Marked By Lies: A Reverse Harem Series (The Marked Series Book 1), Paige Orr [new books to read .TXT] 📗

Straight away the man puts me on edge, but trying to stay professional, I offer him a seat. He lowers himself down into the chair across the desk from me, looking around my office with condescension. I don’t want to seem ungrateful for him coming to me for whatever he’s here for, but I don’t appreciate how up himself he is. He could at least try not to show his opinion on his face since he’s here to pay me to do something for him.

I hate people who look down on other people for stupid shit like not having the same amount of money as they do. It’s really not difficult to treat people with the respect they deserve. I’m not saying all rich folks are assholes but if the shoe fits. A tight smile pulls at my lips as I settle back in my chair and take a deep breath before addressing the man.

“Hello, welcome to Crimson Investigations. My name is Melissa Greene, what can I do for you today, sir?”

The man ignores me as he continues to study my office and as time passes I can feel my patience wearing thin. Clients like this are the fucking worst! Unfortunately, I can’t afford to drive a client away by losing my cool with him, so I grit my teeth against what I want to say until he finally speaks.

“The name is Marcus Sullivan and I’m not entirely sure there is anything you can do for me, Miss Greene. I couldn't find much information on you, but I’m hoping that because of that you will be good at keeping quiet about what you’re working on.”

“Of course, my client’s confidentiality is really important to me and I don’t speak about my jobs with anyone outside of myself. Even when I’m asking around for information, I’m careful who I ask and I make sure not to let anything slip about who my client is.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Miss Greene. The job I have for you is… sensitive, and it’s a rather private matter. There is an item I’ve been searching for the last few years since my late mother's last attempt at obtaining it went awry, and I’m hoping that maybe you can find it for me. Since it’s such a private matter and I’m sure it won't be simple, I’m willing to pay you handsomely.”

“Well, you can trust me to keep the matter sensitive. Why don’t we start with you telling me some things about the item that you need me to attain and any information you have found before now? We can talk about payment after that.”

I didn’t think that Marcus could look any more shifty, but the way he continues to look around like he’s waiting for something to jump out at him has my nerves on edge.

“Well, from a young age my mother taught me about different artifacts that she liked to collect. She was fascinated with the stories behind them. The thing is, most of the stories she would tell me about them seemed to be like something out of a fantasy novel. When she passed away recently, she left her collection to me along with a note telling me about the one item that she never managed to get her hands on. The Necklace of Harmonica.

She had been searching for years with no luck and hoped that I would continue the search now that she is no longer able to. That’s when I decided to look into the artifact in hopes that I could fulfill her last wish. My search unfortunately hasn’t been very successful, which is why I decided to reach out to a private investigator.

Due to the things I have heard during my research on the item, I knew that I had to find someone who isn’t afraid of danger and who is most likely to keep a low profile in this case which leads me to you. Even though you aren’t the most well-known PI, one of my friends has worked with you before and said that you would be perfect for the job.”

Something about this whole thing doesn’t sit right with me, but I know that I can’t be picky with my clients right now. How dangerous could it be to find him the damn necklace? Even if it is an artifact, the hardest thing about it will probably be getting the owner to hand it over. I take a moment to write down the information that Marcus has given me before turning back to him.

“Well, you’ve come to the right place, Mr. Sullivan. I would be happy to take on your case. I will need you to send me any information you have on the necklace, which will save us both some time. I’m willing to start the search right away as soon as we talk about my fee. I’m sure we can come to an agreement that we are both pleased with.”

Finished with my shower, I quickly dry my hair before throwing on something quick to wear. Not knowing exactly what the dress that Nika is loaning me is going to look like, I decide to pack up all of my makeup and throw a few different wigs in that should suit most of the aliases that Nika uses for me. I suppose that’s one thing I can look forward to tonight. I do love being able to pretend to be someone else, even if it is only for one night.

Chapter Four

Zaphyr

A dark smile spreads across my face as I watch the Seelie bastard that I’ve pinned against the wall with my shadow in the alley beside the bar we were at, struggling for breath. I’ve never understood why they struggle when they know