She looked at the screen with the list of planes that had arrived. He was more than fifteen minutes late. Just how long is his bag collection going to take? As her thought finished processing, she saw a young man, no older than twenty, walking through the glass doors in an Armani suit. Someone’s daddy must be rich.
The handsome guy with light-brown hair and haunting green eyes scanned the crowd briefly enough to show his disinterest. He gripped his hand luggage and made his way down the sectioned off path before heading for the sliding exit doors.
Abigail craned her neck to see him exiting as it was the most interesting thing she had spotted since she got here. Right after his back disappeared behind the double doors, a girl clad in black leather with a taller and equally as questionable man started walking after him.
Standing there, Abigail wondered if her gut feeling was in its right mind tonight. Surely some kid wouldn’t have any ties to that dangerous-looking couple. Then again, maybe he had pissed off some gang members because he was too full of himself at a nightclub. It wouldn’t be the first time something like that had happened around here. She glanced one last time at her watch and then at the arrivals screen. The Editor in Chief can wait five minutes, right? What if this is a massive scoop? He would understand my need to help a stranger.
She managed to assure herself that everything would be fine and ran out the same doors in search of the couple. As she crossed the road to the five-storey parking lot, she spied them splitting off and ducking between the cars. With there being no more flights going out tonight, there were no people strolling around with their heavy suitcases and loud banter.
Her heart jolted in her chest. At the far end of the half-empty car park, she spotted the rich kid aiming for what appeared to be a black Lexus RCF. She remembered the model because of the weird grill shape it had.
The duo was getting closer to him.
She reached into her bag and fished out her phone. Lifting it, she opened the camera and pressed the record button in case things got interesting while she hid behind the nearest SUV.
The guy peered over his shoulder and stopped two feet away from his car. “I know you’re there. Come out already,” he said without any fear in his voice, which Abigail found to be odd.
The strawberry-blonde slipped out from behind one of the cars and edged closer to him with a machete in her hand. “It’s been a while, Andrew.”
“Laura…” His eyes reflected his hidden pain.
“You look well for a dead guy,” she added, planting her free hand on her hip. “Looks like becoming one of them has helped you move up in society.”
“Don’t say that. We were once friends.”
Laura snorted. “Were being the key word.”
“Before we get down to business, I want to know one thing.” Andrew’s eyes lit with a green glow.
Abigail recognised that light. He was the same as Alexander. Another bloodsucking, night crawling, one-night stand bastar— She shook her head and listened in on the rest of the conversation.
“Why did you kill her?” Andrew asked.
“She deserved it!” Laura shouted. “She was responsible for what Alexander and that hunter asshole did to my parents!”
“She didn’t deserve it and you know it!” Andrew snapped back.
Laura tilted her head to one side. Since the girl was standing with her back towards Abigail, she couldn’t tell what the girl’s expression was like.
By the way Andrew glared at Laura, Abigail knew it wasn’t anything good. Her hands turned sweaty and her heart was almost in her throat when a deafening sound of a gunshot echoed in the garage. Dread pushed the blood out of Abigail’s face. She forgot about her phone and peered around the car to see the young man clutching his chest. Laura was gaining on him, ready to strike him with a machete when Abigail screamed.
The girl whipped her head around. Her eyes narrowed on Abigail, and Abigail’s voice died in her throat.
But, as Laura made her first step in Abigail’s direction, the wounded man shouted, “Run!”
With his voice ringing in Abigail’s ears, she found that her legs had turned into cotton candy from fear. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t even think of moving. A second later, a bald man came from behind a cleaner’s van, pointing a rifle at her chest. For what seemed like an insanely long second, she thought this had to be some kind of a nightmare. There was no way she would end up dying this young because she couldn’t find the composure to flee the scene or call the police in the first place.
Past the glaring girl, Abigail noticed Andrew rummaging through his hand luggage. He unlocked his car and clambered inside, earning another shot from the maniac with a gun at his windscreen.
The shot shook Abigail enough for her to start backing up and out of the way of the oncoming car that pushed Laura to one side. The duo started chasing the car that stopped a foot away from Abigail’s paralysed form.
Andrew grunted. “Get in.”
Not seeing much of a choice, Abigail slid into the passenger seat and, as she slammed the door shut, another shot pierced the rear window, sending the sharp shards of glass falling onto the leather backseats.
A scream escaped her. She covered her ears, which didn’t help her panic subside. The car smashed through the car park’s barrier, and he floored the acceleration to the point where Abigail thought her hair would be left behind her as the wind, coming through the bullet holes in the windscreen, assaulted her ashen face.
Unable to fathom what had just happened, she stared at the phone in her lap. Her knuckles had gone white with the intensity she was gripping the device. Since when did I become the female lead in an action movie? She shouldn’t have followed the kid. She shook her head and nibbled on her lip. If I hadn’t followed him, he’d be dead. Her eyes diverted to the bleeding wound in his chest. How is he still alive?
“Are you okay? You’re bleeding…” she began, stealing a peek at his white shirt that had turned crimson.
He took the turn off the motorway and headed down a series of roads without answering her.
“Hello? Can you hear me?” Abigail nudged his shoulder.
The guy gritted his teeth and swayed a little, making the car swerve towards a footpath. She screamed and grabbed the steering wheel, trying to get them back on the road.
“I need you to brake,” she said.
When he slammed on the brakes, the car jolted to a stop, sending her side smashing against the dashboard. Pain exploded in her shoulder and upper arm. Seconds ticked by. Her head stopped spinning enough for her to climb back into her seat. She noted that the guy was no longer conscious.
“Shit!” She got out of the car and ran to his side. She couldn’t drive around in this thing any longer, not when the car looked like it had visited a war zone. So, she searched his pockets until she found a phone. Thankfully, he had no locking pattern or code in place, allowing her instant access to his contacts. The first contact took her off guard. Alexander’s name stared back at her in bold black letters, and she pressed her lips together to refrain from exploding with another set of insults. Of course, he’d be involved in this crazy shit. Maybe the person that crazy chick at the airport was talking about was also Alexander, which meant he had pissed off some bad people. No surprise there.
She scanned the rest of the contacts, finding Tanya—Alexander’s business partner—on the list. Having sucked in a steadying breath and rested her aching back against the car, she pressed the call button.
“Andrew, what’s up?” Tanya asked.
“This is Abigail. I’ve interviewed Mr Grekov a while ago, so you probably won’t remember—”
“I remember you,” Tanya replied, her tone changing to cautious.
Abigail sighed in relief. “Your friend got shot, and I…wound up being next to him when it happened.”
“Where are you?”
“I—honestly, I’ve no idea. I think we were heading southbound on the M50. I’m pretty sure he took the third exit off the motorwa
y. We must be—”
“I’ll use his GPS location to track you,” Tanya interrupted and started furiously typing on the other end. “If you can, hide somewhere instead of being out in the open. I’ll send my men to pick you up.”
“Should I call the police?”
“No! Under no circumstances should you do that.” Tanya softened her tone and added, “Please. I will explain everything when we find you.”
The call ended abruptly, and Abigail looked at the night’s sky. She definitely was going to get into trouble with Jennifer for ditching the new Editor in Chief at the airport. And, now that she was asked to keep quiet about this, she couldn’t exactly endanger Alexander and his business further by bringing this issue to the Gards. She let out her frustration with a huff and started pulling her partner in crime out of the driver’s seat. Her shoulder erupted into another agonising surge of burning nerve endings which made her grip on him lessen.
Andrew fell out of the car, landing with a thud on the concrete. Wincing, she strained her almost non-existent muscles to drag him away from the car and towards the only thing that looked like a cushy chunk of grass between two London plane trees over a dozen feet to her left. Now that Tanya had ordered her to get them away from the possible prying eyes, she scanned the stretch of the road with a few storehouses and closed shops on either side of it. Once she spied a road turning off into a barely-lit housing estate, she decided it would be the best place for them to hide out until the cavalry arrived.
For ten excruciatingly long minutes, she gritted her teeth to the point where her jaw hurt as bad as her shoulder while she dragged the guy over to the darkness. Her breathing was as loud as her heartbeat that thudded in her ears. The worst part was that every time she heard a rustling sound, her breath hitched and her head snapped up to see if someone had discovered them. At last, she collapsed in the shadow of a tall tree and pushed Andrew’s back against the rough bark.
“You’re going to be alright…I hope.” Her fingers searched for his pulse, finding none. It was no surprise to her since he looked like he had lost a litre of blood. Right now, it looked more like she was the person who murdered Andrew since she was the one covered in his blood.
A black car pulled up in front of Abigail, blinding her with the bright beams of light. Too tired to even panic, she squinted, trying to make out the incoming group of people.
“It’s alright. It’s me,” Tanya said.
Abigail relaxed a little.
Two men lifted Andrew’s body and settled him between them on the backseat of the car.
Tanya knelt in front of Abigail. “Are you injured?”
“My shoulder hurts like hell. Other than that, I don’t think so,” she replied with a forced smile.
“Hmm…” Tanya stood and offered her hand. “Come with us. We will get you checked out.”
“Are you going to silence me or something? I’m pretty sure this was some kind of a hired hit or part of a gang war.”
A laugh escaped Tanya which she muffled with her palm. “It’s a little different to what you imagine, I assure you. But, if you come with me, I’ll tell you all about it. Do we have a deal?”
“Won’t Alexander be angry?”
“Why would he be?”
“I don’t know. It just popped into my mind, that’s all…”
With a nudge of her hand, Tanya urged Abigail to take it.
Left with little choice, she complied. She didn’t feel like spending the night on the outskirts of Dublin, covered in blood and begging for a taxi ride home.
“Where is Alexander, by the way?” Abigail asked once they were in the car. With all five passengers, she felt a little claustrophobic.
“He is currently in St. Petersburg. He had to leave for an important business meeting with our alcohol supplier,” Tanya replied.
“Oh…” That would explain why he hadn’t come to see her. “Do you know when he’s coming back?”
Tanya arched a brow and faced Abigail, which sent her straight blonde hair gliding over her shoulders. “Why are you so interested? Do you like him?”
Abigail scoffed and shuffled as far away as the seat would let her. Her shoulder pressed against the car door, and she groaned.
“I will take that as a maybe,” Tanya mumbled and focused on the road.
CHAPTER 12
ABIGAIL
Having changed into a white blouse and skinny jeans that Tanya had given her, Abigail hugged her sides as she leant her hip against the doorframe. In Alexander’s office, the guy she had arrived with was being treated by someone Tanya had assured her was qualified. It was a strange thing to say, especially when someone Tanya knew was laying on the sofa with his shirt torn open and a stranger plunging his fingers into Andrew’s chest.
Abigail reached into her back pocket. Her phone wasn’t there. She must have left it in her other jeans. Pushing away from the frame, she strode to the second room adjacent to the office. It was designed like a living area, comfortable and full of books. Glass display cases contained different daggers, which she found to be a rather bizarre addition, and alcohol. Alexander seemed to have a bottle of almost everything sitting on his bar. Some were half empty while the others weren’t even uncorked yet. She could only hope his liver was surviving the punishment he was giving it, if he had a liver. With everything that happened, she wasn’t sure whether he was a living vampire, a top secret military experiment, or some demonic spawn that roamed their world.
She found her phone in the folds of her bloodstained clothing on one of the cream Chesterfield sofas. Glancing at her screen, she cringed. Her boss had called her fifteen times. Before she got a chance to call back, Tanya entered the room.
Once more, she assessed Abigail with interest. “Are you unharmed?”
“After you gave me that strange red cocktail, all the aches have disappeared.” She rolled the shoulder she had hit in the car. “Can’t feel a thing.”
“Good. I am glad the concoction worked.” Tanya sat on the sofa, folding her long arms in front of her. “Do you want to stay here until Alexander’s return tonight?”
“What? No! Why would I?” Abigail asked, slightly panicked at the thought of seeing him.
“For a reward, of course.”
Abigail stashed her phone into her pocket. “None needed.”
“Usually, women are eager to get something out of him…” Tanya rested her elbows on her knees and her chin on her clasped hands. Her piercing blue eyes met Abigail’s. “Have you slept with him?”
Unable to control her blush, Abigail’s cheeks heated. “What kind of question is that?”
“Sorry, I was only curious. It’s not something he would ever consider with you being a redhead and all.”
Abigail’s ears perked up. “Why is that exactly?”
Tanya gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Sorry, even though I like you, I cannot betray my sire’s privacy. He will tell you in due time, I’m sure of it. For now, would you like someone to take you home? It is almost midday.”
“Oh, crap. I have to get to work.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “And I’ll have to make something up to tell Jennifer…”
“There is no need.” Tanya rose from her seat. “I’ve already called her and told her everything. She will not ask any unnecessary questions.”
“Thank God,” Abigail mumbled and started for the door, but Tanya’s question drew her to a halt in the doorway.
“Is there anything you wish for me to pass along to Alexander?”
Abigail mulled over her response longer than she should have. Some part of her desperately wanted to see him, but she couldn’t risk another interaction. They had a one-night stand. To get over her mistake, she needed to move on with her life. “No. Don’t tell him I was involved in any way, please.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. And you can throw my clothes out. I’m sure no dry cleaners will take them without asking a question or two.”
ALEXANDER
Alexander spent his day changing his travel arrangements, apologising to his business contacts for dismissing the meeting, and e-mailing Tanya back and forth. Returning two days early was going to lose him a lot of money. He mentally calculated the millions of dollars in losses he was going to incur and groaned.
Next to him, Katharine planted a reassuring hand on his thigh. “I’m certain everything will be fine with your friend.”
He glanced at her, still unable to completely comprehend that she was back in his life. It was as if he had stumbled upon a mirage of an oasis in a desert and it was not going away no matter how many times he splashed his face with water. Whatever her life had been like until now, he wanted to erase it. From what she had told him, only suffering and pain followed after he had abandoned her for Ghoul Master to claim—a mistake he couldn’t apologise enough for. Yet, strangely enough, she hadn’t once demanded his apology or anything from him other than his company. Is she the same woman who claimed my heart all those years ago?
She stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. “You are so beautiful. I had almost forgotten…”
“I believe you are the one who kept her good looks,” Alexander replied.
Her red lips tugged into a delicious smile. “I am happy you love me still.”
Love, an emotion Alexander had pushed out from his heart and mind the moment her body lost its final sliver of warmth. Do I still love her? He could no longer tell the difference between the wish to fulfil his duty as her master and the stirring emotions that kept him bound to her fern-coloured eyes. Since her return into his life, he had restrained himself from touching her too much. Business matters and Andrew came before pleasure. But, from now on, he would take his time. There was no need to pursue a pointless revenge or fret about what others would think if they got together.
“You do love me, yes?” she inquired with a faint flare in her eyes.
Alexander opened his mouth to respond when his phone rang, saving him. He noted the caller ID and pressed his lips into a grim line. “How is he?”
Monochrome Interview Page 8
