Amaris Ricci – Hydra Series - Betrayed – Book ONE

Chapter ONE – It All Fell Apart

“Nate, come to bed, you must be tired.” A soft voice drifted out to him as he
entered the bedroom.

Nate looked at his wife. Nothing in him stirred when he was near her, not
even a little bit. He knew she married him for his money but that was their
agreement. He would deposit money into her account every month and at
the end of a year, he would let her go with a nest egg. She agreed and said
the wheelchair didn’t bother her, but she was lying through her teeth. Twenty
thousand per month for a year and then one hundred thousand when they
divorced. She would never make that in her lifetime.

She thought Nate didn’t understand her but he did. He installed cameras all
over the house and she never knew. He would sit in his office and watch her
move around the house doing nothing. She went into his personal
belongings, searching for what he didn’t know.
“I’m not tired, go to sleep without me.” Nate said in a flat tone.
“What’s wrong Nate?” Mandy asked sweetly but her stomach churned as she
thought about spending yet another restless night with this man beside her.
“I have work to do, go to bed.”
“Does it always have to be like this?” Mandy asked softly with a strange look
on her face.
“Like what?” Mandy sighed and Nate felt her frustration but there was nothing
he could do.
“I know our marriage was an agreement, but don’t you like me even a little?”

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 Amaris Ricci – Hydra Series - Betrayed – Book ONE

Myk arranged Nate into the car, and they headed out.
“Myk?” Nate sounded from the backseat.
“Sir?”
“Mandy will be leaving soon.”
“Best thing. Does she need to be watched?”
“No, I don’t feel I’m in danger, she isn’t a bad person, she just doesn’t need
me.”
As they pulled up to the club... Nate decided to enter through the main door.
He was greeted with disdain.
“Sir, no wheelchairs allowed.”
Myk made a move to intercept, Nate stopped her. Nate looked up at the
camera he knew was aimed at the entrance and nodded slightly. A few
moments later two of the biggest bouncers in the club came to greet him.
“Sir, follow us please.” They ignored the protests of the man guarding the
door and lead the duo into the noisy den of the elitist.
There were men in suits, and women dressed as if they were going to meet
the queen. Nate always believe in separating the sheep from the goats.
Some hated this mentality but if you think about it, sometimes you need to
keep apart from one another. This club was exclusively for the rich and
powerful, it was membership by invitation only. You made an application
online, security checks were conducted and if accepted, you paid one million
dollars upfront. Then, a Hydra Platinum Elite VIP Card was hand delivered
to you. For the next year, you were afforded privileges fit for a king and you
had access to all the other clubs under the Hydra brand. Only one other club
on the island offered such treatment but that was a car club operating under
the name of Rapid Run Swift Club and funny enough, the owner was a friend

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 Amaris Ricci – Hydra Series - Betrayed – Book ONE

The woman was agile, skilled, well trained and she was sexy. Every part of
her needed his touch. He motioned to Myk, pointing at the screen, to send
the woman an invitation to his private room. Myk looked down at his face
and she wondered what he was thinking. It was not like him to pick up
strange women to take home before thoroughly vetting them and many
nights, Myk ended up getting a taxi to take them home before anything
happened. She shrugged and decided she would let him play this out.
Maybe he just needed to let off some steam, he was a man after all.

Myk left the room, headed out to the main stage, and waited until the woman
finished her set. As the woman came backstage, Myk motioned to her and
a whisper to her ear, was softly delivered.
“Miss, the club’s owner would like to have a private meeting with you, please
follow me.”
She blushed, nodded and silently followed the tall sexy female bodyguard.
Yes, Myk was a woman, and she could throw you farther than she could see
you. When Myk pushed the door of the private room, Elle immediately
inhaled. The room smelled of a cologne she loved as a child. Eternity for Men
by Calvin Klein. She always said if she could find a man who wore it, she
would love him forever.
“Thanks Myk, Everleigh, take a seat please.” Nate motioned to the seat
opposite him as Myk swiftly closed the door and left. Elle looked at the leather
seats and decided to stand. She quickly took in the man she came to see.
“Good evening, Sir, it’s nice to meet you. If you don’t mind, I just finished a
set and I am rather… sticky, I don’t want to dirty the seats.”
Nate smiled.

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The smile on Nate’s face faded a bit. Her answer bothered him yes and for
some reason, her rejection kneed him in the gut.
“Can I explain Nate?” She asked quickly, not wanting the feeling that flittered
across his face just then to remain.
“You may.”
“It’s clear you are wealthy since you own three clubs and whatever other
investments. I am currently a nobody, dancing in a club so I can help support
my family. People will talk and say I am only after your money. I don’t know
you. The only way I would say yes, is if we spent some time together, talked.
I would need you to know the real me and not who you see now, and I would
need to know about you and why you use your chair as an excuse to be
alone.”
Nate sighed. How did she know?
“Thank you, Everleigh. You now have two choices, either stay and spend
some time getting to know me or leave and forget this conversation ever
happened.”
“How about I finish my second set, come find you and take you up on that
offer.” She smiled and her eyes twinkled.
“Deal. Do you have a car? I can take you home if you like when we leave
here.”
“My brother usually picks me up but thank you anyway for asking. My set is
in a few, I have to go.” She stood at the door and paused, looking back.
“Promise me you will be here when I get back.” She said hopefully.
“I promise.”
For some reason Elle believed Nate, she didn’t understand it, but she trusted
herself. Elle smiled and left.