Belladonna

1.0 ] Zero Filter

••●••

REIGN IS MORE brooding than when I first met him.

He leans against Director Hayes' desk with his arms crossed, and looks anywhere but at me.

"Now Margeux," Hayes starts, "We'll offer you the position one more time, or else we'll have to embarrass you."

"Embarrass me?" I repeat, suppressing a grin.

"You killed Callum Dickens." Reign says.

"Reign-"

"What? Obviously she picked us embarrassing her - let me do it." He snaps at his director.

I'd probably get fired if I did that.

"Agreed," I face the director with a smile, "I'd love to get embarrassed."

Reign makes a broad gesture with his hand as if in an 'I told you so manner' before getting a curt nod from his father, probably his go ahead signal.

Reign turns to me. Blue eyes startling.

"You entered the bar and didn't leave the front exit." Reign says.

"Don't remember how I left." I shrug. "Probably through the back door then."

"Nope. Not that one either. In fact, the only door left is the side door with zero security - and also the one leading to the alleyway that our beloved Calum Dickens' body was found." He shakes his head, words almost sounding rehearsed.

"Okay." I shrug, not really feeling scared or embarrassed yet.

I know I look suspicious. I understand that. But like Reign said. There's no security. Nothing that can prove such a crime without only speculation.

"The only time you appear on the only security I have, is when you're walking past the bar. As if on your way home. Holding a jacket. One you didn't have when you entered." He pulls up images on his father's laptop just for good measure.

Okay. That's a little more than I was expecting. But nowhere near enough to have beat me.

"Stole it," I shrug, "Thought it was cute."

It's better to get a small charge for theft instead of murder. I'll take what I can get.

"Cute? That ugly thing?" Reign has zero filter I've learnt.

Director Hayes' pushes an arm in front of his arm and steps forward, "What the point is - is that what Reign has found is enough to put you in court."

"You think?" I smile at the idea.

"To put it bluntly - you're poor," Reign taps back into that zero-filter thing he can't seem to put away, "And we're...well, look around. If we wanted to, we'd put you behind bars."

Okay so the threat is definitely working. Like I'm one hundred percent scared - but again, I've practiced my emotions. Practiced them as if they're something you control instead of feel.

I keep a straight face.

"However," Hayes' clears his throat, "We don't want to do that. Like we said, we want you here. Working on Team X."

"Team X?" I repeat.

"A task force made by the government, to work behind the government, to take down tyrants in the government." Reign explains for me.

"Cute." Is all I can say to that.

"Will you join us?" Director Hayes' asks. And it feels like this is the last time he'll ask. Like maybe this is serious.

After all my research, I've never heard of an example where they try to recruit their suspect as an interrogation method or a way to catch them out in a lie.

So maybe I am being offered an ideal position.

"Okay," I decide, "I'll join your task force. But I have one question."

"Yes. Anything."

I notice Reign seems upset by my answer. That he rolls his eyes at his boss's pleas.

"Do I get to do more of what I did to Callum?"

Reign and Hayes' look between each other with confusion before Reign clears his throat and speaks up, "Um, yeah. Probably. If that's a deal breaker-"

"Nope!" I interrupt, "No that's not a deal breaker."

••●••

Reign and I leave Director Hayes' office at the same time - Reign needing to do whatever, and me being promised a tour by some girl named Odyssey.

I find myself staring at the paintings again as I leave, interest keen on my features.

"It's not a fake by the way," Reign says from the door, "Director Hayes gets what he wants. I guess that's why the universe decided to burden me with you."

And then he's gone. Out the door to do zero-filter shit, or maybe out to just get dinner.

Either way, he's an asshole. One who doesn't bow to my feet when I'm wearing clothes that show my tits, or when I twirl my hair with a finger. Usually, that works with any type of straight guy. But not him. 

He really doesn't like me.

I want him.

••●••

This is lk Margeux's brain racking up excuses:

- Juana.