"What did you just call me?" Aiden's lips immediately stretched into a thin line. The room got chilly as his eyes glazed over with a sharpness that could cut through steel.
"I believe I didn't stutter." Nor did Claire's eyes or voice show a hint of fear.
The Blood Raven. A name that made grown men fall to their knees and tremble in fear. It was a name only uttered in the darkness of the underworld, it wasn't a title to be mentioned in broad daylight. And especially not in the presence of the very man that carried it in secrecy.
Aiden hadn't been addressed with that title in a while. His position in the underworld had been handled from a distance in the last couple of years as he had also grown bored of it.
Yet that wasn't what made him slightly lose his composure for a second. The fact was that the woman sitting across from him had pulled the rug from under his feet not once, not twice, but thrice in the last seventy two hours. Being able to evade and also know of his team's efforts to dig for information on her is one thing. But for her to have in her possession knowledge of one of his deepest darkest secrets is another.
Scrutinizing her with his eyes he could clearly see the unwavering fire in hers. Of course. Inside those eyes laid dormant the gates of hell. Only the She Devil herself would dare to direct her intimidating gaze towards him. She surely lived up to her nickname.
After a few seconds of intense staring between the two, Aidan was the first to break contact when he thrust his head back as a hearty laugh rumbled out of his chest. Making the temperature in the office go back to normal.
Claire was surprised. She could have imagined him reacting in many different ways, but laughing so genuinely? No. Sinisterly maybe. Yet here she was, listening to his rich and smooth laughter that made her feel goosebumps. She didn't appreciate the kind of effect it had on her.
"You are truly a remarkable little thing aren't you Miss Collins. Tell me, does the method you use to keep your secrets hidden also allow you to know about mine?" He asked her with his eyes brimming from curiosity.
Aiden was no fool. He knew that he was at a disadvantage. If she already knew that much, then she had surely taking measures to secure her well being. And judging by the fact that she is willing to negotiate, it means that what she has to offer is just as valuable as the information she has against him.
Strangely, he didn't mind being strung along by her. Usually he would have already dragged Claire into the underworld to torture her until he got all the information he wanted out of her.
'But who would be foolish enough to hurt this little fallen angel with eyes set ablaze?' He thought to himself.
"I'll gladly answer after we come to some sort of arrangement." Claire internally sighed in relief.
She knew Aiden was a dangerous man. Claire also knew she would have a hard time keeping on track with her plans if he were to become an enemy. But seeing as he was actually interested in what she had to offer, she was glad. Although the expression on her face never changed, her head had been filled with worrisome thoughts. She was heavily guarded, but that didn't make the situation any safer if it had gone south.
"State your terms." Aiden was beyond ecstatic. His body showed a serious demeanor, but his imagination was running wild.
'What is she hiding? I wanna know. How did she fly under the radar for so long? I wanna know. What other things can she do? I wanna know. What do her lushes looking lips taste like? I wanna know!!' Aiden's thoughts were everywhere. He hadn't felt so alive in years. Even parachuting off a plane hadn't made him feel this animated.
"I will grant you access to my high tech resources in exchange for access to your underworld assets. What I offer is to be exclusively used by you. The same applies to me." Claire started to negotiate.
"Done. What else?" Aiden agreed as a smirk made his lips turn.
"The arrangement between us will stay between us. Only our most trusted people will know if necessary." Above all else she prioritized the transaction between them to be a discreet one.
"Done. What else you got?"
"That would be all for now. Unless you have any conditions you would like to add." Although true Claire was relieved of things going smoothly, she didn't let her guard down. She knew it was only natural for him to also have conditions and that they may not all be to her liking.
"Yes I do. As to the tech and security details you have to offer there's nothing to worry about. They will remain exclusively in my possession. You see, I'm not very fond of sharing." Aiden said as his smirk grew a little wider. "But in regards to my underworld assets I must be well informed on what you're using them for. I will not risk any kind of loss or being exposed due to somebody else's slip up. This is non-negotiable." Although he was liking her more and more, he was a businessman. Not a fool driven by lust or curiosity.
"As long as you don't expect me to tell you the reasons behind my endeavors, then I find it reasonable."
'Oh? My little angel has an even longer list of secrets than I thought.' He thought to himself before he continued.
"That's fine. However what isn't fine is that evidently you know more about me then I do about you. And as I said before, I don't enjoy being a step behind to those around me." He then stood up and walked around the desk. He stood close to her as he leaned against his desk with his hands in his pockets. He wasn't at her eye level anymore which forced her to look up at him.
"It's only fair that we're on equal grounds in terms of knowing each other. I mean this is a kind of partnership is it not? Being the one holding all the cards would only make me want to steal them from you. Don't you think?" He said in a low smooth voice as he saw her fake smile twitch a bit. If he weren't so focused on her face he would have missed it.
This is exactly what Claire was afraid of. It was obvious that he would want to know more about who he was working with. And it was going too smoothly for her reluctance to share about herself be the reason the deal fell through. But it wasn't an easy thing for her to do. She had too many secrets and people to protect that couldn't be put at stake under any condition.
Yet here she was. Staring at the man that made her rush her plans. She should loathe him for making her work even harder to keep herself hidden. But his gaze made her feel as if he could see right through her, causing her to feel even more hesitant about sharing with him or not.
Sometimes she would dream about leading another kind of life. One where a man like him would offer her a loving hand and helped her walk through her nightmares. One where her loved ones would only shed tears of happiness.
But sadly they would stay as that. As unreachable dreams.