All three guards took their pistols off safety. I froze in anticipation. I had no idea what might be lying in wait for us, especially after the girls had been found dead. I had tried all day to avoid that thought, but one day it could have been me.
A sharp sound, and the door flew open. I couldn't make anything out because of the guard's back. Only a painfully familiar cold, sharp voice:
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Theron's voice his voice alone disarmed them.
I exhaled in relief and stepped toward him. His eyes immediately found me. I saw how his body relaxed slightly. He moved toward me, wrapping an arm around my waist.
"I asked them to wait inside. I felt calmer that way," I hugged him in return, checking if everything was all right. "And you still haven't learned how to use your phone," I reproached him.
"I just… as soon as I finished, I hurried to you," he tried to justify himself.
Theron gave instructions to the guards, and they left. Ostin entered the apartment right after them. His expression promised nothing good.
"What the hell do you need all that security for if you keep walking straight into danger?" I could even hear his teeth grinding. "What if it had been a trap? Or something else? Do you ever use your head?"
I froze. My eyes widened—Ostin had just scolded Theron.
But he only threw him a tired glance in response.
The door slammed, and Ostin wearily settled at my dining table. I kept being surprised at how easily these two fit into someone else's apartment without an invitation. He began flipping through the documents on the table.
"Did you manage to find anything?" he said tiredly. It was clear their day had been far from easy.
"Maybe you'll have some pizza?" I offered, opening the untouched box.
Ostin dropped his coat on the couch, rolled up his sleeves, and, taking a slice of pizza, began going through the papers and my notes.
I cast a glance at Theron—a silent question. He said nothing, only took off his coat as well and sat on the couch, tilting his head back.
"Did you even eat today?" I walked over and put a couple of slices on a plate. "I know this isn't the kind of healthy food you're used to, but you should have a bite. You look tired."
"He won't, don't even try," Ostin stopped me without looking up from the papers.
"Picky," I smirked, but still walked over to Theron with the plate.
"It's not that. He only eats from his own restaurant or from his personal staff. They've tried to poison him many times," Ostin continued just as calmly. Today he was far too talkative.
His life hadn't been easy either. It seemed I was beginning to understand why he came here. To my apartment, where his world looked like something else. Something detached and unreal.
I ran my hand through Theron's hair and slightly lifted his head so he would look at me. He opened his eyes.
I withdrew my hand, took a bite of pizza, and then brought it to his lips. He looked at me in confusion. Then he leaned in and took a bite after all. Reluctantly, but he did. It looked more like a sign of trust than hunger.
"I just don't really like this kind of thing," he ran his hand along my thigh. "And Ostin is talking too much today, don't you think?"
He squeezed my thigh, and I immediately leaned into him. Theron smiled tiredly. It was clear how exhausted he was after the day. And yet something still flared inside.
I sat down beside him, placing the plate on the table.
"Tell me what happened."
It felt like we were talking about everything except the main thing.
Theron straightened, sat more composed, and took another slice of pizza.
"In one of the buildings that used to be used to store illegal exhibits, our secretaries were found. All of them had their throats slit. They were piled up like cattle. No signs of assault, no documents, no phones," he said calmly, continuing to eat.
The strangest thing was that the three of us were sitting there discussing this, and not one of us trembled, not one face twisted.
If Theron and Ostin were used to it…
…then why didn't it shock me?
"All the girls, except one, had the name 'Eve.' And only one didn't," Ostin added.
"We do have the recordings from Theron's birthday, right?" I asked automatically. I still hadn't watched them.
"Do you want to?" Ostin asked without looking up.
"I think it wouldn't hurt. What did the agents say?"
Theron finished his slice and pulled me closer, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.
"Wait, I'll bring napkins," I immediately got up and went to the kitchen.
"They pushed and interrogated. But we, like them, have no idea what happened, so there's nothing to worry about. We're clean there. And we're very lucky we recently pulled all the reports from the companies. They're clearly going to search everything there, sniff around," Ostin finally looked up from my notes. "As for the investigation, there's no need to worry too much. It's important for them to find the killer and at the same time not reveal details, especially that the girls were FBI agents. They're not stupid—they understand that if that comes out, we'll be able to find the rest and clean everything up. And considering he's made it his career goal to arrest Theron, I think they'll act carefully. All we can do is wait." He pushed the documents closer to me. "Better tell me how things are here."
With napkins in my hands, I walked up to the table.
"Mirey," Theron called out to me, as if reminding me of himself. "Ostin, maybe it's time for you to go? We can discuss this tomorrow."
I walked over to him, handed him the napkins, and sat beside him. As soon as he wiped his hands, he took my palm and placed it on his thigh. The same tired, faint smile was on his face. And that gave me resolve.
"As much as I'd like to find another connection, for now there's only one," he squeezed my hand tighter, not taking his eyes off me. "All the sales were made to third parties, but soon eighty percent ended up in the hands of people with Korean surnames and their companies. And all of them are indirectly or directly connected to Amy."
"But why would she or her people make such a move and buy everything up?" Ostin asked the main question.
"I've been thinking about it for a long time, but I still can't find an exact reason. The only thing is, Dave said she's not like him, that I won't be able to outplay her. Maybe he meant that she wants to be on Theron's level? That she also has connections, buildings…" I ran a hand through my hair. "Honestly, I don't see her motive yet. Why buy what is being secretly sold by Theron? To surprise him? Or to show that she knew everything and can be useful?"
From the thoughts and questions without answers, my head began to ache. I leaned back.
Theron moved closer, kissed me lightly, then pulled me in, letting me rest against his chest.
"Is there anything else that worries you?" he asked quietly.
"The 'Eve' phone numbers from Dave and Liana don't add up either. I think you'd better look into that," I said, feeling his fingers slide over my body.
"I'll take care of it," Ostin replied calmly, putting on his coat. "Anything else?"
"Vel," I suddenly remembered. "What about him?"
"Don't worry, he'll get what he deserves."
Theron's left hand, which had rested on my thigh, tightened again—but this time not passionately. Greedily. Harder. Rougher.
"The question is how he found it."
I clearly saw shock spreading across the tired faces of Theron and Ostin.
"Shit," Theron groaned, throwing his head back. "That piece of trash leaves me no choice."
Ostin only rubbed the bridge of his nose in response.
"Anything else? Otherwise I should get some proper sleep before tomorrow."
It was hard even for me to see Ostin this exhausted.
"I think the rest are minor things, we can discuss them later."
As he left, Theron also warned him about the guards. He worried about him too.
"What will happen tomorrow?" I asked, rising slightly, studying Theron's tired face.
"I'll have to have a conversation with Vel in a rougher manner." Theron immediately stood up and pulled me toward the bathroom. "You don't need to know about it. His blackmail is a minor thing I'll deal with quickly."
"How rough?" I asked as he sat me on a small dresser.
"Don't think about it."
He stroked my cheek and was about to pull away, but I grabbed his hand and pulled him back to me.
"The same way Dave talked to me?"
At my words, disgust spread across Theron's face.
"So I'm right."
"Let's not bring that up. That was a mistake that will never happen again," he hissed angrily through clenched teeth.
He tried not to pull away abruptly, but I clung tighter.
"I've always wondered what you saw when you questioned me? Did you believe me? Or were you just checking?"
Theron finally managed to free himself.
He braced his hands on the edge and lowered his head, pressing it against my chest. I could clearly feel his weight. His anger. The air around us seemed electrified.
"Checking," he said in a low, hoarse voice. "I watched and couldn't understand how reckless you had to be smiling while bleeding out. I thought only an agent could have such endurance. And at the same time… your strength, your courage drove me mad. In you—quiet, calm, unassuming—there was so much strength and intelligence I hadn't even imagined."
I heard pain in his voice. Now everything was different. I ran my fingers through his hair and kissed the top of his head.
"I even thought I even thought I'd been poisoned that night. The first time in a long while I drank alcohol at an event. That like a madman I couldn't see you clearly and couldn't control myself. That I fucked you right on the table. And, fuck… I was insanely glad you weren't one of them."
Theron caught his breath and continued:
"And only later did I find out what was behind that madness."
He didn't lift his head, didn't want me to see him weak. I didn't push him.
"Even now I have no idea how hard it was for you, that now you don't even want to live. And sometimes I don't understand how to behave with you. How you so calmly accepted that I came to kill you… when you just left the door unlocked…"
His voice broke. And all of this—when he himself had far more serious problems.
"Don't think about it now," I wanted to say something, anything, to make him stop fixating on it. "I may not know how to clearly express my feelings… but inside I've already decided to be with you and see what comes of it. So don't think like that. Let's focus on what's happening around us."
I felt a quiet chuckle against my chest.
"You meant—my problems," he lifted his head and immediately pressed to my lips.
The kiss was insistent, rough. His tongue took over, not giving me a chance to recover, as if he wanted to consume me entirely.
"You…" I tried to stop him, but there was too much strength in him, my breathing faltered. "You're tired…"
That was all I managed to say.
He abruptly lifted me, and my legs wrapped around his waist. For a moment he pulled away from my lips.
"Why do you think I ate that slice of pizza?" he smirked smugly, carrying me to the bed. "I can't help myself. I want to be not only beside you, but inside you."
He laid me on the bed and began slowly taking off his clothes, not taking his eyes off me.
"I'm even ready to trade all this for a farm. Where there would be only you and me… and a couple of sheep."
He threw off his shirt, unfastening his belt.
I reached out, placing my palm on his abdomen. He froze.
My hands slid lower, pulling his clothes off him.
"You wouldn't be able to live like that," I said calmly, though everything inside me burned.
I ran my hand over his chest, lower…
Theron's eyes closed.
I wrapped my hand around his cock, and a quiet groan escaped his chest. He immediately opened his eyes and pushed me back onto the bed.
"Damn… you're right again," he exhaled, crashing into my lips.
His body pressed against mine, leaving no space, not allowing me to breathe or think properly. Only his passion and his lips on me that night mattered to me. How long would this euphoria last between us? How long would we be allowed to be happy?
***
In the morning, Theron woke me after his shower, and to my surprise, breakfast was already laid out. For himself, as always. And for me he had made sandwiches and coffee.
"Thank you…" I wasn't used to such signs of attention. Usually, if anyone did anything for me, it was only on their own whim. "Thank you for this."
"There have to be some perks if you're sleeping with the boss," he smirked, leading me to the table.
He didn't know how to accept gratitude, and I didn't know how to accept attention. We looked like insecure teenagers.
"What are our plans for the day?" I asked, tasting the coffee.
"I'll go to Vel. Ostin is supposed to bring a folder on the murdered girls. I want you to go through everything again and check the video recordings. Stay home today. And…" he broke off, choosing his words. "Don't let the guards inside. Or if you do, warn me."
"And you learn to use your phone when it's almost always in your hand," I poked a sandwich into his palm, where a news feed was already open.
And damn… it was the most delicious sandwich I had ever eaten.
"Alright," he agreed calmly.
But it was clear he was in a hurry. He quickly finished breakfast and got ready. I noticed—he was already in new clothes. As always. Control in everything.
He walked up to me and kissed my forehead, because I was still chewing.
"Don't forget to remind me to thank my boss for the wonderful sandwiches," I licked my lips, deliberately teasing him.
He froze. Closed his eyes. His nostrils flared slightly.
"Fuck, Mirey, don't do that…" his breathing grew heavier. "You have no idea how much I want to drop everything and drag you back to bed."
I laughed.
He abruptly opened his eyes, as if he didn't believe it.
"You're mocking me…"
He leaned down and kissed the top of my head.
"Sorry, go. But when you come back—I'll continue," I said, standing up and pulling him by the hand toward the door.
He reluctantly let me go, opened the door. On the other side, the guards handed me a box with documents and flash drives.
Theron kissed me again, this time on the lips. Only then did he give instructions to the guards and leave.
I returned to finish my coffee and sat down to review the recordings.
There were almost five hours of video from different cameras. I watched one after another, simultaneously studying the girls' files.
And everything came down to the name "Eve." All except one.
I watched again and again. And maybe I was imagining it, or maybe it was true… but the girls with the name "Eve" looked more tense at the party. They tried to hide it, but they often exchanged glances. That couldn't be said about the others.
But why?
What had they done? Or what did they know that weighed on them so much? After all, essentially, they were all doing the same thing. So why did eight behave more calmly and freely than the other seven?
And "Eve" was clearly paying them off… But why? And who was it?
The answer was somewhere close. I could feel it. But I couldn't grasp it.
My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. I looked through the peephole—there was a guard.
I opened the door slightly and asked what had happened.
"The FBI is coming up to us, be ready," he said evenly and calmly.
"One of you, come in quickly," I pulled him inside.
In one motion, I began gathering the computer and documents into a box. Everything connected to the girls.
"They must not even see this box. Take care of it. Go into my bedroom and wait there."
The guard said nothing, only silently followed instructions.
A minute later, there was a knock. I opened the door, and another guard stood between the agent and me. I patted him on the back, and he immediately stepped aside.
"Miss Mirey Ellis, you are summoned for questioning in connection with the murder of your stepfather," Ron handed me a document.
I didn't bother examining it. He knew I was already legally savvy enough and understood my rights.
"May I get dressed?" I asked calmly, maintaining my usual cold mask.
"May I come in?" the agent asked roughly.
"Yes, of course. You can wait for me in the living room."
I opened the door wider, inviting him inside, while I headed to the bedroom.
With a gesture, I signaled the guard to hide in the shower and deliberately left the door slightly ajar so as not to arouse suspicion. I found a black tracksuit and quickly put it on.
I should write or call Theron, but most likely the guards had already done that.
I picked up my phone.
And saw a message from an unknown number.
"Want to see your sister—bring the tie to the address I'll send you."
Everything inside me dropped.
The signature under the message read: Eve.
"How long will we be allowed to be happy?"