Eleanor
"You want to what?!" My eyelids fluttered with shock and confusion as I stared at the wigs and clothes on the bed before glancing at a nervous Adrian and back to a furious Liam.
The air conditioners humd softly in the background and yet I was burining, my skin prickling with heat like I’ve been sitting under the sun for hours.
I had actually thought that Adrian was kidding when he said sothing about seduction skills out on the facade but now after hearing Liam’s words...
"Just because this house is sound proof doesn’t an you can scream like that." Liam cut through my thoughts with his jaw clenched, sounding annoyed when he was clearly the one in the wrong here.
My hands clenched at my sides, nails digging crescents into my palms, but even the pain did nothing to cool the fire rushing through . "Well do you expect to speak calmly to you after what you just said?!"
Liam’s eyes flashed with anger as he opened his mouth to speak but paused when Adrian placed his hand on his shoulder. "Theodora relax." Adrian held his hands up, maintaining a soft tone.
"How do you expect to..." I stuttered, unable to find the right words, my chest rising and falling in quick, shallow breaths as he raised a hand, gesturing for to calm down.
I then averted their gazes crossing my hands over my chest as I tried to calm myself with slow, long breaths.
It’s okay Eleanor. It’s not as bad as it sounds. Just relax.
"Thank you." Adrian’s eyes lit up with a smile before he gave Liam’s shoulder a double pat. "You see, my buddy here didn’t exactly explain it...properly." He hesitated before saying his smile growing wider.
I lifted a brow as I couldn’t stop the smile from playing on my lips. "And I supposed you want to do that now?"
"If...you’ll let ." He held up a finger as his palm slid off Liam’s shoulder. My eyes lingered on the frowning Liam for a second longer before they flicked to Adrian’s expectant eyes.
"Okay...I’m listening." I muttered, an eye roll escaping and my arms still locked over my chest.
"Good good." Adrian nodded with a grin and his fingers wrapped around his freshly shaved chin. "Okay now look..." he paused, placing his hands behind him as he paced the room slowly.
"...There’s this guy," he began, his tone dropping ever so slightly as he walked back and forth. "Private investigator, I think he’s in his late fifties or so?" His hands reached for his chin again as his eyes darted to Liam who was clearly not interesting in giving any more details than the ones he already had.
Asshole.
"Yeah, he’s smart as hell, almost never makes a mistake...even though he’s getting old." He remarked with a small laugh that made smile a bit and forget I was angry a few seconds ago.
"He encrypts his laptop, doesn’t let it leave his side, doesn’t connect to public Wi-Fi...The man practically sleeps with it under his pillow...you get what I an." He quickly added when I gave him a pointed look.
He then stopped pacing for a second and gestured at . "Now, here’s the thing—he doesn’t have a weakness for money, power, or drugs like most n do."
He leaned in slightly, voice low and serious now. "The only ti he slips up is well...around won. Well not exactly won his age but young girls." His eyes flicked around as he was obviously emberassed as where he was heading to now.
"So he’s a pedophile." I said simply.
"Exactly." Adrian said imdiately, making it seem like he was waiting for to say the word. "The only type of won he likes are the ones that are young enough to be his daughter." He explained causing to wrinkle my nose in disgust.
He then tilted his head, giving a look. "We’ve tried getting close before—guys, girls, hacking—he never slipped. But there was this one ti...this intern—barely twenty—batted her lashes, asked him for help with her case, and he left his laptop unlocked long enough to even pour her a drink."
Adrian straightened up with a soft shrug. "That was our window. We didn’t get the chance to use it then, but now...we’ve got you." His amber eyes lit up as he slipped his hands into his pocket and I could swear I heard Liam scoff.
My gaze darted to the other side of the room where he rested against the dresser with his arms and ankles crossed.
If only he was a bit more nicer like Adrian here.
"So you don’t need to use my body?" I asked my mind wandering back to Liam’s words and I fought the urge to shudder l.
"Well...it’s a bit complicated." Adrian winced when I glared at him.
"So you do need my body then."
"If it cos to that but I promise we won’t let him touch you." Adrian said his arms raised in a gesture of surrender and we heard Liam sneer. "Okay I won’t let him touch you then." He shrugged when I arched a brow.
"And to think I was dragged into this without knowing what I was in for." I couldn’t hide the annoyance in my tone.
"Don’t be mad at . Like I said..." he put his hand to his chest as a smug smile crept up his lips. "I’m excellent boyfriend material, I would have told you. He’s the one who didn’t tell you." He jerked his thumb towards the man in the corner who was paying zero attention to us and busy with his phone.
"So..."Adrian had a pleading look on his face as he joined his hands together. "Are you going to help us or not?"
"Do I even have a choice?" I huffed.
"Don’t worry. Nothing’s gonna happen to you. And even if sothing does happen which I’m certain will not...I’m sure a sharp and witty girl like you is perfectly capable of protecting herself."
I suppressed my smile, my eyes rolling in response. "I’ll just pretend I don’t know what you’re doing."
I was certain his face was going to split in half any mont from now. "And I’ll pretend I don’t know what you’re talking about." He said with a small nod. "Now we’ll excuse you so you can get ready."
Adrian gestured towards the stuff on the bed. "We wouldn’t want to put you in any kind of danger by going without a proper disguise?"
"I’m sure your disguise would protect from all types of danger I’m going to face out there, Adrian." I drawled as I watched him make his way out of the bedroom.
"Alex...you coming?" Adrian’s voice echoed in the corridors and I turned to et Liam’s icy stare already on .
I then looked away like he was never there before I moved to pick up the different coloured wigs on the bed.
I get to pick out what colour I want. Cool.
Just like playing dress up, but in a mature kind of way.
I picked up the red one and the black one before heading towards the dresser where he sat so I could see my reflection and I couldn’t help but ask myself why on earth soone would decided to have guest rooms this huge?
Thea’s family was rich but they didn’t even have guest rooms this big.
This place was bigger than my whole apartnt back then, when I was still Eleanor. I stared at my reflection and I felt a gnawing sensation in my chest.
Slowly I was starting to forgot what I even looked like before.
"You know, you should consider being a lot more like your friend." I said, my gaze never leaving the pair of green eyes staring back at . "Being an arrogant jerk won’t get you anywhere."
Liam’s gaze burned into my neck and I was afraid he was going to snap my neck in half any mont now, but instead he just pushed himself off the dresser and headed for the door.
To my surprise he didn’t say a word to .
At least that’s what I thought.
"I’d stick to the black one if I were you. Red is definitely not your colour." The sound that followed after that was almost deafening as he slamd the door behind him.
My jaw pulsed as my hands clenched into fists beside . What does he an red is not my colour???
My gaze flicked back to the glowing green eyes in the mirror. "Oh I’ll show him. I’m going to make him eat those damn words."
Reviews
All reviews (0)