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The room is cold and the absence of Alaric's presence sends shivers up my spine.
I’m unsure of the purpose of my presence, but I’m sure he has a good reason.
Once the doors open, I sit up straight and wait for him to walk in.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Taylor," he says and greets me in a solemn tone, which causes me to gulp silently and greet him in return with a nod of the head.
“Good afternoon, Boss," I reply.
I cross my legs over one another and place my arms on either side of the chair; Loretto tosses a manila folder on his desk and clears his throat.
“What’s this?” I prompt and ask him, then lean forward to inspect the assignment he gave me.
“This is your task. Ms. Crane and Ms. Long already have their assignments," Alaric responds to my earlier question with a curt tone.
“What is the task if I may ask?” I ask him and chew on the inside of my cheek.
“I’m aware that your sixteenth birthday had passed, so the board and I have decided to use your skills to our advantage. This is your assignment," he says.
Alaric tosses me the folder packed with documents and I run my hand over the pages; I open it briskly and skim each paper with precise precision.
Only a few names pop out to me.
Nadia Crane.
Brityn Long.
Dominick Moreno.
This information piques my interest, so I clear my throat and speak up. “What is my task?” I ask him.
“Your task: Hunt down the mafia leader, take out Moreno, and test the loyalty of your two partners. Moreno has been selling traded secrets to our enemies who run with the mafia. If you track down Zayn Thorne, distract him however you please, then kill him so that we can trap Moreno," Alaric clarifies and says. I press my tongue into the roof of my mouth and clasp my hands together.
I rest them on my faded blue jeans and lock gazes with him. “What if I fail?” I ask him.
“If you fail...” he pauses.
Alaric crouches forward to shut the distance between us and my breath hitches.
My hands cling to the chair hastily while his breath fans my face and I thickly swallow.
He stares at me with pessimistic eyes, which unnerved me. “Then prepare to pay the ultimate price," he says.
I gulp down a hard ball of saliva as my heart races inside of my chest and the organ beats unhealthily; causing me to harshly exhale.
“I’ll take care of it," I reply.
After exhaling unsteadily, I rise from my seat and suck in a deep breath.
Not only did his threat unhinge me, but it gave me goosebumps.
I take the hair, which frames my face, and tuck it behind my ear. “What time frame are we looking at?” I ask.
“However, long it takes, the sooner, the better," Alaric replies before tending to his work.
I blow out my cheeks and prop my elbows on the back of the chair.
“Are there any details I should be aware of?” I ask and detect the malicious smirk on his face.
“There are traitors among us," he responds.
“Should I snuff them out?” I ask him and Alaric's pen crashes on the papers scattered on the desk.
“Only the dog can drive out the cat," he says.
