MALACHI Those are his last words as he turns his back to me and stomps out of my office. I watch him disappear into the corridor, then turn my attention to the bouquet of roses on my lounge chair. I wonder what color of roses she prefers. My door opens at that moment, and I turn in the direction of the sound, only to find Lilith Cruz in front of me. That explains all the pacing she’s been doing in front of my office. Her blood red lips are spread into a wide open smile that leaves her veneers on display. I fight the urge to roll my eyes. “Was that Julian across I just saw leaving so angrily?” She asks, catwalking towards my desk. “You know him?” She laughs. “Know him?” Her chest bounces with every step. Does she have no clue how irritating her antics are? Or does she get off from constantly embarrassing herself. “That’s Senator Jubril Cross’ son. And he’s the last person in the country you want on your bad side. He has a reputation, you know?” Yes. I know exactly what she means. “Good for him.” I look away from her. “No.” Her tone rises, and my eyes drag up to meet hers. “If I were you, Malachi. I’ll do exactly what he says. We don’t want all the smoke he brings on your business, trust me.” Her shoulders drop as she lets out a long breath. “She’s really not worth it.” Now, Julian’s ignorance, I can take. But Lilith’s? Definitely not. She catches the displeasure on my face and clears her throat. “I know why he was here, Malachi. And I have a faint idea what he must have said. Listen, she’s not good for you.” Her voice softens into a seductive plea as she leans backwards into my desk. Her skirt is merely inches below her thighs, and she tilts it up to expose more of her flesh. “I can guarantee she doesn’t know you…the real you, not as much as I do. I’ve worked with you three for over five years, fucked you three. I know everything about the three of you, yet I want you all regardless. Shouldn’t that count for something? Why does she get to have you and I don’t?” She dares to reach for my necktie, I move away. Pain flashes in her eyes, but she waves it away with a dry chuckle. “You know, I can go tell him everything he wants to know. Better still, I can let your pretty princess know who she's messing with. Her husband is in jail for murder, isn’t he?” She tucks her hair to the back of her right ear as she smiles at me. “What do you think she’s going to do when she finds out you three are even worse?” Bile rises to my tongue, so bitter, I narrow my eyes on her. “Are you trying to blackmail us into fucking you, Lilith Cruz?” Another dry laugh escapes her lips. She flips her dark hair in one annoying motion as she shakes her head. “Look at me, Malachi HawkThorne,” Lilith steps away from my table and stands on her own. “I make men kneel for a taste of me. Which is one of the reasons you three have kept me here for so long. This body has gotten me into rooms with powerful men, got the job done for you,” I watch as her face slowly twists into a frown. “I can fuck anyone I want to. Why would I want to blackmail anyone for that?” She doesn’t say it, but I see it. The anger in her eyes. She knows she can get anyone…besides us. Not anymore. She can’t understand why, and it’s eating her from inside out. I see it all. A lazy smile crosses my lips as I shrug, rising to my feet tucking my hands into my pockets. “Because we’re that good.” One sentence, but the truth lights up her eyes faster than she can stop it. We are, and she knows it. Lilith masks her desire with a scoff, rolling her eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself, Malachi.” She takes a step forward, covering the distance between us. “I’ve had enough of this righteous act you three have been putting up. I’m dying to see all the ways you can shut me up,” she reaches for the base of my tie and strokes it gently with pink artificial nails. My body stiffens. Irritation courses through my blood. I can’t deal with her here, and she knows it. “I haven’t seen Jaxon slit a throat in a long time,” she bats her lashes at me. “I miss it.” This is it; the reason we can’t be with her. She’s seen the worst in us. She desires the worst in us. But Sarah? She’s different. She’s the light to our darkness. A light we know we do not deserve, but need to keep regardless. And she’s…behind my glass door, glaring at Lilith and clutching the picnic basket in her right hand.