Investigation (2)

RHYS

"So her credentials are fake."

"Everything about her is fake. I doubt her name is Kira Davidson."

Just like I thought. My lips twitch. I would like to stop by her desk and ask her who she stole the name Kira Davidson from, but that would be reckless. If she is a spy, as I assume, she is not working on her own. I should use her to lure out the mastermind.

Thinking about it, making Kira my fiancée would have been the perfect chance. I would make her live here under my roof and monitor everything she does. Her phone calls and mail would be under surveillance without her knowledge. It would take at most a week to discover everything, and I wouldn’t even need Shane.

Instead, I snuff the thought out and tell Shane, "Keep digging. I want answers by the end of the week."

He gasps like I have uttered profanity. "It took over a week to find out her background is fake, and now you’re giving me only two days to uncover everything else? That’s too little!"

"Then get to it before time runs out."

Shane grumbles about my evilness, but my mind has gone back to the little blonde who has been the main cause of my wrist aches lately. If Shane fails to dig up her secrets, I will have to drag them out of her mouth the old-fashioned way—using torture.

Although that’s not the kind of torture I want to subject her to. I would prefer her in my bed, writhing and begging for a release.

________

The following morning, I summon Kira to my office.

Like every time I call her, Kira stands by the door, hands trembling while she pretends everything is alright. "Do you need anything, Mr. Redmond?"

A million things that could get me in trouble. Miss Davidson is wearing red lipstick today, contrasting her skin and matching the color of her short skirt. I ignore it and shuffle paper on my desk, motioning to the chair opposite. "Have a seat."

She does, practically hovering over the chair.

I can’t resist the urge to tease her. "Relax. Do you think I’m about to eat you?" The innuendo only crosses my mind when the words are out, and I see the exact moment she catches it. Her entire face reddens as she holds in a gasp.

Her gaze suddenly lands on my lips right before she looks away, and I’m glad to see I’m not the only one whose mind is plagued with thoughts of eating her. This is exactly why I couldn’t rope her into a fake engagement with me.

The woman has me distracted like a siren luring me to sink my ship—or, in this case, my cock in places I shouldn’t be thinking about.

"Do you have siblings?"

"What?" she blinks in confusion.

"It’s a simple question, Kira. Do you have siblings?"

The woman frowns. "No. I’m the only child."

Liar.

She’s not good at it, speaking a little faster when she lies.

"Where did you say your parents were buried?"

"In South Bridge cemetery," she answers, looking a second away from feeling my forehead for a fever.

"Do you go there often to visit them?"

This time, she debates her answer for a split second. "I don’t. I believe the dead no longer exist and it doesn't matter how many times you visit a grave, it will not make your loved ones return."

Smart woman. Kira knows dwelling on the topic may make her out herself, so she’s shutting down any follow-up questions.

However, she has underestimated my determination. "What was your school life like?"

Her eyes narrow in the slightest before she regains her composure. "Are you planning to write a book about me, sir?"

The innocence in her tone makes me chuckle. "Nothing as intricate as that notebook you scribble in. Maybe you could show it to me for writing lessons?"

Her cheeks redden. "That’s a diary."

Now I’m more curious to know what she writes.

"Are you asking all this because you still need me to be your fake fiancée?" she asks.

That is no longer an option, but I play along. "What if I am?"

"Then I have a request."

______

I expected Kira to ask for my help paying off her student debt, or a promotion, but what she requests is something I would never foresee. A door.

A heavy-duty metallic one with a lock that cannot be picked, she said. It was such a bizarre request that I insisted on seeing what I’m dealing with. While that’s the excuse I used to get Kira to let me drop her off, I also want to see if I can catch anything linking her with my enemies. She might be careful at her cubicle, but her house is definitely where she has her guard down.

Based on the tall tale she told me about robberies happening more often in her neighborhood, I didn’t expect her to live in a fancy place, but I’m baffled to see her door broken off its hinges.

She is equally puzzled, hands over her mouth. She may have pissed someone off, but probably didn’t expect them to make such a move.

"Does this happen often?"

I don’t wait for her response before pushing the broken door out of the way, simultaneously reaching for the gun at my waist. Only when I’ve ascertained there’s no one in the house waiting for Kira do I let her in. "You may have been robbed," I say, motioning to the scattered mess of her clothes and books. "Take whatever is left that is of value and come with me."

Kira stares at me like a deer in the headlights. "What?"

Yeah, I know how insane that sounds. I clear my throat, creating an excuse. "You work for me, and it is my duty to ensure my employees’ safety. So start moving."

Kira opens her closet and grabs a backpack, slinging it over one shoulder. "You’re not going to make me move in with you, are you?"

"Of course not."

"Oh."

I don’t know if she is disappointed or relieved. This would have been the best chance to put her under my roof, but I need my head clear when it comes to her. Besides, I’m more focused on her small luggage and the fact that she isn’t taking anything else. She was ready to run away.

I wait until we’re driving off to ask, "What are you running away from?"