The Secret in the Mist (Random Updates)

Chapter 6

'What kind of hell hole is this place?' Wolf thought as he pulled up to the apartment building. There was no doorman or any kind of security in place. It looked as if just anyone could walk into the building at any time. What confused him even more was that the duchess seemed to relax more here than back at the estate. How could someone feel comfortable in this shit hole? He fumed as she just casually got out of her car and started heading to the building that looked like it was a slumlord's property.

His thoughts were confirmed as she just pushed open the front door and walked in despite it being evening and started climbing the stairs that creaked underneath her feet. The carpet looked like it came out of the 50's or 60's and he was pretty sure he spotted some rot in the wooden stairs.

"How long has the elevator been out of work?" He grumbled as he wiped his hand on his jeans to try and get rid of some mysterious substance that was on the stair railing. He tried hard not to think of what it could be. He noticed that she didn't touch the walls or the stairs as she climbed the steps.

"Um," she didn't turn around to address him, "I've b...b...been here about four y...y...years and it's n...n...never worked so I don't know."

"Fucking figures," he said as he looked around. "And your landlord?"

"He...he...he doesn't answer messages," she tried to explain as they reached the third floor. "This is me." He noticed her voice dropped even softer as he reached her side. She looked as if she was trying to pull into herself even more. 'What the hell was going on now?'

Just as they passed the third door on the left, it swung open and she tensed then slightly stepped closer to him, which threw him for a loop before he regained control of himself.

"Hey Evangeline," a man smirked smugly as he leaned against the doorframe. "Looking sexy there. Where you been? Haven't seen you for a bit."

"J...J...Jeremy," she whispered. He could smell the alcohol coming off this slob that was looking at her like she was a piece of meat. Anger filled him as he forced himself to wrap his arm around her shoulder. She barely winced before she took a millimeter step closer to him.

"Who's this?" Jeremy asked as he pushed off the doorframe then gripped it to regain his balance. "I never seen you before," he glared at Wolf. "I told you I'd walk you home from the library at night, Evangeline. Should call me, you know me, not this stranger. Not safe talking to strangers E, come tell me all about your boring books and I'll make you something to eat. Probably forgot to get you some dinner again, didn't you?"

"She already ate and she knows me," Wolf growled as he pulled her closer to him. "Come along, we need to hurry so we aren't late to our plans."

She sent him a confused look so he narrowed his eyes slightly more and she quickly masked her face while nodding. She pulled her keys out of her bag and he took them from her while standing directly behind her as she walked, effectively blocking the view of the creep. He heard him mumbling threats under his breath but he kept his cool since he knew it would just cause more problems right now.

He kept close to her as she walked two doors past the creepy man but on the opposite side. He reached around her and unlocked the door then pushed her inside gently. Shutting the door behind him, he turned to lock it but frowned when the deadlock wouldn't slide.

"It doesn't work," she replied when she saw what he was trying to do. "Never has."

"That's not safe," he grumbled as he turned to take in her apartment. The wallpaper was peeling, water stains could be found on the ceiling, untreated hardwood floors, and her furniture was clearly second-hand. The room was laid out with a single love-seat couch in a murky brown color with faded patches and tears littered across it. The TV stand, if it could be called that, was a small 3-shelf bookcase with a bulky television that belonged back in the 90s. The bookshelves were filled with various books and a couple of puzzles. To the right through a partition in the wall led to what looked like a closet kitchen. From where he was standing it looked like a safety hazard if it were to be used and the cupboards looked like they would fall off the wall just by a single touch. 'Surely, she couldn't stand this and would feel more at ease at the duke's residence?'

But the way she walked around with a soft smile on her lips told him that she felt entirely too comfortable in this place and took pride in it, even if there was barely anything in it. He followed her down the small hallway and stood in the doorway as she walked around her bedroom. They had done right with getting blues and purples, there was a well-worn blue pillow on a very thin purple blanket on her queen-size mattress that was on the floor and she had painted an almost falling-apart dresser blue with purple drawers. Something caught his eye as she walked towards the small bathroom.

"What's with the suitcase?"

She came back into the room and looked to where he was pointing. "Oh, I was th...th...thinking about g...g...going to the beach th...th...this weekend to work. Then I got Mr. T...T...Thomas' papers."

"Well now you can whenever you want," he said as he turned to leave the room. "I'll wait out here."

She nodded so he headed to what he guessed was the living room although it looked like it was just random used pieces of furniture, including the huge box television. Raine and Cirro were not going to be happy about this once he told them. He just stood in the middle of the room as he didn't want even to attempt sitting on the worn-out couch. Ten minutes went by when he couldn't hear her moving around the room anymore.

He walked back toward the bedroom to see if she was about done when he heard her phone ring. "Hello Father," her voice was soft and full of worry. He entered her room just to see her walk out onto a small balcony. She sat in a wooden chair that creaked under her and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Why haven't you been answering my calls?" His voice echoed into the room loudly as Wolf listened in. "I have been bloody calling you all damn day. What kind of daughter are you?"

"I'm sorry, Father," she whimpered. "I have been working all day and I can't have my phone on while I'm working."

"I don't care about your stupid books," he yelled in annoyance. "I need some money."

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any money that I can give you," she said as she pressed her fingers into her temples. "I just paid all my bills."

"That's bullshit and we both know it," he growled. "I know you have been working more so that means you got more money. Now you need to help your parents out. After everything we have done for you, helping you through school and all that shit, are you really not going to take care of us now?" He asked in a condescending tone.

Evangeline sighed as she blinked back tears while looking out at the city below her. She sniffled then sighed, "I'm telling you the truth, Father, I don't have any money I can give you. And what do you mean you helped me with school? I got into university all on my own and I paid my own tuition by getting loans which I am now paying back. I don't have any spare money to give you."

"That's really how you're going to talk to your father?" he yelled. "After busting my ass for all these years to take care of you and your mother this is how you're going to repay me? You are seriously going to turn your back on your parents when they need you? What kind of daughter are you?"

She sniffled and wiped her eyes, "I'm sorry, Father. I've just had a really long day with this new client. How much do you need and I'll see what I can do."

He chuckled proudly, "A thousand. I knew you were a good daughter, I raised you well."

Evangeline bit back a remark as she pressed a few buttons on her phone. "Okay, it sent. I don't have anything else in my savings." She sighed as if releasing everything into the soft breeze, "I need to get back to work. My client wants this done as soon as possible."

"Yeah whatever," he hung up without even saying bye.

"You're welcome," she murmured as she dropped her phone onto her lap.

She sat in silence for a few moments, getting lost in her thoughts while Wolf watched the darkness start to envelop her. Just maybe she was different than they thought. He shook that thought from his head as he walked over to her. "Done?"

She jumped up and hurried back into her room. She tossed her clearly most prized books that were lying beside her mattress on top of the clothes then shut the suitcase. Spotting her most prized possession besides her books, she picked up the beloved blue bear that had a crown on his head and a shirt with DUKE written across it. She held the bear to her chest and nodded, "Yeah, I'm done."

'Good' he thought as he took the suitcase from her. There was a lot he needed to discuss with Raine and Cirro.