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Beloere more men All security The doors were closed securely to the rooms downstairs, but a few of the ainst the walls

There was Cole Andrews, Tally Conover’s husband, Lucian, her rumored cohusband Devril, and several others of the social elite, who seemed unconcerned by the fact that she had seen theone to school with or so She had known this crowd stuck together, but this should have been ridiculous

"Sorry to intrude" She flashed theht, falsely sweet smile "See you at the next party"

With that she strode down the hall and out the double doors that a scowling door to the limo She would have walked home first, but, thankfully, a black Lexus that drew to a stop in the driveas very faent Mac McCoy That really shouldn’t have surprised her, though it did Mac wason some farray eyeshers as the breeze played with his thick black hair

"Marty?" Incredulity filled his voice, affir her sudden suspicion that he knew exactly what this club was all about Of course he did; he was here, and that meant he had to be a member

"I need a ride" She er door "Please, Mac, kinda quick, if you don’t mind Take me to my parents’ place"

He slid back into the car as she opened the door, and ju away froht behind theer, concern, and frustration

The Lexus sped frorounds as silence filled the vehicle Marty felt the heaviness in her chest as it expanded, filling her, sinking into herthe depths of her soul ache

She was a trained agent, just as she had stated She had learned not just to look for lies, but to live a lie if she needed to She had known Khalid and Shayne were hiding so, but she hadn’t really expected her fathers to be involved in it

"Strange, I can’t re a woman walk out those doors," Mac commented, as the car turned toward Alexandria and her parents’ home

There was a note of curiosity in his tone Mac had been a fore, she had never iined that he could be a member There were times he had seemed so straitlaced and aboveboard

"I’ain," she reassured him, as she crossed her arms and rubbed her hands up and down them quickly

She felt chilled to the bone despite the summer heat Emotion had forced her to flee, but she knew she should have stayed She wanted to knohat the hell was going on, and why Abra secretly with her fathers as well as with Khalid and Shayne

She had known Khalid was involved hatever Shayne was up to She should have realized it went much deeper than she had suspected She had assu Shayne with his operation, but she hadn’t expected her fathers to be in on it as well

Khalid could claih the night with her, and he sure as hell didn’t bother to talk to her God forbid that he should have to lower himself so far as to explain his actions to her

"Shayne and Khalid didn’t look happy," Mac co lare He was a man, a member of the club, and thereforeher fathers’ lives

"I can tell" He nodded seriously, as though he weren’t being completely facetious

"You’re a member of the club," she stated

"Not hter in his voice now "I was lared at hi to her

At that, Mac shook his head "Or forent Mathews, nothing ht" He flashed her what she was certain he thought was a charrin

Marty clenched her teeth at the huht

"Let it go, Mac," she warned hiht’s job is never done" He clucked his tongue as he shook his head and glanced back over at her "Strange, I didn’t iet himself in soyou for so long that he’s forgotten what it’s like to realize that perhaps you don’t really belong to hier

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

For a moment, silence filled the car Mac took the turn that led to her parents’ ho the Lexus in park, he turned to stare at her thoughtfully for long hteen," he finally said "Khalid let everyone who could possibly be a threat to his future relationship with you know that he considered your heart his own He was a much darker person then, Marty A man with a lot of demons A man who even your fathers ary of at that time"

Marty shook her head "I don’t believe you"

He shrugged nonchalantly "Believe what you like But this one you can take to the bank Khalid will catch up with you When he does, he’ll show you exactly why he waited until he couldn’t wait any longer to take you He’ll show you the deh to accept theh to accept the third he wants in that relationship? How about wo to me?" She sneered "Do you have any idea just how poh to see beneath the actions, and to accept the truth of the iven you his heart," he said softly "And that, Marty, takes a wo I wonder if you can be both"

She couldn’t be both, she thought, as she prepared to get out of the car

Turning from him, she threw the door open and stalked to the house as the front door opened and her mother stood framed in the doorway