Chapter 12 #2
I sense the figure leaving me, and hear a door opening and closing. My skin prickles, and I clasp my hands on my lap to resist the primal instinct to lift my hood and take a look around.
I daren’t do it. Not for anything.
I’m not waiting very long before I hear the same door opening.
At least three people enter the room, I can tell by their footsteps.
They don’t speak, but I hear them positioning themselves opposite me, sitting down on leather themselves.
A Chesterfield, maybe? Something grand. I picture three suited, powerful men watching me.
“Are you feeling comfortable, Holly?” a different man asks me, with a much warmer tone than the last.
“Yes, thank you,” I reply, then remember my previous experience here. “Thank you, master.”
“Master isn’t needed here yet,” the new man says. “Your master will direct you when it’s time for your scene. If you are prepared to make it that far.”
“I’ll definitely make it.”
“Good.” He pauses. “We have some questions for you, as the proposal stated.”
My pulse races, and my gut tightens. I really do feel like a convict on trial.
“About Connor, right? About him calling me out in public?”
“Indeed. We need to get a full understanding of this situation. If you would care to explain.”
I wish they could see my face and the sincerity as my mouth runs with the explanation.
Feeling on trial brings the trap of helplessness back, and my words come out in one ragged flow, with embarrassing tears.
I can’t help them spilling free as I unload.
A cathartic release in front of the people who control my career.
Connor is my ex, I was with him for years, helping him in the music scene.
I thought he’d make it, honestly, but I didn’t think it would be like this!
He cheated on me, with a girl called Carly, and left me before I became an entertainer.
I was single when I signed up, I swear, and I never told him.
I never, ever gave him a clue. I never even wanted to see him again.
But Carly turned out to be Josh’s sister, and Connor found out I was an entertainer, and the whole thing got crazy…
“Calm down,” the man says. “It’s ok, Holly, this isn’t a trial. We’re purely trying to get a picture of what we are dealing with. Orla explained the situation after having spoken with you, and it was already under investigation by us.”
I try to breathe through my tears, struggling to calm myself.
“Ok.”
“If we’d have believed you were purposely trying to expose The Agency, or had taken any monetary deals which would jeopardise us, we would have barred your account immediately.”
I manage a deep breath, relief flooding through me.
“Thank you. I’m so glad you didn’t. I was so scared, I couldn’t face looking. Not for ages. Because my job means so much. I love being an entertainer!”
“We can tell that from your reviews.” He pauses. “And from witnessing your enthusiasm firsthand.”
I nod in my hood. I wish they could see my relieved smile.
“Back to the topic at hand,” the man says. “Does your ex-boyfriend have any evidence of your involvement with The Agency? Any details about us?”
“No. I would never share that information. Neither would Josh. Sorry, um, Weston. You know him as Weston.”
“Do you believe your ex would be trying to gain access to us? To uncover our identity?”
I shrug at that. Just be truthful, baby.
“I don’t know. If he was still bothered about me, then maybe.
” I take a breath. “Connor’s a self-obsessed prick though, and he’s probably getting so much smoke blown up his arrogant ass now he’s made it that he doesn’t give two tosses about me or what I’m doing.
He’s drawing plenty of attention by screwing people around himself.
He doesn’t need me around to cause a whirlwind of gossip.
People have plenty of keyboard warrior fuel without him spouting on about me. ”
“We’ve noticed that social media attention on you has decreased substantially over the past few weeks.”
“Thanks to Katie Del Francis and a poor MUA, yes.”
“And to many others,” the man says. “There is a lot more yet to come.”
Something in his tone sends a zip of energy straight up my spine. Whoever this is knows something. Knows things about Connor. Things I don’t.
“We are very well connected as an organisation,” the man continues. “We have access to a great deal of resources. And as I said, we have been conducting our own research behind the scenes.”
I can’t resist the urge to question him.
“Has Connor messed up even more since the MUA thing? What’s he done? Is he on drugs, or has he screwed more people over? He could have done anything, I know that. He’s such an idiot.”
I get a stab of resentment at the thought of the man I used to love. I thought he was so much better than this.
“I’m sorry, Holly, but I’m not prepared to share that information,” the man says. “We’re the ones asking the questions here.”
“Of course, sorry.”
My hood muffles the details of the hushed whispers of the people sitting opposite me, but I hear them conferring. It makes me twitchy until someone clears their throat, attention back on me.
“Holly, can you give us your assurances that, to the best of your knowledge, Connor Preston has no access to your entertainer profile? There is nothing, to your knowledge, he could use as blackmail, or divulge on social media to compromise The Agency?”
“No. Nothing. He tried to buy my services when he found out I was an entertainer, because he suddenly had money, but I said there was no chance in hell. He didn’t say a thing about The Agency. Honestly, I think if he had anything on me, or you, he’d have used it already.”
“That’s good to know.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. Interrogation over. Or so I think.
“Holly,” a different man says. “It’s important that we understand what your emotional state is.
Your reviews have been excellent since your return to work, and we are aware you are currently in a relationship with another of our entertainers.
Still, we need to know for certain what your true feelings are. ”
“My feelings? Like stress wise?” I wish they could see my expression, trying to weigh up their words.
“Yeah, I’m ok now, thanks. Well, I’m getting there.
I’m better every day. Josh, um, Weston, has been amazing.
He helped me through the horrible lows when I thought the whole world was crumbling and everyone hated me as the hooker ex who broke Connor’s heart in that stupid song.
And I’m getting back on my feet again. I’ve been edgy, and trying to keep out of view, and I haven’t been back to Belgravia once, but that’s ok.
Maybe one day, right?” I let out a sad laugh before I check myself.
“I wouldn’t go back there unless I was dead sure it wouldn’t cause problems for The Agency, I promise. ”
“We are glad to hear you are feeling more positive. It must have been a very challenging situation.”
“Yeah, it was. Very challenging. But it’s ok. I’m ok.”
“And how do you feel about Connor? Do you still have any feelings for him?”
The question takes me aback. I jolt in my seat, because I’d rather chew my own arm off than be anywhere near the sonofabitch.
“No. None at all. I can’t stand him.”
“That’s your honest answer? Please tell us the truth, Holly. Things are entirely confidential in this room.”
I wish they could see my jaw drop.
“I swear on my life that I have no feelings for Connor whatsoever. I wasted so many years of my life on him, just for him to ditch me like I meant nothing, and then tried to crawl back like a sad puppy! I would never, ever, ever want to be associated with him again. He’d have trashed my life without giving a damn about any of it, and he tried.
My relationship with my parents, my relationship with my career, my relationship with Josh.
” I’m rambling and I know it. “No. I don’t have any feelings for Connor. None at all.”
“And you’re certain that won’t change, regardless of his circumstances? Regardless of what happens to him?”
I get another zip up my spine at the question.
Regardless of his circumstances…
They sure know more than I do. Just the thought of how much brings me out in shivers.
“I’m certain that won’t change,” I tell them. “Not ever.”
The silence is heavy now. Really heavy.
The thought of Connor being anywhere near me makes me sick to the stomach, but as I sit there, shackled in front of strangers, I get another round of shivers. Because these people, whoever they are, with all their connections, could do whatever the fuck they wanted to…
And what if they wanted to… what if they plan to…
“Connor is going to be alright, isn’t he?” I ask, leaning forward. “I mean, you aren’t going to, um…”
“Um what, exactly?”
My cheeks are burning up under the fabric. The air feels stifled.
“You aren’t going to, um… kill him, are you?”
It’s a massive relief when the group sitting opposite me start to chuckle.
“No, Holly. We aren’t going to be having Connor Preston assassinated. We have resources at our fingertips for a huge amount of services, but we certainly don’t employ hitmen.”
Oh my God, the burn of my cheeks. I feel like a total fucking idiot.
“Sorry. That was dumbass.”
“No need to apologise.”
The other guys are still chuckling.
“It’s this place,” I say, laughing along. “It just gives the vibe of…”
“Mafia controlling assassins?”
“Yeah. Something like that.”
“That’s understandable. Powerful, yes. Ruthless, yes, at times. Violent assassins, definitely not.”
“That’s good to know,” I laugh.
The laughter opposite stops dead when someone leans forward and grabs hold of the chain between my cuffs. Oh, how it snaps me back to my current situation. I’m naked, being questioned by anonymous, powerful men who I’ll never see. Who want to use me. Hurt me.
“We may not endorse assassination, Holly, but please don’t forget that we are very controlling,” the voice says. “And we are extreme sadists. Which leads us on to the final question. Please consider your reply very carefully before you answer. The outcome will be severe.”
My palms feel sweaty. The atmosphere tensing up in the room.
“What is it?” I ask. “What is the final question?”
“Would you like to complete your proposal?”
I don’t need to consider my answer. It’s already right on my tongue.
I want a different type of tears rolling down my cheeks before the night is up. I want to surrender. To lose control. To free my soul in the most delirious of ways. Such a relief after so much tension, trying to keep my head together as the world spun off its axis around me.
“Yes,” I say, “It would be an absolute honour.”