Chapter Text
When Violet was called to her boss’ office in the middle of the day, she was positive that she was being fired.
Not that she was a bad worker, per se. Violet did her job and she did it well. She was an office assistant at Crawford Co. It didn’t require much talking to people and it gave Violet a lot of solitude, which was good enough for her.
However, she couldn’t stifle the fear rising in her chest as she made her way down to her boss’ office. For a high-selling company, the pay was terrible, and Violet was living paycheck to paycheck trying to pay off her rent. If she was fired, she would have to find another job, fast, and she had nowhere else to go.
Violet raised a hand to knock on her boss’ door as soon as she got there, and when the deep, gravelly voice said, “Come in,” Violet took a deep breath and walked inside.
She’d only been in Bill Carver’s office a couple of times, but she hated it more each time. It still had that distinct office-like smell to it, but there was something about it that put her on edge. Maybe it was Mr. Carver himself. Probably. He wasn’t a terrible guy, but Violet never liked to spend a second more of time with him than she had to.
“Please, sit,” Mr. Carver said as soon as he saw Violet, and Violet took a step forward, but caught sight of a man in a suit standing behind her. With a gun on his waist. As she stared at him he stared back, his face impassive and impossible to read. “Miss Clark.” Violet turned her head, and Mr. Carver gestured to the seat in front of him. “Sit.”
Violet’s nerves more on edge than ever, she slid into the leather seat and uneasily clasped her hands together in her lap. She could feel Suit Guy boring holes into the back of her head. “You’re not in trouble, Miss Clark. The opposite, really.” As Mr. Carver talked, Violet looked anywhere but right at him. She decided to focus on the nameplate on the desk labeled, William Carver . “I have a job for you. An extracurricular of sorts.”
“What kind of extracurricular?”
“Well, it would require you to relocate for a couple of months, but everything would be paid for by the company,” Violet’s eyebrows shot up. What kind of job was this? “I’m going to be blunt with you, Miss Clark-”
“Violet.” She regretted interrupting him immediately, and her voice grew smaller under his stare. “Just Violet is fine.”
Mr. Carver just smiled, and it made Violet’s skin crawl. “I’m going to be blunt, Violet . This job involves killing someone.”
Violet’s gaze snapped to Carver’s face, looking for any sign that he was joking. Any upturn of the lip, furrow of the brow, twitch of the eye. Nothing. His face was just as stoic as Suit Guy’s, whose presence Violet was still all too aware of.
“I… don’t think I understand.”
“It’s simple, really,” Mr. Carver said, and Violet fought back the urge to argue with him. Simple is the last word I’d use for killing somebody. “There’s a rising company in Atlanta that’s threatening our market and stealing our stockholders. If their heir is taken out, then they won’t be an issue.” Noticing Violet’s speechlessness, Mr. Carver leaned forward. “Come now, Violet. This isn’t a new practice.”
For the second time in less than two minutes, Violet’s stomach gave a violent lurch. CEO of Richmond’s rising company found drowned in a river. All the workers of Savannah Tech catching a vicious illness that brought productivity from 100 to 0. Wellington’s heir vanishing without a trace.
All of them led back here, to Crawford.
The room was silent for a couple of excruciating moments, until Violet spoke when she was sure she wouldn’t vomit. “And if I refuse?”
Mr. Carver nodded at Suit Guy. “We can find someone more capable, but just know that we have ways of keeping you silent.” Mr. Carver leaned impossibly closer. “But I don’t want to do that to you, Violet Clark. You’re a good worker. I see a lot of potential in you. And you’ll be handsomely compensated.”
Violet hated the next question that came out of her mouth. “How much?”
“150 grand, for a starting price.”
Violet couldn’t stop her jaw from dropping. $150,000 was way more than she made in a year, two years, even. And that as a starting price ?
“Also, you’ll be promoted with a considerable pay raise.”
Violet needed a minute to breathe. She was barely paying off rent every month, and sometimes she’d have to skip meals because she simply couldn’t afford the food. Her parents had urged her to take a second job, but following their advice was the last thing she wanted to do. But 150 grand or more could be enough to pay for a decent apartment and three meals a day without aid from her parents for a while.
The deal still involved taking a life, something Violet definitely did not want to do. With the money, I can pay for the therapy, a voice in her head reminded her. She took a nervous glance behind her at Suit Guy, and wondered if she’d imagined his hand moving closer to his gun.
“Fine. What’s their name?”
---
It didn’t take long for Violet to pack her belongings, and then she was on a flight to Atlanta, Georgia. She got a few odd looks from security for being a female traveling alone, but her resting glare was enough to ward off anyone that tried to talk to her.
Violet waited until she was at the apartment to open the case file. The apartment was company paid, and it was huge . The size of the living room was about as big as her apartment back home. There was a functioning stove, oven, fridge, and plenty of counter space. Everything was furnished, including her bedroom, which had a sleek glass desk with legs painted black.
Violet wheeled her suitcase into the bedroom and set down the case file on the desk. [Classified] was stamped on the front in huge red letters. Stifling a snort, she sat down in the leather swivel chair and flipped it open.
The first file had a picture on the front that looked almost like a yearbook picture or a photo ID. She had dark hair and light brown skin, and amber eyes that jumped out despite the quality of the picture. The name was Clementine Everett. 24 years old. Had a living father and younger brother. Violet was familiar with her, since Mr. Carver had given her a brief run-down, but Everett Incorporated was a fast-growing company. Clementine’s father was stepping down next year and handing off the company to her, and she was proving to be quite qualified for the job. Taking her down would be the end of the company as they knew it.
Violet spent a half hour picking through the papers, looking for anything that could be of relevance to her. Mr. Carver’s words rang through her mind. Form a close relationship with her. You want her to trust you. This girl is trained to defend herself, and you will not succeed if she hasn’t put her faith in you. Don’t get attached or you risk compromising the mission.
Violet had no problem with that. People were never her strong suit, so keeping a distance when it came to her feelings would be a piece of cake. The issue was finding a way to get close to Clementine without looking suspicious.
Then a name under Clementine’s “relationships” tab caught her eye. Louis West. For some reason, it rang a bell. Louis West. Louis West. Louis-
“Oh my god,” Violet breathed aloud. Louis West. They had been sent to the same boarding school and were close friends until they were 16 and Louis moved away. Apparently to Atlanta. Violet’s parents had never allowed her to contact him since they wanted her to leave behind anything in the boarding school. Including relationships.
There was a contact number underneath his name, and Violet’s hand shot to her phone. As soon as the number was in her phone, her finger hovered hesitantly over the “call” button. What if Louis didn’t want to talk to her? What if he was different from how she remembered him?
It took her five minutes to work up the courage to call him, and her heart leapt into her throat when he answered.
“Hello?” He kind of sounded the same. Violet opened her mouth to reply but no words came out. “Hellooooo? Anyone? Bueller?” Yeah, this was definitely the same Louis.
“Hey, Louis,” she said quietly.
“Who is this?”
“It’s… ah, I don’t know if you remember me, but it’s Violet. Clark. From Ericson’s.” Violet bit her lip as Louis went silent for a moment, then a loud “OH” from the other line startled her.
“Of course I remember you, Violet. Damn, it’s been ages! What have you been up to? And how did you get my number?”
Violet wanted to slam her head on the expensive glass desk. She hadn’t thought of a single excuse for calling him. Oh, I got it from a classified file I could be shot for. By the way, I’m going to murder your best friend. “I, um. I’m in Atlanta for a couple months for work, and Ruby told me you moved here a few years ago. I found it on your LinkedIn.”
“Okay, stalker,” Louis said, laughter in his tone. There were muffled voices on the line, and Louis was silent for a few seconds. “Listen, I’m gonna have to go, but let’s get something to eat after I’m off, yeah?”
“Sure.”
“Alright, meet me in front of Everett’s at 5. Can’t wait to see you, shortstack.”
Violet resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Bye, High School Musical.”
“Vi, I’ve been telling you for years, you need better insults.” And then he hung up.
Violet set her phone down on her desk, running a hand over her face. She was going to break Louis’ heart. She was using him to target his best friend. The thought filled her with pain, but she knew that she had to follow through with this. She had to.
But following through meant living with the consequences.
---
Violet definitely looked out of place. She hadn’t had money to buy clothes in a long time, and she’d settled for a pair of distressed black jeans, a blue t-shirt, a black beanie and a plaid flannel tied around her waist. She sat on a bench outside of Everett Incorporated’s main building and the employees, dressed in nice suits and dress shoes, were giving her odd looks as she passed. She fiddled with the charm bracelet on her right wrist, silently praying that Louis would show up and end her misery.
Soon enough, he did, and Violet had to do a double take to remember it was him. Louis had gotten even taller than when she’d last seen him, and he blended right in with the suits crowd. Except, he wasn’t wearing a tie, and the top three buttons of his dress shirt were undone. Violet suppressed a chuckle.
Even in a professional setting, Louis had found a way to stand out.
As soon as he spotted her, he waved. “What’s up, Violet Baggins?”
Violet rolled her eyes. “One more short joke and I’m killing you.”
Louis laughed, and as soon as Violet stood up from the bench he pulled her into a hug, which she returned. Violet barely measured up to his chin now, and she knew that despite her threat, she still had a lot of short jokes coming.
As soon as they pulled away, Louis gestured to the girl next to him that Violet hadn’t even noticed. Immediately, she recognized her as Clementine, and her heart skipped a beat. She was even prettier in person, the poor quality ID photo not really doing her justice. Her hair was up in a side bun, and it looked flattened, like she’d been wearing a hat and she took it off. Clementine was also about the same height as Violet, just as much a victim to the short nicknames.
“Violet, this is my co-worker and fellow Hobbit best friend, Clementine,” Clementine shot Louis a good-natured glare and shook hands with Violet.
“Violet,” she introduced herself, surprised her voice didn’t crack.
Clementine laughed, releasing Violet’s hand and gently nudging Louis. “I know. He hasn’t stopped talking about you since you called.”
Violet raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
Louis threw up his hands in surrender. “All good things, I promise,” he said, and Clementine caught Violet’s eye and shook her head. “Mostly good things.”
“I’ll leave you two to dinner,” she said, casting a smile at Louis. “Don’t have too much fun without me.”
“I could never .”
Violet watched Clementine go, feeling her heart plummet into the bottom of her chest.
How the hell was she going to kill this girl?
---
Violet and Louis went to a small cafe in downtown Atlanta not far from where Louis worked as per his insistence. Apparently, Violet hadn’t lived until she tried their fries.
“So, how come you disappeared off the face of the earth after I moved, Vi?” Louis asked as Violet sipped her energy drink, and Violet shrugged.
“Oh, you know. Parents.”
Louis rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re still talking to them.”
“Depends on how you define talking,” Violet said, and when Louis raised a brow, she sighed. “I occasionally borrow money from them. But that’s it.”
Violet was saved from further awkwardness as the waiter brought them their food; Louis a burger and Violet chicken tenders. Both with fries, obviously. Louis looked like a sore sight in that cafe in a dress shirt, slacks and shoes more expensive than Violet’s rent, but with a cheap burger and a coke sitting in front of him. Violet shook her head.
Only Louis.
Louis chuckled as Violet poured a heap of ketchup into the corner of her plate and dipped the chicken tender in it. “I see you never grew up.”
Violet shot him a glare. “Says you.”
Louis smirked, holding up his left hand. “I, as a matter of fact, did.” Violet squinted, not seeing anything out of place until she spotted the gold band around his ring finger. Her jaw dropped.
“No fucking way.” Louis laughed, shoving two fries in his mouth. “Are you married to that Clementine chick?” Please no.
Louis snorted. “No. Clem is my strictly platonic best friend. Besides,” he added, leaning across the table with a wink. “She resisted my charms a long time ago.”
Violet bit back a groan. Poor Clementine was probably Louis’ girl victim for a while. She remembered both Minnie and Sophie were too, back at the boarding school. Her heart twisted at the thought of the twins, and she pushed the memory away. “So who is it then?”
“His name is James.”
Violet nearly choked on her energy drink. “It’s a dude? ”
“What do you mean?” Louis asked, looking genuinely confused for once in his life. Violet would’ve relished in it if she wasn’t more lost than he was.
“I thought that you were like… the straightest dudebro to ever exist. Other than Marlon,” Violet said, setting her drink down on the table to avoid actually choking. Marlon had gone to the boarding school with them, and had been Louis’ closest friend. Violet hadn’t heard from him in years, either.
“Oh, I made out with Marlon too.”
“What the fuck. ”
“More than once.” Letting Violet simmer in her shock for a moment, Louis backtracked. “Wait, but hold on. You thought I was straight?” At Violet’s nod, Louis leaned back in his seat, sadly eating a french fry. “Damn. I lied when I said you needed better insults. That takes the cake.”
Violet simply shrugged in response, digging into her french fries. Louis was right; these really were good.
“That reminds me,” Louis said, and he pulled up a PDF of a flier on his phone. He held it so Violet could see, and her brain instantly went into overdrive at the word ‘party.’ “The company is having a Christmas party at some bar, do you want to be my plus one?”
Violet raised an eyebrow. “What about James?”
“Oh, he hates crowds. And parties,” Louis shrugged, taking a sip of his coke. “We accepted our differences a long time ago.”
“I hate them too. And I’m not exactly good company.”
“Oh well.”
“ Louis- ”
“James is the only one who I’ll take no for an answer from. And you-” he waved a french fry in her face, which she snatched right out of his hand, “-aren’t James. So you’re coming.”
Violet rolled her eyes, finally relenting. She knew Louis, and she knew he was only going to annoy her until she said yes. “I’ll stay for an hour.”
“Oh, I think you’ll find yourself wanting to stay for much longer than that,” At Violet’s raised brow, Louis said, “Clementine is single, I’ll have you know.”
Violet really hoped her face didn’t display how distraught Clementine’s name made her. She’d gotten so caught up with talking to Louis she’d forgotten all about her target.
Form a close relationship with her. You want her to trust you. A company party seemed like the best way to get close to Clementine, especially through Louis. An unsettling feeling simmered in her gut, but she did her best to ignore it.
“I’m not looking for a relationship, Louis. I’m only here for a couple of months,” she said, hoping Louis couldn’t see through the lie. He narrowed his eyes for the briefest moment, then shrugged.
“Whatever you say, Vi.”
Louis texted her the flier, and as soon as she got back to the apartment, she made a sticky note of it and put it on the fridge since there was no calendar around. Leaning back and looking at the note, she was hit with a striking realization.
Violet had absolutely no clothes fit for partying at a bar.