10

Chapter 10

Anna

My heart pounded as I swung my fist at the man that had grabbed me.

"It's me, Aviana, relax,"

I heard a familiar voice and before I knew it, the enclosed desk space I had been dragged into lit up, revealing the face of my handler, Sly.

"What the hell? What did you do that?" I glared.

"Only way to talk to you without putting you in trouble."

He said, his breathing labored, mirroring mine.

"How is it going?" He asked with a severe expression on his face.

*How do you think?" I glared, still trying to catch my breath.

I felt like I had ran a marathon of twenty thousand miles.

"You look deshelved."

"Yes, the fuckers tried to fucking kill me sent me to my death. I would be dead now if I wasn't skilled in the art of…" i trailed off.

"I'm sorry about that, it's part of the job." he said with zero emotions on his face as always.

Sometime I wanted to shove my foot in his face. How he was able to get married to a beautiful woman like Velma still confused me. I wondered briefly if he even had a come face or his eyebrows was always looking pinched.

"Why didn't you help me? I almost died in there.*

"And risk blowing your cover?"

I glared at him.

"I knew you could do it. You are a great detective and before that great with combat and I was right…"

"Motherfucker!" 

I muttered under my breath.

"What are your reports?" He asked, ignoring my crude language. He'd Always hated my need to curse at all times and I had always found it amusing and just did it more.

"Not much yet. Only that I have killed an innocent man, two criminals,.oh, wait… three, I've also gotten my own room and office in the building and…" I paused wondering if I should tell him about the beast I had seen in my room a couple of nights ago.

"And what else?"

"Nothing," I decided against it.

I didn't want to sound looney to him. He already thought I shouldn't be handing this case. Telling him I had seen a beast or wolf would confirm his belief about me.

"Nothing?" He raised his brows in confusion.

"Yes, nothing. Well, there's this bitch that is jealous of me for some reason."

"I don't care about your silly female squabbles. Just get us the information we need to bring the iron Vine down. Am I clear?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"Good, now go. We will met at thos address in a couple of weeks." He handed m a piece of paper. "Don't be late and get me something concrete,"

"Sure thing," I nodded.

"And oh, your boobs are out," he said and I looked down and quickly covered up.

I watched as he walked out of the enclosed space with caution.

I found a T-shirt on the shelf, put it on and made my way out of the space ten minutes later.

As the outside air hit me face, anger surged through my veins.

That fucking bastard had tried to kill me.

Duncan.

The battle was on now. I was going to bring that bastard down.

I reached the Iron Vine estate and hour later and knocked at the gate, my blood boiling through my veins, my heart pounding with rabid spread.

The gate opened and one of the men started at me open mouthedly.

I ignored him, storming into the main building, on a mission.

,I passed by a few more men, every single one of them staring at me with shock.

They apparently knew something I didn't know.

I got the Duncan's office and pushed the door open with as much force I could muster.

Duncan was seated behind his desk. He immediately looked up, his usually impassive expression turning into one of shock.

"You fucking bastard! You sent me to die!" I yelled.

"I would watch my tone if I were you!"

"Fuck you, you are a monster. You and everyone in this place."

I spat.

I had told myself I was going to be cool and calm but I couldn't help but be angry.

The memories of my mother's death had come flooding as I rode here and I couldn't stop myself 

"Yes, indeed. I am a monster,"

"You were trying to get rid of me. That wasn't a trial, that was a death sentence,"

He rose all of a sudden from his chair and marvhed towards me.

Before I could blink, he was already in front of me.

He grabbed me by the neck and slammed me against the wall.

"Ons more words from you and you are gone. I didn't force you here, now did I? You wanted to be here and you agreed to my trials. I don't appreciate your tone,"

His sudden guttural, sharp tone cut me deep. I felt like a monster was looking deep into my soul.

"Apologize," hw growled, his hands tightening around my neck, dangerously close to crushing my wind pipe.

But I was stubborn. I would not be apologize for shit.

"No," I chocked out.

He blinked at me and then threw his head back and laugh, letting go of me.

I fell with a thud to the ground,"

"So, stubborn for such a weak thing.."

He muttered, his face fixed on me like he was trying to figure me out.

He crouched down to my level where I sat, still trying to soothe my neck.

"Tell me, Anna, how did you escape?" He asked, his eyes darkening and his expression turning serious again.

My heart skipped several beats. My body might want this man but I hated him from the depths of my soul.

"Because from your resume, you seem to be stronger than you clim. Are you ready to tell me the truth or do you want me to blow your head off?"

He asked, pulling a gun out of nowhere and pointing at my head.

I got to Duncan's door and tried to push it open but it was locked from the inside.

Shit!

I cursed under my breath.

I hadn't accounted for this but now that I knew, I'd have to come back later with a pin I could use to unlock the office door.

With my throat in my heart, I made my way back to my room.

I was about to open the door when out of my peripheral view, I saw something whoosh past.

My hand froze on the door knob and 

I snapped my head to the side but there was nothing.

I could have sworn I had seen something.

I dropped my hands from the handle and decided to investigate.

There was something here, I could feel it watching me.

I was never one to believe in the supernatural but could it be that there was a ghost haunting this place.

It wouldn't be surprising especially if they'd killed people in here before.

My mother used to tell me as a kid that the supernatural and most people would experience their presence but will never believe it.

Í knew I should walk back into my room and get pins to unlock Duncan's door but I couldn't help but follow my instinct.

I stopped at the foyer realizing that I was maybe being completely paranoid.

Supernatural? ghosts? 

None of that made any sense.

I was definitely being paranoid in some way that I couldn't explain.

I turned around to go back to my room when I went head first into a wall but it wasn't a wall, it was a person.

Duncan.

My breath hitched in my throat and goosebumps ran across my entire body.

"What are you doing here?" I blurted out.

"I should be asking the questions, don't you think, Anna?" He drawled, his voice low, a sensual tone lacing his already sexy voice with a tiny bit of Italian accent that I just realized he had.

'Fresh air," I whispered, feeling trapped with his intense gaze.

We were too close and the normal thing to do was to move backwards but I couldn't for the life of me move away.

Duncan tilted his head, his dark eyes scrutinizing me as if he could see right through my lies.

I didn't like it–didnt like how he made me want to run away yet stay close. It was absurd.

Nobody has ever made me feel so out of my element before. It infuriated the shit out of me and yet here I was trembling like a fool. Not because I was scared of him but because of some other feelings I couldn't name.

"Fresh air," he repeated. The corner of his mouth curving into a smirk

"At 1am?" 

I swallowed, forcing myself to nod. "Yes, I couldn't sleep,"

Duncan's gaze flickered down my body, taking in my hastily thrown on clothes, my slightly trembling fingers. He took a slow step forward, closing what little space remained between us, and I instinctively moved back--onky to realize my back was now against the wall.

"You seem nervous, Anna. Do I scare you?" He asked, his breath hitched and his eyes staring at me with heat in them.

I was not scared of him, that wasn't it. The emotion Duncan elicited from me was way different – it was primal, sexual… 

Well, maybe I was a little.

I opened my mouth to say no but immediately closed it back.

Duncan's smirk deepened as if he could read my thoughts, as I'd known exactly why I couldn't answer. His fingers reached up, barely grazing my jaw, a featherlight touch that sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine.

"Smart girl," he murmured, his gaze boring into mine.

 "You are learning when silence is the better option,"

I bit my lips. He was so close, I could smell his scent deeply.

My entire body screwed for him and I had to bite my tongue to elicit pain to stop me from making a wrong decision.

I wasn't here for this. I was here on a mission to find out my mother's connections with these monsters not be pulled into the world of Duncan.

My body might want him but that didn't mean he was healthy for me.

I lifted my chin, forcing myself to meet his gaze.

"Are you going to let me go or are we going to stand here all night?"

He looked taken aback and then grinned wide.

"Impatient are we?"

"No, just tired,"

"Then you should go to bed," he said, still uncomfortably close to me.

It would be easy for our lips to intertwine now and for a minute, I thought about how incredibly hot it would feel but immediately shook my head.

I hesitated for half a second before pushing past him. He let me go but not before muttering 

"Sleep well tessero, if you can,"

It was clear what he meant by that.

I forced myself to keep walking, not looking back even though I could feel his gaze burning into my back. Once inside my room, I locked the door and pressed my forehead against it, my heart hammering.

"Pull yourself together!" I snapped at myself.

Duncan's eyes appeared in my mind's eyes and I couldn't help but wonder what could have been if I had let the intense desire I had seen in his eyes escape him and not just that…

What on earth was he doing behind me?

I had not heard anyone come in from the back 

I don't know anything anymore but one thing I was certain about was that Duncan was onto me or at least suspicious of something.