Sin & Salvation

Chapter 16

It's so dark out when I finally arrive that all of the street and parking lot lights have come on. I'm grateful because this area is extra creepy at night. I'm like a walking true crime case waiting to happen and I can hear what the podcasts would say: Cora Elliot, 25 years old, deceased fiancée to Brett Hawke, and a complete idiot for walking the streets of the city by herself at night.

Deja vu hits me when I walk in the front doors, except there's only one security guard sitting at the desk this time who is too busy on his phone to even glance my way. I step into the elevator and take it up, finding it hard to contain my excitement. I don't know why I feel so giddy, but I do. It almost feels like when you go to school at night after it's closed.

The door dings open, and neither Emma or Payton are sitting at the front desk since the office closes at 6. The computers are shut down but all of the lights are still on. I can hear the sound of men talking but can't pinpoint where. I decide not to roam aimlessly and head straight to Brett's office.

Except when I approach his door, the lights are all off and it doesn't seem like he's been in here for hours. Then I smack myself in the head, feeling like an idiot. Obviously he's working with the guys so he wouldn't be in here dummy.

It sounds like they might be in a room past Silas' office and I can't help but peek in through the opened door when I pass by. His lights are off, also giving the appearance that he hasn't been here in a few hours. I breathe a sigh of relief knowing I won't have to deal with him and decide to look around for a minute without him breathing down my neck— both literally and figuratively.

The moment I step in, I'm hit with the intoxicating smell of him and it almost feels like he's right there. Every emotion I was experiencing earlier comes back. The fear, the lust, the anger. How can one person make me feel so many things in such a short amount of time?

"Can I help you?"

I scream, dropping the food, and flip around to find myself face to face with Silas. Again. I place my hand over my heart, willing it to calm down. "Holy shit, you fucking scared me."

His body is unmoving and he looks slightly amused by my reaction to him. "I aim to please Ms. Elliot." A fake smile flashes across his face before he drops it a second later. "So I'll ask again, can I help you with something?"

Still trying to calm down, I reply, "Only if you can tell me where my fiancé is."

He lifts his hand to rub the back of his head and it seems like he's contemplating something or afraid to speak. Or both.

"Are you going to tell me or not?"

His eyes glance down to the bag now on the floor and I'm suddenly aware of the wafts of garlic coming from it which I'm sure he can smell too.

"What did you bring him?"

I huff and bend down to pick the bag back up. "Just some food, nothing special. I figured he might be hungry working late and there's some extra for whoever wants it."

"Awh, how sweet of you. Aren't you just the perfect little housewife?"

The way he says it sounds like he was talking to a puppy or a baby and it thoroughly pisses me off. I glare at him hoping he can feel my anger. He just grins, clearly unaffected by my fury.

"Just tell me which room he's in so I can end this awful interaction with you please."

"As much as I'd love to, I can't do that."

"Why not?" I spit out, growing increasingly frustrated by the second.

"Me telling you where he is would require me to actually have that information, which unfortunately, I don't."