Chapter 5 Episode five

Eva wondered if she was making a mistake, if it wasn't too late to turn and run, and save her life. Although she had tried to play it off, the grin on his face as he told her the many ways he'd thought about killing her, back in the car had left her shaken up.

It was one thing to have a brush with death and then another hearing someone talk about the many ways they could take your life.

She rubbed the goosebumps on her arms and sighed. There was no backing out now. She only had to hope that he held his end of the bargain. What was her dead body worth anyways? If he wanted to carve and eat her organs once she was dead, he could go ahead.

Maybe not, she quickly changed her mind as the three of them stepped into an exclusive elevator. The thought of her dead body serving as meat for dinner didn't feel good either.

"You'll sit with me through the meeting," she heard Adrian's voice and realized he was speaking to her.

"What?"

"The meeting," he repeated. "I have a meeting to attend and I want you to sit in."

"I don't think I'll be any good at your meetings," she said, hoping to at least put some distance between them.

But he only shrugged.

"Take notes, observe. Make a list of who is most likely to kill me, whatever floats your boat. As long as you are seated beside me."

She wasn't given a chance to reply as the elevator doors opened and a line of staff stood outside, as though they had been waiting for them, but weren't given enough chance to prepare. A man rushed forward and half-bowed.

"This- this is unexpected, sir," he stammered.

"Unexpected?" Eva watched as Adrian's facial expression changed to that of mild amusement. It wasn't the kind that came with a smirk when he teased her. This masked deep disapproval and something that resembled hatred. She wondered why he would keep people he hated around-

"Is it unexpected that I am in my company? Attending a meeting that affects the growth of my company? Were you expecting someone else?" he asked, and again Eva could sense he was trying to keep his tone light.

The man shook his head. "No, sir. I didn't mean it that way. I just- you haven't been here in over a year now and we didn't- there wasn't enough time to get things in order."

Adrian shrugged. "I prefer to see things the way they are run when I am not here," he said, walking past the staff that had begun dispersing, "not how you think I should see them. You can resume your duties. I have a meeting to attend."

Eva increased her pace when he beckoned with his finger, sighing internally when she stumbled into a room full of surprised people. It was going to be a long day.

"Did you?" Adrian asked when they were finally alone.

She raised a brow.

"Did I what?"

"Get the list of people who might want to kill me?"

She frowned, lost for a while before recalling what he told her earlier that morning. "You were serious about that?"

"Of course. I wouldn't drag you into an hour long meeting with people I'd rather never meet and not get something from it. So, where is the list?"

"Everybody," she blurted when he kept staring at her, "they were all shooting daggers at you throughout. I wonder how you did not wither from their glares. I didn't even need to hear the half-whispered words to know nobody wanted you in that room. Why would you keep people that hate you, around you?" she finally asked.

When he shrugged but didn't reply, she groaned. "You at least have to give me something. If I am going to take this seriously, I should know the motive behind your action. Also, the contract?"

"Of?"

Eva was half tempted to smack the back of his head- if she could reach it. It was getting increasingly hard to figure the man out, when only yesterday she thought she knew everything there was to know about him. He was a werewolf with a lot of money and a penchant for keeping his prey until the mood to feast finally arrived.

But in the space of mere hours, she had gone from confused to surprised and back to confusion. "That states you will not hurt me until I have accomplished all items on my bucket list? The one you agreed to yesterday?"

A look of confusion crossed his face, before it was replaced by recollection. "Oh, that. Fabian should be working on it. He'll be here before we set out."

"Set out?" Just what did he want from her?

"Since I decided to make it to the office today, I might well take a quick trip to the other sub-groups in the city. Just a quick stop, nothing more."

"And I assume you'd want me to be present for every interaction and take down the names of people who would stab you fatally in the back? Even though I have never met any of them before and would most likely have no idea what they are truly like?" she asked sarcastically, adding an eye roll.

"You will know," Adrian said, his eyes meeting hers and holding the gaze for a few seconds. "It is impossible to hide- the tolerance they put out. They report to my father, and are merely putting up with me because they know he will not lift a finger once I kick them to the curb."

Okay, family drama. Pretty intense family drama. "That doesn't explain why you keep them around, though," Eva reminded him.

Although she wasn't standing in front of his table, Adrian leaned forward as the corner of his lips curled into a half-smile. "Ever heard of the saying- keep your friends close and your enemies' closer?"

"Isn't that what I am doing in this case?" she retorted. "There is every possibility that you might snap my neck right here, but I am seated in this office with no intention of saving my hide through the door."

Adrian nodded. "Exactly. I need to know what they do, when they do it and how. Not that I care what my father thinks, but it is better that I know what's coming than take the E tu Brutus approach."

Eva was a little impressed. "Touché," she said, "but I hope he doesn't try to kill me. Your father, I mean."

Adrian's smile turned into a deep frown. "He wouldn't dare. After what happened to my mo- I think that's enough sharing for the day."

He'd been about to say something regarding his mother, Eva could tell. She could also deduce from how his frown deepened further and his eyes became slits that his father must have done something pretty bad to him and his mother- something awful.

"Well, I'll try my best to give you a precise list," she said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Sure."

Thankfully, his butler chose that exact moment to walk in, a large black box in hand. He handed the box to a confused Eva and left the office without another word.

"What is this?' Eva asked Adrian.

"I took the liberty of getting a dress for you," he replied, standing.

"For what?"

"A meet and greet of some sorts. I need to meet a client there," Adrian explained. "You'll also find the contract in an envelope."

"A little heads up would have been nice," Eva grumbled, struggling to find what wrappings held athe box in place. "And where did you get my size from? Did you measure me while I was asleep? Is this part of some elaborate plan?"

"You can thank Fabian for the dress. He's pretty clever with that kind of stuff," Adrian replied. Eva was about to return a scorching reply when he added, "Oh, and heads up, we might run into my father. Note of warning, if you are running away from something, I suggest you don't show up in front of him."

What was she supposed to say to that, an entire pack is on my tail? You might as well kill me here and now? I don't know what your father looks like?

She'd better get on to writing her eulogy.