Page 18 of Taint My Soul

I don’t have a say.

I have to play by the rules for as long as it takes.

I have to be their pawn.

As long as it keeps me alive.

It’s been a week since I met Saint at the Red Horn club. I still carry the memory of that night. I don’t think I’d ever forget what I felt. As much as he doesn’t know anything, I wouldn’t put it past him that if he did, he’ll simply see me as a threat to his family. Vincent made sure he never left out the part where he told me what kind of man he is and what he does to those who cross him. The things he will do to me if he finds out I’m a mole working to obliterate everything he’s built.

It’s my first day working at Seven Stone Finance, and I have to look impressionable. Like I belong. Just as Vincent had asked, I have the entire week to give him something because he’ll come to collect.

I study myself in the mirror. A black suit hugs my athletic frame. Thick, tight spiral-shaped coils of black hair sit on my head. I square my shoulders and let out an exhale to steady myself.

I know exactly what I’m walking into, and I have no choice but to comply.

It’s dangerous.

This city itself is not for the faint of heart. I have to pretend to be brave to get what Vincent wants. To get what I need.

I pick up my black leather messenger bag from the table and check myself one more time. I make a mental note of how I will spend my day. It’s simple.

Get to work. Come home by four-thirty. Report to Godfather.

All I have to do is stick to his explicit instructions.

I head out of the apartment, taking the elevator and heading downstairs. Outside, my driver’s already waiting behind the wheel of his taxi. I give him a firm nod and get in, and he peels out of the driveway.

The city moves around me in a blur, neon fading into the daylight, traffic humming as cars honk at red lights. Tall skyscrapers cut into the sky in hard-edged shapes, glass and steel reflecting a world that screams business and chaotic secrets. When I get out of the taxi in front of the headquarters of Seven Stone Finance, one of the largest buildings in the city, a foreboding feeling settles in the pit of my stomach.

Seven Stone, thirty-five stories of mirrored glass and silver steel, with glass panels that reflect the sunlight. Passing cars smudge in silver streaks, and sunlight bounces off the surface, leaving a glow. From the outside, the place reflects luxury and power. I follow through the vast, frameless revolving door and step into the expanded lobby, checking in with security. “I’m a new hire.” I smile at the middle-aged, gray-haired man.

“Welcome to Seven Stone.” He grins as I inspect the lobby.

The air smells of expensive citrus and cedar, filtered through a ventilation system.

I had applied for the position of Finance Manager, just as Vincent instructed. The response in my mailbox wasn’t exactly a formal offer, but an invitation to show up on Monday.

I move to the seating area and settle down, eyes scanning through the gray-painted walls and expensive furnishing. I sit and wait, looking at my wristwatch every three seconds and tapping my feet on the polished marble floor.

“Mason Cole?” A man approaches me, hands extended in a firm grip. I take his hand and smile, and he returns it with a more confident grin.

“Sir.”

“I’m your supervisor. I know my email was vague,” he leads me toward the elevator at the far end of the lobby. “At that time there wasn’t an open position, but you are in luck. We just let go of the CFO’s personal assistant.”

“Personal assistant?” I blink.

The doors slide open, and we step into the enclosed space together.

His brows arch. “Is there a problem?”

I hesitate weighing the options. Who was I kidding? Maybe this is exactly where they wanted me.

“No.”

He nods only once. “You’ll be working directly with the Chief Financial Officer. That’s a golden opportunity if you ask me.” He grins cockily, eyes moving over me in a quiet assessment.

“Yes, I hope.” I say smoothly.