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Kit. I rolled my eyes. “You need to get over her.”
“Shut up.” He scowled at me. “I’m over her. Do you want my hospitality or not?”
I lifted my hands and stood up. “I’m going, I’m going.” Without waiting for any further comments, I headed for the door. I moved carefully, but it was far easier to walk now than it had been just minutes earlier. I noted the bathroom and the two bedrooms and then headed straight towards another door that stood partially open. I assumed it was the master bedroom, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Emerson’s room was not necessarily what I had expected. All his personal space on theHawkhad been marked by decidedly masculine colors and furniture pieces. Dark wood and red walls made up his office. Most of his furniture was oversized and imposing, meant to make others feel intimidated or awed.
His house, on the other hand, was vastly different. I had already noted what good tastes he had in art and décor in the rest of the house, and his bedroom was no different. Modernized black pieces made up the furniture. The room itself was large, but the furniture was not oversized and had sleek curves, making the room flow. Books filled several shelves along the wall, and an oil painting hung above the bed, which was the largest thing in the room.
My first reaction was to stare, and my second was to snoop. It was the cop instinct in me, but I refrained, deciding I should be a polite guest since Emerson was doing me a favor. Instead of perusing the books or snooping through the small desk in the corner, I went straight for the closet. I slid the door open, and my eyes roved through the large variety of styles and colors he had. I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling. I would never have guessed Emerson was this metro outside of his captain persona.
I relaxed a little, feeling better about my situation. I believed that Emerson would keep his word and help me. Steel, on the other hand, was a wild card that kept me on edge. He could kill me and not even blink. I was nothing to him. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that he was the most dangerous man I had ever met. I had dealt with a lot of criminals in my time with IPF, and none of them had ever instilled this level of fear in me. Except my kidnapper.
Struggling not to think about how close I was to being killed in the near future, I pawed through Emerson’s clothes until I found some feminine things. My choices were limited. I frowned at two leather ensembles and sighed. Definitely Kit’s clothes. I would never feel comfortable wearing something like that. I finally found a pair of black, cotton pants and settled on an emerald blouse with long sleeves and a scooped back. I wasn’t going to complain, because at least these clothes would stay up on me.
I took the clothes and slid the closet door shut. As I turned to head back into the hallway, a frame on the nightstand caught my eye. It was a picture of Emerson, a woman, and a young girl, maybe three years old. I slowed down and studied it. I wondered if they were related to Emerson, or if it was an old love. It was hard to tell from the context of the picture. As far as I knew, he hadn’t dated anyone since Kit, but it could also have been a sibling or a cousin or something. I didn’t know hardly anything about his personal life or family.
Ultimately, it wasn’t my business, and I wasn’t going to pry into his personal life. I went to the bathroom, washed up, and decided I would sleep in the clothes I was wearing and change into Kit’s outfit the next day. I wasn’t sure what time it was, but I honestly didn’t care. I needed sleep, and if Emerson needed me before the morning, he’d wake me up.
Muffling a yawn, I stepped back into the hallway and headed for the bedroom on the right, the one furthest from the office. I wanted to put as much distance between Steel and me as possible. I could still hear the murmur of voices coming from the office, though I refused to look in that direction. I wasn’t ready to talk to Ethan. I wasn’t ready to accept whatever answer he would give. I couldn’t process anything else tonight. My brain was fried.
The bedroom door stood open, and I peeked cautiously inside before entering. The room was sparsely furnished, but it was functional. I dropped my newly acquired clothes onto the only chair in the room and toed my new shoes off.
There was a soft rap on the door. “Julia?”
My back was to the door, but I recognized Ethan’s voice. I braced myself and turned around. “Yes?”
He looked hesitant, with a deep crease between his eyebrows. He didn’t enter the room, choosing instead to stand in the doorway with an uncomfortable look on his face. “Did you find clothes?”
“Yes.” I gestured to the chair. “Not the best, but they’ll do.”
“Good.” He hesitated. “Look, I know I owe you an explanation—”
“Not right now, Ethan.” My voice sounded more tired than I expected. I rubbed my forehead and refused to look him in the eye. “I’m not up for a chat. I’m just not. Besides, there’s not much else to say. You’re a drug dealer. I was a drug addict. Pretty sure that covers it.”
Ethan blinked at my bluntness, but I didn’t apologize. I already knew he’d seen the scars on my arms, and I wasn’t going to be embarrassed by them at this point. I was a strong person, and I would not be made weak because of my past.
“There’s more to it than that.”
“Then we can talk about it some other time. I’m tired.” I walked over to the door. “Goodnight, Ethan.” Without waiting for an answer, I shut the door and threw the lock. I leaned my back against it. I focused on breathing and tried to alleviate some of the stress I was feeling.
After a few moments, I heard Ethan move away, and then another door shut. I relaxed marginally and crawled into bed. In the morning, I would listen to whatever he wanted to tell me. I owed him that much. Even though he was part of Goliath’s gang, he had still saved my life on multiple occasions. Not every criminal was evil, and I was willing to believe Ethan wasn’t either. But the fact that he was a drug dealer was hard for me to accept after everything drugs had done to me.
Why did it have to be Goliath?
Sighing, I pushed all thoughts from my mind and tried to sleep. My problems could wait until the morning. I was too tired to deal with anything else tonight. It had been a long few days, and I was pretty sure there would be a few more long days before I would be home safe again.
CHAPTER TEN
Ethan
I sat cross-legged on the floor and tried to relax. I hadn’t slept much, so it was still early. My spirit was restless, and it robbed me of peace. I knew it was because Julia was upset with me. She had every right to be angry with me; I had kept something important from her. Telling her about my involvement with the Goliath gang would have ruined her trust. That’s why I had hidden the necklace from her. I was hoping that she understood I was still on her side and wanted to help her. I hoped I hadn’t lost her trust permanently.
She had looked so broken when I tried to talk to her about it. I had wanted to tell her everything right away, but the slumped set of her shoulders had stopped me. She didn’t want to hear my excuses. I needed to be patient.
I tried to meditate, but I was troubled. Meditating was usually easy for me, but not this time. I sat there for a long time, trying to settle my spirit, but I couldn’t. I opened my eyes and stared at my shirt and shoes on the bed, debating if it was time to get up and get dressed. I was anticipating another stressful and difficult day, and if I couldn’t meditate then there were other things I should be doing. I should call Sosa and ask about Archuleta’s guns.
Whatever I needed to do to help Julia get back to Viridis safely, I would do it. Our lives were connected. It was a truth I felt in my gut. I knew she didn’t necessarily believe in the universe or fate like I did, but I knew we crossed paths for a reason.
