CHAPTER THIRTEEN: BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT
Exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks, caused by deflation more than anything.
I sat on the edge of my bed, struggling to unclasp the buckle on my 6inch heels. My feet weren't used to such fancy shoes.
"How you doing cupcake?" Grimes stood in my doorway, looking messy with blood soaked clothes and disheveled hair. "You know, after this evening."
"You saw." I commented, reaching for my other shoe. His facial features contorted into an almost pained expression and he leaned against my door post casually.
"Yeah, it was kinda my job to keep a watchful eye on him, and you." I sighed, flinging my shoes across the room and letting my feet sink into the luxurious rug.
"I don't get it Grimes, everything he does is for his own personal gain. He only did that tonight so he could take the clip from my hands. He's manipulative and cold, I thought it might be an act but it's not. He has one layer and it's merciless."
"You're not wrong." He pointed out, walking over to take a seat next to me on the bed. "And I'm not making excuses for him but that's what Luxtonburg turns you into, a monster."
"Bullshit. You're not like that." I fiddled with a sequin on my dress and then skimmed my palms over the fabric.
"Mr Leventis was there longer than me, he was so much younger when he first arrived, only a child. Some say he was born there but I'm sure that's just rumours.
To him, everyone has a job and they must do it. You're not a person, you're a stepping stone to complete the job. He will walk all over you, because you're nothing but a pawn to him and he will treat you however the hell he wants in order to achieve his end goal."
"He's a dick who just wants to have power over everyone." I muttered childishly. Grimes laughed and then agreed.
"Yes, power and control." He confirmed. "Mr Leventis will use sex, scare tactics, torture, money, leverage, anything in order to have power and control over absolutely everyone he meets. My advice for you would be to lay low, keep your head buried and stay away from him the best you can or you'll not survive here with him. That and, get yourself some sleep cupcake, you look tired."
He left and I tossed my pillows around looking for the target sweatpants and T-shirt that I slept in earlier, they were gone. The beds were made up with fresh linen and my clothes had been taken away.
Breathing a deep sigh of regret, I pulled open my door and walked silently towards the North wing. Aries' door was open a fraction and I spied him sat at the bottom of his bed, taking off his wrist watch.
The door creaked as I pushed it open and his stare flickered onto me.
"I'm tired Scarlet, I don't feel like continuing where we left off."
"I have no clothes." He viewed my dress like he was waiting for it to answer for itself.
"Maggie hasn't sent the designers to get you a whole new wardrobe?" He tossed his watch on the side table and started pulling at his bow tie.
"No and I don't want her to, if I accept your clothes then that means I'm accepting to be here for the long haul. I prefer to travel light, be ready to leave whenever I seize the opportunity."
He ignored that comment, just working on unbuttoning his shirt. I licked my lips in anticipation.
"Very well." He added, snapping my attention back onto his mouth. "You can pick something from my closet." He nodded his head towards two double doors and I immediately went inside.
His closet was bigger than mine and Sean's apartment. Wall upon wall of designer wear, all smelling freshly laundered in that oceany, palm breeze scent. Drawers filled with ties and leather gun holsters, racks with shoes. Everything colour organised and neat.
I grabbed a plain white shirt, some boxer shorts and socks, dressing myself in them and leaving the gown right where I stepped out of it, on the floor.
When I walked out of his closet he was flipping the duvet back on his bed.
The atmosphere was awkward, for me at least. If I was going to be trapped here I needed to offer up some attempt to smooth things over with him.
"I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt." I said softly.
He looked up at me, took a moment to assess what I was wearing before hooking his eye contact up with mine and waiting for me to explain further.
"I'm going to assume that what you did tonight was because you were really, really drunk and not because you're a manipulative dick who just wanted to prize the clip out of my hand for whatever the hell reason."
He dropped the duvet back down on the bed and straightened his expression on me. I knew I was in trouble, I just didn't know how much trouble.
"You're an idiot." Were the only words he spoke, calm and slow. "You have no idea what you're messing with so let me make it clear to you sweet girl, these clips contain everything I need in order to let you go."
My lips parted as a small exhale escaped from within.
"That's what you want isn't it? Your freedom back? To go choking on your boyfriends little cocktail sausage? No?"
"Yes. I mean no. I want to leave, but—"
"The details are not important Scarlet. I need the clips, I need them all destroying. Each one gives me access to their database. With them, I can get into Luxtonburg and destroy that from the inside. Do you know what that means? No more bad guys coming after us. We'll both be free."
"I'm not involved in this Luxtonburg crap."
"Oh but you are. You'll talk and once you start talking everything will lead back to them. If you leave my protection, they'll eliminate you in order to prevent that, unless of course I get to them first."
He held the key chain between his fingers and studied it carefully.
"Why can't you just turn up at Luxtonburg and talk it through with them, amicably?"
That sentence broke his attention and once again he looked at me. "Luxtonburg is not a place, it's an organisation. Thousands of men and women all built like soldiers, scattered across the globe."
"So, I help you get the drives and then I can leave?"
"You swipe one keychain from the hand of a pervert and now you think you can take on elite assassins?"
"I think I'm clumsy and untrained, no highly trained assassin is going to suspect me which makes me the prime candidate to swipe chips. It can't be good for you, piling up the bodies. Surely you're running out of space on where to hide them?"
"That's not a concern."
"Well, you needed me tonight. I gained you access into the private poker game. I'm not just going to sit around and do nothing like some damsel in distress. I want my freedom back."
I stumped him into silence, but I could see him soaking in my proposition.
"Fine. You help me get the chips and then you can leave."
"Fine." I agreed, he went back to scrutinising the hell out of this keychain. "Thank you for the clothes." I uttered awkwardly.
He didn't answer so I just walked towards the door, desperately wanting to get out of there.
"Scarlet?" His voice questioned right before I managed my escape.
I turned back to look at him over my shoulder and slowly he lifted his eyes from the key and onto me.
"I don't drink, ever." He said slowly and then fixated once more on the key.
For a lingering second I stared at him in disbelief but then I realised, staring at him and wishing him dead wasn't going to change a single thing.
He was a liar, manipulative, dangerous and cunning and I was the fool trapped with him.