“I just realized I forgot to thank you.” I stare into her mirrored glasses which reflect my gray eyes. They appear darker than usual due to my enlarged pupils.
Theresa swallows before her tongue darts out to moisten her lips. “For what?” she queries, her voice a soft purr.
“For pointing out an oversight in my accounting,” I respond. “Your invaluable information earned me thousands of dollars.”
Theresa’s head slopes to the side, apparently confused. “What information?”
I smirk. “It was only after you left my office, did I realize I had heard of Ms. Brahn before.”
Theresa inhales a quick breath that puffs her chest out.
“After a thorough investigation, I discovered Ms. Brahn is one of mymanytenants. During further examinations of her account, my real estate agent found an oversight in the processing of Ms. Brahn’s tenant application.”
Theresa pulls off her sunglasses so her ice blue eyes can glare into mine. “What kind of oversight?”
“My real estate agent failed to lodge Ms. Brahn’s application for expenses contributing to her move. Since Ms. Brahn was required to relocate to Ravenshoe for work-related purposes, she had her rent reduced for the first twelve months. Because of your due diligence, my real estate agent has now lodged her application. The Bureau contacted my real estate agent earlier today, and they have assured us the remainder of Ms. Brahn’s backdated rent will be paid into my account by the end of the month,” I inform her with an arrogant grin. “So Ms. Brahn’s rental statement now reflects she was indeed paying the full amount for her apartment.”
Theresa's eyes narrow into thin slits as her stance stiffens. “Even if Isabelle gets cleared of all charges by my department, she’ll never want to talk to you again after the information I’ve shared with her this week.”
Other than my jaw involuntarily ticking, I don’t let my outward appearance give any indication her statement has affected me.
“You should have seen the tears in her big brown eyes when she saw the video of Ophelia begging you to stop senselessly beating her brother,” Theresa snarls, her voice vicious. “Isabelle thought she knew the real Isaac Holt, but she is learning she doesn’t know you at all.”
My nostrils flare as blood courses through my body at a rapid pace.
“Have a pleasant day, Mr. Holt,” Theresa says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She places her glasses back onto her abhorrent face and returns to her vehicle.
Only once Theresa’s vehicle is nothing but a blur in the distance, do I slam my fists down on the hood of my car. The dark metal crumples from the brutal force of my knuckles.
That day forever haunts my dreams. It changed me to the man I am now. It is the reason I became the myth. The unattainable. The ruthless enigma…….
Months and months of relentless chasing, denied requests, and returned flowers all came down to this. Ophelia had accepted my pleas, and our date had gone well. I impressed myself with how much of a true gentleman I was. I opened her car door, I pulled out her chair, and I participated in an intellectual adult conversation. Then it all came down to the dropping her home after the date. Was I supposed to kiss her? Should I have invited her on another date right then, or should I wait a required amount of time? It was a new experience for me.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I was certainly not a fumbling virgin who didn’t know what he was doing. I had bedded plenty of women before Ophelia. I just neverdatedany of them. Even the best lays I had didn’t compare to the way I felt when Ophelia’s dazzling light brown eyes glanced into mine. The chase was enthralling and addictive. My heart would constrict, my palms would sweat, and all I wanted to do was claim her as my own.
That night when I pulled into her driveway, my mouth was unexpectedly engulfed by a pair of warm and soft lips.
“Pick me up tomorrow at 6 PM,” she instructed before jumping out of my car and walking toward the dorm she lived in without a backward glance.
One date soon turned into six. Six dates turned into three months. Time was flying by. Ophelia blew my mind. She kept me fascinated. She was unlike any other girl I’d been with before.
That all changed when I received an unexpected phone call during one of our weekly dates.
“Twenty G’s! You can’t be fucking serious?” I queried, my tone indicating my disbelief. I assumed I didn’t hear Cormack right, as there is no way twenty thousand dollars was being offered for one fight. I did receive higher offers from Col, but they rarely went over seven thousand.
“Yeah man, twenty thousand, but you have to get your ass here within an hour or the deal falls through,” Cormack replied.
My disinclined eyes darted to Ophelia. I hadn’t been entirely honest with her about what I did for a career. I may have mentioned it was sports-related on a previous date, but when she failed to probe me any further, I neglected to mention it again.
“I’ll be there in forty-five,” I replied, disconnecting the call without giving Cormack a chance to respond.
I gathered Ophelia’s jacket, hat, and scarf from the coat rack in the diner where we had just finished eating. Her beautiful giggle echoed around the diner when I wrapped her wool scarf around her neck and put her beanie on her head. Pulling her up from the chair by her wrist, I eagerly ushered her out of the diner while helping put on her jacket.
“What are you doing?” she questioned curiously, still giggling.
“You know that car you’ve been saving up for?” I replied, stopping on the sidewalk to help button up her jacket. The first lot of snowflakes had already made the little point on the end of her nose turn bright red.
“Yeah,” she responded, her pitch relaying her hesitance.
