Carnage by Sarah Bailey

Four

Drake

God, she was beautiful. The moment I turned and saw her, my damn skin prickled. All I could think about was how stunning she was. The way she carried herself, her head held high and her hazel-green eyes assessing every inch of me. Her light brown hair fell on her shoulders in soft waves. The cream blouse hugged her figure and was tucked into wide-legged black trousers. Nude heels peeked out of them and she had a brown leather handbag completing her look.

It’s been so long. Too fucking long.

I knew Francis felt it too. His eyes betrayed everything. Neither of us could afford to say a damn word. We had a plan and we had to stick to it. I had to get on with this interview and forget about everything else. I couldn’t get side-tracked.

Scarlett folded her hands in her lap and gave me a nod. I was known for keeping a cool head about things but having her here twisted up my insides. My mouth felt dry. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Get a grip.

“I thought I’d start with asking you what you know about Fortuity.”

She shifted in her seat before meeting my eyes and smiling. And fuck, did her smile make my stomach flip. Not something I needed right now.

“You and your associates started the company six years ago when you were twenty, initially providing investments, which has since expanded into investment banking and foreign exchange. You provide your clients with top-quality service, including their own personal advisor and management of their investments. Fortuity has won many awards for its entrepreneurial success. Simply put, you’re the best of the best.”

Scarlett had done her research. Unsurprising really. We had risen fast and become a recognisable name. We were the top dogs of our industry.

“I see there’s no need for me to explain further about the company. I’ll move on to some questions then.”

“Of course.”

She smiled again. I bit the inside of my cheek and picked up my tablet resting on the desk, scrolling through her covering letter and CV.

“Tell me, Miss Carver, what made you apply for this position?”

My eyes flicked up to her, noting the hesitation in her expression indicating she didn’t know how to answer my question.

“I… wanted a new challenge.”

“You’ve worked for your family’s company for the past six years, unless I’m mistaken.”

She nodded and flexed her hands. A nervous habit.

“Yes, which is why I’d like to try something new. Spread my wings a little. Not to say I haven’t enjoyed my time there, but doesn’t everyone want some independence from their parents at some point? It feels like the right time.”

Her voice shook on her answer, but I pretended I hadn’t noticed, giving her a nod. Glancing down at my tablet, I made a show of writing a few notes.

“Tell me something about yourself that isn’t on your CV.”

When I looked up at her, her eyes had gone wide and she bit her lip. Another one of her unconscious tells, betraying her hesitation and need to think before she gave me a response. She raised her hand slightly and gripped the arm of the chair as if to steady herself.

I liked to put people off balance. It showed whether or not they would crack under pressure. How they’d perform. It wasn’t something I only did in a work environment either. Catching someone off guard told you a lot about them. Would they slip up and reveal something they shouldn’t or would they recover quickly? I liked to get deep inside a person’s psyche, learn how they ticked so I could use it to my advantage. You push the right buttons and they fall in line.

Prescott might be able to command a room with his presence, but people trusted me with their secrets. They saw me as a good listener and the person to go to for advice. Such a shame they didn’t see who really lurked underneath the surface when they told me their deepest, darkest desires. I dissected their whole lives, learning what made them who they were so I could crush them until there was nothing left but ashes in the wind. It was such a rush when they discovered what I’d done. I loved watching the deep, visceral sense of betrayal displayed across their features. The death of everything they held dear. Snatched away in a moment. It was such a sweet victory.

“Does it have to be work-related?” she finally asked.

“It’s up to you.”

“Okay. Well, I had to learn how to walk and talk all over again when I was younger. It was a long arduous process. I’d prefer not to go into the whys, but I like to think it shows I’m very committed when I put my mind to something. I want to be successful at what I do.”

I nodded again, writing down more notes. I wasn’t going to pry into her life any further, but it showed definite strength of character. Anyone who worked for me had to have a certain work ethic. I wanted someone who would run all aspects of my life, business and personal. It wasn’t what my current PA did, but with the changes to our business, I needed someone who could take a more hands-on approach.

“I imagine that was very difficult.”

She gave me a tight smile, her eyes betraying how uncomfortable she was revealing something so personal.

“Yes… life has a funny way of challenging us.”

Don’t I know it! Sitting here in front of you is a challenge in of itself.

I didn’t smile back. I rarely did. Showing emotion wasn’t something I did. Not for a long time. It made it harder for anyone to get a read on me. It’s how I liked it. I preferred not to let anyone in. It only led to disappointment when they realised I wasn’t who they thought. Most people didn’t like the ugliness inside me and the others. They wouldn’t understand the whys or how we’d all descended to the lowest of lows to rise to power. And risen we had, like fucking phoenixes from the ashes. Except these phoenixes dripped with immorality, perversion and deviancy.

“You’re aware this role can require you to be here at odd hours, liaising with my associates to keep diaries aligned as we all work very closely together, and we require you to sign an NDA.” I paused, assessing her reaction. Her eyes flickered momentarily. “Is any of that going to be a problem?”

“No, not at all. I’m very good at working with others and can adapt to my circumstances no matter what is thrown at me.”

No hesitation on her part. I liked that. So far I was impressed with what I’d heard.

“As you said, you want a new challenge.”

Scarlett nodded and let go of the chair arm, her shoulders relaxing.

I asked her a few more questions about her experience, which she dutifully answered. Some of it felt rehearsed, but I came to expect that sort of thing in interviews. People could be very predictable. They wanted to impress, especially when it came to working here. You could tell who wanted a role for bragging rights and who was invested in building a solid career. Weeding out the former happened to be something I was well versed in.

Scarlett wasn’t one of those types. She had her own reasons. Ones she clearly kept close to her chest. The woman wasn’t entirely easy to read.

“Do you have any questions for me, Miss Carver?” I asked when I’d wrapped up my own.

She bit her lip again. I tried to keep my attention on her eyes as opposed to the indents she made on the bottom one.

“You mentioned you work closely with your associates. Just how involved would my role be with them?”

Now there was something I had anticipated. No doubt she’d want to know if she’d be seeing the notorious Four Horsemen regularly. Didn’t everyone? Unlike the others, I could see why we’d been branded with the name. The four of us took no prisoners. No one in their right mind challenged our authority and power. We’d proven we weren’t to be messed with despite our enemies continuously circling. The four of us were ready for them whenever they chose to strike.

“It depends. Francis… Mr Beaufort doesn’t like anyone else interfering in his routines. He’d be the least of your worries. As for Mr Greer, West keeps to himself mostly. Mr Ellis is the one you’d be seeing the most other than myself. Prescott is the face of Fortuity so he’s very… involved.”

That was an understatement. Prescott liked to stick his nose in things that weren’t his business. The rest of us didn’t mind. We were used to it. Well, except for West. He outright hated the way Prescott behaved. Then again, West pretty much hated everything and everyone. It didn’t take much to set him off.

“That said, you’ll mainly be working directly with me,” I continued. “The others have Tonya to manage their schedules.”

She nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment.

“And the late hours. Do you anticipate those to be every day or…?”

“No, not every day. I try not to work late, but sometimes these things happen.”

I wasn’t going to tell her about my tendency to work at all sorts of hours, since she didn’t need to be here for that. Insomnia had plagued me for years, and it wasn’t disappearing any time soon.

“Okay… I don’t think I have any other questions.”

I rose slowly from my chair. She watched me, her head tipping back to meet my eyes.

“I think that just about concludes everything then. I will walk you out.”

I indicated the door with my hand, stepping out from behind the desk. She didn’t move straight away, watching me with curious eyes, as if she hadn’t worked me out yet.

Scarlett rose from her chair and leant down, picking up her handbag. My mouth went dry again, watching her body stretch and flex as she straightened. She gave me a tight smile and walked towards the door. I swallowed hard, steeling myself against the odd feelings erupting in my chest.

It’s almost over. You can breathe again when she’s gone.

I needed to speak to the others. This plan of ours needed to go off without a hitch. We were going to see this through one way or another. But first, I’d see Miss Scarlett Carver out.

I followed her to the door, watching the slight sway of her hips as she walked, completely unable to help myself.

It won’t be long now. You’ll get what you want soon enough. You all will.

I had to keep that in mind. As Prescott always said, everything we did was for a purpose. And our ultimate goal was to regain what we’d lost all those years ago. What we were fucking well owed. Nothing, and I mean nothing, would stand in our way ever again.