Page 3 of Forbidden Deception
“Thank you, thank you. I love you. Thank you.”
He awkwardly taps me on my back, and I laugh.
“Fine, I get it. Enough of me hugging you, but I know you love it.” I laugh once more when he sighs and shakes his head. I round the desk and sit in front of him again.
“Do you know who Rafael Gustav is?”
I shake my head.
“He’s from the Gustav family that is involved in the Elite, so we can’t harm him, but I need you to find the files he has on Aurora’s father’s murder. He got hold of the CCTV footage and is holding it above my head.”
“Rafael resides in Edinburgh. He is a real estate giant in the UK and is also a very close rival of mine in the wine industry.” He grabs a paper from the pile in front of him and places it in front of me.
“You are going to be working as his personal assistant and will spy on Rafael for me.”
My smile spreads, but Remo scowls.
“Is he an old man? Big belly and—”
“No.”
I wait for him to elaborate, but he’s focussed on his papers again, so I knock on his desk. He looks up at me and raises his brow as if he’s waiting to see if I have something to say.
“What’s his age, Remo? Tell me more.”
“He’s thirty-six years old, and he has three brothers.”
2
“Helia, get out of your house right this second, or I am breaking this door down!” I smack on his stupidly strong front door. The crazy man got a reinforced steel door. I know he can hear me but is making it a point not to.
“Helia!”
It’s my last day in London. I travel to Edinburgh tomorrow. He needs to insert trackers and chips in my second phone.
I’m pretty sure Ambrose is in there, that’s why he is taking so long. Those two are inseparable, and it’s so annoying. Like, please, you don’t need to be smirking at each other every moment you are together.
“I’m coming, you demon child!” His shout is muffled behind that thick door. Then the metal monstrosity slides open like it’s protecting a castle.
Helia is Remo’s right-hand man. He’s a computer expert—AKA a hacker—and is exceptionally intelligent. Black hair falls across his face, partially hiding the scar that runs down his right eye and his emerald-green eyes.
He glares at me. “It’s eight in the fucking morning.”
I push past him and walk straight to his fridge.
Helia, despite all our arguing or maybe because of it, feels like a brother. His light-hearted jokes, glares, and absolutely bizarre antics are what keeps dark things in my mind locked up. Whenever we are in a room together, we’ll be glaring, bickering, debating, or plotting revenge of sorts on each other.
At a glance, you wouldn’t think Helia is thirty-seven years old with how young he looks. Having known him for four years, he is still the same man he was before, and I think he will forever remain like that. It’s part of him. And I wouldn’t have him any other way.
He also happens to be married to Ambrose, who is Aurora’s sister.
“Where’s Blaze? I miss him.”
As if on cue, a black crow caws loudly and shoots right towards me. It circles me twice, then settles on my shoulder.
“Hi, Blaze! I haven’t seen you in so long. Has Helia been nice to you? I know he gets a little crazy sometimes.”
“Speak for yourself! What kind of crazy woman bangs on a man’s door at eight in the morning and then raids his kitchen like she’s been living on the streets and has been starved for years?”