Carnage by Sarah Bailey

Seventeen

Scarlett

The rest of the week and the one after passed without incident, leaving me wondering if I’d imagined them taking a liking to me. Sure, Prescott continued to chat to me, but there was none of the flirtatious tone he’d used before. I hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Francis and West. And Drake had been cordial but quiet with me.

Mason had asked a million and one questions about them. I had little to relay to him. He was only getting on my case as my father likely was getting on his. I hadn’t spoken to my parents since I’d left their estate. In many ways, I had no interest in doing so. They had kept me chained to a life I didn’t want any part of. Where I had no freedom. Now I could roam where I wanted, talking with them would only land me with the uncomfortable reminder of what they expected from me. How they’d dragged me into their revenge plot.

Shaking myself, I gripped the mug I was holding tighter. My palms had become a little sweaty and I didn’t want it to slip. I took a breath and knocked on the door frame as the door to his office was wide open. Prescott looked up, those blue eyes narrowing for a moment. His expression cleared when he saw it was me.

“Scarlett.”

I’d thought long and hard about who I should go after first, especially now Annika had left. It was my first day without her. I could finally enact my plan to make them want me.

Prescott was the most amenable to me in so much he wasn’t closed off like the others. I could use it to my advantage. Knowing I would have to be careful kept me from doing anything drastic, but I could talk to him at the very least.

I walked in, approached his desk, and set the mug down on a coaster. I’d just taken Drake his morning coffee. He hadn’t asked me for anything else. I figured the best way to have an excuse to stop and chat with Prescott was to make him a hot drink.

Prescott’s eyes flicked down to the mug.

“Is this for me?”

“Yeah… I thought maybe… I mean, I made one for Drake and…”

He picked it up and took a sip, watching me over the rim. There was a hint of amusement in those blue depths. Why was I acting so weird? I needed to have more conviction. Maybe I should be the awkward girl who he had to rescue. Maybe it would make him let his guard down.

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” he told me as he placed the mug back down. “I see someone has told you how I like my tea.”

“Mr Beaufort did.”

He gave me a nod. I fidgeted. My brain had taken a hike and all my thoughts were scrambled.

Ask him something, stupid!

“Did you have a good weekend?”

I licked my lip. Prescott’s eyes followed its path, darkening at the sight of it.

“I did,” he replied, his voice gruffer than before, whilst his eyes remained fixed on my lip. “How about you?”

“Oh well, it was okay. Didn’t do much. Still getting used to all the noise here, it’s much quieter in the country.”

He leant back in his chair.

“Mmm, I imagine so. Where did you live before?”

“Kent.”

Those blue eyes of his roamed down my body, perusing every inch.

“You don’t seem like you’d be at home amongst trees, fields and farm animals.”

I stared down at myself. My black skirt was form-fitting, my red blouse had no sleeves and my heels were probably too tall to be work appropriate.

“No? Can’t imagine me in wellies and tweed?”

He snorted.

“Is that what you used to wear?”

I shrugged and ran my fingers along the glass top of his desk.

“Maybe… if I showed you a photo, you wouldn’t recognise me.”

“Are you offering?”

I licked my lip again. His fingers tapped on the glass as if impatient for my answer. Pulling out my phone from a pocket in my skirt, I circled his desk and stopped next to his chair. He turned to look up at me whilst I found an appropriate photo. My hand landed on the back of his chair as I leant down. My other contained my phone. I showed him the photo, allowing him to see me when I’d been a little younger.

For a moment, his eyes were on my face, now inches away from his. I recognised the emotion displayed across his features. Curiosity at why I was being so friendly.

“This is Chocolate.”

Prescott looked at my phone. I stood with a dark brown horse, dressed in jodhpurs and riding boots. Whilst I could ride, I never competed or anything. I wasn’t allowed. Going horse riding was the only time I was ever allowed to roam freely on the estate.

“You have a horse.”

“Had.”

“Is Chocolate no longer with us?”

I sighed, drawing my phone back to me, but I didn’t straighten.

“No. He passed away a year ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

He looked at me with a sort of sympathy in his eyes, but somehow, I didn’t think it was genuine. It’s as if he knew he had to show it, but he didn’t feel it. It should unnerve me. Everything about him should but, instead, I wanted to know more.

“It’s okay… so, was I right? Do you recognise me?”

I was a couple of years older than the photo.

“I can tell it’s you, but you’re different now. You look innocent and free in that.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, am I not innocent and free now?”

He reached out, curling a lock of my hair around his finger.

“No, I don’t think you are.” Those long fingers tightened in my hair, pulling me closer. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

“Depends on what you mean by innocent.”

I had no idea where this conversation was going or what he was doing. A part of me was drawn to him, and not because I had to get close to him for my parents.

It wasn’t the first time he’d touched my hair. On my second day here, he got awfully close to me. And I liked it more than I should.

“Innocent can mean many things, but I think we’re referring to something of a… sexual nature, am I wrong?”

The seductive note of his voice made me tremble. My fingers curled tighter around my phone.

“Then I hate to break it to you,” I murmured. “But you are wrong.”

For a long moment, Prescott didn’t react. Then a slow smile spread across his face.

“They tell me it’s the innocent ones you have to look out for. They offer themselves up like little sacrificial lambs before the slaughter.”

I shivered at his words, dripping with innuendo. Whilst I might have no experience, I had read a lot… a heck of a lot. It had been my form of escapism. One my parents hadn’t tried to curb. Then again, I’m not sure they realised what I was reading and how I’d become fascinated with the dark and morbid.

“Is that what you’re interested in? Lambs to hunt?”

I’m not sure if he was surprised by my direct question or not. His expression hadn’t changed.

“Perhaps.”

For the first time in my life, another person’s mere presence had the space between my thighs tingling. Not to mention the sensuous notes of his voice slowly melting me into a puddle of desire.

His fingers slid deeper into my hair, dusting across my scalp. My mouth went dry, my eyes falling on his lips.

Where is your head at? You can’t let him seduce you like this. He’d be in control and you’d be at his mercy.

Maybe I wanted to be at his mercy. Perhaps I was desperate for it. The darkest parts of me were unlocking as if the key had finally been shoved into the lock. As if the freedom from my oppressive life on my parent’s estate had allowed me to spread my wings.

“Are you a lamb, sweetness?” he whispered.

I had to remember whilst I needed to get them on my side, I had to stop myself from falling under their spell. Right now, I was too busy thinking about being taken and ravaged by the man in front of me. I shouldn’t want that. It had nothing to do with revenge. It was a selfish desire I only just realised I had.

“Maybe.”

The wicked smile he gave me had my blood pounding.

“Mmm, you are quite something, aren’t you.”

I didn’t know what he meant by that, but I didn’t ask, merely waited for his next move.

A low growling sound from behind us had me pulling away, forcing his fingers to drag through my hair. Prescott kept his eyes on me for a long moment before he dropped his hand and turned his gaze to the newcomer.

“Yes?” he asked, a smirk forming on his lips.

I turned around and found West standing in the doorway. Those amber eyes looked downright deadly. His expression made me swallow. The fury emanating from him had my heart firing on all cylinders. I could hear its drum beating in my ears. He could have stalked into the room, shoved me up against Prescott’s desk, told me to spread my legs and I wouldn’t have objected. In fact, I would have done it willingly.

What the… you barely know this man! And he put his hand on your damn throat the first time you met without saying a word.

Maybe my conversation with Prescott had stripped me of my inhibitions. I couldn’t censor my thoughts. They were running amok and there was nothing I could do about it.

West didn’t say a word. I couldn’t look away nor think of anything suitable to say myself.

“Did you want something, West?” Prescott asked.

West’s jaw ticked, then he raised his finger and pointed at me.

“You, come here.”

Whatever possessed me to obey, I had no idea. It was only when I was standing a foot away from him, my phone still clutched in my palm, I realised I’d walked across the room on command.

His gaze roamed over the length of me.

“Don’t indulge Pres, he uses any excuse to flirt with women,” he said in a hushed voice full of irritation.

“He wasn’t flirting with me.” My voice came out squeaky and if I’m honest, a little indignant. Prescott and I had been more than flirting. “It’s my fault, I started a conversation with him.”

I looked down at the floor. Why on earth was I defending myself to him? Drake was my boss, not West. My chin was forced up by his hand gripping my jaw.

“Go back to work, Miss Carver, or I may have to tell Drake… though you’d likely prefer his version of discipline to mine.”

I swallowed. My skin burnt under his touch and the way he stared at me with intense hatred. Was it hatred though? Or was it something else? Something much darker and more… nefarious.

“Yes, Mr Greer.”

He let out a harsh breath. Then he dropped his hand, gripped my arm and shoved me out of the door. The next thing I knew, it slammed shut behind me, making me flinch.

I had no idea what had just happened. My body shook. The man had literally no qualms about manhandling me.

There was no point standing here trying to work out what was going through West’s head or even Prescott after my conversation with him. On shaky legs, I made my way back to the office and sunk down into the chair at my desk. I bent my head back and stared at the ceiling taking several deep breaths.

I’d discovered two things. Firstly, Prescott was definitely my easiest target, but I couldn’t let my guard down with him. And secondly, West was clearly unhinged and had a problem with me. What it was I had no idea, but I would have to tread carefully with him or something might happen to me. Something I might not like. The thought of it made me shiver and Prescott’s words about me being a little sacrificial lamb came back. Perhaps if I played at being their little lamb, they wouldn’t see the wolf hiding behind it. I could do that. Be an innocent girl who didn’t know any better.

Lowering my head, I smiled. They had no idea who they’d let into their company. And I would keep it that way until I was ready to strike at the hearts of the Four Horsemen.