The Temp (33 page)

87

Bourbon Hotel-Room 511-Midnight.

“Trigger,” Eve collapsed into his arms.

He was cold against her hot skin, so much colder than she remembered. He wore a long sleeved cream jumper and black pants.

She sunk into his weight feeling her legs jelly. For a while all she did was cry.

“Is it done?” his words sounded so far away though they were right in her ear.

She shook her head. “Yes,” she pulled back. She had to learn to start distancing herself from what had happened, from Trigger and his comforting words. She wiped away the tears on the sleeve of her jacket, promising they’d be the last.

“Eve, darling, this is who you are,” Trigger’s thumb traced her jaw line. Eve nodded and turned away into the room.

…

…

Then it occurred to her…

Her blood ran cold in her veins, goose bumps rising on her skin so suddenly. “You’ve never called me darling before,” she whispered too softly to hear. Only one person had, only the once and the memory of it could not be erased.

You’ll do as I say. Is that clear, darling?
The voice on the phone.

“I’m sure I have,” maybe he had, Eve couldn’t be sure. The way he said it now in a mellow tone sounded too familiar to her ears, too much like…

“When was the last time you spoke to the blackmailers?” Eve said. Her voice was devoid of her usual innocence and sweetness. She was beyond the Little Evee she once was, way beyond.

“Recently,” Trigger found her gaze, his eyes steelier than ever, devoid of whatever ocean or sky she’d ever seen in them before, colourless, heartless.

The room was a cheap hotel with threadbare sheets and stale walls, a typical room with a bed, desk and an armchair a foot away from her.

A shiver spider-walked down her back. Her stomach muscles quivered to release, she clamped it down. “When? Show me your phone,” she grabbed his phone on the desk and surprisingly he didn’t stop her. “Password?”

“51191,” he said.

Eve blinked and put in the digits.

“Why is that your password?” they were her numbers, her birth date. “Why?”

“You tell me.”

She scrolled through the phone. There were no blocked or unrecognisable numbers. All had names, ones she recognised, unless, the blackmailers were in the same company. Eve put down the phone, her fingers frozen; her heart was dying all over again. Something was wrong and yet all she wanted terribly was to get away and never know about it and live in infinite denial. If it was what she suspected, she couldn’t handle it, she knew as much. Her eyes swelled over. “I just want the passport so I can be on my way.”

“Where’s the memory stick?” Eve took it out of her pocket and threw it to him.

“Passport,” she demanded. “Now.” She was on the tip of falling.

“Eve, darling, I’ll give you your new identity,” Trigger sat down in the swivel chair and crossed his arms behind his head and stretched out his legs gaining control over the room. “I’ll give you the money you need to disappear but first I’m going to tell you a little story and you’re going to listen right up until the last word.” His tone changed suddenly into authority and there was an edge there Eve had only seen once before, when he’d threatened those guys in the alleyway.

Her pulse sped up. She didn’t know what was going on, she was on the precipice of something very bad, on the verge of a crash. “No,” she whispered.

And. She. Could. Not. Look. Away.

“Sit down.” She sat in the armchair faced towards him, her hands beneath her legs, bile brewing in the pit of her stomach.

There was a glint in his eyes she’d never seen before, slicking her blood ice cold.

“I won’t bore you with all the details of how this all began,” he sighed. “I’ll tell you what the real game changer was for me.” His attention bored into her and he pushed up putting his elbows on his knees leaning forward so he had only her in his sights. “It was you.” Eve swallowed. “Who would have thought everything could change with one little temp? A simple innocent little temp. You’re far from innocent though aren’t you? You act like the victim but I know where you came from, who you are. I know your secrets.”

“You told me I was more than that,” Eve bit her lip, her body trembling. 

“Oh you are, very much so. Don’t ever think being a temp devalues you in any way. You were really a pawn in this infinite game who turned out to be my queen in disguise,” he laughed so deep it vibrated through her.

“Get to the point,” Eve clenched her jaw, tears fighting their way out.

How could it be Trigger? Of all the people…for it to be Trigger all along.

“Well,” he sank back and folded one leg over the other, clasping his hands together leaning against the desk. “I needed someone who was innocent and could be manipulated. I needed you.” The intimacy of his words touched her cheeks and the bile in her stomach twisted and surged.

“You’re unbelievable,” Eve whispered.

“No, you are. Who would have thought you’d turn out to be so lucrative? How was I to know saying no to Roman Pierce would have the desired affect?”

“You were the blackmailer all along.”

“You were only willing when you knew I was unwilling.”

“You were my friend. I thought you”-

“Eve, you needed me and I reciprocated. But you really were naïve.”

“So you leaked the information?” Eve said.

“Yes. It was really quite genius. It put me in a far better position to spark a distraction while I moved in and lay in wait.”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing to concern you with.”

“Trigger.”

“Baby, you’ve held up you’re end of the deal and now you’re finally free of your ties.”

“But Roman Industries-”

“Will fall like the ancient Empire it was from the very beginning.”

“How do you know?”

“Because it’s my job to.”

Her hands shook beneath her thighs. She wanted badly to slap that grin off Trigger’s face but he’d never looked so dangerous before, so trigger happy.

“You told the office I was a virgin,” her voice left her. “You lied to me.”

“A given, I only had to tell the right person.”

“Why would you do this?” Eve said.

The glimmer in Trigger’s eyes darkened the light extinguishing. His smirk disappeared. He leaned forward. “Because payback is a bitch.”

“Revenge?” her mouth opened, closed. “I’ll tell him it was you.”

“And risk imprisonment? Eve, baby, you’re forgetting everything I have on you and who you are. I know everything there is to know about you.”

“It wouldn’t put me in jail,” her fingers clutched the edge of the armchair.

“Oh, but this will,” Trigger waved the memory stick. “It’s a camera feed of you stealing the data. You see Roman had me set this one up, per my advice. It’s a motion activated camera in his personal home office, able to see in complete darkness. I knew you’d do your job.”

“You set me up.”

“Rather you than me.”

She was sick to her stomach. How could she never have guessed what Trigger was capable of? How could she not have seen beneath the façade all along?

“The man who followed me a few weeks ago, that was you.”

“Right.”

“The white van”-

“All me.”

“You sent those men after me in the alley, that’s why you were there, wasn’t it?”

“Actually, out of everything, that was purely coincidental. I suspect the men who were following you belonged to the very past you were running away from and landing in my arms was a bonus, especially when I helped you fool them into thinking you’d changed you’re address. Family huh? I believe they might have even been trying to save you. It’s funny. They could have helped you if they hadn’t scared you in the first place. Instead, you made sure they wouldn’t find you again.”

Eve remembered the man with the scarred face and how his familiarity had struck her. The Bear. What if they really could have helped her? “You’re lying,” the words tasted like acid on her tongue.

“Darling, these are for you,” he held up the envelope.

“You’re disgusting,” Eve snatched them but he pulled her in before she could fight back. His lips hit her hard and hot.

“I love it when you talk dirty,” he breathed against her ear. Eve shoved off him and grabbed the documents.

“We make a good team.”

88

Roman received the call early the next day.

It was Trigger. “Turn on the TV.”

Roman obliged and switched it on.

“-in other news today another leak has occurred with Roman Industries. This time the damage is”-This was déjà vu, this was…how could this have happened again?

“How did it happen?” Roman growled. “How did you let it happen? I thought we put in new security measures. We took preventative steps.”

“Come into the office.”

“How did it happen?!”

There was a sigh on Trigger’s side. “It was Eve.”

“What?” the air left him so suddenly. His eyes skittered around the living area.
No, it couldn’t be.
Eve.
She was probably upstairs. She hadn’t been when he’d woken up. He assumed she’d been in the kitchen, now that he thought about it, she was-

“We installed the camera in your office like you suggested. It was activated by motion sensor. Meaning it only comes on when someone is inside. Eve was in your home office at midnight. It looks like she had some sort of overriding mechanism”-

Roman ran to the stairs, taking two at a time. He went to the bedside drawer and pulled it out, the key was there, the one for his office. Had Eve known it was there?

Despite everything he couldn’t believe it.

The phone dropped to his side.

“Eve?” the bed was unmade-empty. The bathroom-empty.

He didn’t talk into the phone for the longest time as he called out to her.

Again and again. She wasn’t there. Her things were gone.

“What did she take?” he remembered the phone. Trigger didn’t respond at first. “What did she take?!”

“The product schematics for project Storage. As you know it was worth”-

“Billions,” Roman finished.

He dropped the phone. He grabbed his coat and ran into the foyer pressing the elevator button a thousand times. He groaned and flew into the stairwell jumping down flights. Where was she? It couldn’t be…it just couldn’t be.

He ran out into the street. It had to be a mistake. It couldn’t have been Eve.

“Have you seen the woman I was with?” he said to the doormen.

“No sir, my shift started thirty minutes ago.”

Roman ran into the street. His hands flew to his head. He didn’t know what he was doing. He was crazed. He felt high. Above all, he felt betrayed.

Eve. How could she? Even as he’d heard it he couldn’t believe it. It had to be a mistake. She did this, his gut spoke to him like an omen. He’d been warned before and he hadn’t listened.

Beep.

Beeep.

Beeeep.
He stepped back on the pavement watching as the traffic swept by without a care as his entire world collapsed around him. How could he let this happen?

He saw them in slow motion. Hoards and hoards of reporters and journalists and cameras flashed and microphones were held up to his face.

“Roman Pierce any comment on the leak”-

“Do you have any idea who’s behind this?”

“Do you think this is the end for Roman Industries”-

They’d come out of nowhere.

He raised his hand to shield his eyes and the doorman ushered him back in.

He returned to the apartment and found the tablet. He picked it up and clicked to view the footage Trigger had sent him days ago. His curiosity had boiled over. He should have been more careful but he felt like a loose cannon these days.

The home phone rang incessantly. He ignored it and flipped up the screen of the tablet. It didn’t take much searching. The episode was logged under a separate title as if Trigger had known he may want to watch this.

How could he have known? Had Trigger suspected?

Of course he had…he’d warned him.

Roman looked up at the empty apartment. If Eve was here now he’d ask her. He’d demand answers. If she was here now she’d tell him. Or not. She wasn’t the woman he thought she was. She had too many secrets.

He clicked play and sat back.

He watched the two figures in the subdued light. Eve wore her silk dress and overcoat, jeans and boots. Carra wore a cream coloured coat, her hair was paler and wilder than he remembered, seeing them from the same angle, they were very much alike. Both women sat on the lounge turned towards each other. He’d watched the awkward reunion and sensed Eve’s hesitation.

He’d seen himself leave.

“Evee, be careful who you trust,” Carra took Eve’s hand. There was something anxious about her voice and occasionally he watched Carra’s eyes skit around the apartment. He knew that look. He’d seen that fear in people before. 

“What do you mean?”

“Eve, I don’t know how you found me, I’ve stayed hidden for a reason. Nobody can know I was here, do you understand?”

“Carra, calm down,” Eve said. “I don’t understand. Who’s after you?” 

“It doesn’t matter, Eve you’re in danger,” she said. Roman noted how the girl became more agitated by the minute.

“Roman’s fine. He’s protecting me,” the words burned his ears. Roman pulled back again. What was he protecting her from? Was she really in danger? She looked so lost and forlorn. This was the Eve he knew and loved.
Loved.

“Then someone else is out to get you. They know about your past. You only told me once but I feel you’re on the verge of something.”

“Carra you’re not making sense.” Roman stared at the screen, nothing, absolutely nothing was making sense.

“You’re in danger.”

“I know.”

“You do?”

“Tell me what you know.”

Carra faced away. “I can’t. But if you tell me what
you
know, maybe I can help.”

“I can’t tell you everything,” Eve began.

              Roman leaned into the screen. This was it, it had to be.

“Eve, are you in some kind of trouble?” Carra said.

“Do you remember when we were younger? Do you remember what I told you about my family?”

“You said your parents died in a car accident.”

“I lied,” Eve paused. Roman leaned in, she’d never divulged on her past. “My mother died of cancer when I was five. My father was, is still alive and living with his family.”

“What has this got to do with anything?”

Eve leaned in and whispered something in Carra’s ear. The woman gasped.

Roman rewound the last frame and turned up the volume. No matter how much he tried he couldn’t hear what Eve had said.

She pulled back. “I was his illegitimate child. The wife didn’t want me around as the constant reminder of what had happened. She threatened me if I didn’t leave. I grew up in foster care, then with my grandmother and when I was old enough I changed my name so they wouldn’t find me. I’ve seen too much of what I shouldn’t have.”

“And you’re still running from them?”

“Yes,” she hesitated, “and no. My dad wouldn’t hurt me, I don’t think. His wife, if she finds me-” she broke off. “I’m being blackmailed.”

“By them?”

“No.”

“Who?” 

“I don’t know. They’ve got my real identity and the photos.”

“Oh Eve,” Carra moved forward embracing Eve.

Photos?
Roman stood mesmerised by the screen, was this true? Was Eve really being blackmailed?

“Carra you have to get out of town before they find you.”

“I have the original photos here,” the woman pulled out an envelope from the inside of her jacket. “I owed you this much. If they try to use the photos against you then you have these, at least it’s a start.”

Eve took the envelope. “Why did you take them in the first place?”

“I didn’t.” There was a moment of silence between them. Roman could feel another secret brimming to the surface.

“What happened to you Carra?”

The woman shuffled on the lounge and turned away. “A lot.”

“But”-

“Eve you shouldn’t know, nobody deserves to know.”

“The police showed up at my foster parent’s home, they said there was a child porn site.” Carra shuffled in her seat.

“Eve, the less you know the better. What happened, is in the past now.”

“Oh Carra,” Eve grabbed her hand and the woman against her. “Carra, please tell me what you know.”

“I can’t,” the girl whimpered. “You’re in danger Eve, that’s all I know. Someone knows about your past.”

“Did you tell anyone?”

“No, Eve, I could never,” it sounded like genuine surprise from the girl.

Roman sat back, what secret? Clearly there was something he should know.

“I have to go, I shouldn’t be here.” Roman watched the envelope as Eve showed it down the side of the lounge.

“Carra,” the two stumbled to the door.  His hand felt to the lounge, tugging deep into the crook of the pillow. He felt something and pulled it out. It was…the same…envelope from the video.

He opened it and…sat back
. Oh,
Eve.

How could anyone do this to you?