"One hundred thousand."
"One hundred fifty," I sighed and emphasised the 'fifty.' There was no way I was going below that. No matter what Harold Black said.
"One hundred ten," he said, shaking his head and glaring at me with his beady black eyes.
Did he really think increasing ten thousand would make me sell out? No way he could buy me.
Below one and twenty at least.
I scoffed at his bargain, leaning back and placing my legs on the table in front of me. I looked dead into his eyes, currently obscured under the dim lights of what I could only describe as an interrogation room. I decided that I needed an uncivilized method to get him to yield. Usually, I wouldn't be upfront with men who were still in the closet. However, I knew I had the upper hand in this case.
Plus, I was kinda bored.
I sighed dramatically before I spoke, "You said you'd pay me half a million if I sucked your cock."
Black's eyes darkened, his cheeks flushing red as I smiled cheekily in satisfaction. Of course, he had simply been desperate when he had made that claim. I knew it was a flimsy argument. However, I continued. "By that analogy, busting a billionaire's business should at least be two hundred. I'm letting you off easy with one fifty."
He sighed, patting his receding hairline. I touched my tongue to the back of my topmost front teeth, opening my mouth. I smiled, tilting my head to the side. This was just one of the little manoeuvres that never failed to leave my opponent hot and bothered. The trick was to make them feel wanted. Everyone desired to be desired.
I shook my head and tried again. "Come on, Harold. You know my price."
I wondered if I should throw in a wink, but from his utterly crippled self-confidence, I knew he would prefer the more coy side of me. Sure enough, his cheeks flamed as I smirked in victory. I let my eyes travel down his haggard frame, slowly. I enjoyed his nervous, eager reaction to my unwavering gaze. I opened my mouth to plead as I knew he wanted me to, however, my breath caught when I felt a strong, firm hand on my left shoulder and a deliciously deep voice near my ear that sent shivers down my spine.
"Come on, Xavier. You're driving us a hard bargain here."
The vibrations from the voice made my thoughts meander into a rather unsophisticated territory. I sighed, shaking my head. "You guys are just playing me now. Get someone else if this is what-"
I stopped breathlessly as the hand on my shoulder tightened. Grayson Shelby leaned over, whispering seductively. "One twenty-five."
It might not have been seductive, but everything about him was sexy enough to set my core on fire. I relished for a second in the enticing thrill that travelled up my body at his silky, dangerous voice. The voice that I could have moaning for me in seconds.
I wasn't sure if perhaps I had a fetish, but his deep voice turned me on till all I could imagine was bending over the very desk I was leaning on.
I sighed exaggeratedly. "One twenty-five. Also, I need a new car."
"You have a perfectly good one," Grayson said. I didn't turn to look at him, fixing my gaze on officer Harold Black instead. I knew he was the weaker out of the two. Twenty-eight years of a toxic marriage had left him vulnerable and incredibly concupiscent. An advantage I never ceased to exploit.
"Come on, Black," I lowered my voice huskily. "I'm being good now. I think I deserve a treat."
I slurred the words purposefully, playing to his fantasies. He sighed in frustration, closing his eyes and shaking his head. He licked his bottom lip, clearly on the verge of breaking. Sometimes I felt like he was almost too easy. Finally he muttered, "I'll think about it."
I sighed softly, raking a hand through my hair. I knew I was pushing my luck and hadn't really expected him to give in. However, if I completed this assignment successfully, it would be my fifth accomplishment. A new record for the Harbour City Crime Department.
I rose to my feet, giving him a little two-fingered salute. "Send me all the information tonight. I'll get back to you then."
Harold nodded, sighing in relief. "It's on its way." He walked towards the end of the room and flicked on all the lights so that the drab grey walls came into view. He turned towards me. "Thank You, Xavier."
I shrugged. "I need the money and I'm basically a whore."
It never failed to amaze me how shocked he looked every time I spoke so bluntly. I had been brazen ever since I had started talking. Twenty-one years of my life hadn't made my tongue any sweeter. His eyes widened and he choked seemingly on air, shaking his head and presumably deciding to ignore me.
I walked out of the interrogation room, pulling the cap of my hoodie low over my head. I put my hands in my pocket as Grayson started leading me away. We sat quietly in his car after a while. Any time the police had business with me, they always used civilian transport. My identity was highly obscure. My entire profession depended on my cover.
I gazed out of the window into the practically deserted street. It was late at night by the time I had become conscious enough to come out of my hangover. I had still been celebrating my last assignment, busting a paedophile ring spearheaded by a renowned film artist. It had been ridiculously easy. Requiring just a little bit of coaxing and lying on my part to get him to expose the truth himself, live on social media. It had been my own personal touch. His horror gave me a savage, evil pleasure.
I wasn't surprised that he had given in so easily. Considering that he preyed on the vulnerable and defenceless. I knew he was merely a disgusting, gnarly insect with crippling insecurity who was vile and twisted enough to try and besmirch the mere visage of innocence and purity that still resided in humanity in the form of children.
The car stopped a few feet away from my apartment after a while. It was located uptown, just another apartment in the rows of many. Neat, white buildings stood on either side of the streets, punctuated by cafes and other little shops. It was a boring street. A world apart from my life.
I turned my head and gazed at Shelby, taking in his brown hair, green eyes and sharp jaw. His long eyelashes casting shadows on his cheeks. His lips were beckoning irresistibly to me. For the millionth time, I wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. Even as I did, however, I felt a sharp tangible ache in my chest that reminded me exactly how unworthy I was of him.
"We're here. Get down," he spoke gruffly.
I knew I would regret it. However, moments of calm solitude with him were the little specks of sunlight in what usually seemed like a constant bellowing thunderstorm. I bit my lip, slurring purposefully. "Would you like to fuck me, Grayson?"
His jaw clenched and for a minute I wondered if he was really angry or simply humouring me. My little tricks perfected over years of espionage in the maze of seduction and danger had rarely gone empty. Before of course, it came to him. Maybe in a disgusting, masochistic way, I liked how he kept rejecting me. The hurt and pain was an ironically venomous relief from the constant hollowness that followed sleeping with strangers.
"There is nothing I would want less than that, Xavier."
I laughed softly at his response, trying to ignore the pang in my heart. A strange, pathetic pleasure rippled in my chest. "You seem to be really mad, so I thought maybe this would make you feel more kindly towards me."
"Do you not tire of being so irritatingly consistent every second of every day?" Even though his voice was stoic as ever, his jaw seemed to twitch restlessly, as if he was fighting a smile.
"Isn't that why you hire me?" I asked, lowering my voice again.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. I sighed, stretching backwards against the car seat as I spoke victoriously. "Best in the business, Shelby."
He reached over me, and for a second, all my vital senses seemed to shut down. I leaned in slightly in anticipation. My heart fell, however, as his hand clasped the door handle and he opened it.
"Get out right now."
I felt a slight prickling shame in my chest and another masochistic pang of pleasure. I was relieved with how I still felt human emotions around him. Even if it was just pain and crippling, agonizing longing. None of these emotions ever seemed to find me around others. With Grayson Shelby however, I was disgustingly weaker. Shockingly human.
I tried hard to not let the overwhelming disappointment defeat me. I stepped out of the car and shut the door behind me, pushing my hands into my hoodie as I started walking towards the apartment.
"Hey!"
I stopped in my tracks as I heard his voice calling me. Slowly, I turned around, my heart racing in trepidation. He smirked and my stomach somersaulted at his effortless sexiness. I was one hundred per cent sure the guy had no idea that he could represent the entire cuisine of a country.
"If you get this one, I'll make sure you get that car."
I gazed at him, my heart wrenching painfully at his boyish smile. But I knew feelings were my nemesis. What I did, demanded solitude. My sole protector. What if one of my missions was to go gravely wrong? I couldn't have people waiting for me to come home.
No relationships. First rule.
"Maybe you should upgrade your little matchbox first, Gray," I said, letting my eyes purposefully rove over his black hatchback.
His smirk disappeared and was replaced by a scowl. However, his eyes were shining which did nothing to ease my breathing.
I turned around and resumed my walk towards my house, my heart still hammering even at his simplest actions. I opened the door and stepped into the narrow hallway of my apartment building. Taking a deep breath, I shut the door behind me.
It was a small corridor with just one simple white door to my left which led to the only other tenant who lived there. An annoyingly energetic freshman girl. On my right were two more doors which led to the storage rooms, one for each of us. The floor was carpeted in a fairly clean, thick maroon carpet.
With what I earned, I could afford a better place, however, I preferred to save money wherever I could and flamboyant bungalows seemed like an utter waste to me. The car instead was going to be my reward to myself. If I succeeded.
However, I couldn't explain the nagging fear in my heart. My stomach was clenching uncomfortably. I was usually excited for new projects. I loved challenges. The more uptight my target, the better.
I walked up the rickety staircase and was surprised to see a thick brown envelope already placed in front of my door. I crouched down and picked it up, my eyes roving over the new package with interest. I felt the familiar jitters that came with a new assignment. The little, excited tingles that ran up my spine.
I sighed softly, stroking my hand over the characters imprinted on the brown. It always contained the numerical digit designated to my project, followed by my alias. I read the words softly to myself, the nervousness in my heart increasing. I whispered softly under my breath, "Five. Sugar Baby."