Page 93 of Promise of Destruction
I don’t look up from the screen— my eyes are dry, lids heavy with the weight of the last few days. My body is on the verge of shutting down, but my brain isn’t. It spurs me onward, working too fast for my tired fingers to keep up.
If I look away, I may lose the path that’s been emblazoned in my mind. I don’t have time for that.
“I brought your coffee.”
The voice is distinctly feminine, but it’s not Soren. I’m aware every time Soren walks in a room—this woman is here, but Dimitri isn’t. I turn to look at her, unable to stop myself.
A middle-aged woman with dark hair threaded with silver strands stands in the doorway, a thermos of what is presumably my coffee in one hand. She looks uncomfortable, tired, irritated. I’d ask who she is, but it’s not a stretch of the imagination to assume she’s the help, although that’s questionable, given that I didn’t ask for a side of attitude with that coffee.
“Where’s Dimitri?” I ask, eyeing her coolly.
“None of your business.” Her voice is firm. “Do you want this or not?”
I raise an eyebrow, amused by the challenge she’s presenting me with. “Doesn’t a maid usually deliver?”
“I’m not a maid.” She sneers. “And I delivered it this far. If you want this coffee, you’d better come get it.”
I chuckle, noting her crossed arms. She looks a bit old to be one of their victims, but she’s not unappealing. Maybe Boudreaux has a thing for older women.
“Are you scared of me…” I venture, watching her face twist in irritation, “or this place?”
The woman sucks in a breath but then releases it as a laugh of her own. She crosses the room in short, quick steps and thrusts the mug into my hand.
“I am not afraid of you. I worked for years for the most despicable people you could ever dream up. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you have any power here.”
Her outburst stuns me to silence, so I take a sip of the coffee. I didn’t specify any additions, and I’m pleased to notice that she hasn’t taken the liberty of playing the bored barista. I don’t like coffee, but I like bastardized coffee even less. I like it black, like the souls of my benefactors.
The liquid is hot, and the blend is strong. It zings against my tongue, promising relief in the form of caffeine soon to come. I practically chug half of the liquid and then set it aside before looking back to find her with her arms crossed, waiting for something. I’m tempted to pull a dollar out of my wallet just to see if this lady is as fierce as her words make her seem, but decide not to bite the hand that feeds me.
I’ll be needing more coffee, and soon.
“Can I help you?”
“You can, actually.” She laughs, but it sounds like she chokes on it. When I flick my eyes up to hers, they’re watery. “You can find her.”
“A novel idea.” I sigh, rolling my eyes and spinning back around to stare at the blinking cursor in front of me. From the corner of my eye, I watch her as she stands there, unmoving.
“I realize that it’s a lot… asking you to come here like this out of the blue. And I realize that you’re something of a private contractor, which means you’re loyal to no one.”
I don’t bother trying to refute that.
She continues, unbothered. “Your loyalty is to whatever makes you the most money, or the decision that will bring you the most satisfaction. I guarantee you if it’s money you want, Remy will give you the most. He will give youeverythingif you can find her so that he can bring her home safely.”
I have more money than I will ever need, thanks to wise investments made with the money his father bought me with. But I don’t bother to tell her that.
“Do you think I look like a simple man?” It’s a trick question. I’m dressed down so much that I do, in fact, look like a simple man. A simple man in need of a fucking shower, a blow job, and sleep. “Money isn’t what motivates me.”
“Lust, then.” She clears her throat. “I met your little companion. Cute, but it looks like you’ve been a little too hard on her. Dimitri is ensuring that she’s being taken care of as we speak.”
I narrow my eyes on her, unsure if she means for her words to come across as a threat or a reassurance. If it’s a threat and he’s touching her, I’ll chop offevery oneof his appendages and use them to beat this woman to death. But I don’t let my face betray that the thought of another man touching her makes me want to paint the world red with blood.
“There are more where she comes from.” I shrug, holding tight to the illusion that Soren doesn’t mean anything to me. She doesn’t… at least, she’s not supposed to. She’s supposed to be my toy, something I take pleasure in destroying and then walk away from without a backward thought. And yet, the thought of anything happening to her makes my stomach tighten and my heart beat faster. I think I cover it well.
“But I’m curious…” I pause, realizing I’ve never learned her name, “What is it to you? Remington is your boss, his sister is an extension of that, but why do you care enough that you feel emboldened to threaten me to find her?”
Her eyes flicker with realization when she recognizes that she just threw herself under the bus. She turns quickly away, and I think she’s going to leave so I take another pull of my coffee and set my focus on the screen before me again.
“Rhea’s like a daughter to me.” She sighs, and when I look up to grant her my attention, she turns back to face me. Her hand is pressed over her mouth while she contemplates telling me more. She drops it to let it rest on her chest, and I honestly can’t tell if she’s having heart palpitations or just trying to emphasize the sincerity of her claim. “I love that girl, and I love Remy. They are my family, and I will do anything to protect what is left of my family. I’ve lost too much to this dark business. Do you understand me?”
