Page 31 of My Ghost

“Or maybe this one?”He types on his phone again and holds it up to show me another of my wallets.Empty.

“Wait, here’s another one.”He goes on, showing me my crypto wallets and bank accounts one after the other.All empty.Everything I had saved is gone.

After my shock subsides and I can breathe again, I let out an indignant shriek.“You!You drained my accounts, you thief!”

He smirks at me again.“Now seems to be a good time to let you know that the landlord is deciding to collect rent, after all.”He makes a sweeping motion with his arm.“And this kind of place in this district is rather expensive.”

I gape at him, shocked, speechless.

His smile becomes predatory.“Looks like someone needs a second job, after all.”Then he winks, and I swear I am holding on a bare thread not to launch myself at him to throttle him.

“You…you’re a bastard!”I hiss.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” he replies in a bored tone.Then he stands up, formidable and cocky, and walks to the door, collecting my laptop and burner phone from the floor.With his hand on the handle, he turns his head.“Oh, I almost forgot, the place comes with the job.Don’t worry about rent, as long as we have a deal.And don’t bother going to Lily, I’ll deliver you to the FBI myself if you snitch.I’ll pick you up at eight tomorrow, wear something nice for your first day at work.”Then he is gone, leaving me boiling in my rage.

Chapter Eighteen

Erin

The next morning I am tempted to stay in bed solely to defy the infuriating man who found out my secret identity yesterday.But judging from what I’ve seen so far, he would only glower, throw me over his shoulder like some manic caveman and carry me to his destination.I’ve also wondered if it would be worth it to move out and find someplace else, but as it looks, I don’t even have the kind of money to hire a cab, even less to pay a security deposit and the first month’s rent.And above all, a tiny part of me, a part I don’t want to acknowledge, is curious about the nerve center of his operations.

So I get out of bed and prepare for mynew job.But if he thought I would put on any effort to look my best, he was sorely mistaken.I throw on a cropped T-shirt under a hoodie, distressed jeans and black sneakers and I am almost ready.The only concession I make is putting on some light makeup.Because this shit is like a psychological shield, and God knows I will need mental protection today.Surprisingly, I’m not feeling any fear for my life.As I turned and tossed in bed last night, I came to the conclusion that he could’ve ended my life right here if he’d wanted to.But as baffling as it sounds, he didn’t.And he asked me to join forces.What for, I don’t know.To find out how much I know about Manticore?To keep an eye on me because he knows I am investigating them—him?Whatever his intentions are, I will play dumb and find out what he is hiding.Game on, Erebus.

At eight sharp, there is a knock on the door and I open it with resignation.

Matteo is standing there, tall and arrogant as ever, his rugged jaw sporting his trademark five-o’clock scruff.His suit hugs his broad shoulders and trim waist, intensifying his forbidding presence.The top button of his white shirt is undone and, despite myself, my gaze traces the pattern of the ink creeping from his neck down to where it disappears under his shirt collar.I swallow hard.

His dark eyes immediately find mine and he holds my stare for what feels like a lifetime.I snap my gaze away first to see that he is holding a to-go cup in one hand and a paper bag in the other.When he sees me watching, he holds both offerings out to me.

“Ready?”His voice is gruff and rough, and it slithers down my skin, making my toes curl.

“No, but do I have a choice?”I snag the bag and cup from his hands and stomp out, brushing past him with purpose.It turned out to be a colossal mistake, because his cologne hits me like a tidal wave and I inhale sharply to get as much of it into my lungs as possible.

Shit, I am in so much trouble.

I hear his low chuckle behind me.“No, you don’t.”

He ushers me into the elevator with his hand on the small of my back, and the warmth spreads through my clothes.

We ride to the underground garage where he motions toward a matte-black Escalade, and I have to snort because this car is so him—big, obnoxious and all ruthless power.He opens the passenger door and I slide into the soft leather seat.He closes the door and rounds the car to settle behind the wheel.

“What, you don’t like the car?”he asks, genuine curiosity in his eyes as he starts the engine.

I give him a side look.“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just so…you.”

He shrugs.“It’s useful.”

That has me snapping my head toward him, wariness creeping in.“What…you mean like for smuggling weapons, transporting dead bodies and abducting unsuspecting victims?”

He gives me a long, hard look.“To drive from point A to point B.”

That deflates me.“Oh…”

I take a sip from the cup and find out that the coffee is exactly how I like it, rich and black, its aroma smooth and smoky.My brain begins to kick-start.I open the bag and find a bagel with cream cheese.

Shit how does he know what I crave for breakfast?

No!Never mind, I don’t want to know how he found out.