Destined for Power by Kathleen Brooks Read Free Book Online Page A

her life from her parents. She had handed her lawyer the letter addressed to Reid with the instructions to deliver it on her thirty-fifth birthday. Next month, he’d know the truth if he read the letter though he'd probably just burn it before opening it.
    “If you need anything, Reid is there, and I’m sure he can help you.”
    Mallory was yanked from her thoughts. “What? Reid’s here in Stromia?”
    “Yes. He’s there until that summit thing is done. I’ll message him and let him know you’re there.”
    “No!”
    “Why not?” Elle asked suspiciously.
    “He probably already knows. And I don’t need anything. I promise. He’s going to be so busy with this summit. I don’t want to bother him.” Mallory’s heart pounded wildly. Then it plummeted as she realized in the next hour images of her making out with Bowie in the elevator would be released. Reid would see them and know she was in his hotel with another man . . . and with her father here. Could this get worse?
    “Okay. If you need anything at all, you know you just have to call. We’re sisters, right?”
    “Right,” Mallory struggled to say confidently.
    “No matter who you marry, we’ll love him because you do. Gosh, it’s almost morning there. I’ll let you get some sleep. Love you.”
    “Love you too.” Mallory hung up the phone and hurried to the bathroom. Sitting on the floor of the massive shower, she cried as the hot water washed away the night.

     

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    Reid slammed the newspaper into the trashcan. He shoved his chair back and paced his office on the top floor of the hotel. This morning the hotel was quiet. The summit was going on at the government building two blocks away. He had meant to relax and read the paper, but when he turned to the lifestyle section, an image of Mallory with another man filled the page. Her hands were in his hair. His hands were on her ass.
    What the hell was she doing here? He pulled up a gossip site and cursed again at exclusive video footage of her making out with the guy in his elevator. How dare she? Reid seethed as he felt the betrayal from all those years ago flood him all over again. He closed the screen and pulled up the hotel database to do a quick search. He found her room number and saw nothing but red as he stormed from his office.
    Why would Mallory break his heart all over again? Wasn’t it enough to do it once? She had to come to his hotel to have sex with another man for the whole world to see? To get married . . . he closed his eyes, and the pain washed over him. The thought of her with someone else was too much to bear. As soon as the elevator doors slid open, he strode down the hall. Not bothering to knock, he slid the master key into the door and shoved it open.
    “How dare you,” he ground out as the door slammed against the wall.
    Mallory looked up from her breakfast without a hint of the surprise he expected to see. “Did Elle call you?”
    “No. I saw the news. Get out of my hotel,” Reid said with such coldness he saw her flinch.
    “I thought you were in Atlanta.”
    “It doesn’t matter where I am. You are not welcome at any of my properties, especially when you act like . . . what was it your father called you . . . a strumpet?” He saw Mallory’s face pale momentarily before that damn hard mask fell back in place.
    “Hey, man. That’s harsh.”
    Reid looked up to where the man from the video was standing with nothing on but a towel wrapped low around his waist. “Bowie, is it? You and your bride can both leave. And you’re not to step foot back into this hotel. Do you understand me?”
    “Sorry, but we can’t do that. We will leave first thing tomorrow, though. Tonight we will be at the charity ball.”
    Reid snarled, but Bowie didn’t back down. “This is my hotel . . .”
    “And I’m a guest of the prince who, I believe, gives you permission to operate your casino in his country. You prevent us from attending, and I’ll have your license