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overed to have a nice stock of natural gold in the dirt and water that runs underneath the town.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh yeah. It’s been kept hush-hush for a while, especially after all of the electrical issues. Because as you know, it takes a lot of money to correct electrical issues.”
“And even more money to correct the houses burned down due to them,” I said.
“A lot of money upfront.”
“Company-ruining money if enough of them go up in smoke.”
Colton took a sip of his drink before he reached over and set it onto the coffee table beside us.
“Want to know what I did with my week?” he asked.
“Sure,” I said.
“I took a fun little trip to New York City. Only the third time I’ve ever been despite the properties I invest in around the area. Went to check up on some things and I met a charming man who’s also looking to invest in the area.”
“Sounds like you made a new friend.”
“I did. He runs a newer company that’s been established in upstate New York. We got to talking for a little bit. Found our interests crossed.”
“They crossed.”
“Yep. They crossed, Everett.”
He cocked his hip and slid his wallet from his pocket. He opened his billfold and drew out a business card, then handed it over to me. I flipped it over and looked around on it, but all I saw was a pretty plain name with a telephone number on it. No address to the business. No name for the business. It looked more like a personal card than a business one.
“He’s been looking into investing in the South Carolina area. Wanted to pick my brain about some things he’d heard. The big players in the area,” Colton said.
“So, the city wants to come to us,” I said.
“Seems like it does. He was very interested in knowing a little more about the Wilder family. Maybe you should give him a call or look him up.”
My eyes connected with Colton’s before he stood from his seat. “I’m glad you enjoyed your time in New York City,” I said.
“There’s a reason I stopped investing there. Too much property to invest in for too little payback. They’re reaching their ballooning peak soon. The market will burst eventually, and a lot of people will be out a lot of money. Some people know that, others don’t. This man right here gave me a very nice lecture on it. Even went so far as to say it’s why he’s branching out into the poorer states of our country.”
I nodded before I slipped the card into my back pocket. “I appreciate your time today, Colton.”
“Take it easy, Everett. And you know my door is always open to you.”
I shook his hand before he squeezed it, then I made my way for the elevator of his penthouse. I didn’t like that conversation one bit. Colton was always in the process of covering his own ass, but he gave me more than enough information to warrant a conversation with Lucas. None of that shit sounded good and a lot of things seemed to line up. What I was curious about was who this man was and whether or not he had some sort of stake in the land that housed the properties that had already gone up in flames. And something told me he did.
I didn’t have a lot of details to go on, but it was enough to begin my search. I made my way to my car and slid in, feeling my phone vibrate against my hip. It was a text message from Colton, and I quickly opened it up to see what he wanted.
Good to see you. Keep in touch. Stay fluid, but give me a few days heads-up next time you want to talk. Staying current is key to our game.
Whatever was going on, it was making Colton nervous. I’d never known him to be so secretive and cryptic with his messages, but I got the gist of it. He wanted me to keep him in the loop so he could keep me in the loop. This had to mean this situation was something he was still exploring. How hard had he gotten hit with all this? It made me wonder what kind of investments Colton had made and who he had shaken hands with. But this text message solidified my need to speak with Lucas. And I needed to do it soon.
Uneasiness poured through my veins as I pulled away from Colton’s place. I wove through town, my mind on autopilot as I made my way to the town city limits. I raced the main drag out of Charleston and took my first left, then wound up the driveway to the mansion that had burned down a week ago.
I parked my car and got out, surveying the scene in front of me. Even with the firefighters coming by daily to spray the damn thing with water, there were still small wisps of smoke that trailed up to the sky. The garden had burned. The grass had burned. The house had definitely burned. Even the guest quarters out back had burned. Everything on the property had gone up in flames, licking across the acres of land and destroying all of the surroundings buildings and foliage. To me, it was foul play. No regular house fire—no matter how big the building—wreaked that type of havoc.
I drew in a deep breath and walked the rest of the way up to what would have been the front door. The smell of sulfur and ash still lingered thickly in the air. I could still feel the heat of the flames on my skin and see them barreling toward the sky. I could still feel that sinking feeling as I slammed into my car and raced toward the flames. I knew the second I saw them from my townhouse that I had been in trouble. That we had all been in trouble.
I opened my eyes and took in the charred wooden door in front of me. I pushed through it and stepped into the carcass of the home. Heat still radiated from the walls as I walked through a place I probably had no business being in. The carpet was singed, and the plants had been destroyed. The artwork on the walls were nothing but crumbling ashes of their former beauty. The staircases were nonexistent, and the massive chandelier was crushed and mangled in the middle of the massive foyer floor. I stepped around it and made my way into the center of the building.
