Carnage by Sarah Bailey

Ten

Scarlett

I wasn’t sure what to think of what occurred in the kitchen. Annika had only told me Drake expected them at certain times of the day, not his exact coffee preference. I should have asked her before making it. And I hoped Francis Beaufort wasn’t messing with me over this because I didn’t like getting things wrong. Fucking up on my second day wouldn’t be a good look.

My thoughts ran wild, as I walked down the hallway, from the obvious way he’d been outright flirting with me. Just as Prescott had been yesterday, although, as he was the face of Fortuity, I expected as much from him. Francis had been friendly with me the first time I’d met him at my interview. His behaviour today was unexpected, to say the least. I didn’t know what to make of him. The way his grey eyes glinted gave me goosebumps.

Shaking myself, I found Drake’s door open. I walked straight in without knocking. He didn’t raise his head from his computer as I approached his desk. I set his coffee down on the coaster, not knowing whether to say anything or not. He seemed intent on what he was doing. A little furrow appeared between his dark brows, and his fingers moved across the keyboard with speed. He had large hands with long fingers. I could imagine them curled around my arms, holding me down on his desk.

Where did that come from?

“Thank you,” he murmured, startling me. My hand shook around the mug. I released it and looked at him. Drake’s eyes were on me, those indigo irises flickering with an emotion I couldn’t put my finger on.

“You’re welcome.”

He reached out, taking the mug and bringing it to his lips whilst his eyes remained fixed on me. I couldn’t help feeling hot and overexposed, as if he was stripping me bare with his gaze. As if he could see everything I kept hidden beneath the surface. I clenched my hands in my skirt to stop myself from trembling.

Jesus, I need to get a grip.

Something about Drake set me on edge. I couldn’t put my finger on why. Being around him lit my body up in ways I hadn’t experienced before. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, given I’d never spent much time around the opposite sex if you discounted Mason. And honestly, I found Drake incredibly attractive, as I did with Francis and Prescott. It made me wonder what West looked like. I’d yet to meet him.

I shouldn’t find any of them attractive. I was here to bring them down. To ruin them completely for the things they’d done. Perhaps I could use it to my advantage. What better way to wrap them around my little finger than to make them want me? The problem with that plan was I didn’t know how to go about it. Making men want me wasn’t exactly something I had any experience in.

Maybe you should ask Mason, though I doubt he’d be very impressed with you taking this course of action.

His misgivings couldn’t stand in the way of me getting things done. Maybe I wouldn’t tell him. Maybe I should attempt this on my own. How hard could it be? Francis and Prescott seemed inclined to flirt with me. I should flirt back… if I could work out how.

Drake sipped his coffee before placing it back on the coaster. His lip curled up, but not with disgust, more amusement.

“Is… is it okay?” I asked, unable to stand the silence between us any longer.

“You look like I’m about to throw the mug across the room and demand you make me a new one.”

“Mr Beaufort said you’re picky about your coffee.”

I don’t know why I told him. Guess he had that way about him. The kind which told me if I lied to him, I wouldn’t like the consequences. Perhaps I should provoke him. I didn’t think I could take the same approach to Drake as the others. He didn’t seem inclined to be anything other than professional. It made me wonder what he was like under the mask he wore. Whether or not he was as dark and wild as his eyes and reputation suggested.

“Did he, now?” He flexed his hand on the desk. “What else did he tell you?”

I shrugged.

“You wouldn’t like it if I didn’t stick to your schedule.”

“No, I wouldn’t.” Drake’s eyes roamed across me, lingering on where I’d left more cleavage on show than I should have. “In fact, it would displease me greatly. I suggest you heed his warning.”

I released my skirt from my fists and smoothed it down.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

He put his hand up and beckoned me closer.

“Should I not be getting back to Annika?” I asked, hesitant to get any closer to this man. I had no idea what was running through his mind.

He merely gave me a look that screamed ‘do not test me’. My feet carried me forward, walking around his desk and coming to a standstill next to his chair. Drake turned towards me, his hand shooting out and curling around my wrist. He dragged me closer to him until our faces were level with each other. Heat spread up my arm from the feel of his skin on mine. I had no idea what he was doing, but I couldn’t move or look away.

“Tell me, Scarlett, do you think this is appropriate?” he murmured.

“What is?”

He let go of my wrist, only to reach up and touch his fingers to my blouse. My legs almost buckled. Did he mean my blouse being undone?

God, why is he touching me?

It was at odds with the closed-off man he’d been so far.

“This.”

He fiddled with the buttons of my blouse, covering my breasts up before he released me and turned back to his desk. I stared down at where his fingers had been, unable to comprehend what just happened.

“Do you think I’ll ever find a boyfriend?”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“No one seems to find me attractive.”

“You’re pretty, Scar. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

The voices rang in my ears, my own and another. I had no idea of the context or where it’d come from. They almost didn’t feel real because I had no visual indicator attached to them. Not being able to remember anything about the first sixteen years of my life, except for small flashes, frustrated me.

“Sorry,” I whispered.

“You should get back to Annika now,” was all he said in response, not even bothering to throw a look my way.

I straightened and backed away, swallowing hard. Not wanting to earn another reprimand, even though this hadn’t really been one, I walked out of the room, worrying at the fabric of my blouse with my fingers.

My interactions with the Horsemen had been strange so far. I didn’t know what to make of them. And I certainly didn’t understand why I kept getting weird flashes of voices from the past in my head. Nothing about this made sense.

“Hello, Scarlett.”

I jumped, almost stumbling on my heels, as I reached out and caught the wall to steady myself. Looking around, I found one of them leaning up against the doorframe of his office, staring at me with a smile.

“Oh… hello, um, Prescott.”

“My apologies if I startled you.”

I let go of the wall and straightened my spine, forcing a smile on my face.

“I’m… fine.”

He raised an eyebrow, indicating he knew it was a lie. I’d already been rattled by both Francis and Drake today. My mind was all over the place. I wanted to get back to work, then perhaps I could calm myself the hell down.

“You sure about that… sweetness?”

A horrible wave of familiarity rushed down my spine at that word.

Amused blue eyes. The smell of freshly cut grass. The sun beating down on my skin.

“You expect me to believe you’re innocent? You forget how long we’ve known each other, sweetness?”

He called me sweetness and light.

A sharp pain radiated out from my temple, making me reach up and rub it. The memory faded as soon as it came on, leaving me thoroughly unsettled and unnerved.

“You want to sit down for a bit?”

I blinked before my gaze settled on Prescott again. He indicated his office with his hand, inviting me into his domain. I nodded without thinking. One foot moved before the other. I found myself following as he backed away into his office, wondering all the while why now, of all times, did flashes of my past seem to be seeping back into my consciousness. And whether or not it meant my memories would finally return to me in full.