Four

Chapter 4

Aviana

I woke up to the sound of heavy knocking at my door. Quickly I jumped and put on some clothes, Lucas had gotten me last night before going to answer the door.

“Ready for your first day?” Lucas asked with an unsettling smile.

“Um, yes.”

“You don't look ready, showered and wear this. We'll be leaving for the estate today. You have 45 minutes.”

“The estate?”

I asked in confusion.

“Where you'd be staying. The Iron vine mansion,” He said with a shrug before walking off…

I closed my door and immediately hopped in the shower and when I was then, I styled my hair then put on the clothes Lucas had given me before putting on some makeup.

When I was done applying my makeup, I left the room to find Lucas in the hallway.

“Ready?”

He asked and I nodded.

“Yes but where is the Boss?”

I asked, looking around.

“Gone, he was the first to leave this morning.”

“I see,”

“Well then, ladies first,” he gestured towards the elevator and I followed him.

The elevator ride was silent save for Lucas who kept texting someone on his phone.

I assumed it was one of his men

As the elevator door opened, Lucas led me outside the hotel where a sleek Escalade sat parked in front.

“You seem nervous, Anna…” Lucas observed as he opened the car door for me.

“Not at all,” I answered before skipping into the sleek Escalade.

“Good. I know you are just an accountant but in this business, you can't afford to be nervous. The boss hates mistakes,”

I nodded. I already knew this. I knew Duncan Romano like I knew my own name. I had studied him for years and moulded myself into the perfect woman for this job.

A bad miscalculated a bit on how ruthless he was but it wasn't something I couldn't handle.

“I'll be sure to remember that,”

“Also loosen up. You are not a hostage, you are family now… sort of.”

“Sort of?” I asked with furrowed brows.

“I shouldn't be telling you this but you are currently still on trial… You are already in but you could still be kicked out and by kicked out, I mean…” he turned a gun with his hands and made a gun sound as he pointed the gun in my head.

I had been in countless near death situations u had survived. I was a reckless cop after all before I became a detective. Whatever this trial was, I was going to pass it

I had to.

The rest of the car was silent with me looking out the window as we rode to the iron vine mansion.

We pulled up in front of a colossal large building minutes lster.

“Is this it?” I asked, feigning awe as if I hadn't been here a 100 times before, lurking around and studying the place.

“Isn't it?” Lucas grinned, opening the door for me

He was so polite and sweet, it was weird because I knew just how ruthless he was.

I knew how ruthless they all were.

I stepped out and we both made our way into the grand estate.

The place screamed of luxury and serenity. A far cry from what I knew was going on in here.

The trees and shrubs gave it an illusion of a tropical island and the swimming pool was modelled after a stream. The fountain was that of a wolf….

I noticed a fear surveillance camera hidden around the building and more importantly a few men hidden in the shadows.

Lucas led her into the foyer that must have cost my entire combined back in Boston.

Wolf sculptures were pinned on either side of the flyers and I couldn't help but wonder what their obsession with wolves was all about..was that their emblem?

We entered a grand living room and Lucas led me through a spiral hallway that was more a maze than a hallway and opened a door and gestures for me to go in.

“This is your new space. Hope it's to your taste,”

“This is huge,” I observed, genuinely surprised at how my space was bigger than my entire studio apartment back in New York.

“Yes, the boss wants his most important employee comfortable. Well, if you need anything, there's an intercom that contains all the numbers. In the meantime in 3 hours, the boss would like to see you “

“Of course,” I nodded, swallowing.

I was not the biggest fan of Duncan.

He was too intense and my body kept betraying my trust whenever I was around him.

As I arranged the few things in my bag, I couldn't help but be search for a camera around.

I was fairly certain there had to be one around here.

A man like Duncan Romano wouldn't be stupid enough to rust me.

I noticed a teddy bear on the floor close to my bed and figured that was it.

I'd have to be careful around here.

After putting my clothes away, I showered and fell asleep. I'd have to call Reggie, my handler at night to let him know I was in.

*****

Lucas knocked on my door three hours later like he said he would and he led me to the Boss.

As I sat waiting for Duncan, I looked around, trying to get as much subliminal information as I could from his office.

As much as he was an extravagant man, he was also dark.

His entire office was made of desk colors and of course, a wolf head mat.

For a second, I wondered if he was autistic and this was his special interest.

The door opened just then and in walked Duncan.

My breath caught immediately. His presence was that powerful.

He stepped forward and I didn't dare look back at him.

He stopped just behind me for what felt like forever before he moved on to his chair behind the huge mahogany desk

“I believe you are well rested, Anna,”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Here is what we expect from you.” He handed me a Milan file.

“Read it at your own time.” He added and I dropped the document on my lap.

“You'll be signing this contract too, read at your own time but make sure you submit by the end of the day.”

“Of course, sir,”

Duncan nodded.

“You are dismissed,” he said.

“That's all?” I asked in confusion.

“For now,”

Confused, I rose and made my way out.

A sigh escaped my lips.

The intensity is still wrapping itself around me like a vice.

I spent the rest of the day looking around and when I was tired, I went back to my room and read the contract.

They wanted me to hide and audit their financial activities and fraudulent activities and as for being his personal assistant, I was meant to pick up his clothes. So, I was more like a personal shopper rather than an assistant…

I didn't like this but I was going to slowly gain his trust.

Night time came quickly and I fell asleep but not before setting an alarm clock.

A sudden rustling sound yanked me from sleep. My eyes fluttered open adjusting to the dim lighting of my room.

At first I thought it was nothing—maybw just the wind or my mind playing stupid games with me but then I felt a strange presence.

A dark one.

Something was in here.

I turned my head slightly, trying to find the lamp to put on the light but that was a mistake because what I saw next made my stomach curl in fear.

A massive wolf-like beast stood at the far corner of my room, its silver and golden eyes glowing in the darkness.Its fur was dark, almost blending into the shadows

Fear gripped my chest, tearing it out of my skin and a scream tore from my throat.

The moment my voice echoed through the room, I blinked—

And it was gone.

The space where the creature had been was now empty as if it had never been there. My breathing was erratic as I searched around my room but couldn't find it.

Had I just imagined it ? I sat up quickly, scanning every corner of my room thoroughly but nothing was out of place.

My heart pounded against my ribs as I swung my legs off the bed and cautiously stepped onto the cold floor, moving toward the door, I peeled into the hallway.

The corridor was quiet. Nobody seemed to be around..

I swallowed hard. Maybe I was just exhausted. Maybe my mind was fabricating things because of the stress.

Still, I needed fresh air.

Grabbing a cigarette from my bag, I slipped out of my room and made my way to the front yard. The night aror was crisp, cutting through the haze of my lingering fear.

I leaned against the stone railing and lit my cigarette, inhaling deeply.

Rhr mansion’s ground stretched before me, eerie tet strangely beautiful under glow of the crescent moon.

Then, that feeling returned. The feeling that someone was watching me.

Every nerve in my body tensed and I began to look around, searching the shadows of any sign of movement as I tried to be as still as possible. The hairs on the back of my neck stood and I swallowed.

Then…

Out of nowhere, Duncan emerged from the darkness and I jumped out of shock.

My breath hitched. He was dressed in all black pajamas, his piercing eye locked onto mine with an intensity that made my stomach tighten.

“What are you doing outside at this hour, Miss Reed?”

His voice was low, calm- too calm as he accessed me with those silver eyes.

I breathed out, caught off guard.

“I just needed some air,”

He didn't move but his gaze burned into me, studying me as if he cooks deep right through me. The silence between us stretched, thick with something unspoken.

Then he took a step closer.

I felt the heat of his body, hai presence wrapping around me.

My lips parted slightly as I struggled to breathe, my heart hammering in my chest.

He lifted his hand, fingers just barely brushing against my chin. My entire body tensed as he kaner in, his face mere inches from mine.

I didn’t know if it was the tension, the secrecy, or the way his scent wrapped around me like a drug—but I felt myself drowning in him.

What was this intense need and want for him?

His lips were so closeand his breath fanned me.

Just as I closed my eyes in anticipation for his lips.

He was gone.

I gasped, my eyes snapping open to find nothing but empty air.

A shiver ran down my spine.

What the hell just happened?