The night after the charity gala, I got something in the mail.

My assistant had left it on my desk, making sure that my men had it checked over before giving it to me. One could never be too safe.

The box was filled with red roses. The scent was sickly sweet, almost as if someone had sprayed blood and rose water on them.

There was a card attached to one of the stems. I was careful as I picked it up, avoiding the sharp thorns.

It was a thick piece of card stock that smelled just like the roses, the edges dipped in gold and my name spelt carefully in glossy black ink.

This wasn't a gift from Meera. She hated red roses.

I opened the card carefully, apprehensive about what I would find.

What in the ever-loving fuck was I reading. I flipped to the back to see if there was any sort of clue.

Someone had to be playing a prank on me.

My life just couldn't be easy, could it? There's always someone or something throwing a wrench in my plans. Except for this time, it was a bouquet of red flowers and a creepy note.

The phone rang on my desk and I knew that this was going to be something I couldn't miss.

"Hello?" I answered gruffly.

The line was silent. It was a bit unnerving to hear nothing.

"Hello?" I tried again. "Look, buddy. I've been through a lot of shit but this has to be the most hilarious thing I've ever witnessed. Who the fuck are you?"

"Hey, Ivan."

I felt my fingers tighten around the glass. "You didn't answer the question. Who the fuck are you?"

The other person chuckled, his voice slightly distorted as if he were making a long-distance call. "All those times we fought and you still don't remember my voice. What a shame. And here I thought that we had a connection."

I scrubbed my hand down my face. His voice dug into my ear like a worm.

"Arlo." I spat out. "I'm not glad to see that you're alive."

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Someone get this man a gold medal!" Arlo laughed. "I doubt you need one but who's counting, right? Perfect Ivan fucking Farewell and his pain in the ass family."

"Your daddy issues are bleeding through, Arlo." I smiled. Glad to see that Arlo hasn't changed even though we kicked his sorry ass. "I know a good therapist if you need one."

I could practically hear his teeth grinding together. Arlo was so easy to rile up and it gave me sick pleasure knowing that I could still dig underneath his skin.

"She's pretty, you know?"

"Who?" I asked.

"Your doctor," he said in a mocking tone. "Your paramour, your little sweetheart. You've killed for her and she's killed for you, I don't think I've ever seen two people so perfectly suited for one another."

"You fucker!" I roared into the phone. I barely registered the sound of the glass smashing. "You stay the fuck away from her, Arlo. I killed your father for kidnapping her. Don't you think for a second I'll hesitate to kill you if you do anything else."

"Temper, temper." He chuckled. "You will have to find me first, Ivan."

I hate the way Arlo talks to me as if he knows me. He's crazier and way more unhinged than Zoya but he's very much his son. It's infuriating to think that I couldn't put a bullet between his eyes that day. I'd have a lot fewer headaches.

"I have my ways," I said, sitting back down in my chair. "It's only a matter of time."

"If you're getting this temperamental just because I mentioned her then imagine what you would've done if I put my hands on her. Oh well, there's no point thinking about the 'what if's in life. How about I give you some advice instead...you know, for old times sakes."

I laugh incredulously, ready to end the call. These are just empty threats from Arlo. Nothing more, nothing less. "Any advice from you is useless. Goodbye, Arlo."

"You should ask your lover about her past," he said. "It's quite colourful."

"I suggest you stick your nose somewhere else before I cut it off."

"How well do you know your lover, Ivan?" He asked. "Can you trust her?"

"I can."

"That will be your downfall. There's a storm coming towards you, Ivan. And your lover is in the centre of it." Arlo stated, the humour gone from his tone suddenly. "I suggest that you get ready."

"Trust me. I will be."

"Oh, and Ivan?" He said once more. "The person who sent those roses wants you dead more than I do."

And then the line went dead.

I toss the phone across the room, not caring if it shatters upon impact. I stare at the pieces as I mull over his words. They could just be complete nonsense. Or...I'm some strange way it could be true.

Arlo's words are ringing in my ear. No matter how much I try to ignore it, I just can't push them out. They're stuck to my mind like moss on a glass window.

"How well do you know your lover?"

Honestly, not well.

I knew snippets that Meera's given me, and I know that her life had been miserable before. But I knew the kind of person she was, I knew how she liked her tea, and I knew that she was down to earth when she wasn't working.

Did I have to know everything about her past to like her now? Maybe she was a different person but shouldn't the present matter more?

This was an endless circle.

I couldn't bring myself to open the file. I picked it up and locked it in my desk, ignoring the burning curiosity.

I trust Meera. I'll always trust Meera.

Arlo was planning something. My sources said he wasn't in the states anymore which meant he was probably the n Europe doing god knows what. He's an asshole and a ruthless bastard but he wasn't idle. Arlo always had an ace up his sleeve.........and I had a bad feeling about it.

Maybe I should just put out a hit on him. Even the most secretive assassins wouldn't bat an eye at 2 million dollars if I wanted him dead.

Nik stepped into my office, quietly closing the door behind him. In his hand was a familiar file. I knew who it was about.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in.

I couldn't let Arlo get into my head like that. I just hated how far away he was, for better or worse, he had a plan more than I did. All I could do was go on the offensive.

No matter how many times we've combed through the city, we couldn't find what was dropped off from the SS Singhania and Nik was strangely elusive.

One would think that sensitive information shouldn't be delayed but here we are.

I finally look up as the tension from my headache drains away.

Nik sits in the chair opposite of me, one arm sling over the back and the file in his lap.

He picks it ups and slams it down on my desk. It makes a loud sound as it makes contact. I don't even flinch.

"I stole this from Anya's office." He glanced away, uncomfortable. "Again."

I didn't touch it. "I can't do it."

"Well...tough shit." Nik took out a USB from his pocket and placed it on top of the file. "I can't cover for Meera for much longer and you refuse to ask her anything. At this rate, we're all fucked."

I'm staring at the file on my desk, wondering if I should open it or not. It's a plain manila envelope that had seen better days.

I placed my hand down on the battered surface, tracing the name of the front. The tip of my finger touches the M and then the E, continuing all the way to A. I draw an imaginary line underneath it, followed by a question mark.

"What do you mean?"

Nik rolled his eyes. "Talk to her, dipshit. She's right there. She's scared. You know how she can be like when she gets worried."

Meera had been a bit distant that day when I was in the hospital. She seemed distracted, her eyes unfocused. I knew she wanted to talk to me about something but couldn't say it out loud. I can feel her hesitancy...and it made me nervous. What was going on inside her head?

"Who sent you roses?" Nik asked, snapping me out of my spiral. "Huh, that's a lot of fucking roses."

"It wasn't Meera," I said.

Nik glared at the flowers. I'm sure he was trying to burn them to a crisp through his gaze alone.

"Yeah, no shit." He grabbed the flowers and chucked them into the bin for me. "Talk to Meera, Ivan. It's time."