We don’t stay at Crimson for long and King had the sense of packing a spare set of clothes for both of us right at the start of the night. Just in case, he told me as he handed me the sweats and hoodie which I gratefully put on. As stunning as the dress was, I was tired, and I ached in places I’ve never ached before.
It was a delicious kind of pain, one that reminded me of what just happened over and over, but I was ready to fall into a sleep so deep I didn’t want to wake up for hours.
Kingston drives us back to the penthouse, it’s late enough that the streets are dead, the odd cab whizzing down the road, but we’re alone for the most part. The car is comfortably quiet, and I doze in the passenger seat, startled awake twenty or so minutes later by Kingston opening my door.
“Come on, love, let’s go to bed.”
I don’t change when we get to the bedroom, I fall face first onto the mattress and then crawl up and under the blankets, snuggling down much to Kingston’s amusement as he watches me get comfortable.
He joins me, sliding behind and curling his arm around my waist, “Good night.”
I grunt back and promptly fall asleep.
_
It’s raining when I wake in the morning, the gloomy dim light barely illuminating the room, but it’s enough to see the bed empty next to me, the sheets cold. I scan the room for signs of him, but everything is quiet, the penthouse further even more so.
With a stretch, my muscles twinging with the movement, I roll out of bed and pad for the bathroom joined onto the bedroom. After showering, I pick out the last clean outfit I have here and get ready for work before I go in search of King, or anyone else. But the penthouse is empty.
I find my phone and find a message from King, sent at seven this morning.
Kingston: I’ve some urgent business at the compound, I will be back by the time you finish work this evening. Don’t think about last night too much, I’m sure I’ll be doing it enough for the two of us. Have a good day. K.
I grin and pocket my phone, grabbing a to-go cup and filling it with coffee before I head out and call an Uber to take me to the office. I was handing my notice in today but going back into that office, seeing Tobias after what I found yesterday, it made my stomach churn with a new wave of nausea.
It wouldn’t just be over either, not that easily, I had to serve my one month before I could actually get out. Another month of being in that office with that man.
I don’t suppress the shiver that runs down my spine.
The Uber arrives, and I climb in, typing out the resignation letter on my phone in preparation of arriving at the office. I wouldn’t waste time avoiding the issue.
The office is busy as standard and lively, with those who attended the gala last night discussing the event, some looking a little worse for wear. Everything is normal and yet as my feet carry me through the office, a sense of dread begins to settle into my stomach. I pause at the elevator.
“Are you getting in?” Someone asks me.
I look over to them, “No, no, you go ahead.”
He smiles politely and climbs into the elevator, the doors closing.
It’s nerves, I tell myself, just nerves and a little bit of fear which are totally normal.
But even as I repeat that over and over inside my head, I can’t help but feel like I’m about to walk into something I’m not sure I’ll walk back out of.
“Just get it over with,” I hiss under my breath, earning me a few awkward stares. I march into the elevator, hit the button and clench my fists, hiding the shake.
On my floor all is normal, desks full, office chatter loud. I see Tobias walking into his office, Garrett off to the side and blow out a breath. Normal.
Once I’ve printed the resignation letter, I head towards Tobias’ office.
“Eleanor,” he says by way of greeting, no smile.
I swallow, “This may come as a shock,” I tell him, keeping my voice steady as I step up to the desk and drop the envelope on top of the keyboard on his laptop, “I’m handing in my notice.”
His face remains blank, “No shock.”
“What?”
“It’s no shock,” he leans back in his chair, “Why would you continue working for me when you work for him?”
I don’t have to say anything to give myself away, whatever is on my face is enough as his mouth turns into a cruel smile.
“I was a little surprised,” He nods slowly, “I didn’t suspect you at all at first, not until that little stunt in my office yesterday.”
I visibly jump when the door behind me closes with a dull thud, shutting the rest of the office out. I knew for a fact that this particular office was soundproof and while there is one window looking out onto the floor beyond, it’s a one-way kind of thing, I can see out, but they can’t see in. I never questioned it before, but I should have.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Kingston Heart,” he tsks, “The legend, hm?”
“I don’t know who that is.” I lie.
“Oh, I think you do considering you’ve been sleeping with him for weeks.”
I start to back towards the door, not thinking about how it shut in the first place.
“Going somewhere, Eleanor?” Garrett says.
They’d trapped me in here. It was a set up.
“It was a matter of hours before my tech realized they’d been hacked, again. I knew you were up to something in here yesterday, I wasn’t sure what, but then they told me we had yet another bug and I put it together. You helped them into my servers.”
“You’re a monster!” I spit, turning so I’m sideways between the father and son, able to see them both. There was no point lying.
“Maybe so, but I’m rich, and I’m powerful, and you’re going to do exactly as I say because well, you don’t have much other choice do you, Eleanor?”
“What do you want!?”
“Plenty,” he muses, “I really was fond of you, you know. A kind, sweet girl like you. You could have had a happy and long life, working here, keeping your nose out of business that didn’t belong to you, but I’ve realized after seeing all the dark parts this city, this world, has to offer that nothing is ever good enough. People always want what they can’t have, seek out things they have no right exploring but we humans are a curious bunch. And so, I provide. I give what most can’t.”
“You don’t give, Tobias, you take,” I correct.
“I have to admit there is some beauty in what we do.”
Sickness curls my stomach, fear gripping my spine like a claw. I can’t speak.
“Females are so easy to bend, to break, it’s marvelous to watch.”
“You are disgusting.”
He laughs though it holds no amusement, nor does he smile, it’s just a flat, harsh noise.
“Let’s get back to it shall we, Eleanor?” He links his fingers, resting them on his stomach as he leans back in his chair, “It’s not uncommon for people to try and hack these servers you know? Not for any other reason than to steal from me mainly though, I doubt that’s the reason Mr Heart wanted in, is it? Either way, we have weekly scans for bugs, and that first set we found, I shrugged it off. Nothing new and I would have forgotten all about it if you hadn’t been caught in my office.”
He scratches his chin, “He’s good, I’ll admit, he’s evaded the Syndicate for a long time, powerful enough to keep us out and at bay because we had nothing on him. You don’t go blindly into war, do you?”
“He’ll kill you.”
“I had no idea that it was him this entire time, not until I put two and two together, had you followed, had him tagged, it was a matter of waiting it out, and then it all landed in my lap. Kingston Heart, the notorious anonymous and self-proclaimed king of London. He’s been a thorn in my side for such a long time that this is going to be delightful, and guess where you come in.”
“You think you can use me against him?” Tears prick my eyes, “he doesn’t care enough about me to worry about you doing something to me, so go ahead, Tobias. Kill me.”
For a fraction of a second, he looks pained, “I think you’re lying, Miss Locke, but no bother, it’s not your life I’m bargaining with, though I’m sure if it really came down to it, you’d break in a second. Imagine that gun to your temple and all you needed to do was give me Mr Heart, you think you wouldn’t do it?”
“No.” I was certain. I didn’t want to die. I was terrified of dying but I wouldn’t. Not for my life.
“So brave, Eleanor, but what about for another life, you think you’ll be brave then?”
That dread comes back tenfold, a sickening doom that makes me want to double over and vomit.
“You can save her,” He says, his voice barely audible over the roar of blood in my ears, “Tate. You can save her and all you need to do is take me to him.”