The American Soldier Collection 6: Their Masquerade (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Please let them be true friends of Michael’s and not ones Michael inferred were untrustworthy.

  * * * *

  It was late in the evening. Mariah had to lie down after the funeral. She was so overwhelmed with emotion and the show of support from the community. Between the military and the police department, men and women in uniform came out to show their support and personally give condolences. She could still hear the sound of the bagpipes echoing in the distance across the fields surrounding the cemetery. Michael was laid to rest, and somehow she would go on without him. Without his smile, his jokes, and his protective embrace. She would forever be lost without him.

  She could hear the voices downstairs in the front parlor. As she stood at the top of the stairs she listened to what they were saying.

  “She’ll be done with school at the end of the semester. She was accepted into the program abroad for a year in Italy,” Uncle Jeb stated.

  She hadn’t wanted the men to know. Perhaps she thought there was a chance that they had feelings for her like she had for them. But last night, the fact that they all saw her as a sister, had totally destroyed her fantasy and hopes. Perhaps a year abroad would be the best thing for her right now. Luckily, the four men didn’t live around here or Uncle Jeb’s place. She wouldn’t have to see them again. A phone call would cover their concerns and their need to check on their “little sister.”

  “Are you sure that’s such a good idea? Europe can be dangerous for a young, impressionable, American woman,” Deacon asked. Her heart sank even deeper. God, I wish I could tell them how I feel. I wish they would give us a shot. I could make them happy. I know I could.

  “She is young and impressionable, but she has a strong head on her shoulders. Michael taught her a lot of self-defense moves, and she trains on a regular basis. I think this will be good for her. Especially with the information that came to my attention. She’d be safer abroad. It’s what I wanted to discuss with the four of you,” Uncle Jeb said. She heard the concern in his voice and she felt the mystery of his statement. She leaned closer, but dare not take another step down the stairs. The old house had creaky floors, and she would get busted in a snap by any of the Marines.

  “What exactly is going on, Jeb?” L.T. asked.

  “It’s about Michael. He wasn’t supposed to be there that night. He wasn’t working the case anymore because the department felt as if his identity was discovered.”

  “What?” Quentin asked.

  “The ones responsible snagged him on his way home from the department. It had been weeks since he pulled out of the case. It had something to do with some big-time arms dealer. Michael had his snitches, but Randy thinks that the snitches he had ratted Michael out,” Jeb told them.

  “How does Randy know this?” Axel asked, sounding suspicious. Mariah knew that the men didn’t care for Randy. She had hoped that they were just jealous, but their words and actions proved otherwise.

  “Randy said that Michael was in too deep. I didn’t want to tell Mariah all the details, but Randy said that the department thinks that Michael was assisting the main arms dealer. They believe that he took a bribe.”

  “What? No fucking way,” Quentin stated firmly. Mariah covered her mouth to hide the gasp. No way would Michael help criminals.

  “The department was gathering evidence on Michael. Through my own inside sources from the department, it’s believed that Michael was executed by the main operator himself.”

  “Holy shit. And the department? Are they going after this guy?” L.T. asked.

  There was silence, and Mariah wondered what was happening.

  “No. There’s no substantial evidence to prove that Michael was innocent, only that he was doing something illegal. Whether things were planted or he was threatened, I can’t get the facts. The one responsible covered his tracks well. He’s untouchable.”

  “Untouchable? How can that be?” Axel asked, sounding very angry.

  “The man has never been identified. No one knows what he looks like. The man is involved with some serious heavy stuff. He has the financial backing of numerous big-name companies here in the states and abroad. He is incredibly difficult to get close to. And when I say get close to, I mean, the man has more guards and security than the President of the United States. My little bit of pushing for some answers got me a personal phone call from someone in the Federal government. They told me to back off.”

  “Did you talk with Sandman? Maybe he has some input?”

  “No. I don’t want to draw any more attention to the case, or place anyone in danger over this. It’s obvious that something is going on and no one wants to talk about it.”

  “So Michael’s murder goes unpunished? This guy gets off scot-free and Michael’s reputation will be ruined?” Deacon asked.

  “Well, that’s where I was hoping that the four of you could help me. I’m trying to keep this information from getting to Mariah. With your pull in the department and numerous connections, I was hoping we could save Mariah the upset of knowing that her brother was tortured and killed so brutally, and that he was not one of the bad guys.”

  “Of course we’ll help. We’ll get to the bottom of this,” L.T. said.

  “I don’t want you guys to do any more than that. It’s done. Michael is gone and nothing can bring him back.”

  Mariah was shocked at the news. She had been told that Michael was working a case and had gotten caught in the line of fire exchange between the police and the bad guys. The casket had to be closed because of the severity of the multiple gunshot wounds. But the fact was that her brother was tortured, beaten, and then shot execution-style. Who the hell was the man responsible for murdering her brother and for ruining his reputation? How could the laws of this country, this state, allow him to be free? Unidentifiable? What the hell was up with that?

  She heard the door to the front room open, and she quickly stood up and tiptoed back to her room. This information didn’t sit right with her. Couldn’t something be done? Obviously there was more to Michael’s warning. He must have known that his identity was compromised. But what had he meant when he said to not trust even the closest of friends?

  She headed to her room and lay down on the bed. She would find out more. Her brother was not part of the arms dealing. No way. He was an American soldier. A Marine. What would happen to his reputation? Would people really believe that he was aiding an international criminal? Her head was spinning as the information processed. She would confront her uncle tomorrow, after the men left, and before she headed back to college. This wasn’t over. She would heed her brother’s warning and not trust anyone. Not even L.T., Axel, Quentin, and Deacon. For all she knew, they could have been part of this as well.

  Chapter 1

  Two Years Later

  Mariah looked out at the sunset across the Tuscan sky. The doors to the villa she’d stayed at for the past year remained wide open. She was dressed up for tonight’s event. A gala of sorts hosted by her friend Sienna’s lovers. She smiled when she thought about Sienna and her three men. They absolutely adored one another. When Sienna had first met them, she had instantly fallen for their charms. The fact that they were so well-off and came from families with money was a bonus too. They owned a villa here in Tuscany, an estate in Dallas, Texas, where they were headed next week, and a penthouse in Manhattan.

  Mariah looked out toward the rolling, emerald green hills and the winery, owned by Sienna’s men. It was breathtaking here. She truly didn’t want to leave.

  She heard the bells begin to ring, indicating that the evening festivities were about to start. She still considered Sienna’s offer of moving here permanently, but she also missed her uncle. As angry as she had been with him for denying her information about her brother Michael’s murder, she’d nearly lost it when she received the phone call two months ago about Uncle Jeb’s accident. It seemed that he was either getting older and more incapable of taking care of himself, or he was lying. She hadn’t believed him, or the ph
one call from L.T.

  It also seemed the old saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder was absolutely true. Watching Sienna with her lovers made Mariah long for the men who had turned her down two years ago, and who remained on her mind. It was so bad that she compared every man she met to them. But it had been so long since she’d seen them. She had changed so much. They’d probably changed, too.

  Well, they all seemed to underestimate Mariah’s abilities, or how fate could step in to help complete a plan. No one would ever know what she was really up to out here. She felt that slight tinge of guilt. Every time L.T., Axel, Quentin, or Deacon called her to check in, she pretended to be oblivious to what was happening at home and completely self-absorbed. Little did they know that coming to Italy, meeting Sienna and her men, would bring Mariah closer to capturing Michael’s killer and solving a series of unsolved murders.

  She swallowed hard. Despite her attempts the last two years to get those men out of her head, just one phone call or a mere sound of one of their voices, and it was like time stood still. She tried to bury her feelings for them. A youthful obsession still simmered deep within her heart. But by now, surely the four sexy Marines had a woman of their own to share. Just as Sienna had her men.

  Mariah had a new obsession. Revenge, and she was getting closer and closer to achieving her goal. Although Eduardo DeLacruz’s identity was still a mystery, his presence at certain events was obtainable information for the right price and the right people.

  Mariah looked in the mirror and adjusted the bodice of her dress. She wore her platinum blonde hair up in a fancy style, and the low-cut dress showed off the cleavage of her breasts. Her arms were very toned, and her belly tight and firm. She had continued her training and workout routines, and thanks to Gustavo, Sienna’s lovers’ cousin, who had a crush on Mariah and was her personal trainer, she felt up for anything that could be thrown at her.

  Sienna’s lovers, Marco, Giano, and Salvatore, were all involved in numerous types of businesses. Some were legit and others were most definitely not. What had intrigued Mariah most was a yearly event that took place in Dallas every Halloween. Sienna had tried to get Mariah to go the last two years, but she hadn’t quite wanted to attend. It was a grand masquerade. But not just any type of masquerade. There were rules to follow and activities to engage in for those with a lust for mystery and sexual fantasy.

  Mariah had longed for a ménage with her favorite four retired Marines. She feared if and when they found out what she had been up to. In the back of her mind she remembered her brother’s words of distrust for even close friends. Although he hadn’t been specific, she took him very seriously. The circumstances of his death reiterated the seriousness.

  So she kept her conversations with the men short. She was always on the go and always working to better her career as well as her savings account. Because of that, and her stupid fantasy of one day having the four Marines as lovers, she held on to her virginity, although not a soul would know. She was good at seduction and charm. But she was getting tired of waiting on a fantasy that would never come true. The masquerade could be just the right thing to get L.T., Axel, Quentin, and Deacon out of her system for good. She would need a rest by then anyway. If her plan to sabotage Eduardo DeLacruz’s financial accounts was a success, wearing a mask for a week-long event on a private estate would be a good thing.

  The masquerade would provide the opportunity for her to explore her sexuality and give her virginity to someone capable of satisfying her physically, even if not emotionally. She had waited, held out long enough. She was ready. As soon as Sienna had explained that every person must constantly wear a mask, even during sexual encounters, so that identities remained anonymous and secretive, Mariah was intrigued. She still hadn’t made her decision yet, but in a week’s time she would have to.

  Mariah quickly grabbed her purse and headed out of her private room and wing in the estate.

  The party this evening was going to be taking place down the road at another wealthy businessman’s estate. She wasn’t sure of his name, but Sienna insisted that Mariah come along and mix and mingle with more business people in the same field as her, which was finance. Mariah had learned a lot in Europe, including the exchange of international investments and monetary collaborations between financially unstable businesses. She was gaining quite the reputation in the field and had been offered numerous jobs in some big-name companies both in Italy and in the United States. Her decision would be made after her visit to Texas. She figured if L.T. and the crew remained the same and her uncle continued to lie to her about how he kept having so-called “accidents,” then she would have no reason to stay there. She would seek and fulfill her revenge, and then continue a lifelong career with money and a future without the need for love or anything even close to allowing her heart to be broken.

  “There you are. You look stunning. I love that dress. You’re gorgeous,” Sienna stated as she clutched her arm and held her close. Sienna’s men made similar comments.

  “Gustavo will be there. He wants you to meet a very good friend of his,” Marco told her, as he stared at her, looking her body over and making her feel a bit on display. She knew that they loved Sienna, but these men were also involved with things Sienna promised never to discuss. It made Mariah nervous, but she knew she was safe here and leaving for the states soon enough. Their connections brought her into the financial circles the enemy was part of.

  “Well, let’s head there now. Manchenso expects punctuality,” Giano told them as he reached his hand out for Sienna to take. Her long red hair flowed down the open back of her black dress, and the long, low-cut V in the front of her dress dared her breasts to emerge through the open gap. But somehow they remained in place.

  Salvatore offered his arm to escort Mariah, and she looped her arm through and walked along with the men. Tonight was going to be a wonderful and enjoyable evening. A bonus was Manchenso Gullato. If things went well, she would have more insight into Eduardo’s operations, and perhaps an invite to one of the man’s very private, secluded, and secured events. Yes, a lot was riding on tonight’s social event. As she got into the stretch limo, accompanied by Sienna, her lovers, and their own security team, she couldn’t help but think about L.T. and the men.

  Why can’t I get them out of my head? They’ll never see me as anything but Michael’s little sister. They probably wouldn’t even notice me if they entered a room filled with beautiful women. Maybe once I identify and destroy Michael’s murderer, they’ll realize that I’m not a naive woman from the country.

  Chapter 2

  “Please. Please don’t kill me. I promise to stop the investigation. I swear,” Jeb Langcaster cried out as one of Eduardo DeLacruz’s men held a gun to his head. They had roughed him up good. His arm was broken, his ribs probably were, too, and he had no idea where the hell he was. Jeb had been continuing the investigation of his nephew’s murder on his own, after the police department had labeled him a criminal, not a hero. Thank God, Mariah was still living in Italy. If Eduardo and his men found out about her, they could hurt her, too. Another young detective had gone missing and had come up dead two weeks ago. He, too, was identified as engaging in criminal activity with organized crime or illegal drug smuggling. The evidence against him was circumstantial, but his reputation was ruined. Something fishy was definitely going on.

  The strike to his face made him cry out again. Jeb fell to the cold, wet concrete as the man above him persecuted him further.

  “You need to mind your fucking business, old man. You need to stay clear of things that don’t involve you.”

  “I will. I swear. Please, just don’t kill me.”

  The man bent down so that he could look Jeb in the eyes as he gripped his hair and lifted Jeb’s face upward.

  “You listen real good. You can’t do a damn thing without us knowing about it. If you continue to try and identify people who want to remain hidden, we’ll take your niece.”

  Jeb felt the instant
fear grip his belly.

  “What niece?” he quickly recovered. The man gave a small smirk.

  “The gorgeous little blonde who was at his funeral two years ago. She ought to be all grown up by now. Had that really sexy body and platinum blonde hair. The boss was smitten with her immediately.”

  Jeb jumped toward the man to grab his throat, the fear and anger getting the better of him. The thug was faster. He manipulated Jeb’s arms and his body and then pressed the barrel of his gun against Jeb’s cheekbone. He felt as if the man was going to break his face.

  “Remember this. Remember what I told you. Stop the snooping around, or she’s going to suffer the consequences.”

  Jeb saw flashes of his beautiful niece, Mariah, being taken from him, right before the barrel of the gun collided with his temple.

  * * * *

  “You know as damn well as I do that Jeb’s been snooping around. This is the third time he’s been in some kind of accident. They could have killed him this time.” Axel raised his voice and then ran his fingers through his hair.

  L.T. was staring at Jeb, who lay in the hospital bed, head bandaged up, bruises all over, and his arm in a cast.

  “We told him that we were working on things. Why couldn’t he just let us handle it? We’re following the law. We’ve got our commanders on our sides. What the fuck?” Quentin stated.

  “It’s his nephew’s reputation that was destroyed. He lost a lot of friends because of the lies,” Deacon said calmly, and that really pissed Axel off.

  “How can you be so damn calm? He could have died. How would we explain all this to Mariah? She’d be left with no one.”

  “Not no one. She has the four of you,” Jeb said in a groggy, rough voice, and then he coughed. They were all by his side immediately.

  “You crazy old man. What the hell were you thinking?” L.T. asked, as he stood at the end of the bed with one hand resting on his holster.