Page 49 of Taint My Soul

He peels off the sidewalk, and I walk over the grey pavement, heading into the entrance where two security men stand, clad in their uniforms. “Good morning, Mr. King.”

“Good morning.” I smile at the man as I step through the glass door. As I enter the lobby, I wave at the receptionist, who gives me a grin from her desk. I stride toward the elevator, step into the square enclosed space, and hit the up button. The machine whirrs and hisses as it ascends to my floor. My mind ruminates on who this Neo is and what he wants from my family. It can’t be just about disrupting our business or setting a warehouse on fire.

There must be something else the snake wants.

There must be someone else working with him.

I’ll have to hire a private investigator because I can’t rely only on my brothers, especially since this has to do with everything my family has worked for. Especially when my father looks up to me to become a ruthless successor who will protect what’s ours fiercely.

The elevator stops at the third floor, and the doors glide open. His cologne hits me first, clean and familiar, then he enters the space in a black suit with a coffee order in his hands.

Days of distance collapse in a single breath. I expected him to be at his desk. It would have been so much easier to walk past him without even looking in his direction.

He stiffens when he sees me, but it’s too late.

The elevator doors are already closing.

I keep my hands to myself. I don’t think about touching him. I don’t think about what happened at my penthouse on Friday night.

But even with that, he snakes his way through my thoughts. My voice whispers his name. Every time he crosses my mind, it hits me like a lungful of cold, clean air. Sharp, startling, too pure for someone like me.

Fuck, it was just one fucking moment. One moment I’ve never let happen. Now he has this effect on me.

I feel this attraction, but I don’t know what to do with it. Hell, I don’t want to acknowledge it.

“Good morning.” He whispers as he takes his place beside me. “I have your coffee order.”

“Thank you.” I wrap my hand around the coffee sleeve and lift it to my lips.

The silence between us is uncomfortable. The tension thickens like a live wire. My eyes skim the space, avoiding Mason.

“Saint,” he whispers.

My gaze flickers up to those pretty brown eyes, and the memories flood back like a storm.

My lips part, and a sharp breath escapes me.

Mason’s lips move, but no words form.

The elevator jerks to a stop. The machine rattles and kicks back on before the light eventually flickers and loses power. My heart thumps in my chest as I wait for the machine to come back on. Nothing happens. I stride forward and hit the buttons on the elevator, but it doesn’t work. I pull my phone and dial the number of the maintenance team. “What happened?” My voice comes out hoarse and shaky.

“Power outage on the fifth floor. We are fixing it.”

“How long?”

“As soon as possible.” The man answers.

“That’s not an answer.”

“We will get you out of there, sir.” He responds.

“Fuck.” I hang up and shove the phone into my pocket.

I straighten my spine and exhale deeply, standing so close to the wall, my hands locked in front of me. I can’t be in here for more than an hour. Memories flood me in an instant. Darkness and shackles. Steel walls and stale air. I’m not in the Red Vault. This is different. I’m stuck in an elevator, and it’s only for a few minutes.

Father’s not punishing me again. He’s not exerting power and control over me.

This is different.