6
“Ack.”
My eyes snap to my black crow. He’s flapping his wings as he flies around the living room. Glass windows take up three of the living room walls, facing a dense forest where the only thing you can see for miles is tall tree trunks. He’s a common raven that I helped nurse back to health in Melbourne when I was visiting my client, a politician wanting votes for his campaign. I made it happen for that man. I also kept records of his secrets, knowing it would one day come in handy.
I kept Blaze with me when I couldn’t let go, and he didn’t mind travelling with me.
He is the only one I don’t mind in my presence, nor do I mind him when I want to be alone. Somehow, he understands my need for silence. He always does.
Blaze comes back into the kitchen above me, circles the kitchen island I am seated at two times, then alights on my shoulder. He tilts his head, bends down, and pokes me on the shoulder once.
“You want this too?” I point to the pathetic bowl of cereal I quickly made. I have to head out to meet with my personal accountant soon.
Picking some cereal out of the box, I hold it up to his beak. He nibbles it, then taps on my shoulder twice. I chuckle.
“Okay, now you want two? Little greedy shit. I already fed you.” I give it to him nonetheless, and after being satisfied, he takes off, cawing loudly in the living room.
He only does this when he wants to get out. I can’t take him anywhere; but now that I think about it… Would anyone say anything to me if I did? Remo granted me newfound power to help me live lavishly in London.
“Get ready, Blaze. We are going out.”
I put away my dishes, then open the door and watch as Blaze swoops out. His caws are loud and cheerful. I laugh as I head to my black HR2 bike.
“Come on, on my shoulder!” I shout.
He flies up high, then dives, spinning in tight, graceful circles. He makes it seem like I never let him out when I do, every single day.
We reach my new accountant’s office, and I am directed to the waiting room. My head drops back against the wall, and I pet Blaze, who perches on my shoulder as I wait. Blaze watches everyone go by in the office building. It’s quite a popular place. I didn’t think the accountant would be this busy, but Remo told me to consider him. Funnily enough, he readily accepted the money I presented to him to use Glamorous to launder my money. No one seems to care that I have a crow on my shoulder, but Blaze caws at the few who do, making them scramble away. I have to hold my laughter in.
As soon as the door in front of me opens, I rise to my feet and head to it, but the person walking out slams into me. Hard. Blaze screams, his wings flapping and brushing my ear.
“Watch where you’re going! Are you blind?” The familiar sharp voice hits my ears, and when I look down at the woman picking up her file, an amused smile makes its way onto my face.
“So my little emerald is here,” I drawl, my head tilting.
From the corner of my eye, I catch Blaze tilting his head, too, scrutinising Ambrose.
The nickname is a slip of my tongue.
She’s in a white long-sleeved shirt with a cardigan and black leggings. I search for any emerald on her. And I find it in the earrings that wink at me the minute she tucks her hair behind her ear. A dip forms in my stomach.
Her eyes snap up, the brown in them bold and alluring.
“Why are you everywhere I go?” She frowns, her mouth twisting to the side.
“Here to launder money?” I ask, eyebrow quirked.
She scowls, and my loud laugh echoes down the hallway.
“You pay me perfectly fine. My presence here isn’t your concern.” Her shoulders slump as a sigh falls from her lips.
She rocks forward, and I swiftly step in front of her.
She huffs. “Really?”
I step closer, my eyes holding hers captive. Her gaze is sharp, like a fox ready to outsmart its prey and devour it.
“You are maddening. Do you know that?” Ambrose rushes out, throwing her hands up.
“Then does that make me your one and only special?”
“More like most hated.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Believe what you want. Now get out of my way.”
I don’t move.
“Helia.”
My eyebrows rise at her using my name, though it shouldn’t be a surprise. She loves pissing me off with her amusing empty threats.
“Don’t look at me like that. We aren’t in the office—”
“Doesn’t mean you don’t work for me,”
“And you should try giving people a thing called private space.”
“I just can’t seem to stay away from you.”
Her eyes blaze at this comment. Not in a good way. She looks ready to murder me with her sharp claws. I can still feel the sting from the other day when she dug them into my neck. Another surprise.
“Would you stop interrupting me?” she snaps. Her jaw tics, and the vein on the side of her porcelain neck throbs angrily. She’s a volcano about two seconds away from erupting.
“No,” I grunt with a huff.
Her eyes move to Blaze, who sits silent and foreboding on my shoulder. The moment Ambrose notices him, her eyes widen. I’m not sure if it’s in fear, astonishment, or just absolute confusion.
“Admit it. You’re happy to see me.” I smirk, knowing full well she hates the mere sight of me. She would rather make me choke on the papers in her hand, smash my head against the nearest wall, and watch with a sadistic smile than actually be happy in my presence.
And yet there is a magnetic force about her. How else would I explain this odd zap whenever we accidentally touch? With every passing moment, with every glance at her, there is this need, this desire, to feel her skin. Be it a mere touch to feel her cold skin burn against my warmth or to just have her in my sight.
I need her to always be in front of me.
“You are a piece of shit,”
I laugh harder.
Her eyes move to Blaze once more…
“Stealing animals doesn’t seem like your type of hobby,” Ambrose mutters, looking at Blaze every couple of seconds.
She scrunches her nose, but her eyes stay wide and soft.
Ambrose tentatively reaches out to pet Blaze, and I am frozen in place. I just stare. Like an idiot.
The world fades. Nothing is in focus anymore except Ambrose.
Blaze caws in surprise, tilting his head at me, as if asking permission. Then he hops forward and settles on Ambrose’s shoulder. She gasps, turning her head to look at him.
And I am still fucking frozen, as if I just witnessed something life altering.
“Why are you with this guy? I want to take you home with me and save you from him. He is really mean to me. Does he know you hide food from him? I know you do. I bet it’s in a secret place.”
I finally blink out of my frozen state.
Blaze caws like he understands what she just said.
“I wondered where the extra food went,” I say.
Ambrose doesn’t look my way or acknowledge me. And now I want her to. I want her to look at me like she looks at Blaze. I want to know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of it. And that thought is terrifying. I should be focusing on breaking this woman, not wanting her to look at me with wonder.
Ripping my eyes away from her, I step away and open the accountant’s office door into her. She glares at me.
“Let’s go, Blaze. If you’ll excuse me, some of us have things to do.” I walk inside without looking back, but I can very much feel her narrowed, angry eyes on the back of my head. Blaze caws faintly once more, then lands on my shoulder.
“You’re not the only one who has shit to do, Helia. You—”
The door shuts behind me, and the man behind the desk rises from his chair.
His eyes go straight to my scar, and all the amusement drains from me.
He keeps staring, and I want to gouge his eyes out.
He clears his throat and nods at the seat before his desk. “Let’s get started, Mr Nashwood. I have been given an idea of what you need from Mr Cainn. Could you tell me exactly how much money we are working with?”
I let my eyes go over the room before I roam around it, touching any place where there could be cameras or recording devices.
Once I am sure there is nothing of the sort, I take my seat in front of the older man.
“Seven hundred million British pounds.” For now.
Once the two-hour meeting is over, I am ready to step out, but I pause.
“The woman who came in before me. What did she come to do?”
Mr Daveport looks up from his computer screen to fix his uncertain gaze on me. He hesitates, but I let an easy smile widen my lips. My head turns towards Blaze, who is looking at him, too.
“Don’t worry. Your secret will stay safe with me. I’ll transfer a good amount of money in exchange for this information.”
He nods, and it irks me that it was that easy. Not a single fight in him or any hint of morals.
Maybe he isn’t good enough to be doing my business. I need to keep an eye out for him.
“She came to take money out of her bank and transfer it to a shell account for safekeeping.”
I frown. “Why?”
“Ms Ambrose has been saving money and setting it aside for over a year now. She mentioned she wants to give it to someone, but I am unaware of whom the intended recipient is. She did tell me that she doesn’t want her name anywhere on the accounts because of her position. It wouldn’t go well for her if this were ever to leak. Which I trust it won’t.” He gives me a pointed look.
I nod. I wouldn’t tell a soul, but none of that answers my question.
I’ll just ask her myself.
Tonight. I will be at her house tonight.
Just like every night.
I find that my thoughts around her take a completely different turn, but enough milling about.
The note I left her was supposed to be anything but sweet, and I know she isn’t stupid to think it was. It was a way of saying she won’t ever get to hear those words from anyone.
I will be there to destroy you tonight, Ambrose.