TWELVE: You Are Not Resigning

My eyes widen slightly at his answer. No one calls Mr. Reid ‘David’, no one except me, and his family, he says. So hearing Marcus call him David, it means something.

“What do you mean?” I ask, my voice quieter this time.

He notices, and he loosens his grip on me slightly.

“David asked me to follow you.”

“And why did he need to do that?”

Marcus drops his hold on me completely, and I stabilise myself on my feet.

“You know the answer to that.” Marcus replies. “He decided to check the security cameras from Thursday night, after someone left their phone on his desk.”

I gulp. So David knows. And apparently this Marcus knows too. I should have been more scared, but the way Marcus is looking down at me feels… reassuring. Somewhat.

“So what,” I scoff, brushing the wall-dust off the back of my outfit. “He’s got you following me to make sure I don’t blab or something?”

“You’ll have to ask him the specifics on that. He just told me to keep an eye on you.”

“And you’re just going to follow me around all the time?”

“Only when you’re not at work.” Marcus smiles. “There’s enough security at the office for him to keep tabs on you over there.”

I breathe as my mind spins. I can’t have Marcus following me outside of work. Because then he’ll find out about my other job.

“Take me to him.” I say.

“I’m sorry?”

“Take me to David. I need to talk with him.”

“He’s busy tonight.” Marcus says, folding his arms over his chest.

I mirror his actions.

“I don’t care.” I growl, keeping his eye contact until he breaks. But he never does.

“He’s busy.” Marcus repeats, and I groan loudly, storming off towards my apartment. “Where are you going?”

“Well if I you won’t let me speak to him yet, I’ll have to go home won’t I?” I scoff.

As I walk, Marcus stays silent. And as I walk, I suddenly realise exactly why David is busy tonight.

He’s supposed to be meeting me at The Red Room.

I text Sel on my way to my apartment, keeping the phone tilted away from Marcus’s view, telling her that I have stuff on tonight, and won’t be able to come in, but that I will call her in 20 minutes to explain. She immediately texts me back, I can feel it buzzing in my pocket, but I keep acting nonchalant as I make my way to my apartment.

“Are you going to be sitting inside my flat?” I ask Marcus as I put my keys in the door.

“No, I can watch from outside.”

“Won’t it look suspicious if I have a giant man outside my door all night?” I counter, and he tries to hide a smile at my ‘giant’ comment.

“That’s their problem. My priority is you. I can monitor who comes to the hallway, I can hear if anything happens inside. Just make sure you lock your windows and shut your blinds the second you walk in, okay?” He asks, in a very concerned manner. It makes me feel like trusting him, so I nod.

Then I think that trusting the guy who helps David kill someone probably isn’t the wisest idea.

Either way, I go into my apartment, lock the windows and close the blinds, as instructed. I then lock my front door, look through the peephole to see Marcus standing there diligently, and get my phone out of my pocket, dialling Sel’s number and heading to the bathroom.

In a hushed voice, I explain everything that happened. The office, Trent, Marcus following me. She is shocked to say the very least, gasping, squealing, shouting down the phone at each new thing I say. She now understands why I can’t come in tonight... Marcus can’t see me walking into the building, because if he reports back to David, it will unravel the whole thing.

She obviously has to rearrange my clients, but a few hours later, she says that Reid will only accept tomorrow night, as I’ve already let him down this weekend. I groan when I realise that it means he’s going to be extra harsh on me.

Then I feel a little excited. Then I feel hesitant.

I have decided that tomorrow, I’m going to say I’m going to a friend’s. Sel is going to meet me someplace, and I will convince Marcus that I’m safe with her, meaning he will back off.

Hopefully.

The next morning, when I go to leave for work, I’ve almost forgotten that he’s standing guard, and jump when I open the door to see him standing there. He’s pleasant enough on the way to work, although he protests at getting a taxi, and ends up calling one of David’s company cars for me. I feel outlandish sitting in it.

When I get to the building, I find that Marcus and I are in the lift by ourselves.

“What are you going to say to him?” He asks me.

I know he is talking about David.

“I guess I’ll find out when he’s in front of me.” I reply honestly, as the doors open and I walk to my office.

Marcus hovers while I gather what I need for David, although I assume that once I step into his office, the paperwork will all be forgotten.

Marcus walks me the ten steps to David’s office door, then stands to the side, and gives me a nod, a silent gesture to try and reassure me.

For the first time, I knock.

“Come in.” He says from the other side.

I slowly open the door, and step in. He looks up at me, his face falling in surprise. I never knock.

“Nora.”

I close the door behind me, and walk over to his desk, stopping just before the chair. He stands behind his desk, watching my movement.

“Please, sit.” He says.

“Not on this chair, thanks.” I say bluntly.

He sighs, looking at the floor for a second, then walks round to me, gesturing to the sofa instead. I walk over, and sit down on the furthest side, closest to the door, dropping the files on the table. He sits on the other end, his right arm going over the back of the sofa, and he looks at me.

“I imagine you have some questions.” He says with a blank face. I fold my arms over my chest.

“A few.”

“Me first.” He leans forward, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Why were you in here?”

“You watched the cameras, you should know that answer already. I was doing my fucking job. The question is, were you doing yours?”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s not the first time you’ve… done that to someone, is it?”

He stares back at me. Then he licks his bottom lip, just before his teeth catch it. He leans back.

“How honestly do you want me to answer that question?” He whispers.

I feel my heart speed up, and my spine straightens.

“It’s a simple yes or no.” I say.

“Maybe, but the reasons aren’t simple.”

“I don’t doubt that. You wouldn’t have assigned me security detail if it was simple.” I counter, watching him run his hand over his face.

“Marcus is just there to make sure–”

“That I don’t blab.”

“No, to make sure you’re safe.”

“From who?” I ask, and he stays silent. Suddenly it clicks. “The people working with Trent. Because you killed him, so they’d be looking for some kind of revenge, right? But that has nothing to do with me.”

“You’re close to me, that’s enough for them.”

“Oh, so I’m leverage. Good to know.” I laugh mirthlessly as I stand, starting to pace around the room. “It’s not like I know anything about you though, why you do that, whatever it is you’re involved with!”

He stands suddenly and walks round to me, his hands going to my arms, stopping me from walking. Making me look up at him.

“I’m just trying to make sure that nothing happens to you, Nora.” He says, in a soft voice, trying to comfort me.

All I can think about is Trent’s body slumping in the chair that I’m now focusing on.

“Hey, look at me,” He says, putting his finger under my chin and guiding my gaze back to him. “If you need to ask me questions, if you need anything just–”

“Just what? Ask you, and you’ll kill someone for it?”

“That’s not fair.”

“Fair?!” I scoff, throwing his hands off me. “I don’t think you have any right to talk about fair when you fucking killed someone in front of me!”

“You weren’t supposed to be here!” He argues back.

“So it’s my fault?”

“You hid in the bathroom! That was your choice!”

“Are you serious right now?!” I ask incredulously.

“Just saying it like it is.”

“And what would you think of my choice to resign?” I say, tears in my eyes as I look up at him.

The shock appears on his face instantly.

I continue, “I don’t think I can continue working here for you, knowing what you do in your spare time. Knowing that you’ve put a guard on me because there’s a chance I could get what, attacked? Kidnapped? Killed? It’s ridiculous and I didn’t sign up for that.”

He steps towards me. The shock has disappeared now, and has been replaced with a harder expression. Anger.

“You’re not resigning.” He growls.

“I don’t think you get to choose–”

“You are not resigning.” He repeats. “I am your boss and I say that you will keep working for me. If and when this has all blown over, then you can decide to leave or stay. Until then, I will keep you safe. And I cannot do that unless you are in this building.”

“You don’t get to decide what–“

“But I just did,” he cuts in. “You are not resigning.”

I clench my teeth, and breathe heavily as I stare up at him angrily.

“Fine.” I concede.

“Fine?”

“Sorry, sir. I meant to say your wish is my command, sir.”

His mouth parts a little as he breathes in. The look in his eyes changes slightly, and I wonder what it means.

He doesn’t say a word, though. Just nods, and stands in the same place as he watches me turn, and leave.