Beta by SM Reine Read Free Book Online

She batted her eyelashes at him. “Sorry. Your little Tombs stress ball. I almost forgot that we’re still not on a first-name basis.”
    Stark’s shoulders were tense. “You will get over what happened to Gage at some point. It won’t take long. You’re strong.”
    If this was supposed to be a touching moment, talking about the boyfriend that Stark had forced Deirdre to kill, it was a pretty screwed-up idea of a heart-to-heart.
    “You can have the day off tomorrow,” he said. “Be back at the asylum by sundown.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “You heard what I said. Niamh will be editing the video at her store. You can leave with her. I don’t think you’ve gotten to enjoy the tourist experience in New York City.” His upper lip curled. “Maybe you can see the Statue of Liberty. I don’t care. Take a day and come back ready to work.”
    He walked away. Deirdre called after him. “Aren’t you worried I won’t come back after all this bullshit?”
    “No,” Stark said.
    And damn him if he wasn’t right.

—IV—

    “What do you think about this color?” Niamh asked, holding out a tube of matte lipstick.
    Deirdre’s eyebrows lifted. “Fire engine red? On who, you or me?”
    “You, of course. You’ve got warm undertones that are perfect for this kind of lipstick. I’d look like a prostitute in the bad way.”
    “I’m not going to have a chance to wear red lipstick,” Deirdre said. “I mean, look at us. It’s our first day out and we’re in a CVS. Clubbing isn’t in our future.”
    After her weeks cooped up in the asylum, only going outside to risk her life with Stark, getting to walk through the streets of New York City without an agenda felt better than clubbing. It was more like going on vacation.
    Niamh dropped the lipstick into her basket. “It’s on sale. We’ll get it. We can do makeovers and pretend we’re somewhere fun. Colette would enjoy that.”
    Colette might, but Deirdre doubted that Stark would be amused if his Beta walked around the asylum with a full face. It wouldn’t be strong enough for him, that display of feminine luxury.
    There would be no fun sleepovers in their future. No sleepovers, no clubbing, no vacations.
    Nothing but propaganda videos and raids on government facilities.
    Deirdre let Niamh lead the way through the drugstore, keeping an eye on the street outside the big windows. Morning traffic was jammed from stoplight to stoplight, crawling along mere inches at a time.
    There was a black SUV in the far lane. It was halfway hidden behind a delivery truck, so Deirdre couldn’t tell if it had the OPA logo on the side. It looked like the same make and model that the agency used. But even if it was the OPA, there was no reason to fear. It wasn’t like they knew that Niamh and Deirdre were out shopping.
    Niamh caught her stare. She grabbed another tube of lipstick. “Be cool, Dee. We’re just two girls having a day out.” But her mood was cooled by the sight of that unidentified black SUV. She hustled toward the cashier. “It’s probably about time for me to open No Capes, though. Have to catch up on some paperwork and dig into Adobe Premiere.”
    The stoplight turned green. The cars moved on, and Deirdre never got to see if the SUV had government license plates or not.
    Once Niamh bought everything, she headed for the door.
    “I thought I’d pick up some standard ammunition for my Ruger while we’re out,” Deirdre said. “Coming?”
    Niamh glanced at her watch. “The boss wants that video out today and I’ve got a few hours of editing ahead of me. But if you don’t want to be alone—”
    “I’m fine,” Deirdre said. “Really.”
    Her friend didn’t look convinced. She knew better than anyone else when Deirdre was brooding. Niamh hadn’t cared for Gage—not the way that Deirdre had—but she knew how much it hurt her to take him down.
    The urge to obey Stark was stronger than her urge to baby Deirdre.
    “Don’t take long,” Niamh said.
    “I