by Dyble, S R
"That was built shortly after he passed away. Your dad would think it's corny as hell," Kit said.
"It wasn’t my idea, but now I kinda like it. I find myself saying Hi to him as I arrive to work each day."
I stared at it a little longer.
"Are you okay?" he asked and I could feel his body language changing as if he was about to comfort me. I rejected it before he had the chance by turning away, so he walked over to a white reception desk to speak to the lady behind it. I eyed him and eventually stepped up to the statue of my dad. I stared into the stone eyes and gulped away any emotions rising in my throat as I placed my hand on his cold cheek. I missed him so much, it hurt so bloody much. I wiped a single tear away from my cheek and felt Kit's eyes burning a hole in the side of my face as I tried to do it discreetly.
"Eve," Kit spoke softly and I turned to see him looking at me, just like I knew he was.
He was about to speak but a lady came walking up behind him, clonking her heels on the hard flooring.
"Kit," she spoke gently and placed her hand on his upper arm before walking past him and taking me in.
She was an older lady, dressed very smartly in a brown pencil skirt and white blouse.
"Eve," she said exasperated as if she'd been waiting a lifetime to meet me.
I nodded and smiled at her nervously.
There I stood, awkward as hell, while both Kit and this lady stared at me. I glanced around at the other members of staff rushing from one place to another. You wouldn't have thought that this was a top-secret underground security firm, but just an everyday office. Looking up at the sheer height of the building, from here I could see all of the way to the top floor. As if a huge hole had been left bare during the making of this masterpiece. I could see each floor, and each level had a wrap-around balcony stretching the outer wall. From where I stood I could see people walking on each level through the glass walls. I gulped and heard people approaching from behind.
"Late again, Jesse." The lady with Kit said as the bare-chested man approached us with a huge smirk on his face.
Glancing at Kit, I saw him rolling his eyes.
"Did you forget to put a shirt on again after your workout?"
"I thought I'd give you all a treat," Jesse winked.
He had a strong Londoners accent and I tried not to stare at him. It made Kit's lips lift slightly at the edges, and I couldn't work out if he liked this guy or not. I couldn't help but stare at him, Jesse was incredibly well built and good looking.
Not like Kit, though.
I had to close my eyes to rid myself of those thoughts. I also looked away from Jesse and back to the lady with Kit, wondering who she was.
Jesse pointed at me, "She your Mrs?" he asked Kit.
"No," I said quickly and Jesse looked back at me.
"Yeah," Kit answered, a serious look on his face as he stood with his arms crossed, staring at me.
"That's a shame," Jesse said, and it brought Kit's eyes back onto him.
"She's also your boss, so watch your mouth," the lady beside Kit then said, smiling at me.
Boss?
Jesse looked at me again, taking in my full body as if that mattered.
"This is his daughter?"
They both nodded and Jesse shook his head in disbelief. He wasn't the only one in disbelief, and as he came forward and offered me his hand I stood, dumbfounded.
"It's good to finally meet you," he said.
I shook his hand, noticing how his body flexed as he extended his hand. He had a large duffel bag hanging from his shoulder and he moved it further around his body so that it couldn't swing forward into me.
"You too," I answered.
"Let's move this meeting into the meeting room shall we?" the lady asked, "Whilst we wait for the others to arrive."
The others?
I stared at Kit as he waited for me to start walking along with them. I was so confused. Before I could question him the lady directing us to a room came towards me and walked beside me.
"Miss Johnson, I'm Tricia—"
"Oh, please call me Eve," I interrupted.
She smiled before continuing. "I worked alongside your Father here at Delta. I'm in charge of organising everything, making sure everything runs properly, that sort of thing."
I nodded as Kit held the door open for me and protectively put his hand on my lower back to lead me inside. Our eyes locked once he pulled out a chair for me to sit at. I didn't thank him, purely because I was so stunned being in a situation with these people I didn't know, in a building I'd never been in before. Glancing down at myself, I hardly looked properly dressed for a meeting. I had my skinnies on and a hoodie with scuffed converse. Some lady called Tricia who apparently worked alongside my dad was calling me the boss. If my mind wasn't already about to explode, it was about to when I saw the door open. Inside came Nick, who apologised for being late, and he held the door open for another two men and finally a face that made my blood boil. Although, I was shocked that I'd recognised it because something had changed… I glared back at Kit who already had his eyes dead set on me.
"Eve, this is Charles and Keith," Tricia said as the two older-looking men approached me.
I swallowed hard and stood up to greet them both the best I could.
"It's good to meet you, finally, Sweetheart," Charles said, and held onto my hand a little longer as if he was saying a lot more than what he already had.
I knew what he was portraying. It was sympathy. It was his way of saying sorry for my family's death, without him actually saying it. I appreciated it and nodded, but couldn't focus properly because the woman who had walked in with them was the same woman me and Niomi had seen Kit kissing that day at the gym. The same woman Lilly had recently seen Kit kissing, and the same woman Kit was cheating on me with. Only, now she had blonde hair that had clearly been died that colour. Each of the members took their seats, including her, only she didn't even look at me. They each waited for Tricia,who sat at the opposite side of the table, to start talking, and I felt Kit's eyes staring at me as I gently went to sit down. Just before my backside touched the chair I shook my head.
"This is fucking bullshit," I muttered before getting back up.
Each of the members stared at me from their seats and I jumped when Kit addressed me abruptly.
"Eve, sit down, now."
I heard Jesse scoffing from across the table, "She's definitely his Daughter."
"And why would I wanna do that?" I glared at Kit.
"Because everything is about to be explained to you, and I mean everything," he replied.
I wanted to smack him across the face and march out of here, but this was my dad's firm. As much as I hated everything about this, I had to stay for my dad. He deserved that much after what he'd been dealt. I mentally did my best to block the bitch out of my eyesight as I sat down and quietly apologised to Tricia who was still waiting to speak.
She nodded. "I know how hard this must be for you, if you need to ask questions, please don't hesitate."
I nodded, "Okay. Why is Kit cheating on me with her?" I pointed directly at the disgustingly good looking bitch and bit my teeth together as she smiled.
I wasn't a confrontational person but I was about ready to rip this bitch to pieces.
"Eve," Kit warned from beside me and it hurt.
I already knew Kit had favoured this blonde bombshell over me, but actually having it happen here in front of me, hurt so bad.
"Eve, I'll start from the beginning, okay?" Tricia asked.
"I think that would be best," Keith commented.
"Okay," Tricia breathed.
"Firstly, this is Maddie." She gestured to the bitch and Maddie smiled at me, looking just as much of a bitch as I'd already labelled her.
"Maddie is a decoy, pretending to be you."
My frown deepened then, as I stared at Tricia and then back to Maddie.
"What, why?"
"Basically, Sweetheart," Keith piped up.
"You're not safe. We're not sure at the moment what shit is going on, or who is directing the shitstorm at us. We don't know if you're in danger, and as it stands, you are the leader of this company. You are the boss. Whether people know that or not, we can't take that chance at this moment in time. So, until we have further intel', Maddie here has been posing as you so that you're not kidnapped again."
I wasn't sure if Keith actually sounded bothered, or if he just thought I was a hindrance to them.
Either way, it all made sense now and I looked at Kit who hadn't taken his eyes off of me since we'd come into the room. I glanced at Maddie. How could she be impersonating me? She didn't even look like me!
"Before your father died," Tricia looked down in sadness, "he made Kit his second man."
I looked back at Kit as she continued.
"Which means should anything happen to him, Kit would then be in charge."
I nodded.
"Having said that, this decision can be altered by the owner of the company. Which is now you."
I swallowed, knowing that all of this was on me. This firm had been built from scratch by the love of my life, my Dad, who had been cruelly taken from me. This firm meant everything to him, I knew that. In that second, I'd already made the decision they needed from me.
"It'll stay that way," I said confidently.
"You want Kit to remain in charge?" Nick asked.
Looking at him, I knew he couldn't believe the decision I'd made and I looked at Kit who was still staring at me. Then I looked at Maddie staring at Kit. It hurt my chest knowing she'd had her lips and polished fingernails on him.
"Yes," I said clearly.
I gulped away the emotion building in my chest.
"I'm gonna need a second to take a breather, if that's okay?" I asked, looking at Tricia.
"Of course Hunny, anything you need."
I wondered then if she knew I was pregnant, if any of them knew. I stood up and quickly headed out of the room. Once the door was shut I rushed over the front of the building and as soon as I was outside I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Rubbing my head with my hand, I walked further away from the doorway and to a tree that edged the side of the woodland.
"My fucking god," I muttered to myself, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
My mind was literally in a headfuck and as I stood there and went over everything I'd been told I tried to calm myself down. So, Maddie was a decoy for me. Because I was in danger, possibly...
Oh god.
In that second, I placed my hands on my stomach, knowing what that meant for my baby.
I felt so sick knowing my baby could potentially be in danger. It was already my greatest fear. After already being kidnapped twice, it was hard to imagine it not happening again. Actually hearing it out loud that it could happen again shifted everything. It made me cry and I pressed myself up against the bark and looked down at my hands on my stomach.
"Eves?" I stood up straight and composed myself as quickly as possible while Kit approached.
We were both silent for a while before I finally spoke.
"Nick told me I wasn't in danger anymore, that day at the hospital. And so did you. Why would you both say that if you knew I wasn't?"
"We had to Eves, you'd just been kidnapped. We weren't sure what was going on."
"So, you chose to just lie to me and start an imaginary relationship with Maddie, and just never tell me?"
"Eves, I just wanted to protect you."
"Instead, you just broke my heart," I said plainly before trying to walk away from him.
I was crying again, but he wasn't meant to see it. I should have known Kit wasn't going to let me walk away from him.
"Why did you keep me in charge?"
I wiped my face clean.
"My dad trusted you."
Searching my eyes, Kit let go of me but kept himself close.
"And what about you? Do you trust me?"
"I used to."
Truthfully, I didn't trust Kit with my heart, but in everything else I did. I knew it had hurt him, and he closed his eyes in regret before directing them back at me.
"You know now, you know I'm not cheating on you. You know the truth."
"That doesn't change a thing. You've still got to do this with her! You've still got to do this to protect me, right? To protect my baby." My voice broke and I tried not to cry again but Kit got a hold of my neck and pulled me into his chest where he held me there and encased me in his arms.
"No," I said, pulling away from him.
"Eves." Kit brought me back and I cried harder as he kissed my forehead and held me in a bear hug.
All of my emotions were directed at one thing—despite the hurt surrounding my heart that came from Kit, there was something that hurt so much more.
"I'm so scared of something happening to our baby."
"Listen to me." Kit moved me back so I could see his face. "I will never let anything like that happen to our baby, or you. Do you understand me?"
I just stared at him.
"Do you understand me, Eves?" he asked more forcefull and I nodded, crying more as he brought me back into his chest.
I wrapped my arms around him. Feeling Kit's kisses against my cheek made my eyes close and I just wanted to stay here forever with him. For everyone and everything to just leave us alone. I was in my safe place, at Kit's chest, and in his arms but it couldn't last.
"You've gotta trust me, Eves," he said. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt you."
"You already have," I said moving away from him.
"Maddie is an old flame, they suggested us working together because we work well together. We can make it believable."
I rolled my eyes. "You're in charge, remember? No one put you with her, Kit."
"Just because I'm in charge, doesn't mean I control everything, Eves. We're a team."
"So, you're prepared to stay with her?"
He rolled his eyes. "I'm not with her, for god's sake. And yes, if it means protecting you, then yes. I'll do anything."
"Anything?" I questioned, wondering just how far he'd already gone with Maddie to make it believable.
"No, Eve. I would never sleep with her. I just take her out, do things with her that I'd do with you so that we're seen together. That way if we are being watched by any gang members, their aim is on Maddie who is specially trained and equipped to handle the situation."
Everything that I wasn't when I'd been kidnapped.
"It's not been going on for long, we only enforced it a few weeks ago."
A light bulb flickered in my head then, "Is that why you were taking me out so much?"
Kit sighed with regret, "Yes. I knew I wouldn't be able to take you out for a long time. I wanted to take you out, just the two of us, like you deserve."
It all made sense, and as I stared at Kit I wondered where the hell we were supposed to go from here.
"You don't deserve any of this, Eves."
"Like you do?" I answered quickly.
He just stared at me again, as if he were begging me with his eyes to come to terms with him.
"I just wanna be with you, just us, without all of this shit. If I could give you that, I would. I can't just make all of this go away, no matter how hard I try."
"Why didn't you just tell me? The thing with you and Maddie, I know now, so why couldn't you just tell me from the start?"
"Jesus, Eve, I knew you'd never agree to it. You'd have marched in here demanding things to be different. We weren't even sure it was gonna work. That day at the gym when Lilly saw me with Maddie, we were just getting into character. Despite being with her before, I just couldn't pull it off knowing it was behind your back."
"So, what did you do, hold snogging rehearsals every day at the gym? Then dye her hair to make it more believable?"
I could see the anger in Kit's eyes.
"No Eves, but we have been spending a lot of time together for work purposes. I wanna make that clear, me and Maddie are o
nly good friends. Maddie switches from blonde to brunette all the time. It's not unusual to see her blonde."
"That sounds wonderful," I answered, the sarcasm clear in my voice.
Kit rolled his eyes and moved closer.
"I don't expect you to ever be okay with this, I get that. Can you try to make this work with me until we find the bastards causing this?"
"I don't know," I answered honestly.
He sighed and ran his fingers through the strands of hair at the front of my face.
"I can't lose you, Eves. I'm doing all of this for you because I love you."
I closed my eyes at the sensation his fingers were causing against my skin. He took the opportunity to hold my face and kiss me. And boy, did he kiss me. At first, it started as an innocent kiss as if he was just testing the water. Before too long he held me against the tree as his lips assaulted mine and his hand held onto my waist.
"God, I love you, Eves," he said between kisses.
When we eventually found the strength to stop, he brought me close for a hug, my lips landing against his neck.
"I love you too," I breathed against his skin, knowing loving Kit was something I'd never have control over.
"He works fast," Jesse scoffed as we both came back into the meeting room, and I unthreaded my fingers from Kit's as he shut the door.
"Sorry about that," I apologised before taking my seat again.
Charles and Keith were both over at the drinks making machine but each returned to the table as I sat down.
"Don't be sorry, Eve, we all know how much of a shock this must be for you."
I nodded and thanked Tricia.
"I'm assuming Kit has filled you in on our current mission?"
I nodded again, glancing at Maddie while she stared at me. I wasn't sure if I was just being paranoid or if she really was sizing me up. She made sure to offer her best smile when I caught her staring. I must have been crazy to agree to this. She was going to be with Kit, acting all loved up and I was expected to stay at home hoping he didn't actually fall for her in the process. The only thing that kept me sitting in my seat was the knowledge that by doing this, my baby had extra protection. As I sat there daydreaming, Tricia continued with a presentation she had to show. It wasn't directed at me, and it was a good thing because I wasn't focused on it at all. Instead, I stared at every section of the room trying to create a scene in my head where I could possibly imagine my Dad being here. I felt Kit's hand on the top of mine where I had it placed on the table and it made me look at him.