Chapter 22

My alarm woke me up around three o’clock in the afternoon and when I rolled out of bed to shower, I felt even more exhausted than yesterday. I had a text message from Rufus asking me how things were going with La Caz Pharmaceutical. I decided to reply to him later. I wasted some time watching crap TV and browsing the Internet. I went to the office later on in a cranky mood.
As it turned out, my two candidates for the Wand Maker position were unsuccessful. One turned up for an interview in jeans and a T-shirt; the other one had so many issues, the employer wouldn’t even consider him. Finally, at half past ten in the evening, I was able to make myself a cup of tea and relax. Then my private phone rang.
"Hello?" I knew I shouldn’t answer a private number.
"Julia," said the smooth voice on the other end of the line. I recognised him straight away. Joy filled me.
"Nathaniel, what a surprise," I said, my voice uneasy. Jennifer glanced at me with confusion.
"Are you all right? Were you hurt yesterday?" There was a little tension in his voice.
Like he cares whether I’m fine or not.
"Why are you calling, Nathaniel? You didn’t seem too interested in the past few days, so why now?" I repeated my question, aware Jennifer was listening.
He sighed. "Answer me, Julia. Is everything all right with you?"
“I’m fine."
"What exactly happened?"
"Jasper and I had a little chat on the street. He didn’t like that I didn’t want him back. I got a little ahead of myself with my magic, so then he decided to give me a taste of one of his spells," I explained, wondering if he really was worried about me.
"I see. Your ex-boyfriend has a reputation among creatures I know," he said. "Just make sure you’re careful. As you probably know, there have been more kidnappings in the city. Roberto will be at your disposal. I will take care of your ex-boyfriend."
"What are you doing, Nathaniel? I think you need to end this, before I get hurt. You’re calling me after all this time because you heard from your chauffeur that I was attacked? What about our little arrangement, and my poor cousin?"
This time, I didn’t care that the whole office stopped working and everyone was staring at me, listening in on my conversation. I needed to establish what was going on. This couldn’t just continue forever, plus, he promised to find the person who was snatching fairies and elves off the streets. He didn’t respond straightaway; maybe he was hesitating over what he wanted to say next, or maybe he just couldn’t answer. I was holding my breath, waiting; so were Jennifer and Alexandra.
"I told you, Julia. I’m not good with what you call relationships, but I was worried about you. I’m sorry I didn’t call. I was preoccupied."
"Preoccupied?" I hissed, parting my lips with anger. "Well, then, I need to go, because I’m also preoccupied. Goodbye, Nathaniel.”
I switched my phone off and slammed it on the table, covering my face in my hands.
You knew exactly what would happen and you still let him play with you.
"Julia, look at me," Jennifer said with an unusually serious voice. I lifted my head and looked at my work colleagues who were staring at me, frozen. "Why are you talking to Nathaniel La Caz?"
"Because we’re sort of dating," I breathed out.
"Shut up, you cow!" she shouted, standing. "How is that even possible?"
"It’s complicated, Jennifer. You don’t want to know."
"Of course, I want to know. Has he been stalking you since that meeting?" she asked, not letting go of the subject. I sighed and tossed my hair behind my back.
"We went out a few times, and he keeps saying he wants to make this work, but I’m not sure. He’s a vampire, so I can’t expect that he’s going to change for me."
Jennifer stood and walked up to me. I saw pity in her eyes. "I don’t know how to tell you this, Julia," she began, biting her lip, “but I saw Nathaniel on Sunday and trust me, he wasn’t alone."
"What do you mean?" I asked, swallowing hard. She hesitated but didn’t have to finish because I knew what she was going to say next.
"I was in Delux, a nightclub for paranormals, and I spotted him almost immediately. He was with a woman, and they weren’t hiding. They were practising French kissing; I don’t know what kind of creature she was, because they were sitting too far from me."
My brain registered only part of what she said, but this news hurt me more than I expected. I shouldn’t have expected anything from him. He was the hottest vampire I’d ever known, and he was also rich. I pushed away the magic that started boiling inside me and rubbed my sweaty palms.
"Anything else?"
"They left together after an hour or so," she added quietly. "Oh, Julia, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. There were rumours going around that he changes women often. He was even seen with a fairy, but he goes out with vampires most of the time."
"It’s not your fault, Jen." I said, barely opening my mouth. The warm feeling of disappointment spread throughout my stomach.
"Julia, he is an arse, a player who fucks anything that moves. Please just leave the sinking ship before it’s too late."
"I won’t be seeing Nathaniel La Caz anymore." I rose and straightened my trousers, feeling like the biggest idiot on the planet. I had to finish this. Jennifer was watching me, worried. Alexandra was still confused, and she made a few attempts to get back to her filing.
"I don’t think we’ll be busy today," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. The energy inside me was building up dangerously. “I’m going to take a taxi to La Caz Pharmaceutical and tell him to go fuck himself." I picked up my bag and my mobile. Jennifer’s jaw was hanging open. My fingertips inflamed, and I burned the door handle. "And if Rufus calls just make something up. I won’t be long."
I was angry, and it wasn’t the sort of anger that was going to pass. I was ready to rip his face and ballocks off. Not because he cheated on me, but because I let him play me, believing that he was willing to help me. I caught a taxi shortly before eleven p.m. Nathaniel would be in his office. I didn’t have an appointment, but I didn’t care. I had to face him and tell him what I thought about him.
London traffic wasn’t that bad, and I made it to La Caz Corporation within forty-five minutes. My magical energy was making me uncomfortable, but I was fuming, and when I entered the foyer area, Todd smiled, looking taken aback at seeing me there.
"Miss Taylor, I wasn’t expecting you here today."
"No one is, but I need to see Mr. La Caz urgently, and if he refuses, tell him I have all night—I can wait." I was trying to stay calm, but my whole body felt like I was going through an electrical storm.
He shrugged, looking unsure about my statement. "I need to let upstairs know that you’re here, Miss Taylor." He went to his desk, exchanged a look with the other werewolf, and dialled the number. He muttered something quietly enough and within five minutes, he came back smiling.
"Yes, that’s fine," he said. I only nodded and went inside the lift, pressing the button that would take me to the top floor. My mind was spinning, but I knew what I was going to tell him. Once I reached the top floor and the lift door opened, Emily glanced at me from her desk.
"Miss Taylor, Mr. La Caz didn’t mention that he was expecting you." She stood, then went pale, staring at my hands flaming with electricity. I frowned and marched around her, straight to his office. I wasn’t even thinking when I stormed inside.
Emily was right behind me. "Miss Taylor, please—"
"It’s okay, Emily," Nathaniel said, standing by the window, waving his hand. Emily nodded, then closed the door behind me.
" Julia, what brings you here at this time of night?" He turned to face me.
"I came to tell you that I’m not going with you to dinner at the end of the month. I don’t want Roberto to pick me up from work, and I don’t want you to call me anymore. I don’t want anything to do with you. I’ll find Claudia myself. I don’t need your help. From now on, I’m going to talk to Lucinda for our business dealings and no one else."
This was a long rant and my voice was too high, but I stood straight, controlling myself well.
He was just a player, a man who would never be good for me.
"What changed your mind?"
"You have no idea what I’m talking about?" I asked through gritted teeth.
"Please enlighten me." He sounded irritated.
"Well, you’re pretending that you want to make it work with me, but you don’t call for days, not even to update me. You don’t make any kind of effort. You’re deceiving me, making me believe you care and the next thing I find out is that you were with another woman this past Sunday. I’m not the kind of woman who’s going to be humiliated by a man because he can’t make up his mind. Just be a man and tell me you only want me sometimes—"
"Julia, please—”
"Fuck you, La Caz. I’m not going to listen to your shitty excuses and false promises. Fuck your limousine and your dinner. Find yourself another woman who will be okay with you sleeping with other women—”
"Julia!" He cut me off, roaring. Looking angry, his skin went slightly paler. "You don’t understand. Just let me explain what happened this weekend."
"No!" I shouted. White flames burst from my hands, then a glass mirror crashed into a billion pieces. The noise was deafening. I didn’t care that I was going to trash his office. Now I was out of control. "You don’t own me and I’m not going to take this bullshit. I’m not just some woman you can play around with, because I won’t let you. So, go fuck yourself!"
And before I let him say another word, I stormed out of his office, passing Emily, who was standing, shocked, in the middle of the reception area. Fortunately, the lift came just in time. For a split second, I saw Nathaniel standing in the doorway of his office, staring at me, bewildered, before the lift door closed.
I took long rasping breaths, trying to calm down, but tears were streaming down my face. I leaned back against the wall in frustration.
I wiped the tears off my face and rushed away from the lift, straight to the foyer. My mind wasn’t working right. I just had to get away from this place.
"Miss Taylor, are—"
I ignored Todd and ran away through the entrance, straight onto a main road and didn’t stop. It was dark but there was some traffic. I started running away, hearing a car coming from my right. I glanced back, staring at the large black van that pulled up next to me.
In the blink of an eye, two large men, probably giants, jumped out, crossing over to me. One of them grabbed me by my waist. "Come on, sweetheart, we need to get going."
I started screaming and kicking, but soon someone else grabbed my shoulder and I felt a pain as if someone was ripping my skin apart. In a split second, energy rushed to my core, moving through my hands. I didn’t want to end up like my cousin. I had to fight back.
I roared at the top of my lungs and magic burst out of me. But then I felt pain in my skull and darkness obliterated me.