sneaking away from the masquerade ball to get some air. Although, judging from the noise, she was getting a fuck load more than air. "Oh yeah, baby, just like that," a male voice groaned. I wrinkled my nose and hurried on through the trees. They probably didn't hear the twig snap under my foot, or the music that poured out of the ballroom and into the night. They wouldn't have heard anything but the roar of blood through their veins, and their moans. I slanted away from them and headed toward the lake. I pushed my mask off my face and up onto the top of my head. Strands of hair fell around my face, knocked loose by the elastic on either side of the mask. I pulled the clip out and let the rest of my red hair fall down my back, wild and wavy. I picked up my skirt and stepped carefully over a fallen log. My black chiffon gown was long enough no one noticed I wore flat shoes instead of the heels my mother wanted. In sequin stilettos, I would have fallen flat on my face. No thank you. She also wanted me to wear pink, like I was still a kid or something. Pink would have clashed with my hair like bubblegum on a tomato. Thank fuck she listened to reason in the end. Although, only because she was busy with plans for her wedding. Fighting with me took a back seat for a change. “I was on my way.” I froze at the sound of voices up ahead. How many couples had crept away for air? I cocked my head and listened. The sound which carried on the breeze wasn't fucking. It was talking. Several voices. Tense, tight. My breath held, I stepped toward them on silent feet. "I tried to leave, but the boss, he needed…" The tremble of fear in the speaker’s voice sent a shiver up my spine. I stopped. I shouldn't be here, listening. Whatever was going on, they were out here in the night for a reason. Obviously. People didn't sneak around in the dark just for the hell of it. "That's crap and you know it," another voice said. Also male. "We've given you enough chances. How many is it now?" A third voice spoke but I couldn't make out the words. "Please…" That was the first man. His words were accompanied by the sudden tang of urine. "I was an accident, I swear." "Bullshit," the second guy growled. Another shiver passed down my spine. I should leave, right now. Run. Or better yet, sneak away before they knew I was there. Instead, I took a few more steps forward. A skewer of light from the ballroom faintly illuminated four figures. Two stood facing a third. He was restrained by the fourth, his arms held behind his back. They all wore dark suits. Masks, like the one I wore on top of my head, covered three of their faces. Only the restrained man had a bare face. No one I recognised, although I only arrived in Dusk Bay a week ago. One of the masked men nodded to another. He drew something out of his pocket. A faint click and the light reflected off a slim blade in his hand. Shit. "Can we have some fun first?" the guy beside him asked. He cocked his head and smiled. "I bet he screams really pretty." The restrained man sobbed. "Please… I swear I won't—" Whatever he was going to say was cut off by the slice of the knife across his throat. He let out a gurgle. Light reflected off a gush of blood which poured from his open neck. His eyes bugged out of his face and he sagged. I clapped a hand over my mouth. They just… Murdered the guy. I hoped to hell they couldn't hear my heart racing. In my ears, it sounded louder than a passenger plane engine. Multiple rapid cracks of thunder. My stomach turned. I wished I hadn’t eaten my last several meals. They all threatened to make a violent reappearance on the ground at my feet. I swallowed hard and forced several breaths in and out, silent and shallow. I had a sneaking suspicion these guys wouldn't leave any witnesses alive. I had to calm down, not panic and do something stupid. I crouched, shrunk as low as I could and held my breath. "That was anticlimactic," the guy without the knife said. He snatched the blade and shoved it into the victim's eye. He pushed it in deeper, twisting it. A short cry was cut off as the knife entered the man's brain. Fucking hell. My knees trembled violently, threatening to dump me onto the ground. I gripped the trunk of the tree beside me for support. Hoped like hell they didn’t hear the leaves rustle. "That's much better." The bloodthirsty guy pulled the knife out before the man fell to the ground. "Do I