The Mysterious Mr. Miller

11. SPITFIRE IN MY HOUSE

What he didn't know was that I needed to release some pressure one way or another. Seeing her in that tiny towel was messing with my brain and it was better for me to divert my energy somewhere else.

Lately, that little spitfire was getting on my nerves. She was tiny but she knew how to push my buttons. She was stubborn and irritating but somehow, she had me wrapped around her finger. She made me do things I'd never do for anyone and she made me forgive her for things for which I'd cut tongues of others.

After spending half an hour on the treadmill, I took a long bath to cool myself and then made my way downstairs. I was greeted with the sight of Penelope smiling at something Jason said and it irked me. But I knew if I said anything, Lucas would annoy the hell out of me for that. So I just took my seat and poured a glass of milk for myself.

"So what happened to that man you caught?" She said as she stacked the pancakes and poured a lot of maple syrup on top.

"Nothing you should be stressing your little head over." Lucas replied.

"Why? I deserve to know. He was following me." She said. I could see Lucas' jaw ticking. He didn't like her me much, given he didn't like people in general anyways. But he knew not to harm her in any way, an order that came directly from me.

"And he wouldn't be following you in future. That's the only thing you need to know." I interjected.

"What did you do to him? Gave him to police?" She shuddered. If she was shuddering at that then she better not be informed what would really happen to that guy.

"In a way, yes." I said. She doesn't need to know that I was both the police and the law here.

She blinked in return, her light green eyes partially hiding behind her unruly auburn bangs. There was something about her hair that makes me want to lace my fingers through them and.... I cleared my throat to distract myself.

"Well, he needed to be punished for what he did. The law will deal with him." She said, more to herself than us. "I wish he reforms himself after that."

"Hmm." I nodded.

After finishing the breakfast, she went to her room and Lucas and I went to the basement at the back side of our mansion. It was safe hidden place where we carried most of our business to avoid any nuisance.

Lucas and I climbed downstairs and turned to the second door on our left where that man was being kept. The torture by my men had made him almost limp. He was trying to lower to the floor but his chained hands kept him upright.

Lucas moved forwards and woke him up by grabbing him by his hair. Fear rushed through him when he saw us and he began to beg for freedom.

"Quiet." I groaned, not wanting to hear his squeaky voice any longer. "Now listen, you have told us who sent you. But you still haven't told me why. Who killed Elijah Woods and why is Machiavelli after Penelope."

"I don't know." He said.

I walked closer to him to stare right into his dark brown eyes. "You must know something."

"I promise, I don't know." He said. The blood on his body had dried up in several places but there was a fresh cut now, from his nose down to his jaw.

"He says he doesn't know anything Sean." Lucas said. "Is he of any use to us now?"

"None that I can think of." I replied calmly. Lucas pulled out his gun from the pocket of his coat and aimed at his head.

"Wait, wait." The guy trembled.

"Yes." I stopped Lucas.

"Elijah Woods had something against the Machiavelli's. It might---"

"Might. You need to try harder." I whispered.

Tears were spilling out of his eyes as he panicked in agony. "I don't know. I swear I don't have any inside news." He stammered.

"Okay, I believe you." I said and patted his bare shoulder, a silver of hope flickered in his eyes. "Don't worry. I won't let my brother kill you."

"Thank you. Thank you so much." He said, crying.

"I do my handiwork myself." I said and wrapped my hand around his neck. He tried to free himself in panic but my hold was stronger. I watched as his face reddened and his nostrils flared.

It took him around two and a half minutes to go limp. But before the satisfaction of killing him could hit me, a scream reached my ears. Both Lucas and I turned to the source of the voice. And there she stood, her face pale and laced with hottor, her eyes frozen on the dead body of the man I had just killed.

"Penelope." I called her name and her eyes whipped towards me. There was fear in them and something else too-- disgust.

"Shit." I rushed behind her as she attempted to run away.

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