The Skin Thief

Chapter 100

"A job?" I ask. "I already have a job, Gareth."

"What is that job, exactly? I've not heard anything about it," he says.

I laugh playfully and shake my head. "Now that would be telling," I say with a playful wink. He lets out a loud, spluttering laugh that makes me cringe.

"You're a tease," he says. "Fine, be coy. But that's because you know that whatever fancy job you've got with Kaiser is nothing compared to what I'm offering."

"Why are you offering it?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at him. He grins and shrugs his shoulders casually.

"Can't a man want to help a young woman achieve her dreams?" he asks.

I laugh, "I wasn't that good of a waitress," I say.

He laughs, and the wheezy sound makes me want to vomit.

"So, what other motive do you have for wanting to help me?" I ask, and smile playfully, my eyes not leaving his. He gulps slightly, and his eyes flash down to look at my body once more. I step closer as someone walks past, and he catches his breath. I nearly roll my eyes.

"I'm a generous man, Ivy," he says, "plus, anyone can see you're an incredibly bright young lady. I've also looked over the results from your interview. You are exceptional and a perfect fit for what I have to offer."

"I like where I am, though," I reply.

"The route I'm offering you is much more prestigious and would push you into the political field. This course would take you to leadership positions like I'm in instead of just some measly little spy handler."

I bite my lip as I pretend to think.

"And what would the work involve?" I ask.

"It would be very interesting," he replies, keeping it vague. "That I can assure you."

I sigh. "I'm not sure, I'm happy with where I am. I enjoy working with Marcus."

Upon hearing Marcus's name, Mr Salt sours.

"Ah, yes, the magnificent Marcus Kaiser," he says sarcastically. "Now look, Ivy, I know he's a good-looking man, a powerful man, but I can assure you, he isn't the man you think he is."

I smile, knowing he's fallen for my trap.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask, playing into his jealousy, "Marcus has taught me so much already, and it's only the beginning of our relationship."

His face reddens with anger, which he holds back from his expression.

"Relationship?" he asks, trying to sound casual. I smile flirtatiously at him and raise an eyebrow, but don't answer his question, baiting him into saying something that he hopes will make him seem better than Marcus.

"I bet Kaiser keeps a lot of important details from you," he says.

"Probably," I reply with a casual shrug.

"I wouldn't, Ivy," he says. "You see, when you work with me, I make sure everyone is fully in the know about what's going on."

"Really?" I ask curiously.

Mr Salt nods his head and then gestures for me to lean in. Reluctantly, I do so.

"I bet Kaiser hasn't told you that we're days away from war being declared," he says. My eyes widen, and I pull back from him. It takes all my strength not to let my fear show on my face. My heart thunders in my chest, and my mouth dries.

Days. Is that really how close we are?

He smirks victoriously. "Now, I am not a fan of war."

Liar.