PULSE [H.S]

033

"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." — Ernest Hemingway

** Two weeks ago, the day after the job **

My body is filled with dread.

I'm not even nervous thinking about debriefing the job with Elias, I just want it to be over so I never have to think about yesterday again. Clove offered to drive me, which was nice because the alternative was driving with Harry.

I know he'll be there, and I am nowhere near ready to face him after everything I found out yesterday. But this was a job, and I have to finish it.

When we pull up to the warehouse, Harry is waiting outside the building, smoking a cigarette. He leans against the wall of the building, blowing smoke into the air. My stomach twists at the sight of him.

"Hey," Clove says gently, "it'll be over quick."

I nod. "Thanks for the ride."

The gravel crunches under my feet as I hop out of the car and make my way over to Harry. The wind whips past me, blowing my hair in my face. As I get closer, Harry throws his cigarette on the ground and digs his shoe into it.

He gives me a nod that I don't return. He opens the door to the warehouse, and I follow him inside, down the long hallways like last time I was here.

When we enter the office, Elias says, "Lovely to see you both. Please sit."

We start by going over everything that I observed. I tell him about every camera I saw on the property, both inside and outside of the mansion. I tell him which way they were pointing, reliving the entire day in my head.

A guy comes in, and Elias explains that he's going to sketch the layout of the place with my specifications. I tell him about the driveway, and then everything I saw leading up to the place.

I help him draw the floor plan of the first floor of the mansion, including the windows, doors, steps, and features. I correct him when his drawing has an error; every second feels like an hour.

Harry has been staring at me the entire time, but I avoid looking in his direction. I know if I make eye contact with him, I'll probably burst into tears immediately, and Elias seeing that would be bad for both of us.

"That's all of it," I say when the last piece of information leaves my mind and gets transferred to the paper. The sketch guy leaves, leaving the three of us alone again.

Elias asks me, "How was your first job, Miss Reeves?"

"It wasn't bad," I say.

He nods. "Well, I have to say you did very well, and the information you gathered will be very valuable to us."

All I see now when I look at Elias is Aaron. They have the same cunning eyes and greedy smile that makes my skin crawl. I always took Elias for being younger than he is. I guess running a cartel is good for your skin.

I randomly blurt, "If Aaron is your son, why is he never around?"

Harry shoots me a death glare, his green eyes sending daggers at me. I still don't look at him, he can be pissed all he wants. I don't give a flying fuck how he feels.

Elias's eyebrows shoot up, and his eyes fill with amusement at my random question. He pours himself a drink, offering me one, but I shake my head.

He says, "Ah. Yes, Miss Reeves. I believe you are very familiar with my son."

The conversation I had with Elias at the dinner event now holds more weight. He said that it was my fault because I'm not easily controlled, and I need to learn my place. He must have heard Aaron's side of the story.