Play Me - Revised

"The art of pleasing is the art of deception."
~Luc de Clapiers

...♛...

Summer White

...♛...

The first thing that comes to mind is the smell. It reeks of the musky cologne only his body wears. I guess this office has become a part of him seeing as his smell has consumed this room. He probably spends majority of his day in here.

Books and files are perfectly lined on the bookshelf standing in front of the right wall. His desk, made out of dark wood, is sparkling clean with no loose papers. He, himself, sits behind the table on a cushioned seat as his eyes focus on the computer screen in front of him.

I take a seat on one of the chairs across from him, and wait until he's done. He's still wearing the black suit and I can't help but admire how perfect he looks in it.

"We have an hour. Ask the right questions," Kai says as he turns away from his computer and gives me his full attention.

"Explain the situation with Dean and Anthony from the beginning. How'd you know they wanted me?"

"Dean and Anthony left Chicago right after the ball, but came back shortly after. We didn't find out until a couple weeks later and that's when I sent in some of my members to figure out what they were doing here.

They were at some of the public appearances we were making and they were hacking into databases to collect information on you and your adoptive family. I had Cole scrub anything he could, but things like magazine covers in hardcopies are harder to make disappear.

They were able to get a good amount of information about your history, but we were luckily able to burn any private notes that Captain kept of when he found you. The only thing they know is that you were adopted by him.

I sent a few warnings and messages through members to make them stop, but they're persistent. I met with Dean personally and we weren't seeing eye to eye on things so I set up the carnival to send them a clear message," he explains.

"Are they the only reason I haven't been put into missions?"

"No. Athen, the man you murdered at the ball, was a son to a very powerful man who is also looking for revenge," he says, his jaw flexing tight at the end displaying his frustration.

"Anyone else trying to kill me?"

"Just about everyone at the ball has shown some sort of interest in you. I wouldn't say it's necessarily to kill you," he says as he leans back in his chair. His elbows rest on either side of him on the chair as he plays with a pen in his right hand.

"Does that include Nicholas?"

"Let me put this in the simplest way possible. You kill a man like that in front of people who make a living off of killing people, they're definitely going to want to get to know you."

"Has he tried anything?"

"He's made his interest in you explicit."

"How many of them know my name?"

"Everyone. Word travels fast when a woman with the same name and skills as a woman who is supposed to be dead shows up out of no where." There's a hint of accusation in his tone as if I'm at fault. Bringing me to public event was Kai's doing not mine.

"Why'd you leave Nick?" I ask changing the subject. It's time to see how much Kai is willing to reveal about himself.

"We've never gotten along."