Page 15 of Remi's War (Four Dark Horsemen 2)

How could I possibly pass up a chance like this?

My heart flips inside my chest, sending warmth through my system just imagining holding my twin in my arms, finally inhaling her scent, and reuniting with my other half.

And I’m ready for anything and anyone for just the small possibility of that.

Strolling close to the entrance, I see two guys spot me. They smile and stop drinking all together, pointing at me with their chins, which causes three others to shift their attention in my direction as well. “Hey, pretty girl. Are you new here?” one of them, the younger one judging by their appearances, asks, his gaze roaming over me, interest flashing in his eyes. “Haven’t seen you before.”

“God’s honest truth,” another one pitches in, taking a greedily pull from his bottle and then wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Wouldn’t miss someone so pretty.”

I’m slightly taken aback by the compliments; my appearance hardly inspires comments. “Thank you.” And I instantly regret it, thinking they might consider it encouragement, which will only turn even more awkward for me.

Considering that we’re in the middle of nowhere in a country foreign to me, despite being born here, I don’t want to engage in any conflict or fight if they become insistent.

Drunk people are unpredictable.

“You don’t thank for the truth, girl.” The third one winks at me and lifts his beer as if toasting me before drinking it.

To my surprise, they focus their attention back on the game, ignoring me all together.

How interesting.

People don’t really act how you assume they will, and maybe that’s why human psychology always has captivated me, making me study various cases in order to understand the human mind better. Being a psychologist never interested me; however, being savvy on the subject did.

Maybe because growing up, surrounded by art, I couldn’t help but study emotions and people through the prism of others’ creations, which taught me to look at evilness, goodness, deeds, and actions in a different light, finding layers and layers to people that might be horrendous on the surface but beautiful deep down inside.

And vice versa.

Sometimes, the deadliest monsters wear the most gorgeous masks, hiding their true nature behind the facade of perfection.

Heavy boots thumping against the concrete echoes around us, making everyone look at the entrance as a young woman appears, wearing jeans and a black sweater. She’s so petite one might mistake her for someone soft and gentle, but all such thoughts vanish once someone settles their gaze on her face, as her stubborn expression has the power to move mountains.

And based on her record history she did as much, always catching her suspects, even if it might have cost her a job.

Her smooth, tan skin and high cheekbones emphasize her symmetrical features, sharpening attention on her vivid gray eyes that remind me of the molten steel Dad uses on his statues.

Despite not being considered classically beautiful, she has a sensual aura around her that probably draws attention from the men, although the ones occupying the stairs just wave at her before continuing playing cards.

With a tight smile, she nods at me, jumping the last two steps and reaching me in record time. “Penelope, hi. Nice to meet you.” She extends her hand to me, and I shake it. “I wish we’d met for the first time in a different place, but it wasn’t meant to be.” She motions toward the empty bench several feet away, giving some privacy from everyone else.

My brows furrow at her words; she was the one to suggest meeting as soon as possible and refused to see me at my penthouse or a public place, leaving me no choice but to come here. “People are very friendly here.”

Amusement flickers in her gray orbs. “You could say that. But it’s a ditch otherwise.” She shrugs. “Serves its purpose though.”

“Sometimes horrible people live in castles making it unbearable to live there, so I think you’re lucky, all things considered.”

“Lucky is a strong word,” she mutters and then starts walking toward the bench, so I follow, finding this conversation beyond bizarre. Usually private investigators cut to the chase right away, but to be fair, all of them were in their forties or fifties, and they preferred to deal with my father instead, because they couldn’t handle my emotional outbursts during the investigative process.

Isla, though, is only four years older than me, one of the reasons why I decided to believe her and come here. I’m sick and tired of being treated like a spoiled child who should stop searching for my twin just because everyone keeps telling me to do so.

She drops on the bench, putting her phone between us, and I sit next to her, shivering slightly from the thunder echoing in the sky and the wind indicating the change of weather.

Hopefully we can finish this meeting before pouring rain soaks us both.

“As you probably know, I worked for Mr. Jameson and found your file on his desk. He told me to handle it, but it seemed like he hardly believed in the case.” I roll my lips to stop myself from saying something about the old man who almost laughed in my face when Dad explained to him our situation. He gave me zero hope, and by the lack of enthusiasm he showed toward the case, I knew he wouldn’t find Amalia. “However, something nagged at me, so I took the file with me when he fired me.”

I blink in shock, clasping my hands on my lap, contemplating this statement and wondering if Isla has some issues. She left her previous job and got herself fired almost immediately from this one. Plus, shouldn’t it be alarming how she just grabbed my case? The last thing I need is to deal with some psycho on my quest. “And the rest, you know.” She laughs. “You should see your face right now. Don’t worry; I’m quite sane.”

“However, you agree your behavior is strange, right?” I ask her, oddly relaxing a bit in her company, which rarely happens with strangers, and a sense of calmness settles over me. Despite her don’t-fuck-with-me attitude, an unexplainable warmth oozes from her, making me trust her right away. “I traveled all the way here, because you convinced me you have a lead for me.”

---